The Snare Part 32

"Would your ladys.h.i.+p be good enough to tell the court who were the other members of that party?"

"It--it was hardly a party, sir," she answered, with her unconquerable insistence upon trifles. "We were just Sir Terence and myself, Miss Armytage, Count Samoval, Colonel Grant, Major Carruthers and Captain Tremayne."

"Can your ladys.h.i.+p recall any words that pa.s.sed between the deceased and Captain Tremayne on that occasion--words of disagreement, I mean?"

She knew that there had been something, but in her benumbed state of mind she was incapable of remembering what it was. All that remained in her memory was Sylvia's warning after she and her cousin had left the table, Sylvia's insistence that she should call Captain Tremayne away to avoid trouble between himself and the Count. But, search as she would, the actual subject of disagreement eluded her. Moreover, it occurred to her suddenly, and sowed fresh terror in her soul, that, whatever it was, it would tell against Captain Tremayne.

"I--I am afraid I don't remember," she faltered at last.

"Try to think, Lady O'Moy."

"I--I have tried. But I--I can't." Her voice had fallen almost to a whisper.

"Need we insist?" put in the president compa.s.sionately. "There are sufficient witnesses as to what pa.s.sed on that occasion without further hara.s.sing her ladys.h.i.+p."

"Quite so, sir," the major agreed in his dry voice. "It only remains for the prisoner to question the witness if he so wishes."

Tremayne shook his head. "It is quite unnecessary, sir," he a.s.sured the president, and never saw the swift, grim smile that flashed across Sir Terence's stern face.

Of the court Sir Terence was the only member who could have desired to prolong the painful examination of her ladys.h.i.+p. But he perceived from the president's att.i.tude that he could not do so without betraying the vindictiveness actuating him; and so he remained silent for the present.

He would have gone so far as to suggest that her ladys.h.i.+p should be invited to remain in court against the possibility of further evidence being presently required from her but that he perceived there was no necessity to do so. Her deadly anxiety concerning the prisoner must in itself be sufficient to determine her to remain, as indeed it proved.

Accompanied and half supported by Miss Armytage, who was almost as pale as herself, but otherwise very steady in her bearing, Lady O'Moy made her way, with faltering steps to the benches ranged against the side wall, and sat there to hear the remainder of the proceedings.

After the uninteresting and perfunctory evidence of the sergeant of the guard who had been present when the prisoner was ordered under arrest, the next witness called was Colonel Grant. His testimony was strictly in accordance with the facts which we know him to have witnessed, but when he was in the middle of his statement an interruption occurred.

At the extreme right of the dais on which the table stood there was a small oaken door set in the wall and giving access to a small ante-room that was known, rightly or wrongly, as the abbot's chamber. That anteroom communicated directly with what was now the guardroom, which accounts for the new-comer being ushered in that way by the corporal at the time.

At the opening of that door the members of the court looked round in sharp annoyance, suspecting here some impertinent intrusion. The next moment, however, this was changed to respectful surprise. There was a sc.r.a.ping of chairs and they were all on their feet in token of respect for the slight man in the grey undress frock who entered. It was Lord Wellington.

Saluting the members of the court with two fingers to his c.o.c.ked hat, he immediately desired them to sit, peremptorily waving his hand, and requesting the president not to allow his entrance to interrupt or interfere with the course of the inquiry.

"A chair here for me, if you please, sergeant," he called and, when it was fetched, took his seat at the end of the table, with his back to the door through which he had come and immediately facing the prosecutor.

He retained his hat, but placed his riding-crop on the table before him; and the only thing he would accept was an officer's notes of the proceedings as far as they had gone, which that officer himself was prompt to offer. With a repeated injunction to the court to proceed, Lord Wellington became instantly absorbed in the study of these notes.

Colonel Grant, standing very straight and stiff in the originally red coat which exposure to many weathers had faded to an autumnal brown, continued and concluded his statement of what he had seen and heard on the night of the 28th of May in the garden at Monsanto.

The judge-advocate now invited him to turn his memory back to the luncheon-party at Sir Terence's on the 27th, and to tell the court of the altercation that had pa.s.sed on that occasion between Captain Tremayne and Count Samoval.

"The conversation at table," he replied, "turned, as was perhaps quite natural, upon the recently published general order prohibiting duelling and making it a capital offence for officers in his Majesty's service in the Peninsula. Count Samoval stigmatised the order as a degrading and arbitrary one, and spoke in defence of single combat as the only honourable method of settling differences between gentlemen. Captain Tremayne dissented rather sharply, and appeared to resent the term 'degrading' applied by the Count to the enactment. Words followed, and then some one--Lady O'Moy, I think, and as I imagine with intent to soothe the feelings of Count Samoval, which appeared to be ruffled--appealed to his vanity by mentioning the fact that he was himself a famous swordsman. To this Captain Tremayne's observation was a rather unfortunate one, although I must confess that I was fully in sympathy with it at the time. He said, as nearly as I remember, that at the moment Portugal was in urgent need of famous swords to defend her from invasion and not to increase the disorders at home."

