The Great Temptation (Thriller Novel). Richard Marsh
both started. I fancy Mrs. Fraser gave a little shriek; Catherine cried: "Hugh!" Then she added, "Leaving for America! My dear Hugh, what do you mean? Tell me what has happened."
"My dear Catherine, a great many things have happened most surprising things; I may almost say incredible things but I can't tell you about them now."
"Hugh! why not?" Her face was a study she looked so surprised. "Why can you not tell me what has happened?"
Her mother came in with a remark of her own.
"If you had the least idea, Hugh, how anxious Catherine and I have been you wouldn't try to put us off by saying you can't tell us what has happened. We're both of us burning to know."
"All the same, Mrs. Fraser, I can't tell you now, at least in detail. I haven't time. I'll just give you, Catherine, some idea of how the land lies, and later on I'll tell you the whole strange story. You'll be amazed." She looked as if she were amazed before I had told her a single thing. "To begin with, I've lost my situation."
They both exclaimed in chorus; exactly which of them said what I do not pretend to know.
"Lost your situation! How ever did you do that?
Has anything gone wrong with the firm? What shall you do?"
"The first thing I am going to do is to go to America."
"But what's the use of your going to America? How are you going to do it? Have you enough money to pay your fare, and how about having enough money when it comes to landing? I thought they wouldn't let you land in America unless you had a certain sum."
"My dear Catherine, you've got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I am going to America as a sort of agent for Mr. Stewart."
"Who is Mr. Stewart?"
"Really I can hardly tell you; I know little or nothing about him myself. I only know that he has offered, if I will take something for him to America and start to-night, to pay me five hundred pounds on my delivering it at an address which he is going to give me in New York."
The exclamation which came from Catherine! I do not remember to have heard her make a noise of that kind before.
"Five hundred pounds!" she positively shrieked. "Hugh, are you joking?"
"I do not know," I remarked, "why you should suppose I am joking. I cannot believe that I look as if I were joking, and I certainly do not feel it."
"But five hundred pounds!" Catherine was so agitated that she sounded as if she were hoarse. "Do you really mean that someone is going to give you five hundred pounds?"
"Of course I mean it! Am I in the habit of saying what I do not mean?"
"I don't understand. You must forgive me if I seem to be a little dull, but what you say is so unexpected, and so delightful. Fancy, Hugh, that's just the sum we've always fixed our hearts on. And you are so mysterious, and mother and I have been so upset. I've been up half the night--"
"And so have I." This was Mrs. Fraser. "I've hardly slept a wink for wondering if you had been run over by a motor omnibus and what hospital they had taken you to."
"So, dear heart," leaning close to me Catherine touched my cheek with her finger-tips and began to wheedle--she can wheedle if she likes--"if you were to give me some idea what this Mr. What's-his-name is going to give you five hundred pounds for, it would be--don't you think it would be rather nice of you? I do."
"Mr. Stewart offers to pay me five hundred pounds for conveying certain property of his from London to America."
Catherine knit her brows as if she were puzzled. As I looked at her the conviction was borne in on me, not for the first time, that she was distinctly pretty. I consider Catherine Fraser to be one of the best-looking girls I ever met.
"What can Mr. Stewart have to send to America for the carriage of which he is willing to pay five hundred pounds? That's what it comes to."
"I'm not sure that I'm at liberty to tell you."
"What's that?" The sudden change in her expression! "I thought it was agreed that we were to tell each other everything, that we were to have no secrets from each other. You're very mysterious! It's not like you the least little bit. Should I ask mother to leave the room?"
"I don't know why," struck in Mrs. Fraser, "you should be so anxious that I should leave the room. It seems to me as if Hugh were ashamed of what he's been asked to do."
"Is that it?" demanded Catherine. "Of course if Mr. Stewart has actually ordered you to say nothing then of course you must say nothing but has he?"
"I can't assert in so many words that he has." I looked at Mrs. Fraser; Catherine took the hint.
"I think, mother, that you had better go. I am sorry, but when a man and a girl are about to marry there must be things which they wish to talk about in private."
Mrs. Fraser looked black as she left the room, but Catherine opened the door and out she went. The moment she had gone Catherine turned on me.
"Now, Hugh, what is it? I know there's something, and you'd better tell me what."
"There's a great deal, but I can't tell you the whole story now. You shall hear all at the first opportunity I have. You know perfectly well that I have not the slightest wish to conceal anything from you, but this is a question of time. I expect Mr. Stewart here in an hour. I have agreed to be ready when he comes and to travel by the evening express from Euston, which will enable me to get on board the steamer to-night."
"I never heard such a thing in my life! You, who have never been farther from London than Margate, to talk about catching American steamers at Liverpool at half an hour's notice as if you'd been used to doing that sort of thing all your life. Now, Hugh, I don't wish to be disagreeable you know that; you also know what five hundred pounds would mean to me. But before you see your Mr. Stewart, or start for Euston, I should like to know something. I'm entitled to know something."
"I am perfectly well aware of that, my dear; I should like to tell you everything. I repeat, I wish to have no secrets from you."
"Never mind about telling me everything just now; tell me something. What is it you're going to take to America?"
"You'll smile when I tell you the whole thing sounds so ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? You can hardly be going to be paid all that money for taking something ridiculous to America. You only make me more curious by not speaking out. What is it? What are you going to take?"
"A case of pills."
"What! "It is no exaggeration to say that Catherine shrieked the word. "Don't be an idiot. You're mistaken if you think I'm in a mood to be played with."
"I told you you would smile. Nor am I in a mood for playing. I have it from Mr. Stewart's own lips that it is a case of pills which he wishes me to take to America."
"Hugh, if you're in earnest there's something mysterious about this."
"Of that I'm as conscious as you can possibly be."
"Why doesn't the man send his pills by post? Is it such an enormous case? Does it weigh tons?"
"No, it is quite a small case, capable of being carried in my waistcoat pocket. I do not know why he does not send it by post; I believe he has his own reasons."
"What kind of pills are they?"
"That is a subject on which he has volunteered no information, and, frankly, I'd rather not know."
She looked at me very intently, within her eyes a challenge.
"Hugh, I believe you do know."
"I do not know! I may have some sort of vague idea, which only amounts to a guess, but I'd rather keep it to myself if you don't mind."
"It seems as if it makes no difference if I do mind. Something has happened to you since you left this house yesterday morning which has made of you a different man."
"Perhaps