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

Us."

 

Agnes Ruminated For A Few Minutes. "I Met Mother Cockleshell Yesterday,"

She Observed; "But I Thought Nothing Of It,  As She Belongs To

Devonshire."

 

"I Believe Mother Cockleshell Is On Our Side,  Dear,  Since She Is So

Grateful To You For Looking After Her When She Was Sick. But Kara Has

Been Hovering About,  And We Know That He Is Chaldea's Lover."

 

"Then," Said Mrs. Lambert,  Rising From The Heather On Which They Had

Seated Themselves,  "It Will Be Best To Face Mother Cockleshell And Kara

In Order To Learn What All This Spying Means."

Chapter 17 (On The Trail) Pg 161

Lambert Approved Of This Suggestion,  And The Two Returned To Mrs.

"Anak's" Abode To Watch For The Gypsies. But,  Although They Saw Two Or

Three,  Or Even More During The Next Few Days,  They Did Not Set Eyes On

The Servian Dwarf,  Or On Gentilla Stanley. Then--Since It Never Rains

But It Pours--The Two Came Together To The Inn. Agnes Saw Them Through

The Sitting-Room Window,  And Walked Out Boldly To Confront Them. Noel

Was Absent At The Moment,  So She Had To Conduct The Examination Entirely

Alone.

 

"Gentilla,  Why Are You Spying On Me And My Husband?" Asked Agnes

Abruptly.

 

The Respectable Woman Dropped A Curtsey And Clutched The Shoulder Of

Kara,  Who Showed A Disposition To Run Away. "I'm No Spy,  My Angel," Said

The Old Creature With A Cunning Glint In Her Eyes. "It's This One Who

Keeps Watch."

 

"For What Reason?"

 

"Bless You,  My Lady--"

 

"Don't Call Me By My Title. I've Dropped It."

 

"Only For A Time,  My Dear. I Have Read Your Fortune In The Stars,  My

Gorgio One,  And Higher You Will Be With Money And Rank Than Ever You

Have Been In Past Days. But Not With The Child's Approval."

 

"The Child. What Child?"

 

"Chaldea,  No Less. She's Raging Mad,  As The Golden Rye Has Made You His

Romi,  My Sweet One,  And She Has Set Many Besides Kara To Overlook You."

 

"So Mr. Lambert And I Thought. And Chaldea's Reason?"

 

"She Would Make Trouble," Replied Mother Cockleshell Mysteriously. "But

Kara Does Not Wish Her To Love The Golden Rye--As She Still Does--Since

He Would Have The Child To Himself." She Turned And Spoke Rapidly In

Romany To The Small Man In The Faded Green Coat.

 

Kara Listened With Twinkling Eyes,  And Pulling At His Heavy Beard With

One Hand,  While He Held The Neck Of His Violin With The Other. When

Mother Cockleshell Ceased He Poured Out A Flood Of The Kalo Jib With

Much Gesticulation,  And In A Voice Which Boomed Like A Gong. Of Course,

Mrs. Lambert Did Not Understand A Word Of His Speech,  And Looked

Inquiringly At Gentilla.

 

"Kara Says," Translated The Woman Hurriedly,  "That He Is Your Friend,

Since He Is Glad You Are The Golden Rye's Romi. Ever Since You Left

Lundra The Child Has Set Him And Others To Spy On You. She Makes

Mischief,  Does The Child In Her Witchly Way."

 

"Ask Him," Said Agnes,  Indicating The Dwarf,  "If He Knows Who Murdered

Chapter 17 (On The Trail) Pg 162

My Late Husband?"

 

Gentilla Asked The Question And Translated The Reply. "He Knows Nothing,

But The Child Knows Much. I Go Back To The Wood In Hengishire,  My Dear,

To Bring About Much That Will Astonish Chaldea--Curses On Her Evil

Heart. Tell The Rye To Meet Me At His Old Cottage In A Week. Then The

Wrong Will Be Made Right," Ended Mother Cockleshell,  Speaking Quite In

The Style Of Meg Merrilees,  And Very Grandiloquently. "And Happiness

Will Be Yours. By This And This I Bless You,  My Precious Lady," Making

Several Mystical Signs,  She Turned Away,  Forcing The Reluctant Kara To

Follow Her.

 

"But,  Gentilla?" Agnes Hurried In Pursuit.

 

"No! No,  My Gorgious. It Is Not The Time. Seven Days,  And Seven Hours,

And Seven Minutes Will Hear The Striking Of The Moment. Sarishan,  My

Deary."

 

Mother Cockleshell Hobbled Away With Surprising Alacrity,  And Mrs.

Lambert Returned Thoughtfully To The Inn. Evidently The Old Woman Knew

Of Something Which Would Solve The Mystery,  Else She Would Scarcely Have

Asked Noel To Meet Her In Hengishire. And Being An Enemy To Chaldea,  Who

Had Deposed Her,  Agnes Was Quite Sure That Gentilla Would Work Her

Hardest To Thwart The Younger Gypsy's Plans. It Flashed Across Her Mind

That Chaldea Herself Might Have Murdered Pine. But Since His Death Would

Have Removed The Barrier Between Lambert And Herself,  Agnes Could Not

Believe That Chaldea Was Guilty. The Affair Seemed To Become More

Involved Every Time It Was Looked Into.

 

However,  Mrs. Lambert Related To Her Husband That Same Evening All That

Had Taken Place,  And Duly Delivered The Old Gypsy's Message. Noel

Listened Quietly And Nodded. He Made Up His Mind To Keep The Appointment

In Abbot's Wood The Moment He Received The Intelligence. "And You Can

Stay Here,  Agnes," He Said.

