★ 25 ★::A Gentleman of Leisure
Explanations and an Interruption
Jimmy, like Lord Dreever, had been at the of the duologue, and had not been able to away till it was nearly over. He had been by Lady Julia to an and baronet, who had ten days in New York, and had not been without a struggle. The baronet, on his return to England had published a book “Modern America and its People” and it was with to the opinions in this that he Jimmy’s views. He had no wish to see the duologue, and it was only after the of much time that Jimmy was to tear himself away on the of having to dress. He the authority on “Modern America and its People” as he ran upstairs.
While the was in progress there had been no of Sir Thomas taking it into his to visit his dressing-room. He had been, as his had to Mr. Galer, too among the swells. It would only be the work of a moments the necklace to its place. But for the of the the thing would have been done by this time. But now there was no what might not happen—anybody might come along the passage and see him.
He had one point in his favour: there was no of the being by their owner till the of the theatricals. The part which Lady Julia had been by Charteris to play no scope for the of gems.
Before going to dinner he had locked up the necklace in a drawer. It was still there, Spike having, apparently, been able to the of it. He took it out and into the corridor. He looked up and it. There was nobody about. He his door and walked in the direction of the dressing-room.
He had provided himself with a lamp from a 165to one of the grooms. Once inside, having closed the door, he this and looked about him.
Spike had him minute as to the position of the box. He it without difficulty. To his it and impregnable, but Spike had how to open it without much difficulty. The was shut, but it came up without an when he to it, and he saw that the lock had been broken.
“Spike’s on!” he said.
He was the necklace over the box, to it in, when there was a quick at the other of the room. The was and Molly came out.
“Jimmy!” she cried.
Jimmy’s nerves were always in good order, but at the of this he jumped.
“Great Scot!” he said.
The again by some force, this time, and from its a voice itself heard.
“Dash it all,” said the voice, “I’ve stuck!”
There was another upheaval, and his emerged, his yellow and upstanding, his crimson.
“Caught my in a or something,” he at large. “Halloa, Pitt!”
Pressed against the wall, Molly had with to the movements on the other of the curtain. Her every moment. It to her that the room was still in darkness. She the of breathing; and then the light of the her eye. Who this be, and why had he not on the electric light?
She her ears to catch a sound. For a while she nothing the soft breathing. Then came a voice that she well; and, her hiding-place, she came out into the room, and Jimmy with a lamp in his hand over some dark object in the of the room.
It was a full minute after Jimmy’s of either of them spoke again. The light of the lamp Molly’s eyes. She put up a hand to them. It to her that they had been like this for years.
Jimmy had not moved. There was something in his 166which Molly with a fear. In the the lamp he looked and inhuman.
“You’re my eyes,” she said at last.
“I’m sorry,” said Jimmy. “I didn’t think. Is that better?” He the light from her face. Something in his voice and the with which he moved the lamp to the of the situation. The of to her. She herself again.
The was but momentary. Why was Jimmy in the room at that time? Why had he a lamp? What had he been doing? The questions from her brain like from an anvil.
The to tear at her nerves. She along the for the and the room with light.
Jimmy the and for a moment undecided. He had the necklace him. Now he it and it the of Molly and his lordship. Excellent as were his for being in that room with the necklace in his hand, he not help feeling, as he met Molly’s gaze, as as if his had been different.
His lordship, having by this time himself together to some extent, was the to speak.
“I say, you know, what ho!” he observed, not without emotion. “What?”
Molly back.
“Jimmy! You were——. Oh, you can’t have been!”
“Looks like it!” said his judicially.
“I wasn’t,” said Jimmy. “I was them back.”
“Putting them back?”
“Pitt, old man,” said his solemnly, “that a thin.”
“Dreever, old man,” said Jimmy, “I know it does. But it’s the truth.”
His lordship’s manner kindly.
“Now, look here, Pitt, old son,” he said. “There’s nothing to worry about—we’re all here—you can it to us. We won’t give you away. We——”
“Be quiet!” Molly. “Jimmy!”
Her voice was strained; she spoke with an effort; she was torments. The her father had said to her on the were into her mind. She to his 167voice now, and confident, her against Jimmy, saying that he was crooked. There was a in her head. Everything in the room was large and misty. She Lord Dreever to say something that as if some one were speaking at the end of a telephone; and then she was aware that Jimmy was her in his arms and calling to Lord Dreever to water.
“When a girl goes like that,” said his lordship, with an air of omniscience, “you want to cut her——”
“Come along!” said Jimmy. “Are you going to be a week that water?”
His to a without parley; but as he his across the room Molly recovered. She to free herself.
Jimmy helped her to a chair. He had the necklace on the floor, and Lord Dreever nearly on it.
“What ho!” his lordship, it up. “Go easy with the jewellery!”
