The Talleyrand Maxim Read online

  CHAPTER XX

  THE _GREEN MAN_

  Byner, in taking his firm's advertisement for Parrawhite to the threeBarford newspaper offices, had done so with a special design--he wantedPratt to see that a serious wish to discover Parrawhite was alive inmore quarters than one. He knew that Pratt was almost certain to seeEldrick's advertisement in his own name; now he wanted Pratt to seeanother advertisement of the same nature in another name. Already he hadsome suspicion that Pratt had not told Eldrick the truth aboutParrawhite, and that nothing would suit him so well as that Parrawhiteshould never be heard of or mentioned again: now he wished Pratt tolearn that Parrawhite was much wanted, and was likely to be muchmentioned--wherefore the supplementary advertisements with Halstead &Byner's name attached. It was extremely unlikely that Pratt could failto see those advertisements.

  There were three newspapers in Barford: one a morning journal of largecirculation throughout the county; the other two, evening journals,which usually appeared in three or four editions. As Byner stipulatedfor large type, and a prominent position, in the personal column ofeach, it was scarcely within the bounds of probability that a townsmanlike Pratt would miss seeing the advertisement. Most likely he would seeit in all three newspapers. And if he had also seen Eldrick's similaradvertisement, he would begin to think, and then----

  "Why, then," mused Byner, ruminating on his design, "then we will seewhat he will do!"

  Meanwhile, there was something he himself wanted to do, and on themorning following his arrival in the town, he set out to do it. Bynerhad been much struck by Pickard's account of his dealings with JamesParrawhite on the evening which appeared to be the very last whereinParrawhite was ever seen. He had watched the landlord of the _Green Man_closely as he told his story, and had set him down for an honest, ifsomewhat sly and lumpish soul, who was telling a plain tale to the bestof his ability. Byner believed all the details of that story--he evenbelieved that when Parrawhite told Pickard that he would find him fiftypounds that evening, or early next day, he meant to keep his word. Inthe circumstances--as far as Byner could reckon them up from what he hadgathered--it would not have paid Parrawhite to do otherwise. Byner putthe situation to himself in this fashion--Pratt had got hold of somesecret which was being, or could be made to be, highly profitable tohim. Parrawhite had discovered this, and was in a position to blackmailPratt. Therefore Parrawhite would not wish to leave Pratt'sneighbourhood--so long as there was money to be got out of Pratt,Parrawhite would stick to him like a leech. But if Parrawhite was toabide peaceably in Barford, he must pay Pickard that little matter ofbetween fifty and sixty pounds. Accordingly, in Byner's opinion,Parrawhite had every honest intention of returning to the _Green Man_ onthe evening of the twenty-third of November after having seen Pratt.And, in Byner's further--and very seriously considered--opinion, thewhole problem for solution--possibly involving the solution of other andmore important problems--was this: Did Parrawhite meet Pratt that night,and if he did what took place between them which prevented Parrawhitefrom returning to Pickard?

  It was in an endeavour to get at some first stage of a solution of thisproblem that Byner, having breakfasted at the _Central Hotel_ on hissecond day in the town, went out immediately afterwards, asked his wayto Whitcliffe, and was directed to an electric tram which started fromthe Town Hall Square, and after running through a district of tallwarehouses and squat weaving-sheds, began a long and steady climb to theheights along the town. When he left it, he found himself in a districteminently characteristic of that part of the country. The tram set himdown at a cross-roads on a high ridge of land. Beneath him lay Barford,its towers and spires and the gables of its tall buildings showingamongst the smoke of its many chimneys. All about him lay open ground,broken by the numerous stone quarries of which Eldrick had spoken, andat a little distance along one of the four roads at the intersection ofwhich he stood, he saw a few houses and cottages, one of which, tallerand bigger than the rest, was distinguished by a pole, planted in frontof its stone porch and bearing a swinging sign whereon was rudelypainted the figure of a man in Lincoln green. Byner walked on to this,entered a flagged hall, and found himself confronting Pickard, who atsight of him, motioned him into a little parlour behind the bar.

  "Mornin', mister," said he. "You'll be all right in here--there's nobodyabout just now, and if my missis or any o' t' servant lasses sees yer,they'll tak' yer for a brewer's traveller, or summat o' that sort. Cometo hev a look round, like--what?"

