按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
connection of her own with Pillin。 Clearly young Pillin didn't know of it； for； according to him； old Heythorp had made the settlement。 By Jove！ That old rascal was deepall the more satisfaction in proving that he was not as deep as C。 V。 To unmask the old cheat was already beginning to seem in the nature of a public service。 But on what pretext could he visit Pillin？ A subscription to the Windeatt almshouses！ That would make him talk in self…defence and he would take care not to press the request to the actual point of getting a subscription。 He caused himself to be driven to the Pillin residence in Sefton Park。 Ushered into a room on the ground floor； heated in American fashion； Mr。 Ventnor unbuttoned his coat。 A man of sanguine constitution； he found this hot…house atmosphere a little trying。 And having sympathetically obtained Joe Pillin's reluctant refusalQuite so！ One could not indefinitely extend one's subscriptions even for the best of causes！he said gently：
〃By the way； you know Mrs。 Larne； don't you？〃
The effect of that simple shot surpassed his highest hopes。 Joe Pillin's face； never highly coloured； turned a sort of grey； he opened his thin lips； shut them quickly； as birds do； and something seemed to pass with difficulty down his scraggy throat。 The hollows； which nerve exhaustion delves in the cheeks of men whose cheekbones are not high； increased alarmingly。 For a moment he looked deathly； then； moistening his lips； he said：
〃LarneLarne？ No； I don't seem…〃
Mr。 Ventnor； who had taken care to be drawing on his gloves； murmured：
〃Oh！ I thoughtyour son knows her； a relation of old Heythorp's；〃 and he looked up。
Joe Pillin had his handkerchief to his mouth； he coughed feebly； then with more and more vigour：
〃I'm in very poor health；〃 he said； at last。 〃I'm getting abroad at once。 This cold's killing me。 What name did you say？〃 And he remained with his handkerchief against his teeth。
Mr。 Ventnor repeated：
〃Larne。 Writes stories。〃
Joe Pillin muttered into his handkerchief
〃Ali！ H'm！ NoIno！ My son knows all sorts of people。 I shall have to try Mentone。 Are you going？ Good…bye！ Good…bye！ I'm sorry； ah！ ha！ My coughah！ ha h'h'm！ Very distressing。 Ye…hes！ My cough…ah！ ha h'h'm！ Most distressing。 Ye…hes！〃
Out in the drive Mr。 Ventnor took a deep breath of the frosty air。 Not much doubt now！ The two names had worked like charms。 This weakly old fellow would make a pretty witness； would simply crumple under cross…examination。 What a contrast to that hoary old sinner Heythorp； whose brazenness nothing could affect。 The rat was as large as life！ And the only point was how to make the best use of it。 Thenfor his experience was widethe possibility dawned on him； that after all； this Mrs。 Larne might only have been old Pillin's mistressor be his natural daughter； or have some other blackmailing hold on him。 Any such connection would account for his agitation； for his denying her； for his son's ignorance。 Only it wouldn't account for young Pillin's saying that old Heythorp had made the settlement。 He could only have got that from the woman herself。 Still； to make absolutely sure； he had better try and see her。 But how？ It would never do to ask Bob Pillin for an introduction； after this interview with his father。 He would have to go on his own and chance it。 Wrote stories did she？ Perhaps a newspaper would know her address； or the Directory would give itnot a common name！ And； hot on the scent； he drove to a post office。 Yes； there it was； right enough！ 〃Larne； Mrs。 R。； 23； Millicent Villas。〃 And thinking to himself： 'No time like the present；' he turned in that direction。 The job was delicate。 He must be careful not to do anything which might compromise his power of making public use of his knowledge。 Yes…ticklish！ What he did now must have a proper legal bottom。 Still； anyway you looked at it； he had a right to investigate a fraud on himself as a shareholder of 〃The Island Navigation Company；〃 and a fraud on himself as a creditor of old Heythorp。 Quite！ But suppose this Mrs。 Larne was really entangled with old Pillin； and the settlement a mere reward of virtue； easy or otherwise。 Well！ in that case there'd be no secret commission to make public； and he needn't go further。 So that； in either event； he would be all right。 Only how to introduce himself？ He might pretend he was a newspaper man wanting a story。 No； that wouldn't do！ He must not represent that he was what he was not； in case he had afterwards to justify his actions publicly； always a difficult thing； if you were not careful！ At that moment there came into his mind a question Bob Pillin had asked the other night。 〃By the way； you can't borrow on a settlement； can you？ Isn't there generally some clause against it？〃 Had this woman been trying to borrow from him on that settlement？ But at this moment he reached the house； and got out of his cab still undecided as to how he was going to work the oracle。 Impudence； constitutional and professional； sustained him in saying to the little maid：
〃Mrs。 Larne at home？ Say Mr。 Charles Ventnor； will you？〃
His quick brown eyes took in the apparel of the passage which served for hallthe deep blue paper on the walls； lilac…patterned curtains over the doors； the well…known print of a nude young woman looking over her shoulder； and he thought： 'H'm！ Distinctly tasty！' They noted； too； a small brown…and…white dog cowering in terror at the very end of the passage； and he murmured affably： 〃Fluffy！ Come here； Fluffy！〃 till Carmen's teeth chattered in her head。
〃Will you come in； sir？〃
Mr。 Ventnor ran his hand over his whiskers； and； entering a room； was impressed at once by its air of domesticity。 On a sofa a handsome woman and a pretty young girl were surrounded by sewing apparatus and some white material。 The girl looked up； but the elder lady rose。
Mr。 Ventnor said easily
〃You know my young friend； Mr。 Robert Pillin； I think。〃
The lady； whose bulk and bloom struck him to the point of admiration； murmured in a full； sweet drawl：
〃Oh！ Ye…es。 Are you from Messrs。 Scrivens？〃
With the swift reflection： 'As I thought！' Mr。 Ventnor answered：
〃Ernot exactly。 I am a solicitor though； came just to ask about a certain settlement that Mr。 Pillin tells me you're entitled under。〃
〃Phyllis dear！〃
Seeing the girl about to rise from underneath the white stuff； Mr。 Ventnor said quickly：
〃Pray don't disturb yourself …just a formality！〃 It had struck him at once that the lady would have to speak the truth in the presence of this third party； and he went on： 〃Quite recent； I think。 This'll be your first interest…on six thousand pounds？ Is that right？〃 And at the limpid assent of that rich； sweet voice； he thought： 'Fine woman； what eyes！'
〃Thank you； that's quite enough。 I can go to Scrivens for any detail。 Nice young fellow； Bob Pillin； isn't he？〃 He saw the girl's chin tilt； and Mrs。 Larne's full mouth curling in a smile。
〃Delightful young man； we're very fond of him。〃
And he proceeded：
〃I'm quite an old friend of his； have you known him long？〃
〃Oh！ no。 How long； Phyllis； since we met him at