Part 9 (1/2)
”You thought another plan of mine ridiculous, but you helped me carry it out,” Jimmy said quietly.
Stannard looked up with a frown, for Deering crossed the floor.
”I've trailed you!” he shouted. ”There's not much use in your stealing off.”
”I didn't know you had business to transact in Vancouver,” Stannard rejoined.
”Dillon had some business and brought me along,” said Deering with a noisy laugh. ”Looks as if my job was to guide adventurous youth.”
Jimmy smiled, for he imagined the young men Deering guided paid expensive fees. He did not know if Deering's occupation was altogether gambling, but he did gamble and his habit was to win. Yet Jimmy liked the fellow.
”Jimmy's mood is rashly adventurous; he wants to buy a ranch,” Stannard resumed. ”I understand he has interviewed a plausible land-agent.”
”All land-agents are plausible,” said Deering. ”Tell us about the speculation, Jimmy.”
Jimmy did so. Stannard's ironical amus.e.m.e.nt had hurt, and he tried to justify his experiment.
”Looks like a joke; but I don't know,” said Deering. ”If you can stand for holding down a bush block until the neighborhood develops, you ought to sell for a good price. All the same, the job is dreary. Have you got the money?”
”I was trying to persuade Stannard to finance me. He doesn't approve, but thinks he could get the sum.”
”That plan's expensive,” Deering observed. ”What deposit does the agent want?”
Jimmy told him and he pondered. Stannard said nothing, but Jimmy thought him annoyed by Deering's meddling. Moreover, Jimmy thought Deering knew.
After a few moments Deering looked up.
”If you mean to buy the block, I'll lend you the deposit and you can pay me current interest. I expect the agent will take a long-date mortgage for the rest, but you ought to ask your trustees in England for the money.”
”Have you got the sum?” Stannard inquired.
”Sure,” said Deering, with a jolly laugh. ”Dillon and I met up with two or three sporting lumber men who have just put over a big deal. My luck was pretty good, and I'd have stuffed my wallet had not a sort of Puritan vigilante blown in. He got after the hotel boss, who stated his was not a red light house.”
Jimmy studied the others, and although Stannard smiled, was somehow conscious of a puzzling antagonism. On the whole, he liked Deering's plan; he did not think d.i.c.k Leyland would agree, but Sir Jim might do so.
”Thank you, but Stannard's my banker,” he replied. ”All the same, in the morning I'll write to my trustees.”
”Oh, well,” said Deering. ”If you want the money, I'm your man. But let's get a drink.”
VIII
JIMMY GETS TO WORK
On the evening Jimmy returned from Vancouver he went to the dining-room as soon as the bell rang and waited by Stannard's table. The table occupied a corner by a window, and commanded the room and a n.o.ble view of rocks and distant snow. Other guests had wanted the corner, but Stannard had got it for his party. Although he was not rich, Stannard's habit was to get things like that.
The room was s.p.a.cious and paneled with cedar and maple. Slender wooden pillars supported the decorated beams, the tables were furnished with good china and nickel. The windows were open and the keen smell of the pines floated in.
After a few moments Jimmy heard Deering's laugh and Stannard's party crossed the floor. Frank Dillon talked to Laura, whom Jimmy had not seen since he returned; Frank was rather a handsome, athletic young fellow.
Laura wore a fas.h.i.+onable black dinner dress and her skin, by contrast, was very white. Her movements were languidly graceful, and Jimmy got a sense of high cultivation. He was young and to know he belonged to Laura's party flattered him. Yet he was half embarra.s.sed, because he waited for other guests and did not know if Laura would like his friends. When she gave Jimmy her hand Stannard indicated two extra chairs.