‘Not so. He lives and flourishes – but on the other side of the world. He is now in the Argentine.’ ‘In the Argentine,’ I said enviously.
I have always wanted to go to South America. I sighed, and then looked up to find Mr Porrott eyeing me sympathetically. He seemed an understanding little man.
‘Will you go there, yes?’ he asked.
I shook my head with a sigh.
‘I could have gone,’ I said. ‘A year ago. But I was foolish and worse than foolish – greedy. I risked the substance for the shadow.’ ‘I comprehend,’ said Mr Porrott. ‘You speculated?’ I nodded mournfully, but in spite of myself I felt secretly entertained. This ridiculous little man was so portentously solemn.
‘Not the Porcupine Oilfields?’ he asked suddenly.
I stared.
‘I thought of them, as a matter of fact, but in the end I plumped for a gold mine in Western Australia.’ My neighbour was regarding me with a strange expression which I could not fathom.
‘It is Fate,’ he said at last.
‘What is Fate?’ I asked irritably.
‘That I should live next to a man who seriously considers Porcupine Oilfields, and also West Australian Gold Mines.
Tell me, have you also a penchant for auburn hair?’ I stared at him open-mouthed, and he burst out laughing.
‘No, no, it is not the insanity that I suffer from. Make your mind easy. It was a foolish question that I put to you there, for, you see, my friend of whom I spoke was a young man, a man who thought all women good, and most of them beautiful. But you are a man of middle age, a doctor, a man who knows the folly and the vanity of most things in this life of ours. Well, well, we are neighbours. I beg of you to accept and present to your excellent sister my best marrow.’ He stooped, and with a flourish produced an immense specimen of the tribe, which I duly accepted in the spirit in which it was offered.
‘Indeed,’ said the little man cheerfully, ‘this has not been a wasted morning. I have made the acquaintance of a man who in some ways resembles my far-off friend. By the way, I should like to ask you a question. You doubtless know everyone in this tiny village. Who is the young man with the very dark hair and eyes, and the handsome face. He walks with his head flung back, and an easy smile on his lips?’ The description left me in no doubt.
‘That must be Captain Ralph Paton,’ I said slowly.
‘I have not seen him about here before?’ ‘No, he has not been here for some time. But he is the son – adopted son, rather – of Mr Ackroyd of Fernly Park.’ My neighbour made a slight gesture of impatience.
‘Of course, I should have guessed. Mr Ackroyd spoke of him many times.’ ‘You know Mr Ackroyd?’ I said, slightly surprised.
‘Mr Ackroyd knew me in London – when I was at work there. I have asked him to say nothing of my profession down here.’ ‘I see,’ I said, rather amused by this patent snobbery, as I thought it.
But the little man went on with an almost grandiloquent smirk.
‘One prefers to remain incognito. I am not anxious for notoriety. I have not even troubled to correct the local version of my name.’ ‘Indeed,’ I said, not knowing quite what to say.
‘Captain Ralph Paton,’ mused Mr Porrott. ‘And so he is engaged to Mr Ackroyd’s niece, the charming Miss Flora.’ ‘Who told you so?’ I asked, very much surprised.
‘Mr Ackroyd. About a week ago. He is very pleased about it – has long desired that such a thing should come to pass, or so I understood from him. I even believe that he brought some pressure to bear upon the young man. That is never wise. A young man should marry to please himself – not to please a stepfather from whom he has expectations.’ My ideas were completely upset. I could not see Ackroyd taking a hairdresser into his confidence, and discussing the marriage of his niece and stepson with him. Ackroyd extends a genial patronage to the lower orders, but he has a very great sense of his own dignity. I began to think that Porrott couldn’t be a hairdresser after all.