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

"Agnes Never Wrote The Letter," Said Lambert Quickly.

 

"Oh,  That Goes Without The Saying,  My Dear Fellow. Agnes Knew That If

She Became A Rich Widow,  Your Uneasy Sense Of Honor Would Never Let You

Marry Her. She Had No Reason To Get Rid Of Pine On That Score."

 

"Or On Any Score,  You May Add."

 

Miss Greeby Nodded. "Certainly! You And Agnes Should Have Got Married

And Let Garvington Get Out Of His Troubles As Best He Could. That's What

I Should Have Done,  As I'm Not An Aristocrat,  And Can't See The Use Of

Becoming The Sacrifice For A Musty,  Fusty Old Family. However,  Agnes

Made Her Bargain And Kept To It. She's All Right,  Although Other People

May Be Not Of That Opinion."

 

"There Isn't A Man Or Woman Who Dare Say A Word Against Agnes."

 

"A Good Many Will Say Lots Of Words,  Should What You Have Told Me Get

Into Print," Rejoined Miss Greeby Dryly.

 

"I Agree With You. Therefore Do I Ask For Your Assistance. What Is Best

To Be Done,  Clara?"

 

"We Must Get The Letter From Silver And Learn Who Forged It. Once That

Is Made Plain,  The Truth Will Come To Light,  Since The Individual Who

Forged And Sent That Letter Must Have Fired The Second Shot."

 

"Quite So. But Silver Won't Give Up The Letter."

 

"Oh,  Yes,  He Will. He's My Secretary,  And I'll Make Him."

 

"Even As Your Secretary He Won't," Said Lambert,  Dubiously.

 

"We'll See About That,  Old Boy. I'll Heckle And Harry And Worry Silver

On To The Gallows If He Doesn't Do What He's Told."

 

"The Gallows. You Don't Think--"

 

"Oh,  I Think Nothing. It Was To Silver's Interest That Pine Should Live,

So I Don't Fancy He Set The Trap. It Was To Chaldea's Interest That Pine

Should Not Live,  Since She Loves You,  And I Don't Think She Is To Blame.

Garvington Couldn't Have Done It,  As He Has Lost A Good Friend In Pine,

And--And--Go On Lambert,  Suggest Some One Else."

 

"I Can't. And Two Out Of Three You Mention Were Inside The Manor When

The Second Shot Was Fired,  So Can Prove An Alibi."

 

"I'm Not Bothering About Who Fired The Second Shot," Said Miss Greeby

Leisurely,  "But As To Who Wrote That Letter. Once We Find The Forger,

We'll Soon Discover The Assassin."

 

"True; But How Are You Going About It?"

 

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 125

"I Shall See Silver And Force Him To Give Me The Letter."

 

"If You Can."

 

"Oh,  I'll Manage Somehow. The Little Beast's A Coward,  And I'll Bully

Him Into Compliance." Miss Greeby Spoke Very Confidently. "Then We'll

See The Kind Of Paper The Letter Is Written On,  And There May Be An

Envelope Which Would Show Where It Was Posted. Of Course,  The Forger

Must Be Well Acquainted With Agnes's Handwriting."

 

"That's Obvious," Said Lambert Promptly. "Well,  I Suppose That Your Way

Of Starting The Matter Is The Best. But We Have Only Four Days Before

Silver Makes His Move."

 

"When I Get The Letter He Won't Make Any Move," Reported Miss Greeby,

And She Looked Very Determined.

 

"Let Us Hope So. But,  Clara,  Before You Return To Town I Wish You Would

See Mother Cockleshell."

 

"That Old Gypsy Fortune-Teller,  Who Looks Like An Almshouse Widow? Why?"

 

"She Hates Chaldea,  And I Suspect That Chaldea Has Something To Do With

The Matter Of This Conspiracy."

 

"Ha!" Miss Greeby Rubbed Her Aquiline Nose. "A Conspiracy. Perhaps You

May Be Right. But Its Reason?"

 

Lambert Colored. "Chaldea Wants Me To Marry Her,  You Know."

 

"The Minx! I Know She Does. I Warned You Against Having Her To Sit For

You,  Lambert. But There's No Sense In Your Suggestion,  My Boy. It Wasn't

Any Catch For Her To Get Pine Killed And Leave His Wife Free To Marry

You."

 

"No. And Yet--And Yet--Hang It," The Young Man Clutched His Hair In

Desperation And Glared At The Fire,  "I Can't See Any Motive."

 

"Nor Can I. Unless It Is To Be Found In The City."

 

"Gypsies Are More Lawless Than City Men," Observed The Other Quickly,

"And Hearne Would Have Enemies Rather Than Pine."

 

"I Don't Agree With You," Said Miss Greeby,  Rising And Getting Ready To

Go Away. "Hearne Was Nobody: Pine Was A Millionaire. Successful Men Have

Enemies All Over The Shop."

 

"At The Inquest It Was Said That Pine Had No Enemies."

 

"Oh,  Rubbish. A Strong Man Like That Couldn't Make Such A Fortune

Without Exciting Envy. I'll Bet That His Assassin Is To Be Found In A

Frock Coat And A Silk Hat. However,  I'll Look Up Mother Cockleshell,  As

It Is Just As Well To Know What She Thinks Of This Pretty Gypsy Hussy Of

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 126

Yours."

