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

Chapter 15 (Guesswork) Pg 141

Is That Chaldea Found The Letter In Pine's Tent The Day After His

Murder,  And Before Inspector Darby Had Time To Search. The Envelope Had

Been Destroyed,  So We Don't Know If The Letter Was Posted Or Delivered

By Hand."

 

"If I Had Written Such A Letter To Noel," Said Agnes Quietly,  "It

Certainly Would Have Been Delivered By Hand."

 

"In Which Case Pine Might Have Intercepted The Messenger," Put In Miss

Greeby. "It Couldn't Have Been Sent By Post,  Or Pine Would Not Have Got

Hold Of It,  Unless He Bribed Mrs. Tribb Into Giving It Up."

 

"Mrs. Tribb Is Not Open To Bribery,  Clara. And As To The Letter,  I Never

Wrote It,  Nor Did Noel Ever Receive It."

 

"It Was Written From The Manor,  Anyhow," Said Miss Greeby Bluntly. "Look

At The Crest And The Heading. Someone In The House Wrote It,  If You

Didn't."

 

"I'm Not So Sure Of That. The Paper Might Have Been Stolen."

 

"Well." Miss Greeby Again Bit Her Umbrella Handle Reflectively. "There's

Something In That,  Agnes. Chaldea Told Mrs. Belgrove's Fortune In The

Park,  And Afterwards She Came To The Drawing-Room To Tell It Again. I

Wonder If She Stole The Paper While She Was In The House."

 

"Even If She Did,  An Uneducated Gypsy Could Not Have Forged The Letter."

 

"She Might Have Got Somebody To Do So," Suggested Miss Greeby,  Nodding.

 

"Then The Somebody Must Be Well Acquainted With My Handwriting,"

Retorted Lady Agnes,  And Began To Study The Few Lines Closely.

 

She Might Have Written It Herself,  So Much Did It Resemble Her Style Of

Writing. The Terse Communication Stated That The Writer,  Who Signed

Herself "Agnes Pine," Would Meet "Her Dearest Noel" Outside The Blue

Door,  Shortly After Midnight,  And Hoped That He Would Have The Motor At

The Park Gates To Take Them To London En Route To Paris. "Hubert Is Sure

To Get A Divorce," Ended The Letter,  "And Then We Can Marry At Once And

Be Happy Ever More."

 

It Was Certainly A Silly Letter,  And Agnes Laughed Scornfully.

 

"I Don't Express Myself In That Way," She Said Contemptuously,  And

Still Eyeing The Writing Wonderingly. "And As I Respected My Husband And

Respect Myself,  I Should Never Have Thought Of Eloping With My Cousin,

Especially From Garvington's House,  When I Had Much Better And Safer

Chances Of Eloping In Town. Had Noel Received This,  He Would Never Have

Believed That I Wrote It,  As I Assuredly Did Not. And A 'Motor At The

Park Gates,'" She Read. "Why Not At The Postern Gate,  Which Leads To The

Blue Door? That Would Have Been Safer And More Reasonable. Pah! I Never

Heard Such Rubbish," And She Folded Up The Letter To Slip It Into Her

Pocket.

Chapter 15 (Guesswork) Pg 142

Miss Greeby Looked Rather Aghast. "Oh,  You Must Give It Back To Me," She

Said Hurriedly. "I Have To Look Into The Case,  You Know."

 

"I Shall Not Give It Back To You," Said Agnes In A Determined Manner.

"It Is In My Possession And Shall Remain There. I Wish To Show It To

Noel."

 

"And What Am I To Say To Silver?"

 

"Whatever You Like. You Can Manage Him,  You Know."

 

"He'll Make Trouble."

 

"Now That He Has Lost This Weapon"--Agnes Touched Her Pocket--"He

Can't."

 

"Well"--Miss Greeby Shrugged Her Big Shoulders And Stood Up--"Just As

You Please. But It Would Be Best To Leave The Letter And The Case In My

Hands."

 

"I Think Not," Rejoined Agnes Decisively. "Noel Is Now Quite Well Again,

And I Prefer Him To Take Charge Of The Matter Himself."

 

"Is That All The Thanks I Get For My Trouble?"

 

"My Dear Clara," Said The Other Cordially,  "I Am Ever So Much Obliged To

You For Robbing Mr. Silver Of This Letter. But I Don't Wish To Put You

To Any More Trouble."

 

"Just As You Please," Said Miss Greeby Again,  And Rather Sullenly. "I

Wash My Hands Of The Business,  And If Silver Makes Trouble You Have

Only Yourself To Thank. I Advise You Also,  Agnes,  To See Mother

Cockleshell And Learn What She Has To Say."

 

"Does She Know Anything?"

 

"She Gave Me Certain Mysterious Hints That She Did. But She Appears To

Have A Great Opinion Of You,  My Dear,  So She May Be More Open With You

Than She Was With Me."

 

"Where Is She To Be Found?"

 

"I Don't Know. Chaldea Is Queen Of The Tribe,  Which Is Still Camped On

The Outskirts Of Abbot's Wood. Mother Cockleshell Has Gone Away On Her

Own. Have You Any Idea Who Wrote The Letter?"

 

Agnes Took Out The Forged Missive Again And Studied It. "Not In The

Least," She Said,  Shaking Her Head.

 

"Do You Know Of Any One Who Can Imitate Your Handwriting?"

 

"Not That I Know--Oh," She Stopped Suddenly And Grew As White As The

Widow's Cap She Wore. "Oh," She Said Blankly.

Chapter 15 (Guesswork) Pg 143

 

"What Is It?" Demanded Miss Greeby,  On Fire With Curiosity. "Have You

Thought Of Any One?"

