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

Sighed Mrs. Belgrove. "Celestine Is So Expensive,  But No One

Can Fit Me Like She Can. And She Knows It,  And Takes Advantage,  The

Horrid Creature."

 

"I Wish The Tribe Of Gypsies Would Clear Out," Snapped Freddy,  Standing

Before The Fire And Glaring At The Company Generally. "I Know They'll

Break In Here And Rob."

 

"Well," Drawled Silver,  Who Was Hovering Near,  Dressed So Carefully That

He Looked More Of A Foxy,  Neat Bounder Than Ever. "I Have Noticed That

Some Of The Brutes Have Been Sneaking Round The Place."

 

Mrs. Belgrove Shrieked. "Oh,  How Lucky I Occupy A Bedroom On The Third

Floor. Just Like A Little Bird In Its Tiny-Weeny Nest. They Can't Get At

Me There,  Can They,  Lord Garvington?"

 

"They Don't Want You," Observed Miss Greeby In Her Deep Voice. "It's

Your Diamonds They'd Like To Get."

 

"Oh!" Mrs. Belgrove Shrieked Again. "Lock My Diamonds Up In Your Strong

Room,  Lord Garvington. Do! Do! Do! To Please Poor Little Me," And She

Effusively Clasped Her Lean Hands,  Upon Which Many Of The Said Diamonds

Glittered.

 

"I Don't Think There Is Likely To Be Any Trouble With These Poor

Gypsies,  Mrs. Belgrove," Remarked Lady Agnes Negligently. "Hubert Has

Told Me A Great Deal About Them,  And They Are Really Not So Bad As

People Make Out."

 

"Your Husband Can't Know Anything Of Such Ragtags," Said Miss Greeby,

Looking At The Beautiful,  Pale Face,  And Wondering If She Really Had Any

Suspicion That Pine Was One Of The Crew She Mentioned.

 

"Oh,  But Hubert Does," Answered Lady Agnes Innocently. "He Has Met Many

Of Them When He Has Been Out Helping People. You Have No Idea,  Any Of

You,  How Good Hubert Is," She Added,  Addressing The Company Generally.

"He Walks On The Embankment Sometimes On Winter Nights And Gives The

Poor Creatures Money. And In The Country I Have Often Seen Him Stop To

Hand A Shilling To Some Tramp In The Lanes."

 

Chapter 8 (At Midnight) Pg 74

"A Gypsy For Choice," Growled Miss Greeby,  Marvelling That Lady Agnes

Could Not See The Resemblance Between The Tramps' Faces And That Of Her

Own Husband. "However,  I Hope Pine's Darlings Won't Come Here To Rob.

I'll Fight For My Jewels,  I Can Promise You."

 

One Of The Men Laughed. "I Shouldn't Like To Get A Blow From Your Fist."

 

Miss Greeby Smiled Grimly,  And Looked At His Puny Stature. "Women Have

To Protect Themselves From Men Like You," She Said,  Amidst Great

Laughter,  For The Physical Difference Between Her And The Man Was Quite

Amusing.

 

"It's All Very Well Talking," Said Garvington Crossly. "But I Don't

Trust These Gypsies."

 

"Why Don't You Clear Them Off Your Land Then?" Asked Silver Daringly.

 

Garvington Glared Until His Gooseberry Eyes Nearly Fell Out Of His Red

Face. "I'll Clear Everyone To Bed,  That's What I'll Do," He Retorted,

Crossing The Room To The Middle French Window Of The Drawing-Room. "I

Wish You Fellows Would Stop Your Larking Out There," He Cried. "It's

Close Upon Midnight,  And All Decent People Should Be In Bed."

 

"Since When Have You Joined The Methodists,  Garvington?" Asked An

Officer Who Had Come Over From Some Twelve-Mile Distant Barracks To Pass

The Night,  And A Girl Behind Him Began To Sing A Hymn.

 

Lady Agnes Frowned. "I Wish You Wouldn't Do That,  Miss Ardale," She

Said In Sharp Rebuke,  And The Girl Had The Sense To Be Silent,  While

Garvington Fussed Over The Closing Of The Window Shutters.

