Part 36 (2/2)
”What makes you think that?”
”If you had been, would you have pretended to recognise me upstairs just now? I tell you, pal, I was all in for a second, till you gave me the high sign.”
Jimmy laughed.
”It would have been awkward for you if I really had been Jimmy Crocker, wouldn't it?”
”And it would have been awkward for you if I had really been Lord Wisbeach.”
”Who are you, by the way?”
”The boys call me Gentleman Jack.”
”Why?” asked Jimmy, surprised.
Lord Wisbeach ignored the question.
”I'm working with Burke's lot just now. Say, let's be sensible about this. I'll be straight with you, straight as a string.”
”Did you say string or spring?”
”And I'll expect you to be straight with me.”
”Are we to breathe confidences into each other's ears?”
Lord Wisbeach went to the door again and submitted the pa.s.sage to a second examination.
”You seem nervous,” said Jimmy.
”I don't like that butler. He's up to something.”
”Do you think he's one of Potter's lot?”
”Shouldn't wonder. He isn't on the level, anyway, or why did he pretend to recognise you as Jimmy Crocker?”
”Recognition of me as Jimmy Crocker seems to be the acid test of honesty.”
”He was in a tight place, same as I was,” said Lord Wisbeach. ”He couldn't know that you weren't really Jimmy Crocker until you put him wise--same as you did me--by pretending to know him.” He looked at Jimmy with grudging admiration. ”You'd got your nerve with you, pal, coming in here like this. You were taking big chances. You couldn't have known you wouldn't run up against some one who really knew Jimmy Crocker. What would you have done if this butler guy had really been on the level?”
”The risks of the profession!”
”When I think of the work I had to put in,” said Lord Wisbeach, ”it makes me tired to think of some one else just walking in here as you did.”
”What made you choose Lord Wisbeach as your alias?”
”I knew that I could get away with it. I came over on the boat with him, and I knew he was travelling round the world and wasn't going to stay more than a day in New York. Even then I had to go some to get into this place. Burke told me to get hold of old Chester and get a letter of introduction from him. And here you come along and just stroll in and tell them you have come to stay!” He brooded for a moment on the injustice of things.
”Well, what are you going to do about it, Pal?”
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