Oh, carpenter, show that you know your trade, That so to sleep I may soon be laid!"
Half-way up the mountain-road, Arthur overtook the buggy and cantered alongside.
"You"re looking pretty cheap, old man," he said; "better come to dinner to-night, and see if we can"t cheer you up--7.30 as usual!"
"Thanks! I think I will," answered Lancelot. "I don"t feel particularly bright!"
Immediately after dessert Guinevere retired, leaving her husband and their guest together.
As Lancelot drew his handkerchief from his pocket, a letter came with it and fell unnoticed to the floor.
On rising Arthur saw it and picked it up. He read it without apology, and as he did so his face set. Then he politely handed it to his guest, saying,--
"I must beg your pardon, this is evidently your property!"
Lancelot did not speak, but sank back in his chair while the other continued,--"This is really a most unfortunate affair; and so my wife is about to dishonour my name, in order to devote herself more exclusively to the care of your health?"
"The fault is mine," stammered Lancelot, "only mine!"
"My dear fellow, not at all. Judging from that letter, she is in love with you--possibly she is right. We won"t argue that matter. She seems fond of playing the _role_ of St. Mary Magdala."
"What do you mean to do?"
"Turn her out of my house to-night, or settle the matter with you!"
"Settle with me; but for G.o.d"s sake spare her!"
"Very well! Let us discuss the question quietly. As you know, I do not believe in what is called sentiment, and fortunately I am able to say, with a clear conscience, that I am not in love with my wife. Probably if I were, I should act otherwise. Now, what I propose is, that chance shall decide for us whether my wife leaves Australia, as she suggests, with you, or whether you go alone concealing your destination and promising never to communicate in any way with her again. Both are unpleasant alternatives, but my gain is, that in either case I shall be rid of you!"
"Good G.o.d, man, what an unholy arrangement! Supposing I refuse?"
"For her sake you cannot. I a.s.sure you I should turn her out of my house to-night!"
"But will you treat her kindly if I agree?"
"Isn"t that rather a curious question from you to me? You must see that it depends entirely on her. Do you agree to my proposal?"
"G.o.d help me, I have no alternative!"
There was a long pause, during which Guinevere"s music came faintly from the drawing-room.
"Very well; in that case, we had better decide at once. What is my wife playing?"
"An Andante and Scherzo of Beethoven"s."
"Do you know it?"
"Thoroughly."
"Then you have that much in your favour. See, here, it is just three and a half minutes to nine by that clock. If she stops before the first stroke of the hour, I win, and she stays with me, and _vice versa_. Do you agree?"
"I cannot do otherwise. G.o.d help her; it is all my fault!"
"Not at all, I a.s.sure you. Let us make ourselves comfortable. Will you try that port? No? You are foolish; it is an excellent vintage. Ah! one minute gone! What a lovely melody it is; and she plays it charmingly.
The laughter of the Scherzo is delicious! May I trouble you for that decanter? Thank you! Two minutes gone. It appears as if my luck is going to fail me at last. Well, it can"t be helped. I don"t know which of us will be the gainer by the change. By the way, let me recommend you to go to Europe, and you might winter in Algiers; the climate you will find most ben----Ah! she has stopped. Well, I am afraid, Mr. Haywood, Fate has decided _against_ you. Shall I order your carriage?"
Lancelot did not answer save by a little convulsive gasp. Then a little trickle of blood ran from his lips down his chin. The excitement had been too much for him; the frail cord that bound him to life had snapped, and he was dead.
The Story of Tommy Dodd and "The Rooster"
"Keep back, in the yellow! Come up, on Oth.e.l.lo!
Hold hard, on the chestnut! Turn round, on The Drag: Keep back there, on Spartan! Back, you, sir, in tartan!
So! steady there! easy! and down went the flag."
--Adam Lindsay Gordon.
Men in all ranks of society, from cabinet ministers to hotel clerks, are apt to underestimate the true importance of Little Things. Women never do, because it is their business in life to overestimate everything.
Though these statements may seem paradoxical, when you"ve studied the sad history of Tommy Dodd and "The Rooster," my meaning will be as clear as noonday.
Jack Medway"s Love Affair was a case in point; for if he had paid proper attention to small matters, he would not have cuffed "The Rooster" in Bourke Street, nor emphasized the insult by calling him a "dirty brat"; then most a.s.suredly he would have married the girl of his heart, instead of a certain vivacious widow who now bullies his life away. Of course people bursting with common sense will deem it impossible that a rebuke given to a street-arab in Melbourne could affect the destinies of four people three years afterwards in North Queensland; nevertheless, without a shadow of doubt, such was the case. Just let me explain a little before you watch the course of events for yourself.
In the first place, Tommy Dodd was a racehorse, and one who had earned fame for himself on every course in Victoria from Mosquito Creek to Cape Howe. That he was not originally intended for the turf was evident from the fact that he made his first appearance in Government employ; and it was not until he had nearly killed four telegraph messengers and two important citizens that he was deemed unfit for the public service. Then he was put up to auction, and Lazarus Levi secured him for a quarter of his real value. He was a most accommodating quadruped, and with not more than nine-stone-six on his back was able, when his owner so desired, to make even crack performers look ridiculous. He had one fault, however, and that was----But I"ll tell you about that directly.
"The Rooster" was another curiosity. His body was the body of a child, his face was the face of a lad; but his knowledge of the world, and the racing world in particular, could only have been gained in generations of experience. A great love for Tommy Dodd, and an intense hatred for the before-mentioned Mr. John Medway, of Barcoola Station, were among other of his peculiarities.
Now it so happened that after Jack Medway was appointed manager of Barcoola, he fell in love. I don"t push this forward as anything extraordinary; but, as the statement of the fact is necessary to the proper narration of this story, I am bound to repeat, Jack Medway was in love, and Gerty Morris was the object of his affection. He also _respected_ a dashing widow, named Leversidge.
The trouble dates from the issue of the first advertis.e.m.e.nts in connection with the Barcoola Races. At this yearly festival every owner, manager, jackeroo and rouseabout, within a hundred miles of the course, makes it a point of honour to be present. Then, for the s.p.a.ce of a week, life is one whirl of shows, picnics, dances, and meetings. But above all the races reigned supreme.
One Sunday afternoon in Dr. Morris"s verandah The Ladies" Bracelet was discussed, and Gerty Morris half hinted that Medway should enter a horse for it in her name. Naturally he jumped at the chance, and after summing up the strength of the most likely entries, cast about him for a nag.
(At this point the curtain should fall upon Act I., with rosy limelight effects, suggestive of Dawning Love and High Ideas.)
When an owner runs a horse to suit his book he should not grumble if his method is discovered; for stewards do _sometimes_ see crooked running, and when they do they are apt to make things troublesome for that owner.
Perhaps the proprietor of Tommy Dodd had met with some misfortune of this sort, for that sagacious animal suddenly disappeared from the southern racing world, and was seen therein no more.
A month later a mob of horses came up to Queensland, and at the sale a long, lolloping chestnut gelding, name unknown, was knocked down to Medway for twenty pounds. Though he was not aware of the fact, he was now the owner of the famous Tommy Dodd.
After the sale, driving home from the township, Beverley, of Kimona, nearly annihilated a drunken atom lying on the track. He picked him up and drove on. Next day, ascertaining that he possessed racing experience, he put him on to exercise The Gift. The Gift was his entry for The Bracelet, under the nomination of an _unknown_ Alice Brown, in whom everybody, of course, recognised the before-mentioned Miss Gertrude Morris. That atom was "The Rooster," who had followed Tommy Dodd from the south. And here again Fate played up against Jack Medway.