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

And Banged

The Door To Without Locking It. Silver's Teeth Chattered So Much And His

Limbs Trembled So Greatly That He Could Scarcely Move Or Speak. On

Seeing This--For There Was A Lamp In The Passage--Miss Greeby Picked Him

Up In Her Big Arms Like A Baby And Made For The Sitting-Room. When,

Within She Pitched Silver On To The Sofa Behind Which Garvington Lay

Senseless,  And Placing Her Arms Akimbo Surveyed Him Viciously.

 

"You Infernal Worm!" Said Miss Greeby,  Grim And Savage In Her Looks,

"You Have Split On Me,  Have You?"

 

"How--How--How Do You Know?" Quavered Silver Mechanically,  Noting That

In Her Long Driving Coat With A Man's Cap She Looked More Masculine Than

Ever.

 

"How Do I Know? Because Chaldea Was Hiding Under The Studio Window This

Afternoon And Overheard All That Passed Between You And Garvington And

That Meddlesome Lambert. She Knew That I Was In Danger And Came At Once

To London To Tell Me Since I Had Given Her My Address. I Lost No Time,

But Motored Down Here And Dropped Her At The Camp. Now I've Come To Get

You Out Of The Country."

 

"Me Out Of The Country?" Stammered The Secretary.

 

"Yes,  You Cowardly Swine,  Although I'd Rather Choke The Life Out Of You

If It Could Be Done With Safety. You Denounced Me,  You Beast."

 

"I Had To; My Own Neck Was In Danger."

 

"It's In Danger Now. I'd Strangle You For Two Pins. But I Intend To Send

You Abroad Since Your Evidence Is Dangerous To Me. If You Are Out Of The

Way There's No One Else Can State That I Shot Pine. Here's Twenty Pounds

In Gold;" She Thrust A Canvas Bag Into The Man's Shaking Hands; "Get On

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 196

Your Coat And Cap And I'll Take You To The Nearest Seaport Wherever That

Is. My Motor Is On The Verge Of The Wood. You Must Get On Board Some

Ship And Sail For The World's End. I'll Send You More Money When You

Write. Come,  Come," She Stamped,  "Sharp's The Word."

 

"But--But--But--"

 

Miss Greeby Lifted Him Off The Sofa By The Scruff Of The Neck. "Do You

Want To Be Killed?" She Said Between Her Teeth,  "There's No Time To Be

Lost. Chaldea Tells Me That Lambert Threatens To Have Me Arrested."

 

The Prospect Of Safety And Prosperity In A Distant Land So Appealed To

Silver That He Regained His Courage In A Wonderfully Short Space Of

Time. Rising To His Feet He Hastily Drained Another Glass Of Brandy And

The Color Came Back To His Wan Cheeks. But For All The Quantity He Had

Drank That Same Evening He Was Not In The Least Intoxicated. He Was

About To Rush Out Of The Room To Get His Coat And Cap When Miss Greeby

Laid A Heavy Hand On His Shoulder.

 

"Is There Any One Else In The House?" She Asked Suspiciously.

 

Silver Cast A Glance Towards The Sofa. "There's No Servant," He Said In

A Stronger Voice. "I Have Been Cooking And Looking After Myself Since I

Came Here. But--But--But--"

 

"But What,  You Hound?" She Shook Him Fiercely.

 

"Garvington's Behind The Sofa."

 

"Garvington!" Miss Greeby Was On The Spot In A Moment Pulling Away The

Concealing Rugs And Cushions. "Have You Murdered Him?" She Demanded,

Drawing A Deep Breath And Looking At The Senseless Man.

 

"No,  He's Only Stunned. I Struck Him With The Poker Because He Wanted To

Denounce Me."

 

"Quite Right." Miss Greeby Patted The Head Of Her Accomplice As If He

Were A Child,  "You're Bolder Than I Thought. Go On; Hurry Up! Before

Garvington Recovers His Senses We'll Be Far Enough Away. Denounce Me;

Denounce Him,  Will You?" She Said,  Looking At Garvington While The

Secretary Slipped Out Of The Room; "You Do So At Your Own Cost,  My Lord.

