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

Chapter 12 ( The Conspiracy) Pg 108

And In A Most Cheerful Manner. "Jane Wants To Get The House In Order

For Garvington,  Who Returns From Paris In A Week."

 

"Agnes! Agnes!" Lambert Shook His Head. "You Are Not Telling Me The

Truth. I Know You Too Well,  My Dear."

 

"I Really Am Staying With Jane At The Manor," She Persisted.

 

"Oh,  I Believe That; But You Are In Trouble And Came Down To Consult Me."

 

"Yes," She Admitted Faintly. "I Am In Great Trouble. But I Don't Wish To

Worry You While You Are In This State."

 

"You Will Worry Me A Great Deal More By Keeping Silence," Said Lambert,

Sitting Up In His Chair And Drawing The Blankets More Closely Round Him.

"Do Not Trouble About Me. I'm All Right. But You--" He Looked At Her

Keenly And With A Dismayed Expression. "The Trouble Must Be Very Great,"

He Remarked.

 

"It May Become So,  Noel. It Has To Do With--Oh,  Here Is Mrs. Tribb!" And

She Broke Off Hurriedly,  As The Housekeeper Appeared With A Tray.

 

"Now,  My Lady,  Just You Sit In That Arm-Chair Opposite To Master Noel,

And I'll Put The Tray On This Small Stool Beside You. Sandwiches And

Burgundy Wine,  My Lady,  And See That You Eat And Drink All You Can.

Walking Over On This Dripping Day," Cried Mrs. Tribb,  Bustling About.

"Giving Yourself Your Death Of Cold,  And You With Carriages And Horses,

And Them Spitting Cats Of Motive Things. You're As Bad As Master Noel,

My Lady. As For Him,  God Bless Him Evermore,  He's--" Mrs. Tribb Raised

Her Hands To Show That Words Failed Her,  And Once More Vanished Through

The Door To Get Ready The Beef Tea.

 

Agnes Did Not Want To Eat,  But Lambert,  Who Quite Agreed With The

Kind-Hearted Practical Housekeeper,  Insisted That She Should Do So. To

Please Him She Took Two Sandwiches,  And A Glass Of The Strong Red Wine,

Which Brought Color Back To Her Cheeks In Some Degree. When She

Finished,  And Had Drawn Her Chair Closer To The Blaze,  He Smiled.

 

"We Are Just Like Darby And Joan," Said Lambert,  Who Looked Much Better

For Her Presence. "I Am So Glad You Are Here,  Agnes. You Are The Very

Best Medicine I Can Have To Make Me Well."

 

"The Idea Of Comparing Me To Anything So Nasty As Medicine," Laughed

Agnes With An Attempt At Gayety. "But Indeed,  Noel,  I Wish My Visit Was

A Pleasant One. But It Is Not,  Whatever You May Say; I Am In Great

Trouble."

 

"From What--With What--In What?" Stuttered Lambert,  So Confusedly And

Anxiously That She Hesitated To Tell Him.

 

"Are You Well Enough To Hear?"

Chapter 12 ( The Conspiracy) Pg 109

"Of Course I Am," He Answered Fretfully,  For The Suspense Began To Tell

On His Nerves. "I Would Rather Know The Worst And Face The Worst Than Be

Left To Worry Over These Hints. Has The Trouble To Do With The Murder?"

 

"Yes. And With Mr. Silver."

 

"Pine's Secretary? I Thought You Had Got Rid Of Him?"

 

"Oh,  Yes. Mr. Jarwin Said That He Was Not Needed,  So I Paid Him A Year's

Wages Instead Of Giving Him Notice,  And Let Him Go. But I Have Met Him

Once Or Twice At The Lawyers,  As He Has Been Telling Mr. Jarwin About

Poor Hubert's Investments. And Yesterday Afternoon He Came To See Me."

 

"What About?"

 

Agnes Came To The Point At Once,  Seeing That It Would Be Better To Do

So,  And Put An End To Lambert's Suspense. "About A Letter Supposed To

Have Been Written By Me,  As A Means Of Luring Hubert To The Manor To Be

Murdered."

 

Lambert's Sallow And Pinched Face Grew A Deep Red. "Is The Man Mad?"

 

"He's Sane Enough To Ask Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds For The Letter,"

She Said In A Dry Tone. "There's Not Much Madness About That Request."

 

"Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds!" Gasped Lambert,  Gripping The Arms Of His

Chair And Attempting To Rise.

 

"Yes. Don't Get Up,  Noel,  You Are Too Weak." Agnes Pressed Him Back Into

The Seat. "Twenty Thousand For Himself And Five Thousand For Chaldea."

 

"Chaldea! Chaldea! What Has She Got To Do With The Matter?"

 

"She Holds The Letter," Said Agnes With A Side-Glance. "And Being

Jealous Of Me,  She Intends To Make Me Suffer,  Unless I Buy Her Silence

And The Letter. Otherwise,  According To Mr. Silver,  She Will Show It To

The Police. I Have Seven Days,  More Or Less,  In Which To Make Up My

Mind. Either I Must Be Blackmailed,  Or I Must Face The Accusation."

 

Lambert Heard Only One Word That Struck Him In This Speech. "Why Is

Chaldea Jealous Of You?" He Demanded Angrily.

 

"I Think You Can Best Answer That Question,  Noel."

 

"I Certainly Can,  And Answer It Honestly,  Too. Who Told You About

Chaldea?"

 

"Mr. Silver,  For One,  As I Have Just Confessed. Clara Greeby For

Another. She Said That The Girl Was Sitting To You For Some Picture."

