CHAPTER XXIV
_In which shall be found mention of a certain black bag_
"Baxter!"
"Sir?"
"Get me a pen, and ink!"
"Yes, sir."
Now any ordinary mortal might have manifested just a little surprise tobehold his master walk suddenly in, dusty and dishevelled of person, hishabitual languor entirely laid aside, and to thus demand pen and ink,forthwith. But then, Baxter, though mortal, was the very cream of agentleman's gentleman, and the acme of valets, (as has been said), andcomported himself accordingly.
"Baxter!"
"Sir?"
"Oblige me by getting this cashed."
"Yes, sir."
"Bring half of it in gold."
"Sir," said Baxter, glancing down at the slip of paper, "did yousay--half, sir?"
"Yes, Baxter,--I'd take it all in gold only that it would be ratherawkward to drag around. So bring half in gold, and the rest in--fivepound notes."
"Very good, sir!"
"And--Baxter!"
"Sir?"
"Take a cab!"
"Certainly sir." And Baxter went out, closing the door behind him.Meanwhile Bellew busied himself in removing all traces of his journey,and was already bathed, and shaved, and dressed, by the timeBaxter returned.
Now gripped in his right hand Baxter carried a black leather bag whichjingled as he set it down upon the table.
"Got it?" enquired Bellew.
"I have, sir."
"Good!" nodded Bellew. "Now just run around to the garage, and fetch thenew racing car,--the Mercedes."
"Now, sir?"
"Now, Baxter!"
Once more Baxter departed, and, while he was gone, Bellew began topack,--that is to say, he bundled coats and trousers, shirts and bootsinto a portmanteau in a way that would have wrung Baxter's heart, couldhe have seen. Which done, Bellew opened the black bag, glanced inside,shut it again, and, lighting his pipe, stretched himself out upon anottoman, and immediately became plunged in thought.
So lost was he, indeed, that Baxter, upon his return was necessitated toemit three distinct coughs,--(the most perfectly proper, andgentleman-like coughs in the world) ere Bellew was aware ofhis presence.
"Oh!--that you, Baxter?" said he, sitting up, "back so soon?"
"The car is at the door, sir."
"The car?--ah yes, to be sure!--Baxter."
"Sir?"
"What should you say if I told you--" Bellew paused to strike a match,broke it, tried another, broke that, and finally put his pipe back intohis pocket, very conscious the while of Baxter's steady, thoughperfectly respectful regard.
"Baxter," said he again.
"Sir?" said Baxter.
"What should you say if I told you that I was in love--at last,Baxter!--Head over ears--hopelessly--irretrievably?"
"Say, sir?--why I should say,--indeed, sir?"
"What should you say," pursued Bellew, staring thoughtfully down at therug under his feet, "if I told you that I am so very much, in love thatI am positively afraid to--tell her so?"
"I should say--very remarkable, sir!"
Bellew took out his pipe again, looked at it very much as if he hadnever seen such a thing before, and laid it down upon the mantelpiece.
"Baxter," said he, "kindly understand that I am speaking to youas--er--man to man,--as my father's old and trusted servant and my earlyboy-hood's only friend; sit down, John."
"Thank you, Master George, sir."
"I wish to--confess to you, John, that--er--regarding the--er--HauntingSpectre of the Might Have Been,--you were entirely in the right. At thattime I knew no more the meaning of the--er--the word, John--"
"Meaning the word--Love, Master George!"
"Precisely; I knew no more about it than--that table. But during theselatter days, I have begun to understand, and--er--the fact of the matteris--I'm--I'm fairly--up against it, John!"
Here, Baxter, who had been watching him with his quick, sharp eyesnodded his head solemnly:
"Master George," said he, "speaking as your father's old servant, andyour boyhood's friend,--I'm afraid you are."
Bellew took a turn up and down the room, and then pausing in front ofBaxter, (who had risen also, as a matter of course), he suddenly laidhis two hands upon his valet's shoulders.
"Baxter," said he, "you'll remember that after my mother died, my fatherwas always too busy piling up his millions to give much time or thoughtto me, and I should have been a very lonely small boy if it hadn't beenfor you, John Baxter. I was often 'up against it,' in those days, John,and you were always ready to help, and advise me;--but now,--well, fromthe look of things, I'm rather afraid that I must stay 'up againstit'--that the game is lost already, John. But which ever way Fatedecides--win, or lose,--I'm glad--yes, very glad to have learned thetrue meaning of--the word, John."
"Master George, sir,--there was a poet once--Tennyson, I think, whosaid,--'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved atall,' and I know--that he was--right. Many years ago,--before you wereborn, Master George, I loved--and lost, and that is how I know. But Ihope that Fortune will be kinder to you, indeed I do."
"Thank you, John,--though I don't see why she should be." And Bellewstood staring down at the rug again, till aroused by Baxter's cough:
"Pray sir, what are your orders, the car is waiting downstairs?"
