A Millionaire of Yesterday | Page 9

limbs,
"that you do occasionally relax. In your present frame of mind - you
will not be offended I trust - you are just a little heavy as a companion.
Never mind. In a year's time I will be teaching you how to dine - to
drink champagne, to - by the way, Trent, have you ever tasted
champagne?"
"Never," Trent answered gruffly "Don't know that I want to either."
Monty was compassionate. "My young friend," he said, "I would give
my soul to have our future before us, to have your youth and never to
have tasted champagne. Phew! the memory of it is delicious!"
"Why don't you go to bed?" Trent said. "You'll need all your strength
to-morrow!"
Monty waved his hand with serene contempt.
"I am a man of humours, my dear friend," he said, "and to-night my
humour is to talk and to be merry. What is it the philosophers tell us? -
that the sweetest joys of life are the joys of anticipation. Here we are,
then, on the eve of our triumph - let us talk, plan, be happy. Bah! how
thirsty it makes one! Come, Trent, what stake will you have me set up
against that other tumblerful of brandy."
"No stake that you can offer," Trent answered shortly. "That drop of
brandy may stand between us and death. Pluck up your courage, man,
and forget for a bit that there is such a thing as drink."

Monty frowned and looked stealthily across towards the bottle.
"That's all very well, my friend," he said, "but kindly remember that
you are young, and well, and strong. I am old, and an invalid. I need
support. Don't be hard on me, Trent. Say fifty again.
"No, nor fifty hundred," Trent answered shortly. "I don't want your
money. Don't be such a fool, or you'll never live to enjoy it."
Monty shuffled on to his feet, and walked aimlessly about the hut.
Once or twice as he passed the place where the bottle rested, he
hesitated; at last he paused, his eyes lit up, he stretched out his hand
stealthily. But before he could possess himself of it Trent's hand was
upon his collar.
"You poor fool!" he said; "leave it alone can't you? You want to poison
yourself I know. Well, you can do as you jolly well like when you are
out of this - not before."
Monty's eyes flashed evil fires, but his tone remained persuasive.
"Trent," he said, "be reasonable. Look at me! I ask you now whether I
am not better for that last drop. I tell you that it is food and wine to me.
I need it to brace me up for to-morrow. Now listen! Name your own
stake! Set it up against that single glass! I am not a mean man, Trent.
Shall we say one hundred and fifty?"
Trent looked at him half scornfully, half deprecatingly.
"You are only wasting your breath, Monty," he said. "I couldn't touch
money won in such a way, and I want to get you out of this alive.
There's fever in the air all around us, and if either of us got a touch of it
that drop of brandy might stand between us and death. Don't worry me
like a spoilt child. Roll yourself up and get to sleep! I'll keep watch."
"I will be reasonable," Monty whined. "I will go to sleep, my friend,
and worry you no more when I have had just one sip of that brandy! It
is the finest medicine in the world for me! It will keep the fever off.
You do not want money you say! Come, is there anything in this world

which I possess, or may possess, which you will set against that three
inches of brown liquid?"
Trent was on the point of an angry negative. Suddenly he stopped -
hesitated - and said nothing Monty's face lit up with sudden hope.
"Come," he cried, "there is something I see! You're the right sort, Trent.
Don't be afraid to speak out. It's yours, man, if you win it. Speak up!"
"I will stake that brandy," Trent answered, "against the picture you let
fall from your pocket an hour ago."
CHAPTER III
For a moment Monty stood as though dazed. Then the excitement
which had shone in his face slowly subsided. He stood quite silent,
muttering softly to himself, his eyes fixed upon Trent.
"Her picture! My little girl's picture! Trent, you're joking, you're mad!"
"Am I?" Trent answered nonchalantly. "Perhaps so! Anyhow those are
my terms! You can play or not as you like! I don't care."
A red spot burned in Monty's cheeks, and a sudden passion shook him.
He threw himself upon Trent and would have struck him but that