 

Agnes Shook Her Head Again And Placed The Letter In Her Pocket. "I Can

Think Of No One," She Said In A Low Voice.

 

Miss Greeby Did Not Entirely Believe This,  As The Sudden Hesitation And

The Paleness Hinted At Some Unexpected Thought,  Probably Connected With

The Forgery. However,  Since She Had Done All She Could,  It Was Best,  As

She Judged,  To Leave Things In The Widow's Hands. "I'm Tired Of The

Whole Business," Said Miss Greeby Carelessly. "It Wouldn't Do For Me To

Be A Detective,  As I Have No Staying Power,  And Get Sick Of Things.

Still,  If You Want Me,  You Know Where To Send For Me,  And At All Events

I've Drawn Silver's Teeth."

 

"Yes,  Dear; Thank You Very Much," Said Agnes Mechanically,  So The

Visitor Took Her Leave,  Wondering What Was Rendering Her Hostess So

Absent-Minded. A Very Persistent Thought Told Her That Agnes Had Made A

Discovery In Connection With The Letter,  But Since She Would Not Impart

That Thought There Was No More To Be Said.

 

When Miss Greeby Left The House And Was Striding Down The Street,  Agnes

For The Third Time Took The Letter From Her Pocket And Studied Every

Line Of The Writing. It Was Wonderfully Like Her Own,  She Thought Again,

And Yet Wondered Both At The Contents And At The Signature. "I Should

Never Have Written In This Way To Noel," She Reflected. "And Certainly

I Should Never Have Signed Myself 'Agnes Pine' To So Intimate A Note.

However,  We Shall See," And With This Cryptic Thought She Placed The

Letter In Her Desk.

 

When Garvington And His Wife Returned They Found Agnes Singularly Quiet

And Pale. The Little Man Did Not Notice This,  As He Never Took Any

Interest In Other People's Emotions,  But His Wife Asked Questions To

Which She Received No Answers,  And Looked At Agnes Uneasily,  When She

Saw That She Did Not Eat Any Dinner To Speak Of. Lady Garvington Was

Very Fond Of Her Kind-Hearted Sister-In-Law,  And Would Have Been Glad To

Know What Was Troubling Her. But Agnes Kept Her Worries To Herself,  And

Insisted That Jane Should Go To The Pantomime,  As She Had Arranged With

Some Friends Instead Of Remaining At Home. But When Garvington Moved To

Leave The Drawing-Room,  After Drinking His Coffee,  His Sister Detained

Him.

 

"I Want You To Come To The Library To Write A Letter For Me,  Freddy,"

She Said In A Tremulous Voice.

 

"Can't You Write It Yourself?" Said Garvington Selfishly,  As He Was In A

Hurry To Get To His Club.

 

"No,  Dear. I Am So Tired," Sighed Agnes,  Passing Her Hand Across Her

Brow.

 

Chapter 15 (Guesswork) Pg 144

"Then You Should Have Kept On Silver As Your Secretary," Grumbled

Garvington. "However,  If It Won't Take Long,  I Don't Mind Obliging You."

He Followed Her Into The Library,  And Took His Seat At The Writing

Table. "Who Is The Letter To?" He Demanded,  Taking Up A Pen In A Hurry.

 

"To Mr. Jarwin. I Want Him To Find Out Where Gentilla Stanley Is. It's

Only A Formal Letter,  So Write It And Sign It On My Behalf."

 

"Like An Infernal Secretary," Sighed Garvington,  Taking Paper And

Squaring His Elbows. "What Do You Want With Old Mother Cockleshell?"

 

"Miss Greeby Was Here To-Day And Told Me That The Woman Knows Something

About Poor Hubert's Death."

 

Garvington's Pen Halted For A Moment,  But He Did Not Look Round. "What

Can She Possibly Know?" He Demanded Irritably.

 

"That's What I Shall Find Out When Mr. Jarwin Discovers Her," Said

Agnes,  Who Was In A Low Chair Near The Fire. "By The Way,  Freddy,  I Am

Sorry You Let The Abbot's Wood Cottage To Mr. Silver."

 

"Why Shouldn't I?" Growled Garvington,  Writing Industriously. "Noel

Didn't Pay Me A Pound A Week,  And Silver Does."

 

"You Might Have A More Respectable Tenant," Said Agnes Scathingly.

 

"Who Says Silver Isn't Respectable?" He Asked,  Looking Round.

 

"I Do,  And I Have Every Reason To Say So."

 

"Oh,  Nonsense!" Garvington Began To Write Again. "Silver Was Pine's

Secretary,  And Now He's Miss Greeby's. They Wouldn't Have Engaged Him

Unless He Was Respectable,  Although He Did Start Life As A Pauper

Toymaker. I Suppose That Is What You Mean,  Agnes. I'm Surprised At Your

Narrowness."

 

"Ah,  We Have Not All Your Tolerance,  Freddy. Have You Finished That

Letter?"

 

"There You Are." Garvington Handed It Over. "You Don't Want Me To

Address The Envelope?"

 

"Yes,  I Do," Agnes Ran Her Eyes Over The Missive; "And You Can Add A

Postscript To This,  Telling Mr. Jarwin He Can Take My Motor To Look For

Gentilla Stanley If He Chooses."

 

Garvington Did As He Was Asked Reluctantly. "Though I Don't See Why

Jarwin Can't Supply His Own Motors," He Grumbled,  "And Ten To One He'll

Only Put An Advertisement In The Newspapers."

 

"As If Mother Cockleshell Ever Saw A Newspaper," Retorted His Sister.

"Oh,  Thank You,  Freddy,  You Are Good," She Went On When He Handed Her