Sir Hilton's Sin Part 39

"Stuff! There ain't no boots--old boots nor any other boots."

"Ain't there, Mark? Oh, there was, there was."

"Bos.h.!.+ You've been dreaming."

"Have I?" said the girl, after a long stare about the moonlit carpet.

"I thought I saw them." Then, with a quick change: "Wherever have you been?"

"Oh, only to the races with the guv'nor."

"But you ain't been racing till this time o' night?" cried the girl, suspiciously.

"Well, not quite. Some on 'em--bookies and jocks--got up a bit o'

dinner."

"I don't believe it. What for?"

"All along o' settling up, and that sort of thing."

"Settling up? What's that--paying up?"

"Yes, my gal."

"I know what that means. Now then, out with it."

"Wait till the morning," said Mark, grinning.

"How much was it? No keeping it back. If you do, it's all off, and I'll never speak to you again. Now then, let this be a lesson to you.

I will know. How much have you lost?"

"Guess."

"I won't guess. It's too serious a matter."

"So it is, my la.s.s; so it is, and I'll make a clean breast of it, Jenny."

"Yes, you'd better."

"I've won!" he cried, catching the girl in his arms.

"What! I don't believe it."

"I have, and enough, with what the brewers would advance, to take a nice little country pub--one we can make into a hotel."

"Ah, well," said Jane, primly, "it ain't no time to be talking about no hotels nor publics in the middle o' the night like this."

"Why not?"

"Because it ain't proper. Look here; is Mr Trimmer coming home?"

"What, ain't he at home neither?"

"No, n.o.body's come back but you. What about master? Is he along with her ladys.h.i.+p?"

"No; he was took bad just afore the race, but Dr Granton give him a pick-me-up that kep' him going till he'd won the race."

"Her ladys.h.i.+p had give him a talking-to, I suppose?"

Mark grinned, winked, and lifted his elbow in a peculiar way, suggestive of drinking.

"Oh-h-h!" exclaimed Jane, in a half-whisper. "What a shame!"

"s.h.!.+" whispered the groom. "Not a word. Don't say a word to a soul. I wouldn't have trusted anyone else with it, Jenny. I believe it was on'y a gla.s.s or two of fizz on the top of a bucketful of excitement because he was going to ride."

"But there it is, you see, Mark! horses and racing leads to drinking, and I mean to think twice before I tie myself to anyone who drinks and gambles. Is master with her ladys.h.i.+p now?"

"No, I tell you; he's badly, and stopping at Simpkins's, with Master Syd taking care of him; and her ladys.h.i.+p was took bad too, after a rumpus at the hotel."

"Oh, how disgraceful!" interrupted Jane. "Her ladys.h.i.+p stooping to do that, and master getting tipsy and running races. I shall give notice, Mark. I've got a character to lose."

"You'd better! You don't leave here till--you know."

"Oh, no, I don't; and now I'm going to bed. But tell me, where did you say her ladys.h.i.+p was?"

"How many more times?" cried the groom, impatiently. "I've told you five or six times."

"You haven't, Mark."

"I have. Her ladys.h.i.+p was took bad at the hotel when she found the guv'nor looking quite tight afore he went off to win the race, and only just in time to get up to the scratch. Then as soon as it was over the doctor has to physic him and see to her ladys.h.i.+p, and the doctor and Lady Tilborough takes her to Oakleigh."

"Why didn't they bring her home?" said Jane, sharply.

"How should I know? Because Lady Tilborough thought perhaps that master would join 'em there and make it up. But I dunno. Had too much business of my own to 'tend to."

"What business?" said Jane, suspiciously. "Getting along with a bad set of touts, drinking, I suppose."

"Get out! I was making sure of the money I'd won while I could. That's right; hang away from a fellow! Just like a woman! Think you're going to ketch something?"

"That will do," said the girl, coldly. "You smell horrid of beer and smoke. Oh, Mark!" she whispered; and he had no room for complaints of a want of warmth, for the girl flung her arms about him, clinging tightly, and placed her lips closely to his ear. "There," she cried, in an agitated way; "hark! Is that fancy? There are burglars in the house."

Mark drew the girl more into the shade near the fireplace, and softly picked up the brightly-polished poker from where it lay. For he had distinctly heard a soft rattle as if of a latchkey, the opening and closing of the hall door, and then as he stood listening there was the scratch of a match which faintly lit up the hall as far as they could see through the drawing-room door.

Directly after there was a click, as of a candlestick being removed, an augmentation of the light which approached, and in the full intention of--to use the groom's own words--"letting 'em have it," Mark thrust the girl behind him, and made ready to bring the poker down heavily upon the burglar's head.

But he did not, for the head and face, looking yellow and ghastly by the light of a chamber candle, were those of Lady Lisle's agent and confidential man.

Possibly from weariness, there was no spasmodic start, Trimmer staring gla.s.sy-eyed and strange, and with his black felt hat looking battered and soiled, while in their revulsion of feeling Jane and Mark found no words to say.