★ 17 ★::A Gentleman of Leisure
Jimmy Remembers Something, and Hears Something Else
The game Hargate and Lord Dreever was still in progress when Jimmy returned to the billiard-room. A at the that the score was seventy—sixty-nine in of spot.
“Good game,” said Jimmy. “Who’s spot?”
“I am,” said his lordship, missing an easy cannon. For some he appeared in high spirits. “Hargate’s been going great guns. I was eleven ahead a moment ago, but he a of twelve.”
Lord Dreever to the class of billiard-player to a double-figure is a thing to be noted and with respect.
“Fluky,” the Hargate deprecatingly. This was a long speech for him. Since their meeting at Paddington Station Jimmy had him anything a monosyllable.
“Not a of it, dear old son,” said Lord Dreever handsomely. “You’re on like a two-year-old. I shan’t be able to give you twenty in a hundred much longer.”
He to a side-table and mixed himself a and soda, a from as he did so. There be no of that he was life good. For the past days, and particularly that afternoon, he had been at ease. Jimmy had him about the at half-past five, and had that he looked like a mute at a funeral, but now, only a hours later, he was on the world and like a bird.
The game moved along. Jimmy took a seat and watched. The score slowly. Lord Dreever was bad, but Hargate was worse. At length, in the eighties, his a vein. When he had his his score was ninety-five. 111Hargate, who had by a series of on his opponent’s part, had ninety-six.
“This is my life,” said Jimmy, forward.
The had been left in an position. Even Hargate not fail to make a cannon. He it.
A close to the game is exciting. Jimmy still to watch the next stroke. It looked as if Hargate would have to wait for his victory. A good player have a as the lay, but not Hargate. They were almost in a line, with white in the centre.
Hargate under his breath. There was nothing to be done. He at white. White rolled against red, to for a moment, and against spot. The game was over.
“Great Scot! What a fluke!” the one, at the miracle.
A spread itself slowly across Jimmy’s face. He had what he had been trying to for over a week.
At this moment the door opened and Saunders appeared. “Sir Thomas would like to see your in his study,” he said.
“Eh? What he want?”
“Sir Thomas did not in me, your lordship.”
“Eh? What? Oh, no. Well, see you later, you men.”
He rested his against the table and put on his coat. Jimmy him out of the door, which he him.
“One second, Dreever,” he said.
“Eh? Halloa! What’s up?”
“Any money on that game?” asked Jimmy.
“Why, yes; by Jove! now you mention it, there was—an fiver. And—er—by the way, old man, the is, just for the moment, I’m frightfully——. You haven’t such a thing as a about, have you? The is——”
“My dear fellow, of course. I’ll square up with him now, shall I?”
“Fearfully if you would. Thanks, old man. Pay it you to-morrow.”
“No hurry,” said Jimmy; “plenty more in the old chest.”
He to the room. Hargate was cannons. He was on the point of making a when Jimmy opened the door.
“Care for a game?” said Hargate.
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“Not just at present,” said Jimmy.
Hargate his and failed badly. Jimmy smiled.
“Not such a good as the last,” he said.
“No.”
“Fine shot, that other.”
“Fluke.”
“I wonder.”
Jimmy a cigarette.
“Do you know New York at all?” he asked.
“Been there.”
“Ever been in the Strollers’ Club?”
Hargate his back; but Jimmy had his and was satisfied.
“Don’t know it,” said Hargate.
“Great place,” said Jimmy. “Mostly actors and writers, and so on. The only is that some up friends.”
Hargate did not reply. He did not interested.
“Yes,” on Jimmy. “For instance, a of mine—an actor named Mifflin—introduced a man a year ago as a member’s guest for a fortnight, and this man the of I don’t know how much at billiards. The old game, you know—nursing his man right up to the end, and then with a burst. Of course, when that once or twice it may be an accident, but when a man who as a always by a shot——”
Hargate round.
“They this out,” said Jimmy.
“Look here!”
“Yes?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a yarn,” said Jimmy apologetically. “I’ve been you. By the way, Dreever asked me to square up with you for that game, in case he shouldn’t be back. Here you are.”
He out an empty hand.
“Got it?”
“What are you going to do?” Hargate.
“What am I going to do?” Jimmy.
“You know what I mean. If you’ll keep your mouth shut, and in, it’s halves. Is that what you’re after?”
Jimmy was delighted. He that by the 113should have him from his seat, with stern, set face, to for the insult, but on such occasions he was to the conventions. His impulse, when he met a man of was not the ordinary code, was to with him and to his point of view. He as little against Hargate as he had against Spike on the occasion of their meeting.
“Do you make much at this of game?” he asked.
Hargate was relieved. This was business-like.
“Pots,” he said, with some enthusiasm—“pots I tell you, if you’ll in——”
“Bit risky, isn’t it?”
“Not a of it. An occasional accident——”
“I you’d call me one?”
Hargate grinned.
“It must be work,” said Jimmy. “You must have to use a of self-restraint.”
Hargate sighed.
“That’s the of it,” he said—“the having to a at the game. I’ve been sometimes by who they were teaching me till I nearly myself and them what was.”
“There’s always some to the learned professions,” said Jimmy.
“But there’s a to make up for it in this one,” said Hargate. “Well, look here; is it a deal? You in——”
Jimmy his head.
“I not,” he said. “It’s good of you, but was in my line. I’m you must count me out of this.”
“What! You’re going to tell——”
“No,” said Jimmy, “I’m not. I’m not a committee. I won’t tell a soul.”
“Why, then——” Hargate, relieved.
“Unless, of course,” Jimmy on, “you play again while you’re here.”
“But, it, man! if I don’t, what’s the good? Look here, what am I to do if they ask me to play?”
“Give your as an excuse.”
