King of the Castle Part 47

"It's a puzzle," said Chris aloud. "Why, I ought to have done it long enough ago. How was it I didn't think of it before?"

There was no mental answer to this, and his thoughts took another direction. He was comparatively a rich man now, but somehow he did not feel disposed to go and speak out again to Gartram, whose first question would be, "And, pray, how did you get this money?"

The cash had in each case been paid over to him the settling day with quite commercial prompt.i.tude, and lay at his bankers at Toxeter; but somehow Chris felt no richer, and the exultation he had expected was not there. Forty thousand pounds all his own, but he did not feel proud of it, and had sat up a night in his own room thinking of how little difference it made to a man, and, on the whole, feeling rather disappointed than otherwise at the result of his speculation.

But when was it to be? That night? The next night?

"I'll try till I do meet her, and if the old man sees me, and flies at me--

"I wonder whether he keeps that revolver loaded?" said Chris, half aloud, as he rose and began to descend the cliff. "Bah! If he does, he couldn't hit me in the dark, and hurry of his aim."

All the same, though, his active imagination was hard at work, showing him a series of dissolving views, in one of which a gallant youth was wading a deep fosse, with an irate parent standing on the bank, firing shot after shot, till in the dim light there was a fall and a splash as the aforesaid gallant youth fell back into the moat as he was crawling out, and not found until the next day.

Would Claude weep and break her heart? Would--

"A fellow of my age, with an ordinary share of brains, to go on dreaming and mooning over such sentimental nonsense!" cried Chris, half aloud.

"He'd better shoot at me. If he does, hang me if I wait. I'll coax her into coming right away.

"By Jove! I'll try to-night. I wonder whether Mary would help me if she knew?"

Volume Two, Chapter VI.

GETTING LANGUID.

If Chris Lisle had had a binocular with him when he climbed the great cliff slope, and looked down into Gartram's garden, he would not have felt those poignant, jealous pangs. His eyes were good, and he could see that female figures were in the garden, and, naturally enough, he concluded that they were Claude and Mary. Then he saw that another figure was there, a male--he could make that out--and he quite as naturally, as he had seen Glyddyr on his way to the Fort, concluded that this was he.

But, as it happened, when Glyddyr reached the house, he was shown into Gartram's room, where he was warmly received by that gentleman, who kept him talking and in torture, for there was the particular piece of the bookcase which he knew would open, and behind which lay sums of money, any fraction of which would set him free; and through the open window, echoing from the stone walls, came the sounds of voices in the garden, where he longed to be.

"Oh, yes, infinitely better, my dear boy, and I want you to come up and dine here to-night. No ceremony. Quiet dinner, and cigars and coffee afterwards. Little music in the drawing-room, and a walk afterwards round the garden and on the terrace, eh? You see I don't forget your interest, Glyddyr, now do I?"

"No, sir; indeed, I only wish that--"

"Claude would throw herself at your head. Nonsense! You like her all the better because she holds you off. Better worth the wooing, my boy.

No hurry. Give me time. She's yours, Glyddyr, and as to her fortune-- there, she's my only child, and I'm very simple in my tastes and outlay, so you leave that to me."

What an opportunity for asking a loan!

"No; it would be madness," thought Glyddyr, and he refrained, but a curious sensation attacked him, and thoughts ran through his brain, some of which startled him.

"Is that Miss Gartram in the garden?" he said.

"Yes, my boy, yes. Asher is out there having a chat with them. Come up to see me about these confounded attacks of mine. Sort of change in one's system, I suppose. Better soon. The worst of it is, that when I have one of these fits it seems to leave my brain a complete blank as to what has gone before. That last one, for instance, I can't recall how I was seized, nor what upset me. Ah, here they are."

Steps were heard outside, and directly after the little party appeared in sight, pa.s.sing along the terrace by the study window towards the private entrance.

"Here! Hi! All of you come in this way," shouted Gartram, and then turned to Glyddyr. "There, you see, not much the matter with me to have a doctor always hanging about. But I can't sleep, Glyddyr, I can't sleep. Well, doctor, what do you think of the garden?"

"Delightful, my dear sir. Perfect."

"No, not perfect. Sea winds cut the things up too much. Regularly blast them sometimes. Here, come on one side; I want to talk to you about something else."

He looked sharply at Claude, who was listening politely to some remarks of Glyddyr, while Mary was turning over the leaves of a book.

"Mary, my dear, I wish you would go and write to those people about the carriage; it's quite time we heard from them. Oh, and by the way, there's your aunt; write to her."

"May I write here, uncle?"

"Eh? No. I shall want to sit down and write myself directly."

Claude's lips twitched, but she made no other sign, and Mary turned towards the door.

"It's very clever of you, uncle dear," she said to herself; "but it is of no use whatever."

As the door closed, Gartram, who had risen, took the doctor's arm, and walked with him towards the window.

"Look here," he said, "I wanted to speak to you about that stuff. It isn't strong enough. It used to be right, but I suppose I've got accustomed to it. Six months ago a dose sent me into a comfortable sleep. Now, two doses seem to have no effect whatever."

Glyddyr heard his words, and a singing noise came in his ears, but Claude was beside him, and her father was evidently giving him a chance for a _tete-a-tete_.

"Will you have the bottles made stronger?" continued Gartram.

"Really--" began the doctor.

"There, now, you are going to make an excuse about my nerves being weak, or something of that sort. Nonsense, my dear sir; I'm as strong as a horse. Make it more powerful."

"No. Really, Mr Gartram--"

"Oh, very well; then I shall take three times as much, and so get over you, doctor. You see you cannot help yourself. Claude, my dear," he continued, turning sharply, "did you show Doctor Asher that new bamboo-- how it is getting on?"

"No, papa; I did not think of it," said Claude, rising hastily.

"No, no. Just like you forgetful girls. I'll show him. This way, doctor. What is it?--_Bambusa Metake_. I think that's right. Come along. Rather a rare plant for this neighbourhood.--Give the young folks a chance, doctor, eh?"

"Yes, I see," said Asher, nodding and smiling, as he followed his patient out on to the terrace. "_Bambusa Metake_, eh?"

"Bamboo--bamboozle, doctor," cried Gartram, laughing. "Now, then, about this stuff. I must have it mixed up stronger."

"But it will be very bad for you. It is my duty to warn you of that."

"Not half so bad as to lie in bed all night cursing my misery because I cannot sleep. What is the use of life to me if I am to suffer like this? The fits are bad enough, but when they are over, they're over, and if I can get to lead a little more tranquil life, I dare say they will not trouble me so much."

"That is quite right, my dear Mr Gartram; but you must see that this is a growing habit."

"Don't lecture, doctor; prescribe. I vow here, if you do not, I shall get the stuff from some London chemist, and prescribe for myself."

"My dear sir! For heaven's sake don't do that!"

"There, you see I have the whip hand of you. You're afraid of losing your patient, eh?"