The Red Window

rnard had impulsively got rid of his civilian clothes, and therefore had to keep constantly to his uniform. But in those days everyone was in khaki, as the war fever was in th

hing, and was ignorant that the old man had taken up his abode in

g Gore to dinner at the lawyer's house. Bernard was only too glad, and the three had a long talk over old times. The dinner was excellent, the wine was good, and although the young man's housekeeper was rather surprised that her precise master should dine with a couple of soldiers, she did her best to make them comfortable. When the

elf," said he, handing Gore a glass of

his hair-brained way. "You have no ties to keep you

gaged for al

engaged man you can't mistake

. "Leave me alone, Conniston. Bu

. "I should like to be. A home-loving man like mys

n't know your own mind. But, I say, this is jolly. Back I go to barracks to-mor

ou come to me, we could have arranged matters better. You

lly. "Besides, it's fun, this war. I'm crazy to go, and

d Bernard, "if all the

litary promenade the generality of people s

. We'll get heaps of that at the Cape. Mark, you wanted to

y what he likes about my business before y

rham, looking meani

ise to flit across his expressive f

"your grandfather came to see

" put in Bernard, bitterly, and thi

he secrets of my client. But Sir Simon knew you were in th

It is thanks to Julius that I had

d Durham. "I know. Sir Simon explained. But

said Conniston,

ard know where Sir

re, emphatica

What are you ge

ut afterwards-yesterday, in fact-Sir Simon wrote saying that he heard from Mrs. Gi

ea Square?" aske

opping there-in No. 32;

nothing of t

"stated in his letter that the description of the so

e understand," said the former. "Do you mean that my grandfather th

is what Sir Simon's le

ughing. "What jolly rubbish!" said Lord Conniston. "

see, Gore, Sir Simon may think that you went to the kitchen, not t

haven't been n

e?" asked Ma

won't bear that from any man," he said. "Y

ell enough that you wouldn't make love to this housemaid mentioned by Sir Simon-Jane

nd came to London. I saw you, to get some money, and afterwards I enlisted. I never knew that Sir Simon was in town till Conniston told me. I never knew he lived in Crimea Square till you explained.

d Durham, smoot

e subjec

ston, pulling him back into his seat, for he

urham, with the air of a man severe

had worn his nerves thin, and even from his old schoolfellow he was not prepared to take any scoldin

n Gore was smoothed down for the time

ts the

hardly explain his smile. "Well, it is strange that the description given by the

at I kn

th of your grandfather against you. Sir Simon is a proud o

ell you!" cried th

Sir Simon, judging from

conduct never gave him any reaso

e air of a Socrates, "when anyone has h

imon, with Beryl at his elbow, is inclined to believe the worst of you, Bernard, and probably thinks you

in a rage. "What

am advising you for your own good, an

e a fellow furious to hear his nearest-I

ks so badly of me that I'll never see that five thousand a year. Miss Malleson will have it,

a silly ass! G

me trick. You have not been near the place; so someone made up to impersonate you is sne

ined Gore, quickly.

ather thinks otherwise. We were

of me," was Bernard's rema

fted. If Mrs. Gilroy is lying you can make her prove the truth. If

grandfather," said he, "as I want to apologise for my behavio

to call at Crimea Square. But when Sir Simon goes down to the Hall a

e, gloomily, "unless I give up Alice, and

id Conniston, lighting a cigarette. "You

kit, and I have parted with my p

table-"I'll scrawl a note to Mrs. Moon telling her to put you up at Cove Castle. She can hold her tongue, and the castle is in so out-of-the-

rham, while Conniston scribbled the note in a kind of print, si

now how matters stood. "I am always startled by a red window now," he said, laughing at his own

h all the scorn of a lawyer for the quaint. "Why r

said Bernard, "that is, if she is hostile to me,

nd of the Red Win

e clock, which pointed to a quarter to ten, "and I'm due at b

p red windows and legends and go down to see Sir Simo

put everyth

th than you think. I am his solicitor and I dare not say much, but I advise you to see h

ucy is m

y your enemy al

gan Gore, when Conniston loun

you up and hold her tongue and make things pleasant. Bu

ernard, putting the letter into his pocket,

kümmel, "and she would howl if she heard I was a mere private. And I don't know but what

ham, who was unlock

ate. I got him a place with Taberley, the tobacconist, but he took money or something and was kicked out. The other day when I met him he was selling matches. I gave hi

aid Mark. "I would have frightened

young Out-and-Outer; a kind of Jack Sheppard in grain. He'll come your way yet, Mark, passing by on his journey to the gallows. He's only thirteen, but a

rather foggy and it will take me a long time to fetch my barracks. No, thank you, Mark, I

?" said Durham, hospitabl

ho was now putting on his slouch hat in the hal

lawyer, opening the door himself and looking o

mist, buttoning his coat. "Give me a light. There! Go back an

abou

go down and stop at Cove Castle, and see Sir Simo

he hall in high spirits. "My dear friend," he said in a dramatic manner, "it is th

pted Bernard. "

o'clock. G

d creature in order. Conniston

coat. Brave as Gore was he started, for in this fog he might meet with all manner of unpleasant adventures. However, being immediately under a lamp, he saw that a small boy was holding on to him. A pretty lad he looked, though clothed in rags and miserable with the cold. In one

ly. "I sleeps in a barrel, I does, when '

ooked down at the imp

ce. "The lady, she says to me that in this street you'll see, before twe

en aback by hearing these words on the lips of th

er his shoulder. "She says, 'Tell him to foller to the

he message, and the Red Window was to be seen in the Crimea Square house. Bernard wished to ask the boy further questions, but the lad had vanished. In much perplexity the young man went down the hill towards Kensington High Street. As he paused at the corn

ible assailant, and did not feel the least afraid. All the same, he began to think he was foolish to follow on such a will-o'-the-wisp errand. But that the boy had mentioned the Red Window, Bernard would have turned on his heel. As it was, he felt curious enough to proceed. Suddenly the boy-a few feet ahead-led him into a wide space which was densely filled with fog. Here his guide turned to the right, and then whistled. When Gore, who had followed, heard that whistle he tightened his hold on his stick. The boy had vanis

stepping forward. "And whether Lucy put that light there, and sent th

the steps, wondering if anything was the matter. The door opened, and a woman burst out of the house shr

m the open door, and which was thrown by the street lamp vaguely th

s. Gilroy dragged him rather than led him up the stairs and into a room. There he saw his grandfather seated by the