the red house mystery-第2节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Mark 〃wrote；〃 though nobody knew what； was a matter of pride in the
housekeeper's room。
〃Not well…dressed enough for the drawing…room； eh？〃
〃I will tell the master you are here； sir；〃 said Audrey decisively。
She closed the door and left him there。
Well！ Here was something to tell auntie！ Her mind was busy at
once； going over all the things which he had said to her and she had said to
him … quiet…like。 〃Directly I saw him I said to myself …〃 Why； you
could have knocked her over with a feather。 Feathers； indeed； were a
perpetual menace to Audrey。
However； the immediate business was to find the master。 She walked
across the hall to the library； glanced in； came back a little uncertainly； and
stood in front of Cayley。
〃If you please； sir；〃 she said in a low； respectful voice； 〃can you tell me
where the master is？ It's Mr。 Robert called。〃
〃What？〃 said Cayley； looking up from his book。 〃Who？〃
Audrey repeated her question。
〃I don't know。 Isn't he in the office？ He went up to the Temple after
lunch。 I don't think I've seen him since。〃
〃Thank you； sir。 I will go up to the Temple。〃
Cayley returned to his book。
The 〃Temple〃 was a brick summer…house； in the gardens at the back of
the house； about three hundred yards away。 Here Mark meditated
sometimes before retiring to the 〃office〃 to put his thoughts upon paper。
The thoughts were not of any great value； moreover； they were given off at
the dinner…table more often than they got on to paper； and got on to paper
more often than they got into print。 But that did not prevent the master of
The Red House from being a little pained when a visitor treated the
Temple carelessly； as if it had been erected for the ordinary purposes of
flirtation and cigarette…smoking。 There had been an occasion when two
of his guests had been found playing fives in it。 Mark had said nothing at
7
The Red House Mystery
the time； save to ask with a little less than his usual point … whether they
couldn't find anywhere else for their game； but the offenders were never
asked to The Red House again。
Audrey walked slowly up to the Temple； looked in and walked slowly
back。 All that walk for nothing。 Perhaps the master was upstairs in his
room。 〃Not well…dressed enough for the drawing…room。〃 Well； now；
Auntie； would you like anyone in your drawing…room with a red
handkerchief round his neck and great big dusty boots； and … listen！ One of
the men shooting rabbits。 Auntie was partial to a nice rabbit； and onion
sauce。 How hot it was； she wouldn't say no to a cup of tea。 Well； one
thing； Mr。 Robert wasn't staying the night； he hadn't any luggage。 Of
course Mr。 Mark could lend him things； he had clothes enough for six。
She would have known him anywhere for Mr。 Mark's brother。
She came into the house。 As she passed the housekeeper's room on
her way to the hall； the door opened suddenly； and a rather frightened face
looked out。
〃Hallo； Aud；〃 said Elsie。 〃It's Audrey；〃 she said； turning into the
room。
〃Come in； Audrey；〃 called Mrs。 Stevens。
〃What's up？〃 said Audrey； looking in at the door。
〃Oh； my dear； you gave me such a turn。 Where have you been？〃
〃Up to the Temple。〃
〃Did you hear anything？〃
〃Hear what？〃
〃Bangs and explosions and terrible things。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Audrey； rather relieved。 〃One of the men shooting rabbits。
Why； I said to myself as I came along； 'Auntie's partial to a nice rabbit；' I
said； and I shouldn't be surprised if …〃
〃Rabbits！〃 said her aunt scornfully。 〃It was inside the house； my
girl。〃
〃Straight it was；〃 said Elsie。 She was one of the housemaids。 〃I
said to Mrs。 Stevens … didn't I； Mrs。 Stevens？ … 'That was in the house；' I
said。〃
Audrey looked at her aunt and then at Elsie。
8
The Red House Mystery
〃Do you think he had a revolver with him？〃 she said in a hushed voice。
〃Who？〃 said Elsie excitedly。
〃That brother of his。 From Australia。 I said as soon as I set eyes on
him； 'You're a bad lot； my man！' That's what I said； Elsie。 Even before he
spoke to me。 Rude！〃 She turned to her aunt。 〃Well； I give you my
word。〃
〃If you remember； Audrey； I always said there was no saying with
anyone from Australia。〃 Mrs。 Stevens lay back in her chair； breathing
rather rapidly。 〃I wouldn't go out of this room now； not if you paid me a
hundred thousand pounds。〃。
〃Oh； Mrs。 Stevens！〃 said Elsie； who badly wanted five shillings for a
new pair of shoes； 〃I wouldn't go as far as that； not myself； but …〃
