"It was mutual!" declared my grandfather. "I never
believed your story at all,-you were too perfect in the
part!"
"Well, I didn't greatly mind the valet business; it
helped to hide my identity; and I did like the humor
and whims of Mr. Glenarm. The housekeeping, after
we came out here, wasn't so pleasant"-he looked at his
hands ruefully-"but this joke of Mr. Glenarm's making
a will and then going to Egypt to see what would
happen,-that was too good to miss. And when the
heir arrived I found new opportunities of practising
amateur theatricals; and Pickering's efforts to enlist
me in his scheme for finding the money and making me
rich gave me still greater opportunities. There were
times when I was strongly tempted to blurt the whole
thing; I got tired of being suspected, and of playing
ghost in the wall; and if Mr. Glenarm hadn't got here
just as he did I should have stopped the fight and
proclaimed the truth. I hope," he said, turning to
me, "you have no hard feelings, sir." And he threw
into the "sir" just a touch of irony that made us all
roar.
"I'm certainly glad I'm not dead," declared my grandfather,
staring at Bates. "Life is more fun than I ever
thought possible. Bless my soul!" he said, "if it isn't a
shame that Bates can never cook another omelette for
me!"
We sent Bates back with my grandfather from the
boat-house, and Stoddard, Larry and I started across the
ice; the light coating of snow made walking comparatively
easy. We strode on silently, Stoddard leading.
Their plan was to take an accommodation train at the
first station beyond Annandale, leave it at a town forty
miles away, and then hurry east to an obscure place in
the mountains of Virginia, where a religious order
maintained a house. There Stoddard promised Larry
asylum and no questions asked.
We left the lake and struck inland over a rough country
road to the station, where Stoddard purchased tickets
only a few minutes before the train whistled.
We stood on the lonely platform, hands joined to
hands, and I know not what thoughts in our minds and
hearts.
"We've met and we've said good-by in many odd corners
of this strange old world," said Larry, "and God
knows when we shall meet again."
"But you must stay in America-there must be no
sea between us!" I declared.
"Donovan's sins don't seem heinous to me! It's simply
that they've got to find a scapegoat,"-and Stoddard's
voice was all sympathy and kindness. "It will
blow over in time, and Donovan will become an enlightened
and peaceable American citizen."
There was a constraint upon us all at this moment of
parting-so many things had happened that day-and
when men have shared danger together they are bound
by ties that death only can break. Larry's effort at
cheer struck a little hollowly upon us.