Unless the man had proofs to bring of his _bona fides_
where Jim Beckett was concerned, he would scarcely have followed us to
claim acquaintance with the parents and confound the alleged fiancee.
That he had followed us on purpose I was sure. Not for a second did I
believe that the arrival of the taxi-cab in our wake was a coincidence!
We drank our coffee, talking of the raid and of the O'Farrells, and--as
always--of Jim. Then Father Beckett noticed that his wife was pale. "She
looks as if she needed bed a good sight more than that little girl
did," he said in the simple, homely way I've learned to love.
Presently we had all bidden each other good-night, even Brian and I.
Then--in my own room--I was free to take that folded bit of paper from
my pocket.
CHAPTER X
To my surprise, there were only three lines, scribbled in pencil.
"Come to the _salon_ for a talk when the rest of your party have gone to
bed. I'll be waiting, and won't keep you long."
"Impudent brute!" I said out aloud. But a moment later I had decided to
keep the appointment and learn the worst. Needs must, when the devil
drives!--if you're in the power of the devil. I was. And, alas! through
my fault, so was Brian. After going so far, I could not afford to be
thrown back without a struggle; and I went downstairs prepared to fight.
It was not yet late; only a few minutes after ten o'clock; and though
the Becketts and Brian were on the road to sleep, the hotel was awake,
and even lively in its wakefulness.
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