King of the Castle Part 36

"Why not make her dress differently?"

"Can't. Widow of that poor fellow who was killed."

"Oh, yes; I remember."

"Whim of Claude's to have her here."

"Yes, I know. Your old servant. Well, it was a graceful act on Miss Gartram's part."

"Of course; but it worries me."

"The medicine makes you feel a little irritable, perhaps."

"No, it does not, man. It's tonic, and I'm taking chloral, which is calming, or I don't know what I should do."

"Chloral?" said Glyddyr.

"Yes; curse it--and bless it. I don't know what I should do without it.

Tell you what though. You must give me some more sails in your yacht.

Cuts both ways?"

"I shall be most happy."

"Yes; does me good and gives you pleasant opportunities, eh? I ought to be ashamed to say it, perhaps, but I am not. Confound that medicine!

What a filthy taste it does leave in one's mouth; quite makes one's throat tingle, too."

"When will you have another sail, sir?"

"Oh, I don't know. When did we go last?"

"Tuesday."

"To be sure; and this is Thursday. That medicine seems to confuse me a bit sometimes. Well, say this evening. By-the-bye, Glyddyr, that was a pleasant little idea of yours."

"What idea, sir?"

"Quite startled my girl when that puss Mary drew her attention to it.

How cunning you young fellows grow now-a-days."

"I don't quite grasp what you mean, sir."

"Altering the name of the yacht."

"Oh!"

"A very delicate little compliment, my lad, and it does you credit."

"But Miss Gartram, sir?" said Glyddyr hurriedly; "is she in the drawing-room?"

"In the drawing-room? no," said Gartram, with a strange display of irritability. "I told you when you first came that she had gone for a long walk up the glen with her cousin."

"I beg your pardon, sir. I don't think--"

"Now, d.a.m.n it all, Glyddyr, don't you take to contradicting me; and perhaps by this time that confounded scoundrel Lisle has followed her."

Glyddyr leaped from his seat.

"No, no; I don't mean it," said Gartram, calming down. "Lisle is not at home. Gone to London, I think, or I wouldn't have let them go. There, my lad, don't you take any notice of me," he continued, holding out his hand; "it's that medicine. I wish Asher was hung. So sure as I take a dose, I grow irritable and snappish, just as if a fit was threatening; but it keeps 'em off, eh?"

"I should say so, decidedly; and I wouldn't dwell upon the possibility if I were you."

"Well, curse it all, man, who does?" cried Gartram fiercely. "There, I beg your pardon. Go and meet the girls and come back, and we'll have an early dinner, and then you can take us for a sail. Well, what the devil do you want?" he roared, as Sarah re-entered the room; "haven't I just taken the cursed stuff?"

"Beg pardon, sir, a telegram."

"Well, don't stand staring like a black image. Give it to me."

"For Mr Glyddyr, sir--the boy heard from the sailors at the pier that he was here, and brought it on."

"Well, then, give it to him; and look here, I'm sure you must have given me too strong a dose this morning."

"No, sir; Miss Claude measured it before she went. I took the bottle and gla.s.s to her."

"Humph! Feels wrong somehow. Is it fresh stuff?"

"No, sir; the same."

"Humph! Well, Glyddyr, good news?"

"Ye-es," said Glyddyr, with a peculiar look in his eyes. "Only from my agent in town. You'll excuse me now?"

"To be sure. Go round by the bridge and you'll meet 'em. Dinner at five. Hi, Sarah! Mind that: five."

"Yes, sir," said the woman, and she glided like a black shadow out of the room after Glyddyr, who hurried along the terrace down to the beach, where he could light a cigar and smoke.

"I feel as if they were poisoning me amongst them," said Gartram quite savagely. "Not trying to put me out of the way, are they, for the sake of my coin? How I do hate to see that woman going about like a great black cat. Bah! I'm as full of fancies as a child."

Glyddyr lit his cigar and took out his telegram again and read it.

"_My congratulations. Hope you put it on heavy. I did. Coming down.-- Gellow_."

The curse which Glyddyr uttered was, metaphorically speaking, glowing enough to fuse the sand.

The next minute he began walking swiftly along under the towering granite cliffs, so as to get out of sight and hearing while he gave vent to his feelings, for he felt that he could not command himself.

The telegram meant so much.

"I shall have to kill that man before I have done. Yes; I shall have to kill that man," said Glyddyr.