The Big Drum Part 50

[_From her chair, where she is almost completely hidden from the others--comfortably._] Good gracious! Who's Mr. Dunning, Philip?

[JOHN _and the waiter open the big doors. The dining-table, round which the chairs are now arranged, is prettily lighted by shaded candles._

PHILIP.

[_To_ JOHN, _sharply._] John----

JOHN.

Yessir?

PHILIP.

Tell the cook to keep the dinner back for a little while. Do you hear?

JOHN.

[_Astonished._] Keep dinner back, sir?

PHILIP.

Yes. And when Mr. Dunning calls--[_distinctly_] Dunning----

JOHN.

Yessir.

PHILIP.

I'll see him. Show him in.

JOHN.

Yessir.

PHILIP.

You may serve dinner as soon as he's gone. I'll ring.

[JOHN _and the waiter withdraw into the kitchen, whereupon_ PHILIP, _after watching their departure, deliberately closes the big doors._ ROOPE, _who has been picking at his nails nervously, rises and steals away to the left, and_ SIR RANDLE, _advancing a step or two, exchanges questioning glances with_ LADY FILSON.

OTTOLINE.

[_Laughingly._] What a terrible shock! I was frightened that Philip had sprung a strange guest upon us. [_As_ PHILIP _is shutting the doors._]

_Vous etes bien mysterieux, Phil?_ Why are we to starve until this Mr.

Dunning has come and gone?

PHILIP.

Because if I tried to eat without having first disposed of the reptile, Otto, I should choke.

LADY FILSON.

[_Bewildered._] Reptile?

OTTOLINE.

Philip!

PHILIP.

[_At the chair beside the smoking-table--to_ LADY FILSON.] I apologize very humbly for making you and Sir Randle, and dear Ottoline, parties to such unpleasant proceedings, Lady Filson; but the necessity is forced upon me. [_Coming forward._] Mr. Dunning is one of those crawling creatures who conduct what are known as confidential inquiries. In other words, he's a private detective--an odd sort of person to present to you!----

LADY FILSON.

[_Under her breath._] Great heavens!

PHILIP.

And he has lightened your son's purse, presumably, and crammed his willing ears with some ridiculous, fantastic tale concerning my book--"The Big Drum." Mr. Dunning professes to have discovered that I have conspired with a wicked publisher to deceive you all; that the book's another of my miss-hits, and that I'm a designing rogue and liar. [_To_ BERTRAM.] Come on, Bertram; don't sit there as if you were a stuffed figure! Speak out, and tell your father and mother what you've been up to!

LADY FILSON.

[_Open-mouthed._] Bertie!

SIR RANDLE.

[_Moving towards_ BERTRAM, _mildly._] Bertram, my boy----?

BERTRAM.

[_Curling his lip--to_ PHILIP.] Oh, you seem to be getting on exceedingly well without my a.s.sistance, Mackworth. I'm content to hold my tongue till Dunning arrives, I mean t'say.

PHILIP.

[_Approaching_ LADY FILSON.] You see, Lady Filson, Master Bertram is endowed with an exceptionally active brain; and when I gave those a.s.surances to you and Sir Randle last June, it occurred to him that, in the event of my book failing to attract the market, there was a danger of my palming it off, with the kind aid of my publisher, as the out-and-out triumph I'd bragged of in advance; and the loud blasts of t.i.tterton's trumpet strengthened Master Bertie's apprehensions.

[OTTOLINE, _un.o.bserved, rises unsteadily and, with her eyes fixed fiercely upon_ BERTRAM, _crosses the room at the back._] So what does he do, bless him for his devotion to his belongings! To safeguard his parents from being jockeyed, and as a brotherly precaution, he enlists the services, on the sly, of the obliging Mr. Dunning. We shall shortly have an opportunity of judging what that individual's game is. [_With a shrug._] He _may_ have stumbled legitimately into a mare's nest; but I doubt it. These ruffians'll stick at nothing to keep an ingenuous client on the hook--[_He is interrupted by feeling_ OTTOLINE's _hand upon his arm. He lays his hand on hers gently._] Otto dear----

OTTOLINE.

[_Clutching him tightly and articulating with an effort._] It--it's infamous--shameful! My--my brother! It's infamous!

PHILIP.

Oh, it'll be all over in ten minutes. And then Bertie and I will shake hands--won't we, Bertie?--and forget the wretched incident----

OTTOLINE.

[_Confronting_ BERTRAM, _trembling with pa.s.sion._] How dare you! How dare you meddle with my affairs--mine and Mr. Mackworth's! How dare you!