A Haddington Manifestation
R.J. DavinA Haddington Manifestation
R J Davin
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A Haddington Manifestation
Copyright © 2012 R J Davin
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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A copy of this publication can be found in the National Library of Australia.
ISBN: 978-1-742843-50-6 (pbk.)
Published by Book Pal
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Synopsis
A Haddington Manifestation
A Haddington Manifestation is a humorous work of fiction set in England during the 1890s and centres around the character of Lord Haddington who suffers from a terrible affliction of great clumsiness so much so that he is known in the area as ‘lord Clumsy.’
The story is peopled with many eccentric characters, such as Haddington’s own brother known to all the locals as ‘Sir Repetitious,’ Garth the gardener who treats his trees as if they were children, a vicar with a weakness for the sport of boxing and a voice that can shatter rocks, and Dickie Dobkins who devises various schemes to take advantage of the Haddington Manifestation for financial gain, all of which fail miserably.
Haddington has been seeking his long lost grandson for some time and now he has two claimants as guests in his house. One is Reginald Winterhaiming who the old man dislikes while the other is an American boxer named Two-Refs Lee with his manager. Haddington’s solicitor, Clarence who is a long suffering victim of ‘The Manifestation,’ is convinced that the former is genuine while the latter is a complete fraud.
All the characters have to endure a great deal of trials and tribulations before reaching a happy ending.
* * * * *
Dedicated to little Woofie
the real Miss Blackie
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Chapter 1
Lord Haddington sat back in his chair and puffed on his cigar while his solicitor, Clarence lit it for him.
“Fine, fine.”
“My own view, for what it’s worth, your Lordship, is that the next fellow is the best possibility of the whole lot.” Said Clarence as he returned to his seat.
“I certainly hope so, old man, the pack we’ve seen this week must be the greatest bunch of frauds and charlatans it has ever been my misfortune to encounter.”
“It did bring back memories, Your Lordship, of your father and the many family conferences that I attended.”
“A dastardly bunch.”
“The family, Your Lordship?” Clarence smiled mirthlessly.
Lord Haddington had swung his swivel chair around a little to drop the ash of his cigar into an ashtray, now, without apparently hearing the question he swung back and managed to knock over a bottle of whisky sitting on his desk. Both he and Clarence were reaching down when they knocked their heads together with the bottle landing on Clarence’s foot at the same time.
“I am sorry, old chap.” Lord Haddington was up on his feet in an instant and was patting him on the shoulder, but he wasn’t watching his cigar which came into contact with the flesh of Clarence’s hand.
Clarence was dancing about the room trying to ease the pain of three spots when Gilmore, the butler showed a neatly dressed young man in. He stood watching the antics of Clarence in haughty silence.
“This is the young man I told you about, Your Lordship.” Said Clarence as he moved as far from Haddington’s desk as he could. “Mr Reginald Winterhaiming, Lord Haddington.”
“How do you do, Your Lordship.” Winterhaiming came across the room with an outstretched hand.
“How d’y do.” Haddington shook it limply and took the cigar from his mouth and inadvertently dropped ash on the sleeve of the newcomer’s coat, who brushed it off quickly as he moved away from Haddington and sat down to face him.
“I’m sure you won’t mind if His Lordship asks you a few questions?”
“How tiresome.”
“Pardon?” Asked Haddington.
“Is it absolutely necessary?”
“I should think it is.” Said Haddington irritably. “There is a great deal of money at stake here.”
“How tiresome.”
“What was that?”
“Money is so tiresome.”
“Who is this fool?” Demanded Haddington of Clarence.
“Now, now, Your Lordship,” soothed Clarence, “you must not get too excited.”
“He’s not going to be ill is he?” Asked Winterhaiming. “Illness is so tiresome.”
“Get him out of here.” Said a grim Haddington, “Before I take his life.”
“Morbid talk is so tiresome.”
“WHAT?”
“Now, now, Your Lordship, I’ll handle this. May I ask, sir, where were you born?”
“In the United States of America.”
“The name of your parents?”
“They had the misfortune of departing this world soon after my birth.”
“Showed some good sense.” Muttered Haddington.
“But you have a locket with their likenesses?”
“I do.”
“May we see it?”
“Of course.” He removed a small piece of jewellery from his pocket, opened it and handed it across to Clarence. The two older men looked over the faded photos in silence.
“There is a resemblance.” Said Clarence.
“Your eyes must be better than mine.” Said Lord Haddington peevishly.
“The photos are quite old.” Said Winterhaiming.
“I can see that.”
“Regardless of their age, Mr Winterhaiming, there is a striking resemblance,” said Clarence handing the locket back to the young man, “I’m sure you’ll agree, Your Lordship?”
“Hmmm.” Haddington sat down with a sour expression on his face as he puffed on his cigar. Clarence asked the young man a few more questions while Haddington, who had lost interest, sat back in his chair in a cloud of smoke.
“If you look over to that wall,” said Clarence to Winterhaiming, “you can see a portrait painted of your mother when she was a young girl.”
The young man got to his feet with a languid air and crossed the room to stand gazing up.
‘So that was dear mama,” he said with a bored look on his face.
“Tiresome, I suppose.” Came the mumble of Haddington through the cloud of smoke.
“The frame is beautiful.” Said Winterhaiming raising a small pair of glasses and holding them to his eyes.
“It was designed by an Italian, a great artist in his day.” Said Clarence.
“Bah.” Spluttered Haddington. “A damn foreigner and an over-priced foreigner at that.”
“Now, Your Lordship.”
“Thievery, that’s what it was, thievery.”
“Oh, dear me,” sighed Winterhaiming, “you gentlemen are not going to argue about money are you? Arguing about money is so tiresome.”
“What!” Haddington’s angry face came looming out of the smoke.
“Now, now, Your Lordship.” Soothed Clarence.
“Are you seriously suggesting that this mindless popinjay is my long lost grandson, you must be out of your mind?”
“All the evidence does seem to lean that way, Your Lordship.”
�
Hang the evidence.â
âMorbid talk about death is so tiresome.â Sighed Winterhaiming as he fell exhausted into the nearest chair.
âHow do you feel about morbid actions that lead to death?â Asked Haddington as he picked up the nearest bottle and came around the desk menacingly.
âMr Winterhaiming has a bad heart, Your Lordship, youâll frighten him.â
âHow tiresome.â Said an unconcerned Winterhaiming.
âStep aside, Clarence, unless youâre offering yourself for me to practice my morbid actions.â
âYour Lordship, try to control yourself.â Clarence put himself between Haddington who was approaching grimly, and Winterhaiming who sat watching with a languid eye, he appeared to be perilously close to falling asleep.
Suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass from the next room, and a scream of pain.
âWhat the deuce?â Said Haddington as he walked toward the door, managing to step on Clarenceâs foot.
