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Page 2
"As I told you all this morning," said her aunt, "I've been here
five years, and never heard of a brother. I could say that
before everybody if I was going to die to-morrow. There's been
no brother here while I've been here."
"You could have knocked me down with a feather when he spoke
about him at breakfast this morning. I didn't hear what went
before, naturally, but they was all talking about the brother
when I went in--now what was it I went in for--hot milk, was it,
or toast?--well, they was all talking, and Mr. Mark turns to me,
and says--you know his way--'Stevens,' he says, 'my brother is
coming to see me this afternoon; I'm expecting him about three,'
he says. 'Show him into the office,' he says, just like that.
'Yes, sir,' I says quite quietly, but I was never so surprised in
my life, not knowing he had a brother. 'My brother from
Australia,' he says--there, I'd forgotten that. From Australia."
"Well, he may have been in Australia," said Mrs. Stevens,
judicially; "I can't say for that, not knowing the country; but
what I do say is he's never been here. Not while I've been here,
and that's five years."
"Well, but, auntie, he hasn't been here for fifteen years. I
heard Mr. Mark telling Mr. Cayley. 'Fifteen years,' he says.
Mr. Cayley having arst him when his brother was last in England.
Mr. Cayley knew of him, I heard him telling Mr. Beverley, but
didn't know when he was last in England--see? So that's why he
arst Mr. Mark."
"I'm not saying anything about fifteen years, Audrey. I can only
speak for what I know, and that's five years Whitsuntide. I can
take my oath he's not set foot in the house since five years
Whitsuntide. And if he's been in Australia, as you say, well, I
daresay he's had his reasons."
"What reasons?" said Audrey lightly.
"Never mind what reasons. Being in the place of a mother to you,
since your poor mother died, I say this, Audrey--when a gentleman
goes to Australia, he has his reasons. And when he stays in
Australia fifteen years, as Mr. Mark says, and as I know for
myself for five years, he has his reasons. And a respectably
brought-up girl doesn't ask what reasons."
"Got into trouble, I suppose," said Audrey carelessly. "They
were saying at breakfast he'd been a wild one. Debts. I'm glad
Joe isn't like that. He's got fifteen pounds in the post-office
savings' bank. Did I tell you?"
But there was not to be any more talk of Joe Turner that
afternoon. The ringing of a bell brought Audrey to her feet--no
longer Audrey, but now Stevens. She arranged her cap in front of
the glass.
"There, that's the front door," she said. "That's him. 'Show
him into the office,' said Mr. Mark. I suppose he doesn't want
the other ladies and gentlemen to see him. Well, they're all out
at their golf, anyhow--Wonder if he's going to stay--P'raps he's
brought back a lot of gold from Australia--I might hear something
about Australia, because if anybody can get gold there, then I
don't say but what Joe and I--"
"Now, now, get on, Audrey."
"Just going, darling." She went out.
To anyone who had just walked down the drive in the August sun,
the open door of the Red House revealed a delightfully inviting
hall, of which even the mere sight was cooling. It was a big
low-roofed, oak-beamed place, with cream-washed walls and
diamond-paned windows, blue-curtained. On the right and left
were doors leading into other living-rooms, but on the side which
faced you as you came in were windows again, looking on to a
small grass court, and from open windows to open windows such air
as there was played gently. The staircase went up in broad, low
steps along the right-hand wall, and, turning to the left, led
you along a gallery, which ran across the width of the hall, to
your bedroom. That is, if you were going to stay the night. Mr.
Robert Ablett's intentions in this matter were as yet unknown.
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