The Real Agatha Wilt. Of CALIF. LIBRARY. LOS THE REAL AGATHA THE UNUSUAL ADVENTURES OF Two YOUNG MEN AND AN HEIRESS EDITH HUNTINGTON MASON FRONTISPIECE BY W. T. SMEDLEY CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG CO. 1907 Copyright A. C. McClurg & Co. 1907 Entered at Statior.er^ Hall, London, England All rights reserved This story jirst appeared in " The Ladies' H'^me Journal," April, The University Press, Cambridge, U.S.A. TO MY FATHER 2131351 Copyright A. C. McClurg <5 Co. 1907 Published AW. 23, 1907 Entered at Statior.eri Hall, London, England Ail rights reserved This story Jirst appeared in " The Ladies' Home Journal,* April, The University Press, Cambridge, U.S.A. TO MY FATHER 2131351 The Real Agatha CHAPTER OTs T E /NEVER quite knew how it was that I took Vincent with me, except that we both needed a holiday at the same time and the same kind of holiday appealed to us both. Vincent's whole name and title is Lord Wilfred Vincent, for he is the younger son of the old Duke of Totten. Men of his own age call him "Freddy," but I call him Vincent or Wilfred, because I consider cur- tailed appellations undignified. Vincent is an artist that is, he calls himself one ; his friends call him "a dabbler in art." He does n't really go in for it seriously, you know, THE REAL AGATHA but he did little sketches of cows and that sort of thing rather well, I fancy. So we agreed that our aim was to find a little old village, far away from London, and get rooms in some old farmhouse. My idea was that Vincent would go out and paint the cows while I would lie in the hammock and the old lady would bring me buttermilk. Wilfred had an idea that he, too, would like to spend a good bit of his time in a hammock, but with this difference, that the old lady's beautiful daughter was to bring him lemonade. But I pointed out to him that the chief reason that I was running away from town was to get rid of the debutantes, and therefore he 'd have to leave the fair ones out of our air castle. Our plan was just to bask in Nature, and we had six weeks to bask in. The Foreign Office [8] THE REAL AGATHA doesn't seem to require much of Wilfred's time and he ^does n't do anything else except "dabble." Of course, being a younger son, he hasn't a shilling of his own, but the old Duke makes him a comfortable allowance, because he dotes on Wilfred as much as he detests his eldest son, Edmund, the heir to the dukedom. So, when Vincent complained of feeling " all run down," it was easy for him to get six weeks off, although, as I tell him, he has been getting "six weeks off" ever since he left Oxford, two years ago. He isn't twenty-four yet. Nevertheless, Vincent is one of the best little chaps in the world. I don't mean that he is undersized, for he stands six feet two in his stockings; but he is so good-natured, so jolly and amiable and straight and well just naturally nice, don't you know that [9] THE REAL AGATHA everybody is "just crazy about him," as the American girl I met last summer used to say, and all the men, young and old alike, have gotten to calling him " little Vincent " or " Freddy " from his Eton days, just by way of endearment. Of course, I 'm much older than Vincent to be more exact, there 's a matter of twelve or fifteen years between us but I must say I can't help being drawn to him. I Ve known him ever since he was born, and then, you see, we 're both Oxford men, belong to the same clubs, and, of course, Terhune is as old a name as Vincent, even if it has n't any handle to it, and, if I do say it, there 's never a dinner given in London town that Archibald Terhune is not invited. But, somehow, in this, my tenth season, I became utterly weary of the limelight, the dinners, the balls, the match-making mammas (for I [10] THE REAL AGATHA am an "eligible bachelor"), and, most of all, the debutantes, with their educated smiles and cultivated stares. I felt that I must flee from London to escape, and thus, as Vincent is always ready for a holiday, we found ourselves one fine day well started on our journey. We had taken the noon train for Kingsbridge, and changing there were to go on to Cuppstone, which an artist friend of Vincent's had rec- ommended to us as just the place we were looking for. "Jolly lark this," said Vincent, after we had been some time on our way; "only hope Cuppstone and Darner's farm will be what we want. Graham cracked it up to the skies." " That 's the trouble," I complained; "when a thing's talked up too much it's sure to disappoint one." [11] THE REAL AGATHA " Wait till you see it, old pessimist ! " said Vincent with a cheerful grin. " It 's got cows which provide buttermilk and art, and I 've got some lemons in my grip for the lemonade. The only thing that troubles me is the land- lady's beautiful daughter. I'm afraid she'll be a minus quantity." Then he put his feet across on my side of the carriage and lit a nasty, smelly, old pipe. That 's the worst of Vincent ; he 's so young he does n't think how a thing like that may get on one's nerves. But I would n't hurt his feelings for anything, and so I had to let him smoke. About three o'clock in the afternoon, when we had left the comfortable carriages of the main line for the ramshackle ones of the branch train, we came to a sudden stop in the centre of a big stretch of meadow land. A few miles away we could see the spires and [12] THE REAL AGATHA roofs of a little village, and, what was more noticeable, a big castle, that stood on. higher ground some distance above the town, but not far from where the train had stopped. I asked the guard what the trouble was, and he told me that something was wrong with the engine and it might be a couple of hours before we could go ahead. Just as he finished his explanation Vincent, who had been looking out of the window with great interest, sprang to his feet and shook my shoulder excitedly. " Look there ! Do you see them! " he cried, pointing at the beautiful meadows with their winding stream and gentle slopes. " See what! " I demanded somewhat testily, adjusting my glasses and surveying the land- scape without perceiving anything of unusual interest. [13] THE REAL AGATHA But Vincent, in a fever of haste, was kneel- ing and unstrapping his golf clubs. " Hooray," he cried, " Terhune, a golf course as I 'm a sinner. Come on, we '11 have some sport. The old train 's due to wait an hour, anyhow." I looked again, and, sure enough, I saw that at intervals the close-cropped grass was dotted with little red flags like sparks of fire on a carpet of green velvet. Vincent has many fads, but I think he is keener on golf than anything else. I was disgusted with him. "Vincent," I said with decision, "this is nonsense. You can wait till we get to Cuppstone to play golf. Graham said there were public links there." " Yes, and he also said that it was the rot- tenest course he ever played over," said Vincent with some heat. " I made him ad- mit it. And this one is a beauty. A private [14] THE REAL AGATHA one, I '11 wager. Look at that turf. It is just like velvet, my dear fellow --like velvet," and he swept a practised eye over the wide green slopes. Now, I am fond of the game myself within reason, and certainly the prospect was invit- ing, for I was tired of the confinement of the carriage and Vincent was most persuasive. I knew it was a foolish thing to do ; the train might not stay so long as we expected and we might get left ; and yet, as I say, it is hard to refuse Vincent anything. I unwillingly permitted him to get out my clubs. " Whose links are these? " I asked the guard. " Do they belong to the castle? " " Yessir," replied the guard. " They belong to Castle Wyckhoff, the family seat of Baron Wyckhoff. They 're all dead now, though, all 'cept the Honorable Agatha, and she lives in [15] THE REAL AGATHA the castle and owns all these acres, sir, all you can see," and the guard waved his hand grandiloquently toward the imposing old pile on the hillside and the green meadows stretch- ing away far below it. " She must have money," I said reflectively. Vincent, meanwhile, was hunting in his grip for an atrocious red coat he wears when he golfs. " Money? " repeated the guard. " Money? Lor' bless you, sir, she 'as millions an' millions. Her own father was Baron Wyckhoff, but 'e died when 'is darter were a little thing. 'E never 'ad a shilling, but 'er stepfather, that married Baroness Wyckhoff two years later, was H'american and 'ad more pounds than there is stones in that castle, sir, an' arter 'is wife died 'e 'ad the place built up again. An' now they 're both dead, sir, and 'is [16] THE REAL AGATHA stepdaughter, the Honorable Agatha, as 'er title is, sir, is heiress of all his millions and 'er mother's estate." " She ought to marry," I said, still reflec- tively, and without any personal meaning. .The guard smiled knowingly. "There's many a one arter her, sir," he said; "but they don't seem to make no progress against 'er stepfather's will." "Her stepfather's will?" I repeated with interest. " Do you hear that, Vincent? " But Vincent, his beloved coat at last found, was half out of the carriage. " Come on," he shouted, " we 're wasting time." And I, per- force, was obliged to follow him, although the guard's story promised to be very interesting. After we had played the first hole and I had won (I seldom win a hole from Vincent, so I was in a good humor) I told him what the 9 [17] THE REAL AGATHA guard liad said. "So these grounds belong to the Honorable Agatha," I concluded, " and I have curiosity enough to wish that we might behold this mysterious lady." But Vincent wasn't a bit excited: you can never depend upon him when he 's playing golf. " Bosh ! " he said; " I 'd rather play on her links than see her. If she saw us she might put us off. I'll bet she's a crabbed old maid. I'm surprised at you, Terhune, with your romantic notions. I thought you 'd left all that sort of thing behind you in London." I felt myself reddening slightly, though I knew Vincent did n't mean anything, and was about to make some retort when he drove off unexpectedly, and I stopped in admiration of the clean, fast shot he made. It just cleared a natural bunker and sped on beyond. [18] THE REAL AGATHA At that instant a discordant mixture of sound burst upon our ears, as that of a dog yelping and a vigorous scolding in a high but sweet feminine voice. With one accord we rushed up the gentle rise, and in the depression beyond we beheld one of the hand- somest girls I had ever seen in my life. She was bending over a setter puppy and scolding him. The dog's yelps had subsided to a whimper and he was holding up one of his paws as if he had been hurt. "I told you not to come, Kudolph," she was saying, " and I told you to keep out of the way, and I told you you'd get hurt if you didn't." She was a tall girl, but beautifully pro- portioned, and wore no hat on her mass of dark hair. When we got nearer we saw that her eyes were big and black, her profile per- fect, and her coloring delightful. [19] THE REAL AGATHA Vincent capitulated at once and I let him make his impression first. He 's the younger, and it always seems a shame not to give such a promising boy a chance. "I beg your pardon," he said, advancing and baring his head, so that the gold in his brown hair caught the sunlight, " but would you tell me if these are private links and to whom they belong? I fear we are trespass- ing." He said this just as if I hadn't told him all about it. The girl turned to him uncertainly; then she smiled a wide, jolly smile of good fellow- ship. I knew she would they all do that at Vincent. " Was that your ball? " she said, not heeding his question. "I'm very sorry. It hit my dog." Vincent was all concern in a moment. [20] THE REAL AGATHA "What a shame," he said. "Did it hurt him?" and he knelt down to examine the dog's paw. " Oh, no, Rudolph 's all right," she answered ; " but it spoiled your drive, and I 'm sorry for that," and then she, too, knelt on the grass beside the dog. I felt that it was time to step forward. " My dear young lady," I said she couldn't have been more than twenty, so I did not hesitate to address her thus " My dear young lady, will you please tell us whether we are tres- passing in using this course? To whom does it belong? " You see, I had to pretend igno- rance to get more information. I have many of the intuitions that go to make up a great detective, and I had a presentiment that this girl was none other than the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff herself. [21] THE REAL AGATHA This proved to be the case. As I addressed myself to her the girl rose with dignity and replied : " I am the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff and I own these grounds. So, you see, you are trespassing." But her tone was laughing and her expres- sion not at all severe, so I promptly told her who we were, and we all shook hands, the Honorable Agatha smiling at me somewhat the way she had smiled at Vincent, though perhaps a trifle more appreciatively. " We did n't mean to," said Vincent, " and I hope you don't mind. You'll forgive us, won't you! " The girl laughed, and it was a laugh that I like to hear, not the silly, repressed giggle of a London debutante. " She '11 very nearly do," I thought, "even if she isn't more than twenty." [22] THE REAL AGATHA " Forgive you? " she repeated. " Of course I will. I think it's great fun. I haven't seen a new man for six weeks." I was wondering what she meant by using the word "new" and waiting for Vincent to reply, when, instead of answering her, he sud- denly pointed over my shoulder with a look of horror. " The train," he cried, " the train ! ' Sure enough, when I turned I saw our train had started and, although moving slowly, was well on its way to the little town in the distance. We were three-quarters of a mile from the tracks by this time, and of course pursuit was useless. " Left behind," cried Vincent dramatically, and burst out laughing. That 's just like him he always laughs at everything. For my own part I could n't see [23] THE REAL AGATHA anything funny about it. Here we were set down in a little town that probably did not contain an inn, while our luggage travelled merrily on to Cuppstone, all because of a foolish whim of his. The girl laughed too, so there was no use in telling him what I thought of him then. "Well, what are