The Hundredth Chance

by Ethel M. Dell

  CHAPTER XXVI

  THE DEED OF GIFT

  "Oh, isn't it good to be home again?" said Bunny. "Isn't it just good?"

  They sat before the blazing fire in the parlour after a late supper,drinking Mrs. Lovelace's rhubarb wine and enjoying the glow.

  Maud's cheeks were flushed and her eyes very bright. She did not look ather husband very often, and there was that about her manner that seemedto suggest that she was striving against considerable odds to appear ather ease.

  "How are the animals, Jake?" she asked. "How is The Hundredth Chance?"

  Jake on the other side of the fire was lying back in his chair with acigarette between his lips. His gaitered legs were stretched out beforehim, and eyes fixed downwards as if he were half-asleep. He did notstir from this attitude as he made reply.

  "They're all going strong. You must see them for yourself in themorning."

  His words did not seem to invite any further development of the subject.Perhaps he really was sleepy. Maud bent to fondle Chops who lay on thehearth at her feet, and asked no more.

  But Bunny at once plunged into the silence. He had not permitted anysilences during supper, having plainly determined that the eveningshould not drag. He also was a little fevered in his animation, a factwhich made Jake's absolute calmness of demeanour all the more marked. Hehad been getting quieter and quieter ever since the removal of thesupper things.

  Bunny fought against this quietness, talking with a nervous excitementthat elicited only occasional low replies from Maud and none at all fromJake.

  But it was Jake who finally at the striking of the clock broke in uponhis insistent chatter. "Time you went to bed, my son. Say good nightand go!"

  A quick word sprang at once to Bunny's lips, but Jake's hand abruptlygripped his knee hard and he swallowed it unspoken. He got up with asomewhat wry smile.

  "Yes, all right. I'll go. But I don't generally clear out beforeeleven, do I, Maud?"

  "You do in my house, whatever you do in Maud's," said Jakeimperturbably. "Good night, my son! pleasant dreams to you!"

  He looked up at Bunny with a sudden, kindly smile, and Bunny bentimpulsively to him.

  "Say, Jake, come and see me presently, when--when you come up yourself!"

  The request was proffered in an undertone with unmistakable nervousness.Jake looked him straight in the eyes.

  "All right," he said.

  The door closed upon Bunny, and there fell a silence.

  Maud sat very still, her hands clasped in her lap. But there was norepose in her attitude, only a dumb tension that seemed to indicatesuspense.

  Jake leaned forward slowly, at length, took the cigarette from his mouthand dropped it into the heart of the fire. Then, without looking at her,he spoke.

  "What's the matter with the little chap?"

  She looked across at him quickly, from beneath eyelids that slightlyfluttered. "Is there anything the matter with him? I didn't notice."

  "He was nearly crying when he said good night, anyway," said Jake.

  "Oh, was he! Perhaps he thought--perhaps he thought--you were vexedwith him," murmured Maud.

  "Why should he think that?" Jake's eyes, piercingly bright, suddenlymet hers.

  She winced involuntarily, as one might wince from the glare of asearchlight. Then, with a visible effort, she met them. "Jake," shesaid, "I--want to talk to you."

  Jake's eyes fell away from her. They went with a sombre directness tothe fire and became fixed. "About your affairs, my girl?" he said.

  She hesitated momentarily; then: "Our affairs, Jake," she said, hervoice very low.

  He jerked his head as if to indicate attention, but he said nothingfurther. It remained for her to proceed, and she did so, slowly, as ifcarefully weighing each word.

  "You have left me a free hand in the settling of Uncle Edward's affairs,and Mr. Craven is a very clever business man. I know Uncle Edwardtrusted him implicitly. But I should like you to know everything thathas been done--that is, if you care to know." She paused a moment."You do care, don't you, Jake?" she said.

  "I care for your welfare, my girl," he made answer. "Not being yourtrustee, it's not essential that I should be told every detail."

  "I wish you were a trustee," she said.

  He bent his head. "Thanks. But I don't know that I am especially wellsuited to be. It's better for you, I reckon, to have--a free hand. Andit's a mighty lot better that you should have a man of education toattend to your business affairs."

  "Jake!" There was quick pain in her voice, pain that he could not failto note. She leaned forward, stretching a hand to him across thehearth. "Jake!" she said again very earnestly. "Do you thinkthat--that I shall ever forget--that I owe you--everything?"

  He took her hand, but with a curious doggedness he kept his eyesaverted. "I guess we're quits," he said. "You don't owe me anything.I took my payment for all I ever gave you."

  There was no bitterness in his voice, no emotion of any sort. The claspof his fingers was no more than kind. His mouth looked stubborn.

  But a strange sort of stubbornness seemed to have entered into Maudalso. She kept her hand in his.

  "I take--another view," she said. "I don't think any man--has everdone--more for a woman--than you have done--for me." Haltingly thewords came, but she spoke them bravely. "It's a big, big debt,Jake--immeasurably big,--a personal debt that can never be repaid. Ifeel--contemptible--whenever I think of it." Her voice shook.

  Jake's fingers closed upon hers with a quiet strength. "You've no callto feel like that," he said.

  Her hand clung to his suddenly, desperately. "You--believe in me,Jake?" she whispered.

  His face did not vary. "I guess I've proved that," he said verysteadily.

  She uttered a sharp, catching sigh. "Yes--yes! That is another debt.But till--till that night you came to me at Uncle Edward's--I wasnever--quite--sure."

  "Why weren't you sure?" He put the question abruptly, with aninsistence that demanded an instant reply. But still he did not look ather. His eyes gazed ever straight into the fire.

