Lynne Court Spinney

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 240, 7 October 1916, Page 20

Lynne Court Spinney

<By / S. FLETCHER

' CHAPTER TTT SPLENDID MISERY-

Hextall jumped from lis easy-chair c - with a growl of sore vexation. He flung j • open the door of his room and looked Z. out into the hall. There, volubly in.- ? ~ forming his parlourmaid that she must; '_ ccc Dr. Hextall at once, stood the ' r ; patient who ought to have been sound asleep in bed; behind her hovered the } - younger of the two nurses, distressed, tearful, and apparently helpless. She c began to address Hextall as soon as 6he s " saw him. * ~ "It's not my fault, doctor!" shq * ~ pleaded, wringing her hands. "I couldn't 2, stop her—she would come!" ( s - Paquita turned a pair of star-like eyes and a glowing face on Hextall's stern ,- and disapproving countenance. Shej ' smiled in a fashion that would have disarmed an ascetic, and made for the open dOQ* at gyhieh he stood. "May I come in?" she demanded eagerly. Ttfs all right—there's no need ... for all this fuss. I want to speak to '~. your—l must epeak to you! Can't the ~ nurse sit down somewhere and wait? ~ And dont be angry with her —it isn't ~ her; fault. No one can interfere with - mc if I want to have my own way." Hextall silently motioned the nurse to a waiting-room close by; then he took Paquita by the arm, led her to the chair he had just left, closed the door on them, and turning, looked down on her with a stern dieapproval which he made - mighty efforts to maintain. ~j "I tell you what at is!" he said, with ~JZ the' quietness of ..extreme displeasure; ~ ' : if you behave like this you must be ' good enough to send for another doctor. It is no use being angry with the nurse, for you are evidently unmanageable. But you are treating her very badly, 'Til make it up to her," said Paquita eagerly, 'Til give her —anything she . Hkes."" Z "Nothing yoa can give her will make ~_ up," replied Hextall. "And you are ; treating mc badly, too. What's the use ~ of my—but what's the use of talking to "•■ you? *"<* you no-more than a child Jt^ - to beham in this ' fobliehj wayward T. fashion!* ;7 ... . . ". ;.. Paqrato lifted her face to him wonder- : ingly. Her cheeks were bright with - colour,' and her eyes were dark and liquid and full of light. She was certainly the loveliest woman Hextall had ever seen, and he almost forgot every- £ thing but that as he stood etaring at - her. He-toad to drag .his .eyes away, and' - to nerib.Jmnself to maintain a proper "Z professional dignity;. ~ ' '.. . ' '. ' "Childish;—childish conduct!" he in- • sisted. "The eort of conduct I should have expected from a spoilt child of twelve!" "I'm not a spoilt child of twelve!" exclaimed Paquita. "I'm a grown woman with a world full of trouble. That's ■ rwhy I came to you. I don't know a ■ soul in all f>"» great town that I can " turn to.