Part 27 (1/2)

”Come along then. There's just time--while this light lasts.”

They s.n.a.t.c.hed their caps, and were presently mounting the path which led ultimately through the woods of Monk Lawrence to the western front.

Blaydes frowned as he walked. He was a young man of a very practical turn of mind, who in spite of an office-boy's training possessed an irrelevant taste for literature which had made him an admirer of Lathrop's two published volumes. For some time past he had been Lathrop's chancellor of the exchequer--self-appointed, and had done his best to keep his friend out of the workhouse. From the tone of Paul's recent letters he had become aware of two things--first, that Lathrop was in sight of his last five pound note, and did not see his way to either earning or borrowing another; and secondly, that a handsome girl had appeared on the scene, providentially mad with the same kind of madness as had recently seized on Lathrop, belonging to the same anarchial a.s.sociation, and engaged in the same silly defiance of society; likely therefore to be thrown a good deal in his company; and last, but most important, possessed of a fortune which she would no doubt allow the ”Daughters of Revolt” to squander--unless Paul cut in.

The situation had begun to seem to him interesting, and having already lent Lathrop more money than he could afford, he had come down to enquire about it. He himself possessed an income of three hundred a year, plus two thousand pounds left him by an uncle. Except for the single weakness which had induced him to lend Lathrop a couple of hundred pounds, his principles with regard to money were frankly piratical. Get what you can--and how you can. Clearly it was Lathrop's game to take advantage of this queer friends.h.i.+p with a militant who happened to be both rich and young, which his dabbling in their ”nonsense” had brought about. Why shouldn't he achieve it? Lathrop was as clever as sin; and there was the past history of the man, to shew that he could attract women.

He gripped his friend's arm as they pa.s.sed into the shadow of the wood.

Lathrop looked at him with surprise--

”Look here, Paul”--said the younger man in a determined voice--”You've got to pull this thing off.”

”What thing?”

”You can marry this girl if you put your mind to it. You tell me you're going about the country with her speaking at meetings--that you're one of her helpers and advisers. That is--you've got an A1 chance with her.

If you don't use it, you're a blithering idiot.”

Paul threw back his head and laughed.

”And what about other people? What about her guardian, for instance--who is the sole trustee of the property--who has a thousand chances with her to my one--and holds, I venture to say--if he knows anything about me--the strongest views on the subject of _my_ moral character?”

”Who is her guardian?”

”Mark Wilmington. Does that convey anything to you?”

Blaydes whistled.

”Great Scott!”

”Yes. Precisely 'Great Scott!'” said Lathrop, mocking. ”I may add that everybody here has their own romance on the subject. They are convinced that Winnington will soon cure her of her preposterous notions, and restore her, tamed, to a normal existence.”

Blaydes meditated,--his aspect showing a man checked.

”I saw Winnington playing in a county match last August,” he said--with his eyes on the ground--”I declare no one looked at anybody else. I suppose he's forty; but the old stagers tell you that he's just as much of an Apollo now as he was in his most famous days--twenty years ago.”

”Don't exaggerate. He _is_ forty, and I'm thirty--which is one to me.

I only meant to suggest to you a _reasonable_ view of the chances.”

”Look here--_is_ she as handsome as people say?”

”Blaydes!--this is the last time I shall allow you to talk about her--you get on my nerves. Handsome? I don't know.”

He walked on, muttering to himself and twitching at the trees on either hand.

”I am simply putting what is your duty to yourself--and your creditors,” said Blaydes, sulkily--”You must know your affairs are in a pretty desperate state.”

”And a girl like that is to be sacrificed--to my creditors! Good Lord!”

”Oh, well, if you regard yourself as such an undesirable, naturally, I've nothing to say. Of course I know--there's that case against you.