CHAPTER IX. A LETTER FROM PARKER
As the days went by and he settled down at the Hotel Cosmopolis, Archie,looking about him and revising earlier judgments, was inclined to thinkthat of all his immediate circle he most admired Parker, the lean, gravevalet of Mr. Daniel Brewster. Here was a man who, living in the closestcontact with one of the most difficult persons in New York, contrivedall the while to maintain an unbowed head, and, as far as one couldgather from appearances, a tolerably cheerful disposition. A great man,judge him by what standard you pleased. Anxious as he was to earn anhonest living, Archie would not have changed places with Parker for thesalary of a movie-star.
It was Parker who first directed Archie's attention to the hidden meritsof Pongo. Archie had drifted into his father-in-law's suite one morning,as he sometimes did in the effort to establish more amicable relations,and had found it occupied only by the valet, who was dusting thefurniture and bric-a-brac with a feather broom rather in the style of aman-servant at the rise of the curtain of an old-fashioned farce. Aftera courteous exchange of greetings, Archie sat down and lit a cigarette.Parker went on dusting.
"The guv'nor," said Parker, breaking the silence, "has some nice littleobjay dar, sir."
"Little what?"
"Objay dar, sir."
Light dawned upon Archie.
"Of course, yes. French for junk. I see what you mean now. Dare sayyou're right, old friend. Don't know much about these things myself."
Parker gave an appreciative flick at a vase on the mantelpiece.
"Very valuable, some of the guv'nor's things." He had picked up thesmall china figure of the warrior with the spear, and was grooming itwith the ostentatious care of one brushing flies off a sleeping Venus.He regarded this figure with a look of affectionate esteem whichseemed to Archie absolutely uncalled-for. Archie's taste in Art was notprecious. To his untutored eye the thing was only one degree less foulthan his father-in-law's Japanese prints, which he had always observedwith silent loathing. "This one, now," continued Parker. "Worth a lot ofmoney. Oh, a lot of money."
"What, Pongo?" said Archie incredulously.
"Sir?"
"I always call that rummy-looking what-not Pongo. Don't know what elseyou could call him, what!"
The valet seemed to disapprove of this levity. He shook his head andreplaced the figure on the mantelpiece.
"Worth a lot of money," he repeated. "Not by itself, no."
"Oh, not by itself?"
"No, sir. Things like this come in pairs. Somewhere or other there's thecompanion-piece to this here, and if the guv'nor could get hold of it,he'd have something worth having. Something that connoozers would give alot of money for. But one's no good without the other. You have to haveboth, if you understand my meaning, sir."
"I see. Like filling a straight flush, what?"
"Precisely, sir."
Archie gazed at Pongo again, with the dim hope of discovering virtuesnot immediately apparent to the casual observer. But without success.Pongo left him cold--even chilly. He would not have taken Pongo as agift, to oblige a dying friend.
"How much would the pair be worth?" he asked. "Ten dollars?"
Parker smiled a gravely superior smile. "A leetle more than that, sir.Several thousand dollars, more like it."
"Do you mean to say," said Archie, with honest amazement, "that thereare chumps going about loose--absolutely loose--who would pay that for aweird little object like Pongo?"
"Undoubtedly, sir. These antique china figures are in great demand amongcollectors."
Archie looked at Pongo once more, and shook his head.
"Well, well, well! It takes all sorts to make a world, what!"
What might be called the revival of Pongo, the restoration of Pongo tothe ranks of the things that matter, took place several weeks later,when Archie was making holiday at the house which his father-in-law hadtaken for the summer at Brookport. The curtain of the second act may besaid to rise on Archie strolling back from the golf-links in the cool ofan August evening. From time to time he sang slightly, and wonderedidly if Lucille would put the finishing touch upon the all-rightness ofeverything by coming to meet him and sharing his homeward walk.
She came in view at this moment, a trim little figure in a white skirtand a pale blue sweater. She waved to Archie; and Archie, as alwaysat the sight of her, was conscious of that jumpy, fluttering sensationabout the heart, which, translated into words, would have formed thequestion, "What on earth could have made a girl like that fall in lovewith a chump like me?" It was a question which he was continually askinghimself, and one which was perpetually in the mind also of Mr. Brewster,his father-in-law. The matter of Archie's unworthiness to be the husbandof Lucille was practically the only one on which the two men saw eye toeye.
"Hallo--allo--allo!" said Archie. "Here we are, what! I was just hopingyou would drift over the horizon."
Lucille kissed him.
"You're a darling," she said. "And you look like a Greek god in thatsuit."
"Glad you like it." Archie squinted with some complacency down hischest. "I always say it doesn't matter what you pay for a suit, so longas it's right. I hope your jolly old father will feel that way when hesettles up for it."
"Where is father? Why didn't he come back with you?"
