Charles Rex

by Ethel M. Dell

  CHAPTER X

  THE MYSTERY

  It was late that evening that Bunny strolled forth alone to smoke areminiscent pipe along his favourite glade of larches in Burchester Park.He went slowly through the summer dusk, his hands behind him, his eyesfixed ahead. He had had his way with Toby. She had promised to marry himas soon as old Bishop's retirement left the house in the hollow at hisdisposal. But somehow, though he had gained his end, he was not consciousof elation. Sheila Melrose's words had disturbed him no less than Toby'sown peculiar interpretation of them. There was a very strong instinct offair play in Bunny Brian, and, now that he had won his point, he wasassailed by a grave doubt as to whether he were acting fairly towards thegirl. She was young, but then many girls marry young. It was not reallyher youth that mattered; neither, when he came to sift the matter, was itthe fact that she had had so little opportunity of seeing the world. Butit was something in Toby's eyes, something in Sheila's manner, that gavehim pause. He asked himself, scarcely knowing why, if it would not befairer after all to wait.

  He wished that he could have consulted Jake, but yet it would have beendifficult to put his misgivings into definite words. Jake was a brick andunderstood most things, but he was away for another week at least.

  The thought of the girl's father crossed his mind, only to be instantlydismissed. Even if he had been within reach, Captain Larpent's sternlyunapproachable exterior would have held him back. He was inclined to likethe man, but he could not feel that Toby's welfare was, or ever had been,of paramount importance to him. He had thoughts only for his yacht.

  Bunny began to reflect moodily that life was a more complicated affairthan he had ever before imagined, and, reaching this point, he alsoreached the gate by the copse and became aware of cigar-smoke dominatingthe atmosphere above the scent of his own now burnt-out pipe.

  He removed the pipe from his mouth and looked around him.

  "Hullo!" said a voice he knew. "Do I intrude?"

  Saltash stepped suddenly out of the shadow of the larches and met himwith outstretched hand.

  "Hullo!" said Bunny, with a start.

  A quick smile of welcome lighted his face, and Saltash's eyes flashed inanswer. He gripped the boy's hand with fingers that closed like springs.

  "What are you doing here?" he said.

  "Just what I was going to ask you," said Bunny. "I often come here in theevening. It's my favourite look-out. But you--"

  "I do the same for the same reason," said Saltash.

  "I thought you were far away on the high seas," said Bunny.

  Saltash laughed. "Well, I was. But I don't stay there, my good Bunny._The Blue Moon_ developed engine trouble--nothing very serious, but webrought her back to recuperate. You can never tell what you may be infor on a first voyage. Also, I was curious to see how affairs here wereprogressing. How goes it, _mon ami_? Is all well?"

  "Well enough," said Bunny.

  Saltash linked a friendly hand in his arm. "Have you and Nonette settledwhen to get married yet?"

  Bunny stiffened momentarily, as if his instinct were to resent the kindlyenquiry. But the next instant he relaxed again with impulsive confidence."Well, it is more or less settled," he said. "But I'm wondering--youknow, Charlie, she's rather young to be married, isn't she? She hasn'tseen much of the world so far. You don't think it's shabby, do you, tomarry her before she's had the same sort of chances as other girls?"

  "Good heavens, no!" said Saltash. He gave Bunny an odd look from underbrows that were slightly twisted. "What made you think of that?" heasked.

  Bunny's face was red. He leaned his arms on the gate and looked outacross the valley. "Sheila Melrose put it to me this afternoon," he said,"though I must admit it had crossed my mind before. She hasn't met manypeople, you know, Charlie. And--as I said--she's young. I don't want totake an unfair advantage."

  "Life is too short to think of these things," said Saltash abruptly."Marry her while you can get her and don't be an ass about it! If I haddone the same thing in my youth, I should have been better off than I amat present."

  Bunny smiled a little. "You would probably have been wishing you'd donethe other thing by this time."

  "Much you know about it!" returned Saltash with a whimsical frown. "Nowlook here! What I've really come back for is to see you married. All thispreliminary messing about is nothing but a weariness to the flesh. Get itover, man! There's nothing on earth to wait for. Larpent's willingenough. In fact, he agrees with me--the sooner the better."

  "He would!" said Bunny with a touch of bitterness.

  "Well, you can't ask for anything better," maintained Saltash. "He's gothis job, and he's not what you could call a family man. He's not a wastereither, so you needn't put on any damned airs, _mon vieux_."

  "I didn't!" said Bunny hotly.

  Saltash laughed, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Look here! I'mtalking for the good of your soul. Don't take any more advice--certainlynot Sheila Melrose's! You go straight ahead and marry her! You've gotmoney, I know, but I hope you won't chuck your job on that account. Stickto it, and you shall have the Dower House to live in while I yet cumberthe ground, and Burchester Castle as soon as I'm under it!"

  "What?" said Bunny. He turned almost fiercely. "Charlie! Stop it! You'retalking rot. You always do. I don't want your beastly castle. You've gotto marry and get an heir of your own. I'm damned if I'm going to beadopted by you!"

