Reading Help Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. Ch.I-XIII
and her answer, "The price would have to be enormous," given `
` lightly, it was true, yet might not there be a substratum of `
` truth in it? Long ago, had not Whittington asked: "Who's been `
` blabbing? Rita?" Would Rita Vandemeyer prove to be the weak `
` spot in the armour of Mr. Brown? `
` `
` Keeping her eyes fixed steadily on the other's face, Tuppence `
` replied quietly: `
` `
` "Money----" `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer started. Clearly, the reply was unexpected. `
` `
` "What do you mean?" `
` `
` "I'll tell you. You said just now that you had a long memory. A `
` long memory isn't half as useful as a long purse! I dare say it `
` relieves your feelings a good deal to plan out all sorts of `
` dreadful things to do to me, but is that PRACTICAL? Revenge is `
` very unsatisfactory. Every one always says so. But `
` money"--Tuppence warmed to her pet creed--"well, there's nothing `
` unsatisfactory about money, is there?" `
` `
` "Do you think," said Mrs. Vandemeyer scornfully, "that I am the `
` kind of woman to sell my friends?" `
` `
` "Yes," said Tuppence promptly. "If the price was big enough." `
` `
` "A paltry hundred pounds or so!" `
` `
` "No," said Tuppence. "I should suggest--a hundred thousand!" `
` `
` Her economical spirit did not permit her to mention the whole `
` million dollars suggested by Julius. `
` `
` A flush crept over Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. `
` `
` "What did you say?" she asked, her fingers playing nervously with `
` a brooch on her breast. In that moment Tuppence knew that the `
` fish was hooked, and for the first time she felt a horror of her `
` own money-loving spirit. It gave her a dreadful sense of kinship `
` to the woman fronting her. `
` `
` "A hundred thousand pounds," repeated Tuppence. `
` `
` The light died out of Mrs. Vandemeyer's eyes. She leaned back in `
` her chair. `
` `
` "Bah!" she said. "You haven't got it." `
` `
` "No," admitted Tuppence, "I haven't--but I know some one who `
` has." `
` `
` "Who?" `
` `
` "A friend of mine." `
` `
` "Must be a millionaire," remarked Mrs. Vandemeyer unbelievingly. `
` `
` "As a matter of fact he is. He's an American. He'll pay you `
` that without a murmur. You can take it from me that it's a `
` perfectly genuine proposition." `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer sat up again. `
` `
` "I'm inclined to believe you," she said slowly. `
` `
` There was silence between them for some time, then Mrs. `
` Vandemeyer looked up. `
` `
` "What does he want to know, this friend of yours?" `
` `
` Tuppence went through a momentary struggle, but it was Julius's `
` money, and his interests must come first. `
` `
` "He wants to know where Jane Finn is," she said boldly. `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer showed no surprise. `
` `
` "I'm not sure where she is at the present moment," she replied. `
` `
` "But you could find out?" `
` `
` "Oh, yes," returned Mrs. Vandemeyer carelessly. "There would be `
` no difficulty about that." `
` `
` "Then"--Tuppence's voice shook a little--"there's a boy, a friend `
` of mine. I'm afraid something's happened to him, through your pal `
` Boris." `
` `
` "What's his name?" `
` `
` "Tommy Beresford." `
` `
` "Never heard of him. But I'll ask Boris. He'll tell me anything `
` he knows." `
` `
` "Thank you." Tuppence felt a terrific rise in her spirits. It `
` impelled her to more audacious efforts. "There's one thing `
` more." `
` `
` "Well?" `
` `
` Tuppence leaned forward and lowered her voice. `
` `
` "WHO IS MR. BROWN?" `
` `
` Her quick eyes saw the sudden paling of the beautiful face. With `
` an effort Mrs. Vandemeyer pulled herself together and tried to `
` resume her former manner. But the attempt was a mere parody. `
` `
` She shrugged her shoulders. `
` `
` "You can't have learnt much about us if you don't know that `
` NOBODY KNOWS WHO MR. BROWN IS...." `
` `
` "You do," said Tuppence quietly. `
` `
` Again the colour deserted the other's face. `
` `
` "What makes you think that?" `
` `
` "I don't know," said the girl truthfully. "But I'm sure." `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer stared in front of her for a long time. `
` `
` "Yes," she said hoarsely, at last, "I know. I was beautiful, you `
` see--very beautiful--" `
` `
` "You are still," said Tuppence with admiration. `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer shook her head. There was a strange gleam in her `