〃There！〃 cried Mrs。 Stevens； sitting up with a start。 They listened
anxiously； the two girls instinctively coming closer to the older woman's
chair。
A door was being shaken； kicked； rattled。
〃Listen！〃
Audrey and Elsie looked at each other with frightened eyes。
They heard a man's voice； loud； angry。
〃Open the door！〃 it was shouting。 〃Open the door！ I say； open the
door！〃
〃Don't open the door！〃 cried Mrs。 Stevens in a panic； as if it was her
door which was threatened。 〃Audrey！ Elsie！ Don't let him in！〃
〃Damn it； open the door！〃 came the voice again。
〃We're all going to be murdered in our beds；〃 she quavered。 Terrified；
the two girls huddled closer； and with an arm round each； Mrs。 Stevens sat
there； waiting。
9
The Red House Mystery
CHAPTER II
Mr。 Gillingham Gets Out at the Wrong Station
Whether Mark Ablett was a bore or not depended on the point of
view； but it may be said at once that he never bored his company on the
subject of his early life。 However； stories get about。 There is always
somebody who knows。 It was understood … and this； anyhow； on Mark's
own authority … that his father had been a country clergyman。 It was said
that； as a boy； Mark had attracted the notice； and patronage； of some rich
old spinster of the neighbourhood； who had paid for his education； both at
school and university。 At about the time when he was coming down from
Cambridge； his father had died； leaving behind him a few debts； as a
warning to his family； and a reputation for short sermons； as an example to
his successor。 Neither warning nor example seems to have been effective。
Mark went to London； with an allowance from his patron； and （it is
generally agreed） made acquaintance with the money…lenders。 He was
supposed； by his patron and any others who inquired； to be 〃writing〃； but
what he wrote； other than letters asking for more time to pay； has never
been discovered。 However； he attended the theatres and music halls very
regularly … no doubt with a view to some serious articles in the 〃Spectator〃
on the decadence of the English stage。
Fortunately （from Mark's point of view） his patron died during his
third year in London； and left him all the money he wanted。 From that
moment his life loses its legendary character； and becomes more a matter
of history。 He settled accounts with the money…lenders； abandoned his
crop of wild oats to the harvesting of others； and became in his turn a
patron。 He patronized the Arts。 It was not only usurers who discovered
that Mark Ablett no longer wrote for money； editors were now offered free
contributions as well as free lunches； publishers were given agreements
for an occasional slender volume； in which the author paid all expenses
and waived all royalties； promising young painters and poets dined with
him； and he even took a theatrical company on tour； playing host and
〃lead〃 with equal lavishness。
He was not what most people call a snob。 A snob has been defined
10
The Red House Mystery
carelessly as a man who loves a lord； and； more carefully； as a mean lover
of mean things … which would be a little unkind to the peerage if the first
definition were true。 Mark had his vanities undoubtedly； but he would
sooner have met an actor…manager than an earl； he would have spoken of
his friendship with Dante … had that been possible … more glibly than of his
friendship with the Duke。 Call him a snob if you like； but not the worst
kind of snob； a hanger…on； but to the skirts of Art； not Society； a climber；
but in the neighbourhood of Parnassus； not Hay Hill。
His patronage did not stop at the Arts。 It also included Matthew
Cayley； a small cousin of thirteen； whose circumstances were as limited as
had been Mark's own before his patron had rescued him。 He sent the
Cayley cousin to school and Cambridge。 His motives； no doubt； were
unworldly enough at first； a mere repaying to his account in the Recording
Angel's book of the generosity which had been lavished on himself； a
laying…up of treasure in heaven。 But it is probable that； as the boy grew
up； Mark's designs for his future were based on his own interests as much
as those of his cousin； and that a suitably educated Matthew Cayley of
twenty…three was felt by him to be a useful property for a man in his
position； a man； that is to say； whose vanities left him so little time for his
affairs。
Cayley； then； at twenty…three； looked after his cousin's affairs。 By this
time Mark had bought The Red House and the considerable amount of
land which went with it。 Cayley superint
