Part 12 (1/2)

”My!--if you ain't the cute one, Mr. Rubinstein!” she exclaimed, clapping her plump hands. ”As for me, now, I wouldn't have thought of that in a hundred years! But it's you that's the quick mind.”

Melky laid a finger to the side of his nose.

”Do you know what, Mrs. Goldmark?” he said. ”I ain't going to let them police fellows put a hand on young Lauriston, not me! I've my own ideas about this here business--wait till I put my hand on somebody, see?

Don't it all come out clear to you?--if I find the right man, then there ain't no more suspicion attaching to this young chap, ain't it?

Oh, I'm no fool, Mrs. Goldmark; don't you make no mistake!”

”I'm sure!” a.s.serted Mrs. Goldmark. ”Yes, indeed--you don't carry your eyes in your head for nothing, Mr. Rubinstein!”

Zillah, who had listened abstractedly to these compliments suddenly turned on her cousin.

”What are you going to do then, Melky?” she demanded. ”What's all this business about that book? And what steps are you thinking of taking?”

But Melky rose and, shaking his head, b.u.t.toned up his overcoat as if he were b.u.t.toning in a mult.i.tude of profound secrets.

”What you got to do, just now, Zillah--and Mrs. Goldmark too,” he answered, ”is to keep quiet tongues about what I done with young Lauriston. There ain't to be a word said! If any o' them police come round here, asking about him, you don't know nothing--see? You ain't seen him since he walked out o' that court with me--see? Which, of course--you ain't. And as for the rest, you leave that to yours truly!”

”Oh, what it is to have a mind!” exclaimed Mrs. Goldmark ”I ain't no mind, beyond managing my business.”

”Don't you show your mind in managing that?” said Melky, admiringly.

”What do I always say of you, Mrs. Goldmark? Don't I always say you're the smartest business woman in all Paddington? Ain't that having a mind? Oh, I think you've the beautifullest mind, Mrs. Goldmark!”

With this compliment Melky left Mrs. Goldmark and Zillah, and went away to his lodgings. He was aware of a taxi-cab drawn up at Mrs. Flitwick's door as he went up the street; inside Mrs. Flitwick's shabby hall he found that good woman talking to a stranger--a well-dressed young gentleman, who was obviously asking questions. Mrs. Flitwick turned to Melky with an air of relief.

”Perhaps you can tell this gentleman where Mr. Lauriston is, Mr.

Rubinstein?” she said. ”I ain't seen him since he went out first thing this morning.”

Melky looked the stranger over--narrowly. Then he silently beckoned him outside the house, and walked him out of earshot.

”You ain't the friend from Scotland?” asked Melky. ”Him what sent the bank-note, last night?”

”Yes!” a.s.sented the stranger. ”I see you're aware of that. My name is Purdie--John Purdie. Where is Lauriston? I particularly want to see him.”

Melky tapped the side of his nose, and whispered.

”He's on his way to where you come from, mister!” he said. ”Here!--I know who you are, and you'll know me in one minute. Come up to my sitting-room!”

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE FRIEND FROM PEEBLES

Melky, as princ.i.p.al lodger in Mrs. Flitwick's establishment, occupied what that lady was accustomed to describe as the front drawing-room floor--a couple of rooms opening one into the other. Into one of these, furnished as a sitting-room, he now led Lauriston's friend, hospitably invited him to a seat, and took a quiet look at him. He at once sized up Mr. John Purdie for what he was--a well-to-do, well-dressed, active-brained young business man, probably accustomed to controlling and dealing with important affairs. And well satisfied with this preliminary inspection, he immediately plunged into the affair of the moment.

”Mister,” began Melky, pulling up a chair to Purdie's side, and a.s.suming a tone and manner of implicit confidence. ”I've heard of you.

Me and Mr. Lauriston's close friends. My name's Mr. Rubinstein--Mr.

Melchior Rubinstein, commonly called Melky. I know all about you--you're the friend that Lauriston asked for a bit of help to see him through, like--ain't it? Just so--and you sent him twenty pounds to be going on with--which he got, all right, last night. Also, same time, he got another twenty quid for two of his lit'ry works--stories, mister. Mister!--I wish he'd got your money and the other money just an hour before it come to hand! S'elp me!--if them there letters had only come in by one post earlier, it 'ud ha' saved a heap o' trouble!”

”I haven't the remotest notion of what you're talking about, you know,”