He seized a broom and began work upon a pair of

trousers to which mud and briers clung tenaciously.

His coat and hat lay on a chair, they, too, much the

worse for rough wear.

There was never any use in refusing to obey Larry's

orders, and as he got into his clothes I gave him in as

few words as possible the chief incidents that had

marked my stay at Glenarm House. He continued dressing

with care, helping himself to a shirt and collar from

my chiffonnier and choosing with unfailing eye the

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best tie in my collection. Now and then he asked a

question tersely, or, again, he laughed or swore direly in

Gaelic. When I had concluded the story of Pickering's

visit, and of the conversation I overheard between the

executor and Bates in the church porch, Larry wheeled

round with the scarf half-tied in his fingers and surveyed

me commiseratingly.

"And you didn't rush them both on the spot and have

it out?"

"No. I was too much taken aback, for one thing-"

"I dare say you were!"

"And for another I didn't think the time ripe. I'm

going to beat that fellow, Larry, but I want him to

show his hand fully before we come to a smash-up. I

know as much about the house and its secrets as he does,

-that's one consolation. Sometimes I don't believe

there's a shilling here, and again I'm sure there's a big

stake in it. The fact that Pickering is risking so much

to find what's supposed to be hidden here is pretty fair

evidence that something's buried on the place."

"Possibly, but they're giving you a lively boycott.

Now where in the devil have you been?"

"Well,-" I began and hesitated. I had not mentioned

Marian Devereux and this did not seem the time

for confidences of that sort.

He took a cigarette from his pocket and lighted it.

"Bah, these women! Under the terms of your revered

grandfather's will you have thrown away all your rights.

It looks to me, as a member of the Irish bar in bad

standing, as though you had delivered yourself up to

the enemy, so far as the legal situation is concerned.

How does it strike you?"

"Of course I've forfeited my rights. But I don't

mean that any one shall know it yet a while."

"My lad, don't deceive yourself. Everybody round

here will know it before night. You ran off, left your

window open invitingly, and two gentlemen who meditated

breaking in found that they needn't take the trouble.

One came in through your own room, noting, of

course, your absence, let in his friend below, and tore

up the place regrettably."

"Yes, but how did you get here?-if you don't mind

telling."

"It's a short story. That little chap from Scotland

Yard, who annoyed me so much in New York and drove

me to Mexico-for which may he dwell for ever in fiery

torment-has never given up. I shook him off, though,

at Indianapolis three days ago. I bought a ticket for

Pittsburg with him at my elbow. I suppose he thought

the chase was growing tame, and that the farther east

he could arrest me the nearer I should be to a British

consul and tide-water. I went ahead of him into the

station and out to the Pittsburg sleeper. I dropped my

bag into my section-if that's what they call it in your

atrocious American language-looked out and saw him

coming along the platform. Just then the car began to

move,-they were shunting it about to attach a sleeper

that had been brought in from Louisville and my carriage,

or whatever you call it, went skimming out of

the sheds into a yard where everything seemed to be

most noisy and complex. I dropped off in the dark

just before they began to haul the carriage back. A

long train of empty goods wagons was just pulling

out and I threw my bag into a wagon and climbed after

it. We kept going for an hour or so until I was thoroughly

lost, then I took advantage of a stop at a place

that seemed to be the end of terrestrial things, got out

and started across country. I expressed my bag to you

the other day from a town that rejoiced in the cheering

name of Kokomo, just to get rid of it. I walked into

Annandale about midnight, found this medieval marvel

through the kindness of the station-master and was reconnoitering

with my usual caution when I saw a gentleman

romantically entering through an open window."




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