- But if you're so angry witb_ ~ mc, I'll go - away." •■• She rose as she spoke, and Hextall, - who, like all young men who have de- ~ terminearto be "bachelors; was remarkr ably soft at heart, saw her beautiful lips quiver, and a couple of great pearly tears gather in her eyes. He gently - pushed her back into her chair, drew an--2 other--to -her eide, and unconsciously - threw a vast amount of sympathy and L~ protection into his voice. •'Xow!" he said. -'What is it? Out -""Tvith-HI! You'll be all the better when it is told." Paquita dabbed her eyes with a tiny film of cobwebby lace and shook her head. TJarfelTTias gone:" she said. "Your brother/ exclaimed HextaU, frowning. " Why—l thought he was going to stay and look after you?" "So he did—for a few hours," she replied dismally. " I knew it couldn't last. -■ -Didirt-I-tell you Kesteven was an incarnation of the Devil? So he is—and I knew Darrell wouldn't rest until—until he was off to him. I saw how he was fidgeting and fidgeting to go. in the end he went! What would you do if you had a brother, whom you loved very much, and whom you saw going : straight to hell?" There was something so absurdly simple and naive in this question that Hextall could scarcely forebear a smile! But the girl's simplicity made him answer very seriously. "I should move heaven and earth to stop him," he answered. • "I've moved heaven and earth—and so "far it's no good," asserted Paquita. " I've said more prayers than I ever said i 6Y anything else —I've done all I could on earth,„which, .perhaps,.,isn't, much. tfjo gppd'Jr-np to now. The Devil—that's too much for' heaven and eirth and mc all rolled into a lump!" "■•Who is Mr. Kesteven?" asked Hex"{alir r *" K And how is it that he exercises this .bad influence on your brother?" "I'd. give everything to know who Kesteven -is'!" she ' exclaimed. " As to question—why, he's simply gohold of Darrell—that's aIL Just got hold of-:him—and he does what he likes with -him.' --And his .influence is bad —badT— bad!" "Perhaps you'd better tell me.how.he got'hold'bf him," suggested HextalL Ho saw that the girl wanted to talk, must talk, and he judged it best to let her talk to her heart's content. It was no business of his, all this, but he knew that unless she unburdened her conscience she would fret herself into a fever. "Did he know Mr. Keeteven before you came .■% England?" he asked. "Or is-he a. recent acquaintance?" "I'll tell you everything," she said, with sudden impetuousnese. "That's what I came for —Pd have burst or something, lying there in that beastly flat, with Darrell gone, and only that nuree to stare at. Beeides, I knew I could x trust you—l had a good look at you when you came in last night. I thjnk— I think you're the first man —man!—I've lieen since I came to England." " I sincerely trust not!" said Hextall with a grim smile. "let's hope you're mistaken. But now tell me—whatever it is that you wish to tell. Because all thi6 ia ye*.. irregular, and I don't want you to v«ak: too much—you ought to be in bed, and fast asleep." " Being , in bed with mc of late has meant lying awake all night," ehe said. "Thinking and thinking, you know. Well— but you see, you don't know any-tliin"-aboTit Uβ. There are three of us— Jjorrell and myself, and our nttle brother, only seven. We were never in England until about eight months ago-we came last September. You see, our father was a ranch owner out in South America—in the Argentine 3<. married a Spaniard—thafe why I am called Paquita; it was my - —mtrtWa ~^iim+r- died when Eonild VM •boat two years old, aTa, latter died, ito» *«§»