 

"Esmeralda And Quasimodo," Replied The Artist Quickly. "You Will Find

What I Have Done Of The Picture In The Next Room. But This Confounded

Chapter 12 ( The Conspiracy) Pg 110

Girl Chose To Fall In Love With Me,  And Since Then I Have Declined To

See Her. I Need Hardly Tell You,  Agnes,  That I Gave Her No

Encouragement."

 

"No,  Dear. I Never For One Moment Supposed That You Would."

 

"All The Same,  And In Spite Of My Very Plain Speaking,  She Continues To

Haunt Me,  Agnes. I Have Avoided Her On Every Occasion,  But She Comes

Daily To See Mrs. Tribb,  And Ask Questions About My Illness."

 

"Then,  If She Comes This Afternoon,  You Must Get That Letter From Her,"

Was The Reply. "I Wish To See It."

 

"Silver Declares That You Wrote It?"

 

"He Does. Chaldea Showed It To Him."

 

"It Is In Your Handwriting?"

 

"So Mr. Silver Declares."

 

Lambert Rubbed The Bristles Of His Three Days' Beard,  And Wriggled

Uncomfortably In His Seat. "I Can't Gather Much From These Hints," He

Said With The Fretful Impatience Of An Invalid. "Give Me A Detailed

Account Of This Scoundrel's Interview With You,  And Report His Exact

Words If You Can Remember Them,  Agnes."

 

"I Remember Them Very Well. A Woman Does Not Forget Such Insults

Easily."

 

"Damn The Beast!" Muttered Lambert Savagely. "Go On,  Dear."

 

Agnes Patted His Hand To Soothe Him,  And Forthwith Related All That Had

Passed Between Her And The Ex-Secretary. Lambert Frowned Once Or Twice

During The Recital,  And Bit His Lip With Anger. Weak As He Was,  He

Longed For Silver To Be Within Kicking Distance,  And It Would Have Fared

Badly With The Foxy Little Man Had He Been In The Room At The Moment.

When Agnes Ended,  Her Lover Reflected For A Few Minutes.

 

"It's A Conspiracy," He Declared.

 

"A Conspiracy,  Noel?"

 

"Yes. Chaldea Hates You Because The Fool Has Chosen To Fall In Love With

Me. The Discovery Of This Letter Has Placed A Weapon In Her Hand To Do

You An Injury,  And For The Sake Of Money Silver Is Assisting Her. I Will

Do Chaldea The Justice To Say That I Don't Believe She Asks A Single

Penny For The Letter. To Spite You She Would Go At Once To The Police.

But Silver,  Seeing That There Is Money In The Business,  Has Prevented

Her Doing So. As To This Letter--" He Stopped And Rubbed His Chin Again

Vexedly.

 

"It Must Be A Forgery."

 

Chapter 12 ( The Conspiracy) Pg 111

"Without Doubt,  But Not Of Your Handwriting,  I Fancy,  In Spite Of What

This Daring Blackguard Says. He Informed You That The Letter Stated How

You Intended To Elope With Me On That Night,  And Would Leave The Manor

By The Blue Door. Also,  On The Face Of It,  It Would Appear That You Had

Written The Letter To Your Husband,  Since Otherwise It Would Not Have

Been In His Possession. You Would Not Have Given Him Such A Hint Had An

Elopement Really Been Arranged."

 

Agnes Frowned. "There Was No Chance Of An Elopement Being Arranged," She

Observed Rather Coldly.

 

"Of Course Not. You And I Know As Much,  But I Am Looking At The Matter

From The Point Of View Of The Person Who Wrote The Letter. It Can't Be

Your Forged Handwriting,  For Pine Would Never Have Believed That You

Would Put Him On The Track As It Were. No,  Agnes. Depend Upon It,  The

Letter Was A Warning Sent By Some Sympathetic Friend,  And Is Probably An

Anonymous One."

 

Agnes Nodded Meditatively. "You May Be Right,  Noel. But Who Wrote To

Hubert?"

 

"We Must See The Letter And Find Out."

 

"But If It Is My Forged Handwriting?"

 

"I Don't Believe It Is," Said Lambert Decisively. "No Conspirator Would

Be So Foolish As To Conduct His Plot In Such A Way. However,  Chaldea Has

The Letter,  According To Silver,  And We Must Make Her Give It Up. She Is

Sure To Be Here Soon,  As She Always Comes Bothering Mrs. Tribb In The

Afternoon About My Health. Just Ring That Hand-Bell,  Agnes."

 

"Do You Think Chaldea Wrote The Letter?" She Asked,  Having Obeyed Him.

 

"No. She Has Not The Education To Forge,  Or Even To Write Decently."

 

"Perhaps Mr. Silver--But No. I Taxed Him With Setting The Trap,  And He

Declared That Hubert Was More Benefit To Him Alive Than Dead,  Which Is

Perfectly True. Here Is Mrs. Tribb,  Noel."

 

Lambert Turned His Head. "Has That Gypsy Been Here To-Day?" He Asked

Sharply.

 

"Not Yet,  Master Noel,  But There's No Saying When She May Come,  For

She's Always Hanging Round The House. I'd Tar And Feather Her And Slap

And Pinch Her If I Had My Way,  Say What You Like,  My Lady. I've No

Patience With Gals Of That Free-And-Easy,  Light-Headed,

Butter-Won't-Melt-In-Your-Mouth Kind."

 

"If She Comes To-Day,  Show Her In Here," Said