书虫3级《小镇传奇》5. 营救伯爵夫人

5. THE RESCUE OF THE COUNTESS

Denry's rent-collecting business grew and grew. He had come back from the Llandudno adventure with a thousand pounds. Two years later he had two thousand pounds, and his bank manager spoke to him with great politeness. Denry now rented a small office, and employed an office-boy.

He also bought a mule and cart. He said he needed them for his work. He could, of course, collect rents on a bicycle, and a bicycle doesn't eat much, or run away. But Denry wanted a mule. It was a good advertisement for his business.

Denry was happy that people talked about the mule as his 'latest', and he was happy to be making money. But he wanted more than money. He was always looking for new ideas, exciting things to do – things which would make sure that he was always the greatest 'card' in the Five Towns.

One day, a new notice appeared on Denry's door:

FIVE TOWNS SAVINGS CLUB

Secretary and Manager – E. H. Machin

Many shops in the Five Towns had savings clubs. Every week customers paid a few pence into the club. At Christmas the customers could spend all the money they had paid in. Denry's idea was for a savings club for every shop in the Five Towns. It was a fantastic idea. A poor person could pay just a little money every week, and to make it easier, Denry could come to the house and collect the money. Denry's savings club was special in one very important way. After paying a pound to Denry, someone could spend two pounds in the shops immediately – although they must then, of course, continue to pay into the club every week.

Denry needed to make a profit, of course, and his profit would come from the shops. For every six pence spent in a shop, the shop had to pay him one penny. He started by going to Bostocks, the biggest clothes shop in the Five Towns. With Bostocks' name on the list it was easier to find other shops. In two weeks he had nearly a hundred.

Now he needed something to give the club a good start. For twenty-five pounds Denry could put an advertisement on the front page of the Signal, but he preferred free advertisements. Then he had an idea. He could ask the Countess of Chell to be the patron of his club. Hers was the best possible name to have at the top of his letter paper. She was the richest woman in the Five Towns. Some people loved her and some people hated her, but everybody knew her.

I'll ask her. I'll have her as a patron,' he said to himself. 'I'll go to Sneyd Hall. She can't eat me.'

So one morning he arrived, without his mule, at the home of the Countess of Chell. He had been to Sneyd Hall before; the gardens were open to the people of the Five Towns, and there were often hundreds of people there on Sunday afternoons in summer. But today the gardens were empty.

It was a long walk between the trees up to the house, and a long walk up the steps. Denry rang, and the door opened.

Well?' said a lady. She was dressed in black.

Can I see the Countess?' he asked, giving her his card.

I will ask,' she answered. She disappeared into the house, leaving Denry in the hall.

A few moments later he heard the Countess's voice:

Oh, no! I'm terribly busy. I'm leaving in a few minutes.'

Still Denry waited. Nobody came to see him. Minutes passed and still nothing. Had they forgotten him? Then, through an open door in the back of the house he saw a man. It was Jock, the son of a friend of his mother. Jock worked at Sneyd Hall, where he drove the Countess's carriage.

Denry did not want to shout through the house, so he walked towards him. 'Jock!' he called, softly.

Jock didn't hear, and disappeared through another door. Denry followed, through door after door, until suddenly he found himself in a long ballroom, full of mirrors, paintings and rich furniture, with high windows to one side and big doors on the other. Jock had disappeared. Denry tried the big doors, but they were all locked. He went back to the door he had used to come into the room. But strangely, that was now locked as well. Then he heard horses outside, and running to a window, he saw the Countess's carriage driving away.

Denry tried knocking on all the doors, first politely, then noisily. He tried calling out, then shouting as loudly as he could. Nothing. At last he realized that there was nobody to hear him. He was a prisoner in an empty house.

He looked around the room. The only possible escape was to break a window, so Denry preferred to wait until night. He spent a long afternoon in the great ballroom of Sneyd Hall, looking at pictures and furniture. When night fell, he broke one of the big windows and went home. The Five Towns Savings Club began life without the Countess.

Denry spent that long afternoon in the ballroom of Sneyd Hall, looking at pictures and furniture.

The next morning, Denry opened the Signal and suddenly felt very ill.

ROBBERY AT SNEYD HALL

Yesterday, thieves broke into the great ballroom at Sneyd, home of the Countess of Chell. The police say that nothing seems to be missing. The Countess(who is away in Italy) will pay twenty pounds for any information about the thieves.