we going to do? " I asked sharply. " Do? " echoed Vincent. " Why, with her permission, we '11 play a game of golf with the Honorable Agatha, and then go to the station, whatever its name is, and take another train for Cuppstone." " Its name is Wye," said the Honorable Agatha, " the town of Wye, and that 's a very good plan. That 's just what we '11 do." And it was just what we did do. And you should have seen that girl play golf ! By the [24] THE REAL AGATHA time we had been around the eighteen-hole course I felt a little fatigued one has to keep in training to do that sort of thing at a minute's notice but Vincent and the Honorable Agatha seemed as fresh as when we started and proposed a race to the station. I told them to run on ahead and I 'd meet them later, so away they dashed, with Rudolph leaping and barking in front of them, never doubting that the whole thing was planned for his especial benefit. When I reached the station at last, instead of seeing about our train or telegraphing to Cuppstone about our late arrival, there was Vincent sitting on the luggage-truck with that girl, and, I am ashamed to say, he was holding her hand. When they spied me the girl tried to pull her hand away, but Vincent held on. " That you, Archibald I " he called, as if it [25] THE REAL AGATHA could have been anyone else. " Come on up here. We Ve been telling fortunes, and Miss Agatha's hand is very interesting." "No doubt," I answered dryly; "but what have you done about telegraphing to Cupp- stone, and what train have you found we can take?" "There isn't any train," said Vincent as cheerfully as if he were telling me a bit of good news. " Only two trains a day run through Wye from London, and ours was the last. Anyway, your friend, the guard, thought we ought to get off here and put off all our luggage." I looked around in consternation and there were our boxes, all piled neatly at the far end of the platform. " For goodness' sake, Wilfred " I call him Wilfred when I am angry I said, turning [26] THE REAL AGATHA on Vincent, who was again busy telling fortunes " do take some interest. What are we going to do! Isn't there a station- master here who can tell us about the inns of this place, if there are any ? I 'm starving." Vincent looked up and again smiled that irritating smile of his. "Don't get hot," he drawled; "it's all right. The Honorable Agatha has invited us to the castle and she 's telephoned for the dogcart and a wagon for our luggage. Have n't you, Angel! " he ended, turning his handsome bronzed face to the girl with one of his best smiles, one of the kind he reserves especially for the fair sex. I frowned. Vincent really makes advances too quickly. "Why didn't you say so at first! " I said rather peevishly, as I sat down on the steps to await the dogcart which one could see [27] THE REAL AGATHA already, a black speck in the distance on the winding road from the castle. The speck finally disappeared behind a clump of trees, and when it emerged and drew up at the station we saw what a stunning little turnout it was. The horse was as fine as any you 'd meet on the Lady's Mile, the harness was clink- ing and shining with ornaments, and the cart and the groom's livery were faultless. The Honorable Agatha mounted the box seat. " Christopher," she said to the groom, "I'm going to drive. You 'd better ride back with the 'trunks.'" Then, before I had time to interfere, Yin- cent leaped nimbly up to the seat beside her and I was obliged to take the rumble with Rudolph, who leaped up beside me as if to his accustomed seat. I was too anxious to get to the castle and get something to eat, [28] THE REAL AGATHA however, to mind, and the Honorable Agatha proving to be as good a whip as she was golfer, we were soon winding up the last gentle slope that led to the big building. As we drove down the long avenue another dog- cart approached us rapidly, and as it came almost abreast, to my surprise I recognized the young man who was sitting with the groom as young Murray Brancepeth. He saw us at the same moment and both dogcarts stopped. " Hullo, Murray ! ' said Vincent and I together. But he never paid the slightest attention to us. Instead, he jumped lightly from his high seat and came around to the Honorable Agatha's side of our cart. Beaching up he caught her hand. " I don't care whether you 're the real Agatha or not," he said, his dark face flushed [29] THE REAL AGATHA with the intensity of his feeling. " You 've got to marry me some time. I 'm not after money. I Ve some of my own and I '11 make some more. When you're tired of this folly I'm coming back for you. Grood-by." And he wrung her hand till the Honorable Agatha winced. Then he was gone in a rattle of gravel and dust. We couldn't help hearing what he said and he didn't seem to care whether we did or not. But we could hardly believe our ears. Young Murray Brancepeth, that gilded idler, declaring himself the victim of a mighty passion, and, more astounding still, swearing that he would make some money ! He, who had never done any work in his life besides that necessary to bleed his rich old uncle of his living expenses. " What was it he said," I thought, " about [30] THE R E A L A G A T H A the 'real Agatha' and 'folly 1 I" What did it all mean? As we drove up to the castle entrance two girls of about nineteen and twenty, I should say, came tearing around the corner, tennis racquets in hand, and shrieked aloud, evi- dently with surprised delight at seeing us. " Oh, Agatha," cried the foremost of the two, a tall, brown-eyed, brown-faced sylph, with a profusion of wavy and very disorderly brown hair. " Oh, Agatha, where did you get them? I 'm so tired of Brancepeth." " Yes," cried the other one, " where did they drop from! I thought you were playing golf." She was a jolly little thing, this second one, small, but plump, with fair skin and blue eyes, really very attractive. This was somewhat embarrassing to me, but Vincent stood there, utterly unperturbed, T H E R E A L A G A T H A bowing with that easy grace of his, as the Honorable Agatha introduced us. But im- agine our surprise when she presented each of those two young things as " the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff!" "But I thought you were the Honor- able Agatha," I cried, unable to repress my astonishment. "So I am," she answered, smiling, and we followed her into the house, silent but wondering. [32] CHAPTER TWO f M ^HE inside of the castle gave every I evidence of enormous wealth and every imaginable luxury was provided. After a little interchange of pleasantries in the spacious hall our black-haired friend raised her voice in a stentorian shout, in answer to which a brisk, elderly lady came down the mahogany stairs and welcomed us cordially. She was introduced as " our aunt and chaperon, Mrs. Armistead," amid peals of laughter from the girls, although we couldn't see any joke. We then went to our rooms, which contained everything we could possibly have desired, and when we came down to din- ner the footman told us that Mrs. Armistead [35] THE REAL AGATHA and the young ladies were awaiting us in the drawing-room. We crossed the hall, and when the heavy curtains that separated it from the huge drawing-room were lifted to admit us, we saw at least twenty girls ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-three, standing or sitting around the room in attitudes of expectancy. I found out later that there were really only six of them, but, at the time, there looked to be twenty. They were all pretty, all wore evening dress, and all were talking at once; but as Vincent and I entered they stopped and Mrs. Armistead came forward and presented us to the three girls we had not yet seen. The first of the new three, Agatha Fourth, as Vincent and I called her later, was tall and very fair, with wonderful blue eyes and a beautiful figure. That our bewilderment and [36] THE REAL AGATHA astonishment increased when she also was presented to us as the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff may be easily understood. The next one had light brown hair with gold lights in it and her eyes were a golden hazel. As she, too, was introduced as the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff I bowed mechanically, as did Vincent, not daring to trust myself to utter a word or repeat the name. Then, turn- ing from Agatha Fifth, we met the Honor- able Agatha Sixth and last, and I thought she was the prettiest of all. Delicate and small she was, but eyery inch an aristo- crat from her small charming head to her dainty little feet. Her eyes were dark brown, her complexion clear olive, and her hair straight and soft and jet black. I took to her at once, though I thought she looked rather sarcastic. [37] THE REAL AGATHA The introductions over, we went in to dinner, and such a meal as that was ! At one end of the table sat Mrs. Armistead, while I sat at the other. Agatha First sat on Mrs. Armistead' s right, next to her sat Vincent, and next to him, Agatha Fourth the tall, fair-haired beauty. I have described them at length so that it is not difficult to keep them apart. Next to her, on my left, sat the plump 4 little girl with the blue eyes, Agatha Third. Then on my right oh, fortunate me! sat my little lady aristocrat, Agatha Sixth, and next to her Agatha Second, her unruly brown curls somewhat subdued, and looking very fetching in a costume of pink and white. I should have thought that these girls were American had I not had reason to believe that they were English; there was that breezy simplicity and becomingness [38] THE REAL AGATHA about their gowns which seems to be distinc- tively American. But I have omitted from my category Agatha Fifth, the Agatha of the hazel eyes. I will not now take time to do justice to her many charms, but shall do so later for reasons which will soon appear. Mrs. Armistead's secretary, who came in late and slipped into the seat at Mrs. Armistead's left, completed the number of persons at the table. She was a quiet young woman dressed in a severely simple gown of gray, and her hair, which was done very plainly, was distinctly red in color. Mrs. Armistead introduced her to us as her secretary, Miss Marsh. The meal was well cooked and beautifully served, and by the time the salad course arrived Vincent and I had lost much of our constraint and self-consciousness and were [391 THE REAL AGATHA talking and laughing with the best of them. The levity and freedom from the convention- alities usually observed at a dinner-party, in which those girls indulged, was a bit shocking to me, although it did not seem to disconcert Vincent in the least. After dinner our adventure developed its most astonishing feature. At the close of the meal the ladies arose, and we were invited to remain and smoke some exceptionally fine cigars, but before she left the room the sec- retary came over to us and in a low tone told us that, when we had finished our smoke, Mrs. Armistead desired that we should join her in the library to discuss business. She the secretary would come for us, as we would not know the way. . We were amazed. Business! What busi- ness could we possibly have with Mrs. [40] THE REAL AGATHA Armistead? However, we told the secretary that we would be happy to join her mis- tress in the library in about twenty minutes, although, as I said, we hadn't the wildest idea what we could possibly have to discuss with her. When the secretary withdrew Vincent burst into a flood of excited conjecture. "Are we in a girls' boarding-school, or a lunatic asylum, or what? " he demanded. " I don't know what to make of it. If it 's an asylum then I 'm distinctly for lunatics! They're the most attractive lot I've ever seen, but if they're all sisters why didn't Papa and Mamma Wyckhoff find different names for 'em? Six Agathas, and all 'the Honorable' at that! It's absurd! But it doesn't seem to bother them; they call each other 'Ag,' and 'Aggie,' and * Agatha ' just as if it were Rose, or Gwen, [41] THE REAL AGATHA or Maud! What do you suppose it all means! My head 's in a whirl ! ' : " My dear fellow," I said, " I have a presen- timent that we shall find out what it all means when we join Mrs. Armistead in the library." And we did. As I have said, my intuitions seldom fail me. The library was a little room at some dis- tance from the dining-hall. It was beauti- fully furnished, like the rest of the house, and a big fireplace took up one side of the room. Before it was a massive armchair, worn and old, as if the barons of Wyckhoff for ages back had sat in it. On the large table were some legal-looking papers, and as we entered Mrs. Armistead arose and placed her hand upon them. The secretary closed the door and took up her position beside her mistress, while we stood before [42] THE REAL AGATHA them, ill at ease and expecting we knew not what. "Gentlemen," began Mrs. Armistead with great gravity, " I am right, am I not, in pre- suming that you are candidates for the hand of the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff I " Yes, that 's just what she said: " Candidates for the hand of the Honorable Agatha Wyck- hoff." It took my breath away, and before I had time to speak and set her right I heard Vincent calmly assuring her that we were candidates ! As he had thus rashly committed himself I couldn't go back on him, so I let him make all the other answers that were necessary. " Then you wish to hear the will? ' ' continued Mrs. Armistead, and Vincent assented. "Read the will," said Mrs. Armistead to the secretary, and the young lady in [43] THE REAL AGATHA gray picked up one of the legal-looking papers. " This is to certify," she began, and read to the finish, while I held my breath, for, when I had heard the whole of that extraordinary document, I was filled with amazement and curiosity, not unmixed with a certain excite- ment. In brief the provisions of this remark- able will ran thus. Fletcher Boyd, stepfather of the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff, had left her his entire for- tune of about twenty million dollars, provided that she obey the conditions of his will. Should she disregard them the whole sum was to go to the endowment of a Presbyterian Hospital at New Bedford, Massachusetts, his native town. The will then went on to say that, wishing to protect the girl, who was not yet twenty-one [44] THE