The city has since grown around the old place, which my niece now owns, but the plum trees stand as they have stood for more than fifty years.It was beneath these plum trees...."Miss Pringle suddenly broke off; her face twitched; she felt for a handkerchief, and found none; she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
In another person this action might have appeared somewhat careless, but Miss Pringle, by the force of her character, managed to invest it with propriety and dignity; looking at her, one felt that to wipe one's eyes on one's sleeve was quite proper when done by the proper person.
"I will conceal nothing, Mr.Cleggett.It was under these plum trees that I once received an offer of marriage from a worthy young man.It was from one of these plum trees that he later fell, injuring himself so that he died.You can understand what these plum trees mean to me, perhaps?"Lady Agatha impulsively sat down beside the elder woman and put her arm about her.But Miss Pringle stiffly moved away.After a moment she continued:
"The preserved plums, as I have said, are sent me every year on my birthday.This year, when I received from my niece a notification that they had been shipped, I called for the box personally at the freight office.
"What was my astonishment to learn that the box had been claimed in my name, not a quarter of an hour before, and taken away.
"I obtained a description of the person who had represented herself as Miss Genevieve Pringle, and of the vehicle in which she had carried off my box.And I followed her.The paltriness of the theft revolted me, Mr.Cleggett, and I determined to bring this person to justice.
"The fugitive, with my plum preserves in her possession, had left, goodness knows, a broad enough trail.I found but little difficulty in following in my family carriage.In fact, Mr.Cleggett, I discovered the very chauffeur who had deposited her here with the box.Inquiries in Fairport gave me your name as the owner of this lighter.""Lighter!" interrupted Cleggett."The Jasper B., madam, is not alighter."
"I beg your pardon," said Miss Pringle."But what sort of vessel is it then?""The Jasper B.," said Cleggett, with a touch of asperity, "is a schooner, madam.""I intended no offense, Mr.Cleggett.I am quite willing to believe that the vessel is a schooner, since you say that it is.I am not informed concerning nautical affairs.But, to conclude--I discovered from the chauffeur that this lady, calling herself Lady Agatha Fairhaven, had been deposited here, with my box.I learned yesterday, after inquiries in Fairport, that you were the owner of this vessel.The real estate person from whom you purchased it assured me that you were financially responsible.I came to expose this imposter and to recover my box.On my way hither I was caught in the storm.The runaway occurred, and you know the rest."Miss Pringle, during this recital, had not deigned to favor Lady Agatha with a look.Lady Agatha, on her part, after the rebuff which she had received, had sat in smiling silence.
"Miss Pringle," she said, pleasantly but seriously, when the other woman had finished, "first I must convince you that this box does not contain your plum preserves, and then I will tell you my story."With Cleggett's assistance Lady Agatha removed the cover from the oblong box, and showed her its contents.
"That explains nothing," said Miss Pringle, dryly."Of course you would remove the plum preserves to a place of safety.""Miss Pringle," said Lady Agatha, "I will tell you everything.I DID claim a box in your name at the railway goods station in Newark--and if there had been nothing in it but plum preserves, how happy I should be! I beg of you, Miss Pringle, to give me your attention."And Lady Agatha began to relate to Miss Pringle the same story which she had told to Cleggett.At the first word indicative of the fact the Lady Agatha had suffered for the cause of votes for women, a change took placein the expression of Miss Pringle's countenance.Cleggett thought she was about to speak.But she did not.Nevertheless, although she listened intently, some of her rigidity had gone.When Lady Agatha had finished Miss Pringle said:
"I suppose that you can prove that you are really Lady Agatha Fairhaven?"For answer Lady Agatha went to one of her trunks and opened it.She drew therefrom a letter, and passed it over without a word.
As Miss Pringle read it, her face lighted up.She did not lose her primness, but her suspicion seemed altogether to depart.
"A letter from Emmeline Pankhurst!" she said, in a hushed voice, handling the missive as if it were a sacred relic."Can you ever forgive me?""There is nothing to forgive," beamed Lady Agatha."I am willing to admit, now that you understand me, that the thing looked a bit suspicious, on the face of it.""You have suffered for the cause," said Miss Pringle."I have suffered for it, too!" And, with a certain shyness, she patted Lady Agatha on the arm.But the next moment she said:
"But what IS in the box you brought here then, Lady Agatha? Two boxes were shipped to Newark, addressed to me.Which one did you get? What is really in the one you have been carrying around? My plum preserves, or--"She shuddered and left the sentence unfinished."Let us open it," said Cleggett.
"No! No!" cried Lady Agatha."Clement, no! I could not bear to have it opened."Miss Pringle rose.It was evident that a bit of her earlier suspicion had returned.
"After all," said Miss Pringle, indicating the letter again, "how do I know that--""That it is not a forgery?" said Lady Agatha."I see."She mused amoment, and then said, with a sigh, "Well, then, let us open the box!""I think it best, Agatha," said Cleggett."I shall have it brought down."But even as he turned upon his heel to go on deck and give the order, Dr.Farnsworth and the Rev.Simeon Calthrop ran excitedly down the cabin companionway.
"The box of Reginald Maltravers," cried the Doctor, who was in Cleggett's confidence, "is gone!"
