Part 15 (1/2)

”What I say,” said a meager-looking man with a bristling mustache which unsuccessfully concealed his slack and feeble mouth, ”is simply this. If Mr. Morse chooses to live in a certain way of life and 'as the money to carry it out, why not let him alone? Freedom for every individual is a 'progative of English life, and I expect Morse is fair furious with what they're saying about him, for I have it on the best authority that a copy of every edition of the _Evening Special_ goes up to him in the tower lifts as soon as it is issued.”

Words, words, words! everywhere, silly, irresponsible chatter which I heeded as little as a thrush heeds a shower of rain.

Steadily, swiftly, certainly, my purpose grew.

I got down in the Whitechapel Road, that wide and unlovely thoroughfare, and, feeling hungry, went into a dingy little restaurant part.i.tioned off in boxes. The tablecloth was of stained oil skin, the guests the seediest type of minor clerks, but I do remember that for ninepence I had a little beefsteak and kidney pudding to myself which was as good as anything I have ever eaten. As I went out I saw my neighbor of the omnibus who had spoken so eloquently of freedom, walking by with a little black bag, as in an aimless way I hailed a taxicab from the rank opposite a London hospital and told the man to drive slowly westwards.

He did so, and when we came to the Embankment a gleam of afternoon suns.h.i.+ne began to enlighten what had been a leaden day. Thinking a brisk walk from Black Friars to Westminster would help my thoughts, I dismissed the cab and started.

It was with an odd little thrill and flutter of the heart that far away westwards, to the left of the Houses of Parliament, I saw three ghostly lines, no thicker than lamp posts, it seemed, springing upwards from nothingness. At Cleopatra's Needle, I felt the want of a cigarette and stopped to light one.

At the moment there were few people on the pavement, though the unceasing traffic in the road roared by as usual. I lit the cigarette, put my case back in my pocket, and was about to continue my stroll when I heard some one padding up behind me with obvious purpose.

I half turned, and there again I saw the man with the weak mouth and the big mustache.

It flashed upon me, for the first time, that I was being followed, had been followed probably during the whole of my wanderings.

As I said, there was n.o.body immediately about, so I turned to rabbit-face and challenged him.

”You're following me, my man, why? Out with it or I'll give you in charge.”

”Yer can't,” he said. ”This is a free country, freedom is my 'progative as well as yerself, Sir Thomas Kirby. I've done nothing to annoy yer, have I?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

”But you have been following me.”

His manner changed at once.

”Ever since you left Piccadilly, Sir Thomas, waiting my opportunity. I'm a private inquiry agent by profession, though this job of shadowing you has nothing to do with the office that employs me. I have a young friend in my house who's turned up sudden and mysterious, a young friend I lost sight of many weeks ago. He says you'll come to him at once if I could only get you alone and be certain that no one saw me speak to you. His instructions were to follow you about until such an opportunity as this arose, and all the time I was to be certain that no one else was following you. I have ascertained that all right.”

He put his head close to mine and I felt his hot breath upon my cheek.

”It's Mr. William Rolston, Sir Thomas,” he said. ”I'm not in his confidence, though I have long admired his abilities and predicted a great future for him. He's come to me in distress and I am doing what I can to 'elp 'im--this being a day when they've no job for me at the office.”

”Good Lord! why didn't you speak to me this morning, if you've been following me all day?”

He shook his head.

”Wouldn't have done. Mr. Rolston's instructions was different and he has his reasons, though I'm not in his confidence. I've done it out of admiration for his talents, and no doubt some day he'll be in a position to pay me for my work.”

”Pay you, you idiot!” I could have taken him by the throat and shaken the fool. ”Mr. Rolston knows very well that he can command any money he chooses. He's a member of my staff.”

We were now walking along together towards Westminster.

”That's as may be,” said my seedy friend, ”but 'e 'adn't a bra.s.s farthing this morning, and come to that, Sir Thomas, if you'd got into another blinking taxi, you'd have snookered _me_!”

”Where do you live?” I asked impatiently.

”Not far from where you 'ad your lunch, Sir Thomas. 15, Imperial Mansions, Royal Road, Stepney.”