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

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 120

"So I Was," Admitted The Visitor,  Frankly And Laying Her Bludgeon--She

Still Carried It--Across Her Knee. "But I Grew Sick Of The Sport.

Knocked Over The Birds Too Easy,  Lambert,  So There Was No Fun. The Birds

Are Getting As Silly As The Men."

 

"Well,  Women Knock Them Over Easy Enough."

 

"That's What I Mean," Said Miss Greeby,  Vigorously. "It's A Rotten

World,  This,  Unless One Can Get Away Into The Wilds."

 

"Why Don't You Go There?"

 

"Well," Miss Greeby Leaned Forward With Her Elbows On Her Knees,  And

Dandled The Bludgeon With Both Hands. "I Thought I'd Like A Change From

The Rough And Ready. This Case Of Pine's Rather Puzzled Me,  And So I'm

On The Trail As A Detective."

 

Lambert Was Rather Startled. "That's Considerably Out Of Your Line,

Clara."

 

Miss Greeby Nodded. "Exactly,  And So I'm Indulging In The Novelty. One

Must Do Something To Entertain One's Self,  You Know,  Lambert. It Struck

Me That The Gypsies Know A Lot More About The Matter Than They Chose To

Say,  So I Came Down Yesterday,  And Put Up At The Garvington Arms In The

Village. Here I'm Going To Stay Until I Can Get At The Root Of The

Matter."

 

"What Root?"

 

"I Wish To Learn Who Murdered Pine,  Poor Devil."

 

"Ah," Lambert Smiled. "You Wish To Gain The Reward."

 

"Not Me. I've Got More Money Than I Know What To Do With,  As It Is.

Silver Is More Anxious To Get The Cash Than I Am."

 

"Silver! Have You Seen Him Lately?"

 

"A Couple Of Days Ago," Miss Greeby Informed Him Easily. "He's My

Secretary Now,  Lambert. Yes! The Poor Beast Was Chucked Out Of His

Comfortable Billet By The Death Of Pine,  And Hearing That I Wanted Some

One To Write My Letters And Run My Errands,  And Act Like A Tame Cat

Generally,  He Applied To Me. Since I Knew Him Pretty Well Through Pine,

I Took Him On. He's A Cunning Little Fox,  But All Right When He's Kept

In Order. And I Find Him Pretty Useful,  Although I've Only Had Him As A

Secretary For A Fortnight."

 

Lambert Did Not Immediately Reply. The News Rather Amazed Him,  As It Had

Always Been Miss Greeby's Boast That She Could Manage Her Own Business.

It Was Queer That She Should Have Changed Her Mind In This Respect,

Although She Was Woman Enough To Exercise That Very Feminine

Prerogative. But The Immediate Trend Of Lambert's Thoughts Were In The

Direction Of Seeking Aid From His Visitor. He Could Not Act Himself

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 121

Because He Was Sick,  And He Knew That She Was A Capable Person In

Dealing With Difficulties. Also,  Simply For The Sake Of Something To Do

She Had Become An Amateur Detective And Was Hunting For The Trail Of

Pine's Assassin. It Seemed To Lambert That It Would Not Be A Bad Idea To

Tell Her Of His Troubles. She Would,  As He Knew,  Be Only Too Willing To

Assist,  And In That Readiness Lay His Hesitation. He Did Not Wish,  If

Possible,  To Lie Under Any Obligation To Miss Greeby Lest She Should

Demand In Payment That He Should Become Her Husband. And Yet He Believed

That By This Time She Had Overcome Her Desires In This Direction. To

Make Sure,  He Ventured On A Few Cautious Questions.

 

"We're Friends,  Aren't We,  Clara?" He Asked,  After A Long Pause.

 

"Sure," Said Miss Greeby,  Nodding Heartily. "Does It Need Putting Into

Words?"

 

"I Suppose Not,  But What I Mean Is That We Are Pals." He Used The Word

Which He Knew Most Appealed To Her Masculine Affectations.

 

"Sure," Said Miss Greeby Again,  And Once More Heartily. "Real,  Honest

Pals. I Never Believed In That Stuff About The Impossibility Of A Man

And Woman Being Pals Unless There's Love Rubbish About The Business. At

One Time,  Lambert,  I Don't Deny But What I Had A Feeling Of That Sort

For You."

 

"And Now?" Questioned The Young Man With An Uneasy Smile.

 

"Now It's Gone,  Or Rather My Love Has Become Affection,  And That's Quite

A Different Thing,  Old Fellow. I Want To See You Happy,  And You Aren't

Now. I Daresay You're Still Crying For The Moon. Eh?" She Looked At Him

Sharply.

 

"You Asked Me That Before When You Came Here," Said Lambert,  Slowly.

"And I Refused To Answer. I Can Answer Now. The Moon Is Quite Beyond My

Reach,  So I Have Dried My Tears."

 

Miss Greeby,  Who Was Lighting A Cigarette,  Threw Away The Match And

Stared Hard At His Haggard Face. "Well,  I Didn't Expect To Hear That,

Now We Know How The Moon--"

 

"Call Things By Their Right Name," Interrupted Lambert,  Sharply. "Agnes

Is Now A Widow,  If That's What You Mean."

 

"It Is,  If You Call Agnes A Thing. Of Course,  You'll Marry Her Since The

Barrier Has Been Removed?"

