malvina of brittany-第23章

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satisfactory　client；　and；　Mr。　Tupp　appearing　at　this　point；　our
representative　thanked　Mrs。　Tupp　for　her　information　and　took　his
departure。

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Mr。　Horatius　Condor；　Junior；　who　consented　to　partake　of　luncheon　in
company　with　our　representative　at　the　Holborn　Restaurant；　was　at
first　disinclined　to　be　of　much　assistance；　but　eventually　supplied
our　representative　with　the　following　information：

My　relationship　to　Mr。　Archibald　Quincey；　Harcourt　Buildings；
Temple；　is　perhaps　a　little　difficult　to　define。

How　he　himself　regards　me　I　am　never　quite　sure。　　There　will　be　days
together　when　we　will　be　quite　friendly　like；　and　at　other　times　he
will　be　that　offhanded　and　peremptory　you　might　think　I　was　his
blooming　office　boy。

On　Friday　morning；　the　twenty…eighth；　I　didn't　get　to　Harcourt
Buildings　at　the　usual　time；　knowing　that　Mr。　Quincey　would　not　be
there　himself；　he　having　arranged　to　interview　Mr。　Parable　for　the
Daily　Chronicle　at　ten　o'clock。　　I　allowed　him　half　an　hour；　to　be
quite　safe；　and　he　came　in　at　a　quarter　past　eleven。

He　took　no　notice　of　me。　　For　about　ten　minutesit　may　have　been
lesshe　walked　up　and　down　the　room；　cursing　and　swearing　and
kicking　the　furniture　about。　　He　landed　an　occasional　walnut　table
in　the　middle　of　my　shins；　upon　which　I　took　the　opportunity　of
wishing　him　〃Good　morning；〃　and　he　sort　of　woke　up；　as　you　might
say。

〃How　did　the　interview　go　off？〃　I　says。　　〃Got　anything　interesting？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　says；　〃quite　interesting。　　Oh；　yes；　decidedly
interesting。〃

He　was　holding　himself　in；　if　you　understand；　speaking　with　horrible
slowness　and　deliberation。

〃D'you　know　where　he　was　last　night？〃　he　asks　me。

〃Yes；〃　I　says；　〃Caxton　Hall；　wasn't　it？meeting　to　demand　the
release　of　Miss　Clebb。〃

He　leans　across　the　table　till　his　face　was　within　a　few　inches　of
mine。

〃Guess　again；〃　he　says。

I　wasn't　doing　any　guessing。　　He　had　hurt　me　with　the　walnut　table；
and　I　was　feeling　a　bit　short…tempered。

〃Oh！　don't　make　a　game　of　it；〃　I　says。　　〃It's　too　early　in　the
morning。〃

〃At　the　Earl's　Court　Exhibition；〃　he　says；　〃dancing　the　tango　with　a
lady　that　he　picked　up　in　St。　James's　Park。〃

〃Well；〃　I　says；　〃why　not？　　He　don't　often　get　much　fun。〃　　I　thought
it　best　to　treat　it　lightly。

He　takes　no　notice　of　my　observation。

〃A　rival　comes　upon　the　scene；〃　he　continues〃a　fatheaded　ass；
according　to　my　informationand　they　have　a　stand…up　fight。　　He
gets　run　in　and　spends　the　night　in　a　Vine　Street　police　cell。〃

I　suppose　I　was　grinning　without　knowing　it。

〃Funny；　ain't　it？〃　he　says。

〃Well；〃　I　says；　〃it　has　its　humorous　side；　hasn't　it？　　What'll　he
get？〃

〃I　am　not　worrying　about　what　HE　is　going　to　get；〃　he　answers　back。
〃I　am　worrying　about　what　_I_　am　going　to　get。〃

I　thought　he　had　gone　dotty。

〃What's　it　got　to　do　with　you？〃　I　says。

〃If　old　Wotherspoon　is　in　a　good　humour；〃　he　continues；　〃and　the
constable's　head　has　gone　down　a　bit　between　now　and　Wednesday；　I
may　get　off　with　forty　shillings　and　a　public　reprimand。

〃On　the　other　hand；〃　he　goes　onhe　was　working　himself　into　a　sort
of　fit〃if　the　constable's　head　goes　on　swelling；　and　old
Wotherspoon's　liver　gets　worse；　I've　got　to　be　prepared　for　a　month
without　the　option。　　That　is；　if　I　am　fool　enough〃

He　had　left　both　the　doors　open；　which　in　the　daytime　we　generally
do；　our　chambers　being　at　the　top。　　Miss　Dortonthat's　Mr。
Parable's　secretarybarges　into　the　room。　　She　didn't　seem　to
notice　me。　　She　staggers　to　a　chair　and　bursts　into　tears。

〃He's　gone；〃　she　says；　〃he's　taken　cook　with　him　and　gone。〃

〃Gone！〃　says　the　guv'nor。　　〃Where's　he　gone？〃

〃To　Fingest；〃　she　says　through　her　sobs〃to　the　cottage。　　Miss
Bulstrode　came　in　just　after　you　had　left；〃　she　says。　　〃He　wants　to
get　away　from　everyone　and　have　a　few　days'　quiet。　　And　then　he　is
coming　back；　and　he　is　going　to　do　it　himself。〃

〃Do　what？〃　says　the　guv'nor；　irritable　like。

〃Fourteen　days；〃　she　wails。　　〃It'll　kill　him。〃

〃But　the　case　doesn't　come　on　till　Wednesday；〃　says　the　guv'nor。
〃How　do　you　know　it's　going　to　be　fourteen　days？〃

