Red Money, Fergus Hume [10 ebook reader .txt] 📗

As Well That I Should Explain,  So That You May Keep My Secret,  At

All Events From My Wife,  As She Would Be Horrified To Think That She Had

Married A Gypsy. You Promise?"

 

"Of Course. I Shall Say Nothing. But Perhaps She Would Prefer To Know

That She Had Married A Gypsy Rather Than A Nigger."

 

"What Polite Things You Say," Said Pine Sarcastically. "However,  I Can't

Afford To Quarrel With You. As You Are Rich,  I Can't Even Bribe You To

Silence,  So I Must Rely On Your Honor."

 

"Oh,  I Have Some," Miss Greeby Assured Him Lightly.

 

"When It Suits You," He Retorted Doubtfully.

 

"It Does On This Occasion."

 

"Why?"

 

"I'll Tell You That When You Have Related Your Story."

 

"There Is Really None To Tell. I Was Born And Brought Up On The Road,

And Thinking I Was Wasting My Life I Left My People And Entered

Civilization. In London I Worked As A Clerk,  And Being Clever I Soon

Made Money. I Got Hold Of A Man Who Invented Penny Toys,  And Saw The

Possibilities Of Making A Fortune. I Really Didn't,  But I Collected

Enough Money To Dabble In Stocks And Shares. The South African Boom Was

On,  And I Made A Thousand. Other Speculations Created More Than A

Million Out Of My Thousand,  And Now I Have Over Two Millions,  Honestly

Made."

 

"Honestly?" Queried Miss Greeby Significantly.

 

"Yes; I Assure You,  Honestly. We Gypsies Are Cleverer Than You Gentiles,

And We Have The Same Money-Making Faculties As The Jews Have. If My

People Were Not So Fond Of The Vagrant Life They Would Soon Become A

Power In The Money Markets Of The World. But,  Save In The Case Of

Myself,  We Leave All Such Grubbing To The Jews. I Did Grub,  And My

Reward Is That I Have Accumulated A Fortune In A Remarkably Short Space

Of Time. I Have Land And Houses,  And Excellent Investments,  And A Title,

Chapter 4 (Secrets) Pg 33

Which," He Added Sarcastically,  "A Grateful Government Bestowed On Me

For Using My Money Properly."

 

"You Bought The Title By Helping The Political Party You Belonged To,"

Said Miss Greeby With A Shrug. "There Was Quite A Talk About It."

 

"So There Was. As If I Cared For Talk. However,  That Is My Story."

 

"Not All Of It. You Are Supposed To Be In Paris,  And--"

 

"And You Find Me Here," Interrupted Pine With A Faint Smile. "Well You

See,  Being A Gypsy,  I Can't Always Endure That Under-The-Roof Life You

Gentiles Live. I Must Have A Spell Of The Open Road Occasionally. And,

Moreover,  As My Doctor Tells Me That I Have Phthisis,  And That I Should

Live As Much As Possible In The Open Air,  I Kill Two Birds With One

Stone,  As The Saying Is. My Health Benefits By My Taking Up The Old

Romany Wandering,  And I Gratify My Nostalgia For The Tent And The Wild.

You Understand,  You Und--" His Speech Was Interrupted By A Fresh Fit Of

Coughing.

 

"It Doesn't Seem To Do You Much Good This Gypsying," Said Miss Greeby

With A Swift Look,  For His Life Was Of Importance To Her Plans. "You

Look Pretty Rocky I Can Tell You,  Pine. And If You Die Your Wife Will Be

Free To--" The Man Sat Up And Took Away From His Mouth A Handkerchief

Spotted With Blood. His Eyes Glittered,  And He Showed His White Teeth.

"My Wife Will Be Free To What?" He Demanded Viciously,  And The Same

Devil That Had Lurked In Mother Cockleshell's Eye,  Now Showed

Conspicuously In His.

 

Miss Greeby Had No Pity On His Manifest Distress And Visible Wrath,  But

Answered Obliquely: "You Know That She Was Almost Engaged To Her Cousin

Before You Married Her," She Hinted Pointedly.

 

"Yes,  I Know,  D---- Him," Said Pine With A Groan,  And Rolled Over To

Clutch At The Grass In A Vicious Manner. "But He's Not At The Manor Now?"

 

"No."

 

"Agnes Doesn't Speak Of Him?"

 

"No."

 

Pine Drew A Deep Breath And Rose Slowly To His Feet,  With A Satisfied

Nod.

 

"I'm Glad Of That. She's A Good Woman Is Agnes,  And Would Never

Encourage Him In Any Way. She Knows What Is Due To Me. I Trust Her."

 

"Do You? When Your Secretary Is Also Stopping At The Manor?"

 

"Silver!" Pine Laughed Awkwardly,  And Kicked At A Tuft Of Moss. "Well I

Did Ask Him To Keep An Eye On Her,  Although There Is Really No Occasion.

Silver Owes Me A Great Deal,  Since I Took Him Out Of The Gutter. If

Lambert Worried My Wife,  Silver Would Let Me Know,  And Then--"

Chapter 4 (Secrets) Pg 34

 

"And Then?" Asked Miss Greeby Hastily.

 

The Man Clenched His Fists And His Face Grew Stormy,  As His Blood

Untamed By Civilization Surged Redly To The Surface. "I'd Twist His

Neck,  I'd Smash His Skull,  I'd--I'd--I'd--Oh,  Don't Ask Me What I'd Do."