afterwards, svnd then. Darrell Tan. the ■ ranche, though he ivas only a boy. * And ' I don't think things went very well, be- ' cause we began to get rather poor—only ] it isn't so dreadful to be poor out there as it seems to be here in England. And then—last year—we became, oh, tremendously rich! Because Uncle James, •whom we had never seen, died, and left us all his money and the place we now live in—Lynne Court, in Surrey. Bo we came home—and now I wish we'd stopped at our estancia, however poor we might have been! because then Darrell wouldn't nave met Kesteven." "Where did he meet Mm—and when?" asked HextaU, forced to put leading i questions. "I don't know where—but it was very soon after -we came. You see, Uncle James, who was a great merchant in London, left one half of his money and Lynne Court to Darrell, and the other half in equal shares between mc and Ronald. Darrell used to come up to London a good deal after we arrived at Lynse Court, and I suppose he met Kesieven somewhere. Anyway, Kesteven began coming down to Lynne Court long before last Christmas, and then he and Darrell were always together, going to race meetings, and up to town, and they brought men to the house whom 1 loathed —like those you saw last night— men who drank and gambled, and oh—l can't tell you! And then Kesteven persuaded Darrell to take this flat, co that he would have a place in town—and you have a good idea, from what you saw" or what goes on there. And though Kesteven doesnt drink himself—l think that shows what a calculating devil he is! — I'm cure he's managed Darrell in that ■way, and I know he gets money from him and stands 'by while other men get it—confederates, I expect. You understand, don't you? Oh, I'm heartbroken! I came up last night because 1 would know what went on at thie wretched flat, and after they thought I'd gone to bed, I watched them, and I am cure Darrell was cheated. Cheated!—ol course, he'e being cheated every day— he'll be cheated out of ever cent he has!" "Look here," said Hextall. "1 think you mustn't mind if I ask, you a few questions. How much money did your uncle leave your brother!" "Hβ left Darrell about half-a-miUion, and he left the same amount divided between mc and Ronald," answered IV quita, calmly and unconcernedly. "But Darrell also* has Lynne 'Court, which is a fine place—house, grounds, park, and a big farm." "Is your brother absolute master of all this?" asked Hextall. "I mean—it's not left in trust for him?" "Oh, it's all Darrell's, every penny, and every acre," she answered. "The lawyers told mc that —they said he could make ducks and drakes of it if he liked. Yon see, I went and complained to them about KestevenJ'; --. ■~Z:«^SVi "Ah! And what did theysay?" asked Hextall. "I don't think they were nice. They laughed; they were hard-faced men. They said that as Oarrell was of full age, and as his property was his own, no one could interfere with him. One of them also said that there was no need for alarm—Darrell would settle down. But—he won't." Hextall found himself faced by the difficulty which the men of law bad seen As Darrell Tress was of man's estate, and absolute master of his mpney and hie land, nobody could meddle. "Did you give them your ideas about (Kesteven ?" he asked. "Yes, I did. They laughed again, and said eomething about hawks and pigeons which I didn't understand —how should I have understood, knowing nothing. One of them, who was a bit kinder, said to mc that young men were always a little wild when they came into money, and advised mc to try what he called moral suasion on my brother. Aβ if 1 know what moral suasion is!" "He meant—you must talk to your brother for his good," said Hextall. "I have talked to him for his good! I have been eister, mother, grandmother, aunt and cousin to him. I talked to him to-day—l have begged and prayed of him to be a good boy, and to give up drinking so much, and to leave off gambling, and to kick Keeteven out of the door—and so far it's no good whatever. He listens, and sometimes he promisee, and now and then he cries, and then Kesteven gete hold of him with some new devilry,' and he goes to the bad again. You ccc to-day!—there he is. off again. I knew.he wouldn't stand being mewed up there with a sick sister and two nurses. He's gone to IKeeteven. of course. Ah—l wieh I'd shot Kesteven six months ago! I bad the chance once —and nobody would ever have known." Hextall, who had been staring at the fire, thinking, turned on his visitor with a. start of surprise. "Nonsense!" he said, sharply. "You don't mean anything of "the "sort!" But Paquita'a face wo» calm and unperturbed; and she .smiled a little. "Don't IV' she. 1 answered. "Then—l do! Think what trouble it would have saved mc and all of us!. That man wi] ruin Darrell, body "and soul; therefore 'he'e neither more nor less than a dangerous wild beast who ought to be destroyed. Out there,-wher,e I "was brought up, we don't think as .much of human life as people seem to do here. If I'd shot Kesteven out there—for the same reasons—l'd have been praised and congratulated. Here,. I suppose," she continued, meditatively, "I'd get hanged." ' . 'TSiiu'll certainly get into trouble if you're co ready with', a revolver as you seemed to be last night," said Hextall. "That won't do here, you know. We're civilised in England."' . Paqnita gave him a look from under her long, dank eyclaahee. "I'm not a fool," she eaid. " know 'how much your 'boasted civilisation amounts to! Why are most English folk euch hypocrites?" Hextall got up hastily. "What do you want mc to do?" he asked. "Can't you help mc?" she eaid. "I—l thought—somehow—you could —and •would." .. .

