Chapter 6 Chapter Six

It happened to be five minutes to four when Virginia Rifford returned to her lodgings in Bond Street.Her punctuality was due entirely to a considerable curiosity.She opened the door with her own key, walked into the hall, and immediately saw the expressionless Chivers approaching. "I'm sorry, ma'am,—to see you alone—" For a moment Virginia did not pay attention to the implications of Chivers's cunning phrasing. "Mr. Lomax? Where is he? In the drawing room?" "Oh, no, ma'am. Not Mr. Lomax." Chivers' tone was vaguely reproachful. "It was a man--I would have liked him to send it, but he said his business was important--was connected with the dead captain, I heard him say so. I thought you might see him. I'll put him in the—um—study."

Virginia stood there thinking for a moment.She has been widowed for several years.She seldom talks about her husband.Some people seem to think that although she is outwardly careless, she still feels the pain of losing her husband.However, this incident makes others think that the reason is just the opposite.They thought Virginia didn't really like Timon River.She thought it would be dishonest to show sadness that she didn't really feel. "I should have mentioned it earlier, ma'am," Chivers went on. "That person looks like a foreigner." Virginia's interest is now somewhat heightened.Her husband worked in the diplomatic service.They had lived in that country just before the sensational murder of the king and queen of Herzoslav.This person may be a Hezoslav, or their old servant, who is in trouble.

"You were quite right, Chivers," she said, nodding quickly, approvingly, "where do you say you sent him? The study?" She walked briskly across the hall and opened the door to the small room off the dining room. Guests sit in chairs by the fireplace.When she came in, he stood up and looked at her.Virginia had a good memory, so she decided right away that she hadn't seen the man before.He was a tall, brown, lithe man. Undoubtedly a foreigner.However, she thought he was not a Hezoslav.She decided he was Italian or Spanish. "Do you want to see me?" she asked. "I'm Mrs. Rivers."

The man stopped for a minute or two without speaking.He was looking at her slowly, as if judging her closely.She soon sensed an air of insolence lurking in his manner. "Can you explain why you're here?" she said impatiently. "Are you Mrs. Redford? Mrs. Timothy Redford?" "Yes. I have just told you." "Yes. It is very well that you will see me, Mrs. Redford. Otherwise, I have told your housekeeper. I shall have to deal with your husband." Virginia looked at him in surprise, but suddenly changed her mind and suppressed a blurted retort.She just said coldly:

"If you want to do that, you may find some difficulties." "I don't think so. I'm stubborn. But let me be serious. Maybe you recognize this one? " He waved something in his hand.Virginia looked at it with little interest. "Ma'am, can you tell me what this is?" "Looks like a letter," replied Virginia.Now, she believed she was dealing with a psychopath. "Perhaps you will pay attention to whom this letter is addressed to," said the man seriously, holding the letter to her. "I can see it," Virginia said to him pleasantly. "The letter was addressed to Captain O'Neill, 15 Rue Grace, Paris."

The man seemed eager to find something in her face that he hadn't found. "Would you please read this letter?" Virginia took the envelope from him, pulled out the letter inside, looked at it, and, almost at once, turned hard, offered to hand him the letter again. "It's a private letter—certainly not intended for me." The man laughed sarcastically. "Mrs. Redford, congratulations on your wonderful performance. You play your part very well. However, I don't think you can deny that it is your signature, can you? " "sign?" Virginia turned the letter over and read it, startled and speechless for a moment.

The signature, in beautiful italics, was clearly: Virginia Redford.She suppressed the exclamation that was about to burst out of her mouth, and then turned back to look at the letter, carefully and slowly read all of it.Then she stood there in deep thought for a moment.Judging from the nature of that letter, it was clear what would happen. "Well, ma'am?" said the man, "that's your name, isn't it?" "Oh, yes," said Virginia, "it's my name." In fact, she should have added: "But not my handwriting." She didn't say that, but looked at her guest with a big smile on her face.

"We," she said kindly. "Would you like to sit down and talk?" He was in a daze, he hadn't expected her to do this.He instinctively thought that she was not afraid of him. "First, I want to know how you found me." "That's easy." He took a page torn out of a illustrated magazine from his pocket and handed it to her.Anthony Cade would have recognized it had he seen it. She returned the pictorial to him, frowning slightly, thinking about it. "I see," she said. "It's very easy." "Of course you will understand, Mrs. Redford, that this is not just one letter. There are others."

