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Read Ebook: To Him That Hath: A Tale of the West of Today by Connor Ralph
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Ebook has 2289 lines and 80342 words, and 46 pages
"My word, old chap, that is top-hole tennis," said the Englishman, warmly congratulating him.
"Luck, old boy, brilliant luck!" said Captain Jack. "Couldn't do it again for a bet."
"You must do it just once more," said Frances, coming to meet the players. "Oh, you dear old thing. Come and be refreshed. Here is the longest, coolest thing in drinks this Club affords. And one for you, too," she added, turning to the Englishman. "You played a great game."
"Did I not? I was at the top of my form," said the Englishman gallantly. "But all in vain, as you see."
"Now for the final," cried Frances eagerly.
"Dear lady," said Captain Jack, affecting supreme exhaustion, "as you are mighty, be merciful! Let it suffice that we appear to have given you an exposition of fairly respectable tennis. I am quite done."
"A great win, Jack," said Adrien, offering her hand in congratulation.
"All flukes count, eh, Maitland?" laughed Stillwell, unable in spite of his laugh to keep the bite out of his voice.
"Fluke?" exclaimed the Englishman in a slow drawling voice. "I call it ripping good tennis, if I am a judge."
A murmur of approval ran through the company, crowding about with congratulations to both players.
"Oh, of course, of course," said Stillwell, noting the criticism of his unsportsmanlike remark. "What I mean is, Maitland is clearly out of condition. If he were not I wouldn't mind taking him on myself," he added with another laugh.
"Now, do you mean?" said Captain Jack lazily.
"We will wait till the match is played out," said Stillwell with easy confidence. "Some other day, when you are in shape, eh?" he added, smiling at Maitland.
"Now if you like, or after the match, or any old time," said Captain Jack, looking at Stillwell with hard grey, unsmiling eyes. "I understand you have come up on your game during the war."
Stillwell's face burned a furious red at the little laugh that went round among Captain Jack's friends.
"Frankly, I have had enough for to-day," said the Englishman to Jack.
"All right, old chap, if you don't really mind. Though I feel you would certainly take the odd set."
"Not a bit of it, by Jove. I am quite satisfied to let it go at that. We will have another go some time."
"Any time that suits you--to-morrow, eh?"
"To-morrow be it," said the Englishman.
"Now, then, Stillwell," said Captain Jack, with a curt nod at him. "Whenever you are ready."
"Oh, come, Maitland. I was only joshing, you know. You don't want to play with me to-day," said Stillwell, not relishing the look on Maitland's face. "We can have a set any time."
"No!" said Maitland shortly. "It's now or never."
"Oh, all right," said Stillwell, with an uneasy laugh, going into the Club house for his racquet.
The proposed match had brought a new atmosphere into the Club house, an atmosphere of contest with all the fun left out.
"I don't like this at all," said a man with iron grey hair and deeply tanned face.
"One can't well object, Russell," said a younger man, evidently a friend of Stillwell's. "Maitland brought it on, and I hope he gets mighty well trimmed. He is altogether too high and mighty these days."
"Oh, I don't agree with you at all," broke in Frances, in a voice coldly proper. "You heard what Mr. Stillwell said?"
"Well, not exactly."
"Ah, I might have guessed you had not," answered the young lady, turning away.
Edwards looked foolishly round upon the circle of men who stood grinning at him.
"Now will you be good?" said a youngster who had led the laugh at Edwards' expense.
"What the devil are you laughing at, Menzies?" he asked hotly.
"Why, don't you see the joke?" enquired Menzies innocently. "Well, carry on! You will to-morrow."
Edwards growled out an oath and took himself off.
Meantime the match was making furious progress, with the fury, it must be confessed, confined to one side only of the net. Captain Jack was playing a driving, ruthless game, snatching and employing without mercy every advantage that he could legitimately claim. He delivered his service with deadly precision, following up at the net with a smashing return, which left his opponent helpless. His aggressive tactics gave his opponent almost no opportunity to score, and he kept the pace going at the height of his speed. The onlookers were divided in their sentiments. Stillwell had a strong following of his own who expressed their feelings by their silence at Jack's brilliant strokes and their loud approval of Stillwell's good work when he gave them opportunity, while many of Maitland's friends deprecated his tactics and more especially his spirit.
At whirlwind pace Captain Jack made the first three games a "love" score, leaving his opponent dazed, bewildered with his smashing play and blind with rage at his contemptuous bearing.
"I think I must go home, Frances," said Adrien to her friend, her face pale, her head carried high.
Frances seized her by the arm and drew her to one side.
"Adrien, you must not go! You simply must not!" she said in a low tense voice. "It will be misunderstood, and--"
"I am going, Frances," said her friend in a cold, clear voice. "I have had enough tennis for this afternoon. Where is Sidney? Ah, there he is across the court. No! Let me go, Frances!"
"You simply must not go like that in the middle of a game, Adrien. Wait at least till this game is over," said her friend, clutching hard at her arm.
"Very well. Let us go to Sidney," said Adrien.
Together they made their way round the court almost wholly unobserved, so intent was the crowd upon the struggle going on before them. As the game finished Adrien laid her hand upon her cousin's arm.
"Haven't you had enough of this?" she said. Her voice carried clear across the court.
"Not at all. Don't think of it. I have a call to make on my way home. Please don't come."
"But, Adrien, I say, this will be over now in a few minutes. Can't you really wait?"
"No, I am not in the least interested in this--this kind of tennis," she said in a bored voice.
Her tone, pitched rather higher than usual, carried to the ears of the players who were changing ends at the moment. Both of the men glanced at her. Stillwell's face showed swift gratitude. On Jack's face the shadow darkened but except for a slight straightening of the line of his lips he gave no sign.
"You are quite sure you don't care?" said Sidney. "You don't want me? This really is great, you know."
"Not for worlds would I drag you away," said Adrien in a cool, clear voice. "Frances will keep you company." She turned to her friend. "Look after him, Frances," she said. "Good-bye. Dinner at seven to-night, you know."
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