  "I want to have a look at the place where you told us Parrawhite was tomeet Pratt that night," replied Byner. "I thought you would perhaps bekind enough to show me where it is."

  "I will, an' all--wi' pleasure," said the landlord, "but ye mun hev adrop o' summat first--try a glass o' our ale," he went on, with trueYorkshire hospitality. "I hev some bitter beer i' my cellar such as I'lllay owt ye couldn't get t' likes on down yonder i' Barford--no, nor i'London neyther!--I'll just draw a jug."

  Byner submitted to this evidence of friendliness, and Pickard, afterdisappearing into a dark archway and down some deeply worn stone steps,came back with a foaming jug, the sight of which seemed to give himgreat delight. He gazed admiringly at the liquor which he presentlypoured into two tumblers, and drew his visitor's attention to itscolour.

  "Reight stuff that, mister--what?" he said. "I nobbut tapped that barriltwo days since, and I'd been keepin' it twelve month, so you've come infor it at what they call t' opportune moment. I say!" he went on, afterpledging Byner and smacking his lips over the ale. "I heard summat lastnight 'at might be useful to you and Lawyer Eldrick--about this hereParrawhite affair."

  "Oh!" said Byner, at once interested. "What now?"

  "You'll ha' noticed, as you come along t' road just now, 'at there's adeal o' stone quarries i' this neighbourhood?" replied Pickard. "Well,now, of course, some o' t' quarry men comes in here. Last night theerwor sev'ral on 'em i' t' bar theer, talkin', and one on 'em wor readin't' evenin' newspaper--t' _Barford Dispatch_. An' he read out that theeradvertisement about Parrawhite--wi' your address i' London at t' foot onit. Well, theer wor nowt said, except summat about advertisin' fordisappeared folk, but later on, one o' t' men, a young man, come to me,private like. 'I say, Pickard,' he says, 'between you an' me, worrn't t'name o' that man 'at used to come in here on a Sunday sometimes,Parrawhite? It runs a' my mind,' he says, ''at I've heerd you call himby that name.' 'Well, an' what if it wor?' I says. 'Nay, nowt much,' hesays, 'but I see fro' t' _Dispatch_ 'at he's wanted, and I could tell abit about him,' he says. 'What could ye tell?' says I--just like thattheer. 'Why,' he says, 'this much--one night t' last back-end----'"

  "Stop a bit, Mr. Pickard," interrupted Byner. "What does that mean--thatterm 'back-end'?"

  "Why, it means t' end o' t' year!" answered the landlord. "What somefolks call autumn, d'ye understand? 'One night t' last back-end,' saysthis young fellow, 'I wor hengin' about on t' quiet at t' end o' Stubbs'Lane,' he says: 'T' truth wor,' he says, 'I wor waitin' for a word wi' ayoung woman 'at lives i' that terrace at t' top o' Stubbs' Lane--she worgoin' to come out and meet me for half an hour or so. An,' he says, 'Isee'd that theer feller 'at I think I've heerd you call Parrawhite, comeout o' Stubbs' Lane wi' that lawyer chap 'at lives i' t' Terrace--Pratt.I know Pratt,' he says, ''cause them 'at he works for--Eldricks--oncedid a bit o' law business for me.' 'Where did you see 'em go to, then?'says I. 'I see'd 'em cross t' road into t' owd quarry ground,' he says.'I see'd 'em plain enough, tho' they didn't see me--I wor keepin' snugagen 't wall--it wor a moonlit night, that,' he says. 'Well,' I says,'an' what now?' 'Why,' he says, 'd'yer think I could get owt o' thisreward for tellin that theer?' So I thowt pretty sharp then, d'ye see,mister. 'I'll tell yer what, mi lad,' I says. 'Say nowt to nobody--keepyour tongue still--and I'll tell ye tomorrow night what ye can do--Ishall see a man 'at's on that job 'tween now and then,' I says. So theerit is," concluded Pickard, looking hard at Byner. "D'yer think thischap's evidence 'ud be i' your line?"

  "Decidedly I do!" replied Byne
r. "Where is he to be found?"

  "I couldn't say wheer he lives," answered the landlord. "But it'll besomewhere close about; anyway, he'll be in here tonight. Bill Thomson t'feller's name is--decent young feller enough."