Lord Wellington looked up from the notes and thoughtfully stroked his high-bridged nose. His stern, handsome face was coldly impa.s.sive, his fine eyes resting upon the prisoner, but his attention all to what Colonel Grant was saying.

"It was a remark of which Samoval betrayed the bitterest resentment.

He demanded of Captain Tremayne that he should be more precise, and Tremayne replied that, whilst he had spoken generally, Samoval was welcome to the cap if he found it fitted him. To that he added a suggestion that, as the conversation appeared to be tiresome to the ladies, it would be better to change its topic. Count Samoval consented, but with the promise, rather threateningly delivered, that it should be continued at another time. That, sir, is all, I think."

"Have you any questions for the witness, Captain Tremayne?" inquired the judge-advocate.

As before, Captain Tremayne's answer was in the negative, coupled with the now usual admission that Colonel Grant's statement accorded perfectly with his own recollection of the facts.

The court, however, desired enlightenment on several subjects. Came first of all Carruthers's inquiries as to the bearing of the prisoner when ordered under arrest, eliciting from Colonel Grant a variant of the usual reply.

"It was not inconsistent with innocence," he said.

It was an answer which appeared to startle the court, and perhaps Carruthers would have acted best in Tremayne's interest had he left the question there. But having obtained so much he eagerly sought for more.

"Would you say that it was inconsistent with guilt?" he cried.

Colonel Grant smiled slowly, and slowly shook his head. "I fear I could not go so far, as that," he answered, thereby plunging poor Carruthers into despair.

And now Colonel Fletcher voiced a question agitating the minds of several members of the count.

"Colonel Grant," he said, "you have told us that on the night in question you had Count Samoval under observation, and that upon word being brought to you of his movements by one of your agents you yourself followed him to Monsanto. Would you be good enough to tell the court why you were watching the deceased's movements at the time?"

Colonel Grant glanced at Lord Wellington. He smiled a little reflectively and shook his head.

"I am afraid that the public interest will not allow me to answer your question. Since, however, Lord Wellington himself is present, I would suggest that you ask his lords.h.i.+p whether I am to give you the information you require."

"Certainly not," said his lords.h.i.+p crisply, without awaiting further question. "Indeed, one of my reasons for being present is to ensure that nothing on that score shall transpire."

There followed a moment's silence. Then the president ventured a question. "May we ask, sir, at least whether Colonel Grant's observation of Count Samoval resulted from any knowledge of, or expectation of, this duel that was impending?"

"Certainly you may ask that," Lord Wellington, consented.

"It did not, sir," said Colonel Grant in answer to the question.

"What grounds had you, Colonel Grant, for a.s.suming that Count Samoval was going to Monsanto?" the president asked.

"Chiefly the direction taken."

"And nothing else?"

"I think we are upon forbidden ground again," said Colonel Grant, and again he looked at Lord Wellington for direction.

"I do not see the point of the question," said Lord Wellington, replying to that glance. "Colonel Grant has quite plainly informed the court that his observation of Count Samoval had no slightest connection with this duel, nor was inspired by any knowledge or suspicion on his part that any such duel was to be fought. With that I think the court should be content. It has been necessary for Colonel Grant to explain to the court his own presence at Monsanto at midnight on the 28th. It would have been better, perhaps, had he simply stated that it was fortuitous, although I can understand that the court might have hesitated to accept such a statement. That, however, is really all that concerns the matter.

Colonel Grant happened to be there. That is all that the court need remember. Let me add the a.s.surance that it would not in the least a.s.sist the court to know more, so far as the case under consideration is concerned."

In view of that the president notified that he had nothing further to ask the witness, and Colonel Grant saluted and withdrew to a seat near Lady O'Moy.

There followed the evidence of Major Carruthers with regard to the dispute between Count Samoval and Captain Tremayne, which substantially bore out what Sir Terence and Colonel Grant had already said, notwithstanding that it manifested a strong bias in favour of the prisoner.

"The conversation which Samoval threatened to resume does not appear to have been resumed," he added in conclusion.

"How can you say that?" Major Swan asked him.

"I may state my opinion, sir," flashed Carruthers, his chubby face reddening.

"Indeed, sir, you may not," the president a.s.sured him. "You are upon oath to give evidence of facts directly within your own personal knowledge."