LORD OF MANY SECRETS

FIFTY ONE

"Yes, yes, of course I am safe", said Patrick, clumsily patting her shoulders. "What the devil do you mean by making all this stir, James? You fool, did I not charge you to wait until you heard from Mr Fritzwa?"

His sister grasped the lapels of his coat. "Tell me at once, Patrick, what has happened?"

"Nothing has happened. I can tell you, I am in a pretty rage, Liz! A rare fool I am made to look! We were informed against, and I have a strong notion who laid the information!"

"Whoever he may be he has earned my undying gratitude!" declared Elizabeth, still shaken from the fright she had had. "How could you go out to fight without a word to me? Oh, how I hate the practice of dueling! How I despise all you men for thing it a way to settle a quarrel!"

"Stuff!" said Patrick, disengaging himself from her clasp. "As for you, James, be off to your work! You've meddled enough for one day! If I had dreamed the fellow was not to be trusted - but I might have known! I had no business to be taken in by him. My father warned us against his, and you may depend upon it the son is no better".

"Do you speak of my cousin? Is it possible that it was he who saved you from this terrible affair?".

"Lord, Liz, don't talk in that silly way! You don't understand these things. Ay, it was our cousin. I am persuaded it was he. I am off to settle with him on the instant".

She detained him. "You need not, I expected him here at any minute. He is to take Mrs Andromeda and me to Madame Torilo's Exhibition. Indeed, I do not know what should be keeping him, for he said he would be here quite by eleven, and you see it is past eleven, and you see it is past eleven now".

"That's cool, upon my word!" exclaimed Patrick. "He has the impudence to get me hard up before a beak, and takes my sister out on the top of it! A very pretty fellow is this Bartholomew Tellaro!"

"Do I hear my name?" The voice, a quite one, came from the doorway behind Patrick. "Ah, Patrick! Thank God!"

Patrick swung round to confront his cousin. "Ay, you are surprised to see me, are you not?"

"I am glad", Mr Tellaro replied steadily. "You imposed silence upon me, it has been hard for me to stand by. But I guessed I must hear certain tidings of you by this time. You have taken no hurt?"

"Silence!" ejaculated Patrick. "Will you tell me you have kept silent over this?"

His cousin looked at him intently, and from him to Elizabeth. She had sunk down on the sofa, and could only smile at him rather tremulously. "Will you tell me what you mean me to understand by that?" he asked in an even tone.

"Who was the man who laid the information against us, and had us arrested in the ground?" Patrick flung at him.

Mr Tellaro continued to look at him, his brows a little knit. Patrick said angrily, "who was the man who induced the surgeon to disclose the place of rendezvous? Who else knew of the meeting but you?"

"I cannot answer that question, Parte. I have no means of telling who else knew of it", responded Mr Tellaro.

"Give me a plain yes or no!" snapped Patrick. "Did you lay that information?"

Mr Tellaro said slowly, "I can understand and pardon your indignation, but consider a moment, if you please! You engaged my silence, do you accuse me of breaking faith with you?"

The niceties of the make code of honor being beyond Miss Tellaro's sympathy she cried impatiently, "what could that signify in the face of such danger to Parte? What other course could be open to any friend of his than at all costs to stop the meeting?"

Mr Tellaro smiled, but shook his head. Patrick, a little confounded, stammered, "I don't wish to be doing you an injustice, but you do not answer me! Only one other person knew of the meeting - my valet, and he does not fit the description Dr Larry gave".

"And what, may I ask, was that description?"

"It was of a tall, gentleman-like man, dark, and with an air of fashion!"

Mr Tellaro looked rather amused. "My dear Parte, am I the only man in town answering to that description? Is that all that you base your suspicions on? Have you not considered that your opponent may very likely have spoken of the meeting as well as you?"

"Ferdinand?" Patrick was disconcerted. "No, it had not occurred - that is to say, I do not think it profitable..."

"Why, what is this? Is it more profitable, then, that I laid the information?"

"Of course if you assure me you did not I am bound to accept your word", said Patrick stiffly.

"I am glad of that", said his cousin. "I will confess, at the risk of offending you afresh, that however little I may have had to do with it I am more than pleased to find that information was laid".

"You are very good", said Patrick, eyeing him a trifle askance.

Mr Tellaro laughed. "Well, were you so anxious to be shot at? Come, you are not to be picking a quarrel with me, you know! Elizabeth, do you still want to go to the Exhibition? Is Mrs Andromeda ready?"

Elizabeth got up. "She went into the breakfast parlor to write a note before you came. Shall we fetch her?"

"By all means. We are behind time, I believe. I was detained, and should beg your pardon". He nodded pleasantly to Patrick and held open the door for Elizabeth to pass through.

In the hall waited for him to close the door, and then said in a low voice, "you did not deny it".

He raised his eyebrows, looking down at her quizzically. "Are you also to pick a quarrel with me, Elizabeth?"