Elster's Folly by Mrs. Henry Wood (buy e reader .TXT) 📕

For Once There Was A Quarrel,  Sharp And Loud,  Between The Brothers. It

Did Not Last Long; In Its Very Midst They Parted; Throwing Cutting Words

One At The Other. Lord Hartledon Quitted The Room,  To Join His Guests;

Val Elster Strode Outside The Window To Cool His Brain.

But Now,  Look At The Obstinate Pride Of Those Two Foolish Men! They Were

Angry With Each Other In Temper,  But Not In Heart. In Percival Elster's

Conscience There Was An Underlying Conviction That His Brother Had Acted

Only In Thoughtless Impulse When He Carried The Misfortune To The

Rectory; Whilst Lord Hartledon Was Even Then Full Of Plans For Serving

Val,  And Considered He Had More Need To Help Him Than Ever. A Day Or Two

Given To The Indulgence Of Their Anger,  And They Would Be Firmer Friends

Than Ever.

The Large French Window Of The Dining-Room,  Opening To The Ground,  Was

Flung Back By Val Elster; And He Stepped Forth Into The Cool Night,  Which

Was Beautifully Fine. The Room Looked Towards The River. The Velvet Lawn,

Wet With The Day's Rain,  Lay Calm And Silent Under The Bright Stars; The

Flowers,  Clustering Around Far And Wide,  Gave Out Their Sweet And Heavy

Night Perfume. Not An Instant Had He Been Outside When He Became

Conscious That Some Figure Was Gliding Towards Him--Was Almost Close To

Him; And He Recognised Mr. Pike. Yes,  That Worthy Gentleman Appeared To

Be Only Then Arriving On His Evening Visit: In Point Of Fact,  He Had Been

Glued Ear And Eye To The Window During The Quarrel.

"What Do You Want?" Demanded Mr. Elster.

"Well,  I Came Up Here Hoping To Get A Word With You,  Sir," Replied The

Man In His Rough,  Abrupt Manner,  More In Character With His Appearance

And Lawless Reputation Than With His Accent And Unmistakable

Intelligence. "There Was A Nasty Accident A Few Hours Ago: That Shark

Came Across His Lordship."

"I Know He Did," Savagely Spoke Val. "The Result Of Your Informing Him

That I Was Lord Hartledon."

"I Did It For The Best,  Mr. Elster. He'd Have Nabbed You That Very Time,

But For My Putting Him Off The Scent As I Did."

"Yes,  Yes,  I Am Aware You Did It For The Best,  And I Suppose It Turned

Out To Be So," Quickly Replied Val,  Some Of His Native Kindliness

Resuming Its Sway. "It's An Unfortunate Affair Altogether,  And That's

The Best That Can Be Said Of It."

"What I Came Up Here For Was To Tell You He Was Gone."

"Who Is Gone?"

"The Shark."

"Gone!"

"He Went Off By The Seven Train. Lord Hartledon Told Him He'd Communicate

With His Principals And See That The Affair Was Arranged. It Satisfied

The Man,  And He Went Away By The Next Train--Which Happened To Be The

Seven-O'clock One."

"How Do You Know This?" Asked Mr. Elster.

"This Way," Was The Answer. "I Was Hovering About Outside That Shed Of

Mine,  And I Saw The Encounter At The Parson's Gate--For That's Where It

Took Place. The First Thing The Fellow Did When It Was All Over Was To

Bolt Across The Road,  And Accuse Me Of Purposely Misleading Him. 'Not A

Bit Of It,' Said I; 'If I Did Mislead You,  It Was Unintentional,  For I

Took The One Who Came Over The Bridge On Saturday To Be Lord Hartledon,

Safe As Eggs. But They Have Been Down Here Only A Week,' I Went On,  'And

I Suppose I Don't Know 'Em Apart Yet.' I Can't Say Whether He Believed

Me; I Think He Did; He's A Soft Sort Of Chap. It Was All Right,  He Said:

The Earl Had Passed His Word To Him That It Should Be Made So Without His

Arresting Mr. Elster,  And He Was Off To London At Once."

"And He Has Gone?"

Mr. Pike Nodded Significantly. "I Watched Him Go; Dodged Him Up To The

Station And Saw Him Off."

Then This One Danger Was Over! Val Might Breathe Freely Again.

"And I Thought You Would Like To Know The Coast Was Clear; So I Came Up

To Tell You," Concluded Pike.

"Thank You For Your Trouble," Said Mr. Elster. "I Shall Not Forget It."

"You'll Remember It,  Perhaps,  If A Question Arises Touching That Shed,"

Spoke The Man. "I May Need A Word Sometime With Lord Hartledon."