"Gee," Virginia said. "Maybe I was too careless." Again he could see that her relaxed tone puzzled him.So far, she seems rather happy. "Anyway," she told him, smiling kindly. "Thank you for coming, and return these letters to me." He cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment. "I'm a poor man, Mrs. Redford," he said at last, with an air of seriousness. "In that case, you must find it easier for you to get into heaven. I've always heard people say that." "I can't give you these letters for free." "I think you've misunderstood. These letters are the property of a man."

"Maybe that's the law, ma'am. But, in this country, you have an old saying, 'Personal possession wins nine.' And, in my case, are you going to hire a lawyer to help you out?" " "The law is harsh on blackmailers," Virginia reminded him. "Come on, Mrs. Redford. I'm not a big fool. I've read all these letters--these are love letters from a woman to the Qing, and she's afraid her husband will find out. You want me to take these Show the letter to your husband?" "You overlook a possibility. Those letters were written years ago. What if by now—I'm a widow?"

He shook his head confidently. "In that case—if you had nothing to fear—you wouldn't be sitting here negotiating with me." Virginia smiled. "What price do you want?" she asked seriously. "Give me a thousand pounds. I'll give you back all the letters. I want very little. But, you see, I don't like this business." "I never dreamed of paying you a thousand pounds," said Virginia firmly. "I never haggle, ma'am. Give me a thousand pounds, and I'll put the letter into your hands." Virginia thought for a moment. "You'll have to give me some time to think about it, too. It's not easy for me to get that sum." Canton "Maybe pay some up front—fifty coins, say—and I'll get it again." Sh. Virginia I looked up at the clock, it was four past five.She seemed to have heard the doorbell. "Okay," she said hastily. "Come back tomorrow, but later than today, about six o'clock." She walked to the opposite desk, opened the drawer with a key, and took out a handful of messy banknotes. "There's about forty pounds here, so that's all right." He eagerly grabbed it. "Now please go at once," Virginia said. He walked obediently out of the room, and Virginia caught a glimpse through the door opening of George Lomax in the hall, just let Chivers upstairs.When the door was shut, she called to him: "Come here, George Chivers, and bring the tea here, will you?" She opened both windows.George Lomax came in and saw her standing there erectly, with bright eyes and hair blowing in the wind. "George, I'll close it in a minute. But I think the house needs air. Did you meet that blackmailer in the hall?" "what?" "The blackmailer, George, the blackmailer. The blackmailer." "My dear Virginia, you are not serious, are you?" "Oh, I'm serious, George." "But who is he blackmailing?" "Me, George." "But, my dear Virginia, what have you done?" "Oh, as it happens, only this time I did nothing. The gentleman mistook me for someone else." "You called the police, I suppose?" "No, I didn't. I think you thought I should." "This—" George thought about it seriously. "No, no, maybe don't do that, you might be smart about it. You might get involved, get noticed, get in trouble. You might have to testify—" "I'd love it that way," said Virginia. "I like the fact that I'm called to testify. I'd love to see if the judges tell some really bad jokes like they do in the novels. It's funny. I remember going to Vine Street the other day. To report a diamond brooch I've lost. I met the loveliest inspector there—the loveliest man I've ever met." It was George's habit to ignore matters that were not relevant to the subject. "But what do you do with this rascal?" "Oh, George, I'll let him do that." "do what?" "Blackmail me." George's face showed such extreme horror that Virginia had to bite her lower lip. "You mean—are you telling me that you didn't correct that man's misunderstanding?" Virginia shook her head and looked at him sideways. "My God, Virginia, you must be crazy!" "I thought you might think so." "But why? Tell me honestly, why?" "Several reasons. First of all, he did it in a clever way - I mean - to blackmail me - and I don't like to interfere with a really good artist doing his work. And, you know what? I never Blackmailed people over "I hope not, really. " "I wondered what it would be like to watch someone blackmail someone." "I don't quite understand you, Virginia." "I know you don't understand." "I suppose you didn't give him money?" "Just a little," Virginia said apologetically. "How many?" "Forty pounds." "Virginia!" "My dear George, that's only what I paid for an evening dress. It's as exciting a new experience as a new dress—much more exciting, in fact." George just shook his head.At this moment, Chivers appeared with a tea tray. Fortunately he didn't hear it, lest he express his resentment.When the tea was brought, Virginia deftly picked up the heavy silver teapot and poured it.At this time, she brought up the subject again. "George, I have another motive--a cleverer, better one. We women are usually made to be as cunning as cats. But, anyway, I made one for another woman this afternoon. Good thing. The man is unlikely to be looking for another Virginia