Red Money by Fergus Hume (the little red hen ebook .txt) 📖

Use Of Her Abode To Pine And His Visitor. This Latter Was

A Small,  Neat Man With A Smooth,  Boyish Face And Reddish Hair. He Had

The Innocent Expression Of A Fox-Terrier,  And Rather Resembled One. He

Was Neatly And Inoffensively Dressed In Blue Serge,  And Although He Did

Not Look Exactly Like A Gentleman,  He Would Have Passed For One In A

Crowd. When Chaldea Made Her Abrupt Entrance He Was Talking Volubly To

Pine,  And The Millionaire Addressed Him--When He Answered--As Silver.

Chaldea,  Remembering The Conversation She Had Overheard Between Pine And

Miss Greeby,  Speedily Reached The Conclusion That The Neat Little Man

Was The Secretary Referred To Therein. Probably He Had Come To Report

About Lady Agnes.

 

"What Is It,  Sister?" Demanded Pine Sharply,  And Making A Sign That

Silver Should Stop Talking.

 

"Does The Camp Travel To-Morrow,  Brother?"

 

"Perhaps,  Yes," Retorted Pine Abruptly.

 

"And Perhaps No,  Brother,  If You Use Your Power."

 

Silver Raised His Faint Eyebrows And Looked Questioningly At His

Employer,  As If To Ask What This Cryptic Sentence Meant. Pine Knew Only

Too Well,  Since Chaldea Had Impressed Him Thoroughly With The Fact That

She Had Overheard Many Of His Secrets. Therefore He Did Not Waste Time

In Argument,  But Nodded Quietly. "Sleep In Peace,  Sister. The Camp Shall

Chapter 7 (The Secretary) Pg 63

Stay,  If You Wish It."

 

"I Do Wish It!" She Glanced At Silver And Changed Her Speech To Romany.

"The Ring Will Be Here," Tapping Her Finger,  "In One Week If We Stay."

 

"So Be It,  Sister," Replied Pine,  Also In Romany,  And With A Gleam Of

Satisfaction In His Dark Eyes. "Go Now And Return When This Gentile

Goes. What Of The Golden Gorgious One?"

 

"He Seeks Lundra This Night."

 

"For The Ring,  Sister?"

 

Chaldea Looked Hard At Him. "For The Ring" She Said Abruptly,  Then

Dropping The Tent-Flap Which She Had Held All The Time,  She Disappeared.

 

Silver Looked At His Master Inquiringly,  And Noted That He Seemed Very

Satisfied. "What Did She Say In Romany?" He Asked Eagerly.

 

"True News And New News,  And News You Never Heard Of," Mocked Pine.

"Don't Ask Questions,  Mark."

 

"But Since I Am Your Secretary--"

 

"You Are Secretary To Hubert Pine,  Not To Ishmael Hearne," Broke In The

Other Man. "And When Romany Is Spoken It Concerns The Last."

 

Silver's Pale-Colored,  Red-Rimmed Eyes Twinkled In An Evil Manner. "You

Are Afraid That I May Learn Too Much About You."

 

"You Know All That Is To Be Known," Retorted Pine Sharply. "But I Won't

Have You Meddle With My Romany Business. A Gentile Such As You Are

Cannot Understand The Chals."

 

"Try Me."

 

"There Is No Need. You Are My Secretary--My Trusted Secretary--That Is

Quite Enough. I Pay You Well To Keep My Secrets."

 

"I Don't Keep Them Because You Pay Me," Said Silver Quickly,  And With A

Look Of Meekness Belied By The Sinister Gleam In His Pale Bluish Eyes.

"It Is Devotion That Makes Me Honest. I Owe Everything To You."

 

"I Think You Do," Observed Pine Quietly. "When I Found You In

Whitechapel You Were Only A Pauper Toymaker."

 

"An Inventor Of Toys,  Remember. You Made Your Fortune Out Of My

Inventions."