REAL AGATHA years of age, from fortune-hunters, her step- father desired her, at the completion of her education, to secure not less than three, nor more than six, girls from eighteen to twenty-three years of age, each bearing the name of Agatha, who would be willing to live with the Honorable Agatha at her castle in Shropshire near Wye, England, for two years ; in return for which they were each to receive a generous monthly stipend, enjoy luxurious lodgings and rich fare, and to live a life of idleness, with ample entertainment. It was further directed that, before the girls left for England, some English lady of rank or position be secured, to dwell at Castle Wyckhoff, in the capacity of chaperon, in consideration of a handsome salary, this lady to be, preferably, Mrs. Armistead, sister of the real Honorable Agatha's mother. For [46] THE REAL AGATHA the first year after Mr. Boyd's death the Hon- orable Agatha was to observe mourning by not going to London festivities; but during this time she was to be permitted to amuse herself and friends by entertaining at the castle any young men of whom the chaperon might approve. Mrs. Armistead (should she be the chaperon secured) was likewise charged to keep the castle supplied with guests, the best young men that England could boast, as her large acquaintance permitted her to do. Each visitor in the role of suitor for the hand of the Honorable Agatha was limited to six weeks' stay at the castle, as Mr. Boyd con- sidered that length of time sufficient for him to find out whether he loved any of the Agathas or not and the suitor was not to make his declaration until the very last day of the six weeks allotted him, and, of course, was [46] THE REAL AGATHA limited to one proposal. In the event of any of the young men proposing to any of the Agathas who was not the stepdaughter of Mr. Boyd, the will permitted her to marry him, if she desired, but with the distinct understanding that she was not the Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff. In that case Mrs. Armis- tead was to secure another Agatha, and the girl who desired to marry was to receive a dowry amounting to the full sum of the monthly stipends which she would have received had she remained at the castle the entire two years. The same provision for her companions was made in the event of the real Agatha's marriage before the expiration of the time. If any young man proposed to the real Agatha, ignorant of her identity, and she accepted him, she was directed by the will to produce and wear upon the third [47] THE REAL AGATHA finger of her left hand the betrothal ring of her mother's family, a gold ring set with a big cross of emeralds, as proof of her identity as the real Agatha. Mrs. Armistead and all the girls were to be bound by oath not to reveal the identity of the real Agatha, and each of the latter was to be alike addressed as the "Honorable Agatha Wyckhoff," by suitors and servants, in order to preserve the secret. This condition could be carried out without fear of recognition by the servants, as the real Agatha had not been in England since her early childhood. Thus her identity could be easily concealed, and, by this means, if any proposal of marriage were made to her it would be from a man whose motives were not mercenary, but purely those of natural affection, which was her stepfather's object in making the will. [48] THE REAL AGATHA The will closed with the appointment of executors and trustees and then came the witnesses, the date, and the place of residence. " Then we can stay at this bully old place for six weeks," said Vincent. "Hooray! ' He's such a kid! The secretary smiled at his enthusiasm, and Vincent must have thought her smile very attractive, because he drew aside and began to talk to her in low tones, while I discussed the will with Mrs. Armistead, who seemed perfectly willing to impart whatever infor- mation we desired. It was just like Vincent to begin a flirtation with the secretary, just as if there were not six handsome girls of his own station in the castle. But anything femi- nine will do for him as long as she has a sweet smile or soulful eyes, or some other [49] THE REAL AGATHA equally trivial attraction. He'd flirt with Mrs. Arraistead herself, I 'm sure, if that esti- mable dame, begging her pardon, would give him a chance. "I am delighted, Mr. Terhune," said Mrs. Armistead, after we had seated ourselves in the library, " that you and Lord Wilfred have decided to stay with us, and I think it would be well to put off our other visitors who were to come to us for this six weeks. I do not believe in having more than two or three young men at once. The time is so very short." " It would give us a better chance," I agreed, and she turned toward the secretary, who was evidently in the secret. "My dear," she said, "as these gentlemen are going to remain with us for this six weeks, I think it would be as well if we put off the [50] THE REAL AGATHA Percivale brothers till the six weeks after that. Will you wire them this evening to that effect ! " "Certainly," replied Miss Marsh, "I will see to it immediately, Mrs. Armistead." At this a thought struck me and I turned to Vincent. " And you had better wire the good people at Darner's farm," I said, "to inform them of our change of plan." " Indeed you must," said Mrs. Armistead, " and, by-the-way, Mr. Terhune, if you and Lord Vincent wish, I can provide you with a copy of the will it is difficult, I think, to remember all its conditions." " Perhaps that 's a good idea," I answered. "It is certainly an extraordinary document; and what an extraordinary man this Fletcher Boyd must have been, Mrs. Armistead, to conceive such a plan as that." [51] THE REAL AGATHA Mrs. Armistead laughed. " I think he was," she said. " I saw my brother-in-law only once in my life, but that was enough to impress me with the strength of the man's character and his eccentricity. He was in- tensely American what they call a ' self- made man ' over there, I imagine and it was his determination that his stepdaughter, the Honorable Agatha, in spite of her English birth, should be educated in America. To this her mother agreed, on condition that she should be allowed to bring her daughter out in England and that she should make that country her home when her schooling had been completed. Accordingly, when Lady Wyckhoff died, the child being about eleven years old, Fletcher Boyd promised his wife to carry out her wishes in that respect. A few years later he began the work of building up this old [52] THE REAL AGATHA castle of Wyckhoff and putting in every mod- ern convenience, as you see, so that it should be ready for his daughter to live in tempora- rily, before he established her in London with some good lady to oversee her presentation into society, according to her mother's ideas." This was a long speech for the good Mrs. Armistead, and she paused for breath. "I see," I commented. "He made a very excellent job of it. Then, as I understand it, his daughter has never been in England since her early childhood I " "No," said Mrs. Armistead. "Poor child, it 's practically all new to her. But I must n't pity her! The way she and those friends of hers take hold of things passes my understanding." " And where did she find so many attractive girls, each bearing the Christian name of [53] THE REAL AGATHA Agatha ?' : I inquired. "It is an unusual name, and I should have thought that part of the will difficult to fulfil." "They're all Americans," replied the ac- commodating lady "even my secretary. She was at my niece's boarding-school, and by my arrangement chaperoned the party of girls on their trip over. When I met her she seemed such a bright, capable little thing I engaged her at once for my secretary, as my eyes are bad. As for the Agathas, one of them roomed with my niece at school, another she met while visiting her friends in holiday time, another she became acquainted with quite by accident on the train, and the others came in answer to an advertisement." " Wonderful that so many girls could be found who were all so attractive," I said again. [54] THE REAL AGATHA "They are attractive, aren't they?" she assented ; " and their frocks are so pretty, too. I made them get colored things to wear this second year of mourning for my brother-in- law. I do so hate to see young girls wearing black, and every article they put on comes from New York City." "I thought as much," I said. "I thought they seemed more like American than English girls. And how long has your niece been here? " I asked this last question because I was afraid the conversation was going to stop and I felt that in another moment Mrs. Armistead might inadvertently drop a hint as to the identity of the real Agatha. It was very exciting. " Nearly a year. This is the last six weeks of the second year of mourning, and the first [55] THE REAL AGATHA of the two years she is to spend with her girl companions at the castle. You know my brother-in-law disapproved of girls ' coming out,' as they call it, and placing themselves on the marriage market. He 'd rather have the young men come to see them in their own homes, so he put off my niece's presentation as long as he could, hoping she 'd be married before that time, I think." " And have you entertained many young men as yet? " " My dear man ! I should think we had, nearly two dozen at least. And they were too funny, unobtrusively trying to discover which was the girl with the money, although that is really against the spirit of the whole thing, as it is contrary to the object of the will." At this point I grew rather thoughtful. [56] THE REAL AGATHA "Dear, dear!" she went on, "how cau- tiously they did go about their courtships! They were all after the money, I fear. This is a mercenary world! All the girls have received offers, but none of them has accepted." " What hard-hearted misses they must be ! " I exclaimed. "Are they all like that in America, I wonder?" And I couldn't help thinking of that girl I met last summer. "I don't know, I'm sure," replied Mrs. Armistead. "It's not like English girls. They're always ready and willing to marry off whenever their mammas have provided eligible partis for them. But I can understand it in this case. No one of the Agathas is more than twenty-two years old, and it 's great fun for them, this care-free life at Castle Wyckhoff . They have everything they can possibly want [57] THE REAL AGATHA that money can buy, not one of them has ever been in England before, and they are all devoted friends. What wonder that the charm and noveltv of their somewhat unusual life i have not yet worn off. Really it is n't strange to me that no one of them has been able to make up her mind to leave the enchanted castle though, to be sure, I think that young Murray Brancepeth very nearly carried off one 'of our Agathas. She seems to fancy him, and between ourselves I think he '11 win her yet." "And if he does hell win the twenty millions with her, I suppose? " I said this coolly, in a matter-of-fact tone, and waited for her denial or acquiescence, successfully concealing my interest in the reply. But she gave me neither; she began to say [58] something, but checked herself suddenly and looked at me admiringly. "You're a clever man," she said instead, " but you can't get any information out of me. Lots of them have tried, but it 's no use. Besides, it isn't fair." [59] Chapter Th ree CHAPTER THREE "T^LSAPPOINTED and somewhat cha- f M grined at Mrs. Armistead's answer, I rose to my feet and prepared to join the young ladies in the drawing-room. I had been so interested in discussing Fletcher Boyd's will with Mrs. Armistead that I had completely forgotten Vincent. At first I thought he had already left the room, but in a moment I heard him laugh and discovered him actually sitting on the floor before the fire, playing a species of mumble-the-peg with the secretary. Extremely unbecoming con- duct for both of them, I thought, and Mrs. Armistead thought so too, for she spoke sharply to the secretary, who left the room [63] THE REAL AGATHA with reddened cheeks. Vincent, however, was unabashed, and after holding the door open for her, he followed me to the drawing- room, without heeding my remonstrances. He seldom does heed them, I may say. It was on the third day of our stay when Vincent and I had begun to feel thoroughly at home at Castle Wyckhoff, and when Vin- cent had begun to feel more than thoroughly at home with Agatha First, that I made an important discovery. The morning was rainy, and after breakfast there was nothing to do but to read that is, until Agatha Sixth came downstairs. I had found her to be an un- usually well-educated girl and had given her all my attention during the three days I have mentioned. So I wandered into the library and began to explore the tall bookshelves, to find something that interested me. And I [64] THE REAL AGATHA found it, though it wasn't exactly for what I had been looking. On the lowest shelf I dis- covered three heavy but new-looking albums. From idle curiosity to look at what I supposed were pictures of the dead barons of Wyckhoff I dusted the first of the big books and began to turn the leaves. I found it full of photo- graphic reproductions of oil paintings depict- ing the ladies of the family, and on the last page of the book I came upon a picture which thoroughly startled me. It was a copy of a full-length portrait of the last Baroness Wyck- hoff, whose second husband had been Fletcher Boyd. The picture showed a slender little lady, with straight dark hair, an aquiline nose, and a dark complexion, the living image of Agatha Sixth! Stunned by the importance of my find I closed the book, put back the albums where [65] THE REAL AGATHA I had found them, and stole from the room. I had a guilty feeling, almost as if I had done something wrong, yet it had been an accident for which no one could really blame me. Full of excitement, I went to find Vincent to acquaint him with my good news, and dis- covered him in the morning-room playing chess with Agatha First, or rather, he was showing her how to play, for he was hanging over the back of her chair and moving her hand with his hand whenever it was her turn. I coughed as I entered, and frowned. I am always frowning at Vincent these days, it seems to me, but I really have to. He needs a little