A Damsel in Distress
of brakes and a sputter of gravel in front of the main entrance of Belpher Castle. The slim and elegant yo
utes from Hyde Park Corner,
aling a florid and gloomy face, equipped, in addition to the usual features, with a small moustache a
l and English. Nearer, on his left, were rose-gardens, in the centre of which, tilted at a sharp angle, appeared the seat of a pair of corduroy trousers, whose wearer seemed to be engaged in hunting for snails. Thrushes sang in the green shrubberies; rooks cawed in the elms. Somewhere in
ion of all other thoughts, by the recollection of that painful scene in Bow Street Police Court. The magistrate's remarks, which had been tactless and unsympathetic, still echoed in his ears. And that infernal night in Vine Street police s
gs about his liver, kindly be-warned-in-time-and-pull-up-before-it-is-too-late things, which would have seemed to Percy indecently frank if spoken by his medical adviser in the privacy of the sick chamber.) It is perhaps not to be wondered at that Belpher Castle, for all its beauty of scenery and architecture, should have left Lord Belpher a little cold. He was seething with a fury which the conversation of Reggie Byng h
in as they alighte
d punches the bell. What awaits him beyond? Forgiveness? Or the raspberry? True, the white-haired butler who knew
er's scowl
king matter,"
e heart to joke at a moment like this, when the fri
oodness you
own in criminal circles as Percy, the Piccadilly Policeman-Puncher? I keep a bra
touch of cosy humanity to the scene which the hall with its half lights and massive furniture needed to make it perfect to the returned wanderer. He seemed to be intimating that this was a moment to which he had looked forward long, and that from now on quiet happiness would reign supreme. It is distressing to have to reveal the jarring fact that,
our lordship. Go
he salutation with a grunt,
to do it." He stepped a little to one side and indicat
our pard
till you can do it a
you're
. He had long since come to the conclusion that Reggie was slightly mad, a theory supported by the latter's va
rink into the librar
lp
d, your l
l just take the old car round to th
d to the library, while Keggs melted away through the green baize door at the e
s stepmother and Lord Marshmoreton coming towards him from
uncle! Back again at t
s aristocratic front a
where i
ne to the library. I just d
e turned to
to the libr
id Lord Marshmoreton irritably. Somet
strolling back after puttin
ud, dear o
. I was expecting y
t night. Had to stick
desert the old boy i
dly. "'Hour of trial,
, that's just what it
happened
ourse not. It wouldn't have been in the mor
y did
dramatic thing. Slos
marks the spot where
elt that this extraordinary happening must be linked up with her escapade. Then h
an to say Per
o Vine Street. Like the poem, don't you know. 'And poor old Percy walked between with gyves upon his wrists.' And this morning, bright and early, the beak parted him from ten quid. You know, Maud, old thing, our duty s
itated a
sked carelessly, "why he did it?
ly. All I know is that he popped one into the officer's waistband. What led up to it is mor
ost-mo
, and it looked to me very much as if the mater must have got hold
short wh
wonder if she got hold of the one that had the poem about it. One chappie was so carried away by the b
her best defence would be attack. Bluff was what was needed. Wide-eyed, innocent
rig
Reggie, "did your little business come
awfully sweet of you
too much on that part of it? What I mean to say is, for
h a laugh. "I'm not going to
th its violent adventures and tall policemen, did not enter here. There was balm in those rows and rows of books which nobody ever read, those vast writing tables at which nobody ever wrote. From the broad mantel-piece the bust of some unnamed ancient looked down almost sympath
e defe
me ex
roduction. Even Reggie had exhibited at times democratic traits of which she thoroughly disapproved. But of her nephew Percy she had always been sure. He was solid rock. He, at least, she had always felt, would never do anything to injure the family prestige. And now, so to speak, "Lo, Ben Adhem's name led all the rest." In other words, Percy was the worst of the lot. Whatever indiscretions the rest had committed, at least they had never got the family into the comic columns of the evening papers. Lord Marshmoreton might wear corduroy trousers and refuse to entertain the County at garden parties and go to bed with a book when it was his duty to act as host at a formal ball; Maud might give her heart to an impossible person whom nobody had ever heard of; and Reggie migh
, the heir to the title, behaving like a common rowdy in
ew the cir
y are in the evening pa
y at the recollection. He was an easily amused man. "Yo
oh
ou mean by it, damn it? You're my only son. I have watched you grow from child to boy, from boy to man, with tender solicitude. I have wanted to be proud of you. And all th
the necessity of saying his say while the saying was good. "The facts are these. I was walking along
e uttered an
ut Maud
he opinion that nothing in Percy's life so became him as this assault on the Force. Lord Marshmoreton, who in his time had committed all the follies of youth, had come to look on his blameless so
," said Lady Caroline imp
Marshmoreton. "I only spo
aw Maud in Pic
t down to an extraordinary resemblance, whe
permit this to pass in silen
aughter Maud just because she got into a cab. London," he proceeded, warming to the argument
n't take
did," said Lord Mar
s somebody else already in the cab.