âOuch!â
âDo try and stop getting in peopleâs way, Clarence, itâs a nasty failing of yours.â
âSorry, Your Lordship.â
âHere, take this.â With his back to Clarence he reached back to hand him the bottle, Clarence wasnât quick enough to grab it as Haddington dropped it on his other foot.
Haddington reached the double doors and swung both of them open.
âWhat the devil do you think youâre up to?â He demanded. A tall man stood near one of the walls in the stance of a boxer, a smaller man stood beside him apparently holding his coat, the butler lay unconscious on the floor under a broken chandelier.
âYou own this place?â Demanded the smaller man.
âIn a manner of speaking.â Said Haddington as he crossed the room giving the butler a vacant glance.
âThese walls, buddy, poor composition.â
âReally?â
âI said to my boy here, poor composition, didnât I?â The boy nodded.
âIt might interest you to know, my friend, these walls are over four hundred years old.â
âWell, that explains it, donât it, Two-Refs?â
âIt sure does, Smokey.â
âYour Lordship,â said Clarence with concern as he rushed to the side of the prone butler, âtheyâve killed Gilmore.â
âThatâs impossible.â Said Haddington as he stepped forward to look at the wall directly in front of the tall man.
âHeâs dead I tell you.â
âPlace a bottle of brandy within sniffing distance.â Said Haddington helpfully.
âWinterhaiming,â called Clarence through the doors to the seated young man, âgive me a hand here.â
âCouldnât you drag the fellow in here by my chair?â
âNever mind.â Clarence got to his feet and went back in to the room to pour a drink.
âDid you do this?â Haddington pointed to two dents in his wall.
âYes, Iâm sorry, I did.â Smiled the tall man.
âWith what?â
âThese.â He held up his clenched fists.
âYour fists?â
âThatâs right,â said the smaller man, âthose fists could demolish a place like this, couldnât they, Two-Refs?â
âEasy.â Smiled Two-Refs.
âI wish youâd gotten the ownerâs permission before you began to do so.â
âDidnât I say these English have got a sense of humour, Two-Refs, didnât I say that.â
âYes, Smokey, you did.â
âWho are you chaps?â
âOh, pardon us, pal,â the smaller man put his hand to his bowler hat and raised it slightly above his head, âIâm Smokey Cloudâ¦.â
âSmokey Cloud?â
âYeah.â
âHow very droll.â
âAnd this is my boy âTwo-Refs Lee.â
âHi, ya.â Lee raised his hand.
âYou mean heâs your son?â
âNaw, naw, you English you always get it wrong.â
âDo we?â
âYeah. Two-Refs is the next heavyweight champion of the world, and I have the great privilege to be his manager.â
âYou mean heâs a pugilist?â
âYeah, you got it.â
âWhat in the world are you doing here?â
âSmokey reckons Iâm the grandson of some old goat who lives in these parts.â
âReally?â
âYeah, you might know him, Clem Haddleston.â Said Two-Refs.â
âLord Haddleston.â Put in Cloud helpfully.
âLord Haddington, actually.âSaid Haddington.
âHey, you know this Lord character?â
âYou pair of ignorant fools,â said Clarence angrily, âyouâre talking to Lord Haddington.â
âYa donât say.â Smiled Cloud.
âGlad to meet ya, Lord.â Said Lee as he stepped forward to shake his hand.
âYou mean I was talking to royalty and didnât know it?â
âClarence, did you know about Mr Cloud and hisâ¦.Mr Lee?â
âI must apologise, Your Lordship, I did know about them but I hadnât expected them for some days, I really donât consider Mr Leeâs claim too seriously.â
âWhy not?â Demanded Cloud, âTwo-Refs got a locket with a picture of his mother and a lock of her hair.â
âHave you?â Asked Haddington.
âOf course, would you like to see it?â
âPlease.â
Lee took the locket out of his pocket and gave it to Haddington who looked at it carefully. âI say, there is a resemblance, how long have you had it?â
âSmokey and me got it from the orphanage where I grew up, we went thereâ¦.â
âWe had to get all the boyâs records, and his folks didnât have âem all.âBroke in Cloud.
âIâve written to your adopted parents many times, Mr Lee, but so far Iâve not received one reply.â Said Clarence helping the Bulter to his feet.
âThat ainât to be wondered at,â said Cloud, âThey both canât read or write.â
âHow am I to check your story then?â
âTwo-Refs can supply you with every detail, canât you, Two-Refs?â
âI sure can.â
âWhich orphanage did your parents adopt you from?â
âMiss Lucy Harbingersâ Home for the Young.â Said Lee proudly.
âAnd the address of this establishment?â
âClancy Street, Chicago, Illinois.â
âIâll send a telegram off to her.â
âI wouldnât do that.â Said Cloud.
âWhy not?â
âShe ainât there no more.â
âWhere is she?â
âSheâs dead now, I mean she was an old dame even when Two-Refs was a boyâ¦â¦â
âSurely there must be some records?â
âWell, Miss Harbinger had a great heart, she ran a place for babies that would bring a tear to the eye of a statue, but when it came to records sheâ¦..â Cloud shrugged his shoulders.
âShe lacked organisation?â Asked Haddington.
âLetâs just say she gave workers in the city records some sleepless nights.â
âShe must have had some method of retaining documents?â
âTwo shoe boxes over a stove.â
âSometimes three.â Said Lee.
âWhat about a birth certificate?â
âMiss Lucy told me once she did have it.â
âWhat happened to it?â
âIt got burned, fell onto the stove, they were always doing that, especially around winter time.â
âWell, unless you can provide some evidence,â said Clarence, âIâm afraid you have no case.â
âI think Iâm the one to decide that.â Said Haddington.
âBut, Your Lordshipâ¦â¦â
âEnough, Clarence, I want these gentlemen to stay for lunch.â Haddington stepped to the door, passing Gilmore who was rubbing a sore head and draining a glass handed to him by Clarence. âS
ee to that will you, Gilmore.â
âYes, Your Lordship.â Replied Gilmore calmly.
âAnd do stop making a fuss.â Snapped Haddington.
âYes, Your Lordship.â
âHe does have a nasty bump, Your Lordship.â Said Clarence.
âStop catering to his whims, Clarence,â Haddington spun on his heel, âbesides which he has the best medicine in his hand,â Gilmore smiled as he took another sip.
âItâs only water.â Said Clarence and the smile froze on the servantâs face.
âIs something wrong?â Asked Haddington.
âIâve been seriously injured, Your Lordship.â
âNonsense.â
âMy taste buds have been destroyed.â
âNonsense.â
âThis water tastes like gin, sir.â
âThatâs because it is gin.â
âI filled the glass from the water decanter, Your Lordship.â Said Clarence.
