Part 31 (1/2)

”Sooner or later,” Peter Ruff said genially, ”I should like to have a little conversation with you, Major. I fancy that we ought to be able to find plenty of subjects of common interest.”

”Delighted, I'm sure!” the latter answered, utterly unsuspicious. ”Shall we go into the smoking-room now, or would you rather play a rubber first?”

”If it is all the same to you,” Peter Ruff said, ”I think we will have a cigar first. There will be plenty of time for bridge afterwards.”

”May I offer you a cigar, sir?” Major Jones inquired, pa.s.sing across a well-filled case.

Peter Ruff sighed.

”I am afraid, Major,” he said, ”that there is scarcely time. You see, I have a warrant in my pocket for your arrest, and I am afraid that by the time we got to the station--”

Major Jones leaned forward in his chair. He gripped the sides tightly with both hands. His eyes seemed to be protruding from his head.

”For my what?” he exclaimed, in a tone of horror.

”For your arrest,” Peter Ruff explained calmly. ”Surely you must have been expecting it! During all these years you must have grown used to expecting it at every moment!”

Major Jones collapsed. He looked at Ruff as one might look at a man who has taken leave of his senses. Yet underneath it all was the coward's fear!

”What are you talking about, man?” he exclaimed. ”What do you mean?

Lower your voice, for heaven's sake! Consider my position here! Some one might overhear! If this is a joke, let me tell you that it's a d----d foolish one!”

Peter Ruff raised his eyebrows.

”I do not wish,” he said, ”to create a disturbance--my manner of coming here should have a.s.sured you of that. At the same time, business is business. I hold a warrant for your arrest, and I am forced to execute it.”

”Do you mean that you are a detective, then?” Major Jones demanded.

He was a big man, but his voice seemed to have grown very small indeed.

”Naturally,” Peter Ruff answered. ”I should not come here without authority.”

”What is the charge?” the other man faltered.

”Blackmail,” Peter Ruff said slowly. ”The information against you is lodged by Sir Richard Dyson.”

It seemed to Peter Ruff, who was watching his companion closely, that a wave of relief pa.s.sed over the face of the man who sat cowering in his chair. He certainly drew a little gasp--stretched out his hands, as though to thrust the shadow of some fear from him. His voice, when he spoke, was stronger. Some faint show of courage was returning to him.

”There is some ridiculous mistake,” he declared. ”Let us talk this over like sensible men, Mr. Ruff. If you will wait until I have spoken to Sir Richard, I can promise you that the warrant shall be withdrawn, and that you shall not be the loser.”

”I am afraid it is too late for anything of that sort,” Peter Ruff said.

”Sir Richard's patience has been completely exhausted by your repeated demands.”

”He never told me so,” Major Jones whined. ”I quite thought that he was always glad to help an old friend. As a matter of fact, I had not meant to ask him for anything else. The last few hundreds I had from him was to have closed the thing up. It was the end.”

Peter Ruff shook his head.

”No,” he said, ”it was not the end! It never would have been the end!

Sir Richard sought my advice, and I gave it him without hesitation.

Sooner or later, I told him, he would have to adopt different measures.