is what I feared。 It is my will； mine … Miles Fentolin's … that
that message be not delivered。〃
〃I wonder；〃 Mr。 Dunster muttered under his breath； 〃whether you are
in earnest。〃
〃In your heart；〃 Mr。 Fentolin told him； 〃you know that I am。 I can
see the truth in your face。 Now； for the first time； you begin to
understand。〃
〃To a certain extent；〃 Mr。 Dunster admitted。 〃Where I am still in
the dark； however； is why you should expect that I should become
your confederate。 It is true that by holding me up and obstructing
my message； you may bring about the evil you seek； but unless that
word is cabled back to New York； and my senders believe that my
message has been delivered； there can be no certainty。 What has
been trusted to me as the safest means of transmission； might； in
an emergency； be committed to a cable。〃
〃Excellent reasoning；〃 Fentolin agreed。 〃For the very reasons you
name that word will be given。〃
Mr。 Dunster's face was momentarily troubled。 There was something in
the still； cold emphasis of this man's voice which made him shiver。
〃Do you think；〃 Mr。 Fentolin went on； 〃that I spend a great fortune
buying the secrets of the world； that I live from day to day with
the risk of ignominious detection always hovering about me … do
you think that I do this and am yet unprepared to run the final risks
of life and death？ Have you ever talked with a murderer； Mr。 Dunster？
Has curiosity ever taken you within the walls of Sing Sing？ Have you
sat within the cell of a doomed man and felt the thrill of his touch；
of his close presence？ Well； I will not ask you those questions。 I
will simply tell you that you are talking to one now。〃
Mr。 Dunster had forgotten his extinct cigar。 He found it difficult
to remove his eyes from Mr。 Fentolin's face。 He was half fascinated；
half stirred with a vague； mysterious fear。 Underneath these wild
words ran always that hard note of truth。
〃You seem to be in earnest；〃 he muttered。
〃I am；〃 Mr。 Fentolin assured him quietly。 〃I have more than once
been instrumental in bringing about the death of those who have
crossed my purposes。 I plead guilty to the weakness of Nero。
Suffering and death are things of joy to me。 There！〃
〃I am not sure；〃 Mr。 Dunster said slowly； 〃that I ought not to
wring your neck。〃
Mr。 Fentolin smiled。 His chair receded an inch or two。 There was
never a time when his expression had seemed more seraphic。
〃There is no emergency of that sort；〃 he remarked；〃 for which I am
not prepared。〃
His little revolver gleamed for a minute beneath his cuff。 He
backed his chair slowly and with wonderful skill towards the door。
〃We will fix the period of your probation； Mr。 Dunster； at … say；
twenty…four hours；〃 he decided。 〃Please make yourself until then
entirely at home。 My cook； my cellar； my cigar cabinets； are at
your disposal。 If some happy impulse；〃 he concluded； 〃should show
you the only reasonable course by dinnertime； it would give me the
utmost pleasure to have you join us at that meal。 I can promise
you a cheque beneath your plate which even you might think worth
considering； wine in your glass which kings might sigh for； cigars
by your side which even your Mr。 Pierpont Morgan could not buy。
Au revoir！〃
The door opened and closed。 Mr。 Dunster sat staring into the open
space like a man still a little dazed。
CHAPTER XVIII
The beautiful but somewhat austere front of St。 David's Hall seemed；
in a sense； transformed； as Hamel and his companion climbed the worn
grey steps which led on to the broad sweep of terrace。 Evidently
visitors had recently arrived。 A dark； rather good…looking woman；
with pleasant round face and a ceaseless flow of conversation； was
chattering away to Mr。 Fentolin。 By her side stood another woman who
was a stranger to Hamel … thin； still elegant； with tired； worn face；
and the shadow of something in her eyes which reminded him at once of
Esther。 She wore a large picture hat and carried a little Pomeranian
dog under her arm。 In the background； an insignificant…looking man
with grey side…whiskers and spectacles was beaming upon everybody。
Mr。 Fentolin waved his hand and beckoned to Hamel and Esther as they
somewhat hesitatingly approached。
〃This is one of my fortunate mornings； you see； Esther！〃 he exclaimed；
smiling。 〃Lady Saxthorpe has brought her husband over to lunch。 Lady
Saxthorpe；〃 he added； turning to the woman at his side； 〃let me present
to you the son of one of the first men to realise the elusive beauty
of our coast。 This is Mr。 Hamel； son of Peter Hamel； R。A。 … the
Countess of Saxthorpe。〃
Lady Saxthorpe； who had been engaged in greeting
Esther； held out her hand and smiled good…humour…
edly at Hamel。
〃I know your father's work quite well；〃 she declared； 〃and I don't
wonder that you have made a pilgrimage here。 They tell me that he
painted nineteen pictures … pictures of importance； that is to say
… within this little area of ten miles。 Do you paint； Mr。 Hamel？〃
〃Not at all；〃 Hamel answered。
〃Our friend Hamel；〃 Mr。 Fentolin intervened； 〃woos other and sterner
