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

Having Lost A Great Sum Of Money Which Miss Greeby

Entrusted To Him For The Purpose Of Speculation."

 

"And Is It True That Such Money Was Entrusted And Lost?"

 

"Perfectly True,  My Lord. I Saw In That Fact A Chance Of Hiding The Real

Truth. It Would Do No Good To Make The Forged Letter Public And Would

Cast Discredit Both On The Dead And The Living. Therefore All That Has

Been Said Does Not Even Hint At The Trap Laid By Silver. Now That All

Parties Concerned Are Dead And Buried,  No More Will Be Heard Of The

Matter,  And Your Lordship Can Sleep In Peace."

 

The Young Man Walked Up And Down The Room For A Few Minutes While The

Inspector Made Ready To Depart. Noel Was Deeply Touched By The Man's

Consideration And Made Up His Mind That He Should Not Lose By The

Delicacy He Had Shown In Preserving His Name And That Of Agnes From

The Tongue Of Gossips. He Saw Plainly That Darby Was A Man He Could

Thoroughly Trust And Forthwith Did So.

 

"Mr. Inspector," He Said,  Coming Forward To Shake Hands,  "You Have Acted

In A Most Kind And Generous Manner And I Cannot Show My Appreciation Of

Your Behavior More Than By Telling You The Exact Truth Of This Sad

Affair."

 

"I Know The Truth," Said Darby Staring.

 

"Not The Exact Truth,  Which Closely Concerns The Honor Of My Family. But

Chapter 21 (A Final Surprise) Pg 204

As You Have Saved That By Suppressing Certain Evidence It Is Only Right

That You Should Know More Than You Do Know."

 

"I Shall Keep Quiet Anything That You Tell Me,  My Lord," Said Darby

Greatly Pleased; "That Is,  Anything That Is Consistent With My Official

Duty."

 

"Of Course. Also I Wish You To Know Exactly How Matters Stand,  Since

There May Be Trouble With Chaldea."

 

"Oh,  I Don't Think So,  My Lord. Chaldea Has Married That Dwarf."

 

"Kara,  The Servian Gypsy?"

 

"Yes. She's Given Him A Bad Time,  And He Put Up With It Because He Had

No Authority Over Her; But Now That She's His Romi--As These People Call

A Wife--He'll Make Her Dance To His Playing. They Left England Yesterday

For Foreign Parts--Hungary,  I Fancy,  My Lord. The Girl Won't Come Back

In A Hurry,  For Kara Will Keep An Eye On Her."

 

Lambert Drew A Long Breath Of Relief. "I Am Glad," He Said Simply,  "As

I Never Should Have Felt Safe While She Remained In England."

 

"Felt Safe?" Echoed The Officer Suspiciously.

 

His Host Nodded And Told The Man To Take A Seat Again. Then,  Without

Wasting Further Time,  He Related The Real Truth About The Forged Letter.

Darby Listened To The Recital In Amazement And Shook His Head Sadly Over

The Delinquency Of The Late Lord Garvington.

 

"Well! Well!" Said The Inspector Staring,  "To Think As A Nobleman Born

And Bred Should Act In This Way."

 

"Why Shouldn't A Nobleman Be Wicked As Well As The Grocer?" Said Lambert

Impatiently,  "And According To The Socialistic Press All The Evil Of

Humanity Is To Be Found In Aristocratic Circles. However,  You Know The

Exact Truth,  Mr. Inspector,  And I Have Confided To You The Secret Which

Concerns The Honor Of My Family. You Won't Abuse My Confidence."

 

Darby Rose And Extended His Hand. "You May Be Sure Of That,  My Lord.

What You Have Told Me Will Never Be Repeated. Everything In Connection

With This Matter Is Finished,  And You Will Hear No More About It."

 

"I'm Glad And Thankful," Said The Other,  Again Drawing A Breath Of

Relief,  "And To Show My Appreciation Of Your Services,  Darby,  I Shall

Send You A Substantial Check."

 

"Oh,  My Lord,  I Couldn't Take It. I Only Did My Duty."

 

"I Think You Did A Great Deal More Than That," Answered The New Lord

Garvington Dryly,  "And Had You Acted Entirely On The Evidence You

Gathered Together,  And Especially On The Confession Of That Miserable

Woman,  You Might Have Made Public Much That I Would Prefer To Keep

Private. Take The Money From A Friend,  Darby,  And As A Mark Of Esteem

Chapter 21 (A Final Surprise) Pg 205

For A Man."

 

"Thank You,  My Lord," Replied The Inspector Straightly,  "I Don't Deny

But What My Conscience And My Duty To The Government Will Allow Me To

Take It Since You Put It In That Way. And As I Am Not A Rich Man The

Money Will Be Welcome. Thank You!"

 

With A Warm Hand-Shake The Inspector Took His Departure And Noel Offered

Up A Silent Prayer Of Thankfulness To God That Things Had Turned Out So

Admirably. His Shifty Cousin Was Now Dead And There Was No Longer Any

Danger That The Honor Of The Family,  For Which So Much Had Been

Sacrificed,  Both By Himself And Agnes,  Would Be Smirched. The Young Man

Regretted The Death Of Mother Cockleshell,  Who Had Been So Well Disposed

Toward His Wife And Himself,  But He Rejoiced That Chaldea Had Left

England Under The Guardianship Of Kara,  As Henceforth--If He Knew

Anything Of The Dwarf's Jealous Disposition--The Girl Would Trouble Him

No More. And Silver Was Dead And Buried,  Which Did Away With Any

Possible Trouble Coming From That Quarter. Finally,  Poor Miss Greeby,

Who Had Sinned For Love,  Was Out Of The Way And There Was No Need To Be

Anxious On Her Account. Fate Had Made A Clean Sweep Of All The Actors In

The Tragedy,  And Lambert Hoped That This Particular Play Was Ended.

