Part 29 (2/2)

”Ah, good evening,” he said, in a most insinuating voice. ”Is there anything I can do for you?”

”Yes,” said Shock, instinctively shrinking from him. ”I want to see Mr.

Stanton.”

”Mr. Stanton--Mr. Stanton? Let me see. I saw Mr. Stanton some hours ago. Let me think. Was it at the International? Yes, I think it was the International. No, in the Royal. I have no doubt you will find him there. I shall be pleased to show you, for I see you are a stranger. We are always delighted to see strangers and we try to make them welcome to our town.”

He moved toward the door as he spoke. Shock knew at once he was lying.

”Mr. Stanton is not at the Royal. I have been informed he is in this building somewhere.”

”In this building?” murmured Smiley, in a puzzled tone. ”In this building?” He glanced up at the ceiling as if expecting to see the missing man there. ”Strange,” he continued. ”Now, I have been here for some time, for hours, indeed. I am a busy man, Mr.--”

”Macgregor,” replied Shock.

”Mr. Macgregor. I find it necessary to pursue my avocation into the hours we generally devote to slumber. And to-day business has been unusually interrupted. But I have failed to notice Mr. Stanton enter.”

At the further end of the room Shock's eyes fell upon a door, through the cracks of which a light was s.h.i.+ning.

”It is possible,” said Shock, ”he is in that room,” pointing to the door.

”Hardly, my dear sir, hardly.”

But even as he spoke a voice, loud and clear, rang out. ”Now, my dear fellow, go to the deuce. That comes to me.”

The reply Shock could not catch.

”I think,” he said, turning to Smiley, ”we shall find Mr. Stanton in there.”

As he spoke he walked toward the door. But Smiley slipped before him.

”Pardon me, my dear sir, that is a private room--some friends of mine who would greatly dislike being disturbed. I am exceedingly sorry I cannot oblige you.”

”I must see Mr. Stanton”, said Shock, putting his hand upon the door k.n.o.b.

”My dear sir,” said Simmons, his thin lips drawn back over his yellow teeth, ”I regret to say it is impossible. If Mr. Stanton is in there--mark me, I say IF he is in there, which is extremely unlikely--but if he is in there, he would be very unwilling to be disturbed at this hour. However, since you are so anxious, I shall take him a message.”

As Smiley said this he bowed with an air of gracious condescension, as if he expected Shock to be profoundly impressed with this concession to his persistence. But Shock was not at all impressed.

”I cannot wait longer,” he said. ”It is a matter of life and death. I must enter that room.”

”My dear sir,” said Simmons, rubbing his hands, his smile becoming more and more expansive, ”this is my house, that door is my door. If you break it, I should be grieved to have to exact the full penalty of the law.”

Shock hesitated. He had never willingly broken a law in his life. It would be a most unfortunate beginning for his mission in this town, and, after all, what business had he to interfere? If this young fool was determined to waste his money, let him do so.

But he thought of Ike, and the entreaty in his voice as he whispered out his broken words, and he thought of the look of reverence and love on the lad's face that afternoon when he gave his toast, ”My mother?

G.o.d bless her!” Shock's face set hard.

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