The Frenchman gracefully emitted from between his thin lips a thick cloud of blue smoke, and broke into a laugh that, under the circumstances, sounded strangely hollow and sinister.
"Suspect?" he chuckled. "Why should they suspect? Are you not ze same man who went away—ze same build, ze same face, ze same voice, ze same in every particular—except one. Zat you have not—non—you have not ze education, ze fine manners, ze savoir faire of monsieur." With that expressive shrug of the shoulder, so characteristic of his nation, he added: "Mais que voulez vous? We must do ze best we can."
His listener struck the brass bed-post savagely with his heavy fist. With a burst of profanity he broke out:
"Yes, damn him! He had all the advantages. I had none. But it's my turn now. I want all that's coming to me."
"Hush!" exclaimed the valet, raising his finger warningly. "Zey may hear. Everything will be all right. We must be very careful. You must not talk. You must avoid people. Let them think you sick, or strange, or crazy, anything you like. But keep away from zem, or else they soon discover that 'Handsome Jack,' ze penniless adventurer, is quite a different person from ze accomplished and wealthy Monsieur Kenneth Traynor."
"We can't expect to keep the game up long," interrupted the big fellow moodily.
"We won't have to," replied his companion calmly. "Just enough time to squeeze ze orange dry—that's all——"
Handsome looked up quickly. Savagely he retorted:
"Of which juice you and Keralio want a goodly share, don't you?"
The valet's greenish eyes flashed.