〃Miss　Bulstrode；〃　she　says；　〃she's　seen　the　magistrate。　　He　says　he
always　gives　fourteen　days　in　cases　of　unprovoked　assault。〃

〃But　it　wasn't　unprovoked；〃　says　the　guv'nor。　　〃The　other　man　began
it　by　knocking　off　his　hat。　　It　was　self…defence。〃

〃She　put　that　to　him；〃　she　says；　〃and　he　agreed　that　that　would
alter　his　view　of　the　case。　　But；　you　see；〃　she　continues；　〃we　can't
find　the　other　man。　　He　isn't　likely　to　come　forward　of　his　own
accord。〃

〃The　girl　must　know；〃　says　the　guv'nor〃this　girl　he　picks　up　in
St。　James's　Park；　and　goes　dancing　with。　　The　man　must　have　been
some　friend　of　hers。〃

〃But　we　can't　find　her　either；〃　she　says。　　〃He　doesn't　even　know　her
namehe　can't　remember　it。〃

〃You　will　do　it；　won't　you？〃　she　says。

〃Do　what？〃　says　the　guv'nor　again。

〃The　fourteen　days；〃　she　says。

〃But　I　thought　you　said　he　was　going　to　do　it　himself？〃　he　says。

〃But　he　mustn't；〃　she　says。　　〃Miss　Bulstrode　is　coming　round　to　see
you。　　Think　of　it！　　Think　of　the　headlines　in　the　papers；〃　she　says。
〃Think　of　the　Fabian　Society。　　Think　of　the　Suffrage　cause。　　We
mustn't　let　him。〃

〃What　about　me？〃　says　the　guv'nor。　　〃Doesn't　anybody　care　for　me？〃

〃You　don't　matter；〃　she　says。　　〃Besides；〃　she　says；　〃with　your
influence　you'll　be　able　to　keep　it　out　of　the　papers。　　If　it　comes
out　that　it　was　Mr。　Parable；　nothing　on　earth　will　be　able　to。〃

The　guv'nor　was　almost　as　much　excited　by　this　time　as　she　was。

〃I'll　see　the　Fabian　Society　and　the　Women's　Vote　and　the　Home　for
Lost　Cats　at　Battersea；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　blessed　bag　of
tricks〃

I'd　been　thinking　to　myself；　and　had　just　worked　it　out。

〃What's　he　want　to　take　his　cook　down　with　him　for？〃　I　says。

〃To　cook　for　him；〃　says　the　guv'nor。　　〃What　d'you　generally　want　a
cook　for？〃

〃Rats！〃　I　says。　　〃Does　he　usually　take　his　cook　with　him？〃

〃No；〃　answered　Miss　Dorton。　　〃Now　I　come　to　think　of　it；　he　has
always　hitherto　put　up　with　Mrs。　Meadows。〃

〃You　will　find　the　lady　down　at　Fingest；〃　I　says；　〃sitting　opposite
him　and　enjoying　a　recherche　dinner　for　two。〃

The　guv'nor　slaps　me　on　the　back；　and　lifts　Miss　Dorton　out　of　her
chair。

〃You　get　on　back；〃　he　says；　〃and　telephone　to　Miss　Bulstrode。　　I'll
be　round　at　half…past　twelve。〃

Miss　Dorton　went　out　in　a　dazed　sort　of　condition；　and　the　guv'nor
gives　me　a　sovereign；　and　tells　me　I　can　have　the　rest　of　the　day　to
myself。


Mr。　Condor；　Junior；　considers　that　what　happened　subsequently　goes
to　prove　that　he　was　right　more　than　it　proves　that　he　was　wrong。

Mr。　Condor；　Junior；　also　promised　to　send　us　a　photograph　of　himself
for　reproduction；　but；　unfortunately；　up　to　the　time　of　going　to
press　it　had　not　arrived。

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From　Mrs。　Meadows；　widow　of　the　late　Corporal　John　Meadows；　V。C。；
Turberville；　Bucks；　the　following　further　particulars　were　obtained
by　our　local　representative：

I　have　done　for　Mr。　Parable　now　for　some　years　past；　my　cottage
being　only　a　mile　off；　which　makes　it　easy　for　me　to　look　after　him。

Mr。　Parable　likes　the　place　to　be　always　ready　so　that　he　can　drop
in　when　he　chooses；　he　sometimes　giving　me　warning　and　sometimes
not。　　It　was　about　the　end　of　last　monthon　a　Friday；　if　I　remember
rightlythat　he　suddenly　turned　up。

As　a　rule；　he　walks　from　Henley　station；　but　on　this　occasion　he
arrived　in　a　fly；　he　having　a　young　woman　with　him；　and　she　having　a
baghis　cook；　as　he　explained　to　me。　　As　a　rule；　I　do　everything
for　Mr。　Parable；　sleeping　in　the　cottage　when　he　is　there；　but　to
tell　the　truth；　I　was　glad　to　see　her。　　I　never　was　much　of　a　cook
myself；　as　my　poor　dead　husband　has　remarked　on　more　than　one
occasion；　and　I　don't　pretend　to　be。　　Mr。　Parable　added；　apologetic
like；　that　he　had　been　suffering　lately　from　indigestion。

〃I　am　only　too　pleased　to　see　her；〃　I　says。　　〃There　are　the　two　beds
in　my　room；　and　we　shan't　quarrel。〃　　She　was　quite　a　sensible　young
woman；　as　I　had　judged　from　the　first　look　at　her；　though　suffering
at　the　time