“Sir,” said Joe heavily, “I—we—I mean—Lord, sir, I am that glad—ah, glad as—as never was—”

“That’ll do for you, Joe!” snapped the Old Un. “Spider’s round.”

Hereupon the Spider lurched forward, hunched his wide shoulders, took off his smart cap, and stared at it very hard.

“Bo,” said he, chewing vigorously, “I mean boss—er—no, that ain’t right either—this is sure a bum start I’m makin’—”

“Bo’ will do, Spider,” said Ravenslee, “let it go at that.”

“Why then, bo, I ain’t one as is ever goin’ t’ win any gold-mounted testimonials at any talk-fest or heart-throbbin’ spiel-act, but what I wanter tell you is this—an’ I guess you know I ain’t only breathin’ out puffs o’ hot air—I want yer t’ know as I feel about you like—like Joe an’ the Old Un does—an’ then some more. Y’ see, bo, though I ain’t never held a straight flush agin four aces an’ don’t expect to, though I shan’t ever be a world’s champion like Joe here—I guess I know to-day what it feels like, because you ain’t goin’ t’ snuff it, after all—an’ now I guess you’re on.” Saying which, the Spider dexterously shifted his wad to the other cheek and chewed faster than ever.

“I am, Spider, and I want you to know I’m grateful to you, all three. Also I want to thank you all for keeping this affair out of the papers, though how you managed it beats me.”

“Guv,” cried the Old Un, tremulous and eager, “oh, Guv, we’re fair sleuth-hounds, we are—specially me. There ain’t a ‘tective nor secret-service cove nor bloomin’ bobby fit to black our shoes—specially mine! Y’ see, Guv, I know who done it; Joe thinks he knows; an’ Spider don’t think at all!”

“Oh?” said Ravenslee, and looking around, caught the Spider watching him wide-eyed, his jaws grimly tense and immobile; but meeting his glance, the Spider lowered his eyes, shifted his smartly-gaitered legs, and chewed viciously.

“So, Guv,” piped the Old Un cheerily, “we’re out for the criminal’s gore—specially me. We’re goin’ to track the perisher to ‘is ‘orrible doom—

“‘Where’er he be To th’ gallers tree Oh, Guv, we mean t’ bring him; An’ laugh with j’y When nice an’ ‘igh The blinkin’ bobbies swing ‘im.’”

“And you think you know who it was?”

“I do, Guv, I do!” nodded the Old Un. “I knows as ‘twas a enemy as done it; Joe thinks it was one o’ them gang fellers, an’ Spider don’t say who he thinks done it.”

Once again Ravenslee caught the Spider’s eye watching him furtively, and once again he noticed that the Spider’s jaws were clamped hard, while he was twisting his natty chauffeur’s cap in fingers strangely agitated.

“Sir,” said Joe, “me an’ the Spider searched that wood, an’ we found a coat—”

“Shut up, Joe,” snarled the Old Un, “you’re tellin’ it all wrong. Guv, Joe an’ the Spider went a-seekin’ an’ a-searchin’ that wood, an’ they found a—cloo—”

“Oh?” said Ravenslee.

“A cloo as is a-goin’ t’ ‘ang somebody yet—a cloo, Guv, as ain’t t’ be ekalled for blood-guilt an’ mystery. Joe,” said the Old Un, sinking his voice to a hoarse whisper, “the hour is come—perjooce the cloo!”

Hereupon Joe produced a pocketbook and took thence a highly ornate coat button whereto a shred of cloth was attached.

“I found this, sir,” said he, “close by where you was a-lyin’.” So Ravenslee took the button upon his palm, and, as he eyed it, the Spider saw his black brows twitch suddenly together, then—he yawned.

“And you found this in the wood, Joe?” he enquired sleepily.

“I did, sir. With that to help ‘em, the perlice would have the murdering cove in no time, and more than once I’ve been going to hand it over to ‘em. But then I thought I’d better wait a bit; if you died was time enough, an’ if you didn’t I’d keep it for you—so, sir, there it is.”

“You did quite right, Joe. Yes, you did very right indeed!”

For a long moment Ravenslee sat languidly twisting the button in thin white fingers, then flicked it far out over the balustrade down among the dense evergreens in the garden below. The Old Un gasped, Joe gaped, and the Spider sighed audibly.