"I -will, indeed—iM can!" he answered with warmth. "Bot—just hoar?" "Can't you do something to get Darrell away {ram this man?" she replied. "Or—get him a-wa y from Darren? F»e no friends—and I think yenil be one. .Do help somehow, and Fn—m do anything you aek."

Hextall stared at her—stared until he felt onnseU sinking into eeas of danger. He recovered his senses with a jerk. "Then obey mc at once by going home, and to bed, and to etriet obedience to your irueeß," he said, emaing. "Hi help yen—ftU less. Well do aojnethmg."

Unconsciously, he held out his hand, to cement the promise. To his infinite surprise and overwhelming confusion, Paquita lifted it to her bewitching lips. CHAPTER IV. WHO IS EKSTEVBS? When Paquita, amilitig and obedient, had gone away with the nunse, to whom she was suddenly as affectionate as if they had been sisters, Hextall retreated into his dining-room and looked at the back of his hand. It seemed to him that he still felt Paquita's warm lips there. He was afraid to meet his own eyes in the mirror over bis mantelpiece. And his hands trembled as he picked up his favourite pipe and essayed to light it. "Good God!" he muttered. "Am 1 going to have softening of the brain ? And —I've promised to help her! Her!" He bad struck several matches and thrown them' away before he got the pipe thoroughly going, and when at last the tobacco was burning he became so abstracted that it was quickly out again. At thai he threw the pipe aside with a muttered imprecation and went off to bed. "Paquita," he mused, as he laid his head on the pillow. "Paquita is very beautiful—and very dangerous. It will be well when Paquita returns to Lynne Court." But in the meantime, Paquita was close at hand, and he had to see tier at least twice a day. On his next visit he found her much more amenable to discipline and cheerful in spirit; it was very evident that the midnight conversation with him had wrought a change in her outlook on life. Evidently of an ingenuous and impulsive nature she lost no time in letting him see that she hailed him as a friend, and Hextall realised that he was being expected to make good his promise in true and knightly fashion. "But we must move warily," he said, not wishing her to anticipate too much. "You don't know where these two arc, do you?" "Oh, yes, I do!" she answered. "Fowler—that's Darrell's man—told mc this morning. It turns out that Kesteven telephoned to Darrell last evening from Brighton, and Darrell made an excuse to Fowler and set off there at once, leaving Fowler in charge. Of course he said it was business, and he'd be back as quickly ac possible, but I know what it means" They'll stay there as long as they're amused, and then they'll go to Lvnne Court, and when I return I shall find the house full of the usual Bet. Never mind! I'm sure you'll help mc." Hextall left her feeling that he had promised more than he could easily perform. To attempt the reformation and reclamation of a young man of the DaiTell Tress type was a stiff thing, and at present he saw no way in which to set about it. He was'inelincd. being a good deal of a utilitarian, to take the view of the lawyers to whom Paquita had appealed, and from whom she had got such scant sympathy. There was nothing novel nor striking about the case. It was merely the familiar instance of the rich young man failing amongst thieves, with no power of detecting their intentions., and no great desire to protect himself. In all these cases there were two possible developments —Darrell Tress might suddenly sicken of his surfeit of questionable pleasures, pull himself up, and reform, or he might go under before anybody could work a reformation in hhn. But Hextall knew- enough of life to feel assured that, in any case, Kostevcn, if he was the hawk that circumstances seeniec to suggest, would do a good deal towards plucking his pigeon before it escaped him. Aβ he was leaving the flat that morning Fowler, the valet, met him in the hall, and looked meaningly at him. ''You want to speak to met" asked Hextall. interpreting the look into a desire for conversation. "A word or two, if you please, sir," sai-d Kowler. He led the way into a small sitting-room, evidently sacred to himself, and closed the door. "It's about what we saw that night, sir," he continued. "I thought I'd better mention it, because as you're attending Miss Trcse, you won't want her disturbed'•Well?" said Hextall. "You caw that man who put the money back on the table, sir?" asked Fowler. "The dark-faced fellow with the bit of pointed moustache?" "I saw him." "He was here last night. I had a nice job to get him away. He wanted Mr. Kesteven. It wast just after Mr. Tress went off. I—l'm afraid there may be trouble with that man. sir." "How?" asked Hextall. "He said that 'Mr. Kesteven persuaded him to hand over that money—which he swears he won fairly—so that Miss Paquita would calm down, and that Mr Kesteven promised he'd meet him at noon yesterday and give it back to him. It's true that Mr. Keeteven pocketed it after you and the nurses had got Miss Paquita into her room — ; I saw him pocket it when he and I began putting the place straight. But this man said that Keeteven never turned up at the place they were to meet at. And so he came here for him—and a nke temper he was in, tool Aβ I say, Fd a job to get him off. And—he went off with a threat, sir." "What threat?" "Well,, sir, he threatened that if Mr. Keeteven didn't hand back that money at once,.he'd go to the police about the revolver business, and charge Mise Paquita with threatening to shoot him. And I—l don't know where Mr. Kevesten is, sir. Nor where Mr. Tress is."' "I thought they were at Brighton," said Hextall. " No, eir! I told Miss Paquita that— I had to tell her something to keep her quiet. Mr. Kevesten went away at noon yesterday, and he telephoned to Mr. Trees about seven last night, and Mr. Tress had a couple of suit-cases packed, and went off in a car somewhere or other to meet him, I expect. But I don't know where they are. What am I to do if this man comes again, sir?" "Do yon* know him?" asked Hextall. "No, eif, I don't. There's a certain set of 'em that's come here to play, but he's not one of them—he'd nev«r been here before that night. I neither knew him nor the other man—he'd never been before, either. Mr. Kesteven brought both of them — the three came in just after Mr. and Mise Tress had come back from the theatre." "You don't even know their names?" " Don't even know that, sir. 1 know a lot — a big lot! —of gentleman about town, but I'd never set eyes on either of those two before—never. ,, "Was it any considerable amount of money that was in question?" asked HextaU. Fowler smiled. "I saw several hundred pound banknotes among it before Mr. Kevesten picked it up, eir," he answered. been playing high sir—very hjgh indeed— I never saw anything like it —sometimes. Of course, it's not my place to make remarks, but I've drawn my.own eonclusionß, and it's high, time Mr. Trees was protected. ,, • w •' - v.

