The Fountain Plays 73

expression of tender feeling, and it wouldperhaps have looked better if Ronald had enticed Betty outto sit in the lilac-scented dusk under the yew-hedge by the fountain. Mrs Digbywas sometimes afraid that Betty was themore in love of the two. Butif Ronald wanted anything he had to have it, of course, and personally, Mrs Digby enjoyed nothing better than a quiet rubber.Besides, the arrangement had the advantage that it got rid of Mr Gooch. 'Don't play bridge." Mr Gooch was wont to say. 'Never had time to learn. We didn't play bridge where I was brought up.' He repeated the remark now, and followed itup with acontemptuous snort directed at Mr Spiller. 'Never too late to begin,' said the latter pacifically. 'Not me!' retorted Mr Gooch. 'I'm going to have a turn in thegarden. Where's that fellow Masters? Tell him to take the whisky and soda down to the fountain. The decanter, mind - one drink's no good to yours truly*.' He plungeda thick hand into thebox of Coronas on the side-table, took out ahandful of cigars and passed out through the French window of the library on to theterrace. Mr Spiller rang the bell and gave the order without comment, and presently theysaw Masters pad down the longcrazy path between the rose-beds and the herbaceous borders, bearing the whisky and soda on a tray.

The other four played on till 10.30, when a rubber coming to an end, Mrs Digby rose and said it was time she went home. Her host gallantly offered to accompany her. 'These two young people can look after themselves for a moment,' he added, with a conspiratorial smile.

'Theyoung can look after themselves better than the old, these days.' She laughed a little shyly, and raised no objection when Mr Spiller drew her hand into his arm as they walked the couple of hundred yards to her cottage. She hesitated a moment whether to ask him in, but decided that a sweet decorum suited her style best.

Crime Never Pays

The Fountain Plays

She stretched out a soft, beringed hand to him over the top of the little white gate. His pressure lingered - he would have kissed the hand, so insidious was the scent of the red and white hawthorns in her trim garden, but beforehe had summoned up the courage,

she had withdrawn it fromhis clasp and was gone.

Mr Spiller, opening his own front door in an agreeable dream, encountered Masters.

'Where is everybody, Masters?'

'Mr Proudfoot left five or ten minutes since, sir, and Miss Elizabethhas retired.'

'Oh!' Mr Spiller was a little startled. The new generation, he thought sadly, did not make love like the old. He hoped there was nothing wrong. Another irritating thought presented itself.

'Has Mr Gooch come in?'

'1 could nor say, sir. Shall I go and see?'

'No, never mind.' If Gooch had been sozzling himself up withwhisky since dinner-time, it was just as well Masters should keep away from him. You never knew. Masters was one of thesesoft-spoken beggars, but he might take advantage. Better not to trust servants, anyhow.

'You can cut along to bed. I'll lock up.'

'Very good, sir.'

'Oh, by the way, is the fountain turned off?'

'Yes, sir. I turned it off myself, sir, at half-past ten, seeing that you were engaged, sir.'

'Quite right. Good-night, Masters.'

'Good-night, sir.'

He heard the man go out by the back and cross the paved court to the garage.Thoughtfully he bolted both entrances, and returned to the library. The whisky decanter was not in its usual place - no doubt it was still with Gooch in the garden - but he mixed himself a small brandy and soda, and drank it. He

Supposed he must now face the tiresome business of getting Gooch up to bed. Then, suddenly, he realized that the encounter would take place here and not in the garden. Gooch was coming in through the French window. He was drunk, but not, Mr Spiller observed with relief, incapably so.

'Well?' said Gooch.

'Well?' retorted Mr Spiller.

'Had a good time with the accommodating widow, eh? Enjoyedyourself? lucky old hound, aren't you? Fallen soft in your old

age, eh?'

'There, that'll do,' said Mr Spiller.

'Oh, will it? That's good. That's rich. That'll do, eh? Think I'm Masters, talking to me like that?' Mr Gooch gave a thick chuckle. 'Well, I'm not Masters, I'm master here. Get that into your head. I'm master and you damn well know it.'

'All right,' replied Mr Spiller meekly, 'but buzz off to bed now, there's a good fellow. It's getting late and I'm tired.'

'You'll be tireder before I've done with you.' Mr Gooch thrustboth hands into his pockets and stood - a bulky and threatening figure - swaying rather dangerously. 'I'm short of cash,' he added. 'Had a bad week - cleaned me out. Time you stumped up a bitmore.'

'Nonsense,' said Mr Spiller, with some spirit, i pay you your allowance as we agreed, and let you come and stay here whenever you like, and that's all you get from me.'

'Oh, is it? Getting a bit above yourself, aren't you, Number Bleeding 4132?'

'Hush!' said Mr Spiller, glancing hastily round as though the furniture had ears and tongues.

'Hush! hush!' repeated Mr Gooch mockingly. 'You're in a good position to dictate terms, aren't you, 4132? Hush! The servants might hear! Betty might hear! Betty's young man might hear. Hah!

Crime Never Pays

The fountain Playj__

Betty's young man - he'd be particularly pleased to know her father was an escaped jail-bird, wouldn't he? Liable at anymoment to be hauled back to work out his ten years' hard* for forgery? And when I think,' added Mr Gooch, 'that a man like me, that was only in for a short stretch and worked it out good and proper, is dependent on the charity - ha, ha! - of my dearfriend 4132, while he's rolling in wealth -'

'I'm not rolling in wealth, Sam,' said Mr Spiller, 'and you know darn well I'm not. But I don't want any trouble. I'll do what I can, if you'll promise faithfully this time that you won't ask for any more of these big sums, because my income won't stand it.'

'Oh, I'll promise that all right,' agreed Mr Gooch cheerfully. 'You give me five thousand down-'

Mr Spiller uttered a strangled exclamation.

'Five thousand? How do you suppose I'm to lay hands on fivethousand allat once? Don't be an idiot, Sam. I'llgive you a cheque for five hundred -'

'Five thousand,' insisted Mr Gooch, 'or up goes the monkey.'

'But I haven't got it,' objected Mr Spiller.

'Then you'd bloody well better find it,' returned Mr Gooch.

"How do you expect me to find all that?'

'That's your look-out. You oughtn't to be so damned extravagant. Spending good money, that you ought to be giving me, on fountains and stuff. Now, it's no good kicking, MrRespectable 4132 - I'm the man on top and you're for it, my lad, if you don't look after me properly. See?'

Mr Spiller saw it only too clearly. He saw, as he had seen indeed for some time, that his friend Gooch had him by the short hairs. He expostulated again feebly, and Gooch replied with a laugh andan offensive reference to Mrs Digby.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1060