The Rat Trap.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 21 December 1928, Page 16

The Rat Trap.

" STAR ” NEW SERIAL.

By WILLIAM LE QUEUX Author of “ The House of Evil,” “ The Scarlet Sign,” “ The Black Ore,” etc. CHAPTER SEVEN** It was some tifne before the ring at the bell was answered. Then, after a second summons, the door tvas opened by a very dignified butler who wore the old-fashioned side-whiskers, eschewing the more modern method of cleanshaving. Aylmer decided from his experience that this pleasant-looking person was a choice thing in butlers. He was respectful without being in the least servile. He took from the young man his hat and coat £nd showed him into the drawing-room, where somewhat to his surprise, he found Eileen alone.

She rose, with just a faint suspicion of colour in her cheek; no doubt she was thinking of their last meeting in the Soho restaurant and had not quite got over a certain guilty feeling. “Welcome to The Laurels,” she said in her pretty, cheerful voice. ‘‘Richard will be back presently' to echo my welcome. But he has been called away for a few moments to attend to some rather tiresome business. You must put up with me till he appears.” How charming she was, he thought. What a knack she had of saying little depreciating things of herself which rather provoked a compliment. He answered her in a similar vein. “I shall be delighted to see Mr Quentin when he comes, but he has left a more than efficient substitute.” The dignified butler presently appeared with tea and a decanter of whisky. The hostess put a question to him: “Is Mr Quentin likely to be long, Dicks?” Dicks answered her in a deep, mellow voice, “I am not quite sure, ma'am. Perhaps it would be better not to wait. And besides, he never takes tea.” Naturally, this capable man was well acquainted with the habits of the household, and could give sound advice. Eileen turned to her guest. “Tea, Mr Aylmer, or would you prefer a whisky and soda?” Aylmer declared for the more harmless beverage. Eileen seemed pleased at his choice. “I noticed when we w’ere at Ostend, you were what I should call an abstemious sort of man,” she said, speaking rather more seriously than was her usual custom. “ I am very glad of it, for your own sake and that of others who are connected with you. In this house things are a bit the other way, too much so for my liking. Richard, in spite of that quaint manner of his, is a very temperamental person. He is always in a states of nerves, and they require soothing, with that ” —she pointed with a contemptuous gesture to the decanter. “ You heard Dicks say he never takes tea. When he does put in an appearance, he will pour himself out a very liberal dose of whisky.” Another small revelation about the master of the house. And yet, was it quite a revelation? During their sojourn abroad together, Aylmer had remarked that Quentin was a heavy drinker, not only at meals with the stimulus of food, but during the way. “And the few people who find their way here,” went on Eileen in the same serious voice, “ seem to be troubled with a similar weakness. And it runs through the house, the servants drink. Dicks is a most excellent servant, and never forgets himself, but that flush on his cheek is more than a symptom of good health. And his master puts temptation in his way.” She was letting him into the inner secrets pf the establishment with a rather embarrassing frankness. he thought. But later on at dinner he had an opportunity of understanding what she meant.

The drawing-room, a long, low-ceil-inged apartment of considerable size, looked out upon the front garden. Aylmer could look right down to the gate. He kept his eyes open, expectiny to see shortly the shabbily-dressed figure of the man with the refined face emerging on his way out from the kitchen quarters. But many minutes passed and there was no sign of the man who had so arrested his attention. Probably some out-at-elbows relation of one of the servants, who had dropped in for refreshment of some sort. It was evidently a very hospitable house. From what Eileen had let fall, the servants could do much as they pleased under the rule of a too indulgent master. Half an hour passed. Nobody came down the garden, and the host had not put in an appearance. Aylmer by no means resented his absence, as he much preferred to be alone with the charming young woman; but he could not help thinking it was somewhat strange behaviour on a first visit. He had been especially asked to come early, and Quentin should, surely, have been there to receive him.

The suspicion* of what her guest must be thinking seemed to arouse in Eileen a growing embarrassment. At length, unable to contain herself, she rose, and rang the bell sharply. She spoke in an irritated tone to the butler when he answered the summons. “ Please ask Mr Quentin if he will be very much longer. We have finished tea. Mr Aylmer has been here for over half an hour.” In a few minutes Dicks returned. Mr Quentin sent his most sincere apologies to his guest. He would be with them directly. But it was a good ten minutes after that message before he put in an appearance, and during that period the man with the limp had not shown himself. Somehow Aylmer could not help associating his host's absence with that rather sinister-looking person. When he arrived, he was full of contrition and cordiality. As soon as the greetings were over, he stretched out his hand to the decanter, and poured out a very liheral allowance of spirit, to which he added a quite small measure of soda-water. This he drained at one long gulp, and as he held the glass to his mouth, Aylmer noticed that his hand trembled. The young man fancied that his whole demeanour, since he had entered the room, evinced traces of some unusual inward agitation.

He seated himself in an easv-chair, and began to talk in a rapid, jerky fashion. “ I suppose one cannot' escape small annoyances in this world. One shuts oneself up like a recluse, excludes commonplace persons from one’s life, only opens one’s doors to people

with whom one feels a certain measure of affinity. And yet, careful as one may be, one can never wholly escape from disturbing things.” (To be continued.)