Part 16 (2/2)

But neither the General nor any of the ladies was visible, all, as he correctly surmised, being engaged in the matter of dressing for dinner.

”Pardon me, sir,” said the footman, turning at the sound of his step as he came in, ”I was just about to step out into the grounds to ascertain if you might not, by chance, have lost yourself or failed to hear the dressing gong, sir. It is quite half an hour since Miss Lorne requested me to be on the lookout for you, and I was getting anxious.”

”Extremely kind of you, I must say,” said Cleek serenely. ”But never give yourself any uneasiness upon my account so long as I remain here. I am given to taking my time on all occasions, my man. I think out all the plots of my novels prowling about in silence and alone, and an interruption is apt to destroy a train of thought forever.” And having thus given the man an idea that he was an author--and accounted beforehand for any possible need for prowling about the place when the others were asleep--he went further, and gave him half a crown to salve his injured feelings, and won in return for it something which he would have held cheaply bought at a sovereign.

”Now tell me,” he went on, ”why did Miss Lorne ask you to be 'on the lookout' for me? Has anything extraordinary occurred?”

”Oh, no indeed, sir,” replied the footman with a full half-crown's worth of urbanity; the generosity of the gentleman had touched him on his weakest part. ”You see, sir, it being the butler's evening off, and Mr.

Harry having been called away before any arrangements were made with regard to your sleeping quarters, sir, Miss Lorne requested me to say that she had spoken to mistress, and you were to have any vacant suite in the house which might best meet your pleasure, sir. I was to wait here and conduct you through all the unoccupied ones in the house.”

Cleek smiled. Oho! That was it, eh? Well, there was a thoughtful ally and no mistake! Knowing full well that it would be awkward for him to be put off into some inconvenient wing of the house, should he have cause to leave it secretly and to communicate with Dollops and Narkom at any time, she had taken this step to serve and to a.s.sist him. What a woman!

What a gem of a woman she was!

His thoughts worked rapidly, and his mind was made up in a twinkling.

”Quite so, quite so! Very kind and very thoughtful,” he said composedly.

”I always prefer the second story of a building--it's a fad of mine, and Miss Lorne recollects it. So if there are any rooms vacant upon the second floor----”

”Only one, sir, and it's the least comfortable one in the house, I'm afraid, being next to that occupied by Lord St. Ulmer.”

”Lord St.--oh, ah--yes! That's the gentleman who is ill, isn't it?”

”Yes, sir. That's why I spoke of it as being uncomfortable. Butler says he's a very crochety gentleman. But sick folk are always that, sir; so maybe you'd be disturbed a deal in the night.”

”Hum-m-m! Yes, that is a drawback, certainly. Might take it into his head to get up and wander about during the night, and so keep one awake.

Does he?”

”I couldn't say, sir; never set eyes on him since he arrived. n.o.body in the house has except master and butler. Don't think he would be likely to move about much, though, sir, for I've heard his ankle's sprained and he can't put a foot to the ground. Butler always carries up his meals; at least, he has done it so far, his lords.h.i.+p having arrived only the night before last. Like as not I'll have to carry up his dinner to-night, this being, as I've said, sir, butler's evening off.”

Cleek made a mental tally. Then if none of the servants at the Grange had seen his lords.h.i.+p, with the single exception of Johnston, the butler---- Quite so, quite so! His lords.h.i.+p wouldn't know what the other servants were like, so, of course---- He glanced at the footman out of the tail of his eye. Livery, dark bottle-green--almost black; would pa.s.s for black in anything but a brilliant light. Waistcoat, narrow black and yellow stripes. No cords, no silver b.u.t.tons. Hum-m-m! With a black-and-yellow striped waistcoat and in a none too brilliantly lighted room--and a sickroom was not likely to be anything else unless the man was too much of an a.s.s to keep up the illusion by attending to details--an ordinary suit of evening clothes would do the trick. And he wouldn't have a doctor and wouldn't see any outsiders, this Lord St.

Ulmer, eh? Oh, well--you never know your luck, my lord; you never do!

Mental processes are more rapid in the action than in the recording. Not ten seconds had pa.s.sed from the time the footman ceased speaking when Cleek answered him.

”Oh, well, if it's a case like that, and his lords.h.i.+p isn't likely to disturb me by wandering round his room in the night, I dare say I can risk the rest, as I'm a very sound sleeper. The room's on the second floor; that's the main thing,” he said offhandedly. ”So you may show me to it at once.”

”Very good, sir; this way if you please, sir,” the footman replied, and forthwith led him to the room in question.

It was one immediately adjoining that occupied by Lord St. Ulmer, but unfortunately, having no connection with it, the wall which divided the two was quite solid. Had there been a door---- But there was not. Cleek saw at a glance that matters were not to be simplified in that way; whoever might wish to see into that room must first _get_ into it: there was no other way.

”All right, this will do; you may go,” he said as soon as he was shown to the place he had chosen; and taking him at his word, the footman gently closed the door and disappeared. Cleek gave him but a minute or two to get below stairs, then slipped out on tiptoe and followed, getting out of the house unseen and running at all speed in the direction of the stables.

At the angle of the wall he stopped suddenly, and began to whistle ”Kathleen Mavourneen.” He hadn't rounded off the third bar before the wall door clicked and swung open, and Dollops was beside him.

”Kit bag--quick!” whispered Cleek. ”Need an evening suit, and the chap who was going to lend me one went off and forgot all about it. Move sharp, I'm in a hurry.”

<script>