"I'll Remember It,  Pike. Here,  Wait A Moment. Is Thomas Pike Your Real

Name?"

"Well,  I Conclude It Is. Pike Was The Name Of My Father And Mother. As To

Thomas--Not Knowing Where I Was Christened,  I Can't Go And Look At The

Register; But They Never Called Me Anything But Tom. Did You Wish To Know

Particularly?"

There Was A Tone Of Mockery In The Man's Answer,  Not Altogether

Acceptable To His Hearer; And He Let Him Go Without Further Hindrance.

But The Man Turned Back In An Instant Of His Own Accord.

"I Dare Say You Are Wanting To Know Why I Did You This Little Turn,  Mr.

Elster. I Have Been Caught In Corners Myself Before Now; And If I Can

Help Anybody To Get Out Of Them Without Trouble To Myself,  I'm Willing To

Do It. And To Circumvent These Law-Sharks Comes Home To My Spirit As

Wholesome Refreshment."

Mr. Pike Finally Departed. He Took The Lonely Way,  And Only Struck Into

The High-Road Opposite His Own Domicile,  The Shed. Passing Round It,  He

Hovered At Its Rude Door--The One He Had Himself Made,  Along With The

Ruder Window--And Then,  Treading Softly,  He Stepped To The Low Stile In

The Hedge,  Which Had For Years Made The Boundary Between The Waste Land

On Which The Shed Stood And Clerk Gum's Garden. Here He Halted A Minute,

Looking All Ways. Then He Stepped Over The Stile,  Crouched Down Amongst

Mr. Gum's Cabbages,  Got Under Shelter Of The Hedge,  And So Stole Onwards,

Until He Came To An Anchor At The Kitchen-Window,  And Laid His Ear To The

Shutter,  Just As It Had Recently Been Laid Against The Glass In The

Dining-Room Of My Lord Hartledon.

That He Had A Propensity For Prying Into The Private Affairs Of His

Neighbours Near And Distant,  There Could Be Little Doubt About. Mr. Pike,

However,  Was Not Destined On This One Occasion To Reap Any Substantial

Reward. The Kitchen Appeared To Be Wrapped In Perfect Silence. Satisfying

Himself As To This,  He Next Took Off His Heavy Shoes,  Stole Past The Back

Door,  And So Round The Clerk's House To The Front. Very Softly Indeed

Went He,  Creeping By The Wall,  And Emerging At Last Round The Angle,  By

The Window Of The Best Parlour. Here,  Most Excessively To Mr. Pike's

Consternation,  He Came Upon A Lady Doing Exactly What He Had Come To

Do--Namely,  Stealthily Listening At The Window To Anything There Might Be

To Hear Inside.

The Shrill Scream She Gave When She Found Her Face In Contact With The

Wild Intruder,  Might Have Been Heard Over At Dr. Ashton's. Clerk Gum,  Who

Had Been Quietly Writing In His Office,  Came Out In Haste,  And Recognized

Mrs. Jones,  The Wife Of The Surly Porter At The Station,  And Step-Mother

To The Troublesome Young Servant,  Rebecca. Pike Had Totally Disappeared.

Mrs. Jones,  Partly Through Fright,  Partly In Anger Arising From A

Long-Standing Grievance,  Avowed The Truth Boldly: She Had Been Listening

At The Parlour-Shutters Ever Since She Went Out Of The House Ten Minutes

Ago,  And Had Been Set Upon By That Wolf Pike.

"Set Upon!" Exclaimed The Clerk,  Looking Swiftly In All Directions For

The Offender.

"I Don't Know What Else You Can Call It,  When A Highway Robber--A

Murderer,  If All Tales Be True--Steals Round Upon You Without Warning,

And Glares His Eyes Into Yours," Shrieked Mrs. Jones Wrathfully. "And If

He Wasn't Barefoot,  Gum,  My Eyes Strangely Deceived Me. I'd Have You And

Nancy Take Care Of Your Throats."

She Turned Into The House,  To The Best Parlour,  Where The Clerk's Wife

Was Sitting With A Visitor,  Mirrable. Mrs. Gum,  When She Found What The

Commotion Had Been About,  Gave A Sharp Cry Of Terror,  And Shook From Head

To Foot.

"On Our Premises! Close To Our House! That Dreadful Man! Oh,  Lydia,  Don't

You Think You Were Mistaken?"

"Mistaken!" Retorted Mrs. Jones. "That Wild Face Isn't One To Be

Mistaken: I Should Like To See Its Fellow In Calne. Why Lord Hartledon

Don't Have Him Taken Up On Suspicion Of That Murder,  Is Odd To Me."