restraint. " Good-morning, Miss Agatha," I said pleas- antly, " how does the game progress? Is Lord Wilfred an efficient teacher? " [66] THE REAL AGATHA " Very," replied the young lady shortly, and both of them looked at me with such insolent hostility that I was obliged to leave the room, murmuring apologies for intruding. I was rather vexed with Vincent about this ; he doesn't show me quite the respect due an older man from a boy of his age. Not that I am old, or anywhere near middle age, but still I am Vincent's senior, and this incident determined me not to communicate my dis- covery to him. Why should I tell him and put a formidable rival into the field ! Not that I 'm afraid of Vincent exactly, for I have always found that when the girls tire of his fun they are very glad to fall back upon an experienced man like myself, who has seen the world and is acquainted with Shakespeare and the musical glasses. Nevertheless, it seemed a pity to invite Vincent to enter the [67] THE REAL AGATHA lists against me, for I had fully made up my mind to win Agatha Sixth. Not that I am mercenary not at all. But it had been some time since I seriously considered marrying, and, after all, I thought, why not consider it now, and, as long as I was selecting a wife, why not pick out one of these six girls? They were all beautiful and accomplished. "And why not," I asked myself, " while I am about it, make it that one of the Agathas, whose title was the Honorable, with twenty millions?" Twenty millions, when you think of it, ought to keep a careful man comfortable for life, and Vincent was smart enough let him look out for himself. And thus I decided not to tell him of my discovery. We spent the evening of that day each according to his fancy, Vincent playing tag and blind-man's buff with four of the girls, [68] THE REAL AGATHA while the fifth played on the piano, and I in the next room reading Edmund Burke's speeches aloud, while my adored Agatha Sixth did fancy-work. She really did everything very well. Finally Vincent and I took our leave, and when we were in our own rooms and Vincent had wrapped himself in my favorite bathrobe and appropriated my armchair, I was almost tempted to tell him all about it. Just as I was about to begin he spoke. " Arch, my boy," he said a disrespectful method of address, by-the-way, but I let him proceed "Arch, my boy, do you know I like that girl, Agatha First? She's a true sport; and that plump little one with the blue eyes is a pace-setter." " Agatha Third, you mean? " I asked. " I was not aware that you had got any further than our introduction with her." [69] THE REAL AGATHA " Oh, yes," said Vincent, as though it were the easiest thing in the world ; "I told for- tunes with her all afternoon and played tag with her most of the evening yesterday." "Really, Vincent," I said sarcastically, ' ' that fortune-telling game of yours is a little old. Can't you find something new? " " What 's the use, so long as it works? " he replied, watching the smoke from that nasty pipe of his curl upward to the ceiling. " But I tell you what," he pursued reflectively, " that girl with the fair hair who played the piano, Agatha Fourth, she 's a stunner." " Upon my word, Vincent," I expostulated, "where do you find time for so many of them at once? Doesn't Agatha First feel neglected? " " I suppose so," replied the young insolent, " but I can't help that. I 'm going to give [70] THE REAL AGATHA them all a whirl but Arch'bald " - he was getting sleepy and his pipe had gone out "I really do like red hair best." " I don't know what you are talking about, " I said impatiently "but, Vincent, I want to tell you something. I 've made a discovery." " What is it? " he said, without the slightest interest, and I changed my mind again. "Nothing," I said. "I've forgotten what it was." Vincent rose, and, stretching himself mightily, went toward his own room. At the door he turned and smiled one of the smiles he does not often give to men, and I felt that this one was not meant for me. " I Ve made a discovery, too, Arch, ' ' he said. I stared at him in amazement, wondering what was coming. "What's that? "I asked. [71] TH E REAL AGATHA " I Ve discovered that Miss Marsh's eyes are gray, as gray as stars," he said, only half -aloud, and disappeared into his room. " Poppycock ! " I shouted as the door closed behind him. Vincent's vagaries are hard to follow at times stars certainly are not gray. That I knew to be absurd. My new knowledge, while it robbed the affair of its piquant mystery for I had de- cided that Agatha Sixth was in truth the real Honorable Agatha made my game even more exciting, now that the stakes were assured. I read with Agatha Sixth, walked with her, talked with her, and played chess with her all the first week; and as nearly as I could make out Vincent's programme ran something like this: Before breakfast he took a horseback ride with Agatha Fifth; after breakfast he played golf with Agatha [72] First; tennis with Agatha Third; and took Agatha Second out sketching. In the after- noon Agatha Fourth played Chopin to him by the hour. Agatha Sixth he had not ap- proached, fearing me, as was natural. In the evening he played games with them all or retired into the library with Agatha Fifth, who seemed to have lost her head over him completely. This programme he repeated day after day with reckless lack of generalship and yet every now and then, to my surprise and dis- gust, I caught him deep in his unfortunate flirtation with Mrs. Armistead's secretary. It wasn't fair to the poor girl, and I told Vincent so plainly. We were sitting on the low stone balustrade of the castle Vincent in riding-clothes and looking as fine a lad as any in Old England. He was waiting for [73] THE REAL AGATHA Agatha Fifth to go riding with him, although it was later than usual, all of us having break- fasted. For myself I wore my tennis things, which become me greatly, if I do say it, for I intended to play a set with those tennis fanatics, Agatha Second and Agatha Third, as the aristocratic Agatha Sixth was a late riser and had not yet come downstairs. " No, Vincent," I said, " it won't do. Flirt with all the Agathas, if you must, but when it comes to the secretary, let her alone. To say nothing of what is due to her, think of the time you 're wasting. We have only six weeks think of it six weeks to make a try for twenty millions of dollars ! " " You forgot to say that a wife goes along with the filthy lucre," he said, and somehow I felt uncomfortable. Vincent has a faculty for making one feel uncomfortable. It makes [74] THE REAL A (i AT HA me quite angry lie \s no better than the rest of us, but he's so confoundedly innocent about some things. I was going to explain to him that he needn't speak as if he thought that I were the sort of man to marry a girl merely for her money when his face lighted and he spoke more rationally. " Gad," he said, " what a rare lark it would be to toss up a coin and take a chance at it ! Six to one only you 'd have a good show to win out ! " " How foolish you are, Vincent ! ' I re- sponded. " Suppose you took a chance at it, as you say, and just proposed to any one of them, when you had made no attempt to win her, wouldn't she know you were fortune- hunting? And if it should happen to be the real Agatha she 'd refuse you on that account [751 THE R K A L A G A T H A because it would defeat the object of her father's will; and if it were not the real Agatha she 'd refuse you, too, because she 'd know she had no fortune to give you." " Of course," said Vincent, sighing, " you 're right about that. But I tell you, Archibald, I'm not flirting with Miss Marsh. She 's an awfully sensible little girl, and I go to her for advice about the course I 'm pursuing with the Agathas. I need encouragement, you know; it's all such a beastly mess. One doesn't know with which one of the attractive young ladies to fall in love. It 's so diffi- cult to decide with that twenty millions hov- ering in the background. Just think, Arch, what the governor would say if his penniless younger son should bring that amount into the family ! And the daughter of a baroness, too, it would be such a match! I can just [76] THE REAL AGATHA see how tickled he 'd be to have his youngest so well provided for. The dear old governor ! " And Vincent's eyes moistened. " So you see," he went on hurriedly, "Miss Marsh's attitude toward me is entirely friendly. She is merely the confidante of my difficulties of the heart, and her taste, I find, is excellent." "It is also changeable," I said dryly, "if the course you have been pursuing is through advice of hers." Vincent smiled. "And then you know," he went on, ignoring my thrust, " she 's writ- ing a very interesting book, the history of the Barons of Wyckhoff, and I'm helping her. I 'm awf 'ly interested in genealogy, y' know." This was true. Incongruous as it may seem, Vincent's one serious hobby I don't consider his paint-dabbling serious which had to do with research and scholarship, was [77] THE REAL AGATHA his love for things ancient in general, and family trees in particular. It had been Baron- ess Wyckhoff s wish that some review of the lives of the Barons of that name should be made, since the last one had died, and Mrs. Armistead had given her secretary this work to do. I eyed Vincent searchingly as he spoke, but his face was so thoroughly unconscious that my suspicions were disarmed completely. "Yes," he said, "there are a lot of very interesting old books in that library." "Yes," I said, "that's why you and Miss Marsh spend so much time there, I suppose. I'm glad to hear it. I really couldn't see what you thought was so attractive " A sharp blow in the chest interrupted my speech. "Shut up," Vincent hissed in my ear; " don't you see Miss Marsh? " As he spoke that young person tripped [78] THE REAL AGATHA lightly up the wide stone steps of the veranda and was about to pass on when Vincent stopped her. "Good morning," he said, his hat in his hand. "Are you beginning work so early I " and he looked at the papers she carried under her arm. "Yes," she said, "I have a new idea about that last chapter we wrote." "I'm sorry I can't be with you this morn- ing," he answered, and she passed into the house. She wore a white frock and a natty little blue apron, and I must admit looked very fresh and dainty, but Wilfred's tone was so cool and conventional that I mentally freed him again from my accusation that he was in the midst of a warm flirtation, though you will agree with me that appearances had been very much against him. [79] THE REAL AGATHA But that evening when he and I were having our nightly bedroom colloquy I was obliged to admit that Vincent, considering his methods, had accomplished a great deal. With some embarrassment he related to me the tale of his horseback ride in the morning, and I must say it completely unsettled my belief in the discovery I had made as to the identity of the real Honorable Agatha Wyck- hoff. Neither Vincent nor I knew what to make of it. " Do you know, Arch," he said, striding up and down my room, " I 've been through a horrible experience to-day? It was an awful shock to me, and a lesson." "I'm glad it was a lesson," said L There are so few lessons in Vincent's life. " Yes," he said, "I felt like a beastly cad. And I don't see what I Ve done to deserve it. [80] THE REAL AGATHA Of course, I 've held her hand a couple of times " " That bad habit of yours again," I murmured. "And I've looked at her a lot she's got the most soul-moving eyes y' know." I did n't know, but I nodded. The boy was very much in earnest. "But I never thought," he went on "I never thought she she " He stopped and the words seemed to stick in his throat. " Great Heaven, man," I cried in my impa- tience, "get it out. What didn't you think she'd do?" " I never thought she 'd really care for me," he muttered shamefacedly, and turned his back on me. "What do you mean? " I demanded impa- tiently. He is most exasperating. [81] THE REAL AGATHA " Why, this." He ceased his restless walk and stood on the hearth-rug, facing me. " We'd been out about an hour this morning, Agatha Fifth and I, and we 'd been getting up into the hilly country, when suddenly we came out of the woods and saw below us the grandest stretch of country you can imagine." Here he broke off and went into a rhapsody over the sky-line and the grazing sheep, and said something about Utopia and Eden and other things like that, until he got through at last and came to the interesting part. They can't help going on like that, these artist fellows, and Vincent never loses an oppor- tunity to get in a bit of description. " Well," he continued, "I was just enjoying that view and saying nothing, when she stopped switching the tops off the harebells with her crop and, turning those warm hazel [82] THE REAL AGATHA eyes of hers on me, she said in a low voice, as if what she said did n't matter at all, ' I love you ! ' " What ! " I shouted. " She did n't * " "She did," asserted Vincent ruefully, but with firmness " She did. Just like that, out of a clear sky. Simply folded her hands and looked at me and told me she loved me." "Angels and ministers of grace, defend us ! " I ejaculated. Nothing else seemed adequate. " What under the sun did you do! " " Why, I told her simply that I did n't love her, and could n't marry her, and I was very sorry, but I thought we 'd better get on our horses and go home." "Quite right, if you don't really care," I said, " but oh, Vincent ! " as a thought struck me, " just think, she might have been the Honor- able Agatha the real and only Honorable ! ' [83] THE REAL AGATHA " She was ! ' ' said Vincent. I was speechless. This was the end of it then. I saw the millions taking unto them- selves wings, and my pan of milk spilled. The real Honorable Agatha had been discovered, the secret was out, but she had avowed herself as loving Vincent and he had spurned her. After such a performance there was no chance for either of us. "How do you know she was?" I asked weakly. " She told me so herself," he answered. " But after you refused her, I suppose? " " Of course," said Vincent resignedly. "But, Wilfred, my boy," I cried, springing up, and knocking off my glasses in my excite- ment, "couldn't you change your mind, couldn't you fix it up? If she really cared I should think