Part 18 (2/2)
he whispered ”Look sharp!”
Robert recoiled ”No! no!” he whispered piteously ”Not that!
Surely----”
He was not allowed to argue In another moment Robert felt himself led, as in a dream, to the fireplace The next, and he had a foot upon the massive iron bars Luckily there was no fire laid, no coal to disturb and proclaim his bid for obscurity He looked up into the cavernous darkness and groaned in spirit; that was the first ti hi for insecure crevices with his toes, he began to climb the few feet necessary to safety
By the time his ankles were the only visible evidence the hearth was covered with soot, and Tony looked anxiously round for so to remove it As chance would have it, a broom stood in the corner of the parlor, left there by a careless servant after the 's tidy-up
Triumph in his eye, Tony seized it and approached the hearth But on getting there his purpose changed; te the broo the murmurous Robert in his upward path ”Excelsior, old friend!” whispered Tony, for an ankle could still be seen ”Excelsior!” and he thrust with frenzy The only response was a muffled sound that floated down, a subdued kind of blaspheh,” but Tony did not relax his efforts till the ankle had disappeared The next moment Lionel entered the roorunt as he surveyed Tony, hands and face s found it hard to restrain a laugh
”There has been a fall of soot, Mr Glew,” observed Tony blandly ”I found this broo----”
”Lor', sir, don't you trouble,” said Glew, scandalized that a guest could so demean hi to the et our chimneys cleaned soon We'll 'ave to set about it in earnest now, and no ha down The landlord chuckled
”Yes, sir, when the squire's at 'ome 'E makes us But when 'e's abroad, e do the old-fashi+oned way--light a batten of straw and burn the flue clear”
A slight scuffle proceeding fros had heard Could it be that he feared lest they were going to clean the flue in the old-fashi+oned way now, or was hefrom cramp? Whichever it was, he shi+fted: the noise was unmistakable, and the fall of more soot made the landlord shake his head
”I doubt there's a bird got down the chi rooks do sometimes Give me the broohtened on the broom
”Let et black” Without waiting for a reply he approached the fireplace and thrust his weapon strenuously aloft It was no tied to be as realistic as possible in the interests of his friend Realiss pointed out later with no little heat), and the fluttering of the mythical bird would have drawn tears to the eyes of huood, sir,” said the landlord, dis the soot; ”it's out o' reach I fancy I'd better get that straw and ha' done with it”
”That's rather too cruel, landlord,” said Lionel fro the poor beast”
”Put it this way, sir,” said Gleas an amiable fellow; ”is it better to smother it or leave it there to starve? My way 'ud take five minutes--yours a couple o' days Well, sir?”
”I suppose you're right,” said the soft-hearted Lionel, ”but I don't half like----”
”Don't you worry,” struck in Tony, as beginning to get anxious ”I tell you what! It's a big chiht after the pub's closed, Mr Glew, I'll strip and cli doesn't appeal to me”
”You're a decent chap,” said Lionel, moved to admiration Tony modestly murmured ”Not at all,” and hoped the landlord was satisfied But he was not The very ideer! One o' his guests a-clis were now looking very black in more than one sense, and the disciple of rohts of a descent
But as the landlord opened his mouth to bellow for the boy, the man froolf-clubs slung over his shoulder He looked in and said, ”I' up to the links, Mr
Glew Dinner at seven-thirty, please,” in a polished voice that carried a hint of an alien accent Then he went on
Lionel deter and had learned that Miss Arkwright ay She would be back, however, about four The door had been answered by the dumb footman spoken of by the vicar, who had exhibited one of those dials that stand on hall tables--”Out--in at” So Lionel had co to kill a couple of hours at the inn But when he saw the ht as aste those hours on the links He et into conversation with this man, who pointed to it,--the newspaper paragraph--the accent--the assue Supposing this to be so, he ht in her suspicions and conjectures, it was quite possible Mizzi would follow hi and seek an interview
Mizzi, in point of fact ht even be waiting on the links! Supposing he found themwell, at least he would have verified suspicions, and could chart his course by certain knowledge Yes, he would follow on the off chance
He did not take as long to make up his mind as we have taken to describe it The reader, if kindly-hearted, should be glad of this; forthe proverbial allowance of ”a peck of dirt” to be sed in a lifeti Tony to deal with the landlord He sighed with relief, for at least the most important character had disappeared
”Mr Glew,” he said winningly, ”I have a little surprise for you May I close the door for a moment?”