Читать книгу Dinky Darbison - Edwin J Welch - Страница 6

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Less than an hour had passed since Chelpont's (alias Dickson) first appearance, and after his departure a painful silence followed.

Darbison, with his elbows on the table, and his chin resting on his clasped hands, stared blankly in front of him, but uttered no sound, made no movement. Robson stood directly behind him, wearing a stony look of despair. Morrison tactfully left the room and remained within call on the verandah, whilst Armstead drew closer to his old shipmate, placing his hand on the stricken man's shoulder, as though to assure him of his great sorrow and loyal devotion to his needs.

At the end of perhaps twenty minutes of this depressing scene, Darbison, grey in feature, and, though firm in speech, gentle in manner, spoke.

"Robson, please ask Mr. Morrison to return to the room." This having been done, he continued:—"My friends, for I know each of you merits that name, bear with me for a few minutes. You have been, I know full well, unwilling witnesses to my dishonor. I ask you now to remain until I take some of the kinks out of this tangle of treachery and deceit. Robson, please tell Mr. Evesham that I wish to see him. If Mrs. Darbison is still in his room, send the two women from the kitchen to her, give what assistance you can to bind up her wound, then see that she goes to her own room, and come back and report."

In a few minutes Robson returned, saying:—"Mrs. Darbison is in her own room, Master Aubrey, and Alice is with her. She tells me that the pain from the wound is very terrible, but both she and her mother are doing their best. Mr. Evesham refused to leave his room, and told me to go to the devil. As I turned to go there, or anywhere out of his sight, he said if you wanted him you knew where to find him!"

"Thank you, Robson, that is sufficient. Now, gentlemen, please follow me."

Entering Evesham's room, the door of which was still open, Darbison said: "I have accepted the invitation to visit you because I choose to have these witnesses to my dishonor as witnesses also to my decision. A cheque for your salary will be handed to you by the storekeeper in the morning. Mr. Morrison will have a conveyance ready for you and your traps as soon as horses can be run up after sunrise, and he will accompany you as far as Somerton, and then return with the buggy. I must necessarily allude to the misguided woman who has made her choice and must abide by it. Apart altogether from these men now in the room, I have overwhelming evidence of much that has transpired recently."

"My own fault, did you say?"

"Possibly in the first instance, and in some measure, though to a very limited extent, there may be some truth in that. But I trusted unreservedly the woman who had sworn fealty to me at the altar, and the man who claimed to be a gentleman, who had held Her Majesty's commission, and was treated by me as a friend. Further comment on the subject would be as painful as it is unnecessary. You can, or not, as you please, inform the lady who has thus severed her connection with me that it will be advisable for her to accompany you on your journey, as she can no longer remain under my roof. Should she decline to do this I shall take prompt measures to secure myself from intrusion, and at once instruct my solicitors to proceed with an action against her, joining you in the issues. Not, however, under your assumed name of Evesham, but under that to which I believe you to be entitled, according to my informant of to-night, Seymour Fultenham, late cornet in the regiment you were compelled to leave. I have for some time past suspected you of being a blackguard, Mr. Evesham; now I know you to be a coward as well. See that you and your partner in guilt—if she is prepared to trust you to that extent—are away from Barumbah at an early hour in the morning."

Leaving the room, followed by Robson and the others, Darbison turned to the old man, thanking him and them for their attentions during the succession of harassing scenes.

Then to Morrison he said:—"Have the horses run up at daylight, and have Sambo and Kitten ready for a start. Take the hooded waggon, and carry out my wishes as you have heard them expressed. Robson, you will ask for an interview with Mrs. Darbison and repeat to the letter what you have heard from me. And now, good-night. I must be alone."

All arrangements made overnight were duly carried out the next morning. Mrs. Darbison, with her arm in a sling, and deeply veiled, was handed into the waggon by Evesham, also a pile of luggage, and they were driven off quickly and without any notice being taken of them other than a formal raising of the hat by Robson, and a flood of tears from Alice, which latter were undoubtedly genuine. Darbison came in to breakfast trying hard to appear at ease, but with the same grey and haggard look that he had worn the night before.

What little conversation there was Armstead was responsible for, declaring that he really must get on with his work.

"I am truly sorry to go, Darbison, at this juncture, but I don't see that I could be of any use by remaining, so I must ask you to let me get away in the morning. I think I can finish and be back here in about a fortnight, and by that time you will have steadied down and got back into your old form, and I shall be able to stay for a day or two if you'll have me."

It was nearly a month, however, before Armstead saw Barumbah again, and much had happened in the meantime. The station had been inspected by a possible purchaser, and practically sold. Ken Morrison's services were retained by the new man; Robson was to go with Darbison, bound on a visit to an old friend in Melbourne; Mrs. Geffel was made happy with the promise of a substantial cheque for herself and Alice, but thought she would go to Rockhampton and start a boarding-house. Darbison was entirely contented with the prospect of a speedy departure from his ruined home, and utilised most of his time packing such odds and ends as he desired to retain.

The last evening was spent by the two old shipmates alone in Darbison's now dismantled den, where, over a cheerful fire, they talked freely of the situation and the numerous incidents which preceded and led up to it. Referring to poor old Carl Geffel's fate, and the prospect of success for the widow in Rockhampton, Darbison asked Harold about his first meeting with the family on the voyage out from England, of which he had heard very little from Mrs. Geffel, and was desirous of hearing more.