Jimmy was over Molly. Neither of them to be aware of his lordship’s presence. Spennie was the of person is to be forgotten. Jimmy had had a of intuition. For the time it to him that Mr. McEachern might have to Molly something of his own suspicions.
“Molly, dear,” he said, “it isn’t what you think. I can everything. Do you now? Can you listen? I can everything.”
“Pitt, old boy,” his lordship, “you don’t understand. We aren’t going to give you away. We’re all——”
Jimmy him.
“Molly, listen,” he said.
She sat up.
“Go on, Jimmy,” she said.
“I wasn’t the necklace—I was it back. The man who came to the with me, Spike Mullins, took it this and it to me.”
Spike Mullins! Molly the name.
“He thinks I am a crook—a of Raffles. It was my fault. I was a fool. It all that night in New York when we met at your house. I had been to the opening performance of a play called Love, the Cracksman—one of those plays.”
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“Jolly good show!” his chattily. “It was at the Circle over here. I twice.”
“A friend of mine, a man named Mifflin, had been playing the hero in it, and after the show, at the club, he started in talking about the art of burglary—he’d been studying it—and I said that a house. And in another minute it somehow that I had a that I would do it that night. Heaven I meant to; but that same night this man Mullins into my flat, and I him. We got into conversation, and I off on him a of I’d from this actor friend of mine, and he jumped to the that I was an expert. And then it to me that it would be a good joke on Mifflin if I out with Mullins and did into a house. I wasn’t in the mood to think what a I was at the time. Well, anyway, we out, and—well, that’s how it all happened. And then I met Spike in London, and out, and him here.”
He looked at her anxiously. It did not need his lordship’s of to tell him how weak his must sound. He had it as he was telling it. He was to admit that if a false in every it was this one.
“Pitt, old man,” said his lordship, his head, more in than in anger, “it won’t do, old top. What’s the point of up any old yarn like that? Don’t you see, what I is, it’s not as if we minded. Don’t I keep telling you we’re all here? I’ve often what a good old Raffles was—regular sportsman. I don’t a for doing the touch. Seems to me it’s a sporting——”
Molly on him suddenly, his views on the of in a of indignation.
“What do you mean?” she cried. “Do you think I don’t every word Jimmy has said?”
His jumped.
“Well, don’t you know, it to me a thin. What I is——” He met Molly’s eye.
“Oh, well!” he lamely.
Molly to Jimmy.
“Jimmy, of I you—I every word.”
“Molly!”
His looked on, marvelling. The his 169mind that he had the wife. A girl who would any old yarn a to—— If it hadn’t been for Katie—— For a moment he almost sad.
Jimmy and Molly were looking at each other in silence. From the on their his that his had once more been forgotten. He saw her out her hands to Jimmy. It was for a chap! He looked away.
The next moment the door opened and closed again, and she had gone.
He looked at Jimmy. Jimmy was still of his presence.
His coughed.
“Pitt, old man——”
“Halloa!” said Jimmy, out of his with a start. “You still here? By the way”—he Lord Dreever curiously—“I of before—what on earth are you doing here? Why were you the curtain? Were you playing and seek?”
His was not one of those who easily on the of the moment. He for something that would pass muster, then the struggle. After all, why not be frank? He still Jimmy to be of the class of the hero of Love, the Cracksman. There would be no in in him. He was a good fellow, a soul, and would sympathise.
“It’s like this,” he said. And, having his with the that he had been a of an ass, he gave Jimmy a of events.
“What!” said Jimmy. “You Hargate piquet? Why, my dear man, he was playing like a when you were in frocks. He’s a wonder at it.”
His stared.
“How’s that?” he said. “You don’t know him, do you?”
“I met him in New York at the Strollers’ Club. A of mine, an actor—this Mifflin I mentioned just now—put him up as a guest. He money at piquet. And there were some useful players in the place, too. I don’t wonder you him a promising pupil.”
“Then—then—why, it! then he’s a sharper?”
“You’re a at description,” said Jimmy. “You’ve got him up to shot.”
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“I shan’t pay him a penny.”
“Of not. If he makes any him to me.”
His lordship’s was extreme. The more of the had passed away, and he saw now what he had not in his more of mind—the cloud of which must over him when the of the bank-notes was discovered.
He his forehead.
“By Jove!” he said. “That’s something off my mind! By George, I like a two year old! I say, you’re a good sort, Pitt.”
“You me,” said Jimmy. “I to please.”
“I say, Pitt, that yarn you told us just now—the and all that—honestly, you don’t to say that was true, was it? I mean—— By Jove! I’ve got an idea.”
“We live in times!”
“Did you say your actor pal’s name was Mifflin?” He off Jimmy answer. “Great Scot!” he whispered, “what’s that? Good lord! Somebody’s coming!”
He the like a rabbit. It had only just to shake when the door opened and Sir Thomas Blunt walked in.
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