y Caroline, falling into a chai
o look at the lady who had just got in. He denied that there was a lady in the cab. And I had seen her jump in with my own eyes. Throughout the conversation he was leaning out of the window with the obvious intention of screening whoever wa
f the papers. I daresay it's old. Stop me if you've heard it. A woman says to the
e thought that you would be interested in a matter
plied: 'They're at the wash.' Of course I am. Go on, Percy
to know what the matter was. I lost my head. I admit it f
d Marshmoreton, a
e right, Percy. These insolent jacks in office ought not to be
how Maud could have come to lose her head over such a man. He seemed to me to have no attraction whatever," said Lo
ve been the
e was an American. You recollect that we
eeply. Lord Marshmoreton, feeling that something was expected of him, said "Good Ga
e always believed in starting a conversation well, a
herself for
that comes only from a thoroughly guilty conscience. "What's all this I hear about your being
ght soul. Lord Marshmoreton, whose thoughts had wandered off to the rose garden, pulled himself together and tried to look menacing. Maud went on without wa
e never done before in my life." ("Bless my soul," said Lord Marshmoreton weakly, as, with an apprehensive eye on his sister, he patted his daughter's shoulder.) "First, I sent a screech
otee of the royal and ancient
this morning. What did yo
her. "Where were you
ild who has never even attempted to pu
er do y
n Piccadilly yesterday
oli
here Percy fights police
able of being answered only by "Yes" or "No", which ought not to be allowe
u not go to London
e Direct. As long as it was a question of suppression of the true or suggestion of the false she had no scruples. But she had a distas
, I
at Lord Belpher. Lo
Car
eet that Ameri
e had been an acutely embarrassed spectator of this distressing scene, and had been
eggie," said
w and what not-if you see what I mean-
d a sombre frown. "Then it was t
ine. "Knocked your hat off? You nev
grasped the handle of the door, when he suddenly struck my hat, cau
supreme exertion of will power into a mask of indignation. "You ought to have
cy," said Maud, "was not . . . He was
," said Lady Caroline caustically. "There ar
his throat. He was sorry
g at the mat
" said Lad
hmoreton
," said Maud, "so I ju
sa
lieve it,"
the
trying to put us
who deprecatingly lodges a timid complaint, fearful the while lest she may be hurting the fe
n this matter? Why will you not let yourself be
" said Lo
thing is
," said Lo
e turned on
rcy. Now, you've made me for
to the surface once more, "the proper attit
said Lad
and resumed his silent comm
lf being in love, Aunt
u've somebody with a leve
n tore himself a
. I recollect my poor father took me away from Oxford and kept me here at Belpher under lock and key. Lock and key, dammit. I was deucedly upset at the time, I remember." His mind wander
of her brother's researches into the fam
mind th
t over it. Tha
asion. There seems nothing to do but to treat Maud in just the same way. You shall not stir
rd Belpher solemnly, "I shal
came into Maud
ison make nor iron bars
experience, Percy,
hmor
ion," said Lady Caroline cold
e looked like a princess in
him, and nothing is ever going to stop me loving hi
ear from now you will have forgotten hi
said Lord
sha
tried once to remember that tobacconist girl's name, I've tried a hundred
will be wondering how you ever came to b
said Lord
ton turned on
quite? If somebody came to me and pointed you out and said, 'Is that your son?' do you suppose
nd turned the handle. Albert, the page boy, who had been courting earache by listening at the keyho
ave said all I
ry to disobey you,
er you've been cooped up here fo
e played over
s," she murmured softly,
ble men. Had one up here only the day before yesterday, forcing open the drawer of my desk. Watched him do it. Most interesting. He smelt rather strongly of a damned bad brand of t
to the window and looked out
said bitterly, "on the eve