âDo I look foolish enough to have anything to do with filthy stuff like water?â Haddington snapped as he stomped from the room. âSee to the extra places at lunch, Gilmore.â
âI will, sir.â He drained the last drops in the bottom of the glass.
âGin in the water decanter,â muttered Clarence to himself as he followed Haddington, âwhatâs in the gin decanter, I wonder?â
âWhisky.â Said Haddington, âyou still here,â he said as he caught sight of Winterhaiming, âthought youâd find it too tiresome to remain.â
âSurely you intend him to stay to lunch, Your Lordship?â Asked Clarence.
âWhat!â
âFood is so tiresome.â
âThere you are, the poor ladâs too exhausted to eat, I wouldnât dream of forcing our dreary food on him.â
âOf course hunger is far more tiresome than food.â Said Winterhaiming. Haddington moaned.
âMaybe its food you wonât like.â Said Lee as he and Cloud came strolling into the room.
âThere are certain kinds of food that are not congenial to my nature.â
âThatâs what weâre having.â Said Haddington hopefully.
âWhat are we having, Your Lordship?â Asked Clarence.
âYou heard what the boy said, Clarence, weâre having the kinds of food that he would find most distasteful.â
âHe hasnât mentioned anything yet.â
âOf course he has, he saidâ¦..he saidâ¦..â Haddington looked at Winterhaiming with raised eyebrows.
âWell, stewed octopus, for one.â
âThere you are, Clarence, stewed octopus.â
âWeâre having stewed octopus for lunch?â
âOur first course.â
âI donât know, Your Lordship.â Lee was shaking his head.
âAnd snails, oh my Heavens I dislike snails.â
âOur second course.â
âHey,â said a worried Cloud, âI hope youâre not going to say our third course is caterpillars?â
âMr Winterhaiming?â Asked Haddington.
âI donât rightly know, Iâve never tasted caterpillars before, I donât mind trying.â
âItâs not our third course.â Said Haddington flatly.
âLetâs get out of here,â said Cloud to Lee, ânext theyâll be offering us cockroaches and rats.â
âHow does Mr Winterhaiming feel about that?â Smiled Haddington.
âHaw, haw,â laughed Winterhaiming and everyone in the room stood in awed silence that such a sound was laughter, âI do believe Your Lordship is pulling my leg.â
âThatâs mighty dangerous, itâs liable to fall off.â Said Cloud.
âHaw, haw.â
âNow if someone were to put a rope around his neck, I might be tempted to pull that.â
âHaw, haw.â
âItâs just His Lordshipâs little joke,â said Clarence to Winterhaiming, âIâm sure heâd be only too pleased to have you stay for lunch.â
âHmphh.â Snorted Haddington.
âI should certainly hate to disappoint His Lordship.â
âIt would be a cruel blow but Iâm sure Iâll recover.â
âI think Mr Winterhaiming should stay.â Said Clarence.
âDo you?â Asked a surprised Haddington.
âI do, Your Lordship.â Answered Clarence firmly, he was determined that Haddington should be able to compare Winterhaiming with the two ruffians, he felt certain that there would be no doubt of the identity of the real heir, a decision he had reached already.
âI would be honoured to accept your invitation, Your Lordship.â Said Winterhaiming. Haddington waved his hand airily as he poured himself a drink.
âIâd like one of those.â Said Cloud.
âWhat about Two-Refs?â
âYes, thanks.â He smiled.
âNo, youâre in training.â
âAw.â Leeâs face fell.
âTraining?â Asked Winterhaiming.
âYouâve not been introduced have you?â Said Clarence. âThis gentleman is Mr Cloud.â
âHowdyâ¦..â Cloud came walking over to shake his hand.
âHow tiresome.â Said Winterhaiming taking the hand limply.
âMr Tiresome.â Nodded Cloud.
âHe got the name right first time.â Said Haddington into his glass.
âJust call me Smokey.â
âStrange state for a chap to be in, haw, haw.â
âYeah, yeah.â Said Cloud as he walked over to Haddington to get his drink, completely missing the joke.
âIâm Two-Refs, Two-Refs Lee.â Lee stepped forward to grab Winterhaimingâs hand and proceeded to squash the life out of it.
âThe future heavyweight champeen of the world,â said Cloud, âyour health.â He touched glasses with Haddington and they both took a drink.
Winterhaimingâs face was turning bright red, his eyes were beginning to bulge alarmingly, all feeling in his right hand was beginning to fade as the grinning oaf responsible was looking with a yearning expression at the drink in Cloudâs hand.
âI say.â Said Clarence coming to Winterhaimingâs rescue.
âThis is good stuff.â Said Cloud as he held his empty glass out for a refill.
âI should hope so.â
âI say, sir, let go.â Clarence had a grip on Leeâs wrist.
âOh, sorry, pal, I guess I donât know my own strength.â He let go and as he did so Winterhaiming brought his cigarette in his left hand into contact with Clarenceâs hand.
The solicitor stepped back and did a short dance in the middle of the room.
âDo stop fussing, Clarence,â said Haddington as he placed his empty glass down and came walking across the room.
âLuncheon is served, Your Lordship.â Said Gilmore standing at the door.
âCome along everybody.â Smiled Haddington.
âStewed octopus, ugh.â Cloud made a face as he followed along.
Clarence was still in a daze from pain and managed to step back in Haddingtonâs way, who proceeded to stand on his foot.
âWhy in the name of God do you persist in getting in peopleâs way, will you tell me that, sir?â Demanded an angry Haddington not bothering to look back. âCome along, gentlemen.â He took Lee on one arm and Cloud on the other.
âI ainât exactly partial to stewed octopus, Your Lordship.â Said Cloud.
âIâm sure we can dig something up for you, old man.â Smiled Haddington.
âIâd sure appreciate that, like what?â
âHmmâ¦..baked caterpillar, perhaps?â
âOh, thatâd be nice.â He made a face,
âAre you alright, sir?â Clarence glanced up from rubbing his foot to see Winterhaiming bearing down on him with another lit cigarette, to the solicitor he seemed to be looking for a part of his flesh that had not been singed by a cigarette that day.
âNo need to worry, Mr Winterhaiming, Iâm quite alright.â
âLet me give youâ¦.oh, I am sorry.â
âQuite al
right, I assure you.â Clarence rubbed the lobe of his ear where the cigarette had just touched him.
âI feel badly about this,â he took Clarenceâs elbow to try and help him to his feet, âoh, I say, Iâm frightfully sorryâ¦â¦.â
âWill you put that damn thing out before Iâm burnt to a cinder.â Screamed Clarence as he rubbed a new wound on his wrist.
âOh, I sayâ¦â¦â Winterhaiming stepped back in alarm and dropped the cigarette on the floor. âYouâre not going to become physical, oh dear me, how tiresome.â
âMr Winterhaiming, do be careful.â The young man stepped back to the wall and dislodged a large sword hanging there, it came down to whack Clarence on the head with the flat of its blade, he fell to the floor and managed to put his hand on the lit cigarette. He was pleading with Winterhaiming to stand back when Gilmore came in.
