the red house mystery-第3节

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time　Mark　had　bought　The　Red　House　and　the　considerable　amount　of　
land　which　went　with　it。　Cayley　superintended　the　necessary　staff。　His　
duties；　indeed；　were　many。　He　was　not　quite　secretary；　not　quite　land…
agent；　not　quite　business…adviser；　not　quite　companion；　but　something　of　
all　four。　Mark　leant　upon　him　and　called　him　〃Cay；〃　objecting　quite　
rightly　in　the　circumstances　to　the　name　of　Matthew。　Cay；　he　felt　was；　
above　all；　dependable；　a　big；　heavy…jawed；　solid　fellow；　who　didn't　bother　
you　with　unnecessary　talk　…　a　boon　to　a　man　who　liked　to　do　most　of　the　
talking　himself。　

Cayley　was　now　twenty…eight；　but　had　all　the　appearance　of　forty；　
which　was　his　patron's　age。　Spasmodically　they　entertained　a　good　deal　
at　The　Red　House；　and　Mark's　preference　…　call　it　kindliness　or　vanity；　as　
you　please　…　was　for　guests　who　were　not　in　a　position　to　repay　his　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

hospitality。　Let　us　have　a　look　at　them　as　they　came　down　to　that　
breakfast；　of　which　Stevens；　the　parlourmaid；　has　already　given　us　a　
glimpse。　

The　first　to　appear　was　Major　Rumbold；　a　tall；　grey…haired；　grey…
moustached；　silent　man；　wearing　a　Norfolk　coat　and　grey　flannel　trousers；　
who　lived　on　his　retired　pay　and　wrote　natural　history　articles　for　the　
papers。　He　inspected　the　dishes　on　the　side…table；　decided　carefully　on　
kedgeree；　and　got　to　work　on　it。　He　had　passed　on　to　a　sausage　by　the　
time　of　the　next　arrival。　This　was　Bill　Beverly；　a　cheerful　young　man　in　
white　flannel　trousers　and　a　blazer。　

〃Hallo；　Major；〃　he　said　as　he　came　in；　〃how's　the　gout？〃　

〃It　isn't　gout；〃　said　the　Major　gruffly。　

〃Well；　whatever　it　is。〃　

The　Major　grunted。　

〃I　make　a　point　of　being　polite　at　breakfast；〃　said　Bill；　helping　himself　
largely　to　porridge。　〃Most　people　are　so　rude。　That's　why　I　asked　you。　
But　don't　tell　me　if　it's　a　secret。　Coffee？〃　he　added；　as　he　poured　himself　
out　a　cup。　

〃No；　thanks。　I　never　drink　till　I've　finished　eating。〃　

〃Quite　right；　Major；　it's　only　manners。〃　He　sat　down　opposite　to　the　
other。　〃Well；　we've　got　a　good　day　for　our　game。　It's　going　to　be　
dashed　hot；　but　that's　where　Betty　and　I　score。　On　the　fifth　green；　your　
old　wound；　the　one　you　got　in　that　frontier　skirmish　in　'43；　will　begin　to　
trouble　you；　on　the　eighth；　your　liver；　undermined　by　years　of　curry；　will　
drop　to　pieces；　on　the　twelfth…〃　

〃Oh；　shut　up；　you　ass！〃　

〃Well；　I'm　only　warning　you。　Hallo；　good　morning；　Miss　Norris。　I　
was　just　telling　the　Major　what　was　going　to　happen　to　you　and　him　this　
morning。　Do　you　want　any　assistance；　or　do　you　prefer　choosing　your　
own　breakfast？〃　

〃Please　don't　get　up；〃　said　Miss　Norris。　〃I'll　help　myself。　Good　
morning；　Major。〃　She　smiled　pleasantly　at　him。　The　Major　nodded。　

〃Good　morning。　Going　to　be　hot。〃　

〃As　I　was　telling　him；〃　began　Bill；　〃that's　where…　Hallo；　here's　Betty。　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