“Lorgorramighty! Oh, Guv, Guv—” quavered the old man, “you’ve throwed away our cloo—our blood-cloo—th’ p’lice—you’ve lost our evidence—”

“Old Un, of course I have! You see, I don’t like clews, or blood, or the police. You have all been clever enough, wise enough to keep this confounded business quiet, and so will I—”

“But, oh, Guv, arter somebody tryin’ t’ kill ye like a dog—ain’t there goin’ t’ be no vengeance, no gallers-tree, no ‘lectric chair nor nothin’—”

“Nothing!” answered Ravenslee gently. “Somebody tried to kill me, but somebody didn’t kill me; here I am, getting stronger every day, so we’ll let it go at that.”

“Why then—I’m done!” said the Old Un, rising.

“Guv, you’re crool an’ stony-‘carted! ‘Ere ‘s me, a pore old cove as has been dreamin’ an’ dreamin’ o’ gallers-trees an’ ‘lectric chairs, and ‘ere ‘s you been an’ took ‘em off me! Guv, I’m disapp’inted wi’ ye. Oh, ingratitood, thou art the Guv!” So saying, the Old Un clapped on his hat and creaked indignantly away.

“Crumbs!” exclaimed Joe, “what a bloodthirsty old cove he is, with his gallers-trees! This means jam, this does.”

“Jam?” repeated Ravenslee wonderingly.

“Sir, whenever the Old Un’s put out, ‘e flies to jam same as some chaps do to drink; makes a fair old beast of hisself, he do. If you’ll excuse us, sir, Spider an’ me’ll just keep a eye on him to see as he don’t go upsettin’ his old innards again.”

Ravenslee nodded, and smiling, watched them hurry after the little old man; but gradually his amusement waned, and he became lost in frowning thought. So deeply abstracted was he that he started to find Mrs. Trapes regarding him with her sharp, bright eyes.

“Mr. Geoffrey, here’s a cup o’ beef tea as I’ve prepared with my own hand—”

“But where’s—”

“She’s gone t’ bed. Here’s a cup o’ beef tea as is stiff with nourishment, so get it into your system good an’ quick.”

“Gone to bed—”

“She says it’s a headache, o’ course—drink it down while it’s hot—but I reckon it’s more ‘n a headache—yes, sir. A while back I says t’ you—’woo her,’ I says, Mr. Geoffrey. I now says—let her alone awhile. The poor child’s all wore out—it’s nerves as is the matter with her, I reckon. So, Mr. Ravenslee, be patient, this ain’t no wooin’ time; it’s rest she needs an’ change of air—”

“Why, then, Mrs. Trapes, she shall have them!”

CHAPTER XXXVII

THE WOES OF MR. BRIMBERLY

Mr. Brimberly, having dined well as was his custom, lay at his ease in a luxurious lounge chair in the shade of the piazza; the day was hot, wherefore on a table at his elbow was a syphon, a bottle, and a long glass in which ice tinkled alluringly; between his plump fingers was a large cigar and across his plump knees was an open paper over which he yawned and puffed and sipped in turn. Nevertheless Mr. Brimberly was bored and dropping the paper, languidly cherished a languorous whisker, staring dull-eyed across stately terraces and wide, neat lawns to where, beyond winding yew walks and noble trees, the distant river flowed.

Presently as he sat he was aware of a small girl in a white pinafore approaching along one of these walks—a small being who hopped along by means of a little crutch and sang to herself in a soft, happy voice.

Mr. Brimberly blinked.

Heedless of the eyes that watched her, the child turned into the rose garden, pausing now and then to inhale the scent of some great bloom that filled the air with its sweetness.

Mr. Brimberly sat up, for he permitted few to enter the rose garden.

All at once the child, singing still, reached up and broke off a great scarlet bloom.

Mr. Brimberly arose.

“Little girl!” he called, in voice round and sonorous, “little girl, come you ‘ere and come immediate!”

The child started, turned, and after a moment’s hesitation hobbled forward, her little face as white as her pinafore. At the foot of the broad steps leading up to the piazza she paused, looking up at him with great, pleading eyes.

Mr. Brimberly beckoned with portentous finger.

“Little girl, come ‘ere!” he repeated. “Come up ‘ere and come immediate!”

The small crutch tapped laboriously up the steps, and she stood before Mr. Brimberly’s imposing figure mute, breathless, and trembling a little.

“Little girl,” he demanded, threatening of whisker, “‘oo are you and—what?”

“Please, I’m Hazel.”

“Oh, indeed,” nodded Mr. Brimberly, pulling at his waistcoat. “‘Azel ‘oo, ‘Azel what—and say ‘sir’ next time, if you please.”