 

When The Inspector Went Away,  Lord Garvington Sought Out His Wife And

His Late Cousin's Widow. To Them He Reported All That Had Passed And

Gave Them The Joyful Assurance That Nothing More Would Be Heard In

Connection With The Late Tragic Events. Both Ladies Were Delighted.

 

"Poor Freddy," Sighed Agnes,  Who Had Quite Forgiven Her Brother Now That

He Had Paid For His Sins,  "He Behaved Very Badly; All The Same He Had

His Good Points,  Noel."

 

"Ah,  He Had,  He Had," Said Lady Garvington,  The Widow,  Shaking Her

Untidy Head,  "He Was Selfish And Greedy,  And Perhaps Not So Thoughtful

As He Might Have Been,  But There Are Worse People Than Poor Freddy."

 

Noel Could Not Help Smiling At This Somewhat Guarded Eulogy Of The Dead,

But Did Not Pursue The Subject. "Well,  Jane,  You Must Not Grieve Too

Much."

 

"No,  I Shall Not," She Admitted Bluntly,  "I Am Going To Be Quiet For A

Few Months And Then Perhaps I May Marry Again. But I Shall Marry A Man

Who Lives On Nuts And Roots,  My Dear Noel. Never Again," She Shuddered,

"Shall I Bother About The Kitchen. I Shall Burn Freddy's Recipes And

Cookery Books."

 

Lady Garvington Evidently Really Felt Relieved By The Death Of Her

Greedy Little Husband,  Although She Tried Her Best To Appear Sorry. But

The Twinkle Of Relief In Her Eyes Betrayed Her,  And Neither Noel Nor

Agnes Could Blame Her. She Had Enough To Live On--Since The New Lord Had

Arranged This In A Most Generous Manner--And She Was Free From The Cares

Of The Kitchen.

 

"So I'll Go To London In A Few Days When I've Packed Up," Said The Widow

Nodding,  "You Two Dears Can Stay Here For Your Second Honeymoon."

Chapter 21 (A Final Surprise) Pg 206

"It Will Be Concerned With Pounds,  Shillings,  And Pence,  Then," Said

Agnes With A Smile,  "For Noel Has To Get The Estate Put In Order.

Things Are Very Bad Just Now,  As I Know For Certain. But We Must Try To

Save The Manor From Going Out Of The Family."

 

It Was At This Moment,  And While The Trio Wondered How The Financial

Condition Of The Lamberts Was To Be Improved,  That A Message Came Saying

That Mr. Jarwin Wished To See Lord And Lady Garvington In The Library.

Wondering What The Lawyer Had Come About,  And Dreading Further Bad News,

The Young Couple Descended,  Leaving The Widow To Her Packing Up. They

Found The Lean,  Dry Solicitor Waiting For Them With A Smiling Face.

 

"Oh!" Said Agnes As She Greeted Him,  "Then It's Not Bad News?"

 

"On The Contrary," Said Jarwin,  With His Cough,  "It Is The Best Of

News."

 

Noel Looked At Him Hard. "The Best Of News To Me At The Present Moment

Would Be Information About Money," He Said Slowly. "I Have A Title,  It

Is True,  But The Estate Is Much Encumbered."

 

"You Need Not Trouble About That,  Lord Garvington; Mrs. Stanley Has Put

All That Right."

 

"What?" Asked Agnes Greatly Agitated. "Has She Made Over The Mortgages

To Noel? Oh,  If She Only Has."

 

"She Has Done Better Than That," Remarked Jarwin,  Producing A Paper Of

No Great Size,  "This Is Her Will. She Wanted To Make A Deed Of Gift,  And

Probably Would Have Done So Had She Lived. But Luckily She Made The

Will And A Hard-And-Fast One It Is--For I Drew It Up Myself," Said Mr.

Jarwin Complacently.

 

"How Does The Will Concern Us?" Asked Agnes,  Catching Noel's Hand With A

Tremor,  For She Could Scarcely Grasp The Hints Of The Lawyer.

 

"Mrs. Stanley,  My Dear Lady,  Had A Great Regard For You Since You Nursed

Her Through A Dangerous Illness. Also You Were,  As She Put It,  A Good

And True Wife To Her Grandson. Therefore,  As She Approved Of You And Of

Your Second Marriage,  She Has Left The Entire Fortune Of Your Late

Husband To You And To Lord Garvington Here."

 

"Never!" Cried Lambert Growing Pale,  While His Wife Gasped With

Astonishment.

 

"It Is True,  And Here Is The Proof," Jarwin Shook The Parchment,  "One

Million To You,  Lord Garvington,  And One Million To Your Wife. Listen,

If You Please," And The Solicitor Read The Document In A Formal Manner

Which Left No Doubt As To The Truth Of His Amazing News. When He

Finished The Lucky Couple Looked At One Another Scarcely Able To Speak.

It Was Agnes Who Recovered Her Voice First.

Chapter 21 (A Final Surprise) Pg 207