The Launching of Roger Brook

sure, the best intentions in taking me to these places of entertainment and 'twas kind of you to seek to provide amusement for a stranger. That I could raise no zest for little Mou-Mou was no fault of yours, and I should have made my­self clear on that head much earlier. But I give you my word that I paid not once but twice for the dubious privilege of spending an hour in her company.'

'And I willingly accept it, as I feel sure you will accept mine that I also paid the young harpy.'

'Indeed, I do; so let us both thank God that we have no cause for more serious regrets on the matter than are occasioned by a few squandered guineas.'

De Roubec took Roger's arm. 'I swear to you, mon ami, that even in a drunken temper I would never have harmed you seriously. Indeed I vow I drew upon you only with the intent of scaring you into running away.'

He spoke with such earnestness that Roger found it difficult to doubt his sincerity and he flushed with pleasure as the Chevalier went on:

'But what address you showed, and what courage! Having scratched a Chinaman I found a Tartar, and I was hard put to it to defend myself. Come now, my mouth is as dry as a bin of sawdust from that villainous champagne, and I am sobered up entirely. To show that there is no ill-feeling left between us let's drink a bottle of good Burgundy together before we go to bed.'

Roger's throat now also felt dry and parched so he readily assented, and they began to hammer with their sword hilts on the nail-studded door of the inn.

After a while it was opened by the wizened little serving-man who, having been aroused from his sleep in a cubby-hole under the stairs, grumblingly admitted them.

De Roubec pulled out a fistful of crowns and showed them to the man, as he said, 'Stir your stumps, knave, and get us up a bottle of Burgundy from the cellar. And a good one, mind; a Chambertin or a Hospice de Beaune, if you have it.'

Having lit the lantern in the parlour for them the man disappeared, to return a few minutes later with a dust-encrusted bottle and glasses. After uncorking the wine and taking the money for it he shambled off back to his cubby-hole out in the hall.

The two recent antagonists now toasted one another with most friendly phrases and both felt considerably better after a good drink of the clean, generous Burgundy. The sight of the Chevalier's pocket full of crowns had recalled to Roger that even if the later form of entertainment to which his companion had introduced him had proved a fiasco the earlier had been an unqualified success, and he remarked:

'You must have made a pretty sum at Monsieur Tricot's, since towards the end you were staking double crowns.'

' 'Tis but indifferent sport playing at a low table,' shrugged De Roubec grandly. 'But 'twas none too bad a haul, and 'twill serve to keep me in wine for a day or two; with luck until my funds arrive. My sole regret is that you plan to leave Le Havre so soon, otherwise 'twould have been a pleasure to afford you some entertainment of your own choosing out of my winnings.'

'I hope to complete my business to-morrow,' said Roger, 'but it may be a day or two before I can secure a passage home, and if so I will certainly avail myself of your kind invitation.'

De Roubec nodded. 'Pray do not think that I have any desire to pry into your affairs, but I know Le Havre well, and if you feel that I might be of any assistance to you in this business of yours, do not hesitate to command me.'

Roger was now feeling in great fettle. The fact that he had actually fought in earnest for the first time and emerged victorious from the encounter filled him with elation; and, since the cause of the affray now appeared to have been no more than a stupid misunderstanding brought about by the fumes of dubious liquor, he was, not un­ naturally, drawn towards his late antagonist. The Chevalier had, he felt, gone out of his way to take an interest in him as a young and lone­ly stranger, had seen to it that he got a good exchange for his English money and had enabled him to win a nice little sum. Moreover, it now seemed to him that the expedition to the 'Widow Scarron' should not be held against his new friend, since it might have appealed to many young men as the high-spot in an evening out. The Chavalier had, too taken his defeat like a gentleman and was at the moment playing the generous host.

None of the excitements of the past twenty-four hours had caused Roger to forget for long that his sole purpose in coming to France was the satisfactory disposal of Georgina's jewels, and this had yet to be accomplished. It struck him now that instead of seeking out a gold­smith for himself and dealing with one who might or might not give him a good price, he could both save himself time in the morning and make certain of securing a fair deal by consulting De Roubec, so he asked:

'Do you perchance know of an honest goldsmith here in Le Havre?'

'Why, yes,' replied the Chevalier, after only a moment's hesitation. 'I know of several. Do you wish to make a purchase or have you some­thing to sell?'

'I wish to dispose of some trinkets, mainly gold items, but a few with gems set in them and a number of cameos. To do so was, in fact, my reason for coming to France.'

De Roubec's eyes narrowed slightly, and Roger, seeing this, did not wonder, as the bare statement might have put all sorts of ideas into anyone's head. With his usual quick inventiveness he went on to offer an entirely false explanation.

'These jewels belonged to my mother's twin sister, who died recently. The two were prodigiously devoted to one another and my father felt that should my mother perchance see any of them being worn by one of her neighbours the shock would affect her most severely. Yet he has need of the money they will bring; so, not wishing to dispose of them locally, he decided that the best course would be to send them abroad. As he was recalled to his ship unexpectedly and could not cross to France himself he charged me with this mission. Unfor­tunately I have little experience in such matters and if you could assist me in it I'd be mighty obliged to you.'

Having listened attentively to Roger's somewhat mangled French, De Roubec nodded. ' 'Twill be a pleasure. I know the very man and will take you to him in the morning.'

Roger thanked him and they talked for a while on other topics, the Chevalier having apparently dismissed the matter of the jewels from his mind; but both, of them were now feeling tired so as soon as they had finished their wine they went upstairs to bed.

After looking under the loose board in the floor to make certain that his treasure was still there, Roger undressed to his shirt and slipping between the coarse cotton sheets was soon asleep.

He woke late in the morning, as he judged from the angle of the sun that it must be near nine o'clock, and after a hurried toilet transferred the jewels from their hiding-place to his pockets, then went downstairs.

The coffee room was deserted and to his surprise he found that rolls, butter and confiture were the only food provided for breakfast. Not being accustomed to such meagre fare he asked for something more substantial, and after a wait of ten minutes he was brought an omelette fines herbes; a dish entirely new to him but one which he thoroughly enjoyed.

On finishing his meal he went in search of De Roubec, and found that lanky gentleman lazily sunning himself on the front porch.

'Ah, there you are!' said the Chevalier, displaying his bad teeth in a friendly smile, 'I trust you had a good night?'

'Excellent, I thank you,' Roger smiled back. 'Except that I fear I slept over late, and I am naturally anxious to get my business settled as soon as possible. Would it be troubling you too much to take me this forenoon to the goldsmith you spoke of?'

'Willingly; but I have been giving some little thought to the matter, and an idea upon it has occurred to me. I take it you are not so pressed for time as to be unable to afford me a few moments' private converse in the parlour. There is no one about,- so we shall have it to ourselves.'

'By all means,' Rogers agreed. So they went into the parlour together and, having closed the door carefully behind him, De Roubec fastened the latch so that they should not be interrupted.

Wondering a little what these mysterious precautions portended, Roger sat down at one of the tables, but the Chevalier reassured him by saying: 'There is no cause for alarm, yet one cannot be too careful when discussing transactions in which large sums of money are involved.'

Seating himself on the settee at Roger's side he went on in a low voice: 'May I ask if you have mentioned this