"You'd Better Hold Your Tongue About That Suspicion," Interposed

Mirrable. "I Have Cautioned You Before,  _I_ Shouldn't Like To Breathe

A Word Against A Desperate Man; I Should Go About In Fear That He Might

Hear Of It,  And Revenge Himself."

In Came The Clerk. "I Don't See A Sign Of Any One About," He Said; "And

I'm Sure Whoever It Was Could Not Have Had Time To Get Away. You Must

Have Been Mistaken,  Mrs. Jones."

"Mistaken In What,  Pray?"

"That Any Man Was There. You Got Confused,  And Fancied It,  Perhaps. As To

Pike,  He'd Never Dare Come On My Premises,  Whether By Night Or Day. What

Were You Doing At The Window?"

"Listening," Defiantly Replied Mrs. Jones. "And Now I'll Just Tell Out

What I've Had In My Head This Long While,  Mr. Gum,  And Know The Reason Of

Nancy's Slighting Me In The Way She Does. What Secret Has She And Mary

Mirrable Got Between Them?"

"Secret?" Repeated The Clerk,  Whilst His Wife Gave A Faint Cry,  And

Mirrable Turned Her Calm Face On Mrs. Jones. "Have They A Secret?"

"Yes,  They Have," Raved Mrs. Jones,  Giving Vent To Her Long Pent-Up

Emotion. "If They Haven't,  I'm Blind And Deaf. If I Have Come Into Your

House Once During The Past Year And Found Mrs. Mirrable In It,  And The

Two Sitting And Whispering,  I've Come Ten Times. This Evening I Came In

At Dusk; I Turned The Handle Of The Door And Peeped Into The Best

Parlour,  And There They Were,  Nose And Knees Together,  Starting Away

From Each Other As Soon As They Saw Me,  Nance Giving One Of Her Faint

Cries,  And The Two Making Believe To Have Been Talking Of The Weather.

It's Always So. And I Want To Know What Secret They Have Got Hold Of,  And

Whether I'm Poison,  That I Can't Be Trusted With It."

Jabez Gum Slowly Turned His Eyes On The Two In Question. His Wife Lifted

Her Hands In Deprecation At The Idea That She Should Have A Secret:

Mirrable Was Laughing.

"Nancy's Secret To-Night,  When You Interrupted Us,  Was Telling Me Of A

Dream She Had Regarding Lord Hartledon,  And Of How She Mistook Mr. Elster

For Him The Morning He Came Down," Cried The Latter. "And If You Have

Really Been Listening At The Shutters Since You Went Out,  Mrs. Jones,  You

Should By This Time Know How To Pickle Walnuts In The New Way: For I

Declare That Is All Our Conversation Has Been About Since. You Always

Were Suspicious,  You Know,  And You Always Will Be."

"Look Here,  Mrs. Jones," Said The Clerk,  Decisively; "I Don't Choose To

Have My Shutters Listened At: It Might Give The House A Bad Name,  For

Quarrelling,  Or Something Of That Sort. So I'll Trouble You Not To Repeat

What You Have Done To-Night,  Or I Shall Forbid Your Coming Here. A

Secret,  Indeed!"

"Yes,  A Secret!" Persisted Mrs. Jones. "And If I Don't Come At What It Is

One Of These Days,  My Name's Not Lydia Jones. And I'll Tell You Why. It

Strikes Me--I May Be Wrong--But It Strikes Me It Concerns Me And My

Husband And My Household,  Which Some Folks Are Ever Ready To Interfere

With. I'll Take Myself Off Now; And I Would Recommend You,  As A Parting

Warning,  To Denounce Pike To The Police For An Attempt At Housebreaking,

Before You're Both Murdered In Your Bed. That'll Be The End On't."

She Went Away,  And Clerk Gum Wished He Could Denounce _Her_ To The

Police. Mirrable Laughed Again; And Mrs. Gum,  Cowardly And Timid,  Fell

Back In Her Chair As One Seized With Ague.

Beyond Giving An Occasional Dole To Mrs. Jones For Her Children--And

To Tell The Truth,  She Clothed Them All,  Or They Would Have Gone In

Rags--Mirrable Had Shaken Her Cousin Off Long Ago: Which Of Course Did

Not Tend To Soothe The Naturally Jealous Spirit Of Mrs. Jones. At

Hartledon House She Was Not Welcomed,  And Could Not Go There; But She

Watched For The Visits Of Mirrable At The Clerk's,  And Was Certain To

Intrude On Those Occasions.

"I'll Find It Out!" She Repeated To Herself,  As She Went Storming Through

The Garden-Gate; "I'll Find It Out. And As To That Poacher,  He'd Better

Bring His Black Face Near Mine Again!"