BUNDLE WONDERS
There was no doubt that Superintendent Battle was taken aback. He
fingered his chin thoughtfully.
"Sir Oswald is right, Battle," said George. "This is the man. Any hope
of catching him?"
"There may be, sir. It certainly looks--well, suspicious. Of course the
man may turn up again--at Chimneys, I mean."
"Do you think it likely?"
"No, it isn't," confessed Battle. "Yes, it certainly looks as though
Bauer were the man. But I can't quite see how he got in and out of
these grounds unobserved."
"I have already told you my opinion of the men you posted," said
George. "Hopelessly inefficient--I don't want to blame you,
Superintendent, but--" His pause was eloquent.
"Ah, well," said Battle lightly, "my shoulders are broad."
He shook his head and sighed.
"I must get to the telephone at once. Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm sorry,
Mr. Lomax--I feel I've rather bungled this business. But it's been
puzzling, more puzzling than you know."
He strode hurriedly from the room.
"Come into the garden," said Bundle to Jimmy. "I want to talk to you."
They went out together through the window. Jimmy stared down at the
lawn, frowning.
"What's the matter?" asked Bundle.
Jimmy explained the circumstances of the pistol throwing.
"I'm wondering," he ended, "what was in old Battle's mind when he got
Coote to throw the pistol. Something, I'll swear. Anyhow, it landed up
about ten yards farther than it should have done. You know, Bundle,
Battle's a deep one."
"He's an extraordinary man," said Bundle. "I want to tell you about
last night."
She retailed her conversation with the Superintendent. Jimmy listened
attentively.
"So the Countess is No. 1," he said thoughtfully. "It all hangs
together very well. No. 2--Bauer--comes over from Chimneys. He climbs
up into O'Rourke's room, knowing that O'Rourke has had a sleeping
draught administered to him--by the Countess somehow or other. The
arrangement is that he is to throw down the papers to the Countess, who
will be waiting below. Then she'll nip back through the library and
up to her room. If Bauer's caught leaving the grounds, they'll find
nothing on him. Yes, it was a good plan--but it went wrong. No sooner
is the Countess in the library than she hears me coming and has to jump
behind the screen. Jolly awkward for her, because she can't warn her
accomplice. No. 2 pinches the papers, looks out of the window, sees,
as he thinks, the Countess waiting, pitches the papers down to her and
proceeds to climb down the ivy, where he finds a nasty surprise in the
shape of me waiting for him. Pretty nervy work for the Countess waiting
behind her screen. All things considered, she told a pretty good story.
Yes, it all hangs together very well."
"Too well," said Bundle decidedly.
"Eh?" said Jimmy, surprised.
"What about No. 7--No. 7, who never appears, but lives in the
background. The Countess and Bauer? No, it's not so simple as that.
Bauer was here last night, yes. But he was only here in case things
went wrong--as they have done. His part is the part of scapegoat; to
draw all attention from No. 7--the boss."
"I say, Bundle," said Jimmy anxiously, "you haven't been reading too
much sensational literature, have you?"
Bundle threw him a glance of dignified reproach.
"Well," said Jimmy, "I'm not yet like the Red Queen. I can't believe
six impossible things before breakfast."
"It's after breakfast," said Bundle.
"Or even after breakfast. We've got a perfectly good hypothesis which
fits the facts--and you won't have it at any price, simply because like
the old riddle, you want to make things more difficult."
"I'm sorry," said Bundle, "but I cling passionately to a mysterious No.
7 being a member of the house-party."
"What does Bill think?"
"Bill," said Bundle coldly, "is impossible."
"Oh!" said Jimmy. "I suppose you've told him about the Countess?
He ought to be warned. Heaven knows what he'll go blabbing about
otherwise."
"He won't hear a word against her," said Bundle. "He's--oh, simply
idiotic. I wish you'd drive it home to him about that mole."
"You forget I wasn't in the cupboard," said Jimmy. "And anyway I'd
rather not argue with Bill about his lady friend's mole. But surely he
can't be such an ass as not to see that everything fits in?"
"He's every kind of ass," said Bundle bitterly. "You made the greatest
mistake, Jimmy, in ever telling him at all."
"I'm sorry," said Jimmy. "I didn't see it at the time--but I do now. I
was a fool, but dash it all, old Bill--"
"You know what foreign adventuresses are," said Bundle. "How they get
hold of one."
"As a matter of fact, I don't," said Jimmy. "One has never tried to get
hold of me." And he sighed.
For a moment or two there was silence. Jimmy was turning things over in
his mind. The more he thought about them, the more unsatisfactory they
seemed.
"You say that Battle wants the Countess let alone," he said at last.
"Yes."
"The idea being that through her he will get at someone else?"
Bundle nodded.
Jimmy frowned deeply as he tried to see where this led. Clearly Battle
had some very definite idea in his mind.
"Sir Stanley Digby went up to town early this morning, didn't he?" he
said.
"Yes."
"O'Rourke with him?"
"Yes, I think so."
"You don't think--no, that's impossible?"
