pgw.uneasymoney-第27章

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　any　rate。　Thank　you。　At　least；　we　know　now　in　which　direction　it　went。'
　There　was　a　pause。　Bill　gathered　that　the　other　was　looking　on　the　interview　as　terminated；　and　that　she　was　expecting　him　to　go；　and　he　had　not　begun　to　say　what　he　wanted　to　say。　He　tried　to　think　of　a　way　of　introducing　the　subject　of　Claire　that　should　not　seem　too　abrupt。
　'Er'　he　said。
　'Well？'　said　Lady　Wetherby；　simultaneously。
　'I　beg　your　pardon。'
　'You　have　the　floor；'　said　Lady　Wetherby。　'Shoot！'
　It　was　not　what　she　had　intended　to　say。　For　months　she　had　been　trying　to　get　out　of　the　habit　of　saying　that　sort　of　thing；　but　she　still　suffered　relapses。　Only　the　other　day　she　had　told　Wrench　to　check　some　domestic　problem　or　other　with　his　hat；　and　he　had　nearly　given　notice。　But　if　she　had　been　intending　to　put　Bill　at　his　ease　she　could　not　have　said　anything　better。
　'You　have　a　Miss　Fenwick　staying　with　you；　haven't　you？'　he　said。
　Lady　Wetherby　beamed。
　'Do　you　know　Claire？'
　'Yes；　rather！'
　'She's　my　best　friend。　We　used　to　be　in　the　same　pany　when　I　was　in　England。'
　'So　she　has　told　me。'
　'She　was　my　bridesmaid　when　I　married　Lord　Wetherby。'
　'Yes。'
　Lady　Wetherby　was　feeling　perfectly　happy　now；　and　when　Lady　Wetherby　felt　happy　she　always　became　garrulous。　She　was　one　of　those　people　who　are　incapable　of　looking　on　anybody　as　a　stranger　after　five　minutes'　acquaintance。　Already　she　had　begun　to　regard　Bill　as　an　old　friend。
　'Those　were　great　days；'　she　said；　cheerfully。　'None　of　us　had　a　bean；　and　Algie　was　the　hardest　up　of　the　whole　bunch。　After　we　were　married　we　went　to　the　Savoy　for　the　wedding…breakfast；　and　when　it　was　over　and　the　waiter　came　with　the　check；　Algie　said　he　was　sorry；　but　he　had　had　a　bad　week　at　Lincoln　and　hadn't　the　price　on　him。　He　tried　to　touch　me；　but　I　passed。　Then　he　had　a　go　at　the　best　man；　but　the　best　man　had　nothing　in　the　world　but　one　suit　of　clothes　and　a　spare　collar。　Claire　was　broke；　too；　so　the　end　of　it　was　that　the　best　man　had　to　sneak　out　and　pawn　my　watch　and　the　wedding…ring。'
　The　room　rang　with　her　reminiscent　laughter；　Bill　supplying　a　bass　acpaniment。　Bill　was　delighted。　He　had　never　hoped　that　it　would　be　granted　to　him　to　bee　so　rapidly　intimate　with　Claire's　hostess。　Why；　he　had　only　to　keep　the　conversation　in　this　chummy　vein　for　a　little　while　longer　and　she　would　give　him　the　run　of　the　house。
　'Miss　Fenwick　isn't　in　now；　I　suppose？'　he　asked。
　'No；　Claire's　out　with　Dudley　Pickering。　You　don't　know　him；　do　you？'
　'No。'
　'She's　engaged　to　him。'
　It　is　an　ironical　fact　that　Lady　Wetherby　was　by　nature　one　of　the　firmest　believers　in　existence　in　the　policy　of　breaking　things　gently　to　people。　She　had　a　big；　soft　heart；　and　she　hated　hurting　her　fellows。　As　a　rule；　when　she　had　bad　news　to　impart　to　any　one　she　administered　the　blow　so　gradually　and　with　such　mystery　as　to　the　actual　facts　that　the　victim；　having　passed　through　the　various　stages　of　imagined　horrors；　was　genuinely　relieved；　when　she　actually　came　to　the　point；　to　find　that　all　that　had　happened　was　that　he　had　lost　all　his　money。　But　now　in　perfect　innocence；　thinking　only　to　pass　along　an　interesting　bit　of　information；　she　had　crushed　Bill　as　effectively　as　if　she　had　used　a　club　for　that　purpose。
　'I'm　tickled　to　death　about　it；'　she　went　on；　as　it　were　over　her　hearer's　prostrate　body。　It　was　I　who　brought　them　together；　you　know。　I　wrote　telling　Claire　to　e　out　here　on　the　_Atlantic；_　knowing　that　Dudley　was　sailing　on　that　boat。　I　had　an　idea　they　would　hit　it　off　together。　Dudley　fell　for　her　right　away；　and　she　must　have　fallen　for　him；　for　they　had　only　known　each　other　for　a　few　weeks　when　they　came　and　told　me　they　were　engaged。　It　happened　last　Sunday。'
　'Last　Sunday！'
　It　had　seemed　to　Bill　a　moment　before　that　he　would　never　again　be　capable　of　speech；　but　this　statement　dragged　the　words　out　of　him。　Last　Sunday！　Why；　it　was　last　Sunday　that　Claire　had　broken　off　her　engagement　with　him！