 

"No,  No," She Pleaded. "I Wish To Be Beside You."

 

"There May Be Danger,  My Dear. Chaldea Will Not Stick At A Trifle To

Revenge Herself,  You Know."

 

"All The More Reason That I Should Be With You," Insisted Agnes.

"Besides,  These Wretches Are Plotting Against Me As Much As Against You,

So It Is Only Fair That I Should Be On The Spot To Defend Myself."

 

"You Have A Husband To Defend You Now,  Agnes. Still,  As I Know You Will

Be Anxious If I Leave You In This Out-Of-The-Way Place,  It Will Be Best

For Us Both To Go To London. There Is A Telephone At Wanbury,  And I Can

Communicate With You At Once Should It Be Necessary."

 

"Of Course It Will Be Necessary," Said Mrs. Lambert With Fond

Impatience. "I Shall Worry Dreadfully To Think That You Are In Danger.

I Don't Wish To Lose You Now That We Are Together."

 

"You Can Depend Upon My Keeping Out Of Danger,  For Your Sake,  Dear,"

Chapter 17 (On The Trail) Pg 163

Said The Young Man,  Caressing Her. "Moreover,  Mother Cockleshell Will

Look After Me Should Chaldea Try Any Of Her Romany Tricks. Stay In Town,

Darling."

 

"Oh,  Dear Me,  That Flat Is So Dingy,  And Lonely,  And Disagreeable."

 

"You Shan't Remain At The Flat. There's A Very Pleasant Hotel Near Hyde

Park Where We Can Put Up."

 

"It's So Expensive."

 

"Never Mind The Expense,  Just Now. When Everything Is Square We Can

Consider Economy. But I Shall Not Be Easy In My Mind Until Poor Pine's

Murderer Is In Custody."

 

"I Only Hope Garvington Won't Be Found To Be An Accomplice," Said Agnes,

With A Shiver. "Bad As He Is,  I Can't Help Remembering That He Is My

Brother."

 

"And The Head Of The Lamberts," Added Her Husband Gravely. "You May Be

Sure That I Shall Try And Save The Name From Disgrace."

 

"It's A Dismal Ending To Our Honeymoon."

 

"Let Us Look Upon It As The Last Hedge Of Trouble Which Has To Be

Jumped."

 

Agnes Laughed At This Quaint Way Of Putting Things,  And Cheered Up. For

The Next Few Days They Did Their Best To Enjoy To The Full The Golden

Hours Of Love,  And Peace Which Remained,  And Then Departed,  To The

Unfeigned Regret Of Mrs. "Anak." But Present Pleasure Meant Future

Trouble,  So The Happy Pair--And They Were Happy In Spite Of The Lowering

Clouds--Were Forced To Leave Their Temporary Paradise In Order To Baffle

Their Enemies. Miss Greeby,  Chaldea,  Silver,  And Perhaps Garvington,

Were All Arrayed Against Them,  So A Conflict Could Not Possibly Be

Avoided.

 

Agnes Took Up Her Abode In The Private Hotel Near The Park Which Lambert

Had Referred To,  And Was Very Comfortable,  Although She Did Not Enjoy

That Luxury With Which Pine's Care Had Formerly Surrounded Her. Having

Seen That She Had All She Required,  Noel Took The Train To Wanbury,  And

Thence Drove In A Hired Fly To Garvington,  Where He Put Up At The

Village Inn. It Was Late At Night When He Arrived,  So It Might Have Been

Expected That Few Would Have Noted His Coming. This Was True,  But Among

The Few Was Chaldea,  Who Still Camped With Her Tribe In Abbot's Wood.

Whosoever Now Owned The Property On Mortgage,  Evidently Did Not Desire

To Send The Gypsies Packing,  And,  Of Course,  Garvington,  Not Having The

Power,  Could Not Do So.

 

Thus It Happened That While Lambert Was Breakfasting Next Morning,

Somewhere About Ten O'clock,  Word Was Brought To Him By The Landlady

That A Gypsy Wished To See Him. The Young Man At Once Thought That

Mother Cockleshell Had Called To Adjust The Situation,  And Gave Orders

Chapter 17 (On The Trail) Pg 164

That She Should Be Admitted. He Was Startled And Ill-Pleased When

Chaldea Made Her Appearance. She Looked As Handsome As Ever,  But Her

Face Wore A Sullen,  Vicious Look,  Which Augured Ill For A Peaceful

Interview.

 

"So You Cheated Me After All,  Rye?" Was Her Greeting,  And Her Eyes

Sparkled With Anger At The Sight Of The Man She Had Lost.

 

"Don't Be A Fool,  Girl," Said Lambert,  Purposely Rough,  For Her

Persistence Irritated Him. "You Know That I Never Loved You."

 

"Am I So Ugly Then?" Demanded The Girl Bitterly.

 

"That Remark Is Beside The Point," Said The Man Coldly. "And I Am Not

Going To Discuss Such Things With You. But I Should Like To Know Why You

Set Spies On Me When I Was In Devonshire?"

 

Chaldea's Eyes Sparkled Still More,  And She Taunted Him. "Oh,  The Clever

One That You Are,  To Know That I Had You Watched. Aye,  And I Did,  My

Rye. From The Time You Left The Cottage You Were Under The Looks Of My

People."

 

"Why,  May I Ask?"

 

"Because I Want Revenge," Cried Chaldea,  Stepping Forward And Striking

So Hard A Blow On The Table That The Dishes Jumped. "You Scorned Me,  And

Now You Shall Pay For That Scorn."

 

"Don't Be Melodramatic,  Please.