"Well, as a matter of fact, he didn't seem any too keen on my company.I left him in the locker-room chewing a cigar. Gave me the impression ofhaving something on his mind."
"Oh, Archie! You didn't beat him AGAIN?"
Archie looked uncomfortable. He gazed out to sea with something ofembarrassment.
"Well, as a matter of fact, old thing, to be absolutely frank, I, as itwere, did!"
"Not badly?"
"Well, yes! I rather fancy I put it across him with some vim and nota little emphasis. To be perfectly accurate, I licked him by ten andeight."
"But you promised me you would let him beat you to-day. You know howpleased it would have made him."
"I know. But, light of my soul, have you any idea how dashed difficultit is to get beaten by your festive parent at golf?"
"Oh, well!" Lucille sighed. "It can't be helped, I suppose." She felt inthe pocket of her sweater. "Oh, there's a letter for you. I've justbeen to fetch the mail. I don't know who it can be from. The handwritinglooks like a vampire's. Kind of scrawly."
Archie inspected the envelope. It provided no solution.
"That's rummy! Who could be writing to me?"
"Open it and see."
"Dashed bright scheme! I will, Herbert Parker. Who the deuce is HerbertParker?"
"Parker? Father's valet's name was Parker. The one he dismissed when hefound he was wearing his shirts."
"Do you mean to say any reasonable chappie would willingly wear thesort of shirts your father--? I mean to say, there must have been somemistake."
"Do read the letter. I expect he wants to use your influence with fatherto have him taken back."
"MY influence? With your FATHER? Well, I'm dashed. Sanguine sort ofJohnny, if he does. Well, here's what he says. Of course, I rememberjolly old Parker now--great pal of mine."
Dear Sir,--It is some time since the undersigned had the honour of conversing with you, but I am respectfully trusting that you may recall me to mind when I mention that until recently I served Mr. Brewster, your father-in-law, in the capacity of valet. Owing to an unfortunate misunderstanding, I was dismissed from that position and am now temporarily out of a job. "How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning?" (Isaiah xiv. 12.)
"You know," said Archie, admiringly, "this bird is hot stuff! I mean tosay he writes dashed well."
It is not, however, with my own affairs that I desire to trouble you, dear sir. I have little doubt that all will be well with me and that I shall not fall like a sparrow to the ground. "I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psalms xxxvii. 25). My object in writ
ing to you is as follows. You may recall that I had the pleasure of meeting you one morning in Mr. Brewster's suite, when we had an interesting talk on the subject of Mr. B.'s objets d'art. You may recall being particularly interested in a small china figure. To assist your memory, the figure to which I allude is the one which you whimsically referred to as Pongo. I informed you, if you remember, that, could the accompanying figure be secured, the pair would be extremely valuable.
I am glad to say, dear sir, that this has now transpired, and is on view at Beale's Art Galleries on West Forty-Fifth Street, where it will be sold to-morrow at auction, the sale commencing at two-thirty sharp. If Mr. Brewster cares to attend, he will, I fancy, have little trouble in securing it at a reasonable price. I confess that I had thought of refraining from apprising my late employer of this matter, but more Christian feelings have prevailed. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head" (Romans xii. 20). Nor, I must confess, am I altogether uninfluenced by the thought that my action in this matter may conceivably lead to Mr. B. consenting to forget the past and to reinstate me in my former position. However, I am confident that I can leave this to his good feeling.
I remain, respectfully yours, Herbert Parker.
Lucille clapped her hands.
"How splendid! Father will be pleased!"
"Yes. Friend Parker has certainly found a way to make the old dad fondof him. Wish I could!"
"But you can, silly! He'll be delighted when you show him that letter."
"Yes, with Parker. Old Herb. Parker's is the neck he'll fall on--notmine."
Lucille reflected.
"I wish--" she began. She stopped. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, Archie,darling, I've got an idea!"
"Decant it."
"Why don't you slip up to New York to-morrow and buy the thing, and giveit to father as a surprise?"
Archie patted her hand kindly. He hated to spoil her girlish day-dreams.
"Yes," he said. "But reflect, queen of my heart! I have at the moment ofgoing to press just two dollars fifty in specie, which I took off yourfather this after-noon. We were playing twenty-five cents a Hole.He coughed it up without enthusiasm--in fact, with a nasty hackingsound--but I've got it. But that's all I have got."
"That's all right. You can pawn that ring and that bracelet of mine."
"Oh, I say, what! Pop the family jewels?"
"Only for a day or two. Of course, once you've got the thing, fatherwill pay us back. He would give you all the money we asked him for, ifhe knew what it was for. But I want to surprise him. And if you were togo to him and ask him for a thousand dollars without telling him what itwas for, he might refuse."
"He might!" said Archie. "He might!"