  Saltash was laughing carelessly, mockingly, yet there was about him atthe moment a certain royal self-assurance that made itself felt. "You'lldo as you're told, _mon ami_. And you'll take what the gods send withoutany cavilling. As for me, I go my own way. I shall never marry. I shallnever have an heir of my own blood. Burchester means more to you than itdoes to me. Therefore Burchester will pass to you at my death. Think youand Toby will be happy here?"

  "Damn it!" said Bunny, still fiercely disconcerted. "You talk as if youwere going to die to-morrow."

  "Oh, probably not," said Saltash airily. "But I doubt if I live to arakish old age. I'm a man that likes taking chances, and those who dicewith the high gods are bound to throw a blank some day." For a moment themockery died down in his eyes, and he looked more nearly serious thanBunny had ever seen him. He patted the shoulder under his hand. "Life israther a rotten old show when you've tried everything and come to theend," he said. "And you know for a damn' certainty that you'll nevertaste any good fruit again. But you will never know what that feels like,_mon ami_. You've had the sense to play a straight game, and you'll findit pays in the long run. Jake taught you that, eh? You may thank yourown particular lucky star that you had him for a brother-in-law insteadof me."

  "Don't talk rot!" said Bunny gruffly.

  Saltash stretched up his arms with a laugh. "No, we'll talk sense--goodsquare sense. I take it you'll continue to manage the estate for thepresent? If you get bored, we'll find an agent, but I'm satisfied withthings as they are. We'll go round and have a look at the old DowerHouse to-morrow. It has a fairly decent position, you know,--overlooksGraydown. That ought to please you both."

  Bunny turned upon him. "Oh, confound it, Charlie!" he said. "I can't talkabout this. I couldn't possibly take it. You're too damned generous. I'venever done anything to deserve it."

  "Oh yes, you have!" said Saltash unexpectedly, "you've done a good manythings for me. You have always been the _bon ami_ whatever I did--fromyour childhood upwards." His dark face laughed with friendly warmth intothe boy's troubled eyes. "Always stuck up for me, haven't you, Bunny?" hesaid.

  "Oh, but that's rot," objected Bunny. "A man is bound to stick up for hispals."

  "Even though he knows they're not worth it?" laughed Saltash. "Yes,that's just what I like about you. It's the one point on which we touch.But I'm not sure that even you would stick up for me if you knewprecisely what sort of rotter you were sticking up for."

  "Oh, shut up!" said Bunny.

  "_Bien, mon cher!_ We return to your affairs. Have you put up the bannsyet? I presume you will allow me
to be best man? Get it over soon, Ibeseech you! I can't stay here indefinitely. As a matter of fact, I'mdue in Scotland at the present moment. Can't you fix it up immediately?And you can have the little car and leave of absence till you've got overit. Old Bishop can run this show till the winter. Maud can fit up theDower House for you. And I shall feel at liberty to roam the desert oncemore--unencumbered."

  "You're jolly decent to me!" said Bunny.

  "Think so?" Saltash's brows twitched humorously. "I seem to bedeveloping a taste for worthy deeds. But there's no reason on earth whyyou two shouldn't get married and done for as soon as possible. I'll seeLarpent to-night and tell him, and you can go and see the parson about itto-morrow. You'll find Nonette won't put any obstacles in the way. She'sa good child and does as she's told."

  "No, Toby won't mind," Bunny said, with a sudden memory of her quicksurrender flooding his soul. "By Jove, Charlie! You are a good sort tohelp me like this. There's no one else that can get things moving as youcan."

  "Oh, you can count on me for that," laughed Saltash. "I never was adrifter. Life is too short. We'll meet again to-morrow then. Come anddine if you like, and tell me what you've arranged! Good night!" Heturned in his sudden fashion. "Good luck to you!"

  He was gone upon the words, vanishing into the larches almost noiselesslyas he had come, and Bunny was left alone.

  He stood motionless at the gate for some time longer gazing out over thequiet, night-wrapt down. There was no elation in his attitude, only adeep thoughtfulness. He had never understood Charlie though oddly enoughhe had always believed in him. But to-night for the first time a curiousdoubt pierced his mind--a doubt that recurred again and again, banishingall sense of exultation. Why had Charlie returned like this? Why was heso eager to meddle in this affair? Why so recklessly generous? He had astrong feeling that there was something behind it all, some motiveunrealized, some spur goading him, of which he, Bunny, might not approveif he came to know of it. He wished he could fathom the matter. It wasunlike Saltash to take so much trouble over anything. He felt as if insome inexplicable fashion he were being tricked.

  He put the thought from him, but he could not drive it away. Just as hehad felt himself baffled a little earlier by Toby, so now he felt thesame inability to comprehend Saltash. He seemed to be groping at a lockeddoor, feeling and feeling for a key, that always eluded him. And again hewished that Jake was within reach.

  He turned homewards at length, dissatisfied and ill at ease, yet callinghimself a fool for scenting a mystery that did not exist.