The Angel of Terror | Page 7

that he was jealous, swore that he had already
told Miss Briggerland that he could not marry her, and he did not even
know that Bulford was paying attention to the lady."
"He did that to save his life," said Lydia quietly. "Miss Briggerland
swore in the witness-box that no such interview had occurred."
Glover nodded.
"What you do not know, Miss Beale," he said gravely, "is that Jean
Briggerland was Meredith's cousin, and unless certain things happen,
she will inherit the greater part of six hundred thousand pounds from
Meredith's estate. Meredith, I might explain, is one of my best friends,
and the fact that he is now serving out a life sentence does not make
him any less a friend. I am as sure, as I am sure of your sitting there,

that he no more killed Bulford than I did. I believe the whole thing was
a plot to secure his death or imprisonment. My partner thinks the same.
The truth is that Meredith was engaged to this girl; he discovered
certain things about her and her father which are not greatly to their
credit. He was never really in love with her, beautiful as she is, and he
was trapped into the proposal. When he found out how things were
shaping and heard some of the queer stories which were told about
Briggerland and his daughter, he broke off the engagement and went
that night to tell her so."
The girl had listened in some bewilderment to this recital.
"I don't exactly see what all this is to do with me," she said, and again
Jack Glover nodded.
"I can quite understand," he said, "but I will tell you yet another part of
the story which is not public property. Meredith's father was an
eccentric man who believed in early marriages, and it was a condition
of his will that if Meredith was not married by his thirtieth birthday, the
money should go to his sister, her heirs and successors. His sister was
Mrs. Briggerland, who is now dead. Her heirs are her husband and Jean
Briggerland."
There was a silence. The girl stared thoughtfully into the fire.
"How old is Mr. Meredith?"
"He is thirty next Monday," said Glover quietly, "and it is necessary
that he should be married before next Monday."
"In prison?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"If such things are allowed that could have been arranged, but for some
reason the Home Secretary refuses to exercise his discretion in this
matter, and has resolutely refused to allow such a marriage to take
place. He objects on the ground of public policy, and I dare say from

his point of view he is right. Meredith has a twenty-years sentence to
serve."
"Then how----" began Lydia.
"Let me tell this story more or less understandably," said Glover with
that little smile of his. "Believe me, Miss Beale, I'm not so keen upon
the scheme as I was. If by chance," he spoke deliberately, "we could
get James Meredith into this house to-morrow morning, would you
marry him?"
"Me?" she gasped. "Marry a man I've not seen--a murderer?"
"Not a murderer," he said gently.
"But it is preposterous, impossible!" she protested. "Why me?"
He was silent for a moment.
"When this scheme was mooted we looked round for some one to
whom such a marriage would be of advantage," he said, speaking
slowly. "It was Rennett's idea that we should search the County Court
records of London to discover if there was a girl who was in urgent
need of money. There is no surer way of unearthing financial skeletons
than by searching County Court records. We found four, only one of
whom was eligible and that was you. Don't interrupt me for a moment,
please," he said, raising his hand warningly as she was about to speak.
"We have made thorough inquiries about you, too thorough in fact,
because the Briggerlands have smelt a rat, and have been on our trail
for a week. We know that you are not engaged to be married, we know
that you have a fairly heavy burden of debts, and we know, too, that
you are unencumbered by relations or friends. What we offer you, Miss
Beale, and believe me I feel rather a cad in being the medium through
which the offer is made, is five thousand pounds a year for the rest of
your life, a sum of twenty thousand pounds down, and the assurance
that you will not be troubled by your husband from the moment you are
married."

Lydia listened like one in a dream. It did not seem real. She would
wake up presently and find Mrs. Morgan with a cup of tea in her hand
and a plate of her indigestible cakes. Such things