“Two alternatives, old buck,” he remarked, stabbing the air with his pipe. “One—give the Potts bird up at Berners Street; two—do not. Number one—out of court at once. Preposterous—absurd. Therefore—number two holds the field.” He recrossed his legs, and ejected a large wineglassful of nicotine juice from the stem of his pipe on to the carpet. Then he sank back exhausted, and rang the bell.
“James,” he said, as the door opened, “take a piece of paper and a pencil—if there’s one with a point—and sit down at the table. I’m going to think, and I’d hate to miss out anything.”
His servant complied, and for a while silence reigned.
“First,” remarked Drummond, “put down—‘They know where Potts is.’ ”
“Is, sir, or are?” murmured Denny, sucking his pencil.
“Is, you fool. It’s a man, not a collection. And don’t interrupt, for Heaven’s sake. Two—‘They will try to get Potts.’ ”
“Yes, sir,” answered Denny, writing busily.
“Three—‘They will not get Potts.’ That is as far as I’ve got at the moment, James—but every word of it stands. Not bad for a quarter of an hour, my trusty fellah—what?”
“That’s the stuff to give the troops, sir,” agreed his audience, sucking his teeth.
Hugh looked at him in displeasure. “That noise is not, James,” he remarked severely. “Now you’ve got to do something else. Rise and with your well-known stealth approach the window, and see if the watcher still watcheth without.”
The servant took a prolonged survey, and finally announced that he failed to see him.
“Then that proves conclusively that he’s there,” said Hugh. “Write it down, James: four—‘Owing to the watcher without, Potts cannot leave the house without being seen.’ ”
“That’s two withouts, sir,” ventured James tentatively; but Hugh, with a sudden light dawning in his eyes, was staring at the fireplace.
“I’ve got it, James,” he cried. “I’ve got it. … Five—‘Potts must leave the house without being seen.’ I want him, James, I want him all to myself. I want to make much of him and listen to his childish prattle. He shall go to my cottage on the river, and you shall look after him.”
“Yes, sir,” returned James dutifully.
“And in order to get him there, we must get rid of the watcher without. How can we get rid of the bird—how can we, James, I ask you? Why, by giving him nothing further to watch for. Once let him think that Potts is no longer within, unless he’s an imbecile he will no longer remain without.”
“I see, sir,” said James.
“No, you don’t—you don’t see anything. Now trot along over, James, and give my compliments to Mr. Darrell. Ask him to come in and see me for a moment. Say I’m thinking and daren’t move.”
James rose obediently, and Drummond heard him cross over the passage to the other suite of rooms that lay on the same floor. Then he heard the murmur of voices, and shortly afterwards his servant returned.
“He is in his bath, sir, but he’ll come over as soon as he’s finished.” He delivered the message and stood waiting. “Anything more, sir?”
“Yes, James. I feel certain that there’s a lot. But just to carry on with, I’ll have another glass of beer.”
As the door closed, Drummond rose and started to pace up and down the room. The plan he had in his mind was simple, but he was a man who believed in simplicity.
“Peterson will not come himself—nor will our one and only Henry. Potts has not been long in the country, which is all to the good. And if it fails—we shan’t be any worse off than we are now. Luck—that’s all; and the more you tempt her, the kinder she is.” He was still talking gently to himself when Peter Darrell strolled into the room.
“Can this thing be true, old boy,” remarked the newcomer. “I hear you’re in the throes of a brainstorm.”
“I am, Peter—and not even that repulsive dressing-gown of yours can stop it. I want you to help me.”
“All that I have, dear old flick, is yours for the asking. What can I do?”
“Well, first of all, I want you to come along and see the household pet.” He piloted Darrell along the passage to the American’s room, and opened the door. The millionaire looked at them dazedly from the pillows, and Darrell stared back in startled surprise.
“My God! What’s the matter with him?” he cried.
“I would give a good deal to know,” said Hugh grimly. Then he smiled reassuringly at the motionless man, and led the way back to the sitting-room.
“Sit down, Peter,” he said. “Get outside that beer and listen to me carefully.”
For ten minutes he spoke, while his companion listened in silence. Gone completely was the rather vacuous-faced youth clad in a gorgeous dressing-gown; in his place there sat a keen-faced man nodding from time to time as a fresh point was made clear. Even so had both listened in the years that were past to their battalion commander’s orders before an attack.
At length Hugh finished. “Will you do it, old man?” he asked.
“Of course,” returned the other. “But wouldn’t it be better, Hugh,” he said pleadingly, “to whip up two or three of the boys and have a real scrap? I don’t seem to have anything to do.”
Drummond shook his head decidedly. “No, Peter, my boy—not this show. We’re up against a big thing; and if you like to come in with me, I think you’ll have all you want in the scrapping line before you’ve finished. But this time, low cunning is the order.”
Darrell rose. “Right you are, dearie. Your instructions shall be carried out to the letter. Come and feed your face with me. Got a couple of birds from the Gaiety lunching at the Cri.”
“Not today,” said Hugh. “I’ve got quite a bit to get through this afternoon.”
As soon as Darrell had gone, Drummond again rang the bell for his servant.
“This afternoon, James, you and Mrs. Denny will leave here and go to Paddington. Go out