"What?"
"That O'Rourke can be mixed up in this in any way?"
"It's possible," said Bundle thoughtfully. "He's got what one calls a
very vivid personality. No, it wouldn't surprise me if--oh, to tell the
truth, nothing would surprise me! In fact, there's only one person I'm
really sure isn't No. 7."
"Who's that?"
"Superintendent Battle."
"Oh! I thought you were going to say George Lomax."
"Ssh, here he comes."
George was, indeed, bearing down upon them in an unmistakable manner.
Jimmy made an excuse and slipped away. George sat down by Bundle.
"My dear Eileen, must you really leave us?"
"Well, Father seems to have got the wind up rather badly. I think I'd
better go home and hold his hand."
"This little hand will indeed be comforting," said George, taking it
and pressing it playfully. "My dear Eileen, I understand your reasons
and I honour you for them. In these days of changed and unsettled
conditions--"
"He's off," thought Bundle desperately.
"--when family life is at a premium--all the old standards falling!--it
becomes our class to set an example--to show that we, at least, are
unaffected by modern conditions. They call us the Die Hards--I am proud
of the term--I repeat I am proud of the term! There are things that
_should_ die hard--dignity, beauty, modesty, the sanctity of family
life, filial respect--who dies if these shall live? As I was saying,
my dear Eileen, I envy you the privileges of your youth. Youth! What
a wonderful thing! What a wonderful word! And we do not appreciate it
until we grow to--er--maturer years. I confess, my dear child, that I
have in the past been disappointed by your levity. I see now it was but
the careless and charming levity of a child. I perceive now the serious
and earnest beauty of your mind. You will allow me, I hope, to help you
with your reading?"
"Oh, thank you," said Bundle faintly.
"And you must never be afraid of me again. I was shocked when Lady
Caterham told me that you stood in awe of me. I can assure you that I
am a very humdrum sort of person."
The spectacle of George being modest struck Bundle spellbound. George
continued.
"Never be shy with me, dear child. And do not be afraid of boring me.
It will be a great delight to me to--if I may say so--form your budding
mind. I will be your political mentor. We have never needed young women
of talent and charm in the Party more than we need them to-day. You
may well be destined to follow in the footsteps of your aunt, Lady
Caterham."
This awful prospect knocked Bundle out completely. She could only stare
helplessly at George. This did not discourage him--on the contrary. His
main objection to women was that they talked too much. It was seldom
that he found what he considered a really good listener. He smiled
benignantly at Bundle.
"The butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. A wonderful picture. I have
a very interesting work on political economy. I will look it out now,
and you can take it to Chimneys with you. When you have finished it, I
will discuss it with you. Do not hesitate to write to me if any point
puzzles you. I have many public duties, but by unsparing work I can
always make time for the affairs of my friends. I will look for the
book."
He strode away. Bundle gazed after him with a dazed expression. She was
roused by the unexpected advent of Bill.
"Look here," said Bill, "what the hell was Codders holding your hand
for?"
"It wasn't my hand," said Bundle wildly. "It was my budding mind."
"Don't be an ass, Bundle."
"Sorry, Bill, but I'm a little worried. Do you remember saying that
Jimmy ran a grave risk coming down here?"
"So he does," said Bill. "It's frightfully hard to escape from Codders
once he's got interested in you. Jimmy will be caught in the toils
before he knows where he is."
"It's not Jimmy who's got caught--it's me," said Bundle wildly. "I
shall have to meet endless Mrs. Macattas, and read political economy
and discuss it with George, and heavens knows where it will end!"
Bill whistled.
"Poor old Bundle. Been laying it on a bit thick, haven't you?"
"I must have done. Bill, I feel horribly entangled."
"Never mind," said Bill consolingly. "George doesn't really believe
in women standing for Parliament, so you won't have to stand up on
platforms and talk a lot of junk, or kiss dirty babies in Bermondsey.
Come and have a cocktail. It's nearly lunch time."
Bundle got up and walked by his side obediently.
"And I do so hate politics," she murmured piteously.
"Of course you do. So do all sensible people. It's only people like
Codders and Pongo who take them seriously and revel in them. But all
the same," said Bill, reverting suddenly to a former point, "you
oughtn't to let Codders hold your hand."
"Why on earth not?" said Bundle. "He's known me all my life."
"Well, I don't like it."
"Virtuous William--Oh, I say, look at Superintendent Battle."
They were just passing in through a side door. A cupboard-like
room opened out of the little hallway. In it were kept golf clubs,
tennis racquets, bowls and other features of country house life.
Superintendent Battle was conducting a minute examination of various
golf clubs. He looked up a little sheepishly at Bundle's exclamation.
"Going to take up golf, Superintendent Battle?"
"I might do worse, Lady Eileen. They say it's never too late to start.
And I've got one good quality that will tell at any game."
"What's that?" asked Bill.
"I don't know when I'm beaten. If everything goes wrong, I turn to and
start again!"
And with a determined look on his face, Superintendent Battle came out
and joined them, shutting the door behind him.