 

"Going To Stand A Siege?" Asked Miss Greeby,  Laughing. "Or Do You Expect

Burglars,  Particularly On This Night."

 

"I Don't Expect Them At All," Retorted The Little Man. "But I Tell You I

Hate The Idea Of These Lawless Gypsies About The Place. Still,  If Anyone

Comes," He Added Grimly,  "I Shall Shoot."

 

"Then The Attacking Person Or Party Needn't Bother," Cried The Officer.

"I Shouldn't Mind Standing Up To Your Fire,  Myself,  Garvington."

 

With Laughter And Chatter And Much Merriment At The Host's Expense,  The

Guests Went Their Several Ways,  The Women To Chat In One Another's

Dressing-Rooms And The Men To Have A Final Smoke And A Final Drink.

Garvington,  With Two Footmen,  And His Butler,  Went Round The House,

Carefully Closing All The Shutters,  And Seeing That All Was Safe. His

Sister Rather Marvelled At This Excessive Precaution,  And Said As Much

To Her Hostess.

 

"It Wouldn't Matter If The Gypsies Did Break In," She Said When Alone

With Lady Garvington In Her Own Bedroom. "It Would Be Some Excitement,

For All These People Must Find It Very Dull Here."

 

"I'm Sure I Do My Best,  Agnes," Said The Sister-In-Law Plaintively.

 

"Of Course,  You Do,  You Poor Dear," Said The Other,  Kissing Her. "But

Garvington Always Asks People Here Who Haven't Two Ideas. A Horrid,

Rowdy Lot They Are. I Wonder You Stand It."

 

"Garvington Asks Those He Likes,  Agnes."

 

"I See. He Hasn't Any Brains,  And His Guests Suit Him For The Same

Reason."

 

"They Eat A Great Deal," Wailed Lady Garvington. "I'm Sure I Might As

Well Be A Cook. All My Time Is Taken Up With Feeding Them."

 

"Well,  Freddy Married You,  Jane,  Because You Had A Genius For Looking

After Food. Your Mother Was Much The Same; She Always Kept A Good

Table." Lady Agnes Laughed. "Yours Was A Most Original Wooing,  Jane."

 

"I'd Like To Live On Bread And Water For My Part,  Agnes."

 

"Put Freddy On It,  Dear. He's Getting Too Stout. I Never Thought That

Gluttony Was A Crime. But When I Look At Freddy"--Checking Her Speech,

She Spread Out Her Hands With An Ineffable Look--"I'm Glad That Noel Is

Coming," She Ended,  Rather Daringly. "At Least He Will Be More

Interesting Than Any Of These Frivolous People You Have Collected."

 

Lady Garvington Looked At Her Anxiously. "You Don't Mind Noel Coming?"

 

"No,  Dear. Why Should I?"

 

"Well You See,  Agnes,  I Fancied--"

 

"Don't Fancy Anything. Noel And I Entirely Understand One Another."

 

"I Hope," Blurted Out The Other Woman,  "That It Is A Right

Understanding?"

 

Agnes Winced,  And Looked At Her With Enforced Composure. "I Am Devoted

To My Husband," She Said,  With Emphasis. "And I Have Every Reason To Be.

He Has Kept His Part Of The Bargain,  So I Keep Mine. But," She Added

With A Pale Smile,  "When I Think How I Sold Myself To Keep Up The Credit

Of The Family,  And Now See Freddy Entertaining This Riff-Raff,  I Am

Sorry That I Did Not Marry Noel,  Whom I Loved So Dearly."

 

"That Would Have Meant Our Ruin," Bleated Lady Garvington,  Sadly.

 

"Your Ruin Is Only Delayed,  Jane. Freddy Is A Weak,  Self-Indulgent Fool,

And Is Eating His Way Into The Next World. It Will Be A Happy Day For

You When An Apoplectic Fit Makes You A Widow."

 

"My Dear," The Wife Was Shocked,  "He Is Your Brother."

 

"More's The Pity. I Have No Illusions About Freddy,  Jane,  And I Don't

Think You Have Either. Now,  Go Away And Sleep. It's No Use Lying Awake

Chapter 8 (At Midnight) Pg 75

Thinking Over To-Morrow's Dinner. Give Freddy The Bread And Water You

Talked About."