“My wrist?”
“Yes. You it to-morrow after breakfast. It was 114luck. I wonder how you came to do it? You didn’t it much, but just to stop you playing billiards.”
Hargate reflected.
“Understand?” said Jimmy.
“Oh, very well,” said Hargate sullenly. “But,” he out, “if I a to with you——”
“You won’t,” said Jimmy. “Dismiss the dream. Get even! You don’t know me! There’s not a in my armour. I’m a of modern of the Stainless Knight. Tennyson Galahad from me. I move through life with almost a of sin. But hush! We are observed—at least, we shall be in another minute—somebody is the passage. You do understand, don’t you? Sprained is the watchword.”
The turned. It was Lord Dreever, again from his interview.
“Halloa, Dreever!” said Jimmy. “We’ve missed you. Hargate has been doing his best to me with tricks. But you’re too reckless, Hargate, old man. Mark my words, one of these days you’ll be your wrist. You should be more careful. What, going? Good night. Pleasant fellow, Hargate,” he added, as the the passage. “Well, my lad, what’s the with you? You look depressed.”
Lord Dreever himself on to the and hollowly.
“Damn! Damn!! Damn!!!” he observed.
His met Jimmy’s and away again.
“What on earth’s the matter?” Jimmy. “You go out of here like a song-bird, and you come like a soul. What’s happened?”
“Give me a and soda, Pitt, old man, there’s a good chap. I’m in a hole.”
“Why? What’s the matter?”
“I’m engaged,” his lordship.
“Engaged? I wish you’d explain. What on earth’s with you! Don’t you want to be engaged? What’s your——”
He off as a sudden, suspicion, upon him. “Who is she?” he cried.
He the peer’s and it savagely. Unfortunately he the moment when the was in the act of his nerve-centres with a of and soda, and for a space of some two minutes it 115seemed as if the would be off by the of the Dreever line. A long and painful fit of coughing, however, ended with his still alive and on the road to recovery.
He Jimmy reproachfully, but Jimmy was in no mood for apologies.
“Who is she?” he demanding. “What’s her name?”
“Might have killed me,” the convalescent.
“Who is she?”
“What? Why, Miss McEachern.”
Jimmy had what the answer would be; but it was less of a for that reason.
“Miss McEachern?” he echoed.
Lord Dreever a nod.
“You’re to her?”
Another nod.
“I don’t it,” said Jimmy.
“I wish I didn’t,” said his wistfully, the of the remark. “But luck, it’s true.”
For the time since the of the name Jimmy’s attention was to the of his successful rival.
“You don’t over-pleased,” he said.
“Pleased! Have a each way on ‘pleased’! No, I’m not with joy.”
“Then what the is it all about? What do you mean? What’s the idea? If you don’t want to Miss McEachern, why did you to her?”
Lord Dreever closed his eyes.
“Dear old boy, don’t. It’s my uncle.”
“Your uncle?”
“Didn’t I it all to you?—about him wanting me to marry? You know—I told you the whole thing.”
Jimmy at him in silence.
“Do you to say——” he said slowly.
He stopped. It was a to put the thing into words.
“What, old man?”
Jimmy gulped.
“Do you to say you want to Miss McEachern she has money?” he said.
It was not the time that he had of a case of a British 116peer marrying for such a reason, but it was the time that the thing had him with horror. In some come home more to us.
“It’s not me, old man,” his lordship—“it’s my uncle.”
“Your uncle? Good heavens!” Jimmy his hands despairingly. “Do you to say that you let your uncle order you about in a thing like this? Do you to say you’re such a—such a—such a gelatine-backboned worm——”
“Old man, I say!” his lordship, wounded.
“I’d call you a knock-kneed skunk, only I don’t want to be fulsome. I a man to his face.”
Lord Dreever, pained, rose from his seat.
“Don’t up,” Jimmy smoothly; “I couldn’t trust myself.”
His hastily. He was alarmed. He had this of Jimmy’s character. At he had been and disappointed. He had sympathy. Now the had more serious. Jimmy was the room like a and tiger. At present, it was true, there was a billiard-table them; but his that he have done with good, bars. He in his seat with the of a on a rock. It would be form, of course, for Jimmy to his host, but Jimmy be to the of etiquette?
“Why the she you I can’t think,” said Jimmy, to himself, stopping and across the table.
Lord Dreever relieved. This was not polite, perhaps, but at least it was not violent.
“That’s what me, too, old man,” he said. “Between you and me, it’s a business. This afternoon——”
“What about this afternoon?”
“Why, she wouldn’t have me at any price.”
“You asked her this afternoon?”
“Yes; and it was all right then. She me like a bird, wouldn’t of it, came near laughing in my face; and then to-night,” he on, his voice at the of his wrongs, “my uncle sends for me and says she’s her mind and is waiting for me in the morning-room. I go there and she tells me in about three that she’s been it over and that the whole thing is on again. I call it 117on a chap. I such a ass, you know, I didn’t know what to do—whether to her, I mean——”
Jimmy violently.
“Eh?” said his blankly.
“Go on,” said Jimmy, his teeth.
“I a fool, you know. I just said ‘Right-O!’ or something—dashed if I know what I did say—and it. It’s a business, the whole thing. It isn’t as if she wanted me—I see that with an eye—she doesn’t a for me. It’s my belief, old man,” he said solemnly, “that she’s been into it. I my uncle’s been at her.”
Jimmy laughed shortly.
“My dear man, you to think your uncle’s is universal. I it’s to you.”
“Well, anyhow, I that’s what’s happened. What do you say?”
“Why say anything? There doesn’t to be much need.”
He some into a and added a little soda.
“You take it stiff,” his lordship, with a touch of envy.
“On occasions,” said Jimmy, his glass.
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