  "I must contrive to see him, certainly," said Byner. "Well, now, can youshow me this Stubbs' Lane and the neighbourhood?"

  "Just step along t' road a bit and I'll join you in a few o' minutes,"assented Pickard. "We'd best not be seen leavin t' house together, orour folk'll think it's a put-up job. Walk forrard a piece."

  Byner strolled along the road a little way, and leaned over a wall untilMr. Pickard, wearing his white billycock hat and accompanied by a finefox-terrier, lounged up with his thumbs in the armholes of hiswaistcoat. Together they went a little further along.

  "Now then!" said the landlord, crossing the road towards the entrance ofa narrow lane which ran between two high stone walls. "This here isStubbs' Lane--so called, I believe, 'cause an owd gentleman namedsimilar used to hev a house here 'at's been pulled down. Ye see, it runsup fro' this high-road towards yon terrace o' houses. Folks hereaboutscalls that terrace t' World's End, 'cause they're t' last houses aforeye get on to t' open moorlands. Now, that night 'at Parrawhite woraimin' to meet Pratt, it wor i' this very lane. Pratt, when he left t'tram-car, t' other side o' my place, 'ud come up t' road, and up thislane. And it wor at t' top o' t' lane 'at Bill Thomson see'd Pratt andParrawhite cross into what Bill called t' owd quarry ground."

  "Can we go into that?" asked Byner.

  "Nowt easier!" said Pickard. "It's a sort of open space where t' childergoes and plays about: they hev'n't worked no stone theer for many a longyear--all t' stone's exhausted, like."

  He led Byner along the lane to its further end, pointed out the placewhere Thomson said he had seen Pratt and Parrawhite, and indicated theterrace of houses in which Pratt lived. Then he crossed towards the oldquarries.

  "Don't know what they should want to come in here for--unless it wor totalk very confidential," said Pickard. "But lor bless yer!--it 'ud bequiet enough anywheer about this neighbourhood at that time o' neet.However, this is wheer Bill Thomson says he see'd 'em come."

  He led the way amongst the disused quarries, and Byner, following,climbed on a mound, now grown over with grass and weed, and looked abouthim. To his town eyes the place was something novel. He had never seenthe like of it before. Gradually he began to understand it. The stonehad been torn out of the earth, sometimes in square pits, sometimes insemi-circular ones, until the various veins and strata had becomeexhausted. Then, when men went away, Nature had stepped in to assert herrights. All over the despoiled region she had spread a new clothing ofgreen. Turf had grown on the flooring of the quarries; ivy and bramblehad covered the deep scars; bushes had sprung up; trees were alreadyspringing. And in one of the worn-out excavations some man had planted akitchen-garden in orderly and formal rows and plots.

  "Dangerous place that there!" said Pickard suddenly. "If I'd known o'that, I shouldn't ha' let my young 'uns come to play about here. Theymight be tummlin' in and drownin' theirsens! I mun tell my missis tokeep 'em away!"

  Byner turned--to find the landlord pointing at the old shaft which hadgradually become filled with water. In the morning sunlight its surfaceglittered like a plane of burnished metal, but when the two men wentnearer and gazed at it from its edge, the water was black andunfathomable to the eye.

  "Goodish thirty feet o' water in that there!" surmised Pickard. "It'snone safe for childer to play about--theer's nowt to protect 'em. Nexttime I see Mestur Shepherd I shall mak' it my business to tell him so;he owt either to drain that watter off or put a fence around it."

  "Is Mr. Shepherd the property-owner?" asked Byner.

  "Aye!--it's all his, this land," answered Pickard. He pointed to alow-roofed house set amidst elms and chestnuts, some distance off acrossthe moor. "Lives theer, does Mestur Shepherd--varry well-to-do man, heis."

  "How could that water be drained off?" asked Byner with assumedcarelessness.

  "Easy enough!" replied Pickard. "Cut through yon ledge, and let it runinto t' far quarry there. A couple o' men 'ud do that job in a day."

  Byner made no further remark. He and Pickard strolled back to the _GreenMan_ together. And declining the landlord's invitation to step insideand take another glass, but promising to see him again very soon, theinquiry agent walked on to the tram-car and rode down to Barford to keephis appointment with Eldrick and Collingwood at the barrister'schambers.