` electric-blue eyes. `
` `
` "Not beautiful enough," she said in a soft dangerous voice. `
` "Not--beautiful--enough! And sometimes, lately, I've been `
` afraid.... It's dangerous to know too much!" She leaned forward `
` across the table. "Swear that my name shan't be brought into `
` it--that no one shall ever know." `
` `
` "I swear it. And, once's he caught, you'll be out of danger." `
` `
` A terrified look swept across Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. `
` `
` "Shall I? Shall I ever be?" She clutched Tuppence's arm. `
` "You're sure about the money?" `
` `
` "Quite sure." `
` `
` "When shall I have it? There must be no delay." `
` `
` "This friend of mine will be here presently. He may have to send `
` cables, or something like that. But there won't be any `
` delay--he's a terrific hustler." `
` `
` A resolute look settled on Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. `
` `
` "I'll do it. It's a great sum of money, and besides"--she gave a `
` curious smile--"it is not--wise to throw over a woman like me!" `
` `
` For a moment or two, she remained smiling, and lightly tapping `
` her fingers on the table. Suddenly she started, and her face `
` blanched. `
` `
` "What was that?" `
` `
` "I heard nothing." `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer gazed round her fearfully. `
` `
` "If there should be some one listening----" `
` `
` "Nonsense. Who could there be?" `
` `
` "Even the walls might have ears," whispered the other. "I tell `
` you I'm frightened. You don't know him!" `
` `
` "Think of the hundred thousand pounds," said Tuppence soothingly. `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer passed her tongue over her dried lips. `
` `
` "You don't know him," she reiterated hoarsely. "He's--ah!" `
` `
` With a shriek of terror she sprang to her feet. Her outstretched `
` hand pointed over Tuppence's head. Then she swayed to the ground `
` in a dead faint. `
` `
` Tuppence looked round to see what had startled her. `
` `
` In the doorway were Sir James Peel Edgerton and Julius `
` Hersheimmer. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER XIII `
` `
` THE VIGIL `
` `
` SIR James brushed past Julius and hurriedly bent over the fallen `
` woman. `
` `
`
` lightly, it was true, yet might not there be a substratum of `
` truth in it? Long ago, had not Whittington asked: "Who's been `
` blabbing? Rita?" Would Rita Vandemeyer prove to be the weak `
` spot in the armour of Mr. Brown? `
` `
` Keeping her eyes fixed steadily on the other's face, Tuppence `
` replied quietly: `
` `
` "Money----" `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer started. Clearly, the reply was unexpected. `
` `
` "What do you mean?" `
` `
` "I'll tell you. You said just now that you had a long memory. A `
` long memory isn't half as useful as a long purse! I dare say it `
` relieves your feelings a good deal to plan out all sorts of `
` dreadful things to do to me, but is that PRACTICAL? Revenge is `
` very unsatisfactory. Every one always says so. But `
` money"--Tuppence warmed to her pet creed--"well, there's nothing `
` unsatisfactory about money, is there?" `
` `
` "Do you think," said Mrs. Vandemeyer scornfully, "that I am the `
` kind of woman to sell my friends?" `
` `
` "Yes," said Tuppence promptly. "If the price was big enough." `
` `
` "A paltry hundred pounds or so!" `
` `
` "No," said Tuppence. "I should suggest--a hundred thousand!" `
` `
` Her economical spirit did not permit her to mention the whole `
` million dollars suggested by Julius. `
` `
` A flush crept over Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. `
` `
` "What did you say?" she asked, her fingers playing nervously with `
` a brooch on her breast. In that moment Tuppence knew that the `
` fish was hooked, and for the first time she felt a horror of her `
` own money-loving spirit. It gave her a dreadful sense of kinship `
` to the woman fronting her. `
` `
` "A hundred thousand pounds," repeated Tuppence. `
` `
` The light died out of Mrs. Vandemeyer's eyes. She leaned back in `
` her chair. `
` `
` "Bah!" she said. "You haven't got it." `
` `
` "No," admitted Tuppence, "I haven't--but I know some one who `
` has." `
` `
` "Who?" `
` `
` "A friend of mine." `
` `
` "Must be a millionaire," remarked Mrs. Vandemeyer unbelievingly. `
` `
` "As a matter of fact he is. He's an American. He'll pay you `