âGilmore,â he whispered into his ear as the servant helped him to his feet, âget this maniac out of here before he kills me.â
âYes, sir.â
After a calm Gilmore had led an equally relaxed Winterhaiming from the room Clarence stood looking up at the painting of Haddingtonâs long dead daughter.
âCan there possibly be any doubt of the parentage of that maniac?â He turned around and was about to walk away as he rubbed his wounds. The excitement had been too much for the screw holding the painting to the wall, it gave away and the painting fell on Clarence.
It was some time later after the servants had ministered to his wounds that Clarence hobbled into the dining room where Haddington and his guests were busily eating away.
âGood God, Clarence,â said Haddington wiping a few crumbs from his lips with a serviette, ânot another accident?â
âIâm afraid so, sir.â He lowered himself gingerly into a seat and Gilmore came forward to place a plate of food before him.
âIn all my years I have not encountered a fellow so prone to accidents.â
âI sympathise with you completely, Lord Haddington, they can be so tiresome.â Said Winterhaiming.
âOh?â
âI had a manservant when I was up at Oxford, there wasnât one day that would pass that he wasnât involved in one or two accidents.â
âIâm not surprised.â Mumbled Clarence.
âWhat became of him?â Asked Haddington.
âOh, he was killed.â Said Winterhaiming calmly, âhis hearing was impaired in an accident and one day he stepped in front of a bakerâs cart, killed instantly.â
âProbably threw himself under it.â Said Clarence under his breath.
âDid you say something, Clarence?â
âI was just remarking on the fact you were drinking tea, Your Lordship.â
âYes, you see, Clarence, Iâve taken your advice.â Haddington turned to look at Lee and Cloud as he poured himself another cup of tea. âClarence seems to think that alcohol befuddles the brain, slows down the reasoning process.â
âSo true, Your Lordship.â Said Clarence.
âOh, I donât know,â said Cloud, âthe way I see it, alcohol separates the men from the boys, I always found alcohol clears the head.â
âExcessive alcohol certainly does no such thing.â Said Clarence.
âIt quickens the brain, you enjoy life more.â
âGives you courage, too.â Said Lee.
âOf course it does.â Agreed Cloud.
âIt turns grown men into dangerous buffoons.â Said Clarence, âmakes responsible men do irresponsible things.â
âNaw, that ainât so.â Said Cloud.
âSmokey always has a good time.â
âOf course I do, and I act responsible as well.â
âRemember that time, Smoke,â chuckled Lee, âyou stole the policemanâs hat and stole that streetcar, the judge saidâ¦â¦â
âEat your food, Two-Refs.â Said Cloud grimly.
âI am eating it.â
âWell, fill your mouth.â
âYou said it was wrong to speak with a full mouth.â
âI said it was wrong to eat with an empty mouth, especially in your case.â
âOh, thatâs right,â Lee was bringing a fork of food to his mouth, âeh?â
âDear me,â said Winterhaiming, âI hope weâre not about to have a lecture on temperance, lectures are so tiresome.â
âWhy does he keep saying his own name?â Wondered Cloud to Lee who had a perplexed expression as he tried to work out what Cloud had said about eating with an empty mouth.
âThereâs to be no lecture on temperance, Mr Winterhaiming, I can assure you, Lord Haddington has the good sense to recognise the peril of intoxication.â
âMakes me lose my memory, you see.â
âOh, how tiresome.â
âOnly while Iâm under the influence, one day I found myself in Brighton, I was in a terrible mess, not a shilling to my name, I couldnât remember a thing, I must have had a wonderful time just the same, I slept for three days, didnât I?â
âYes, Your Lordship, you did.â
âHow tiresome.â
âMr Lee?â Asked Haddington suddenly.
âYes, sir.â
âYour name, Two-Refs, how did you get it?â
âItâs just a nick-name.â
âI gathered that, but where does it come from?â
âHe got it early in his fighting career.â Said Cloud.
âHow?â
âIn my first fight I had a near-sighted referee, he used to enjoy seeing some pug get his brains punched out, so he used to get too close. I accidentally knocked him out.â
âA Haddington manifestation.â Said Haddington to Clarence.
âPardon?â
âNothing, nothing, Mr Lee, go on.â
âThatâs how I got my name.â
âFrom your first fight?â
âYeah.â
âThey had to bring a second referee, did they?â
âYou got it.â
âAnd the name struck from that one fight?â
âWell,â said Cloud, ânot just the one fight exactly.â
âOh, no.â Said Lee.
âWhat do you mean?â
âHow many fights you had, champ?â Asked Cloud.
âTwenty-four, Smoke, you know that.â
âHow many times did you knock out the ref?â
âTwenty-five times.â
âTwenty-five times?â Asked Haddington in surprise.
âIt got to the point,â said Cloud, âwhen a ref wouldnât get into the ring with Two-Refs.â
âThey used to stand outside the ropes, Mr Coleman he tried that.â
âTell âem what you did, Two-Refs.â
âI knocked him out twice.â
âIn the same fight.â Said Cloud.
âWhat about your opponent?â Asked Haddington.
âHe knocked him out too.â
âAnd his two seconds.â Said Lee.
âWho else, Two-Refs?â
âAw, Smoke.â
âGo on, tell âem.â Said Cloud. But Lee shook his head shyly. âHe knocked me out as well.â
âHow did he manage that?â Asked Clarence.
âWhen my boy goes wild, he goes wild.â
âHow tiresome.â Said a bored Winterhaiming.
âYeah, youâre right, it was very tiring, you had to rest for a week, didnât you, Two-Refs?â Lee nodded, âthe fight game takes a lot of stamina, you hit the nail right on the head there, Mrâ¦Mr Tiresome.â
âWinterhaiming.â Corrected Clarence.
âPardon?â Asked Cloud.
âI donât doubt Mr Lee has stamina,â said Clarence, âbut it does sound as though his accuracy leaves something to be desired.â
âOh, yeah,â said Cloud belligerently, âhow many fights did you win by knock-outs, Two-Refs?â
âFifteen.â
âHow many did you loseââ
âThree.â
âI ask you fellahs, if that ainât a good record, I tell you this boy wi
ll be world champion one day.â
âAll this talk is so tiresome,â said a very bored Winterhaiming, âif youâre not talking about temperance, a most un-English topic of conversation, youâre talking about punching peopleâs brains out, certainly no topic for a gentleman.â
âI meant no offence, Mr Tiresome.â
âWinterhaiming.â Put in Clarence.
âYeah, so you said.â Replied a puzzled Cloud.