  Tremulously she answered him. "I met Charlie--Lord Saltash--the morningafter--down at 'The Anchor.' He said--he said--you wouldn't be--such afool. That was why I went away."

  "Damn him!" The words burst from Jake with terrific violence. Hesprang to his feet as a man goaded beyond all bearing. "Curse him!" hesaid, his face gone white with passion. "May his soul rot in----"

  "Jake!" The name was a cry, breaking through the fierce rush of hisfury. Maud was on her feet also. She held him by the shoulders, in avital, quivering hold. "You are not to say it!" she said and her facewas close to his, compelling him to silence. "You are not to curse him!A curse comes back--comes back!"

  She put one hand on his mouth, for he seemed on the verge of breakingforth afresh. She looked him full in the eyes.

  "You're not to, Jake!" she said. "I won't have it. You who havebeen--so splendidly generous--can afford to leave a beaten enemy alone.Ah,--Jake!"

  For his arms were round her, gripping her. The naked soul of the manwas looking into hers. With a supreme impulse, she took her hand awayand gave her lips to his, surrendered herself wholly to the fierypassion that had suddenly blazed forth upon her.

  But in a moment his arms were loosened. He went back against themantelpiece as though he had been struck a blow between the eyes. Hestood motionless, his mouth working but uttering no word.

  She stood before him, pale to the lips but not without a certainstrength. She had offered, and he had not taken. But yet her doubtswere set at rest. Perhaps for the first time in her life she faced himwholly unafraid.

  "So--we will leave him out of it," she said, breathing fast. "Hehas--ceased to count."

  Jake moved, pulled himself together. "You must forgive me," he said."Maybe you'd be wise to leave me I shall be--saner--presently."

  She put one hand agai
nst his breast. "No, Jake, no. You're going to besane now. Sit down again! Let us finish our talk!"

  He looked at her with the red light still smouldering in his eyes.After a moment he took her wrist with a grip in which passion lingered."I'm trying to act fair by you, my girl," he said, with a faint smilethat somehow touched her heart. "It seems to me you've never had achance--not a real chance--all your life. What with Bunny--andme--and--and--Saltash"--his mouth twisted over the name--"you've beenhandicapped right and left. That's why I've sworn to myself that Iwon't interfere with you anymore. You shall have a free hand--a freehand. This money of yours makes it possible. Play with it, spend it,enjoy yourself! Be happy, my girl, be happy! I won't step in toprevent it."

  Maud's eyes were suddenly full of tears, yet she laughed. "You've swornto give me a free hand?" she said.

  He nodded. "Sure."

  Her other hand clasped his quickly, pleadingly. "Then, Jake, you won'tbe angry if--if--I decide to do something that--that you maynot--altogether--like?"

  "It's your money," said Jake doggedly.

  "Yes--yes. And--I have your permission--your unreserved consent--to--todo what I like with it?"

  Her voice quivered. She was clinging to him almost unconsciously.

  He stood steadily facing her. He had forced his passion down again, butthere was tension about him still. "My girl," he said, "if you want toturn it all into paper and make a bonfire of it,--I shan't object."

  "Oh, I don't want to do that," she said, and again she faintly laughedthough in her laughter there was a sound of tears. "I felt just atfirst--just at first--that I didn't want it. But I've got over that,though I've come to the conclusion that there's no fun to be got out ofmoney unless there's someone to enjoy it with you. And so--and so--"she became a little breathless and her hands pressed his inagitation--"I'm making over half of it to you--by deed of gift. Please,Jake, please--you don't mind?"

  "What?" said Jake. He raised his tawny brows, staring at her for aninstant in sheer, overwhelming amazement; then they came downuncompromisingly in a thick straight line above his eyes. He put herhands away from him gently but with the utmost decision. He turnedhimself from her and bent to pick up the poker. Then, as he stirred thefire, with his face in the glow he spoke briefly, almost roughly. "Idon't know if you're joking or in earnest; but that's the one thing thatI can't--and won't--consent to. So I reckon that's all there is to it."

  "Jake!" There was consternation in her voice, bitter disappointment,keen pain. "Oh, Jake," she said, "you can't mean to refuse--like that!"

  "How did you expect me to refuse?" said Jake, without turning.

  She answered him chokingly. "Not as if--as if--I had insulted you."

  He dropped the poker and straightened himself. "Maybe you didn't intendany insult," he said. "But you don't credit me with an over-allowanceof self-respect, do you?"

  She did not answer him, for she could not. She stood fighting forself-control, striving to collect her scattered forces, but sooverwhelmingly distressed that she could not attempt to withstand him.

  He turned round to her slowly at length. "Say, Maud," he said,something of the old kindliness in his tone, "we won't talk any moreabout it. Guess it's an impossible subject. You'll know me better nexttime."

  She struggled for utterance with lips that trembled piteously; her eyeswere brimming with tears. Finally, with a small, hopeless gesture, sheturned away, moved across the room blindly, found the door andfumblingly opened it.

  "Good night!" she whispered then in a voice that was scarcely audible,and in another moment the door closed without sound behind her.

  She was gone. Jake's mouth set itself in a hard, straight line. Hesquared his shoulders with the instinctive movement of a man facingodds. He began to feel with brutal deliberation for his cigarette-case.

  The rasp of his match made a short, indignant sound in the quiet room.It was like a sharp protest. The smell of his tobacco began to dominatethe atmosphere. He smoked furiously.

  Suddenly there came a check. The cigarette had ceased to draw. Heground his teeth on it, turned, and spat it into the flames. It hissedand vanished.

  Then Jake abruptly lifted his clenched hands above, his head and swore afrightful oath that comprehended himself, the world, and all things init, in one vast anathema.