　'Last　Sunday　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　with　a　full　moon　shining　and　soft　music　going　on　off…stage。　Real　third…act　stuff。'
　Bill　felt　positively　dizzy。　He　groped　back　in　his　memory　for　facts。　He　had　gone　out　for　his　walk　after　dinner。　They　had　dined　at　eight。　He　had　been　walking　some　time。　Why；　in　Heaven's　name；　this　was　the　quickest　thing　in　the　amatory　annals　of　civilization！　His　brain　was　too　numbed　to　work　out　a　perfectly　accurate　schedule；　but　it　looked　as　if　she　must　have　got　engaged　to　this　Pickering　person　before　she　met　him；　Bill；　in　the　road　that　night。
　'It's　a　wonderful　match　for　dear　old　Claire；'　resumed　Lady　Wetherby；　twisting　the　knife　in　the　wound　with　a　happy　unconsciousness。　'Dudley's　not　only　a　corking　good　fellow；　but　he　has　thirty　million　dollars　stuffed　away　in　the　stocking　and　a　business　that　brings　him　in　a　perfectly　awful　mess　of　money　every　year。　He's　the　Pickering　of　the　Pickering　automobiles；　you　know。'
　Bill　got　up。　He　stood　for　a　moment　holding　to　the　back　of　his　chair　before　speaking。　It　was　almost　exactly　thus　that　he　had　felt　in　the　days　when　he　had　gone　in　for　boxing　and　had　stopped　forceful　swings　with　the　more　sensitive　portions　of　his　person。
　'Thatthat's　splendid！'　he　said。　'II　think　I'll　be　going。'
　'I　heard　the　car　outside　just　now；'　said　Lady　Wetherby。　'I　think　it's　probably　Claire　and　Dudley　e　back。　Won't　you　wait　and　see　her？'
　Bill　shook　his　head。
　'Well；　good…bye　for　the　present；　then。　You　must　e　round　again。　Any　friend　of　Claire'sand　it　was　bully　of　you　to　bother　about　looking　in　to　tell　of　Eustace。'
　Bill　had　reached　the　door。　He　was　about　to　turn　the　handle　when　someone　turned　it　on　the　other　side。
　'Why；　here　is　Dudley；'　said　Lady　Wetherby。　'Dudley；　this　is　a　friend　of　Claire's。'
　Dudley　Pickering　was　one　of　those　men　who　take　the　ceremony　of　introduction　with　a　measured　solemnity。　It　was　his　practice　to　grasp　the　party　of　the　second　part　firmly　by　the　hand；　hold　it；　look　into　his　eyes　in　a　reverent　manner；　and　get　off　some　little　speech　of　appreciation；　short　but　full　of　feeling。　The　opening　part　of　this　ceremony　he　performed　now。　He　grasped　Bill's　hand　firmly；　held　it；　and　looked　into　his　eyes。　And　then；　having　performed　his　business；　he　fell　down　on　his　lines。　Not　a　word　proceeded　from　him。　He　dropped　the　hand　and　stared　at　Bill　amazedly　andmore　than　thatwith　fear。
　Bill；　too；　uttered　no　word。　It　was　not　one　of　those　chatty　meetings。
　But　if　they　were　short　on　words；　both　Bill　and　Mr　Pickering　were　long　on　looks。　Bill　stared　at　Mr　Pickering。　Mr　Pickering　stared　at　Bill。
　Bill　was　drinking　in　Mr　Pickering。　The　stoutness　of　Mr　Pickeringthe　orderliness　of　Mr　Pickeringthe　dullness　of　Mr　Pickeringall　these　things　he　perceived。　And　illumination　broke　upon　him。
　Mr　Pickering　was　drinking　in　Bill。　The　largeness　of　Billthe　embarrassment　of　Billthe　obvious　villainy　of　Billnone　of　these　things　escaped　his　notice。　And　illumination　broke　upon　him　also。
　For　Dudley　Pickering；　in　the　first　moment　of　their　meeting；　had　recognized　Bill　as　the　man　who　had　been　lurking　in　the　grounds　and　peering　in　at　the　window；　the　man　at　whom　on　the　night　when　he　had　bee　engaged　to　Claire　he　had　shouted　'Hi！'
　'Where's　Claire；　Dudley？'　asked　Lady　Wetherby。
　Mr　Pickering　withdrew　his　gaze　reluctantly　from　Bill。
　'Gone　upstairs。'
　I'll　go　and　tell　her　that　you're　here；　MrYou　never　told　me　your　name。'
　Bill　came　to　life　with　an　almost　acrobatic　abruptness。　There　were　many　things　of　which　at　that　moment　he　felt　absolutely　incapable；　and　meeting　Claire　was　one　of　them。
　'No；　I　must　be　going；'　he　said；　hurriedly。　'Good…bye。'
　He　came　very　near　running　out　of　the　room。　Lady　Wetherby　regarded　the　practically　slammed　door　with　wide　eyes。
　'Quick　exit　of　Nut　edian！'　she　said。　'Whatever　was　the　matter　with　the　man？　He's　scorched　a　trail　in　the　carpet。'
　Mr　Pickering　was　trembling　violently。
　'Do　you　know　who　that　was？　He　was　the　man！'　said　Mr　Pickering。
　'What　man？'
　'The　man　I　caught　looking　in　at　the　window　that　night！'
　'What　nonsense！　You　must　be　mistaken。　He　said　he　knew　Claire　quite　well。'
　'But　when　you　suggested　that　he　should　meet　her　he　ran。'
　This　aspect　of　the　matter　had　not　occurre