you could ! " [84] THE REAL AGATHA Though this event would have proved the deathblow to my own hopes, still my interest in Vincent's welfare is so genuine that I couldn't help this anxious expostulation. But again he misunderstood. " You don't mean that, I know, Arch," he said. " Of course I would n't marry the girl when I really don't care for her. But was n't it the deuce of a position to be in? " "Oh, Wilfred, Wilfred!" I mourned, " twenty millions right in your grasp, and you threw them away. I wish I'd had your chance. Your poor father, how disappointed he 'd be if he knew." " He 'd be more disappointed in me if I had changed my mind and said I would marry her just for the sake of the money," said the young man crossly, and turning on his heel he left the room. Vincent's getting more [85] THE REAL AGATHA quick-tempered every day lately, and he used to be so good-natured. I 'm sure it was only natural and very disinterested in me to bewail for him the result of the unfortunate affair that morning. [86] Chapter Fo u r m ^lOR some days after that I was in a I 1 quandary. Here, in the face of my discovery in the library, was Vincent's positive information that Agatha Fifth was the heiress. Reluctantly I determined that the likeness between Agatha Sixth and the picture of the Baroness was accidental, and began to devote myself to the unfortunate Agatha Fifth. She seemed much inclined to discourage me, but I persevered and we soon became great friends. I found she was only eighteen, and drew my own conclusions from this fact. At eighteen one's convictions are never very deep-rooted, neither are one's love affairs, and I thought it likely that the girl [89] THE RKAL AGATHA would soon forget her ill-prospered attach- ment for Vincent's handsome face, and might begin to think of someone else. Surely this was a very natural belief ! So the first two weeks of our stay at the castle sped by and I saw to my satisfaction that I was gaining ground with the Honorable Agatha every day, while poor Vincent wasted his time flirting with each Agatha in turn (he had taken up Agatha Sixth since my desertion) or in assisting Miss Marsh to write up a lot of old dead barons who were much better left to a decent and dignified obscurity. One day, toward the close of the two weeks, I met Vincent hurrying through the hall toward the stairs. He had on an old vel- veteen coat covered with paint daubs, his luncheon-basket was over his shoulder, and I guessed that he was going on one of his [90] THE REAL AGATHA sketching tours in search of fresh woods and pastures new. "Where are you going, Wilfred? " I asked as he stopped, " and where 's Agatha Second? " She usually accompanied him on his sketch- ing expeditions. "Painting," he replied concisely, ignoring \ my second question ; " and where may you be goingl " "For a walk with Agatha Fifth," I an- swered, smiling at him a little pityingly, perhaps. He had lost such a chance ! Vincent chuckled and his eyes looked wicked. "Wish you luck, Arch," he said. "I've been watching your charitable efforts to cut me out and be a father to my little friend, Agatha Fifth, with great admiration but I forgot to tell you " he lowered his voice, for we could see Agatha Second on [91] THE REAL AGATHA the veranda talking to Agatha Fifth "I forgot to tell you that what Agatha Fifth told me is n't true ! " "Isn't true? " I repeated in consternation. "No; she confessed to me about a week ago that she only said she was the real Honorable Agatha to make me marry her. She thought, the foolish little girl, that she only had to tell me she was the heiress to make me love her. And she said she was sorry and wouldn't do it again and cried like a child, and I forgave her and com- forted her. She '11 get over it all right ! " and laughing hilariously the young rascal ran upstairs. I was really vexed with Wilfred about this. I thought it was very unkind of him to keep me in the dark for so long about Agatha Fifth's confession. , What a lot of time I 'd been [92] THE REAL AGATHA wasting! I resolved that I would return to Agatha Sixth at the first opportunity, and I felt glad, even justified, that I had not told him about that album which had betrayed the secret to me. At this moment Agatha Second appeared in the doorway. "Hullo, Mr. Terhune," she said, " where 's Lord Wilfred!" '* He went upstairs," I said; " I don't know for what." I could hear him in the distance singing at the top of his lusty young voice " Gentlemen rankers all are we-e-e " till an ear-splitting shout from Agatha Second drowned the song completely. " O-h-h-h, Freddy," shrieked the young lady, with a lung power that equalled Vincent's. I shivered with indignation at the liberty. "Freddy" indeed! [93] THE REAL AGATHA At the third shout he heard her and stopped singing to rend the air with an answering cry. " For goodness' sake, what are you so long about! " she called. " Do hurry up ! ' " Coming ! " roared Vincent, clattering down the two nights of stairs like a wild horse, and I hurried out to join Agatha Fifth, my hands over my ears. Young people are so noisy nowadays. Several evenings later Agatha Fourth had arranged to give a progressive dinner-party. She was to be the hostess and the rest of us were her guests. It was an evening-dress affair, and I must say, as we sat down to dinner, I never saw a prettier group of girls. Then the fun began. Agatha Fourth's idea in having a progressive dinner-party was for [94] THE REAL AGATHA each of the girls to move up one place with each course so that they could all have turns sitting by us. It was delightful: really, I don't know that I ever attended a jollier dinner-party. Vincent kept quoting from the Mad Tea-party in " Alice in Wonderland," and the girls laughed at every single thing he said. Mrs. Armistead, I am ashamed to say, was not present: her head ached and she had dined in her room. I am not naturally noisy or riotous, but the laughter and jokes of those six girls were so infectious that I was obliged to join in with them. Vincent sat at one end of the table and I at the other, with three girls on each side of us. The secretary, of course, was not present. Agatha Fourth had decorated the table with some of the yellow roses and wild fern that grew near the castle. Agatha Sixth and [95] THE REAL AGATHA I had found them many times in our wander- ings and, by-the-way, she was looking es- pecially lovely that evening. The girls all wore shimmering white gowns, similar in design, with silver ornaments, but Agatha Sixth's gown was cream-color with ornaments of gold, and well did it become her dark beauty. We had reached the very end of the dinner, and had just made the last change of places, which left me with my favorite Agatha Sixth on my right and Agatha Third on my left. Suddenly, as the talk died down and a certain contented silence fell upon us, Yin- cent rose to his feet, and bowing to us formally, began to speak: "Ladies and gentleman," he said, making the last word pointedly singular, while the girls all laughed, "I think you are all with [96] THE REAL AGATHA me when I propose a vote of thanks to to er our hostess" -(I felt that he had nearly said " Agatha Fourth ! " ) " our hostess, for giving us so delightful an en- tertainment." He bowed to Agatha Fourth and went on : "If all progressive tea-parties are termed mad I hope I may attend many such. But as I look around me, gentleman and ladies fair, across the red glow of the candles that turns the roses to redder gold, and as I gaze upon the youth and beauty here assembled, the like of which I have never before looked upon " he made a courtly inclination of his head that included every maid at the table, and they all sighed I heard them " as I look upon this noble room, this exquisite table, and think of the graciousness of such hospitality, I am inspired to propose a toast [97] THE REAL AGATHA in which I feel confident you will all join me." At this climax Vincent raised his glass above his head. "To the real Agatha! " he cried "to the real Honorable Agatha! ' There was an instant of dead silence, and then to my surprise my left-hand neighbor, Agatha Third, rose to her feet, and, with quivering lips, started to say something. But she had hardly time to rise before the other five girls sprang to their feet, and raising their glasses, Agatha Third with the rest, they cried with one voice, " To the Honorable Agatha ! " and although it seemed to me that Agatha Third had very nearly let the cat out of the bag by rising, as if to acknowledge the courtesy, yet by the promptness of the other girls the day was partially retrieved, and Vincent and I were still somewhat at a loss as to the identity of our fair and wealthy hostess. [98] THE REAL AGATHA I asked Vincent afterward what he made of Agatha Third's behavior. " It looked to me," said that young person, " as if those girls had themselves so much in command that they would never betray the secret they 're guarding, no matter what you did." " But did n't you see Agatha Third get up before the others did?" I said excitedly. " She gave herself away. I tell you, Wil- fred, she 's the real Honorable, without a doubt. There can be no two ways about it!" " How keen you are! " he said; " and I tell you what it is, Arch'bald" Vincent always calls me "Arch'bald" with the "i" left out and the emphasis on "bald" when he's particularly affectionate or sleepy; he was the latter just now " I 'm just as keen [99] THE REAL AGATHA about marrying this heiress as you are; the only difference is that I insist upon being in love with her into the bargain, and you don't. For I 'm hard up, fearfully hard up, you know, and the governor's so awfully good, I hate to ask him for another month's allowance just now. I'm 'way behind as it is, and I owe Jack Gordon for that prize polo-pony of his. I offered him a hundred pounds for her the day of the Hurlingham games and he sold her to me on the spot. Jack's as hard up as I am poor fellow. And then, you know, it 's all perfectly fair. If we only had the time, that 's all. It 's pretty quick work to expect a man to find out the heiress, learn to love her and teach her to love him, all in six weeks, and propose on the last day of --" " But that 's just it," I interrupted, " you 're [100] THE REAL AGATHA not expected to find out the heiress first. That 's just what old Fletcher Boycl wanted to prevent when he made the will." " Nevertheless, you yourself mean to find out first, don't you, Arch! " was Vincent's facetious response. I was disgusted and made no answer. "Of course," he went on, "I wouldn't propose to any girl I didn't love, but I'd like the chance to learn to love this partic- ular lady, the Honorable Agatha. I feel that there would be no trouble about her learning to love me! ' Vincent has few really serious faults, but I don't attempt to deny that he is conceited. "The trouble is," he said, "they're all so attractive I could love one as well as another. I wish, though, I could just naturally fall in love with one of them, and I 'd propose to [101] THE REAL AGATHA her on the last day and take my chances. Who knows! I'm sometimes lucky. I might win the prize ! " "So you might," I said, "but as it is, we haven't even discovered the heiress as yet-" " And I can't fall in love with any of 'em," finished Vincent, " because I 'm madly in love with the whole six, and there you are ! " and he shook his head hopelessly. " Come, let 's to bed," he added. "Not just yet, Freddy," I said. I never call him that, as I have before stated, but his hair was all rumpled up and his face flushed and I felt warm toward him because he was so dense. " Surely with a rival as unobserv- ing as he is," I thought, "I am not heavily handicapped." For I had made up my mind that Agatha Third was indeed the real and [102] THE REAL AGATHA only Agatha. That involuntary rising of hers was proof positive. "I say, Vincent," I called after him, "was that a master stroke of yours, giving the toast that way? Did you intend to try to surprise one of them into betraying herself! " Vincent laughed sleepily. " G-ood old Arch'bald," he drawled, "you 're always looking for master strokes, but 'pon my honor I never thought of such a thing." And I might have known that he wouldn't. Left to myself, I was thinking out my plan of campaign as regarded Agatha Third when a slight noise in the back of the room attracted my attention. I looked up, startled, for it was late, and the large, dimly lighted drawing- room was rather an eerie place, and saw over the back of my chair the slight form of the secretary approaching. Her hair was as neat [103] THE REAL AGATHA as usual and her dress was the same simple gray gown she wore when I had seen her first. " I beg your pardon, Mr. Terhune," she said timidly, yet without hesitation. "I am sorry to disturb you, but would you have the goodness to give me a little of your time! " " Certainly," I replied, rising, " though the hour is late. Won't you be seated? " and I found her a chair. The secretary leaned back against it and folded her hands. "I shall be quick," she said; "but I want to ask you something. ' ' She spoke in a low voice, but with perfect composure, though she never lifted her eyes. I caught myself wondering whether she cast them down habitually, so that people might observe the length of her black eyelashes. [104] T H E R K A L A G A T H A " Yes? " I said, to encourage her. " Of course, you know Lord Vincent very well, don't you? " As she asked me this direct question she looked me full in the face, and as my eyes met hers I mentally thanked her for her mercy in not often per- mitting man to gaze into them. "Yes," I said, recovering myself , "I know him very well." " And he tells you things, doesn't he? " "Most things," I replied, wondering at what she was driving. " Then could you tell me, please, if if he accepted Miss Agatha the one with the hazel eyes that you call Agatha Fifth when she told him she loved him! " I was never more astounded in my life. How did she know that Agatha Fifth had told Vincent she loved him, and how did it concern [105] T H K R K A L AGATHA her? Perhaps, however, she was acting under Mrs. Armistead's orders, but if so she ought to have said so. " That 's a question of a very personal nature," I said, and eyed her searchingly; " but I don't think Lord Vincent would mind, as long as you know so