"That will do, Inez," said De Gayangos imperiously. "We wish to make
this gentleman tell the truth, and this is not the way to go about the
matter."
"Gentleman," echoed the angry Peruvian, "he is none. Truth! There is no
truth in him, the pig of pigs!" and then, her English failing, she took
refuge in Spanish, which is a fairly comprehensive language for swearing
in a polite way. The words fairly poured from her mouth, and she looked
as fierce as Bellona, the goddess of war.
Archie, listening to her words and watching her beautiful face distorted
out of all loveliness, secretly congratulated himself upon the fact that
he was not her prospective bridegroom. He wondered how Sir Frank, who
was a mild, good-tempered man himself, could dare to make such a fiery
female Lady Random.
Perhaps the young man thought himself that she was going a trifle too
far, for he touched her nervously on the arm. At once the anger of Donna
Inez died down, and she submitted to be led to a chair, whispering as
she went, "It was for your sake, my angel, that I was angry," she said,
and then relapsed into silence, watching all future proceedings with
flashing eyes but compressed mouth.
"Wal," muttered Hervey with his invariable drawl, "now that the lady has
eased her mind, I should like to know why this aristocrat says I placed
that manuscript in his room."
"You shall know, and at once," said Random promptly. "Did you not call
to see me a day or so ago?"
"I did, sir. I wished to tell you what I had discovered, so that you
might pay me to shut my mouth if you felt so inclined. I asked where
your room was, sir, and walked right in, since your flunky was not at
the door."
"Quite so. You were in my room for a few minutes--"
"Say five," interpolated the American imperturbably.
"And then came down. You met my servant, who told you that I would not
be back for five or six hours."
"That's just as you state, sir. I was sorry to miss you, but, my time
being valuable, I had to get back to Pierside. Failing you, I later came
to see the Professor here, and told him what I had discovered."
"You merely discovered a mare's nest," said Random contemptuously; "but
this is not the point. I believe that you, and you only, could have
hidden that manuscript among my books, intending that it should be
discovered, so that I might be implicated in this crime."
"Did your flunky tell you that much?" inquired Hervey coolly.
"My servant told me nothing, save that you had been in my room, where
you had no right to be."
"Then," said the American quietly and decisively, "I can't see, sir, how
you can place the ticket on me."