 

"The Three Clever Toys You Invented Laid The Foundations Of My Wealth,"

Corrected The Millionaire Calmly. "But I Made My Money In The South

African Share Business. And If I Hadn't Taken Up Your Toys,  You Would

Have Been Now Struggling In Whitechapel,  Since There Was No One But Me

To Exploit Your Brains In The Toy-Making Way. I Have Rescued You From

Starvation; I Have Made You My Secretary,  And Pay You A Good Salary,  And

I Have Introduced You To Good Society. Yes,  You Do Indeed Owe Everything

To Me. Yet--" He Paused.

 

"Yet What?"

 

"Miss Greeby Observed That Those Who Have Most Cause To Be Grateful Are

Generally The Least Thankful To Those Who Befriend Them. I Am Not Sure

But What She Is Right."

 

Silver Pushed Up His Lower Lip Contemptuously,  And A Derisive Expression

Came Over His Clean-Shaven Face. "Does A Clever Man Like You Go To That

Emancipated Woman For Experience?"

 

"Emancipated Women Are Usually Very Clever," Said Pine Dryly,  "As They

Combine The Logic Of The Male With The Intuition Of The Female. And I

Have Observed Myself,  In Many Cases,  That Kindness Brings Out

Ingratitude."

 

Silver Looked Sullen And Uneasy. "I Don't Know Why You Should Talk To Me

In This Strain," He Said Irritably. "I Appreciate What You Have Done For

Me,  And Have No Reason To Treat You Badly. If I Did--"

 

"I Would Break You," Flamed Out His Employer,  Angered By The Mere

Thought. "So Long As You Serve Me Well,  Silver,  I Am Your Friend,  And I

Shall Treat You As I Have Always Done,  With Every Consideration. But You

Play Any Tricks On Me,  And--" He Paused Expressively.

 

"Oh,  I Won't Betray You,  If That's What You Mean."

 

"I Am Quite Sure You Won't," Said The Millionaire With Emphasis. "For If

You Do,  You Return To Your Original Poverty. And Remember,  Mark,  That

There Is Nothing In My Life Which Has Any Need Of Concealment."

 

Silver Cast A Look Round The Tent And At The Rough Clothes Of The

Speaker. "No Need Of Any Concealment?" He Asked Significantly.

 

"Certainly Not," Rejoined Pine Violently. "I Don't Wish My Gypsy Origin

To Be Known In The Gentile World. But If The Truth Did Come To Light,

There Is Nothing To Be Ashamed Of. I Commit No Crime In Calling Myself

By A Gorgio Name And In Accumulating A Fortune. You Have No Hold Over

Me." The Man's Look Was So Threatening That Silver Winced.

 

"I Don't Hint At Any Hold Over You," He Observed Mildly. "I Am Bound To

You Both By Gratitude And Self-Interest."

 

"Aha. That Last Is Better. It Is Just As Well That We Have Come To This

Understanding. If You--" Pine's Speech Was Ended By A Sharp Fit Of

Coughing,  And Silver Looked At His Contortions With A Thin-Lipped Smile.

 

"You'll Kill Yourself If You Live This Damp Colonial Sort Of Tent-Life,"

Was His Observation. "Here,  Take A Drink Of Water."

Chapter 7 (The Secretary) Pg 64

 

Pine Did So,  And Wiped His Mouth With The Sleeve Of His Rough Coat.

"You're A Gorgio," He Said,  Weakly,  For The Fit Had Shaken Him,  "And

Can't Understand How A Bred And Born Romany Longs For The Smell Of The

Smoke,  The Space Of The Open Country,  And The Sound Of The Kalo Jib.

However,  I Did Not Ask You Here To Discuss These Things,  But To Take My

Instructions."

 

"About Lady Agnes?" Asked The Secretary,  His Eyes Scintillating.

 

"You Have Had Those Long Ago,  Although,  Trusting My Wife As I Do,  There

Was Really No Need For Me To Ask You To Watch Her."

 

"That Is Very True. Lady Agnes Is Exceedingly Circumspect."

 

"Is She Happy?"