âWhat you fail to understand, Winterhaiming,â said Haddington as he took a drink of his tea, âis that certain topics interest us living human beings, among them temperance and bashing peopleâs brains out, two topics that I find absolutely fascinatingâ¦â¦â
âHello, hello, hello.â Came a faint voice from somewhere down one of the halls leading into the room.
âAinât it amazing, the way echoes carry in this place?â Smiled Cloud.
âOh, no.â Haddington lowered his head onto the table and put his hands to his ears.
âWhere is the fellow, well? Speak up man, where is he. Speak, open your mouth, havenât you got a tongue, eh, a tongue, speak.â Came the voice.
âOh, no.â Groaned Haddington.
âOpen your mouth, sir, say something. Speak, try, sir, speak.â The voice was becoming angry.
âGilmore.â Said Haddington.
âSir?â The servant miraculously appeared at his elbow.
âSpeak, use you tongue.â The voice continued, âuse your tongue, you do know the Queenâs English?â
âSir Rupert is here, Gilmore.â
âI believe so, sir.â
âHeâs talking to one of the suits of armour again, Gilmore.â
âI believe he is, sir.â
âGo to his assistance.â
âYes, sir.â
âGilmore.â The servant hadnât moved.
âI believed you wanted this, sir.â He placed a bottle of whisky at his elbow.
âI believe I did. Thank you, Gilmore.â
âNot at all, sir.â
âA tongue, sir, you know what a tongue is, I take it, and wipe that hideous grin from your foul face. A wash, sir, thatâs what would clean your face, a wash.â
âOh, no.â Haddington poured a glass of drink and drained it in one swallow.
âMay I?â Asked Clarence and Haddington passed him the bottle silently.
âHave we missed something?âAsked Cloud.
âLord Haddingtonâs brother has just arrived.â
âFor lunch?â
âFor the month.â Said Clarence.
âOh, no.â Haddington refilled his glass.
âThis way, sir.â Gilmore showed a short, plump man into the room, he wore thick glasses perched on a large, red nose.
âFrightfully sorry for being late, late, old boy, so sorry. Yes, you see, Iâm late.â He was looking at his pocket watch, âIâm late.â He sat down.
âYouâre late, Sir Rupert?â Asked Clarence.
âAm I? Dear me, frightfully sorry, old chap. Yes, Iâm late alright.â
âWe know youâre late.â Said Haddington testily.
âPardon?â
âYouâre late.â
âWonderful isnât it?â Asked Sir Rupert of the room. âI generously come here, I come here out of the generosity of my heart to bring a little good cheer and Iâm a couple of minutes late, a couple of minutes mind you and my brother turns on me, he turns on me, my own brother.â
âFor Heavenâs sake.â Mumbled Haddington as he poured himself another drink.
âNever fails, it never fails, an argument is going against him, heâs losing an argument, and he has to bring religion into it, religion.â
âA cup of tea, Sir Rupert?â Asked Clarence.
âThatâs right you turn on me too, go on, the whole room turn on me, well, Clemmie, go on turn your minions onto me.â
âIâd rather turn my hounds lose on you.â Mumbled Haddington.
âThatâs right, thatâs right, drunken sot, mumble your obscenities, go on, mumble them, drunken sot.â He turned to Clarence with a cigar in his hand.âGot a light, old boy, got a light. I need a light for my cigar, have you got a light.â
âFor Godâs sake someone give him a light.â Said Haddington.
âIâm doing so, Your Lordship.â
âGood, good.â He puffed on the cigar, âgood, good. How are you, old boy?â He asked Clarence with a pleasant smile.
âFine, Sir Rupert.â
âAnd my brother, still the same foul-tempered sot is he?â He turned to Haddington with a smile on his face as if his brother had not heard anything said before. âHow are you, Clemmie, fine?â
âYes.â
âFine, are you?â
âYes.â
âYouâre fine?â
âYes, Iâm fine.â
âGood, good, youâre fine then?â
âIâm fine, do you hear me, Iâm fine.â Shouted Haddington.
âDear me, that temper, Clemmie, that temper, itâll get you into trouble some day, you mark my words, that temper, itâs a bad temper.â
âIt will be worth it to hang if I can just strangle you.â
âMorbid, Clemmie, thatâs morbid talk, itâs not good for you to talk so morbidly. Clarence, youâre supposed to be a good influence on him.â
âI try, Sir Rupert.â
âNot enough, Clarence, you donât try enough, you should try harder, you donât try enough, perhaps you should be replaced.â
âOh, no.â Groaned Haddington.
âI only meant it as a joke, Clemmie, it was only a joke, you know, old boy, a joke.â
âAlright, Rupert, it was a joke.â
âWhat was?â
âWhat you just said.â
âWas it?â
âYes.â
âWhat I just said?â
âYes.â
âJust a joke?â
âYes.â
âOh.â He scratched his chin for a second then turned to Clarence. âWhat did I just say?â
âA joke, Sir Rupert.â
âA joke? Me?â
âYes, Sir Rupert.â
âWell, Iâll be⦠a joke. Haw, haw.â
âHaw, haw.â Joined in Winterhaiming.
âWhat in creation is that?â Asked a startled Sir Rupert.
âAnother joke.â Mumbled Haddington.
âThese are Lord Haddingtonâs guestsâ¦â Began Clarence.
âAha, food.â Said Sir Rupert as he finally noticed a plate of food at his elbow, he rubbed his hands gleefully and took up his knife and fork. âFood, dear me, I am hungry.â He took a mouthful. âItâs delicious, what is it?â
âStewed octopus.â Said Cloud.
âHmm, I love stewed octopus.â He munched heartily.
âI thought you said you were allergic to seafood?â Said Haddington as he poured himself another drink.
âDid I?â
âYes.â
âBy Jove, Clemmie, youâre right, I only have to take one taste of seafood of any kind and I become violently sick, violently so. I disgorge everything, make a nasty mess.â
âSir Rupertâ¦.â Clarence pulled a face as he hesitated to take a mouthful of food from his plate.
âViolently sick, hideous business, disgorging undigested food, hideous.â
âItâs mutton, sir.â Said Gilmore standing stiffly with a blank face just behind Lord Haddingtonâs chair.
âWhat is?â
âOn your plate, sir.â
âMutton?â
âYes, sir.â
âThen why in Heavenâs name did you tell me it was stewed octopus?â Demanded Sir Rupert of Gilmore. âI donât like that, Clemmie, I donât like a servant with a sense of humour, theyâre apt to laugh at you behind your back. Senses of humour do that, you know, vile things they are.â
âGilmore!â
âYes, sir?â
âAre you laughing behind my back?â
âNo, sir.â His fa
ce continued to be blank.