Denry was lucky. The robbery was the talk of the town for a few days, but nobody, it seemed, had remembered his visit to Sneyd Hall, or found his visiting card. And because nothing was stolen, the police were not very interested. Indeed, a week or two later, Denry saw a chance to make something out of his adventure. All that long afternoon he had been in the great ballroom, and he had used his eyes well. He remembered everything. Soon, a report appeared in the Signal under Denry's name. It began:

The recent robbery at Sneyd Hall gives us a reason to remember the beautiful paintings and furniture which it contains and which, happily, were not stolen. Only friends of the family, of course, ever see the great ballroom, but perhaps readers of the Signal will be interested to read a description of this fine room...

Everybody read the report of course, and everybody understood that Denry, who had already danced with the Countess, was now a good friend of the family.

*　　*　　*

The Savings Club was a great success; in fact, it became too successful. The reason was this. When customers had paid in two pounds, they were allowed to spend four pounds in the shops. They did spend four pounds in the shops. And Denry had to pay the shops. Customers were still paying in their five pence and their ten pence – but that wasn't enough to help Denry. His two thousand pounds in the bank was going very quickly. And then a whisper began to go round that Denry's famous Savings Club was not healthy, that it was going to fail, and that everyone would lose their money.

Denry knew that he had to do something – and do it very quickly. He thought of the Countess.

The Countess was very good at opening things. She opened hospitals and schools all over the Five Towns, and Denry read in the Signal that she was going to open a new Police Club in Hanbridge in a week's time. There are a number of facts about what happened on the day of the opening, and during the week before it. Some people may have ideas to explain some of these facts.

The facts are these. First: Denry called one day at the house of Mrs Kemp in Brougham Street. Mrs Kemp was the mother of Jock, Denry's old friend and carriage-driver to the Countess. Second: a day or two later, Jock came to visit his mother, and Denry also came to visit. Denry and Jock went for a short walk together. Third: on the afternoon of the opening of the Police Club, the Countess's carriage broke a wheel between Sneyd Hall and Hanbridge, about five kilometres from Hanbridge. Fourth: about five minutes later, Denry drove past in his mule cart, wearing his best clothes. Fifth: as Denry drove past, Jock called out, 'Excuse me, sir!' and Denry stopped. These are the facts.

Good afternoon, Countess,' said Denry, lifting his hat.

Oh, it's you, is it?' said the Countess. 'Good afternoon.'

I see you've had an accident,' said Denry. 'Are you going somewhere important?'

Yes, I am going somewhere important! I've got to be at the Police Club by three. And I shan't be. I'm late now.'

I can get you there by three o'clock,' said Denry.

It was five kilometres to Hanbridge, and they were there in seventeen minutes. The mule was moving as fast as he could, but when they came into the main square, he stopped suddenly. There were several hundred policemen outside the Police Club, waiting for the Countess.

Oh dear!' said Denry. 'He hates policemen.'

I'll walk,' said the Countess.

Oh no,' said Denry. 'It's all right.' He hit the mule over the head with his whip. The mule dashed off, but away from the Police Club. They hit another cart, full of vegetables, and turned it over. They dashed down a hill, fast. Then the Countess noticed that Denry was not using his right arm.

I think I broke it when we hit the cart,' he said. 'Don't worry. I'll go up this hill – that'll stop him.'

Denry managed to turn the mule into Birches Street, which went up a hill. The mule slowed down, then stopped.

Denry managed to turn the mule into Birches Street.

Shall I drive him to the Club?' asked the Countess. She could see that Denry's arm was very painful.

And so the Countess arrived at the Police Club in Denry's mule cart. And she invited Denry to the Club opening, where she told the five mayors and all the important people of the Five Towns how Denry had rescued her.

After the opening, Denry left the Club with the Countess, to help her find her carriage. But it still had not arrived.

I can take you home in my cart,' offered Denry.

I think I'll wait,' said the Countess.

Well, let's go and have a cup of tea while we're waiting,' said Denry. 'There's a good tea-shop near here.'

The Countess loved tea, and they were soon sitting in a corner of the tea-shop. The Countess looked hard at Denry.

How did you get all that information about the rooms at Sneyd Hall?' she asked.

After this, the conversation became exciting.

That evening a notice appeared in the Signal which said that the Countess was now Patron of the Five Towns Savings Club. In a few days a thousand more people had joined the Club. Denry had no more worries about money.