 

"I Should Keep My Temper If I Were You," Miss Greeby Warned Him,  And

Alarmed By The Tempest She Had Provoked. She Had No Wish For The Man She

Loved To Come Into Contact With This Savage,  Veneered By Civilization.

Yet Lambert Was In The Neighborhood,  And Almost Within A Stone's Throw

Of The Husband Who Was So Jealous Of Him. "Keep Your Temper," Repeated

Miss Greeby.

 

"Is There Anything Else You Would Like Me To Do?" Raged Pine Fiercely.

 

"Yes. Leave This Place If You Wish To Keep The Secret Of Your Birth From

Your Wife. Lady Garvington And Mrs. Belgrove,  And A Lot Of People From

The Manor,  Are Coming To The Camp To Get Their Fortunes Told. You Are

Sure To Be Spotted."

 

"I Shall Keep Myself Out Of Sight," Said Pine Sullenly And Suspiciously.

 

"Some Of Your Gypsy Friends May Let The Cat Out Of The Bag."

 

"Not One Of Them Knows There Is A Cat In The Bag. I Am Ishmael Hearne To

Them,  And Nothing Else. But I Shan't Stay Here Long."

 

"I Wonder You Came At All,  Seeing That Your Wife Is With Her Brother."

 

"In The Daring Of My Coming Lies My Safety," Said Pine Tartly. "I Know

What I Am Doing. As To Lambert,  If He Thinks To Marry My Wife When I Am

Dead He Is Mistaken."

 

"Well,  I Hope You Won't Die,  For My Sake!"

 

"Why For Your Sake?" Asked Pine Sharply.

 

"Because I Love Lambert And I Want To Marry Him."

 

"Marry Him," Said The Millionaire Hoarsely,  "And I'll Give You Thousands

Of Pounds. Oh! I Forgot That You Have A Large Income. But Marry Him,

Marry Him,  Miss Greeby. I Shall Help You All I Can."

 

"I Can Do Without Assistance," Said The Woman Coolly. "All I Ask You To

Do Is To Refrain From Fighting With Lambert."

 

"What?" Pine's Face Became Lowering Again. "Is He At The Manor? You

Said--"

 

"I Know What I Said. He Is Not At The Manor,  But He Is Stopping In The

Cottage A Stone's Throw From Here."

 

Chapter 4 (Secrets) Pg 35

Pine Breathed Hard,  And Again Had A Spasm Of Coughing. "What's He Doing?"

 

"Painting Pictures."

 

"He Has Not Been Near The Manor?"

 

"No. And What Is More,  He Told Me To-Day That He Did Not Intend To Go

Near The House. I Don't Think You Need Be Afraid,  Pine. Lambert Is A Man

Of Honor,  And I Hope To Get Him To Be My Husband."

 

"He Shall Never Be My Wife's Husband," Said The Millionaire Between His

Teeth And Scowling Heavily. "I Know That I Shan't Live To Anything Like

Three Score And Ten. Your Infernal Hot-House Civilization Has Killed Me.

But If Lambert Thinks To Marry My Widow He Shall Do So In The Face Of

Garvington's Opposition,  And Will Find Agnes A Pauper."

 

"What Do You Mean Exactly?" Miss Greeby Flung Away The Stump Of Her

Cigarette And Rose To Her Feet.

 

Pine Wiped His Brow And Breathed Heavily. "I Mean That I Have Left Agnes

My Money,  Only On Condition That She Does _Not_ Marry Lambert. She Can

Marry Any One Else She Has A Mind To. I Except Her Cousin."

 

"Because She Loves Him?"

 

"Yes,  And Because He Loves Her,  D--N Him."

 

"He Doesn't," Cried Miss Greeby,  Lying Fluently,  And Heartily Wishing

That Her Lie Could Be A Truth. "He Loves Me,  And I Intend To Marry Him.

Now You Can Understand What I Meant When I Declared That I Had Honor

Enough To Keep Your Secret. Lambert Is My Honor."

 

"Oh,  Then I Believe In Your Honor," Sneered Pine Cynically. "It Is A

Selfish Quality In This Case,  Which Can Only Be Gratified By Preserving

Silence. If Agnes Knew That I Was A True Romany Tramp,  She Might Run

Away With Lambert,  And As You Want Him To Be Your Husband,  It Is To Your

Interest To Hold Your Tongue. Thank You For Nothing,  Miss Greeby."

 

"I Tell You Lambert Loves Me," Cried The Woman Doggedly,  Trying To

Persuade Her Heart That She Spoke Truly. "And Whether You Leave Your

Money To Your Wife,  Or To Any One Else,  Makes No Manner Of Difference."

 

"I Think Otherwise," He Retorted. "And It Is Just As Well To Be On The

Safe Side. If My Widow Marries Lambert,  She Loses My Millions,  And They

Go To--" He Checked Himself Abruptly. "Never Mind Who Gets Them. It Is A

Person In Whom You Can Take No Manner Of Interest."

 

Miss Greeby Pushed The Point Of Her Bludgeon Into The Spongy Ground,  And

Looked Thoughtful. "If Lambert Loves Agnes Still,  Which I Don't

Believe," She Observed,  After A Pause,  "He Would Marry Her Even If She

Hadn't A Shilling. Your Will Excluding Him As Her Second Husband Is

Merely The Twisting Of A Rope Of Sand,  Pine."

Chapter 4 (Secrets) Pg 36

 

"You Forget," Said The Man Quickly,  "That I Declared