'You are a reasonable man, Mr.
Barton,' said the Prince, and then returned his attention to Gareth,
and repeated his last statement. 'Lying here it has no value. In
Ethiopia, it is worth fifteen thousand British sovereigns to you. The
choice is yours. Abandon it or get it into Ethiopia.'
'I am appalled,' said Gareth solemnly, as he paced back and forth.
'I mean, after all the fellow is an old Etonian.
God, I can hardly believe that he would welsh on our agreement.
It's absolutely frightful. I mean, I trusted him.' Jake was sprawled
on the couch in Madame Cecile's private room. He had shed his
dinner-jacket, and perched on his knee there was a plump young lady
with a cap of brassy blonde hair. She was dressed in a flimsy daffodil
coloured dress, the skirts of which had pulled up to show bright blue
garters around her ripe thighs. Jake was weighing one of her ample
breasts in his hand with all the concentration of a housewife choosing
tomatoes from a greengrocers tray. The girl giggled and wriggled
provocatively into his lap.
'Damn it, Jake, listen to me. 'I am listening,' said Jake.
'The man was positively insulting,' protested Gareth, and then seemed
for a moment to lose his concentration as Jake's companion unbuttoned
the bodice of her wispy dress.
'By Jove, Jake, they are rather delicious, what?' and they both
regarded the display with interest.
'You've got your own, 'Jake muttered.
'You're right,' agreed Gareth, and turned to the junoesque female who
waited patiently for him on the other couch.
Her glossy black hair was piled upon her head in an elaborate nest of
curls and plaits, and she had large, intense, toffee-coloured eyes in a
face whose paleness was emphasized by the vividly painted crimson lips.
She pouted at Gareth, and draped one arm languidly around his
shoulders.
'Are you sure neither of them understands English?' Gareth called,
as he entered into the practised embrace of the white arms.
'Portuguese, both of them,' Jake assured him. 'But you'd better test
them.'
'Very well.' Gareth thought a moment. 'Girls, I must warn you that we
aren't paying for your company not a penny. This is for love alone.'
Neither of their expressions changed, and the enfolding movements of
sinuous limbs continued without pause.
'That settles it,' Gareth opined. 'We can talk.'
'At a time like this?'
'We've only got until morning to decide what we are going to do.' Jake
made a muffled remark and Gareth admonished him, 'I can't hear a
word.'
'That gullible old Ethiop of yours has us over a barrel'
repeated Jake with sardonic relish. Before he could reply, vivid
lips,
pouting and red as ripened fruit, closed over Gareth's. There was
silence for a while until Gareth wrested himself loose and his head
