Read Online Let Him Lie by Ianthe Jerrold - Free Book Online Page B

Jeanie abruptly, for Tamsin’s circumlocutory style annoyed her.
    â€œIt was in the stable-loft, you see. I was taking milk to Sarah’s kittens. It was in the evening, about five o’clock, just growing dark. I heard somebody come into the stable below. I was just going to get down the ladder when I heard Mr. Molyneux say: Marjorie, you mustn’t do this. Really, my dear, you mustn’t. Can’t you see how foolish it is? He was speaking quite kindly, but strongly, you know, as if he was annoyed and didn’t want to show it too much. And then I heard Miss Dasent, and she sounded very emotional, and she said: Oh, Robert, I had to! Don’t be angry with me! And he said: I’m not angry, but really you can’t do this sort of thing. If you want to see me, you can come to the house, Marjorie . I suppose you think that I oughtn’t to have listened, Miss Halliday, but what could I do? Go down the ladder and burst in on them?”
    â€œI suppose not.”
    â€œI’m so glad you understand! Well—and then she kind of burst out crying and became very hysterical and said she was miserable because she hadn’t seen him, and what had she done to make him cross with her, and all that kind of thing, really quite incoherent! I don’t remember it all. And he said she must pull herself together and not give way to silly fancies. He said: I’m a quarter of a century older than you, my dear, and my romantic days are a long way behind me! Which wasn’t quite true, of course, because Marjorie’s thirty-three if she’s a day! And then he said half-jokingly: And anyway, I’m Agnes’s property, you know, my dear . And she burst out: She doesn’t care for you, she’s heartless! And he said quite angrily: Please don’t talk like that! And then I heard him say more sympathetically: You ought to go away for a holiday, Marjorie. Ask your father to let you go away on a cruise for a month or two. And when you come back we’ll be better friends than ever, and laugh at all this together. And she kind of shouted out: Laugh! How can you be so devilish? And then he went away, and she went on howling to herself, and I crept down the ladder without her noticing me, she was so busy soaking poor Gipsy with her tears.”
    There was a pause when Tamsin had brought her narrative to a close. A certain note of gloating triumph seemed to linger on the air, and Tamsin as well as Jeanie seemed to become aware of it, for hastily she added in a voice pitched so mournfully that it was almost lachrymose:
    â€œI can’t tell you, Miss Halliday, how badly I’ve felt about it. I’m so glad you think I did right not to try to conceal it. Though, of course, for Agnes’s sake, I was terribly tempted to.”
    â€œI suppose it was right to tell the police,” conceded Jeanie coldly. “But why tell me?”
    Tamsin looked for a second disconcerted, but soon recovered herself and gave a somewhat artificial smile.
    â€œI’m sorry if I’ve bored you, Miss Halliday.”
    â€œYou haven’t bored me, exactly. I’m only wondering just why you disliked poor Mr. Molyneux so much that you can get a kick out of repeating that sort of story about him.”
    Jeanie’s voice was a little breathless. Her face was burning. The dormant hostility between the two of them awoke fully armed. They glared at one another.
    â€œReally, Miss Halliday, I don’t know why you should take that tone!”
    â€œYou’re not going to tell me you didn’t dislike him!”
    â€œI certainly didn’t dislike Mr. Molyneux. But as I’ve already explained, I’m a friend of Agnes’s, and—”
    â€œOh, for Heaven’s sake don’t start all over again!”
    â€œVery well. I’m sorry I ever mentioned the matter.”
    â€œI should think so!”
    About to depart indignantly, Jeanie turned, finding a weapon to her