Jacob's Ladder Part 25

"How interesting!" she murmured a little vaguely. "Now tell me, have they started? We must watch."

The race was a good one. In the last stretch, Gerrard's Cross came away and won easily by three lengths. There was a scene of measured enthusiasm in the little box.

"Your horse has won, my dear," the Marquis informed his daughter, lowering his gla.s.ses. "I congratulate you."

The Marchioness indicated her approval by a more or less genial smile.

Lady Mary's blue eyes danced with pleasure.

"You dear person, Mr. Pratt!" she exclaimed. "This is my first winner, and I did want one so badly. I wonder what price Jack will get."

The young man returned presently with a bundle of notes in his hand.

"Nines I got," he announced. "Here's your fiver, Jacob. Forty-five of the best for you, Mary. Lucky old dear!"

The girl grasped the notes joyfully.

"But surely these aren't all mine? I said one pound. Some of this must belong to Mr. Pratt?"

Jacob shook his head, interrupting Felixstowe's reluctant confirmation.

"Not at all," he protested politely. "As a matter of fact, I have won a great deal of money myself on the race. I gave your brother a five-pound note because I could not find a smaller one. So much the better for you."

The girl gave a little sigh of content. Jacob, turning around, was suddenly aware of a look of relief on the part of her distinguished father and mother. The latter smiled approvingly at Jacob, who was preparing to take his leave.

"You must come and call some afternoon, Mr. Pratt," she said graciously. "We shall be glad to see you in Belgrave Square."

"I shall be very pleased," Jacob replied.

"And thank you," Lady Mary whispered.

Jacob had made his farewells; he had almost reached the door.

Felixstowe, leaning towards his mother, whispered behind his hand, "Millionaire! Rolling in it!"

The Marchioness was a woman of rare presence of mind. She addressed the departing guest quite softly, with no signs of flurry, but with a new note of graciousness. Jacob paused upon the threshold.

"Mr. Pratt," she invited, "won't you come and dine with us one evening? I know how men hate afternoon calls. Next Thursday night, at eight o'clock?"

"Do come," Lady Mary begged, still grasping her notes.

"Very glad to see you, Mr. Pratt," the Marquis added, with a little bow which was a model of deportment.

Felixstowe walked down the wooden stairs with his departing guest, who had murmured his grateful acceptance.

"You've hit it up all right with the old folks at home," he confided.

"Between you and me, that forty-five quid is about the only ready there is in the house. Bet you they're snaffling it at the present moment. What a life it must be to have plenty of the dibs, Jacob! So long, old bean. See you Thursday. Hullo, what's that?"

The two men looked back up the wooden staircase. Lady Mary was slowly descending towards them.

"I am to be taken for a walk," she announced sedately, "on the lawn, if possible. And if either of you feel inclined to save the life of a young girl, perhaps you will give her something cool to drink."

Jacob hesitated for a moment, but Lady Mary's smile so obviously included him that he ventured to remain. They crossed the lawn and found an empty table within hearing of the band. Jacob ordered strawberries and cream, ice cream and champagne cup with reckless prodigality. The girl laughed softly.

"How deliciously greedy it all sounds," she murmured, "and how much nicer this is than that stuffy box!--Jack!"

Felixstowe, however, was on his feet, waving to some one in the distance.

"There's Nat Pooley!" he exclaimed. "Knows every winner to a cert.

I've been looking for him all day. Look after my sister, Pratt, old thing."

He dived into the crowd and disappeared. Lady Mary smiled at her companion.

"I am foist upon you, Mr. Pratt," she said.

"I am very much the gainer," he a.s.sured her. "I was feeling unusually lonely when I met your brother."

"Well, I've had rather a stuffy time of it myself," she acknowledged.

"You see, I have on a new dress, and mother was afraid it was going to rain. And then Jack deserted us, and there was no one for me to come out with. How do you like my frock, Mr. Pratt?"

"I think you look nicer than any one I've seen here," Jacob replied sincerely.

She laughed.

"I hope you mean it. You must eat some strawberries, please," she begged. "Please do, or I shall feel so greedy. I had no idea one could get such good things here."

Jacob did as he was told, drank some champagne cup, lit a cigarette, and began to realise that he was having a very pleasant time. Lady Mary chattered on gaily, telling Jacob who many of the people were and exchanging greetings with a number of friends. Presently, at her suggestion, they walked in the paddock, where she pointed out to him the most wonderful of the toilettes, and it was not until the bell rang for the last race that they climbed the steps once more to the box.

"I have enjoyed myself more," she declared, "than any day this week.

Thank you so much for looking after me, Mr. Pratt."

"It has been a great pleasure," Jacob a.s.sured her. "I hope I haven't kept you too long, and that your people won't be annoyed."

The Marchioness, however, received them without any sign of displeasure and listened complacently to her daughter's account of their doings.

"So nice of you, Mr. Pratt," she said, "to have looked after Lady Mary. So many of our friends are not down to-day that I am sure she would have had quite a dull time but for you. We shall see you on Thursday."

"With great pleasure," Jacob answered truthfully.

CHAPTER XVII

"The aristocracy," Dauncey remarked the next morning, as he brought Jacob his private letters, "is sitting up and taking notice of us. Two coronets!"

"Anything in the rest of the correspondence?" Jacob enquired, as he opened his desk and made himself comfortable.

"Nothing worth your troubling about. Five or six addle-headed schemes for getting rid of your money, and about as many bucket shop prospectuses."