“What was he like?” demanded Peregrine, who had listened to this speech with considerable impatience. “Was he tall, rather dark, and elegantly dressed?”
“Yes,” said the doctor. “Certainly he was tall. I should describe him as very dark. He was a gentleman-like man, quiet in his manner, and with a pronounced air of fashion.”
“I knew it!” said Peregrine. “My cousin to the life!”
At this point one of the constables came up to request their following him to the coach. They could only obey, and in a few minutes the whole party was being driven off to the nearest magistrate.
It was fully an hour later before the principals were at liberty to go their several ways. Both were bound over to keep the peace, a great many formalities were gone through, sureties were paid, the magistrate read them a lecture, and Mr. Fitzjohn longed for his breakfast. At last they were set free. Mr. Farnaby and his second, both wearing the blackest of scowls, drove away in their chaise, and Peregrine and Mr. Fitzjohn went off to Cork Street, the doctor having gone away in a hackney some time previously.
Chapter XI
The secret of the duel was soon out. Peregrine arrived in Brook Street shortly after eleven o’clock to find his valet, who had given him up for lost an hour before, standing over Miss Taverner while she read her brother’s farewell letter.
“O God!” burst from Miss Taverner’s lips just as Peregrine walked into the room. The sheets of the letter fluttered to the ground. Miss Taverner sprang up crying: “I must go at once! What have they done to him? Where is Fitzjohn?” Then she caught sight of Peregrine in the doorway, and the next instant was in his arms. “Perry! Oh, Perry, my darling, you are safe!”
“Yes, yes, of course I am safe,” said Peregrine, clumsily patting her shoulder. “What the devil do you mean by making all this stir, John? You fool, did I not charge you to wait until you heard from Mr. Fitzjohn?”
His sister grasped the lapels of his coat. “Tell me at once, Peregrine, what has happened?”
“Nothing has happened. I can tell you, I am in a pretty rage, Ju! A rare fool I am made to look! We were informed against, and I have a strong notion who laid the information!”
“Whoever he is he has earned my undying gratitude!” declared Judith, 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 duelling! How I despise all you men for thinking it a way to settle a quarrel!”
“Stuff!” said Peregrine, disengaging himself from her clasp. “As for you, John, 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 him, 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, Ju, 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 expect him here at any minute. He is to take Mrs. Scattergood and me to Madame Tussaud’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 now.”
“That’s cool, upon my word!” exclaimed Peregrine. “He has the impudence to get me had up before a beak, and takes my sister out on the top of it! A very pretty fellow is this Bernard Taverner!”
“Do I hear my name?” The voice, a quiet one, came from the doorway behind Peregrine. “Ah, Peregrine! Thank God!”
Peregrine swung round to confront his cousin. “Ay, you are surprised to see me, are you not?”
“I am glad,” Mr. Taverner 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 Peregrine. “Will you tell me you have kept silence over this?”
His cousin looked at him intently, and from him to Judith. 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 on the ground?” Peregrine flung at him.
Mr. Taverner continued to look at him, his brows a little knit. Peregrine 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. Perry. I have no means of telling who else knew of it,” responded Mr. Taverner.
“Give me a plain yes or no!” snapped Peregrine. “Did you lay that information?”
Mr. Taverner 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 male code of honour being beyond Miss Taverner’s sympathy she cried impatiently: “What could that signify in face of such danger to Perry? What other course could be opened to any friend of his than at all costs to stop the meeting?”
Mr. Taverner smiled, but shook his head. Peregrine, 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. Lane gave.”
“And what, may I ask, was that description?”
“It was of a tall, gentleman-like man, and with an air of fashion!”
Mr. Taverner looked rather amused. “My dear Perry, 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?”
“Farnaby?” Peregrine was disconcerted. “No. it had not occurred—that is to say, I do not think it probable—”
“Why, what is this? Is it more probable, then, that I laid the information?”
“Of course if you assure me you did not I am bound to accept your word,” said Peregrine 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 Peregrine, eyeing him a trifle askance.
Mr. Taverner laughed. “Well, were you so anxious to be shot at? Come, you are not to be picking a quarrel with me, you know! Judith, do you go to the Exhibition? Is Mrs. Scattergood ready?”
Judith got up. “She went into the breakfast-parlour 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 pardon.” He nodded pleasantly to Peregrine and held open the door for Judith to pass out.