That Forged Letter Won't Tell In Your Favor. Ha!" She Started To Her

Feet. "What's That! Who's Here?"

 

She Might Well Ask. There Was A Struggle Going On In The Passage,  And

She Heard Cries For Help. Miss Greeby Flung Open The Sitting-Room Door,

And Silver,  Embracing Mother Cockleshell,  Tumbled At Her Feet. "She Got

In By The Door You Left Open," Cried Silver Breathlessly,  "Hold Her Or

We Are Lost; We'll Never Get Away."

 

"No,  You Won't!" Shouted The Dishevelled Old Woman,  Producing A Knife To

Keep Miss Greeby At Bay. "Chaldea Came To The Camp And I Learned Through

Kara How She'd Brought You Down,  My Gentile Lady. I Went To Tell The

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 197

Golden Rye,  And He's On The Way Here With The Village Policeman. You're

Done For."

 

"Not Yet." Miss Greeby Darted Under The Uplifted Knife And Caught

Gentilla Round The Waist. The Next Moment The Old Woman Was Flung

Against The Wall,  Breathless And Broken Up. But She Still Contrived To

Hurl Curses At The Murderess Of Her Grandson.

 

"I Saw You Shoot Him; I Saw You Shoot Him," Screamed Mother Cockleshell,

Trying To Rise.

 

"Silver,  Make For The Motor; It's Near The Camp; Follow The Path,"

Ordered Miss Greeby Breathlessly; "There's No Time To Be Lost. As To

This Old Devil--" She Snatched Up A Lamp As The Secretary Dashed Out Of

The House,  And Flung It Fairly At Gentilla Stanley. In A Moment The Old

Woman Was Yelling With Agony,  And Scrambled To Her Feet A Pillar Of

Fire. Miss Greeby Laughed In A Taunting Manner And Hurled Another Lamp

Behind The Sofa. "You'd Have Given Me Up Also,  Would You,  Garvington?"

She Cried In Her Deep Tone; "Take That,  And That,  And That."

 

Lamp After Lamp Was Smashed And Burst Into Flames,  Until Only One Was

Left. Then Miss Greeby,  Seeing With Satisfaction That The Entire Room

Was On Fire And Hearing The Sound Of Hasty Footsteps And The Echoing Of

Distant Voices,  Rushed In Her Turn From The Cottage. As She Bolted The

Voice Of Garvington Screaming With Pain And Dread Was Heard As He Came

To His Senses To Find Himself Encircled By Fire. And Mother Cockleshell

Also Shrieked,  Not So Much Because Of Her Agony As To Stop Miss Greeby

From Escaping.

 

"Rye! Rye! She's Running; Catch Her; Catch Her. Aha--Aha--Aha!" And She

Sank Into The Now Blazing Furnace Of The Room.

 

The Walls Of The Cottage Were Of Mud,  The Partitions And Roof Of Wood

And Thatch,  So The Whole Place Soon Burned Like A Bonfire. Miss Greeby

Shot Out Of The Door And Strode At A Quick Pace Across The Glade. But As

She Passed Beyond The Monoliths,  Lambert,  In Company With A Policeman,

Made A Sudden Appearance And Blocked Her Way Of Escape. With A Grim

Determination To Thwart Him She Kilted Up Her Skirts And Leaped Like A

Kangaroo Towards The Undergrowth Beneath The Leafless Trees. By This

Time The Flames Were Shooting Through The Thatched Roof In Long Scarlet

Streamers And Illuminated The Spectral Wood With Awful Light.

 

"Stop! Stop!" Cried Lambert,  Racing To Cut Off The Woman's Retreat,

Closely Followed By The Constable.