âDo you have a sense of humour?â
âNo, sir.â
âIf he had,â said Clarence half to himself, âheâd have laughed himself to death years ago.â
âYouâre not to do it again, do you hear?â
âYes, sir.â
âIâll not have it.â
âNo, sir.â
âIf I catch one servant in this house with anything as perverted as a sense of humour, Iâll have him thrashed within an inch of his life and discharge him immediately.â
âYes, sir.â
âIt was me,â said Cloud, âI said weâve got stewed octopus.â
âThe fellow did it again,â said Sir Rupert looking over his shoulder at Gilmore, âand I didnât even see his mouth move.â
âIt wasnât Gilmore, Rupert, it was Mr Cloud.â
âMr Cloud?â
âYes.â
âMr Cloud spoke did he?â
âYes, Rupert.â
Sir Rupert looked at him for a second and then burst into laughter. âHaw, haw,â he wiped tears from his eyes, âthat takes me back, Clemmie, really takes me back. Remember old Nanny? Remember her Mr Moon in the sky, and Mr Mountain and Mr Island?â
âYes, Rupert.â
âClouds do not talk, old chap, they drop rain and blot out the sun, thatâs their purpose in life, not to talk; people talk, Clemmie, but not clouds, clouds never talk. No mouth, you see, just white fluff.â
âI was referring to one of my guestsâ¦..â
âGuests, guests, you have guests, Clemmie? Why wasnât I told you had guests, havenât you got a tongue, couldnât you use your tongue to tell me you had guests? Itâs ill bred, itâs low not to have told me you had guests. I cannot abide bad manners, itâs a symptom of our times this upsurge of bad mannersâ¦..â
âSir Rupertâ¦..â
âShut up, Clarence. Well, Clemmie, whatâs your excuse, well, speak up, you have none, have you.â Haddington sat calmly sipping his drink looking at his brother with hooded eyes. âWhy must I find out everything for myself, why are you so secretive?â
âItâs a nasty habit of mine.â
âA vile habit, Clemmie.â
âI never could keep anything from you, Rupert.â
âYou most certainly could not, Clemmie,â he turned to Clarence, âcome along, Clarence, where are your manners? Introduce me to the chaps.â
âThis is Mr Winterhaiming, Mr Cloud and Mr Lee.â
âJust call me Smokey.â
âSmokey, Smokey.â Sir Rupert pondered over that for a second or two then burst into laughter, âhaw, haw, Smokey Cloud, a cloud, a smokey cloud, haw, haw.â
âYeah, you got it.â Cloud shrugged his shoulders, heâd never regarded it as all that amusing.
âI knew a Mr Furnace once, a Fiery Furnace, haw, haw, he burnt my hand, haw, haw.â
âHaw, haw.â Joined in Winterhaiming.
âWhat the devil was that?â Asked a startled Sir Rupert.
âThis F. Furnace,â asked Clarence, âhis last name didnât happen to be Haddington by any chance?â
âNo, just Furnace.â He turned to Haddington. âI will say this for you, Clemmie, you know how to manage your servants. You had that Gilmore shaking in his boots, he cringed at your reprimands and jumped to obey your commands.â
âOur Gilmore?â Asked Clarence in surprise.
âNow, my servants,â Sir Rupert shook his head sadly, âignore me they do, disobey orders, leave their bandages laying about everywhere, suffer mysterious wounds and abrasions that refuse to heal.â
âYes.â Said Clarence.
âI rule my servants with an iron hand.â Said Haddington, and believed it.
âSpeaking of servants, Clemmie, I came across your new coloured servant.â
âI have no coloured servant.â
âNonsense, I was talking to him in the hall.â
âYou were talking to a suit of armour.â
âYou mean you have the fellow walking about in a suit of armour?â He shook his head. âMother always said you were eccentric.â
âHow is your good lady wife, Sir Rupert?â Asked Clarence.
âSheâs excellent, excellent, the wound is healing marvellously.â
âWound?â
âYes, her wrist, remember, it was badly sprained.â
âWas it?â
âYes, the last time you and Clemmie came for a visit.â
âOh, yes, I remember.â Said Clarence as he looked across at Haddington who was taking another sip of his drink.
The luncheon passed in a relaxed atmosphere as Lee went through the origin of his nick-name again and Cloud talked about the greats of boxing heâd either known or watched in action.
They woke up Winterhaiming and made their way out into the garden to sit in the afternoon sun.
âGarth!â Called Haddington and a small, gnarled man came crawling out from the surrounding trees.
âWhat?â He stood with a sour face as he looked with ill-concealed suspicion from one to the other of the watching figures.â
âWhat, Your Lordship.â Said Clarence.
âIf you want to call me that,â said Garth, with a shrug of his shoulders, âthatâs your affair; I donât stand much for formalities.â
âI meant that you should address Lord Haddington as Your Lordship.â
âWhy?â
âMust I give you a lesson on manners every time you open your mouth?âAsked Clarence.
âHeâs a horrid little chap, isnât he?â Asked Sir Rupert of Winterhaiming, âHe thinks he owns those confounded trees, he wonât let me come within an inch of them?â
âYour presence means death to my lovelies.â Snarled Garth.
âWill you listen to the fellow? Just how many of your confounded trees have I harmed?
âYou mean this week?â
âIf my gardener spoke to meâ¦.â Began Sir Rupert.
âAre you trying to tell me that jungle patch you call a garden actually has a gardener.â
âWell, I neverâ¦â¦.I neverâ¦â¦â
âMr Garth,â said Clarence grimly, âthere are timesâ¦â¦â
âHave you two gentlemen finished harassing my gardener?â Demanded Haddington angrily, then turned with a sweet expression to Garth, âtell me, Garth, how is that son of yours coming along?â
âNot good.â
âI am sorry to hear that.â
âHeâs broken his motherâs heart, he has, his condition is serious.â
âOh, dear me.â
âThereâs hope, of course.â
âHow very true.â
âIs he ill?â Asked Cloud.
âOf course heâs ill, why the hell would I be talking like this if he wasnât?â
âWhatâs his illness?â Asked Lee.
âHe doesnât like trees.â
âHe doesnât like trees?â
âHaw, haw.â Laughed Winterhaiming.
âIf youâre laughing, mister, itâs not funny.â Said an angry Garth.
âSurely itâs not a serious malady?â Asked Winterhaiming.
âDo you know a gardener who doesnât like trees?â
âMy gardenerâ¦.â Began Sir Rupert.
âI mean a real gardener, someone who can tell the difference between a wooden door and a flower.â
âHe made one mistake.â Said Sir Rupert to Lee and Cloud.
âTell them how old your son is, Garth.â Said Clarence.
âHeâs twentyâ¦..â
âHe must know his own mind.â Said Winterhaiming.
ââ¦.months old.â
âHe might want to be a lawyer or a judge or something when he grows up.âSmiled Cloud.
âHeâll not shame my name, no, sir, if he dared lower himself to such a level, Iâd cut him off without a penny.â
âYou mean a twig.â Murmured Clarence.