 

"Meaning Pine? No! I'm Not Certain On That Point. She Is A Rich Widow

And I'm A Poor Artist. In Honor Bound I Can't Allow Her To Lose Her

Money By Becoming My Wife."

 

Miss Greeby Stared At The Fire. "I Heard About That Beastly Will," She

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 122

Said,  Frowning. "Horribly Unfair,  I Call It. Still,  I Believed That You

Loved The Moon--Well,  Then,  Agnes,  Since You Wish Us To Be Plain--And

Would Carry Her Off If You Had The Pluck."

 

"I Have Never Been Accused Of Not Having Pluck,  Clara. But There's

Another Thing To Be Considered,  And That's Honor."

 

"Oh,  Bosh!" Cried Miss Greeby,  With Boyish Vigor. "You Love Her And She

Loves You,  So Why Not Marry?"

 

"I'm Not Worth Paying Two Million For,  Clara."

 

"You Are,  If She Loves You."

 

"She Does And Would Marry Me To-Morrow If I Would Let Her. The

Hesitation Is On My Part."

 

"More Fool You. If I Were In Her Position I'd Soon Overcome Your

Scruples."

 

"I Think Not," Said Lambert Delicately.

 

"Oh,  I Think So," She Retorted. "A Woman Always Gets Her Own Way."

 

"And Sometimes Wrecks Continents To Get It."

 

"I'd Wreck This One,  Anyhow," Said Miss Greeby Dryly. "However,  We're

Pals,  And If There's Anything I Can Do--"

 

"Yes,  There Is," Said Lambert Abruptly,  And Making Up His Mind To Trust

Her,  Since She Showed Plainly That There Was No Chance Of Love On Her

Part Destroying Friendship. "I'm Sick Here And Can't Move. Let Me Engage

You To Act On My Behalf."

 

"As What,  If You Don't Mind My Asking,  Lambert?"

 

"As What You Are For The Moment,  A Detective."

 

"Ho!" Said Miss Greeby In A Guttural Manner. "What's That?"

 

"I Want You To Learn On My Behalf,  And As My Deputy,  Who Murdered Pine."

 

"So That You Can Marry Agnes?"

 

"No. The Will Has Stopped My Chances In That Direction. Her Two Million

Forms Quite An Insurmountable Barrier Between Us Now,  As The Fact Of Her

Being Pine's Wife Did Formerly. Now You Understand The Situation,  And

That I Am Prevented By Honor From Making Her My Wife,  Don't Let Us Talk

Any More On That Especial Subject."

 

"Right You Are," Assented Miss Greeby Affably. "Only I'll Say This,  That

You Are Too Scrupulous,  And If I Can Help You To Marry Agnes I Shall Do

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 123

So."

 

"Why?" Demanded Lambert Bluntly.

 

"Because I'm Your Pal And Wish To See You Happy. You Won't Be Happy,

Like The Pears Soap Advertisement,  Until You Get It. Agnes Is The 'It.'"

 

"Well,  Then,  Leave The Matter Alone,  Clara," Said Lambert,  Taking The

Privilege Of An Invalid And Becoming Peevish. "As Things Stand,  I Can

See No Chance Of Marrying Agnes Without Violating My Idea Of Honor."

 

"Then Why Do You Wish Me To Help You?" Demanded Miss Greeby Sharply.

 

"How Do I Wish You To Help Me,  You Mean."

 

"Not At All. I Know What You Wish Me To Do; Act As Detective; I Know

About It,  My Dear Boy."

 

"You Don't," Retorted Lambert,  Again Fractious. "But If You Listen I'll

Tell You Exactly What I Mean."

 

Miss Greeby Made Herself Comfortable With A Fresh Cigarette,  And Nodded

In An Easy Manner,  "I'm All Attention,  Old Boy. Fire Away!"

 

"You Must Regard My Confidence As Sacred."

 

"There's My Hand On It. But I Should Like To Know Why You Desire To

Learn Who Murdered Pine."

 

"Because If You Don't Track Down The Assassin,  Agnes Will Get Into

Trouble."

 

"Ho!" Ejaculated Miss Greeby,  Guttural Again. "Go On."

 

Lambert Wasted No Further Time In Preliminary Explanations,  But Plunged

Into The Middle Of Things. In A Quarter Of An Hour His Auditor Was

Acquainted With The Facts Of A Highly Unpleasant Case,  But Exhibited No

Surprise When She Heard What Her Secretary Had To Do With The Matter. In

Fact,  She Rather Appeared To Admire His Acuteness In Turning Such Shady

Knowledge To His Own Advantage. At The Same Time,  She Considered That

Agnes Had Behaved In A Decidedly Weak Manner. "If I'd Been In Her Shoes

I'd Have Fired The Beast Out In Double-Quick Time," Said Miss Greeby

Grimly. "And I'd Have Belted Him Over The Head In Addition."

 

"Then He Would Have Gone Straight To The Police."

 

"Oh,  No He Wouldn't. One Thousand Reward Against Twenty-Five Thousand

Blackmail Isn't Good Enough."

 

"He Won't Get His Blackmail," Said Lambert,  Tightening His Lips.

 

"You Bet He Won't Now That I've Come Into The Matter. But There's No

Denying He's Got The Whip-Hand So Far."

 

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 124