 

Miss Greeby Laughed Scornfully,  And Instead Of Avoiding Them As They

Crossed Her Path,  She Darted Straight Towards The Pair. In A Moment,  By

A Dexterous Touch Of Her Shoulders Right And Left,  She Knocked Them Over

By Taking Them Unawares,  And Then Sprang Down The Path Which Curved

Towards The Gypsies' Encampment. At Its End The Motor Was Waiting,  And

So Vivid Was The Light That She Saw Silver's Black Figure Bending Down

As He Frantically Strove To Start The Machine. She Travelled At Top

Speed,  Fearful Lest The Man Should Escape Without Her.

 

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 198

Then Came An Onrush Of Romany,  Attracted To The Glade By The Fire. They

Guessed From Miss Greeby's Haste That Something Was Seriously Wrong And

Tried To Stop Her. But,  Delivering Blows Straight From The Shoulder,

Here,  There,  And Everywhere,  The Woman Managed To Break Through,  And

Finally Reached The End Of The Pathway. Here Was The Motor And Safety,

Since She Hoped To Make A Dash For The Nearest Seaport And Get Out Of

The Kingdom Before The Police Authorities Could Act.

 

But The Stars In Their Course Fought Against Her. Silver,  Having Started

The Machinery,  Was Already Handling The Steering Gear,  And Bent Only

Upon Saving His Own Miserable Self,  Had Put The Car In Motion. He Could

Only Drive In A Slip-Slop Amateur Way And Aimlessly Zigzagged Down The

Sloping Bank Which Fell Away To The High Road. As The Motor Began To

Gather Speed Miss Greeby Ran For Her Life And Liberty,  Ranging At Length

Breathlessly Alongside. The Gypsies Tailed Behind,  Shouting.

 

"Stop,  You Beast!" Screamed Miss Greeby,  Feeling Fear For The First

Time,  And She Tried To Grab The Car For The Purpose Of Swinging Herself

On Board.

 

But Silver Urged It To Greater Speed. "I Save Myself; Myself," He

Shrieked Shrilly And Unhinged By Deadly Terror,  "Get Away; Get Away."

 

In His Panic He Twisted The Wheel In The Wrong Direction,  And The Big

Machine Swerved Obediently. The Next Moment Miss Greeby Was Knocked

Down And Writhed Under The Wheels. She Uttered A Tragic Cry,  But Little

Silver Cared For That. Rendered Merciless With Fear He Sent The Car

Right Over Her Body,  And Then Drove Desperately Down The Hill To Gain

The Hard Road. Miss Greeby,  With A Broken Back,  Lay On The Ground And

Saw As In A Ghastly Dream Her Machine Flash Roaring Along The Highway

Driven By A Man Who Could Not Manage It. Even In Her Pain A Smile Crept

Over Her Pale Face.

 

"He's Done For,  The Little Beast," She Muttered,  "He'll Smash. Lambert!

Lambert!" The Man Whose Name She Breathed Had Arrived As She Spoke; And

Knelt Breathlessly Beside Her To Raise Her Head. "You--You--Oh,  Poor

Creature!" He Gasped.

 

"I'm Done For,  Lambert," She Panted In Deadly Pain,  "Back Broken. I

Sinned For You,  But--But You Can't Hang Me. Look--Look After

Garvington--Cockleshell Too--Look--Look--Augh!" And She Moaned.

 

"Where Are They?"

 

"In--In--The--Cottage," Murmured The Woman,  And Fell Back In A Fainting

Condition With A Would-Be Sneering Laugh.

 

Lambert Started To His Feet With An Oath,  And Leaving The Wretched Woman

To The Care Of Some Gypsies,  Ran Back To The Glade. The Cottage Was A

Mass Of Streaming,  Crackling Flames,  And There Was No Water To

Extinguish These,  As He Realized With Sudden Fear. It Was Terrible To

Think That The Old Woman And Garvington Were Burning In That Furnace,

And Desperately Anxious To Save At Least One Of The Two,  Lambert Tried

To Enter The Door. But The Heat Of The Fire Drove Him Back,  And The