"Orders?--why--er--pack your grip, Baxter, I shall take you with me,this time, into Arcadia, Baxter."
"For how long, sir?"
"Probably a week."
"Very good, sir."
"It is now half-past three, I must be back in Dapplemere at eight. Takeyour time--I'll go down to look at the machine. Just lock the place up,and--er--don't forget the black bag."
Some ten minutes later the great racing car set out on its journey, withBellew at the wheel, and Baxter beside him with the black bag heldfirmly upon his knee.
Their process was, necessarily, slow at first, on account of the crowdedthoroughfares. But, every now and then, the long, low car would shootforward through some gap in the traffic, grazing the hubs of bus-wheels,dodging hansoms, shaving sudden corners in an apparently recklessmanner. But Baxter, with his hand always upon the black leather bag, satcalm and unruffled, since he knew, by long experience, that Bellew's eyewas quick and true, and his hand firm and sure upon the wheel.
Over Westminster Bridge, and along the Old Kent Road they sped, nowfast, now slow,--threading a tortuous, and difficult way amid the myriadvehicles, and so, betimes, they reached Blackheath.
And now the powerful machine hummed over that ancient road that hadaforetime, shaken to the tread of stalwart Roman Legionaries,--upShooter's Hill, and down,--and so into the open country.
And, ever as they went, they talked. And not as master and servant butas "between man and man,"--wherefore Baxter the Valet became merged andlost in Baxter the Human,--the honest John of the old days,--a grayhaired, kindly-eyed, middle-aged cosmopolitan who listened to, andlooked at, Young Alcides beside him as if he had indeed been the MasterGeorge, of years ago.
"So you see, John, if all things _do_ go well with me, we shouldprobably take a trip to the Mediterranean."
"In the--'Silvia,' of course, Master George?"
"Yes; though--er--I've decided to change her name, John."
"Ah!--very natural--under the circumstances, Master George," said honestJohn, his eyes twinkling slyly as he spoke, "Now, if I might suggest anew name it would be hard to find a more original one than 'The HauntingSpectre of the--"
"Bosh, John!--there never was such a thing, you were quite right, as Isaid before, and--by heaven,--potato sacks!"
"Eh,--what?--potato sacks, Master George?"
They had been climbing a long, winding ascent, but now, having reachedthe top of the hill, they overtook a great, lumbering market cart, orwain, piled high with sacks of potatoes, and driven by an extremelysurly-faced man in a smock-frock.
"Hallo there!" cried Bellew, slowing up, "how m
uch for one of yourpotato-sacks?"
"Get out, now!" growled the surly-faced man, in a tone as surly as hislook, "can't ye see as they're all occipied?"
"Well,--empty one."
"Get out, now!" repeated the man, scowling blacker than ever.
"I'll give you a sovereign for one."
"Now, don't ye try to come none o' your jokes wi' me, young feller!"growled the carter. "Sovereign!--bah!--Show us."
"Here it is," said Bellew, holding up the coin in question. "Catch!"and, with the word, he tossed it up to the carter who caught it, verydexterously, looked at it, bit it, rubbed it on his sleeve, rang it uponthe foot-board of his waggon, bit it again and finally pocketed it.
"It's a go, sir," he nodded, his scowl vanishing as by magic; and as hespoke, he turned, seized the nearest sack, and, forthwith sent a cascadeof potatoes rolling, and bounding all over the road. Which done, hefolded up the sack, and handed it down to Bellew who thrust it under theseat, nodded, and, throwing in the clutch, set off down the road. But,long after the car had hummed itself out of sight, and the dust of itsgoing had subsided, the carter sat staring after it--open-mouthed.
If Baxter wondered at this purchase, he said nothing, only he bent hisgaze thoughtfully upon the black leather bag that he held upon his knee.
On they sped between fragrant hedges, under whispering trees, pastlonely cottages and farm-houses, past gate, and field, and wood, untilthe sun grew low.
At last, Bellew stopped the automobile at a place where a narrow lane,or cart track, branched off from the high road, and wound away betweengreat trees.
"I leave you here," said he as he sprang from the car, "this isDapplemere,--the farmhouse lies over the up-land, yonder, though youcan't see it because of the trees."
"Is it far, Master George?"
"About half a mile."
"Here is the bag, sir; but--do you think it is--quite safe--?"
"Safe, John?"
"Under the circumstances, Master George, I think it would be advisableto--to take this with you." And he held out a small revolver. Bellewlaughed, and shook his head.
"Such things aren't necessary--here in Arcadia, John,--besides, I havemy stick. So good-bye, for the present, you'll stay at the 'King'sHead,'--remember."
"Good-night, Master George, sir, goodnight! and good fortune go withyou."
"Thank you!" said Bellew, and reached out his hand, "I think we'll shakeon that, John!"
So they clasped hands, and Bellew turned, and set off along the grassylane. And, presently, as he went, he heard the hum of the car growrapidly fainter and fainter until it was lost in the quiet ofthe evening.
The Money Moon: A Romance Page 24