The First R. Austin Freeman MEGAPACK ®. R. Austin Freeman

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ is excessively good of you—” I began.

      “Not at all. When shall we bring it? Would you like to have it this evening?”

      “We should very much,” I replied. “My colleague could then examine it and decide what is to be done with it. But it is giving you so much trouble.”

      “It is nothing of the kind,” said Miss Gibson. “You would not mind coming with me this evening, would you, aunt?”

      “Certainly not, my dear,” replied Mrs. Hornby, and she was about to enlarge on the subject when Miss Gibson rose and, looking at her watch, declared that she must start on her errand at once. I also rose to make my adieux, and she then remarked—

      “If you are walking in the same direction as I am, Dr. Jervis, we might arrange the time of our proposed visit as we go along.”

      I was not slow to avail myself of this invitation, and a few seconds later we left the house together, leaving Mrs. Hornby smiling fatuously after us from the open door.

      “Will eight o’clock suit you, do you think?” Miss Gibson asked, as we walked up the street.

      “It will do excellently, I should say,” I answered. “If anything should render the meeting impossible I will send you a telegram. I could wish that you were coming alone, as ours is to be a business conference.”

      Miss Gibson laughed softly—and a very pleasant and mu­sical laugh it was.

      “Yes,” she agreed. “Dear Mrs. Hornby is a little diffuse and difficult to keep to one subject; but you must be indulgent to her little failings; you would be if you had experienced such kindness and generosity from her as I have.”

      “I am sure I should,” I rejoined; “in fact, I am. After all, a little diffuseness of speech and haziness of ideas are no great faults in a generous and amiable woman of her age.”

      Miss Gibson rewarded me for these highly correct sentiments with a little smile of approval, and we walked on for some time in silence. Presently she turned to me with some suddenness and a very earnest expression, and said—

      “I want to ask you a question, Dr. Jervis, and please forgive me if I beg you to put aside your professional reserve just a little in my favour. I want you to tell me if you think Dr. Thorndyke has any kind of hope or expectation of being able to save poor Reuben from the dreadful peril that threatens him.”

      This was a rather pointed question, and I took some time to consider it before replying.

      “I should like,” I replied at length, “to tell you as much as my duty to my colleague will allow me to; but that is so little that it is hardly worth telling. However, I may say this without breaking any confidence: Dr. Thorndyke has undertaken the case and is working hard at it, and he would, most assuredly, have done neither the one nor the other if he had considered it a hopeless one.”

      “That is a very encouraging view of the matter,” said she, “which, had, however, already occurred to me. May I ask if anything came of your visit to Scotland Yard? Oh, please don’t think me encroaching; I am so terribly anxious and troubled.”

      “I can tell you very little about the results of our expedition, for I know very little; but I have an idea that Dr. Thorndyke is not dissatisfied with his morning’s work. He certainly picked up some facts, though I have no idea of their nature, and as soon as we reached home he developed a sudden desire to examine the ‘Thumbo­graph.’”

      “Thank you, Dr. Jervis,” she said gratefully. “You have cheered me more than I can tell you, and I won’t ask you any more questions. Are you sure I am not bringing you out of the way?”

      “Not at all,” I answered hastily. “The fact is, I had hoped to have a little chat with you when we had disposed of the ‘Thumbo­graph,’ so I can regard myself as combining a little business with a great deal of pleasure if I am allowed to accompany you.”

      She gave me a little ironical bow as she inquired—

      “And, in short, I may take it that I am to be pumped?”

      “Come, now,” I retorted. “You have been plying the pump handle pretty vigorously yourself. But that is not my meaning at all. You see, we are absolute strangers to all the parties concerned in this case, which, of course, makes for an impartial estimate of their characters. But, after all, knowledge is more useful to us than impartiality. There is our client, for instance. He impressed us both very favourably, I think; but he might have been a plausible rascal with the blackest of records. Then you come and tell us that he is a gentleman of stainless character and we are at once on firmer ground.”

      “I see,” said Miss Gibson thoughtfully; “and suppose that I or some one else had told you things that seemed to reflect on his character. Would they have influenced you in your attitude to­wards him?”

      “Only in this,” I replied; “that we should have made it our business to inquire into the truth of those reports and ascertain their origin.”

      “That is what one should always do, I suppose,” said she, still with an air of deep thoughtfulness which encouraged me to in­quire—

      “May I ask if anyone to your knowledge has ever said anything to Mr. Reuben’s disadvantage?”

      She pondered for some time before replying, and kept her eyes bent pensively on the ground. At length she said, not without some hesitation of manner—

      “It is a small thing and quite without any bearing on this affair. But it has been a great trouble to me since it has to some extent put a barrier between Reuben and me; and we used to be such close friends. And I have blamed myself for letting it influence me—perhaps unjustly—in my opinion of him. I will tell you about it, though I expect you will think me very foolish.

      “You must know, then, that Reuben and I used, until about six months ago, to be very much together, though we were only friends, you understand. But we were on the footing of relatives, so there was nothing out of the way in it. Reuben is a keen student of ancient and mediaeval art, in which I also am much interested, so we used to visit the museums and galleries together and get a great deal of pleasure from comparing our views and impressions of what we saw.

      “About six months ago, Walter took me aside one day and, with a very serious face, asked me if there was any kind of understanding between Reuben and me. I thought it rather impertinent of him, but nevertheless, I told him the truth, that Reuben and I were just friends and nothing more.

      “‘If that is the case,’ said he, looking mighty grave, ‘I would advise you not to be seen about with him quite so much.’

      “‘And why not?’ I asked very naturally.

      “‘Why, the fact is,’ said Walter, ‘that Reuben is a confounded fool. He has been chattering to the men at the club and seems to have given them the impression that a young lady of means and position has been setting her cap at him very hard, but that he, being a high-souled philosopher above the temptations that beset ordinary mortals, is superior both to her blandishments and her pecuniary attractions. I give you the hint for your own guidance,’ he continued, ‘and I expect this to go no farther. You mustn’t be annoyed with Reuben. The best of young men will often behave like prigs and donkeys, and I have no doubt the fellows have grossly exaggerated what he said; but I thought it right to put you on your guard.’

СКАЧАТЬ