★ 26 ★::A Gentleman of Leisure
Stirring Times for Sir Thomas
For a man the and their owner were so innocent, and benevolent, Jimmy was in a position. It would have been difficult, under more conditions, to have to Sir Thomas’s his presence in the dressing-room. As it was harder, for his lordship’s last action had been to the necklace from him like a coal. For the second time in ten minutes it had to the carpet, and it was just as Jimmy himself after it up that Sir Thomas got a full view of him.
The in the doorway, his the most astonishment. His were upon the necklace in Jimmy’s hand. Jimmy see him to to with so special a situation, and he sorry for him. Excitement of this was for a short-necked man of Sir Thomas’s type.
With he to help him out.
“Good evening,” he said pleasantly.
Sir Thomas stammered. He was speech.
“What—what—what——” he said.
“Out with it,” said Jimmy.
“What——”
“I a man once in South Dakota who stammered,” said Jimmy. “He used to dog-biscuit while he was speaking. It him, being nutritious. Another good way is to count ten while you’re what to say, and then it out quick.”
“You—you blackguard!”
Jimmy the necklace on the dressing-table. Then he to Sir Thomas, with his hands in the pockets of his coat. Over the knight’s he see the of the gently, as if by some zephyr. Evidently the of the was not on Hildebrand Spencer, Earl of Dreever.
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Nor was it on Jimmy. This was the of that to him. He had his plan of action out. He that it would be to tell the the true of the case. Sir Thomas was as in as in Norman blood.
To all this was a tight corner, but Jimmy that he saw his way out of it. Meanwhile, the to him. Curiously enough, it was almost with the big in Act III of Love, the Cracksman in which Arthur Mifflin had such a as the burglar.
Jimmy to give his own idea of what the of a should be. Arthur Mifflin had a cigarette, and had out smoke-rings and alternately. A cigarette would have been a great help here, but Jimmy prepared to do his best without properties.
“So—so it’s you, is it?” said Sir Thomas.
“Who told you!”
“Thief! Low thief!”
“Come, now,” Jimmy. “Why low? Just you don’t know me over here, why me? How do you know I haven’t got a big American reputation? For all you can tell, I may be Boston Willie or Sacramento Sam, or some one. Let us the of debate.”
“I had my of you. I had my from the first, when I that my of a nephew had a friend in London. So this was what you were! A thief, who——”
“I don’t mind personally,” Jimmy, “but I hope, if you mix with cracksmen, you won’t call them thieves. They are sensitive. You see, there’s a world of the two of the profession, and a good of prejudice. Let us that you were an actor-manager. How would you being called a super? You see the idea, don’t you? You’d their feelings. Now, an ordinary would use in a case like this; but violence, in cases—I this won’t be one of them—is contrary, I understand, to cracksmen’s etiquette. On the other hand, Sir Thomas, me to add that I have you covered.”
There was a pipe in the pocket of his coat. He the against the lining. Sir Thomas the apprehensively, and a little pale. Jimmy was 173ferociously. Arthur Mifflin’s in Act III had been much admired.
“My gun,” said Jimmy, “is, as you see, in my pocket. I always shoot from the pocket, in of the tailor’s bills. The little is and cocked. He’s pointing at your diamond solitaire. That spot! No one has been in the diamond and survived. My is on the trigger, so I should you not to touch that you are looking at. There are other why you shouldn’t, but those I will go into presently.”
Sir Thomas’s hand wavered.
“Do, if you like, of course,” said Jimmy agreeably—“it’s your own house—but I shouldn’t. I am a at a and a half. You wouldn’t the number of I’ve off at that distance. I can’t miss. On second thoughts, I sha’n’t fire to kill you. Let us be on this occasion. I shall just your knees—painful, but not fatal.”
He his pipe suggestively. Sir Thomas blanched. His hand to his side.
“Great!” said Jimmy. “After all, why should you be in a to up this very little meeting? I’m sure I’m not. Let us chat. How are the going? Was the a success? Wait till you see our show. Three of us our lines at the dress rehearsal.”
Sir Thomas had away from the bell, but the was for the of the moment. He that it might be to press the just then; but he had his by this time, and he saw that the game must be his.
Jimmy was trapped.
His its normal hue. Automatically his hands to move his coat-tails and his to spread themselves. Jimmy noted with a these of complacency. He long to that somewhat.
Sir Thomas himself to making Jimmy’s position clear to him.
“How, may I ask,” he said, “do you to the castle?”
“Won’t you let me have the motor?” said Jimmy. “But I I sha’n’t be just yet.”
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Sir Thomas laughed shortly.
“No,” he said. “No; I not. I am with you there!”
“Great minds,” said Jimmy. “I shouldn’t be if we on all of subjects. Just think how you came to my views on the bell. In a flash! But what you that I to the castle?”
“I should have that you would be to stay.”
“On the contrary. It’s the one place I have been in in the last two years that I have satisfied with. Usually I want to move on after a week. But I stop here for ever.”
“I am afraid, Mr. Pitt—by the way, an alias, of course?”
“I not,” he said. “If I had an alias, it would have been Tressilyan, or Trevelyan, or something. I call Pitt a thing in names. I once a man called Ronald Cheylesmore. Lucky fellow!”
Sir Thomas returned to the point on which he had been about to touch.
“I am afraid, Mr. Pitt, that you your position.”
“No?” said Jimmy, interested.
“I you in the act of my wife’s necklace——”
“Would there be any use in telling you that I was not it, but it back?”
Sir Thomas his in silence.
“No?” said Jimmy. “I was not. You were saying——”
“I you in the act of my wife’s necklace,” Sir Thomas, “and for the moment you succeed in by me with a revolver——”
An look came into Jimmy’s face.
“Great Scott!” he cried. He in his pocket. “Yes,” he said; “as I had to fear. I you an apology, Sir Thomas,” he on with dignity, producing the briar. “I am to blame. How the mistake I cannot imagine, but I it isn’t a after all.”
Sir Thomas’s took on a of purple. He at the pipe.
“In the of the moment, I suppose——” Jimmy.
Sir Thomas interrupted. The of his needless panic him.
“You—you—you——”
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“Count ten!”
“You—what you to by this I am at a loss——”
“How can you say such things?” Jimmy. “Not buffoonery! Wit! Esprit! Flow of such as daily in the best society.”
Sir Thomas almost the bell. With his on it, he to deliver a final speech.
“I you’re insane,” he cried; “but I’ll have no more of it. I have this long enough. I’ll——”
“Just one moment,” said Jimmy. “I said just now that there were other the revol—well, pipe—why you should not ring that bell. One of them is that all the will be in their places in the audience, so that there won’t be any one to answer it. But that’s not the most reason. Will you to one more busy?”
“I see your game. Don’t for a moment that you me.”
“Nothing be further——”
“You you can time by talking, and some way of escape——”
“But I don’t want to escape. Don’t you that in about ten minutes I am to play an part in a great on the stage?”
“I’ll keep you here, I tell you. You’ll this room,” said Sir Thomas grandly, “over my body.”
“Steeplechasing in the home,” Jimmy. “No more evenings. But listen—do listen. I won’t keep you a minute, and if you want to push that after I’ve finished, you may push it six into the if you like.”
“Well?” said Sir Thomas shortly.
“Would you like me to lead up to what I want to say, preparing you for the of the news, or shall I——”
The took out his watch.
“I shall give you one minute,” he said.
“Heavens, I must hustle! How many have I got now?”
“If you have anything to say, say it.”
“Very well, then,” said Jimmy. “It’s only this. That necklace is a fraud. The diamonds aren’t diamonds at all. They’re paste!”
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