` that without a murmur. You can take it from me that it's a `
` perfectly genuine proposition." `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer sat up again. `
` `
` "I'm inclined to believe you," she said slowly. `
` `
` There was silence between them for some time, then Mrs. `
` Vandemeyer looked up. `
` `
` "What does he want to know, this friend of yours?" `
` `
` Tuppence went through a momentary struggle, but it was Julius's `
` money, and his interests must come first. `
` `
` "He wants to know where Jane Finn is," she said boldly. `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer showed no surprise. `
` `
` "I'm not sure where she is at the present moment," she replied. `
` `
` "But you could find out?" `
` `
` "Oh, yes," returned Mrs. Vandemeyer carelessly. "There would be `
` no difficulty about that." `
` `
` "Then"--Tuppence's voice shook a little--"there's a boy, a friend `
` of mine. I'm afraid something's happened to him, through your pal `
` Boris." `
` `
` "What's his name?" `
` `
` "Tommy Beresford." `
` `
` "Never heard of him. But I'll ask Boris. He'll tell me anything `
` he knows." `
` `
` "Thank you." Tuppence felt a terrific rise in her spirits. It `
` impelled her to more audacious efforts. "There's one thing `
` more." `
` `
` "Well?" `
` `
` Tuppence leaned forward and lowered her voice. `
` `
` "WHO IS MR. BROWN?" `
` `
` Her quick eyes saw the sudden paling of the beautiful face. With `
` an effort Mrs. Vandemeyer pulled herself together and tried to `
` resume her former manner. But the attempt was a mere parody. `
` `
` She shrugged her shoulders. `
` `
` "You can't have learnt much about us if you don't know that `
` NOBODY KNOWS WHO MR. BROWN IS...." `
` `
` "You do," said Tuppence quietly. `
` `
` Again the colour deserted the other's face. `
` `
` "What makes you think that?" `
` `
` "I don't know," said the girl truthfully. "But I'm sure." `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer stared in front of her for a long time. `
` `
` "Yes," she said hoarsely, at last, "I know. I was beautiful, you `
` see--very beautiful--" `
` `
` "You are still," said Tuppence with admiration. `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer shook her head. There was a strange gleam in her `
` electric-blue eyes. `
` `
` "Not beautiful enough," she said in a soft dangerous voice. `
` "Not--beautiful--enough! And sometimes, lately, I've been `
` afraid.... It's dangerous to know too much!" She leaned forward `
` across the table. "Swear that my name shan't be brought into `
` it--that no one shall ever know." `
` `
` "I swear it. And, once's he caught, you'll be out of danger." `
` `
` A terrified look swept across Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. `
` `
` "Shall I? Shall I ever be?" She clutched Tuppence's arm. `
` "You're sure about the money?" `
` `
` "Quite sure." `
` `
` "When shall I have it? There must be no delay." `
` `
` "This friend of mine will be here presently. He may have to send `
` cables, or something like that. But there won't be any `
` delay--he's a terrific hustler." `
` `
` A resolute look settled on Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. `
` `
` "I'll do it. It's a great sum of money, and besides"--she gave a `
` curious smile--"it is not--wise to throw over a woman like me!" `
` `
` For a moment or two, she remained smiling, and lightly tapping `
` her fingers on the table. Suddenly she started, and her face `
` blanched. `
` `
` "What was that?" `
` `
` "I heard nothing." `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer gazed round her fearfully. `
` `
` "If there should be some one listening----" `
` `
` "Nonsense. Who could there be?" `
` `
` "Even the walls might have ears," whispered the other. "I tell `
` you I'm frightened. You don't know him!" `
` `
` "Think of the hundred thousand pounds," said Tuppence soothingly. `
` `
` Mrs. Vandemeyer passed her tongue over her dried lips. `
` `
` "You don't know him," she reiterated hoarsely. "He's--ah!" `
` `
` With a shriek of terror she sprang to her feet. Her outstretched `
` hand pointed over Tuppence's head. Then she swayed to the ground `
` in a dead faint. `
` `
` Tuppence looked round to see what had startled her. `
` `
` In the doorway were Sir James Peel Edgerton and Julius `
` Hersheimmer. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER XIII `
` `
` THE VIGIL `
` `
` SIR James brushed past Julius and hurriedly bent over the fallen `
` woman. `
` `
`