Part 10 (1/2)

CHAPTER IV--THE WOOING OF EVE

I spent a very restless and disturbed night. I rose at six o'clock the following morning, and at ten o'clock I rang up 3771A Gerrard. My inquiry was answered almost at once by Mr. Parker himself.

”Is that you, Walmsley?”

”It is,” I replied. ”I have been waiting to ring you up since daylight! I want you to understand--”

”You come right round here!” Mr. Parker interrupted soothingly. ”No good getting fussy over the telephone!”

”Where to?” I asked. ”You forget I don't know your address. I should have been round hours ago if I had known where to find you.”

”Bless my soul, no more you do! We are at Number 17, Banton Street--just off Oxford Street, you know.”

”I am coming straightaway,” I replied.

I was there within ten minutes. The place seemed to be a sort of private hotel, unostentatious and unprepossessing. A hall porter, whose uniform had seen better days and whose linen had seen cleaner ones, conducted me to the first floor. Mr. Parker himself met me on the landing.

”Come right in!” he invited. ”I saw you drive up. Eve is in there.”

He ushered me into a large sitting room of the type one would expect to find in such a place, but which, by dint of many cus.h.i.+ons, flowers, and feminine knickknacks, had been made to look presentable. Eve was seated in an easy-chair by the fire. She turned round at my entrance and laughed.

”Where's my necklace, please?” she demanded.

”The necklace,” I replied, as severely as I could, ”is by this time on its way to Lady Orstline--if it is not actually in her hands.”

”You mean to say you have sent it back?” Mr. Parker exclaimed incredulously.

”Certainly!” I replied. ”I posted it to her early this morning.”

Mr. Parker's expression was one of blank bewilderment.

”Say, do I understand you rightly?” he continued, coming up and laying his great hand upon my shoulder. ”You mean to say that, after all we went through because of that miserable necklace, you've gone and chucked it? Do you know it was worth twenty-five thousand pounds?”

”I don't care whether it was worth twenty-five thousand pounds or twenty- five thousand pennies!” retorted I. ”It belonged to Lady Orstline--not to you or your daughter or to me. I know that you are a skillful conjurer and I won't ask you how it found its way into my pocket. I am only glad I have had an opportunity of returning it to its owner.”

Mr. Parker shook his head ponderously. He turned to Eve.

”This,” he said solemnly, ”is the young man who asked leave to join us!

What do you think of him, Eve?”

”Nothing at all!” she replied flippantly. ”He is absolutely useless!”

”If you think,” Mr. Parker went on, ”we are in this business for our health, I want you to understand right here that you are mistaken. I never deceived you. I told you the first few seconds we met that I was an adventurer. I am. I brought off a coup last night with that necklace, and you've gone and queered it! It isn't for myself I mind so much,” he concluded, ”but there's the child there, I was going to have the pearls restrung and let her wear them a bit--until the time came for selling them.”

”Look here!” I said. ”Let us understand one another. It's all very well to live by your wits; to make a little out of people not quite so smart as you are; to worry through life owing a little here and there, borrowing a bit where you can and taking good care to be on the right side when there's a bargain going. That, I take it, is more or less what is meant by being an adventurer. But when it comes to downright thieving I protest!

The penalties are too severe. I beg you, Mr. Parker, to have nothing more to do with it!”

I went on, speaking as earnestly as I could and laying my hand upon his shoulder.

”I ask you now what I asked you yesterday: Give me your daughter! Or if I can't win her all at once let me at any rate have the opportunity of meeting her and trying to persuade her to be my wife. I promise you you shan't have to do any of these things for a living--either of you. Be sensible, Miss Parker--Eve!” I begged, turning to her; ”and please be a little kind. I am in earnest about this. Come on my side and help me persuade your father. I am not wealthy, perhaps, as you people count money, but I am not a poor man. I'll buy you some pearls.”