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
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."