Array Sapper - The Complete Works of H. C. McNeile Sapper

"It seemed so different this morning from when we were talking about it last night," he said in an abashed voice. "Do you think I ought to try again this afternoon, Dick?"

"She's gone out of London for the week-end," I remarked at once, and the look of the reprieved prisoner appeared on his face. "I thought I told you last night that she was going. So you can't do anything till Tuesday. And in the meantime Molly wants to know if you will motor down with me tomorrow to her aunt's bungalow for a couple of nights or so."

"Aunt?" cried Jim suspiciously.

"Yes—aunt. Either mother's sister or father's. I didn't ask which. But lots of people have one or two lying about the place."

"Is anybody else going to be there?" he demanded.

"Not that I'm aware of," I answered. "They particularly want you to make a four at bridge or ludo or some thing. It will fill in the time quite nicely till you can go round and see Mrs. Blair on Tuesday. And a quiet weekend by the sea may make your nerves a bit stronger."

And suddenly he grinned like a schoolboy.

"You're right, old Dick. I did rat this morning. I've never been in such a funk in my life. For all I know she may be engaged to someone else or even married again. And anyway she's probably forgotten all about me by now."

"More than likely," I agreed brutally. "But you'd better talk things over with Molly this week-end—or her aunt."

And so the following afternoon we arrived at the bungalow where the garden ran down to the sea. Molly was there, and her aunt, and I heard Jim give an audible gasp as he saw his portion for the week-end. His job was the aunt, as I told him on the way down in the car, and she was some portion. Grey hair that hung in wisps appeared below a cotton sun bonnet; a pair of large yellow spectacles concealed her eyes, and one dreadful black tooth hit one in the face whenever she smiled. But her particular charm lay in her voice, which was a cracked falsetto.

"I'm a little hard of hearing, Mr. Maitland," she said, producing an ear- trumpet. "But if you speak into this all the time I expect I shall hear you. You must tell me all your adventures in those heathenish parts while the two young people enjoy themselves."

"Delighted," boomed Jim, and his face looked a little strained.

"It's wonderful to be young," she went on. "Now, my dears, you two run away and have a little talk while Mr. Maitland amuses me."

I had one fleeting glimpse of her adjusting the ear trumpet, and Jim's look of fixed horror as of a bird that gazes at a snake from close quarters: I just heard her first remark, "Now tell me all about pirates and sharks and things," and then Molly and I collapsed into one another's arms.

"She's wonderful," I murmured weakly. "How long is the punishment to last?"

"It depends," said Molly. "We'll give 'em half an hour at any rate."

We did, and when we got back Jim was a shattered wreck. "I can't stand it any more." He had seized my arm and took me on one side. "Much will I do for you, Dick—but not that. I don't want to be rude about Molly's relative, but the woman should be put under restraint. Are you aware that she's just asked me if I've ever eaten anybody? Said Molly had told her I had become a cannibal."

"Courage, mon brave !" I muttered in a shaking voice. "I'll do the same for you some day. Think how you're amusing the old pet! And after tea we're going to bathe."

"Not the elderly trout," he gasped. "Great heavens! my dear fellow, you can't tell me that she's going to bathe. I simply couldn't bear it."

"Auntie swims very well," said Molly, who had joined us unperceived. "But sometimes she gets cramp, Jim, and if she does you must be at hand to help her."

"Merciful Allah!" said Jim under his breath, and Molly turned away with suspicious abruptness.

And sure enough auntie appeared after tea completely enveloped in a bath robe. We were waiting for her in the garden and as she passed us only her shrill falsetto, summoning Jim, proclaimed who she was.

"You and I will swim together, Mr. Maitland," she announced. "And my right knee has been cracking dreadfully, so you mustn't leave me in case I get cramp. There's a lovely pool here with a diving-board, and then we'll swim out to sea."

"For heaven's sake get a boat and follow," croaked Jim to me. "If the old woman gets cramp we're lost. And surely she's not going to dive—"

The words died away on his lips, and of a sudden he stood very still. Silhouetted on the end of the diving-board was the lovely figure of a girl. Gone were the spectacles and the grey hair—gone was the ear trumpet. And for one second she looked back at him as he stood there speechless.

"Come with me, won't you—just in case I get cramp?"

Then she was gone, and only a little swirling eddy marked the perfect dive. And Molly, being a girl, slipped her hand through my arm and cried a little and laughed a little as we watched Jim's dark head pursuing the elusive scarlet cap in front of him.

"The dear fool!" she whispered at length. "But he deserved it, didn't he?"

And it seemed to me that just at that moment dark head caught scarlet cap. And whether it was cramp or not I don't know, but I saw her arms go round his neck. For you may kiss in the water just as you may kiss on land, and both methods were in use at that moment.

THE END

Table of Content

I. — IN WHICH THE METROPOLITAN DIAMOND SYNDICATE HOLDS CONVERSE WITH MR EDWARD BLACKTON

II. — IN WHICH PROFESSOR GOODMAN REALISES THAT THERE ARE MORE THINGS IN LIFE THAN CHEMISTRY

III. — IN WHICH STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN IN PROFESSOR GOODMAN'S LABORATORY

IV. — IN WHICH MR WILLIAM ROBINSON ARRIVES AT HIS COUNTRY SEAT

V. — IN WHICH MR WILLIAM ROBINSON LOSES HIS SELF- CONTROL

VI. — IN WHICH HUGH DRUMMOND LOSES HIS SELF- CONTROL.

VII. — IN WHICH DRUMMOND TAKES A TELEPHONE CALL AND REGRETS IT

VIII. — IN WHICH DRUMMOND PLAYS A LITTLE GAME OF TRAINS

IX. — IN WHICH PROFESSOR GOODMAN HAS A TRYING TIME

X. — IN WHICH DRUMMOND GOES ON BOARD THE S.Y. GADFLY

XI. — IN WHICH DRUMMOND LEAVES THE S.Y. GADFLY

XII. — IN WHICH HE SAMPLES MR BLACKTON'S NAPOLEON BRANDY

XIII. — IN WHICH DRUMMOND RECEIVES AN ADDITION TO HIS LIBRARY

Table of Content

With a sigh of pleasure Mr Edward Blackton opened the windows of his balcony and leaned out, staring over the lake. Opposite, the mountains of Savoy rose steeply from the water; away to the left the Dent du Midi raised its crown of snow above the morning haze.

Below him the waters of the lake glittered and scintillated with a thousand fires. A steamer, with much blowing of sirens and reversing of paddle-wheels, had come to rest at a landing-stage hard by, and was taking on board a bevy of tourists, while the gulls circled round shrieking discordantly. For a while he watched them idly, noting the quickness with which the birds swooped and caught the bread as it was thrown into the air, long before it reached the water.

He noted also how nearly all the food was secured by half a dozen of the gulls, whilst the others said a lot but got nothing. And suddenly Mr Edward Blackton smiled.

"Like life, my dear," he said, slipping his arm round the waist of a girl who had just joined him at the window. "It's the fool who shouts in this world: the wise man says nothing and acts."

The girl lit a cigarette thoughtfully, and sat down on the ledge of the balcony. For a while her eyes followed the steamer puffing fussily away with its load of sightseers and its attendant retinue of gulls: then she looked at the man standing beside her. Point by point she took him in: the clear blue eyes under the deep forehead, the aquiline nose, the firm mouth and chin. Calmly, dispassionately she noted the thick brown hair greying a little over the temples, the great depth of chest, and the strong, powerful hands: then she turned and looked once again at the disappearing steamer. But to the man's surprise she gave a little sigh.