The Seven Dials Mystery Read Free Page A

Something ought to be done about it.”
    â€œIf he’s not careful,” said Ronny Devereux, “he’ll miss his breakfast altogether one day—find it’s lunch or tea instead when he rolls down.”
    â€œIt’s a shame,” said the girl called Socks. “Because it worries Lady Coote so. She gets more and more like a hen that wants to lay an egg and can’t. It’s too bad.”
    â€œLet’s pull him out of bed,” suggested Bill. “Come on, Jimmy.”
    â€œOh! let’s be more subtle than that,” said the girl called Socks. Subtle was a word of which she was rather fond. She used it a great deal.
    â€œI’m not subtle,” said Jimmy. “I don’t know how.”
    â€œLet’s get together and do something about it tomorrow morning,” suggested Ronny vaguely. “You know, get him up at seven. Stagger the household. Tredwell loses his false whiskers and drops the tea urn. Lady Coote has hysterics and faints in Bill’s arms—Bill being the weight carrier. Sir Oswald says ‘Ha!’ and steel goes up a point and five eighths. Pongo registers emotion by throwing down his spectacles and stamping on them.”
    â€œYou don’t know Gerry,” said Jimmy. “I daresay enough cold water might wake him—judiciously applied, that is. But he’d only turn over and go to sleep again.”
    â€œOh! we must think of something more subtle than cold water,” said Socks.
    â€œWell, what?” asked Ronny bluntly. And nobody had any answer ready.
    â€œWe ought to be able to think of something,” said Bill. “Who’s got any brains?”
    â€œPongo,” said Jimmy. “And here he is, rushing along in a harried manner as usual. Pongo was always the one for brains. It’s been his misfortune from his youth upwards. Let’s turn Pongo on to it.”
    Mr. Bateman listened patiently to a somewhat incoherent statement. His attitude was that of one poised for flight. He delivered his solution without loss of time.
    â€œI should suggest an alarum clock,” he said briskly. “I always use one myself for fear of oversleeping. I find that early tea brought in in a noiseless manner is sometimes powerless to awaken one.”
    He hurried away.
    â€œAn alarum clock.” Ronny shook his head. “ One alarum clock. It would take about a dozen to disturb Gerry Wade.”
    â€œWell, why not?” Bill was flushed and earnest. “I’ve got it. Let’s all go into Market Basing and buy an alarum clock each.”
    There was laughter and discussion. Bill and Ronny went off to get hold of cars. Jimmy was deputed to spy upon the dining room. He returned rapidly.
    â€œHe’s here right enough. Making up for lost time and wolfing down toast and marmalade. How are we going to prevent him coming along with us?”
    It was decided that Lady Coote must be approached and instructed to hold him in play. Jimmy and Nancy and Helen fulfilled this duty. Lady Coote was bewildered and apprehensive.
    â€œA rag? You will be careful, won’t you, my dears? I mean, you won’t smash the furniture and wreck things or use too much water. We’ve got to hand this house over next week, you know. I shouldn’t like Lord Caterham to think—”
    Bill, who had returned from the garage, broke in reassuringly.
    â€œThat’s all right, Lady Coote. Bundle Brent—Lord Caterham’s daughter—is a great friend of mine. And there’s nothing she’d stick at—absolutely nothing! You can take it from me. And anyway there’s not going to be any damage done. This is quite a quiet affair.”
    â€œSubtle,” said the girl called Socks.
    Lady Coote went sadly along the terrace just as Gerald Wade emerged from the breakfast room. Jimmy Thesiger was a fair, cherubic young man, and all that could be said of Gerald Wade was that he was fairer and more cherubic,