"If you like to leave your card, sir, I'll lay it on the 'all table, and
if one of the gentlemen wishes to see you, I daresay he'll write or
call."
"No," said Chester, irritably. "Tell Mr Robert that I came, and--no,
say nothing; I daresay I can find Mr Robert Clareborough at his club,
or I shall meet him somewhere else."
He turned upon his heel, and walked sharply away, satisfied now that he
had found the house, and feeling more eager than ever to obtain an
interview with his patient, who would, he felt sure, have his sister by
his side.
The thought of her position sent the hot blood coursing to the doctor's
head, and a chill of horror and anxiety ran through him once more. But
he felt that he must wait a little longer and devise some way of
obtaining speech with Marion, life being unendurable till he had seen
her once again.
"New dodge, Mr Roach, sir?" said the footman, when Chester had
disappeared.
"I don't quite know what to make of it, Orthur," replied the butler,
solemnly. "It does seem like a new way of raising the wind. It ain't
books nor engravings."
"What about being Mr Robert's medical man, though. What do you make of
that?"
"Well, Orthur, putting that and that together--his quick, jerky, excited
way, and his fierce-looking eyes, and his ignorance of Society etiquette
as to strangers calling, and wanting to see everybody, just as if he was
one of the oldest friends of the family--I should say that he's one of
those chaps who get a few names o' people out o' Directories, and then
goes and calls."
"For swindling and picking up anything as is not out of his reach, sir,
or about money?"
"Well, say a bit touched in the head, Orthur." The butler put his hand
to his throat to try whether the tie of his white cravat was in its
place, and looked up the street and down, acts imitated exactly by his
lieutenant, and for some minutes nothing more was said. Then the
footman in very respectful tones--
"Ever try your 'and, Mr Roach, sir, at any of those gambling shops
abroad?"
"Well, once or twice, Orthur," said the butler, relaxing a little to his
junior. "I was with a young nobleman out at Homburg and Baden and one
or two other places."
"And how did you get on, sir?"
"Oh, I made a few louis, Orthur, and I should have made more if we had
stopped, I daresay."
"Lor'! How I should like to have a bit of a try there, sir," said the
footman, eagerly.
"You would, Orthur, eh? You mean it?"
"Mean it, sir? I should just think I should. That's what Mr Robert's
after now, I'll bet; and look at the money, Mr Dennis--Mr Paddy--
pockets over his flutters there, let alone over every race and event
coming off. Ah, it's fine to be them."
"Well, yes, Orthur, my good lad, I suppose they do pretty well. You
see, if I or you were disposed to put a sov'rin or two on the next
event--"
"Half-a-crown's 'bout my figure, sir."
"Ah, well, say half-a-crown, Orthur; it may turn up a pound, or two
pound, or three pound. It might even be a fiver. But with them when
they win, it's hundreds or thousands."
"Ah!" ejaculated the footman, smacking his lips.
"By the way, there's Newmarket coming again next week."
"Yes, sir; got anything on?"
"Well, no, not yet, Orthur; perhaps I may."
"Do, sir, and I will, too. Mr Roach, sir," whispered the young man
behind his hand, as the butler turned upon him with a look of reproof
for his assumption, "Black Pepper, sir."
"What, my good boy! Why, that horse is at fifty to one."
"That's it, sir; and I'm going half-a-crown on him."
"Better keep it in your pocket, my lad," said the butler, blandly.
"No, sir; I think not. I've got the tip."
"Eh?" said the butler, eagerly. "Where from?"
"I heered Mr Paddy tell Mr James, sir, that it was a sure thing, and
Mr James gave him gold out of his cash-box in the lib'ry--little rolls
out of that big tin box of his. I didn't hear no more, but that was
quite enough for me."
"Eh? Yes," said the butler, dropping his superior way of speaking to
whisper confidentially, "it will do for me too, Orthur. I'll give you
half-a-sovereign to put on at the same time. Let me see, Orthur, we're
not very busy this afternoon, and I shall be about to answer the door.
Come down to the pantry, and I'll give you the money, and you can go and
make the bets before they get to a different price."
"All right, sir, I will," said the footman excitedly. "Beg pardon,
sir," he continued, as the door closed and they stood together in the
elaborately-furnished hall. "Yes, Orthur, what is it?"
"Could you oblige me with half-a-crown, sir, till I get my wages?"
"Humph! Well, my lad, I do make it a rule never to lend money, but
seeing that it is you, Orthur, a lad that I can trust--"
"Oh, yes, sir, you may trust me."
"I will let you have the money."
"Thank ye, sir, and I'll go at once."