Murder in Any Degree eBook

Owen Johnson
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 225 pages of information about Murder in Any Degree.

Murder in Any Degree eBook

Owen Johnson
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 225 pages of information about Murder in Any Degree.

“What of it?”

“My dear fellow, you don’t know what my expenses are—­this apartment, an automobile—­Oh, as for you, it’s all very well for you!  You have ten thousand a year and no one to care for but yourself.”

Suddenly he felt almost a hatred for his friend, and then a rebellion at the renunciation he would have to make.

“No—­it can’t be done.  We’ll have to give it up.  Impossible, utterly impossible, I can’t afford it.”

De Gollyer, still a little uncertain of his ground, for several moments waited, carefully considering the dubious expression on his friend’s face.  Then he questioned abruptly: 

“What is your income—­now?”

“What do you mean by now?”

“Fifteen thousand a year?”

“It has always been that,” replied Lightbody in bad humor.

De Gollyer, approaching at last the great question, assumed an air of concentrated firmness, tempered with well-mannered delicacy.

“My dear boy, I beg your pardon.  As a matter of fact it has always been fifteen thousand—­quite right, quite so; but—­now, my dear boy, you are too much of a man of the world to be offended, aren’t you?”

“No,” said Lightbody, staring in front of him.  “No, I’m not offended.”

“Of course it’s delicate, ticklishly delicate ground, but then we must look things in the face.  Now if you’d rather I—­”

“No, go on.”

“Of course, dear boy, you’ve had a smashing knock and all that sort of thing, but—­” suddenly reaching out he took up the letter, and, letting it hang from his fingers, thoughtfully considered it—­“I say it might be looked at in this way.  Yesterday it was fifteen thousand a year to dress up a dashing wife, modern New York style, the social pace, clothes that must be smarter than Thingabob’s wife, competitive dinners that you stir up with your fork and your servants eat, and all that sort of thing, you know.  To-day it’s fifteen thousand a year and a bachelor again.”

Releasing the letter, he disdainfully allowed it to settle down on the desk, and finished: 

“Come now, as a matter of fact there is a little something consoling, isn’t there?”

From the moment he had perceived De Gollyer’s idea.  Lightbody had become very quiet, gazing steadily ahead, seeing neither the door nor the retaining walls.

“I never thought of that,” he said, almost in a whisper.

“Quite so, quite so.  Of course one doesn’t think of such things, right at first.  And you’ve had a knock-down—­a regular smasher, old chap.”  He stopped, cleared his voice and said sympathetically:  “You adored her?”

“I suppose I could give up the apartment and sell the auto,” said Lightbody slowly, speaking to himself.

De Gollyer smiled—­a bachelor smile.

“Riches, my boy,” he said, tapping him on the shoulder with the same quick, awakening Mephistophelean touch.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
Murder in Any Degree from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.