The Trouble With Harry by Jack Trevor Story Page B

captain.
    â€˜I’m sure it’s Wiggy,’ Sam said, his eyes now fixed on the pathway. ‘It
is
Wiggy – look, here she comes.’
    A strange figure came trotting along the path in the moonlight. She wore a long nightdress which showed white beneath a dressing gown, and her hair was flying out behind her.
    â€˜Mr Marlow! Mr Marlow! Where are you, Mr Marlow?’ she called.
    Sam stepped into the middle of the path and held up his hand. ‘Wiggy! What on earth do you want? Change for sixpence?’
    She stopped and looked at the four of them, too breathless, now she had finished shouting, even to talk. She held Sam’s arm and pointed back towardsthe woods. As she pointed the bugle call came as though at her bidding.
    Are you having a nightmare?’ Sam asked kindly.
    â€˜He’s a millionaire!’ she gasped at last. ‘He wants to buy your pictures, Mr Marlow! All of them and more besides. He says you’re a genius, Mr Marlow!’
    â€˜This is a queer time to come buying pictures,’ Sam grumbled.
    He looked at Jennifer and the others. Jennifer shrugged, the captain shook his head and Miss Graveley shivered slightly and said: ‘Let’s go and have some cocoa.’
    They started walking towards the woods. As they walked, Sam said: ‘What’s he blowing a bugle for?’
    â€˜That’s not a bugle,’ Mrs Wiggs said. ‘That’s the hooter on his car. A great big Rolls-Royce. He drove me right up the estate as far as he could. We’ve been to your studio, but we couldn’t find you anywhere.’
    â€˜We’ve been digging,’ Sam explained, making his spade more comfortable on his shoulder.
    â€˜It’s very good for you is digging,’ said Mrs Wiggs. ‘My Henry always swore it was that cured his rheumatics.’
    â€˜What does this millionaire want to pay?’ Sam asked.
    â€˜I asked him twelve and six for that bunch of grapes hanging on the swordfish,’ Mrs Wiggs said, ‘but he said he couldn’t think of it. Said they was priceless.’
    â€˜Doesn’t sound priceless to me,’ Captain Wiles remarked. ‘Sounds like a pub sign.’
    Sam looked down on the little captain. ‘That picture is symbolic of the beginning of the world – you know: “He made the earth and the sea and all that in them is”.’
    â€˜Oh,’ said the captain.
    â€˜Priceless,’ repeated Mrs Wiggs, tripping on her nightdress and clutching at Sam for support.
    â€˜I’ll find a price for them,’ said Sam.
    â€˜Ever so took up with them. He got me out of bed by throwing a stone at my window. At first I was angry because I thought he wanted a lemonade, but he told me he stopped by this afternoon and saw the pictures but couldn’t wait—’
    At that moment a couple emerged from the bracken, attracted by the shouting and the noise. Itwas Mark Douglas, the landlord and Mrs D’Arcy, the blonde. They were joined almost immediately by yet another couple, who had been sitting in the bracken only a short distance away. These were Mr Walter D’Arcy and Mrs Mark Douglas. They stood staring at each other.
    â€˜Mark!’ exclaimed Mrs Douglas.
    â€˜My God! Cassy! And with one of my tenants!’
    Walter D’Arcy stepped forward and tapped Mark Douglas on the shoulder. He pointed towards the blonde who was looking at him in mingled amazement and delight.
    â€˜And that,’ said Mr D’Arcy, ‘is my wife.’
    â€˜Walter!’ cried the blonde, stepping forward and throwing her arms around her husband’s neck. ‘You’ve been out with a woman!’
    â€˜And about time too,’ said Walter, nodding.
    â€˜I didn’t know you had it in you,’ said the blonde happily.
    â€˜Cassy!’ exclaimed Mark Douglas again, his voice filled with pain. ‘That you could do a thing like this to me! Me, your husband!’
    Suddenly he