âWhat was that?â
âFor Heavenâs sake,â said Clar
ence, âthis mania for trees is unbelievable. Do you know,â he said to Lee and Cloud, âhe sleeps in them at night?â
âThat is a load of rubbish, I slept in Michael for one night, âcause he was ill.â
âMichael?â Asked Cloud.
âOh, yes,â said Clarence, âheâs got names for all of them, Michael, Edward, Rupertâ¦..â
âRupert?â
âHeâs a troublesome chap,â said Garth, âhe wonât grow properly, drops branches on people when they walk under him.â
âThat seems appropriate.â Said Clarence.
âI thought so.â
âHow are theâ¦.the trees, Garth?â Asked Haddington.
âTheyâre in excellent health, provided no nuisance runs amok in âem like last week.â He looked pointedly at Sir Rupert. The old man sat looking out across the trees with an innocent expression.
âDid they ever discover the culprit, Garth?â Asked Clarence.
âThey did not.â
âWhat happened?â Asked Cloud.
âGarth suffered some loss, didnât you?â
âI did. Five wounded.â
âHow did that happen?â
âThe way I see it,â said Garth with a grim expression, âsome overgrown, blundering elephant escaped from a circus, came over to my trees and proceeded to kick the life out of âem.â
âI heard a few tiny branches were knocked from a few of the damn things.âSaid Sir Rupert.
âTell Charlie that. All his branches were ripped from his body, heâs as bald as an egg, heâs just a stump now.â
âIs he â¦â¦still alive?â Asked Lee.
âTouch and go.â Said a grim Garth, he looked at Sir Rupert, âmust have been a lunatic.â
âA tree-hating lunatic.â Said Clarence.
âAnyone who hates trees is not human.â
âDo you hate trees, Garth?â Asked Clarence.
âWhat? Whatâs that?â
âClarenceâ¦..â Began Haddington.
âI warn the lot of you, if I catch any blundering elephant in my garden, Iâll turn my trees onto him.â
âThat will cause some sleepless nights.â Smiled Clarence.
âYou puffed-up, squinty-eyed little toad.â
âYou go too farâ¦â Clarence got to his feet.
âDo sit down, Clarence, stop making a fool of yourself.â
âIâd bash your brains out with a branch, that is if you had any brains and I could get past those bandages you wear every time I see you.â
âWhy, youâ¦..â
âClarence, leave the man alone.â Ordered Haddington.
âHow in Godâs name do you tolerate the insolent fellow, Iâd discharge him in a minute.â
âEvery tree in the place would die.â Said Garth.
âHeâs perfectly correct.â Said Haddington.
âThose trees love me.â
âQuite right.â
âI would prefer roses any day.â Said Winterhaiming.
âWhat? Whatâs that?â
âTrees are tiresome things.â
âWould the gentleman let me show him one of my trees?â Asked Garth sweetly with a frozen smile.
âRupert?â Put in Cloud helpfully.
âI have others.â
âNow, rosesâ¦.â Began Winterhaiming. There followed a long argument between the gardener and Winterhaiming on trees and roses.
It was Gilmore announcing the arrival of visitors that woke Cloud up.
âLady Marlebone and Miss Marlebone to see you, sir.â
âDames.â Said Cloud with a broad grin.
âWhere are they, Gilmore?â Asked Haddington
âIn your study, sir.â
âIâll see them.â He got to his feet and managed to knock over his chair. It fell on Clarenceâs foot. âSorry, old chap.â
âThink nothing of it.â
As Haddington left, Cloud turned to Clarence who was massaging his foot.
âWhat are these dames like?â
âDo you mind?â
âHow tiresome.â
âDo try and be a little animated, Cynthia.â
âYes, mother.â
âThe main thing is an engagement, even the hint of an engagement might be sufficient.â
âYes, mother.â
âWe only have one month, remember that. If your father canât promise the creditors something, theyâll start taking the estate. It will break his heart.â
âYes, mother.â
âHis long lost grandson is here now, Iâm certain to be able to convince him that we should stay for the week.â
âHow will you do that, mother?â
âI donât know, Iâll think of something, you leave that to me.â There was the sound of smashing glass in the next room. âHereâs Lord Haddington now.â
The double doors were opened by Gilmore who stood to one side as Haddington came striding in.
âLady Marlebone, my dear lady, how very nice to see you.â He took both her hands and squeezed them warmly. âHow are you, my dear?â
âIn excellent health, Your Lordship.â
âAnd your lovely daughter?â
âCome along, Cynthia, answer his Lordship.â
âIâm in excellent health, Your Lordship.â
âSplendid, and Sir Joseph?â
âThe same as ever.â
âSplendid, ah, tea.â Gilmore opened the door and a servant came in with a tray.â Allow me to pour.â The two women sat down opposite Haddington as he poured two cups and handed one to each of them, then he poured one for himself and sat down in an easy chair. âNow, dear lady, what can I do for you?â
âAs you know, Your Lordship, Sir Joseph has been called to London on urgent business,â Haddington nodded, âpoor Cynthia and I were roaming that big, empty house of ours that so desperately needs the presence of a man, and I said to Cynthia, why not drop over and pay a visit to our dear friend, Lord Haddington, and Cynthia said, what a wonderful idea, didnât you, Cynthia?â
âYes, mother.â
âWe got out little Betsy and the carriage, and here we are.â
âThatâs splendid, my dear, and how long will Sir Joseph be gone?â
âYou know how vague he is, I should think about a week, wouldnât you Cynthia?â
âYes, mother.â
âThatâs settled then, youâll both be my guests for a week.â
âHow very kind of you.â
âNot at all, I know the rattle of an empty house.â He took a sip of his tea. Lady Marlebone was a kindly woman and felt great sympathy for any suffering, so she felt a lump come to her throat at the sound of these sad words. âPoor lonely man.â She thought and glanced over at her daughter who appeared to have heard nothing as she drank her tea.
âIf it wouldnât be too great an impositionâ¦.â
âQuite the contrary, dear lady, I have a few gentlemen friends down for the weekend and I fully intend asking them to stay for a week or so. I feel certain the presence of two charming ladies would only brighten up so dull a crowd.â
âGentlemen guests, Your Lordship?â
âJust a few chaps William Clarence brought down from the city.â
âI do hope weâll not be interfering with any business transactionsâ¦.â
âNot in the least, dear lady.â
âSir Joseph does hate that, doesnât he Cynthia?â
âYes, mother.â
âA lifeless woman.â Thought Haddington as he eyed the pale, thin young woman over the rim of his cup. âAn utterly lifeless woman.â
âI can assure you, Lady Marlebone, there will be no business transactions whatsoever.â
âI am pleased.â
âIf youâve finished your tea, perhaps youâll let me introduce you to them.â
âWhat a wonderful idea, isnât it, Cynthia?â
âYes, mother.â
âCome along, dear lady,â Haddington got to his feet, âand bring yourâ¦â¦ daughter w
ith you.â He had only just stopped himself saying âcorpse.â
He took Lady Marleboneâs arm as he led them down the long hallway to the back of the house and into the garden.