 

Silver Lifted His Shoulders. "As Happy As A Woman Can Be Who Is Married

To One Man While She Loves Another."

 

He Expected An Outburst Of Anger From His Employer,  But None Came. On

The Contrary,  Pine Sighed,  Restlessly. "Poor Soul. I Did Her A Wrong In

Making Her My Wife. She Would Have Been Happier With Lambert In His

Poverty."

 

"Probably! Her Tastes Don't Lie Like Those Of Other Women In The

Direction Of Squandering Money. By The Way,  I Suppose,  Since You Are

Here,  That You Know Lambert Is Staying In The Abbot's Wood Cottage?"

 

"Yes,  I Know That. And What Of It?" Demanded The Millionaire Sharply.

 

"Nothing; Only I Thought You Would Like To Know. I Fancied You Had Come

Here To See If--"

 

"I Did Not. I Can Trust You To See That My Wife And Lambert Do Not Meet

Without Spying Myself."

 

"If You Love And Trust Your Wife So Entirely,  I Wonder You Ask Me To Spy

On Her At All," Said Silver With A Faint Sneer.

 

"She Is A Woman,  And We Gypsies Have Sufficient Of The Oriental In Us To

Mistrust Even The Most Honest Women. Lambert Has Not Been To The Manor?"

 

"No. That's A Bad Sign. He Can't Trust Himself In Her Presence."

 

"I'll Choke The Life Out Of You,  Rat That You Are,  If You Talk In Such A

Way About My Wife. What You Think Doesn't Matter. Hold Your Tongue,  And

Come To Business. I Asked You Here To Take My Instructions."

 

Silver Was Rather Cowed By This Outburst,  As He Was Cunning Enough To

Know Precisely How Far He Could Venture With Safety. "I Am Waiting," He

Observed In Sullen Tones.

Chapter 7 (The Secretary) Pg 65

"Garvington--As I Knew He Would--Has Ordered Us Off The Land. As The

Wood Is Really Mine,  Since I Hold It As Security,  Having Paid Off The

Mortgage,  I Don't Choose That He Should Deal With It As Though It Were

His Own. Here"--He Passed Along A Letter--"I Have Written That On My

Office Paper,  And You Will See That It Says,  I Have Heard How Gypsies

Are Camping Here,  And That It Is My Wish They Should Remain. Garvington

Is Not To Order Them Off On Any Pretext Whatsoever. You Understand?"

 

"Yes." Silver Nodded,  And Slipped The Paper Into His Breast Pocket After

A Hasty Glance At The Contents,  Which Were Those The Writer Had Stated.

"But If Garvington Wishes To Know Why You Take Such An Interest In The

Gypsies,  What Am I To Say?"

 

"Say Nothing. Simply Do What I Have Told You."

 

"Garvington May Suspect That You Are A Romany."

 

"He Won't. He Thinks That I'm In Paris,  And Will Never Connect Me With

Ishmael Hearne. If He Asks Questions When We Meet I Can Tell Him My Own

Tale. By The Way,  Why Is He So Anxious To Get Rid Of The Tribe?"

 

"There Have Been Many Burglaries Lately In Various Parts Of Hengishire,"

Explained The Secretary. "And Garvington Is Afraid Lest The Gypsies

Should Be Mixed Up With Them. He Thinks,  This Camp Being Near,  Some Of

The Men May Break Into The House."

 

"What Nonsense! Gypsies Steal,  I Don't Deny,  But In An Open Way. They

Are Not Burglars,  However,  And Never Will Be. Garvington Has Never Seen

Any Near The Manor That He Should Take Fright In This Way."

 

"I Am Not So Sure Of That. Once Or Twice I Have Seen That Girl Who Came

To You Hanging About The House."

 

"Chaldea?" Pine Started And Looked Earnestly At His Companion.

 

"Yes. She Told Mrs. Belgrove's Fortune One Day When She Met Her In The

Park,  And Also Tried To Make Lady Agnes Cross Her Hand With Silver For

The Same Purpose. Nothing Came Of That,  However,