Part 18 (1/2)
'That would be hard on Reggie.'
'If you have his real interests at heart--which I have no reason to doubt'--he grinned--'you will a.s.sist me in persuading the Marquis to express his wishes in proper form--that is, make a will--without further delay. At present he is perfectly capable of doing so; but an hour may make all the difference, and if he dies intestate Lord Reginald will have plenty of trouble in front of him.'
Complications were crowding on me in a fas.h.i.+on which was unexpected. I had never counted on Mr. Babbacombe's having to make a will. There was sound sense in what Foster said; on the other hand, considerable risk might attend my urging Mr. Babbacombe to commit forgery. Always supposing, that is, he was not Twickenham. If he was, why, then----
I decided, having glanced at the situation, so far as I was able, all round, outwardly, at least, to join hands with Foster in endeavouring to persuade the invalid to comply with his request. To have refused, without any apparently valid reason, would have been to rouse his always active suspicions. And also, it did occur to me that if a will was made and Mr. Babbacombe, after death, did prove himself too keen in the direction of blackmail--I never for a moment lost sight of the fact that, thousand pounds or no thousand pounds, out of this little performance Mr. Babbacombe proposed, in all probability, to provide himself with a sufficient income for the rest of his life--that will might be used to keep him within the paths of reason. It was bad enough to enter into a conspiracy of the kind to which he was committed; it was, if anything, a trifle worse to forge a will; and such a will--as, later on, it might be necessary to inform him.
He proved, however, as I might have expected, too old a bird to be caught with salt. When Foster and I brought our combined forces to bear on the attack we found that he was asleep again. He had fallen into another of those profound dozes, out of which it was so difficult to wake him. Foster spoke to him; then I. He paid no heed to either; as before, he was deaf, dumb, and blind.
'Well,' I inquired, when it was plain that no verbal a.s.sault would reach him, 'what's to be done now? Would you like to shake him?'
Foster compressed his lips; he was plainly annoyed.
'It's easy for you to laugh now; I doubt if it will prove a laughing matter to Lord Reginald.--Do you think he really is asleep?'
'That is exactly the question I was putting to myself when you came in. I also had a few remarks to make which I had a shrewd suspicion he did not choose to hear.'
'What did you wish to say?'
'My dear Foster, I take at least as much interest in the Marquis of Twickenham as you can do. I'm just as anxious to find out things. I thought then, as I think now, that he intends I shall find out nothing; or you either. He's been a hard nut to crack his whole life long; he means to continue uncrackable to the end.'
'He seems very ill.'
'He does not seem well.'
'As he lies there like that he looks as if he were a corpse.'
'I don't think he is, as yet.'
'What does the doctor say?'
'Death probably within four-and-twenty hours.' Foster laid his hand upon my arm.
'Mr. Howarth, we must have that will.'
'It never was much use saying ”must” where Twickenham was concerned; I doubt if it'll be much use now. I can employ means to endeavour to make him if you like, though you seemed to resent it when you caught me using them just now. Reggie has gone for Hanc.o.c.k. He'll be able to tell you to what extent pressure may be applied to obtain the end you have in view.--Here is Reggie; and Hanc.o.c.k too.'
They entered as I spoke. Reggie hastened towards me.
'Any change, Douglas?--Ah, Foster, so you've come.--This is my brother, Sir Gregory, in the bed.'
Hanc.o.c.k surveyed him through his gold-rimmed spectacles. We waited in silence for his verdict.
'Asleep?--Changed; but I should have known him anywhere. He's been a wonderful man.--How long has he been asleep?'
The question was put to me.
'Perhaps five minutes.'
'I doubt if he is asleep.'