Read Online The Governess by Evelyn Hervey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Evelyn Hervey
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said. ‘For all that you know me better than anyone, the circumstances the Sergeant brought to light almost convinced you. Wasn’t that the way of it?’
‘Oh, Lord forgive me, Unwin. It was. It was.’
Vilkins’s confession, which she was too unskilled in the ways of the world to have wrapped up in any evasive phrase, brought home in its full force to Miss Unwin the precariousness of her position.
‘I really don’t know why the Sergeant did not arrest me,’ she said. ‘He seemed to have so much evidence against me, false though the worst part of it was.’
‘That Joseph,’ Vilkins said. ‘I knew it. He was lying, weren’t he? He’s one o’ the sort that can’t stop hisself lying, no, not never so much as he might want to speak the truth.’
‘Yes.’ Miss Unwin gave a long sigh. ‘Yes, Vilkins, Joseph was lying, and you can guess why he wanted to spite me in telling his lies. But the Sergeant believes him. Joseph had the chance to get his word in first while they were coming here in the cab from Great Scotland Yard, and he made good use of it.’
‘That villain. I could put me ‘ands around his throat an’ strangle him.’
Another smile, despite herself, broke through for Miss Unwin.
‘I don’t think you should do that, Vilkins dear. Really I don’t. Not however hard-pressed your friend of old is.’
‘Well, but Unwin, what can we do? What can I do?’
The momentary light that had gleamed over the landscape of Miss Unwin’s mind gave way to overcast gloom again.
‘I don’t know what’s to be done,’ she answered. ‘I don’t know what I can do. I don’t believe there is anything you can do, my dear, much though you may wish to. But, tell me, did the Sergeant say anything after I had fainted as to why he did not arrest me?’
‘Well, he did, in a sort of way, though I was too busy a-holding you up and a-taking you out to pay much heed.’
‘But you heard something, Vilkins? You caught a few words?’
‘Oh, yes, I did. An’ I’d have liked to have stuffed ‘em back down inside of him till he was fair choked to death, so I would.’
‘Yes. But what did he say?’
‘He said –’Vilkins creased her cheerful, broad brow in a mighty frown of effort. ‘He said there was three on ‘em.’
‘Three of what, Vilkins dear? Are there two others the Sergeant suspects?’
‘Oh, no. No, Unwin, it’s only you what he’s got his eye on. You can be sure o’ that.’
She looked delighted. Pleased to have one thing certain in the difficult course she had been asked to set out on.
‘Well, if the Sergeant is so certain that I am the one he ought to have his eye on, what three things is it, so it seems, that are stopping him arresting me?’
‘Oh, no, it ain’t three things as is stopping him. That I do know. Two on ‘em’s all right by him. I’m sure o’ that.’
‘So it is only one thing that lies between me and a prison cell. Is that it?’
‘Yes. Yes, that’s right,’ said Vilkins.
‘But what is that thing? Can you remember at all? Please.’
‘It’s one o’ the three, that I do know.’
‘Yes? Well, what are the three then? Can you remember one single thing about any one of them?’
Vilkins stood frowning like a gridiron, plainly hoping that the very intensity of that operation would somehow bring into her mind again whatever words it was the Sergeant had spoken.
‘Come, just one thing, Vilkins dear.’
‘Mean! That was one of ’em. He said he was going to be mean …’
But her voice had faded away into uncertainty.
‘Mean?’ Miss Unwin said. ‘But not, am I not right, that he was going to be mean? Are you sure he said he was going to be mean?’
‘No,’ Vilkins brought out in triumph, her red nose pointing up to the ceiling in exultation. ‘No, I’m sure o’ that now. He didn’t say as how he was going to be mean. He said something else altogether. But I’m blessed if I know what.’
‘Try to get at it another way. Mean was one thing,
‘Oh, Lord forgive me, Unwin. It was. It was.’
Vilkins’s confession, which she was too unskilled in the ways of the world to have wrapped up in any evasive phrase, brought home in its full force to Miss Unwin the precariousness of her position.
‘I really don’t know why the Sergeant did not arrest me,’ she said. ‘He seemed to have so much evidence against me, false though the worst part of it was.’
‘That Joseph,’ Vilkins said. ‘I knew it. He was lying, weren’t he? He’s one o’ the sort that can’t stop hisself lying, no, not never so much as he might want to speak the truth.’
‘Yes.’ Miss Unwin gave a long sigh. ‘Yes, Vilkins, Joseph was lying, and you can guess why he wanted to spite me in telling his lies. But the Sergeant believes him. Joseph had the chance to get his word in first while they were coming here in the cab from Great Scotland Yard, and he made good use of it.’
‘That villain. I could put me ‘ands around his throat an’ strangle him.’
Another smile, despite herself, broke through for Miss Unwin.
‘I don’t think you should do that, Vilkins dear. Really I don’t. Not however hard-pressed your friend of old is.’
‘Well, but Unwin, what can we do? What can I do?’
The momentary light that had gleamed over the landscape of Miss Unwin’s mind gave way to overcast gloom again.
‘I don’t know what’s to be done,’ she answered. ‘I don’t know what I can do. I don’t believe there is anything you can do, my dear, much though you may wish to. But, tell me, did the Sergeant say anything after I had fainted as to why he did not arrest me?’
‘Well, he did, in a sort of way, though I was too busy a-holding you up and a-taking you out to pay much heed.’
‘But you heard something, Vilkins? You caught a few words?’
‘Oh, yes, I did. An’ I’d have liked to have stuffed ‘em back down inside of him till he was fair choked to death, so I would.’
‘Yes. But what did he say?’
‘He said –’Vilkins creased her cheerful, broad brow in a mighty frown of effort. ‘He said there was three on ‘em.’
‘Three of what, Vilkins dear? Are there two others the Sergeant suspects?’
‘Oh, no. No, Unwin, it’s only you what he’s got his eye on. You can be sure o’ that.’
She looked delighted. Pleased to have one thing certain in the difficult course she had been asked to set out on.
‘Well, if the Sergeant is so certain that I am the one he ought to have his eye on, what three things is it, so it seems, that are stopping him arresting me?’
‘Oh, no, it ain’t three things as is stopping him. That I do know. Two on ‘em’s all right by him. I’m sure o’ that.’
‘So it is only one thing that lies between me and a prison cell. Is that it?’
‘Yes. Yes, that’s right,’ said Vilkins.
‘But what is that thing? Can you remember at all? Please.’
‘It’s one o’ the three, that I do know.’
‘Yes? Well, what are the three then? Can you remember one single thing about any one of them?’
Vilkins stood frowning like a gridiron, plainly hoping that the very intensity of that operation would somehow bring into her mind again whatever words it was the Sergeant had spoken.
‘Come, just one thing, Vilkins dear.’
‘Mean! That was one of ’em. He said he was going to be mean …’
But her voice had faded away into uncertainty.
‘Mean?’ Miss Unwin said. ‘But not, am I not right, that he was going to be mean? Are you sure he said he was going to be mean?’
‘No,’ Vilkins brought out in triumph, her red nose pointing up to the ceiling in exultation. ‘No, I’m sure o’ that now. He didn’t say as how he was going to be mean. He said something else altogether. But I’m blessed if I know what.’
‘Try to get at it another way. Mean was one thing,
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