"From—whom?" asked HextaU. He was hating- and loathing all this sordid revelation, and he felt a certain nausea in asking the question—but not far off was Paquita, and the remembrance of hie. promise to her was strong in his mind. The -valet, made a grimace and shook bis head. "Keeteven!" he said. "Keeteven! He's got hold of my young master, and he'e plucking him —like you'd pluck a chicken!" HextaU looked at the valet in silence I for a moment. He - knew that servants of this class were adepts in knowledge of what -went on -amongst the masters they served; Fowler looked old enough to be the depository of many secrets. 3%ere was a knowing gleam in the eye .which he turned on the young doctor as he spoke of Kesteven, and Hextall, much as he disliked doing it, could not forbear from taking the hint. "Sinie you've said co muA," he observed, '*I may as weU teU you ttiat Mias Tress has been complaining to mc about the influence which Mr. Kesteven exerte on her brother. She seems to think it " Fowler toughed a little. ''Oh, I know, sir! Ie been down at Lynne Court—several times. I've pitied Mire Paquita from the bottom of. my heart. Cm—yes!" "Do you know anything of ■Mγ. Keeteven?" asked Hextall. "You say yon know a lot of men about town. Bid you know him when he came here first?" "Oddly enough, eir—no! I have known a lot of his sort, in my time"—you know, sir, the sort of men who fasten on to rich young fellows, and stick to them like leeches till they've hied 'em dry— hawks, ac they used to call 'em -when I was younger. But I didn't know him —and what's still queerer, none of my triends know hhn. WeVe talked —as gentlemen's servants do talk, sir, whether anybody knows it or not—and none of us knows him. We can't recall him or place him. I've friends who know every man of that sort in the West End, and I've pointed Keeteven out to them; nobody recognises him." Hextall felt that he was in for farreaching matters by thie time, and he began to ask further questions without scruple. "Do you know how and when Mr. Trese met him?" he inquired. "~Sot for certain, sir," replied Fowler. "That it—ac to how they met. 1 know when it was. Mr. Trese had just engaged mc; he had a euite of rooms at the Carlton Hotel at that time, last January. He went to the steeplechases at Newbury for a couple of days and stayed at Reading—T didn't go with him. ae I'd a violent cold. He brought Kfoteven back—and Kesteven's never lpft him since. That was when they met, sir: but as to how they met, 6r who made them known to each other, 1 don't know. I expect they just picked each other vp —on the racecourse." "I daresay you can anewer a question that is possibly very pertinent," remarked Hextall. "In what condition waKeeteven when he came? I mean—how did he present himself to you? Was he well dressed—did he seem to be in good circumstances?" The valet laughed snecringly. "He was well droeeed enough, sir," he answered, "but it was aU the suit be had; a first class tweed. That, and a smart overcoat, and a small suit-case, filled witli good linen and dressing appointments, wae all he ever brought to us. But," he added, with a wink, ">he'd plenty within a fortnights-more than a dozen suit-cases like his would have held!"

