Detective and mystery stories; England -- Fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Nobility -- Fiction; Romanies -- Fiction
"The fever's up and I'm down," replied Lambert, who was glad to see her,
if only to distract his painful thoughts. "It's only a touch of malaria,
my dear Clara. I shall be all right in a few days."
"You're hopeful, I must say, Lambert. What about a doctor?"
"I don't need one. Mrs. Tribb is nursing me."
"Coddling you," muttered Miss Greeby, planting herself manfully in an
opposite chair and crossing her legs in a gentlemanly manner. "Fresh air
and exercise, beefsteaks and tankards of beer are what you need. Defy
Nature and you get the better of her. Kill or cure is my motto."
"As I have strong reasons to remain alive, I shan't adopt your
prescription, Dr. Greeby," said Lambert, dryly. "What are you doing in
these parts? I thought you were shooting in Scotland."
"So I was," admitted the visitor, frankly and laying her bludgeon--she
still carried it--across her knee. "But I grew sick of the sport.
Knocked over the birds too easy, Lambert, so there was no fun. The birds
are getting as silly as the men."
"Well, women knock them over easy enough."
"That's what I mean," said Miss Greeby, vigorously. "It's a rotten
world, this, unless one can get away into the wilds."
"Why don't you go there?"
"Well," Miss Greeby leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, and
dandled the bludgeon with both hands. "I thought I'd like a change from
the rough and ready. This case of Pine's rather puzzled me, and so I'm
on the trail as a detective."
Lambert was rather startled. "That's considerably out of your line,
Clara."
Miss Greeby nodded. "Exactly, and so I'm indulging in the novelty. One
must do something to entertain one's self, you know, Lambert. It struck
me that the gypsies know a lot more about the matter than they chose to
say, so I came down yesterday, and put up at the Garvington Arms in the
village. Here I'm going to stay until I can get at the root of the
matter."
"What root?"
"I wish to learn who murdered Pine, poor devil."
"Ah," Lambert smiled. "You wish to gain the reward."
"Not me. I've got more money than I know what to do with, as it is.
Silver is more anxious to get the cash than I am."
"Silver! Have you seen him lately?"
"A couple of days ago," Miss Greeby informed him easily. "He's my
secretary now, Lambert. Yes! The poor beast was chucked out of his
comfortable billet by the death of Pine, and hearing that I wanted some
one to write my letters and run my errands, and act like a tame cat
generally, he applied to me. Since I knew him pretty well through Pine,
I took him on. He's a cunning little fox, but all right when he's kept
in order. And I find him pretty useful, although I've only had him as a
secretary for a fortnight."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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