Foul Play [199]
him for it. Hennessy she received graciously, and, remembering Robert's precept to be supple as a woman, bewitched him. He was good-natured, able and vain. By eleven o'clock she had enlisted him in her service. When she had conquered him, she said, slyly, "But I ought not to speak of these things to you except through a solicitor."
"That is the general rule," said the learned counsel; "but in this case no dark body must come between me and the sun."
In short he entered into Penfold's case with such well-feigned warmth, to please the beauteous girl, that at last she took him by the horns and consulted.
"I am followed," said she.
"I have no doubt you are; and on a large scale; if there is room for another, I should be glad to join the train."
"Ha! ha! I'll save you the trouble. I'll meet you half way. But, to be serious, I am watched, spied and followed by some enemy to that good friend whose sacred cause we have undertaken. Forgive me for saying 'we.'"
"I am too proud of the companionship to let you off. 'We' is the word."
"Then advise me what to do. I want to retaliate. I want to discover who is watching me, and why. Can you advise me? Will you?"
The counsel reflected a moment, and Helen, who watched him, remarked the power that suddenly came into his countenance and brow.
"You must watch the spies. I have influence in Scotland Yard, and will get it done for you. If you went there yourself they would cross-examine you and decline to interfere. I'll go myself for you and put it in a certain light. An able detective will call on you. Give him ten guineas, and let him into your views in confidence; then he will work the public machinery for you."
"Oh, Mr. Hennessy, how can I thank you?"
"By succeeding. I hate to fail. And now your cause is mine."
Next day a man with a hooked nose, a keen black eye, and a solitary foible (Mosaic), called on Helen Rolleston, and told her he was to take her instructions. She told him she was watched, and thought it was done to baffle a mission she had undertaken; but, having got so far, she blushed and hesitated.
"The more you tell me, miss, the more use I can be," said Mr. Burt.
Thus encouraged, and also remembering Mr. Hennessy's advice, she gave Mr. Burt, as coldly as she could, an outline of Robert Penfold's case, and of the exertions she had made, and the small result.
Burt listened keenly, and took a note or two; and, when she had done, he told her something in return.
"Miss Rolleston," said he, "I am the officer that arrested Robert Penfold. It cost me a grinder that he knocked out."
"Oh, dear!" said Helen, "how unfortunate! Then I fear I cannot reckon on your services."
"Why not, miss? What, do you think I hold spite against a poor fellow for defending himself? Besides, Mr. Penfold wrote me a very proper note. Certainly for a parson the gent is a very quick hitter; but he wrote very square; said he hoped I would allow for the surprise and the agitation of an innocent man; sent me two guineas, too, and said he would make it twenty but he was poor as well as unfortunate; that letter has stuck in my gizzard ever since; can't see the color of felony in it. Your felon is never in a fault; and, if he wears a good coat, he isn't given to show fight."
"It was very improper of him to strike you," said Helen, "and very noble of you to forgive it. Make him still more ashamed of it; lay him under a deep obligation."
"If he is innocent, I'll try and prove it," said the detective. He then asked her if she had taken notes. She said she had a diary. He begged to see it. She felt inclined to withhold it, because of the comments; but, remembering that this was womanish, and that Robert's orders to her were to be manly on such occasions, she produced her diary. Mr. Burt read it very carefully, and told her it was a very promising case. "You have done a great deal more than you thought," he said. _"You have netted the fish."_
CHAPTER LXVIII.
"I NETTED the fish! what fish?"
"The man who forged the promissory note."
"Oh, Mr. Burt!"
"That is the general rule," said the learned counsel; "but in this case no dark body must come between me and the sun."
In short he entered into Penfold's case with such well-feigned warmth, to please the beauteous girl, that at last she took him by the horns and consulted.
"I am followed," said she.
"I have no doubt you are; and on a large scale; if there is room for another, I should be glad to join the train."
"Ha! ha! I'll save you the trouble. I'll meet you half way. But, to be serious, I am watched, spied and followed by some enemy to that good friend whose sacred cause we have undertaken. Forgive me for saying 'we.'"
"I am too proud of the companionship to let you off. 'We' is the word."
"Then advise me what to do. I want to retaliate. I want to discover who is watching me, and why. Can you advise me? Will you?"
The counsel reflected a moment, and Helen, who watched him, remarked the power that suddenly came into his countenance and brow.
"You must watch the spies. I have influence in Scotland Yard, and will get it done for you. If you went there yourself they would cross-examine you and decline to interfere. I'll go myself for you and put it in a certain light. An able detective will call on you. Give him ten guineas, and let him into your views in confidence; then he will work the public machinery for you."
"Oh, Mr. Hennessy, how can I thank you?"
"By succeeding. I hate to fail. And now your cause is mine."
Next day a man with a hooked nose, a keen black eye, and a solitary foible (Mosaic), called on Helen Rolleston, and told her he was to take her instructions. She told him she was watched, and thought it was done to baffle a mission she had undertaken; but, having got so far, she blushed and hesitated.
"The more you tell me, miss, the more use I can be," said Mr. Burt.
Thus encouraged, and also remembering Mr. Hennessy's advice, she gave Mr. Burt, as coldly as she could, an outline of Robert Penfold's case, and of the exertions she had made, and the small result.
Burt listened keenly, and took a note or two; and, when she had done, he told her something in return.
"Miss Rolleston," said he, "I am the officer that arrested Robert Penfold. It cost me a grinder that he knocked out."
"Oh, dear!" said Helen, "how unfortunate! Then I fear I cannot reckon on your services."
"Why not, miss? What, do you think I hold spite against a poor fellow for defending himself? Besides, Mr. Penfold wrote me a very proper note. Certainly for a parson the gent is a very quick hitter; but he wrote very square; said he hoped I would allow for the surprise and the agitation of an innocent man; sent me two guineas, too, and said he would make it twenty but he was poor as well as unfortunate; that letter has stuck in my gizzard ever since; can't see the color of felony in it. Your felon is never in a fault; and, if he wears a good coat, he isn't given to show fight."
"It was very improper of him to strike you," said Helen, "and very noble of you to forgive it. Make him still more ashamed of it; lay him under a deep obligation."
"If he is innocent, I'll try and prove it," said the detective. He then asked her if she had taken notes. She said she had a diary. He begged to see it. She felt inclined to withhold it, because of the comments; but, remembering that this was womanish, and that Robert's orders to her were to be manly on such occasions, she produced her diary. Mr. Burt read it very carefully, and told her it was a very promising case. "You have done a great deal more than you thought," he said. _"You have netted the fish."_
CHAPTER LXVIII.
"I NETTED the fish! what fish?"
"The man who forged the promissory note."
"Oh, Mr. Burt!"