"You mean—at •Mγ. Tress' expense? ,, suggested Hextall. "Just so, sir—at Mr. Treas , erpennft. I know, of course, because tradesmen talk. Mr. Tress took him round to aU his ' tradesmen —tailors, hosiers, shoemakers, hatters—they all sent'their bills to Mr. Tress, liord bless t<oo, air!" concluded Fowler. "Why, tiim isn't a man goes down Piccadilly whofe better dressed than Keeteven! Oh, he's feathering his neat—there's no doubt about that! A cool hand, sir, and a derer one. (Likes a good glass of wine, and knows what is good, but never touches a drink between meals, and never takes more than a -very modest amount with bis meals. He's not the eort that -wants brandy-and-soda or a half-bottle of champagne first thing in * morning— China tea's his mark, or good coffee. When a man's only capital is brain, sir —eh?" "You mean that Keeteven knows how to take care of his?" said HextaU, smiling. "So man better, sir. He'e always got his wits about him. Pre noticed that when they're going to play, here at night, or down at 'Lynne Court, Kesteven never eren drinks at dinner. Not ike?—a mouthful of mineral water, with a eqaeeze of lemon in it, in all he wants." "There is one think I cant quite make oet," observed HextaH. "I don* understand his encouraging Mr. Tress to drink." Fowler shook his head. "He doesnt sir,—Kl wy that lor him,"- he answered frankly. "Miss Paquita blames him for that, but she's •wrong. The truth is, sir, Mr. Tress had got on to that game before Keeteven came on the scene- When I first came to him, he'd been alone for some time in that suite of rooms he had at the Carlton, and I found that he'd got into the habit of having a pint of champagne as soon as he got up. He's got past that, sir—it's brandy-and-soda—strong, now. No! —that's not Kesteven's fault. My own opinion is—but perhaps no right to give it-" "Say what you think," said HextaU. "It wSI go no further." "Well, I think that Keeteven sees 'how thing* are, and he's ""*tH*»g a puree for himself as fast as ever he can," replied the valet. "And that's why I don't understand his bringing those other two men here the other night— and not settling up with the dark fellow who came back laet evening. I know all the men who've come here except those two—them I don't know, and I'm certain there's some mystery about them, and about that night. 'Now, what am I to do, sir, if that man returns? Shall I warn " Just then a ring sounded from the outer door of the flat. Fowler excused himself and went to answer it. A 'moment later he returned, shaking his head. "He's here again, doctor!" he whispered. "He's at the door now, and the other man is with him." (To be continued Saturday next.)