Morning；　Cayley。〃　

Betty　Calladine　and　Cayley　had　come　in　together。　Betty　was　the　
eighteen…year…old　daughter　of　Mrs。　John　Calladine；　widow　of　the　painter；　
who　was　acting　hostess　on　this　occasion　for　Mark。　Ruth　Norris　took　
herself　seriously　as　an　actress　and；　on　her　holidays；　seriously　as　a　golfer。　
She　was　quite　competent　as　either。　Neither　the　Stage　Society　nor　
Sandwich　had　any　terrors　for　her。　

〃By　the　way；　the　car　will　be　round　at　10。30；〃　said　Cayley；　looking　up　
from　his　letters。　〃You're　lunching　there；　and　driving　back　directly　
afterwards。　Isn't　that　right？〃　

〃I　don't　see　why　we　shouldn't　have　…　two　rounds；〃　said　Bill　hopefully。　

〃Much　too　hot　in　the　afternoon；〃　said　the　Major。　〃Get　back　
comfortably　for　tea。〃　

Mark　came　in。　He　was　generally　the　last。　He　greeted　them　and　sat　
down　to　toast　and　tea。　Breakfast　was　not　his　meal。　The　others　chattered　
gently　while　he　read　his　letters。　

〃Good　God！〃　said　Mark　suddenly。　

There　was　an　instinctive　turning　of　heads　towards　him。　〃I　beg　your　
pardon；　Miss　Norris。　Sorry；　Betty。〃　

Miss　Norris　smiled　her　forgiveness。　She　often　wanted　to　say　it　
herself；　particularly　at　rehearsals。　

〃I　say；　Cay！〃　He　was　frowning　to　himself　…　annoyed；　puzzled。　He　
held　up　a　letter　and　shook　it。　〃Who　do　you　think　this　is　from？〃　

Cayley；　at　the　other　end　of　the　table；　shrugged　his　shoulders。　How　
could　he　possibly　guess？　

〃Robert；〃　said　Mark。　

〃Robert？〃　It　was　difficult　to　surprise　Cayley。　〃Well？〃　

〃It's　all　very　well　to　say　'we1l？'　like　that；〃　said　Mark　peevishly。　〃He's　
coming　here　this　afternoon。〃　

〃I　thought　he　was　in　Australia；　or　somewhere。〃　

〃Of　course。　So　did　I。〃　He　looked　across　at　Rumbold。　〃Got　any　
brothers；　Major？〃　

〃No。〃　

〃Well；　take　my　advice；　and　don't　have　any。〃　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

〃Not　likely　to　now；〃　said　the　Major。　

Bill　laughed。　Miss　Norris　said　politely：　〃But　you　haven't　any　
brothers；　Mr。　Ablett？〃　

〃One；〃　said　Mark　grimly。　〃If　you're　back　in　time　you'll　see　him　this　
afternoon。　He'll　probably　ask　you　to　lend　him　five　pounds。　Don't。〃　

Everybody　felt　a　little　uncomfortable。　

〃I've　got　a　brother；〃　said　Bill　helpfully；　〃but　I　always　borrow　from　
him。〃　

〃Like　Robert；〃　said　Mark。　

〃When　was　he　in　England　last？〃　asked　Cayley。　

〃About　fifteen　years　ago；　wasn't　it？　You'd　have　been　a　boy；　of　
course。〃　

〃Yes；　I　remember　seeing　him　once　about　then；　but　I　didn't　know　if　he　
had　been　back　since。〃　

〃No。　Not　to　my　knowledge。〃　Mark；　still　obviously　upset；　returned　
to　his　letter。　

〃Personally；〃　said　Bill；　〃I　think　relations　are　a　great　mistake。〃　

〃All　the　same；〃　said　Betty　a　little　daringly；　〃it　must　be　rather　fun　
having　a　skeleton　in　the　cupboard。〃　

Mark　looked　up；　frowning。　

〃If　you　think　it's　fun；　I'll　hand　him　over　to　you；　Betty。　If　he's　
anything　like　he　used　to　be；　and　like　his　few　letters　have　been　…　well；　Cay　
knows。〃　