âI donât care what you say,â came the voice of Cloud. âI donât care, see, I just donât care.â
âItâs tiresome, itâs just tiresome.â
âWhy do you keep saying your name, why, why do you, you keep saying your name, why is that?â Demanded Cloud.
âSmokey, will you sit down,â ordered Lee, âplease, sit down will you, go on, Smoke, sit down.â
âSir Rupert is here too.â Said Lady Marlebone with delight in her voice before the men had come into sight.
âPerfectly right,â smiled Haddington, ânow how on earth did you know that?â
âOh, we ladies, Your Lordship, we have these things, theseâ¦.. what are they called, Cynthia?â
âEars, I believe, mother.â She murmured softly.
âWhat was that, my dear?â Asked Haddington.
âIntuition, thatâs what itâs called, female intuition.â They walked down toward the four men as Lady Marlebone gave some vivid examples of the existence of female intuition. ââ¦.. she told him to stake every penny on the horse.â They came up to the men who got to their feet.
âLady Marlebone,â smiled Sir Rupert as he came over to take her hand and shake it vigorously, âLady, lady, how jolly to see you again.â
âThe horse, dear lady, did it win?â Asked Haddington as she walked over to Winterhaiming, who she could tell was that long lost grandson. âThe horse, madam?â He called, âblast the woman.â He muttered and turned his head to see Cynthia. âDid itâ¦.?â
âIt lost.â
âIt lost.â
âYes.â
âWhy on earth does your mother use that as an example of female intuition?â
âI donât really know.â
âHey, Clemmie.â Smiled Cloud as he called out to Haddington. âThat brother of yours, Sir Rupertâ¦.â
âYes, I know him.â
âThat brother, he was just telling us his life story, his story, your brother.â
âSo I gather.â
âHowâd ya do Miss.â Haddington introduced them and finished introducing everybody else.
Cynthia joined her mother who was watching Lee demonstrating a few punches under orders from Cloud, while Winterhaiming looked on with a bored expression.
âAgain, Two-Refs.â Lee slammed a punch into Cloudâs open hand.
âHow tiresome.â Winterhaiming started to walk over to the shade of a tree.
âIsnât he handsome?â Sighed Lady Marlebone.
âIsnât who handsome, mother?â
âMr Winterhaiming, dear, my future son-in-law.â
âOh.â She said with no interest.
Haddington and Sir Rupert were walking off, just to stretch their legs, Clarence decided to go after them.
âI say, look at that.â Said Sir Rupert loudly. Everybody turned to look, Lee was just finishing a punch to Cloud who lowered his hands and took the blow in the chest. He was thrown back and came in contact with Winterhaiming who was thrown forward, he reached up for the branch of a tree. There was the loud rending of wood as his weight snapped it off, a good part of the tree came off and fell to the ground, making a large mess.
âWhat was that?â Demanded a voice off in the distance.
âThatâs Garth.â Said a terrified Sir Rupert to Haddington.
âYou get the ladies into the house, Iâll take care of this.â He walked over to the fallen Winterhaiming, âMr Lee, would you help me?â
âOf course.â He helped Cloud to his feet and helped him brush the grass from his clothes.
âLooks like weâll be calling you Two-Managers Lee.â Said Cloud.
âIf you keep doing stupid things like that, Smokey, weâll be calling you the late Smokey Cloud.â He went over to give Haddington a hand with a stunned Winterhaiming.
Haddington looked back at the trees with a worried expression.
âI suggest we return to the house, gentlemen.â
âWhy is that, Clem?â Asked Cloud as they began to walk back to the house.
âMr Garth will soon be discoveringâ¦.â He stopped suddenly.
âSomething wrong?â Asked Lee.
âWhereâs Clarence?â
âDidnât he go with the ladies?â
âNo, he was right behindâ¦..â Haddington looked over at the fallen branch, he caught sight of a boot and ran quickly over to it. âGive me a hand here, Two-Refs.â Lee joined him.
âAha.!â A maniac appeared on the other side of the branch and Lee and Haddington stepped back in surprise.
âNow, Mr Garthâ¦â¦â Said Haddington soothingly.
âCaught one of you, did he?â
âWho?â Asked Lee.
âJimmie.â
âJimmie?â
âItâs the name of the confounded tree.â Whispered Haddington.
âJimmie is the most inoffensive of lads, he wouldnât drop one of his arms on someone unless that someone was hurting him.â He glanced up at the torn tree. âYouâve ripped out one of his arms.â
âIt was an accident.â Said Haddington.
âAn accident was it?â
âHis arm will grow back.â Said Lee.
âWill it? How would you like me to come over there and rip your arm out, do you think it would grow back?â He said angrily.
âNow, Mr Garth.â Said Lee.
âDonât try to reason with him, Mr Lee, heâs half tree himself.â
âFrom the neck up, by the look of him.â He said as he looked across at the contorted face.
âMy trees will get the both of you, go on, Jimmie, get âem.â He shouted up at the tree, Haddington and Lee looked up half expecting the tree to attack them.
Garth took the opportunity to spring up on a branch and stood there shaking the whole tree.
âYou get Clarence out, Iâll take care of the tree-man.â Said Lee. He walked over to one of the treeâs branches just above his head and reached up.âI think Iâll just tear out another one of Jimmieâs arms.â
âYou dare, you dare, and this whole forest will rise up against you.â
âIâll take that risk.â He jumped off the ground and grasped the branch, it bent downwards with a groan.
âGet off!â
âThis should do.â Smiled Lee as he swung a little, Haddington was helping Clarence to stumble a short distance and stood looking back with interest. âIâm sure Jimmie wonât miss it.â
âGet off!â With amazing dexterity Garth tore a branch from the tree and leapt to the ground and came running at Lee. Lee dropped from the branch and met Garth with his two fists. A left to the face stopped him, a right to the chin sent him reeling back.
âJolly good.â Roared Haddington.
Garth fell to the ground but quickly regained his feet, dropped the branch and flung himself back up the tree, he climbed up as far as he could and stood up there, ranting and shaking the tree dangerously.
It was too much for Jimmie, with a roar from Garth it toppled over and came crashing to the ground, just missing Haddington who jumped aside.
Lee stood his ground and waited for Garth to appear, but the treeman jumped to his feet and took off for his life. Lee looked across at Haddington with a smile on his face.
âYou alright?â He called.
âHe needed a good lesson.â Smiled Haddington.
âWhereâs Clarence?â Asked Lee with a frown, then he looked at the fallen tree.
* * * * *