much about it, if I tell you that he refused the young lady who was indiscreet enough to ask him to marry her." The secretary gave a sudden start, and then, by what seemed to be considerable effort, regained control of herself. "He refused her," I continued for the girl and her questions and her genuine feeling interested me "although she told him she was the real Honorable Agatha." I was so proud of Vincent for that that I was glad to be able to tell someone about it. [106] THE REAL AGATHA "She said that and he refused her?" repeated the girl in an awed tone. " How could he do it, how could he! " " Then it was true? She is really the daughter of Fletcher Boyd? " I cried eagerly. At last I had stumbled upon the truth, for I knew the secretary was in the secret. But she only smiled at me. " You are a good man," she said, " a good man." The room was growing chilly and the fire was getting low, and as she spoke she slipped down from the high chair and seated herself on a little stool at my feet, stretching out her slim hands toward the blaze. " I thank you," she said simply, and gazed into the fire a moment, while I gazed at her slender young figure, her pink and white skin, straight, little, nose, and wide, red mouth with its Du Maurier chin and all in a moment I felt myself [107] THE REAL AGATHA pitying the poor little girl. Vincent was such an attractive young scamp, he might be play- ing fast and loose with her affections without intending it or realizing that he was doing so. Involuntarily I leaned toward her. "My dear young lady," I said, and as I spoke I caught myself thinking her really good-looking. "If she only did her hair decently," I thought, " I 'd call her a beauty, I really believe I should." " My dear young lady," I said, "tell me in confidence and perhaps I can help you. Do you er are you er er interested in Lord Wilfred? If so, allow me, I conjure you, nay, I beg of you, to put all thought of him out of your head. He does n't mean it, but he is a grace- less young flirt. He does n't mean a word he says. Let me warn you be advised " I stopped short. In the midst of my 1 108 ] THE REAL AGATHA well-meant flow of words, I stopped short, for, could I believe my eyes, the secretary was laughing at me. "My dear old man," she said she did, actually " my dear old man, your warnings are superfluous, for I am a married woman," and, still laughing, she left the room. [109] Chapter Five CHAPTER FIVE jt LONE, I sat for a moment speechless >^J with astonishment, as the secretary left the room, and, as I took my way slowly and thoughtfully upstairs, I resolved that this was another thing that I would not tell Vincent ; he would be far more likely to ridicule me than to thank me for my effort in his behalf. Some time after this, on a perfect day, Agatha Third and I I had spent almost every hour since the dinner in her company, I may remark had planned a little excursion which would keep us outdoors all day. We were going on a picnic up the little river. Have you ever tried a picnic for two? Given [113] THE REAL AGATHA the right companion and a day like that, I 'd warrant it to cure any attack of the blues. Agatha Third had assured me that the pretti- est spot for our luncheon was a little island in the centre of the stream where the current ran broad and deep, about three miles below the castle. The day was fair, the girl was fairer, and the moments were full of joy to me. We had crossed a little bridge about a mile from the castle and were proceeding up the left bank of the river when a sudden turn of the stream brought two others of our house-party into view. On the opposite bank was Vincent in high boots, knickerbockers, white shirt with sleeves rolled up, and a farmer's broad- brimmed hat of straw. He was busy over a broken fishing-rod which he was trying to mend. In the centre of the stream, where , [114] THE REAL AGATHA the current ran swift and dangerously deep, a girl stood on a large bowlder, fishing. Other bowlders at intervals between the one she was standing on and the shore where Vincent was indicated the means by which she had attained her precarious position. I recognized the girl as Agatha Second, and smiled pity- ingly as I thought of poor Vincent, invariably wasting his time with the wrong Agatha. "Hullo!' they cried cheerfully, and we waved our hands and asked them what luck they 'd had. This is n't always a safe question to ask a fisherman, but I notice that people who are not fishing themselves invariably find great satisfaction in asking it. Vincent said he hadn't caught any fish, and asked if I'd landed mine yet. Just like his impudence! He 'd say anything if he thought it was funny, no matter how it might annoy other people. [115] Just as I was thinking of some retort polite enough to utter aloud, Agatha Second's rod began to bend and jerk, and immediately there was so much action going on that in my excitement I forgot what I was about to say. I am a fisherman of some skill myself. Well, the pole began to bend and the Agatha on the rock began to scream, and Vincent shouted directions from the bank " Easy there, easy," he entreated her; "give him more line, Aggie, more line." " I can't ! ' ' she screamed at the top of her voice ; " something 's caught, and lie pulls so." " The reel ! " I shouted, jumping up and down. "The reel! Press the knob and let her go ! ' I knew in a moment the sort she had. It was just like mine, a patent one with a spring [116] THE REAL AGATHA reel mine often stuck that way. All this time the fish was leaping about, sometimes jumping out of the water so that we could see him, and he was a big fellow. "Let me alone; I can do it myself," cried the girl as Vincent started to help her, but even as she spoke her trim little foot slipped on the wet stone, and, losing her balance completely, she fell backward into the deep water, while the rod disappeared upstream. In a moment Vincent was running at top speed along the bank till he came to a little point of land near which the drowning girl must pass. As she approached he leaped into the water, and, striking diagonally upstream, seized her by her clothing, and, fighting his way back, safely gained the point of land. Meantime I had run up the river toward a boat that I had observed near the bank. [117] THE REAL AGATHA Jumping in I soon reached the spot where lay the unconscious form of Agatha Second. All this time I was dimly aware of the fact that Agatha Third had never stopped scream- ing since the beginning of the excitement, and was now running up and down on the opposite bank sobbing and wringing her hands. When I reached Wilfred he was anx- iously bending over the girl, but apparently without the slightest idea what to do. I immediately fell to chafing her hands and resorting to the other well-known expedients for reviving the drowned, and to enable her to breathe more freely I removed the tight- fitting dickey of her sailor-suit. It was not long before she began to regain consciousness, and it was at this moment that I made a most amazing discovery, for around the neck of the girl I saw a little silver chain, and on it [118] THE REAL AGATHA was strung a heavy gold ring set with a large cross of old-fashioned emeralds. I called to Vincent, and as I pointed at the magnificent and telltale piece of jewelry we both gazed at it, speechless with surprise at discovering in such a manner the secret of the Honorable Agatha's identity. Before she had quite regained her consciousness I read- justed her dickey, and when she was able to stand we wrapped her in our coats and carried her to the boat. There wasn't room in it for more than two, so I made Vincent get in with her and row back to the castle. So they left us, and Agatha Third and I, too thoroughly upset by the accident to wish to carry through our picnic, followed them back, walking one on each side of the stream until we reached the bridge, where we joined forces. [119] THE REAL AGATHA As we returned I did a great deal of thinking. So it was Agatha Second, after all, who was the real Honorable Agatha. For certainly her possession of the Wyckhoff ring, mentioned in the will, was proof positive. Now that I thought of it, the suspicious circumstance of Agatha Third's seemingly involuntary rising when Vincent toasted the Honorable Agatha, admitted of many explanations. At any rate, whatever her reason for her action, the pres- ence of the Wyckhoff ring on the neck of Agatha Second had proved to me the falsity of that other clew and the identity of our fair but mysterious hostess. The next morning when she came down to breakfast I inquired with great concern as to the effects of the accident of the day previous. She replied most kindly that she felt very nearly as well as ever and thanked me [120] THE REAL AGATHA earnestly for my share in her rescue. In fact her gratitude was so profuse as to make me uncomfortable, and I protested volubly that what I had done was nothing. Nevertheless, from that day on Agatha Second clung to me in a manner that was almost touching. Vincent, to my surprise, instead of taking advantage of his part as hero, seemed rather anxious to avoid the girl, whereas, before our mutual discovery, he had seemed to be quite taken with her. Although his conduct was a puzzle to me, yet I could only rejoice that it was so, for it left the field absolutely free to me, and I felt as each day passed that now, indeed, I was hotter on the trail of that twenty millions than I had yet been. It was the first Sunday after the accident and the fourth of our stay. We had break- fasted at eight and were sitting around [121] THE REAL AGATHA aimlessly waiting until it was time to go to church. When it was finally time to get ready my head ached from the sun, for I had been sitting without my hat, and I decided that I would not go that morning, though there was a flattering chorus of protests when I made this announcement. " / shall go," said Vincent positively, just as if anyone had disputed it. "I always go, don't I, Miss Marsh? " appealing to the secretary, who was present, but who, of course, had been rather left out of the conversation. " Yes," she answered, smiling at him faintly. "You always do ever since we've known you, that is. You're a saint, Lord Wilfred." But she laughed as she said it, and Vincent, for no reason at all, looked pleased. [122] THE REAL AGATHA Then the girls all went into the house to change their frocks for church, and Vincent, too, had to go and get himself rigged out in all the swellness of his Bond Street afternoon things. "Are you going to ride or walk? " I asked him as he came downstairs ahead of the young ladies. " Walk," he said. " It 's such a ripping day the girls thought they 'd like it. The phaeton is coming for us after church. What's the matter with you? We shall miss you." " Oh, just a bit off my feed this morning. But, Vincent, my boy, do you realize that you're going to church all alone by yourself with six girls, the prettiest in England?" " Seven," corrected Vincent, unmoved. " The secretary is going with us this morning." [123] THE REAL AGATHA I shook my head at him admiringly. "You're a wonderful fellow," I told him; " I could n't manage seven of them at once to save my skin. It keeps me busy enough when I take 'em one at a time." At this moment the girls trooped down- stairs. They had their prettiest gowns on and were fully aware of the admiration in the eyes of Vincent and myself. And that admiration was perfectly excusable, for the six Agathas were looking unusually lovely in their thin flowered frocks, big white hats, and the dainty parasols to match the wide sashes, and I should have been hard put to it to say which was .the handsomest. But as they filed out of the big door I saw Vincent look longest at the secretaiy, who walked a little behind the others, her plain, dark blue silk gown and little rough straw hat with the pink roses [124] THE REAL AGATHA being a conspicuous contrast to the frills and furbelows of the six Agathas. I thought I had never seen her look so well, and she passed us men without so much as glancing in our direction, though Vincent's gaze, I thought, was a trifle rude. They had been gone some fifteen minutes when it occurred to me that it might do my head good to go out and get some fresh air. Besides which I had begun to regret that I had permitted Vincent to go to church the only esquire of such a galaxy of beauty. So I put on my hat and strolled out over the lawn and down the long drive, and before I knew it I had reached the bottom of the hilly road and had set out over the fields. The church party had gone by way of the path over the fields, for that was a shorter route than the main road. [125] THE REAL AGATHA As I walked quickly along the well-beaten path between the thickets I stopped suddenly and stooped to pick up a small dust-covered object which proved to be a prayer-book. "One of those careless girls has dropped it," I said to myself, for they had all carried them. Opening it to find the owner's name, I was much agitated to read on the flyleaf this inscription : "To my daughter Agatha, from her father, Fletcher Boyd," and the date, 1900. It was, then, a gift which Fletcher Boyd had made to his daughter only two years before his death. I was wild with excitement in a minute. I would keep the book, and some time when all the girls were gathered together I would announce that I had it in my possession and see if one of them did not betray herself by asking me for it. But Fate decreed that I [126] THE REAL AGATHA should make my test of the prayer-book more speedily, for I spied in the distance the white figure of a girl hastening back. The path was dusty and the sun was shining right in her face, so I trusted she had not seen me, and, putting the little volume down just where I had found it, I jumped behind the bushes. The owner of the book was looking for her property. On she came, running slowly and glancing eagerly from side to side of the pathway. As she came opposite me she stopped and snatched up the book, and when she had run back again the conviction that the Honorable Agatha was no other than Agatha Fourth was forced in upon me. So roused was I by this event that I turned my steps homeward, at once. Suspicion had now fallen on every one of the six Agathas, but this this was the most convincing of [127] THE REAL AGATHA