Part 19 (1/2)
He stood up. 'I am going, Mistress,' he said--'unless you have something else to say.'
'Mr. Halliday--you lost two hundred guineas last night, and on Sunday you lost four hundred.'
'Zounds, Miss or Mistress, how do you know?'
'I know because I am told. You are a very rich man, Mr. Halliday, are you not? You must be to lose so much every night. You must be very rich indeed. You have whole fleets of your own, and Quays and Warehouses filled with goods--and you inherited a great fortune only two years ago.'
He sank back in a chair and gazed stupidly upon her. 'How speeds your n.o.ble trade? How fares it with your fleets? How much is left of your great fortune?' He growled, but made no reply. Curiosity and wonder seized him and held him. Besides, what reply could he make?
'Who are you?' he asked.
'I will tell you, perhaps. How do you stand with Mr. Probus?'
He sprang to his feet again. 'This is too much. How dare you speak of my private affairs? What do you know about Mr. Probus?'
'How long is it, Mr. Halliday, since you agreed with Mr. Probus that your cousin should be locked up in a Debtors' Prison there to remain till he died, or sold his birthright?'
He answered with a kind of roar, as if he had no words left. He stood before her--the table between--half in terror--half in rage. Who was this woman? Besides, he was already very nearly beside himself over the long continuance of his bad luck.
'Who are you?' he asked again. 'What do you know about my cousin?'
'I will tell you, directly, who I am. About your cousin, Matthew, I warn you solemnly. The next attempt you make upon his life and liberty will bring upon your head--yours--not to speak of the others--the greatest disaster that you can imagine, or can dread. The greatest disaster,' she repeated solemnly, 'that you can imagine or can dread.' She looked like a Prophetess, standing before him with hand raised and with solemn voice.
'This is fooling. What do you know? Who are you?'
'I cannot tell what kind of disaster it will be--the greatest--the worst possible--it will be. Be warned. Keep Mr. Probus at arm's length or he will ruin you--he will ruin you, unless he has ruined you already.'
'You cannot frighten me with bugaboo stories. If you will not tell me who you are. I shall go.'
She tore off her glove. 'Does this hand,' she said, 'remind you of nothing?'
On the third finger of the white hand was a wedding-ring which I had never seen there before.
He stared at the hand. Perhaps he suspected. I think he did. No one who had once seen that hand could possibly forget it.
She tore off her domino. 'You have doubtless forgotten, Matthew, by this time, the face--of your wife.'
He cursed her. He stood up and cursed her in round terms. I don't know why. He accused her of nothing. But he cursed her. She was the origin and cause of his bad luck.
I would have interfered. 'Let be--let be,' she said. 'The time will surely come when the ruin which I have foretold will fall upon him. Let us wait till then. That will be sufficient punishment for him. I see it coming--I know not when. I see it coming. Let him curse.'
He desisted. He ran out of the room without another word.
She looked after him with a deep sigh.
'I told you, Will, that I had a surprise for you--the greatest surprise of your life. I will tell you more to-morrow if you will come in the afternoon. You shall hear more about Matthew, my husband Matthew. Get you gone now and home to bed with all the speed you may. Good-night, cousin Will--cousin Will.'
I left her as I was bidden. I walked home through the deserted streets of early morning. My brain was burning. Matthew the gambler! Matthew the husband of Jenny! Matthew the gambler. Why--everything shouted the word as I pa.s.sed: the narrow streets of Soho: the water lapping the arches of Westminster Bridge: the keen air blowing over the Bank; all shouted the words--'Matthew the gambler! Matthew the husband of Jenny! Matthew the gambler!' And when I lay down to sleep the words that rang in my ear were 'Matthew my husband--Cousin Will!--Cousin Will!'
CHAPTER IV