"Orczy, Baroness - The Regent's Park Murder" - читать интересную книгу автора (Orczy Baroness)

occasion threatened to ship him off to Australia with a г5 note in his pocket if
he made any further extravagant calls upon his paternal indulgence.
"It was also evident to all John Ashley's many companions that the worthy M.F.H.
held the purse-strings in a very tight grip. The young man, bitten with the
desire to cut a smart figure in the circles in which he moved, had often
recourse to the varying fortunes which now and again smiled upon him across the
green tables in the Harewood Club.
"Be that as it may, the general consensus of opinion at the Club was that young
Ashley had changed his last 'pony' before he sat down to a turn of roulette with
Aaron Cohen on that particular night of February 6th.
"It appears that all his friends, conspicuous among whom was Mr. Walter
Hatherell, tried their very best to dissuade him from pitting his luck against
that of Cohen, who had been having a most unprecedented run of good fortune. But
young Ashley, heated with wine, exasperated at his own bad luck, would listen to
no one; he tossed one г5 note after another on the board, he borrowed from those
who would lend, then played on parole for a while. Finally, at half-past one in
the morning, after a run of nineteen on the red, the young man found himself
without a penny in his pockets, and owing a debt Ч a gambling debt Ч a debt of
honour of г1500 to Mr. Aaron Cohen.
"Now we must render this much maligned gentleman that justice which was
persistently denied to him by press and public alike; it was positively asserted
by all those present that Mr. Cohen himself repeatedly tried to induce young Mr.
Ashley to give up playing. He himself was in a delicate position in the matter,
as he was the winner, and once or twice the taunt had risen to the young man's
lips, accusing the holder of the bank of the wish to retire on a competence
before the break in his luck.
"Mr. Aaron Cohen, smoking the best of Havanas, had finally shrugged his
shoulders and said: 'As you please!'
"But at half-past one he had had enough of the player, who always lost and never
paid Ч never could pay, so Mr. Cohen probably believed. He therefore at that
hour refused to accept Mr. John Ashley's 'promissory ' stakes any longer. A very
few heated words ensued, quickly checked by the management, who are ever on the
alert to avoid the least suspicion of scandal.
"In the meanwhile Mr. Hatherell, with great good sense, persuaded young Ashley
to leave the Club and all its temptations and go home; if possible to bed.
"The friendship of the two young men, which was very well known in society,
consisted chiefly, it appears, in Walter Hatherell being the willing companion
and helpmeet of John Ashley in his mad and extravagant pranks. But to-night the
latter, apparently tardily sobered by his terrible and heavy losses, allowed
himself to be led away by his friend from the scene of his disasters. It was
then about twenty minutes to two.
"Here the situation becomes interesting," continued the man in the corner in his
nervous way. "No wonder that the police interrogated at least a dozen witnesses
before they were quite satisfied that every statement was conclusively proved.
"Walter Hatherell, after about ten minutes' absence, that is to say at ten
minutes to two, returned to the club room. In reply to several inquiries, he
said that he had parted with his friend at the corner of New Bond Street, since
he seemed anxious to be alone, and that Ashley said he would take a turn down
Piccadilly before going home Ч he thought a walk would do him good.
"At two o'clock or thereabouts Mr. Aaron Cohen, satisfied with his evening's