proofs! That night I could hardly wait for the end of the evening, so that I could drag Vincent into my room and disclose to him my final and greatest discovery. I was so full of excitement over it, besides feeling a certain pride in my wit and sagacity which had led to the discovery of so many impor- tant clews, that I was rather disappointed when Vincent received my disclosure with indifference." " At it again, Arch," he said rather gloomily as he sat cross-legged before my fire in ex- treme deshabille and smoking his vile pipe. " What is the use? I should think you 'd get tired of pursuing the elusive gold. I admire your patience, my boy, but I don't take any more stock in this ' clew ' than I did in your others. When you think that you have now fastened suspicion upon each one of the six [128] THE REAL AGATHA fair ladies who have been christened Agatha I marvel at the sanguine temperament which permits you to place so much importance on this last find of yours." He stopped, and I answered him rather sarcastically, as I did n't like the gentle ridicule of his tone or his lack of enthusiasm. " It seems to me," I said, " that considering how you've spent your time, my dear boy, you are a very poor person to look down upon my efforts to turn this adventure of ours to some account. The fact that I have kept my eyes open and used those faculties of penetration and observation of which I am the natural possessor to discover a piece of information which might prove of great value, not only to myself but also to you this fact, I say, Vincent, ought hardly to bring upon me your derision as well as your [129] THE REAL AGATHA lack of sympathy." I don't mind admitting that I really felt hurt, and Vincent saw that I did. He took his pipe out of his mouth and looked at me with those big, truthful eyes of his so penitently that I smiled inwardly ; then he gathered up his long limbs from my hearth- rug and came and ensconced himself at my feet as I sat in my easy-chair. "Well there, then," he said, patting my hand as if I'd been an old woman or a small child. "Poor old Arch'bald, did I make it cross! Well, it was a shame! ' And he smiled at me with such a mixture of contrition and fun that I was obliged after a short struggle to laugh unconstrainedly. " Well, I suppose you will begin operations according to your latest clew to-morrow? " he laughed at me. [130] THE REAL AGATHA I did not answer him, and silence fell upon us. I was pondering over the problem and did not look at Vincent for a long while, but when I did I saw that his face wore a troubled, hopeless look, and that his whole attitude indicated profound dejection. "Vincent," I said, leaning over him, "what's the trouble? " I had been noticing of late that he had been subject to fits of melancholy altogether out of keeping with his character, and I had come to the conclusion that he had some trouble on his mind. I wanted to know what it was, so that I could help him. When I spoke he turned his head slowly and looked at me a moment solemnly, then smiled faintly, the very ghost of that splendid, boyish smile of his, so that it went to my heart. "Oh, Arch," he burst out, "everything's [131] THE REAL AGATHA wrong ! But it 's not my fault ; how could I help loving her? " I was amazed. What was the boy talking about, and who was it that he loved! "Yes, sir," he went on; "I met her four miles from town carrying an old beggar- woman's bundle because the poor old thing had hurt her foot. And when I drew up the dogcart and asked her to get in and take the bundle too, she shook her head, and, by Jove, she wouldn't get in till I let the old beggar-woman get in, too ! ' Vincent turned to me positively radiant. "Ah, Terhune!' he cried, "you don't know what it is. I love her so! r And as he stood there, his face transfigured, I grasped in a moment the meaning of the whole thing and the understanding struck like a blow at my heart and I knew how dear [132] THE REAL AGATHA the welfare of this boy was to me. Somehow, Vincent represents to me the things I might have been, and am not, the things I might have won, and have lost; he represents the first flush of my own youth. And now that I had wasted those opportunities to lead the selfish existence of the average bachelor, I found a certain joy in again experiencing those first throbs of living that had been mine, in the person and life of young Vincent. As he stood before me, glowing with feeling, I felt that it was for me to wipe that look from his face, cruel as it seemed, and my anger at the woman who had so deceived the boy by withholding from him the knowledge that she was married helped me to do the deed. "Vincent," I said slowly, "do you mean do I gather from your ravings that you [133] THE REAL AGATHA honestly er care for this person ! ' : I had risen to my feet, and as I spoke Vincent's whole expression changed in a flash. "Your inference is perfectly correct," he said. His face went white and there was war in his tone, for he perceived that I meant trouble. The necessity of saving the boy I loved from the consequences of his own folly took pos- session of me, and I was full of rage at Vincent and at that conscienceless woman in the gray gown who had entrapped him. " You fool," I said, putting my face close to his square, cleft chin, " why do you throw away your chance in life like that! What do you want to let yourself get entangled with an adventuress for? Don't you know the woman's married? She confessed to having one husband ; she may have a dozen, for all I know!" [134] THE REAL AGATHA The inevitable happened, for Vincent, with a half -articulate cry like a wild animal, raised his clenched fist and struck at me. Fortunately for us both, he struck wildly in his anger and I caught the blow on my arm. "You liar!" he shouted, "oh, you liar!" and in a rage that shook him from head to foot he rushed from the room and slammed the door. I was sick at heart as I stood staring after him to think that matters had come to such a pass between Vincent and myself. Although no man can hear himself called a liar, even by his best friend, without resenting it, still, when the first flash of my wrath had passed, I forgave him for it, for I knew that the heat of his passion would permit no satisfaction but violence, and, of course, if he really cared for the woman, the words I had used were about [135] THE REAL AGATHA the most insulting possible. However, I had done what seemed to be my duty, and I only reproached myself bitterly for not having told him of the secretary's marriage before his unhappy infatuation had gained such head- way. But he had disarmed my first suspicions and I had never dreamed that anything so serious was on foot. That was a restless night for me and it was dawn before I fell into a light sleep. [ 136 ] Chapter Six CHAPTER SIX f "W" THEN we met at breakfast the next / M/ morning there were no signs of the breach between Vincent and myself except his unusual pallor, which suggested to me that he, too, had spent a sleepless night. The girls were inclined to joke at our solemn faces, but so long as the meal passed off with- out disclosing that something was amiss be- tween us I did not care. All day we saw nothing of each other, but this was not un- usual, as we always pursued different courses. I spent most of my time with Agatha Fourth, the only Honorable, whom I found to be a really delightful girl and certainly the pos- sessor of remarkable musical talent. [139] THE REAL AGATHA In the evening the others went out to row on the lake, and left Agatha Fourth alone with me. She sat at the piano and played everything she could think of, while I lay on a broad divan where I could watch her and listen to the soft music. I suppose that my bad night had something to do with the fact that I was boor enough to fall asleep while the beautiful Agatha Fourth was playing for me. Certainly I know that I was guilty of that appalling rudeness, for I was suddenly brought to a state of consciousness by the sound of a clock striking. I counted the strokes mechanically there were twelve. I must have slept for hours, and, sure enough, the room was dark except for the firelight, and my slighted hostess was gone from the piano-stool. As I was about to rise I heard voices, and, turning, I saw on the other side [140] THE REAL AGATHA of the piano a man and a girl. The man was Vincent, of course, and I thought, as I looked at him sitting full in the bright firelight, that he had never looked so handsome. His even- ing dress showed off his superb athletic form to the best advantage, and his face was fresh and strong, with the bronze of his tan extend- ing to the roots of his hair, which was cut close to conceal a wave in the gold of it. It occurred to me at once that his face had lost much of its boyishness and he looked every inch a man. But it took me some time to realize that the girl who sat with him was none other than the secretary. At first I could not tell what it was that had so changed her, whether it was her shim- mering white evening gown, or the gleaming bracelets, until at last it came to me in a flash that it was nothing more nor less than the THE REAL AGATHA glory of her hair that had wrought the trans- formation. I had never seen the secretary with her hair done any way but plainly and unbecomingly, but now it was dressed as I knew it should have been dressed long ago. She wore it low on her long, slender neck, rolled at the sides and rippling loosely back from her forehead, in shining waves and little wilful rings held in place with big shell combs. And when at length it dawned upon me that it was really the secretary who was Vincent's companion, so breathless was I with amaze that at first I hardly realized that I could hear perfectly what they were saying. And when I did realize it, I wanted to rise and let them know that I was there, but on second thought I saw that I must have been there for so long that they would never believe that I had ] i THE REAL AGATHA not heard the whole of their conversation. Furthermore, it occurred to me that it might be well if I stayed to hear what Miss Marsh had to say for herself. " And so I calmly took the dress and put it on, just to amuse myself," I heard the secre- tary saying, " and did my hair the way the others do theirs, you know. And it was so late I thought no one would find me here." "And if I hadn't left my pipe on the table no one would have found you, and I think what I should have missed ! " Vincent's voice was eloquent. " Of course, it was very vain of me, very vain," she went on; " but you know when a girl has to earn her own living she gets a little tired of all work and no play, and sometimes the impulse to pretend she 's fortunate and happy and and pretty" the secretary [143] THE REAL AGATHA flushed under Vincent's gaze as she faltered the last word, and hurried on " and like the others is so strong that it tempts her to deck herself out in borrowed plumes and sit in an empty drawing-room at twelve o'clock at night, enjoying the illusion for a brief hour." " No," said Vincent softly, " I don't think it was vain ; I think it was the most natural thing in the world, and and I 'm glad you did it," he ended rather lamely. The secretary laughed, and I wondered what quality there was about the sound that made Vincent rave over it. Then, as his eyes wandered to her hair, he sighed. "Why sighest thou, oh, furnace?" she smiled at him. " I was just thinking about something." "About what I" [144] THE REAL AGATHA "You don't want to hear? " "Ah! But I do!" " All right, then." He turned on her swiftly. "I was just looking," he said, "at your hair. I '11 bet the angels have halos like that." The secretary blushed. " It 's horrid hair," she said, giving it a vindictive little pull that only brought it to a more charming disarray. " I hate the color of it. Why, when I was a child I never could bear to have the heroines of the fairy-tales have anything but golden hair, and I used to think mine was gold, and one day when I said so and was told, * No, your hair is red, not gold,' I cried for days afterward." " You poor little thing! " he said, his face as full of sympathy as if those tears had just been shed. And for the life of her the [145] THE REAL AGATHA secretary couldn't help her lip trembling, though she knew it was absurd and was very much ashamed of herself. Vincent broke the silence first. " We might do a little on the 'Dead Barons of Wyckhoff,' " he suggested. It was evident that our affair of last night was uppermost in his mind, for his air was very abstracted. " No, thank you, my Lord. This is my evening off. I am no longer Miss Marsh, the secretary, but Miss Marsh, the lady of leisure." " I did n't think of it as work, and I thought perhaps you didn't, either, when we did it together." "Little boys shouldn't think; it's a bad habit," she said severely ; " besides, you talk like ' I ' in the ' Dolly Dialogues.' " At this Vincent's face grew desperate, and [146] THE REAL AGATHA I saw that she had goaded him into asking her the question that had been on his mind all day, and I nearly fell off the sofa in my efforts to hear without being seen. "Do I?" he said. "Well, that's because I Ve something I Ve been wanting to ask you all day long. It 's something very personal, and, of course, I Ve no right that is, you won't think so," the boy was stumbling piti- fully, " but I Ve got to know ; it 's so hard to believe that you would do it deliberately. Is it true? " " Lord Wilfred," said the girl, straightening up, " you must speak more clearly if you want me to understand what you have been saying." "It's this," said Lord Wilfred, facing her abruptly and terribly in earnest. " Someone told me last night that you were a married woman. Is it true? ' [147] THE REAL AGATHA I could not see the face of the secretary, but I could not help perceiving the ring of truth in her voice. "I'm not married," she said simply. "I told Mr. Terhune so because I wanted to disabuse him of a false impression he was laboring under. But what is it to you? ' " This," said Wilfred, and he leaned toward her suddenly and grasped her hands and put his face within an inch of hers I could see by the firelight its look of determination and ineffable relief. The secretary gave a little cry and drew back. I conjectured that Wilfred was on the point of making an irretrievable