River. He thought he had found what he was looking for. Poor kid, she was trembling when she wrote that letter.' Blackmail Sir' it would be easiest to knock her at that time. Now, what he's doing is a difficult thing to do, but he doesn't know it.I had an advantage from the start because I had been clean all my life.I'd fuck him up like hell - like it says in the book.Tricks, George, lots of tricks. " George still shook his head. "I don't like it when you do that," he said firmly. "I don't like it when you do that." "Ah, don't worry, George. You didn't come to talk to me about blackmail. By the way, what are you here for? Correct answer: 'to see you'! Emphasis on the word 'you'. You have to be serious Hold her hand tightly—unless you're eating a buttered muffin, then you'll have to tell with your eyes." "I've come to see you," George replied earnestly. "I'm glad to see you home alone." "Oh, George, this is sudden," she said, swallowing a raisin. "I've come to ask for your help. I always thought you were a very attractive woman, Virginia." "Ah, George!" "And, she is also a very wise woman!" "Really? How well a man knows me!" "My dear Virginia. There is a young man coming to England to-morrow, and I hope you will meet him." "All right, George. But it's your treat—make that clear." "I believe that if you like it, you will definitely exert a lot of magic power." Virginia tilted her head slightly to one side. "You know, dear George, that I don't make 'charming' a profession. I tend to like people--and they like me. But I don't think I can callously charm a poor stranger. The One kind of thing, I don't do it. George, really.There are beauties in the world who specialize in bewitching men.They're much better at doing this than I am. " "I couldn't have asked you to do that, Virginia. This young man, he's Canadian, by the way, his name is McGrath—" "'A Canadian of Scottish descent,'" she said, thinking wisely. "He probably doesn't have much contact with the upper class in England. I want him to know how much sense and nobility it is to know a really well-bred English lady." "are you talking about me?" "Exactly." "Why?" "What did you say?" "I said 'why?' You can't advertise a real American lady to every stray Canadian who sets foot in our country. What's the point of that, George? To put it vulgarly, how much do you get out of it? " "I don't see what it has to do with you, Virginia." "Unless I know all the reasons, it is impossible to go out at night to seduce men." "You have a peculiar way of talking, Virginia. Anybody would think 'Well, please, George, give me more information.' " "My dear Virginia. Things have been tense lately in a small country in Central Europe. For some reason—it doesn't matter what it is—it has to be... this Mr. McGrath understands, huh? Soslav must restore the monarchy, and there will be peace in Europe." "Part of what's been said about European peace is nonsense," said Virginia calmly. "However, I am always in favor of the monarchy, especially an interesting nation like the Hezoslavs. It turns out that you are electing a king of a small Hezoslav country, right? Who is he?" George didn't want to answer, but didn't know how to avoid it.The conversation didn't go the way he planned at all.He had thought Virginia was a willing, very docile object.He thought she would gladly accept his prompt and not ask awkward questions.That's definitely not the case.She seemed bound to know "Yes, but I don't think you'd be interested in him." Virginia stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "George," she said. "You are bad, you like to lie!" "Virginia!" "Bad, very bad! If I had been trained as you are, I'd make up a better set of lies, a set of things people might believe. But, my poor George, I'd mess with the whole thing." Clear. Take my word for it. Mr. McGrath's secret. If I get a hint or two at Chimney House this weekend, I won't wonder." "At Chimney Building? Are you going to Chimney Building?" George couldn't hide his panicked look.He had hoped to find Marquis Judhan in time and tell him not to send invitations. "Bando called me this morning." George finally tried to stop her. "It was a pretty dull party, I thought," he said. "Simply not the way you like it." "Poor George, why don't you tell me the truth and believe me? It's still not too late." George took her hand, then let it go weakly. "I've told you the truth," he said coldly, without blushing at all. "That's a pretty good lie," said Virginia approvingly. "Still not good enough, though. Pull yourself together, George. I'll be at Chimney House, and I'll be doing what you say—a lot of Jane power. Life suddenly looks a lot more interesting. First the blackmailer, then there's another For George in diplomatic embarrassment, that beauty, so pitifully asking him to believe her. Will he tell her all the secrets? No. He won't reveal anything until the last moment. Good-bye, George. Before you go, Don't you give me a last loving look? No? Ah! George, my dear, don't be sullen about it!" While George was trudging out the door, Virginia ran to the telephone. She found the number she needed and asked to speak to Miss Eileen Hiront. "Is that you? Bondo? I'm going to Chimney House tomorrow. What? Is it boring? No, it won't. Bondo, even wild horses can't stop me! See you there!"