Cayley　grunted。　

〃All　I　knew　was　that　one　didn't　ask　questions　about　him。〃　

It　may　have　been　meant　as　a　hint　to　any　too　curious　guest　not　to　ask　
more　questions；　or　a　reminder　to　his　host　not　to　talk　too　freely　in　front　of　
strangers；　although　he　gave　it　the　sound　of　a　mere　statement　of　fact。　But　
the　subject　dropped；　to　be　succeeded　by　the　more　fascinating　one　of　the　
coming　foursome。　Mrs。　Calladine　was　driving　over　with　the　players　in　
order　to　lunch　with　an　old　friend　who　lived　near　the　links；　and　Mark　and　
Cayley　were　remaining　at　home　…　on　affairs。　Apparently　〃affairs〃　were　
now　to　include　a　prodigal　brother。　But　that　need　not　make　the　foursome　
less　enjoyable。　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

At　about　the　time　when　the　Major　（for　whatever　reasons）　was　fluffing　
his　tee…shot　at　the　sixteenth；　and　Mark　and　his　cousin　were　at　their　
business　at　The　Red　House；　an　attractive　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Antony　
Gillingham　was　handing　up　his　ticket　at　Woodham　station　and　asking　the　
way　to　the　village。　Having　received　directions；　he　left　his　bag　with　the　
station…master　and　walked　off　leisurely。　He　is　an　important　person　to　this　
story；　so　that　it　is　as　well　we　should　know　something　about　him　before　
letting　him　loose　in　it。　Let　us　stop　him　at　the　top　of　the　hill　on　some　
excuse；　and　have　a　good　look　at　him。　

The　first　thing　we　realize　is　that　he　is　doing　more　of　the　looking　than　
we　are。　Above　a　clean…cut；　clean…shaven　face；　of　the　type　usually　
associated　with　the　Navy；　he　carries　a　pair　of　grey　eyes　which　seem　to　be　
absorbing　every　detail　of　our　person。　To　strangers　this　look　is　almost　
alarming　at　first；　until　they　discover　that　his　mind　is　very　often　elsewhere；　
that　he　has；　so　to　speak；　left　his　eyes　on　guard；　while　he　himself　follows　a　
train　of　thought　in　another　direction。　Many　people　do　this；　of　course；　
when；　for　instance；　they　are　talking　to　one　person　and　trying　to　listen　to　
another；　but　their　eyes　betray　them。　Antony's　never　did。　

He　had　seen　a　good　deal　of　the　world　with　those　eyes；　though　never　as　
a　sailor。　When　at　the　age　of　twenty…one　he　came　into　his　mother's　money；　
400　pounds　a　year；　old　Gillingham　looked　up　from　the　〃Stockbreeders'　
Gazette〃　to　ask　what　he　was　going　to　do。　

〃See　the　world；〃　said　Antony。　

〃Well；　send　me　a　line　from　America；　or　wherever　you　get　to。〃　

〃Right；〃　said　Antony。　

Old　Gillingham　returned　to　his　paper。　Antony　was　a　younger　son；　
and；　on　the　whole；　not　so　interesting　to　his　father　as　the　cadets　of　certain　
other　families；　Champion　Birket's；　for　instance。　But；　then；　Champion　
Birket　was　the　best　Hereford　bull　he　had　ever　bred。　

Antony；　however；　had　no　intention　of　going　further　away　than　London。　
His　idea　of　seeing　the　world　was　to　see；　not　countries；　but　people；　and　to　
see　them　from　as　many　angles　as　possible。　There　are　all　sorts　in　London　
if　you　know　how　to　look　at　them。　So　Antony　looked　at　them　…　from　
various　strange　corners；　from　the　view…point　of　the　valet；　the　newspaper

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

reporter；　the　waiter；　the　shop…assistant。　With　the　independence　of　400　
pounds　a　year　behind　him；　he　enjoyed　it　immensely。　He　never　stayed　
long　in　one　job；　and　generally　closed　his　connexion　with　it　by　telling　his　
employer　（contrary　to　all　etiquette　as　understood　between　master　and　
servant）　exactly　what　he　th