muses。 He fights nature in distant countries； spans her gorges with
iron bridges； stems the fury of her rivers； and carries to the
boundary of the world that little twin line of metal which brings
men like ants to the work…heaps of the universe。 My dear Florence；〃
he added； suddenly turning to the woman at his other side； 〃for the
moment I had forgotten。 You have not met our guest yet。 Hamel；
this is my sister…in…law； Mrs。 Seymour Fentolin。〃
She held out her hand to him； unnaturally thin and white； covered
with jewels。 Again he saw something in her eyes which stirred him
vaguely。
〃It is so nice that you are able to spend a few days： with us； Mr。
Hamel；〃 she said quietly。 〃I am sorry that I have been too
indisposed to make your acquaintance earlier。〃
〃And； Mr。 Fentolin continued； 〃you must know my young friend here；
too。 Mr。 Hamel … Lord Saxthorpe。〃
The latter shook hands heartily with the young man。
〃I knew your father quite well；〃 he announced。 〃Queer thing； he
used to hang out for months at a time at that little shanty on the
beach there。 Hardest work in the world to get him away。 He came
over to dine with us once or twice； but we saw scarcely anything
of him。 I hope his son will not prove so obdurate。〃
〃You are very kind；〃 Hamel murmured。
〃Mr。 Hamel came into these parts to claim his father's property；〃
Mr。 Fentolin said。 〃However； I have persuaded him to spend a day
or two up here before he transforms himself into a misanthrope。
What of his golf； Esther； eh？〃
〃Mr。 Hamel plays very well； indeed；〃 the girl replied。
〃Your niece was too good for me；〃 Hamel confessed。
Mr。 Fentolin smiled。
〃The politeness of this younger generation；〃 he remarked； 〃keeps
the truth sometimes hidden from us。 I perceive that I shall not
be told who won。 Lady Saxthorpe； you are fortunate indeed in the
morning you have chosen for your visit。 There is no sun in the
world like an April sun； and no corner of the earth where it shines
with such effect as here。 Look steadily to the eastward of that
second dike and you will see the pink light upon the sands； which
baffled every one until our friend Hamel came and caught it on
his canvas。〃
〃I do see it；〃 Lady Saxthorpe murmured。 〃What eyes you have； Mr。
Fentolin！ What perception for colour！〃
〃Dear lady；〃 Mr。 Fentolin said； 〃I am one of those who benefit by
the law of compensations。 On a morning like this I can spend hours
merely feasting my eyes upon this prospect； and I can find； if not
happiness； the next best thing。 The world is full of beautiful
places； but the strange part of it is that beauty has countless
phases； and each phase differs in some subtle and unexplainable
manner from all others。 Look with me fixedly； dear Lady Saxthorpe。
Look； indeed； with more than your eyes。 Look at that flush of wild
lavender； where it fades into the sands on one side； and strikes the
emerald green of that wet seamoss on the other。 Look at the liquid
blue of that tongue of sea which creeps along its bed through the
yellow sands； through the dark meadowland； which creeps and oozes
and widens till in an hour's time it will have become a river。 Look
at my sand islands； virgin from the foot of man； the home of
sea…gulls； the islands of a day。 There may be other and more
beautiful places。 There is none quite like this。〃
〃I pity you no longer；〃 Lady Saxthorpe asserted fervently。 〃The
eyes of the artist are a finer possession than the limbs of the
athlete。〃
The butler announced luncheon； and they all trooped in。 Hamel
found himself next to Lady Saxthorpe。
〃Dear Mr。 Fentolin has been so kind；〃 she confided to him as they
took their places。 〃I came in fear and trembling to ask for a very
small cheque for my dear brother's diocese。 My brother is a
colonial bishop； you know。 Can you imagine what Mr。 Fentolin has
given me？〃
Hamel wondered politely。 Lady Saxthorpe continued with an air of
triumph。
〃A thousand pounds！ Just fancy that … a thousand pounds！ And some
people say he is so difficult；〃 she went on； dropping her voice。
〃Mrs。 Hungerford came all the way over from Norwich to beg for the
infirmary there； and he gave her nothing。〃
〃What was his excuse？ 〃 Hamel asked。
〃I think he told her that it was against his principles to give to
hospitals；〃 Lady Saxthorpe replied。 〃He thinks that they should be
supported out of the rates。〃
〃Some people have queer ideas of charity；〃 Hamel remarked。 〃Now I
am afraid that if I had been Mr。 Fentolin； I would have given the
thousand pounds willingly to a hospital； but not a penny to a
mission。〃
Mr。 Fentolin looked suddenly down the table。 He was some distance
away； but his hearing was wonderful。
〃Ah； my dear Hamel；〃 he said； 〃believe me； missions are very
wonderful things。 It is only from a very careful study of their
results that I have brought myself to be a considerable supporter
of those where I have some personal knowledge of the organisation。
Hospitals； on the other hand； provide for the poor what they ought
to be able to provide for themselves。