Part 48 (1/2)
”I say, Jack, d'you ever hear anything of the missis now?” went on Haldane in the cordial-old-comrade tone. ”I must have seen her since you did, for I was pa.s.sing through Kimberley only half-a-dozen years back, and she was throwing out fire and slaughter against you as hard as ever.”
Wagram, taking this in with all his ears, felt that an immense weight had lifted. Haldane had known this man's former wife, had seen her quite lately. She was probably alive still.
”Oh, she's got nothing to complain of,” returned the adventurer testily.
”I've never kept her short.”
”Of course not. But, you know, women are the devil for grievances, and she was always swearing that, as your lawful wife, her place was with you.”
”I'd have murdered her long ago if it had been,” was the weary reply.
”I shunted her to save her life and my neck. Women are the very devil, Haldane. I can't think why the blazes they were ever invented.”
”Oh, you're not alone in that opinion, old man,” laughed the other.
”But, look here, when is Foss going to get you up again?”
”Never. He swears I'll be a stiff before morning, and for once I believe him--though these quacks are the most infernal set of humbugs, as a rule. Now, Haldane, do me a favour, like a good chap, and skip downstairs for a little while. I want to hold a bit of an _indaba_ with Wagram alone.”
”Right. So long, then.”
There was a moment or two of silence after the door had closed on Haldane. Then Hunt said:
”Well, you heard all that?”
”Yes; it is true, then?”
”Every word of it. I'm glad you heard, because it'll save me the trouble of going over it all again.”
”Then you obtained thirty thousand pounds out of us under false pretences?”
”That's one way of putting it, but I suppose it's the correct one. The thing was a gamble; but, hang it, I didn't think the money side would have bothered you over-much, Wagram. Why, as I said before, it's only like a half-crown to you. Haldane and I have brought off bigger things than that in the old Kimberley days.”
Wagram stiffened.
”Do you mean to tell me, then, that Haldane was a.s.sociated with you in blackmailing? Because, if so, you had better tell it in his presence.”
”No--no--no. Of course, I don't mean anything of the sort. Haldane is as straight and square a chap as ever walked. This affair was off my own. I couldn't resist it when I stumbled against Butcher Ned, and he put me up to who he was, and used to talk about his people too. Lord!
how he used to hate you--you, especially. I'd have been sorry for you if he'd ever got the chance of squinting at you for a moment from behind the sighting of a rifle or pistol. By the way, you never found him, did you?”
”No. But before we talk further will you make a statement as to this first marriage of yours? Haldane is a magistrate, and you might make it before him.”
”I would willingly, but it isn't in the least necessary. The whole thing is entirely between ourselves so far, and you can easily verify the facts.”
”I have verified them already. Do you know this?” And he held up the tin case.
”Oh, good Lord! Yes; I ought to. And you have opened it and gone into the contents? Well, then, Wagram, it isn't like you making an unnecessary fuss. You've got all you want in there already.”
”Meaning the certificate. Here it is.”
”That's right. You can burn the other things. And now, where on earth did you pick up that box?”