“Hazel Bowker, sir,” and she dropped him a little curtsey, spoiled somewhat by agitation and her crutch.

“Bowker—Bowker?” mused Mr. Brimberly. “I’ve ‘eard the name—I don’t like the name, but I’ve ‘eard it.”

“My daddy works here, sir,” said Hazel timidly.

“Bowker—Bowker!” repeated Mr. Brimberly. “Ah, to be sure—one of the hunder gardeners as I put on three or four weeks ago.”

“Yes, please, sir.”

“Little girl, what are you a-doin’ in that garden? Why are you wandering in the vicinity of this mansion?”

“Please, I’m looking for Hermy.”

“‘Ermy?” repeated Mr. Brimberly, “‘Ermy? Wot kind of creater may that be? Is it a dog? Is it a cat? Wot is it?”

“It’s only my Princess Nobody, sir!”

“Oh, a friend of yours—ha! Persons of that class do not pervade these regions! And wot do I be’old grasped in your ‘and?”

Hazel looked down at the rose she held and trembled anew.

“Little girl—wot is it?” demanded the inexorable voice.

“A rose, sir.”

“Was it—your rose?”

“N-no, sir.”

“Don’t you know as it’s a wicked hact to take what ain’t yours? Don’t you know as it’s thieving and robbery, and that thieving and robbery leads to prison bars and shackle-chains?”

“Oh, sir, I—I didn’t mean—” the little voice was choked with sobs.

“Well, let this be a warning to you to thieve no more, or next time I shall ‘ave to become angry. Now—go ‘ence!”

Dropping the rose the child turned and hobbled away as fast as her crutch would allow, and Mr. Brimberly, having watched her out of sight, emptied his glass and took up his cigar, but, finding it had gone out, flung it away. Then he sighed and, sinking back among his cushions, closed his eyes, and was soon snoring blissfully.

But by and by Mr. Brimberly began to dream, a very evil dream wherein it seemed that for many desperate deeds and crime abominable he was chained and shackled in a dock, and the judge, donning the black cap, sentenced him to be shorn of those adornments, his whiskers. In his dream it seemed that there and then the executioner advanced to his fell work—a bony hand grasped his right whisker, the deadly razor flashed, and Mr. Brimberly awoke gurgling—awoke to catch a glimpse of a hand so hastily withdrawn that it seemed to vanish into thin air.

“‘Eavens and earth!” he gasped, and clapping hand to cheek was relieved to find his whisker yet intact, but for a long moment sat clutching that handful of soft and fleecy hair, staring before him in puzzled wonder, for the hand had seemed so very real he could almost feel it there yet. Presently, bethinking him to glance over his shoulder, Mr. Brimberly gasped and goggled, for leaning over the back of his chair was a little, old man, very slender, very upright, and very smart as to attire, who fanned himself with a jaunty straw hat banded in vivid crimson; an old man whose bright, youthful eyes looked out from a face wizened with age, while up from his bald crown rose a few wisps of white and straggling hair.

“‘Oly ‘eavens!” murmured Mr. Brimberly in a faint voice.

The visitor, settling his bony elbows more comfortably, fanned himself until his sparse locks waved gently to and fro, and, nodding, spoke these words:

“Oh, wake thee, oh, wake thee, my bonny bird, Oh, wake and sleep no more; Thy pretty pipe I ‘ave n’t ‘eard, But, lumme, how you snore!”

Mr. Brimberly stared; Mr. Brimberly’s mouth opened, and eventually Mr. Brimberly rose and surveyed the intruder slowly, up from glittering shoes to the dome of his head and down again; and Mr. Brimberly’s ample bosom surged, his eye kindled, and his whiskers—!

“Cheer-o!” nodded the Old Un.

Mr. Brimberly blinked and pulled down his waistcoat.

“Me good man,” said he, “you’ll find the tradesmen’s entrance round the corner. Go away, if you please, and go immediate—I’m prehoccupied.”

“No, you ain’t; you’re the butler, you are, I lay my oath—

“‘Spoons an’ forks An’ drawin’ corks’

“that’s your job, ain’t it, chum?”

“Chum!” said Mr. Brimberly in tones of horror. “Chum!” he repeated, grasping a handful of indignant whisker. “Oh, outragious! Oh, very hobscene! ‘Ow dare you, sir? ‘Oo are you, sir, eh, sir—answer me, an’ answer—prompt!”