 

Lady Garvington Laughed In A Weak,  Aimless Way,  And Then Kissed Her

Sister-In-Law With A Sigh,  After Which She Drifted Out Of The Room In

Her Usual Vague Manner. Very Shortly The Clock Over The Stables Struck

Midnight,  And By That Time Garvington The Virtuous Had Induced All His

Men Guests To Go To Bed. The Women Chatted A Little Longer,  And Then,  In

Their Turn,  Sought Repose. By Half-Past Twelve The Great House Was In

Complete Darkness,  And Bulked A Mighty Mass Of Darkness In The Pale

September Moonlight.

 

Lady Agnes Got To Bed Quickly,  And Tired Out By The Boredom Of The

Evening,  Quickly Fell Asleep. Suddenly She Awoke With All Her Senses On

The Alert,  And With A Sense Of Vague Danger Hovering Round. There Were

Sounds Of Running Feet And Indistinct Oaths And Distant Cries,  And She

Could Have Sworn That A Pistol-Shot Had Startled Her From Slumber. In A

Moment She Was Out Of Bed And Ran To Open Her Window. On Looking Out

She Saw That The Moonlight Was Very Brilliant,  And In It Beheld A Tall

Man Running Swiftly From The House. He Sped Down The Broad Path,  And

Just When He Was Abreast Of A Miniature Shrubbery,  She Heard A Second

Shot,  Which Seemed To Be Fired There-From. The Man Staggered,  And

Stumbled And Fell. Immediately Afterwards,  Her Brother--She Recognized

His Voice Raised In Anger--Ran Out Of The House,  Followed By Some Of The

Male Guests. Terrified By The Sight And The Sound Of The Shots,  Lady

Agnes Huddled On Her Dressing-Gown Hastily,  And Thrust Her Bare Feet

Into Slippers. The Next Moment She Was Out Of Her Bedroom And Down The

Stairs. A Wild Idea Had Entered Her Mind That Perhaps Lambert Had Come

Secretly To The Manor,  And Had Been Shot By Garvington In Mistake For A

Burglar. The Corridors And The Hall Were Filled With Guests More Or Less

Lightly Attired,  Mostly Women,  White-Faced And Startled. Agnes Paid No

Attention To Their Shrieks,  But Hurried Into The Side Passage Which

Terminated At The Door Out Of Which Her Brother Had Left The House. She

Went Outside Also And Made For The Group Round The Fallen Man.

 

"What Is It? Who Is It?" She Asked,  Gasping With The Hurry And The

Fright.

 

"Go Back,  Agnes,  Go Back," Cried Garvington,  Looking Up With A Distorted

Face,  Strangely Pale In The Moonlight.

 

"But Who Is It? Who Has Been Killed?" She Caught Sight Of The Fallen

Man's Countenance And Shrieked. "Great Heavens! It Is Hubert; Is He

Dead?"

 

"Yes," Said Silver,  Who Stood At Her Elbow. "Shot Through The Heart."

 

 

 

Chapter 9 (Afterwards) Pg 76

With Amazing And Sinister Rapidity The News Spread That A Burglar Had

Been Shot Dead While Trying To Raid The Manor. First,  The Garvington

Villagers Learned It; Then It Became The Common Property Of The

Neighborhood,  Until It Finally Reached The Nearest County Town,  And Thus

Brought The Police On The Scene. Lord Garvington Was Not Pleased When

The Local Inspector Arrived,  And Intimated As Much In A Somewhat

Unpleasant Fashion. He Was Never A Man Who Spared Those In An Inferior

Social Position.

 

"It Is No Use Your Coming Over,  Darby," He Said Bluntly To The

Red-Haired Police Officer,  Who Was Of Irish Extraction. "I Have Sent To

Scotland Yard."

 

"All In Good Time,  My Lord," Replied The Inspector Coolly. "As The

Murder Has Taken Place In My District I Have To Look Into The Matter,

And Report To The London Authorities,  If It Should Be Necessary."

 

"What Right Have You To Class The