The Polo Ground Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

useful once before.”
    â€œUseful? Useful? My services were of paramount importance in the Bygrave case. Damned fine mess you’d have made of it without me! As you know, my forte is shadowing. I can follow your man into the most expensive pleasure resorts with the greatest of skill. Thanks for the tenner. I hope repayment by instalments won’t inconvenience you. The only thing I liked about Eric was the little by little business.”
    Vereker was lost in thought for some moments.
    â€œLook here, Ricky, if I leave another twenty quid in my bureau to be used for emergencies will you promise—?”
    â€œNever, Algernon, never! You positively must not! For me every moment is an emergency. If you think your commission will run me into expenses, wire the cash with the commission. My whole life’s a kind of post-dated cheque. In money matters you might truthfully say I’ve always been before my time.”
    â€œVery well, should the need arise I’ll wire the money. What do you say to lunch?”
    â€œI always say yes, emphatically! You see, I’ve been on a breakfast and dinner basis for weeks with a drink of water at midday. Water won’t stay put.”
    â€œThen we will lunch at Jacques. You remember Jacques?”
    â€œI never forget a good eating-house or remember a bad debt. I’ve been to Jacques occasionally since you introduced me to the place. In fact, I’m quite friendly with the sommelier . I used to take Edmée there for dinner.”
    â€œEdmée? Who the devil’s Edmée?”
    â€œEdmée Cazas. I was very much in love with Edmée.”
    â€œFrench, I suppose. Where did you pick her up?”
    â€œMy dear Algernon, you’ve assumed an expression as if you’d just encountered a bad smell. I don’t pick up women; they always forestall me. I was introduced to Edmée by Aubrey Winter, if you’d like to know. Aubrey was also in love with her. A very high-spirited filly she is, and neither Aubrey nor I had the hands.”
    For a few seconds Vereker was silent, and then, bringing his right fist with a report into the open palm of his left hand, exclaimed dramatically:
    â€œNow I’ve got her!”
    â€œWell, I’m damned, Algernon! You sly dog! Still, you’re welcome to her and have my sympathy.”
    â€œYou misunderstand me, Ricky ; I mean that I’ve placed the lady.”
    â€œSorry! I thought you’d misplaced your affections.”
    â€œNo, with me that would be a tragedy; with you, it has simply become a bad habit.”
    â€œThat’s the natural evolution of tragedies, Algernon, but in what connection have you placed Edmée Cazas?”
    â€œShe was one of the guests staying down at Vesey Manor, Sutton Armadale’s place in Surrey. Do you know anything about her?”
    â€œQuite a lot! By profession she’s a ballerina, by nature a Bacchante, behaves like a Begum, Belgian nationality, born in Britain, a bewitching brunette—in fact, she’s everything beginning with a b except a bore or a Beguine!”
    â€œRicky, I see you’re going to be helpful. Can you tell me how long she has known the Armadales?”
    â€œShe got to know them last year at Nice. The Armadales had taken a Villa there for the season. Aubrey Winter—he’s Angela Armadale’s cousin—was among the guests. Aubrey was painfully in love with Edmée—at the sonnet-writing stage, if you understand.”
    â€œI thought that stage was a sort of afterglow.”
    With a poet, yes, but Aubrey’s merely a part of a motor-car, a Bentley spare, you might say. Well, Edmée was taken into the bosom of the family, chiefly Sutton’s. The result was catastrophic. I don’t know whether I should tell you the details. I got them from Aubrey.”
    â€œIn confidence?”
    â€œNot exactly. He poured out his tale of woe to every one patient enough to listen. Besides,