kara lay back on his down pillows with a sneer on his face and hisbrain very busy. what started the train of thought he did notknow, but at that moment his mind was very far away. it carriedhim back a dozen years to a dirty little peasant's cabin on thehillside outside durazzo, to the livid face of a young albanianchief, who had lost at kara's whim all that life held for a man,to the hateful eyes of the girl's father, who stood with foldedarms glaring down at the bound and manacled figure on the floor,to the smoke-stained rafters of this peasant cottage and thedancing shadows on the roof, to that terrible hour of waiting whenhe sat bound to a post with a candle flickering and splutteringlower and lower to the little heap of gunpowder that would startthe trail toward the clumsy infernal machine under his chair. heremembered the day well because it was candlemas day, and this wasthe anniversary. he remembered other things more pleasant. thebeat of hoofs on the rocky roadway, the crash of the door fallingin when the turkish gendarmes had battered a way to his rescue.
he remembered with a savage joy the spectacle of his would-beassassins twitching and struggling on the gallows at pezara and -he heard the faint tinkle of the front door bell.
had t. x. returned! he slipped from the bed and went to the door,opened it slightly and listened. t. x. with a search warrantmight be a source of panic especially if-he shrugged hisshoulders. he had satisfied t. x. and allayed his suspicions. hewould get fisher out of the way that night and make sure.
the voice from the hall below was loud and gruff. who could itbe! then he heard fisher's foot on the stairs and the valetentered.
"will you see mr. gathercole now!""mr. gathercole!"kara breathed a sigh of relief and his face was wreathed insmiles.
"why, of course. tell him to come up. ask him if he minds seeingme in my room.""i told him you were in bed, sir, and he used shocking language,"said fisher.
kara laughed.
"send him up," he said, and then as fisher was going out of theroom he called him back.
"by the way, fisher, after mr. gathercole has gone, you may go outfor the night. you've got somewhere to go, i suppose, and youneedn't come back until the morning.""yes, sir," said the servant.
such an instruction was remarkably pleasing to him. there wasmuch that he had to do and that night's freedom would assist himmaterially.
"perhaps" kara hesitated, "perhaps you had better wait untileleven o'clock. bring me up some sandwiches and a large glass ofmilk. or better still, place them on a plate in the hall.""very good, sir," said the man and withdrew.
down below, that grotesque figure with his shiny hat and hisragged beard was walking up and down the tesselated hallwaymuttering to himself and staring at the various objects in thehall with a certain amused antagonism.
"mr. kara will see you, sir," said fisher.
"oh!" said the other glaring at the unoffending fisher, "that'svery good of him. very good of this person to see a scholar and agentleman who has been about his dirty business for three years.
grown grey in his service! do you understand that, my man!""yes, sir," said fisher.
"look here!"the man thrust out his face.
"do you see those grey hairs in my beard"the embarrassed fisher grinned.
"is it grey!" challenged the visitor, with a roar.
"yes, sir," said the valet hastily.
"is it real grey?" insisted the visitor. "pull one out and see!"the startled fisher drew back with an apologetic smile.
"i couldn't think of doing a thing like that, sir.""oh, you couldn't," sneered the visitor; "then lead on!"fisher showed the way up the stairs. this time the travellercarried no books. his left arm hung limply by his side and fisherprivately gathered that the hand had got loose from the detainingpocket without its owner being aware of the fact. he pushed openthe door and announced, "mr. gathercole," and kara came forwardwith a smile to meet his agent, who, with top hat still on the topof his head, and his overcoat dangling about his heels, must havemade a remarkable picture.
fisher closed the door behind them and returned to his duties inthe hall below. ten minutes later he heard the door opened andthe booming voice of the stranger came down to him. fisher wentup the stairs to meet him and found hire addressing the occupantof the room in his own eccentric fashion.
"no more patagonia!" he roared, "no more tierra del fuego!" hepaused.
"certainly!" he replied to some question, "but not patagonia," hepaused again, and fisher standing at the foot of the stairswondered what had occurred to make the visitor so genial.
"i suppose your cheque will be honoured all right?" asked thevisitor sardonically, and then burst into a little chuckle oflaughter as he carefully closed the door.
he came down the corridor talking to himself, and greeted fisher.
"damn all greeks," he said jovially, and fisher could do no morethan smile reproachfully, the smile being his very own, thereproach being on behalf of the master who paid him.
the traveller touched the other on the chest with his right hand.
"never trust a greek," he said, "always get your money in advance.
is that clear to you?""yes, sir," said fisher, "but i think you will always find thatmr. kara is always most generous about money.""don't you believe it, don't you believe it, my poor man," saidthe other, "you - "at that moment there came from kara's room a faint "clang.""what's that" asked the visitor a little startled.
"mr. kara's put down his steel latch," said fisher with a smile,"which means that he is not to be disturbed until - " he looked athis watch, "until eleven o'clock at any rate.""he's a funk!" snapped the other, "a beastly funk!"he stamped down the stairs as though testing the weight of everytread, opened the front door without assistance, slammed it behindhim and disappeared into the night.
fisher, his hands in his pockets, looked after the departingstranger, nodding his head in reprobation.
"you're a queer old devil," he said, and looked at his watchagain.
it wanted five minutes to ten.
