Part 41 (2/2)
He never saw the woman again, as it happened, and never knew who she was. If he had read of the Hackney murder in the papers of the year before he had given it no attention. He knew nothing of the coa.r.s.e siren for whose sake the poisoned man of Hackney had killed the wife who loved him, and who, under an a.s.sumed name, was living out her obscure and haunted life in menial toil.
Dr. Morton Sims might have thrown some light upon the incident at the George perhaps. But then Dr. Morton Sims never heard of it and it soon pa.s.sed from the poet's mind.
No doubt the Fiend Alcohol who provided the incidental music at the head of his orchestra was smiling.
For the Overture to the Dance of Death is curiously coloured music and there are red threads of melody interwoven with the sable chords.
CHAPTER VI
AN OMNES EXEUNT FROM MORTLAND ROYAL
”Wenn Menschen auseinandergehn So sagen sie--auf Wiedersehn!
Ja Wiederseh'n.”
--_Goethe._
d.i.c.kson Ingworth returned from the post office with several letters.
He handed three of them to Lothian. One was a business letter from the firm of Ince and Amberley, the other an invitation to a literary dinner at the Trocadero, the third, with foreign stamp and postmark, was for Mary Lothian.
As they drove out of the town, Ingworth was in high spirits. His eyes sparkled, he seemed excited.
”Good news by this post, d.i.c.ker?” Gilbert asked.
Ingworth had been waiting for the question. He tried to keep the tremulous pleasure out of his voice as he answered.
”Well, rather. I've just heard from Herbert Toftrees. When I saw him last, just before I came down here, he hinted that he might be able to influence things for me in a certain quarter.” ...
He paused.
Gilbert saw how it was. The lad was bursting with news but wanted to appear calm, wanted to be coaxed. Well, Gilbert owed him that!
”Really! Has something come off, d.i.c.ker, then? Do tell me, I should be so glad.”
”Yes, Gilbert. It's the d.a.m.nedst lucky thing! Toftrees is a topping chap. The other day he hinted at something he might be able to do for me in his deep-voiced, mysterious way. I didn't pay much attention because they say he's rather like that, and one mustn't put too much trust in it. But, by Jove! it's come off. The editor of the _Wire_--Ommany you know--wants somebody to go to Italy with the delegation of English Public School Masters, as special correspondent for a month. They've offered it to me. It's a big step, Gilbert, for me! They will pay awfully well for the job and it means that I shall get in permanently with the _Wire_.”
”I'm awfully glad, d.i.c.ker. Splendid for you! But what is it exactly?”
”The new movement in Italy, anti-Papal and National. It's the schools, you know. The King and the Mayor of Rome are frightfully keen that all the better cla.s.s schools, like our public schools, you know--shall be taken out of the hands of the Jesuits and the seminary priests. Games and a healthy sort of school life are to be organised for the boys.
They're going to try and introduce our system if they can. A Harrow tutor, a Winchester man, undermasters from Haileybury, Repton and Denstone are going out to organise things.”
”And you're going with them to tell England all about it! I congratulate you, d.i.c.ker. It's a big chance. You can make some fine articles out of it, if you take care. It should introduce your name.”
”Thanks awfully, I hope so. It's because I got my running blue I expect. But it's jolly decent of the old Toffer all the same.”
”Oh, it is. When do you go?”
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