 

"Not Of Mine. I Don't Care For Her In The Least."

 

"As If That Mattered. There Is Always One Who Loves And One Who Is

Loved,  As Heine Says,  And That Is The Cause Of All Life's Tragedies. Of

This Tragedy Maybe,  Although I Think Some Envious Stockbroker May Have

Shot Pine As A Too Successful Financial Rival. However,  We Shall See

About It."

 

"And See About Another Thing,  Clara," Said Lambert Quickly. "Call On

Agnes And Tell Her That She Need Not Worry Over Silver. She Expects The

Deluge In A Few Days,  Remember."

 

"Write And Tell Her That I Have The Case In Hand And That She Needn't

Trouble About Silver. I'll Straighten Him Out."

 

"I Fear You Are Too Hopeful."

 

"I Don't Fear Anything Of The Sort. I'll Break His Neck If He Doesn't

Obey Me. I Wouldn't Hesitate To Do It,  Either."

 

Lambert Ran His Eyes Over Her Masculine Personality And Laughed. "I

Quite Believe That,  Clara. But,  I Say,  Won't You Have Some Tea Before

You Go?"

 

"No,  Thanks. I Don't Eat Between Meals."

 

"Afternoon Tea Is A Meal."

 

"Nonsense. It's A Weakness. I'm Not Garvington. By The Way,  Where Is

He?"

 

"In Paris,  But He Returns In A Few Days."

 

"Then Don't Let Him Meddle With This Matter,  Or He'll Put Things Wrong."

 

"I Shall Allow No One But Yourself To Meddle,  Clara,  Garvington Shan't

Know A Single Thing."

 

Miss Greeby Nodded. "Right. All We Wish Kept Quiet Would Be In The

Papers If Garvington Gets Hold Of Our Secrets. He's A Loose-Tongued

Little Glutton. Well,  Good-Bye,  Old Chap,  And Do Look After Yourself.

Good People Are Scarce."

 

Lambert Gripped Her Large Hand. "I'm Awfully Obliged To You,  Clara."

 

"Wait Until I Do Something Before You Say That,  Old Son," She Laughed

And Strode Towards The Door. "By The Way,  Oughtn't I To Send The Doctor

In?"

 

"No. Confound The Doctor! I'm All Right. You'll See Me On My Legs In A

Few Days."

 

Chapter 13 (A Friend In Need) Pg 127

"Then We Can Work Together At The Case. Keep Your Flag Flying,  Old Chap,

For I'm At The Helm To Steer The Bark." And With This Nautical Farewell

She Went Off With A Manly Stride,  Whistling A Gay Tune.

 

Left Alone,  The Invalid Looked Into The Fire,  And Wondered If He Had

Been Right To Trust Her. After Some Thought,  He Concluded That It Was

The Best Thing He Could Have Done,  Since,  In His Present Helpless State,

He Needed Some One To Act As His Deputy. And There Was No Doubt That

Miss Greeby Had Entirely Overcome The Passion She Had Once Entertained

For Him.

 

"I Hope Agnes Will Think So Also," Thought Lambert,  When He Began A

Letter To The Lady. "She Was Always Rather Doubtful Of Clara."

 

Chapter 14 (Miss Greeby, Detective) Pg 128

As Miss Greeby Had Informed Lambert,  She Intended To Remain At The

Garvington Arms Until The Mystery Of Pine's Death Was Solved. But Her

Interview With Him Necessitated A Rearrangement Of Plans,  Since The

Incriminating Letter Appeared To Be Such An Important Piece Of Evidence.

To Obtain It,  Miss Greeby Had Decided To Return To London Forthwith,  In

Order To Compel Its Surrender. Silver Would Undoubtedly Show Fight,  But

His Mistress Was Grimly Satisfied That She Would Be Able To Manage Him,

And Quite Counted Upon Gaining Her End By Bullying Him Into Compliance.

When In Possession Of The Letter She Decided To Submit It To Agnes And

Hear What That Lady Had To Say About It As A Dexterous Piece Of Forgery.

Then,  On What Was Said Would Depend Her Next Move In The Complicated

Game. Meanwhile,  Since She Was On The Spot And Desired To Gather All

Possible Evidence Connected With Chaldea's Apparent Knowledge Of The

Crime,  Miss Greeby Went Straight From Lambert's Cottage To The Gypsy

Camp.

 

Here She Found The Community Of Vagrants In The Throes Of An Election,

Or Rather Their Excitement Was Connected With The Deposition Of Gentilla

Stanley From The Bohemian Throne,  And The Elevation Of Chaldea. Miss

Greeby Mixed With The Throng,  Dispensed A Few Judicious Shillings And

Speedily Became Aware Of What Was Going On. It Appeared That Chaldea,

Being Pretty And Unscrupulous,  And Having Gained,  By Cunning,  A

Wonderful Influence Amongst The Younger Members Of The Tribe,  Was

Insisting That She Should Be Elected Its Head. The Older Men And Women,

Believing Wisely That It Was Better To Have An Experienced Ruler Than A

Pretty Figurehead,  Stood By Mother Cockleshell,  Therefore The Camp Was

Divided Into Two Parties. Tongues Were Used Freely,  And Occasionally