ass of himself, so I interrupted proceedings by knocking a book off the sofa and rising to my feet. At the first sound of the book falling the two had jumped to their feet and stood, the girl shrinking close to Wilfred, [148] THE REAL AGATHA and Wilfred with his arm thrown around her. "Who goes there? " he said sternly, as he discovered my figure in the gloom, and " Ah! it's you, Terhune," as I came into the circle of light, in a tone I hope I may never hear from him again. As the secretary saw who it was she sprang away and was gone from the room in a second. " Well," he said with a sneer, as the cur- tains closed behind her, " eavesdropper, med- dling as usual. What can I do for you? " I sat down on the stool. " Sit down,' ' I said with quiet authority, " and we '11 talk it over." He sat down. In moments like this he for- gets his independence and remembers that at one time he used to obey me habitually. I wanted to comfort him, but I knew my duty [149J THE REAL AGATHA better. "Vincent," I said appealingly, "don't you see that it won't do? She 's no match for you a girl with no family and no money, and of her station in life. Grive it up, I implore you. Think of your father. There has never been a mesalliance in the family; it would break his heart." Vincent raised his head. " Mrs. Armistead says her family is perfectly respectable," he said. " I asked her." " Perfectly respectable ! ' I repeated con- temptuously. " Think of a Vincent marrying a girl who has nothing in her favor but the fact that her family was ' perfectly respectable ! ' Vincent sighed pathetically and I delivered one more blow. "Think," I said; "your brother Edmund is over forty, unmarried, and a sufferer from rheumatism of the heart, as you know. Suppose he should die [150] THE REAL AGATHA wouldn't you make a more creditable heir to the title if you hadn't tied yourself up to a wife of obscure origin a penniless American girl? And if you don't come into the title you 're only a younger son, and you know yourself your propensity for getting into debt, and the Foreign Office for a boy of your age is not a paying business. No, Vincent, you're not cut out for making money, and it's certain you can't depend on your father forever. Can't you see how rash and foolish you are to consider such a thing! " I leaned over and put my hand on Vincent's shoulder. He turned his head, and when I felt his smooth cheek against my hand I knew that the battle was won. " I 'm awful sorry, Arch," he said, " that I was such a beast last night. I '11 never [151] T H K R K A L A G A T H A forgive myself for trying to strike you. Only, you see, I lost my head, and I didn't know quite what I was doing." "Of course," I said, " I understand But he would not let me stem the tide of his remorse. " And then, you know, what you said was very hard to bear, and you see, after all, it wasn't true. She told me it wasn't. Did you hear her! " " Yes," I assented, " and I believe she told you the truth." "Of course; but then you're always right, Archibald, always right. When I go away from here and never see her any more " his lips quivered uncontrollably "I may be able to forget her." " Of course you will," I assured him cheerily, though there was a lump in my throat. " Men have died, but not for love. [IS*] THE REAL AGATHA Many have been as hard hit as you and have recovered." " Oh, yes," agreed my patient, but without enthusiasm ; but at any rate I had gained my point, and Vincent had agreed with me that marriage with the secretary was too rash and foolish for him to contemplate. "By-the-by, Arch," he said carelessly, as we still sat before the fire trying to make believe that the incident of the secretary was closed, " I have something to tell you. The secretary told me outright which one of the six girls really is the daughter of Fletcher Boyd." I looked at him in utter astonishment. " What ! " I said excitedly ; " do you mean to say she deliberately gave away the secret? Which one is ft, for Heaven's sake? And why did she do it? " [153] THE REAL AGATHA " It 's Agatha Sixth. You were right all along. As for the reason, I don't know what she did it for, unless unless " he hesi- tated. " She 's such an honorable little thing I think she felt that the marriage would dis- please my family, so she wanted to turn me from what she saw was coming and used the disclosure of the Honorable Agatha's identity for bait. Come on to bed," he added with a little return of his old spirit; "you'd better get rested for your last try for the twenty millions. If you make up for past neglect you ought to win Agatha Sixth hands down." " Then you don't mean to try? " His face clouded again. " I don't mean to try," he said, and we went up to our rooms in silence. And so we came to the last four days of our stay at Castle Wyckhoff, and I began subtly [154] THE REAL AGATHA and by degrees to win back my former place in the regard of Agatha Sixth, and with every inch of ground I gained in my pursuit of the Honorable Agatha I thought of Vincent with a fresh pity. The evening before the last day of our stay we all spent together in the music-room. We were very jolly, and yet underneath it all I think the girls were a little saddened by our approaching departure, and Wilfred and I felt a certain regret that the end of our delight- ful visit had come, though of course I had fully determined to propose to Agatha Sixth on the morrow. I was rather surprised there- fore when Vincent suddenly complained of headache and, excusing himself, went up to his room. When I went up to my own room I rapped on his door, but he made no answer and I concluded that he must be [155] THE REAL AGATHA asleep. The next morning, much, to my astonishment, he did not saunter in and out of my room as he was accustomed to do of a morning, but as it was late I did not stop to investigate. But when ten o'clock came, and still no Vincent, I went up to his room, for I thought he should be up and doing on this, his last day at Castle Wyckhoff, when he was to leave for London on the four-fifteen train that afternoon. I say "he" not "we," for I felt more confident of my success with Agatha Sixth that day than I had done the evening before, and although I had not yet had the opportunity to put the great ques- tion, I felt that it was very possible that in the guise of accepted lover I might not have to take the four-fifteen that afternoon. When I reached Vincent's room I knocked twice, and, receiving no answer, entered, and [156] THE REAL AGATHA was somewhat alarmed to find that he was not there, though his bed had been slept in. Anxious, without knowing why, I tore down- stairs and called for Mrs. Armistead. That good lady met me at the foot of the stairs in answer to my summons, with an air as anxious as my own. "Have you seen Lord Vincent!" I asked her. " Have you seen my secretary? " she replied, without answering my question. " She 's not in her room, though her bed has been slept in. But she hasn't had her breakfast, and I can't find her anywhere." " You don't mean it ! " I ejaculated, and a sickening fear turned me cold. " Perhaps this has something to do with it," said Mrs. Armistead. " I found it on the front-hall table underneath the mail-bag." [157] THE REAL AGATHA Her anxiety was apparently sincere, and yet somehow it rang false to me. With im- patient fingers I seized the folded paper she drew from her reticule. It read as follows : * ' Dear Old Arch : Sorry to deceive you so, but I 've gone and done it that rash, foolish thing you told me not to do ; at least, by the time you get this note the deed will be done. And I so dreaded your reproaches that I never so much as asked you to be best man. But I couldn't help it, Arch, honest I couldn't. Not to save my soul. She should n't have had eyes like stars and hair like autumn leaves. As for the money, hang the stuffy old millions, I say ! Every pound of it is so many glass beads to me in comparison to what I have this day gained. I wish you joy of them and of the Honorable Agatha. Dear old boy, for- give me if you can ; and if you want to do me one last favor come down to the station in time to meet the eleven-seventeen for Lon- don and hear my last injunctions, [158] THE REAL AGATHA " When did you find this? " I gasped. But I didn't wait to hear her reply, for a glance at the hall clock told me that it was five- minutes of eleven. Bareheaded I rushed around to the stables and fortunately found Christopher just putting the mare into the dog-cart. " Get in," I yelled, " and drive like sin!" " Sin , sir ! Where, sir ? " asked Christopher. " The station! " I cried, jumping up beside him ; and we flew down the winding drive at a pace that I would not think of attempting in cold blood. Through Mrs. Armistead's criminal delay in handing me the note many valuable min- utes had been wasted, yet I thought I should still be in time perhaps to save Vincent from carrying out the last fatal step of his incred- ible folly. It might not be too late to part [159] THE REAL AGATHA them, for in spite of what he had said in his note I could not believe that the worst had actually happened. As we approached the last strip of woods before we reached the sta- tion I caught sight of a puff of white smoke down the track. A moment later, when we drew up at the platform, the great locomotive thundered into the station, and there, at the other end of the platform, I saw them. There was Vincent, clad in the things he had worn on the train when we had first come through the fields of Wye, and with him was a remark- ably pretty girl with beautiful wavy red hair, in a gray tailor suit and a smart black hat. Of course it was the secretary. I waved at them frantically and they waved in return, and I could see Vincent smiling happily at me as they entered one of the carriages. As I came up with their carriage [160] THE REAL AGATHA Vincent opened the window wide and thrust his head out. " Oh, Vincent ! ' was all I said; "am I too late!" " Not at all," he said genially ; " you 're just in time to congratulate me. But what I wanted of you, Arch" and he leaned toward me and lowered his voice "was to ask you to break it to my father." " Then it's true! " I said, not quite able to believe it, even yet. "Yes, it 's true," he said aloud, and with a radiant smile he drew back a little so that I could see the erstwhile Miss Marsh. "It's true that I've married the secretary." " But it 's not" said that lady, much to my surprise and thrusting out her pretty head. "It's not true a bit. He hasn't married the secretary at all. I was only ' playing ' secretary. He's married no one but the [161] THE REAL AGATHA Honorable Agatha, the first, last, and only Honorable ! ' And for proof of her astonishing words she snatched off her glove and displayed to my marvelling gaze the big emerald cross of the Wyckhoff ring, winking in the sunshine. At this moment the train began to move, and I was filled with a sudden and justifiable rage that Vincent should have so deceived me. To think that he had been in the secret all the time and had helped to make a fool of me ! But one look at his face proved to me that I had done him an injustice. He was as stricken with amazement as I was, and I knew that then, and not until then, had he become acquainted with the truth. Gathering my wits quickly, for the train was moving faster, I ran after their carriage till I caught up with the window again. "Gk>od-by!" I shouted, [162] THE REAL AGATHA and "Glod bless you! ' And Vincent, reach- ing out his big hand, had just time to catch mine in his strong grasp before I dropped back, outstripped, and he had withdrawn his radiant face from my view. Afterward I learned many things. First, that they had been married very early that morning, before the rest of us were up, in the little chapel at Wye, with Mrs. Armistead, who was in the secret, as witness. That explained her delay in giving me the note. Dreading my interference, they had not wished me to know until the whole thing was well over and Mrs. Armistead back at Castle Wyckhoff. Second, that it had been the Honorable Agatha's own idea to play the part of secretary to her aunt, thus improving upon her father's plan, and making it still more difficult for the competing suitors to [163] THE REAL AGATHA discover her identity. Third, that her reason for telling Vincent that Agatha Sixth was the real Honorable Agatha was only to prove him once more and to the uttermost. And Vincent had stood the trial without faltering and had even proved himself equal to disre- garding my wishes. Yet I really think that on that night when he had agreed with me that it was best to give her up he meant to do so, but his love for the girl proved stronger than his love for gold or his feeling for his friend. And it was thus that the boy won because he had loved truly and faithfully. And I also learned afterward that the six Agathas, shortly after the elopement of Vin- cent and the Secretary-That-Was, had all gone to their homes in America. Later some of them married certain suitors who had once been guests at Castle Wyckhoff. Among [164] THE REAL AGATHA these were Agatha First and young Brance- peth, who, I am happy to say, has led a reformed life since his marriage. And it also came to pass that Vincent and his bride took possession of Castle Wyckhoff as their coun- try seat when they came back from their honeymoon. And there I often visited them. But on that eventful day when the train had pulled out of the station none of these things was known to me, and I stood on the platform dizzy with the unexpected turn events had taken. And so it was that Vincent got ahead of me, just as he has always done. And so it was, also, that I returned to London, still an eligi- ble bachelor, still the prey of match-making mammas and smiling debutantes. There was but one comforting thought in the mixture of disappointment and chagrin [165] THE REAL AGATHA that made the sum of my feelings as I drove slowly back to the castle. This much had been given me: at least I had not made the fatal mistake of proposing to the wrong Agatha, and I hugged myself as I thought how near I had come to putting the question to Agatha Sixth that very morning. That, at least, I had managed to avoid. From that folly the innate caution and unerring instinct of Archibald Terhune had preserved him. Thank Heaven ! A 000124031 6