"It all works out splendidly. To-morrow's the Invitation Handicap, andfather's been looking forward to it for weeks. He'd hate to have to goup to town himself and not play in it. But you can slip up and slip backwithout his knowing anything about it."
Archie pondered.
"It sounds a ripe scheme. Yes, it has all the ear-marks of a somewhatfruity wheeze! By Jove, it IS a fruity wheeze! It's an egg!"
"An egg?"
"Good egg, you know. Halloa, here's a postscript. I didn't see it."
P.S.--I should be glad if you would convey my most cordial respects to Mrs. Moffam. Will you also inform her that I chanced to meet Mr. William this morning on Broadway, just off the boat. He desired me to send his regards and to say that he would be joining you at Brookport in the course of a day or so. Mr. B. will be pleased to have him back. "A wise son maketh a glad father" (Proverbs x. 1).
"Who's Mr. William?" asked Archie.
"My brother Bill, of course. I've told you all about him."
"Oh yes, of course. Your brother Bill. Rummy to think I've got abrother-in-law I've never seen."
"You see, we married so suddenly. When we married, Bill was in Yale."
"Good God! What for?"
"Not jail, silly. Yale. The university."
"Oh, ah, yes."
"Then he went over to Europe for a trip to broaden his mind. You mustlook him up to-morrow when you get back to New York. He's sure to be athis club."
"I'll make a point of it. Well, vote of thanks to good old Parker! Thisreally does begin to look like the point in my career where I start tohave your forbidding old parent eating out of my hand."
"Yes, it's an egg, isn't it!"
"Queen of my soul," said Archie enthusiastically, "it's an omelette!"
The business negotiations in connection with the bracelet and the ringoccupied Archie on his arrival in New York to an extent which made itimpossible for him to call on Brother Bill before lunch. He decided topostpone the affecting meeting of brothers-in-law to a more convenientseason, and made his way to his favourite table at the Cosmopolisgrill-room for a bite of lunch preliminary to the fatigues of the sale.He found Salvatore hovering about as usual, and instructed him to cometo the rescue with a minute steak.
Salvatore was the dark, sinister-looking waiter who attended, amongother tables, to the one at the far end of the grill-room at whichArchie usually sat. For several weeks Archie's conversations with theother had dealt exclusively with the bill of fare and its contents; butgradually he had found himself becoming more personal. Even before thewar and its democratising influences, Archie had always lacked thatreserve which characterises many Britons; and since the war he hadlooked on nearly everyone he met as a brother. Long since, through themedium of a series of friendly chats, he had heard all about Salvatore'shome in Italy, the little newspaper and tobacco shop which his motherowned down on Seventh Avenue, and a hundred other personal details.Archie had an insatiable curiosity about his fellow-man.
"Well done," said Archie.
"Sare?"
"The steak. Not too rare, you know."
"Very good, sare."
Archie looked at the waiter closely. His tone had been subdued and sad.Of course, you don't expect a waiter to beam all over his face and givethree rousing cheers simply because you have asked him to bring you aminute steak, but still there was something about Salvatore's mannerthat disturbed Archie. The man appeared to have the pip. Whether he wasmerely homesick and brooding on the lost delights of his sunnynative land, or whether his trouble was more definite, could only beascertained by enquiry. So Archie enquired.
"What's the matter, laddie?" he said sympathetically. "Something on yourmind?"
"Sare?"
"I say, there seems to be something on your mind. What's the trouble?"
The waiter shrugged his shoulders, as if indicating an unwillingness toinflict his grievances on one of the tipping classes.
"Come on!" persisted Archie encouragingly. "All pals here. Barge along,old thing, and let's have it."
Salvatore, thus admonished, proceeded in a hurried undertone--with oneeye on the headwaiter--to lay bare his soul. What he said was not verycoherent, but Archie could make out enough of it to gather that it was asad story of excessive hours and insufficient pay. He mused awhile. Thewaiter's hard case touched him.
"I'll tell you what," he said at last. "When jolly old Brewster coniesback to town--he's away just now--I'll take you along to him and we'llbeard the old boy in his den. I'll introduce you, and you get thatextract from Italian opera-off your chest which you've just been singingto me, and you'll find it'll be all right. He isn't what you might callone of my greatest admirers, but everybody says he's a square sort ofcove and he'll see you aren't snootered. And now, laddie, touching thematter of that steak."
The waiter disappeared, greatly cheered, and Archie, turning, perceivedthat his friend Reggie van Tuyl was entering the room. He waved to himto join his table. He liked Reggie, and it also occurred to him that aman of the world like the heir of the van Tuyls, who had been poppingabout New Y
ork for years, might be able to give him some much-neededinformation on the procedure at an auction sale, a matter on which hehimself was profoundly ignorant.