‘Yes, sir,’ said the inspector, and bade the trio adieu with great politeness.
They three took train for Thames Ditton at once, and by the way Barndale told the story of his arrest.
Arrived at the historic ‘Swan,’ they settled down to their separate avocations—Lilian and the doctor to nurse Leland, and Barndale to do all that in him lay to track the Greek. My story nears its close; and I may say at once, without word-spinning, that Demetri Agryopoulo disappeared, and was no more heard of. He was too wily to speak the English described in the advertisement of his peculiarities. He spoke German like an Alsatian, French like a Gascon, and Italian like a Piedmontese, and could pass for any one of the three. By what devices he held himself in secrecy it matters not here to say. But again, and for the last time in this story, he went his way, and the darkness shrouded him.
On the day following Barndale’s arrest and release, Lilian sat by her brother’s bedside, when the door of the bedroom opened noiselessly, and two women stole in on stealthy tiptoe.
One was Barndale’s maiden sister, and the other was poor little Thecla Perzio.
Lilian kissed them both; and Thecla said, in a tearful, frightened whisper.
‘It is all my wicked, wicked fault. But O mademoiselle, may I not help to nurse him?’
‘Not mademoiselle, dear—Lilian!’ was Lilian’s sole answer.
So the three women stayed, together with mamma Leland, and nursed the invalid in couples. And it came to pass that the indiscreet little Thecla won everybody’s heart about the place, and that everybody came to be assured that no lack of maidenly honour had made her indiscreet, but only a very natural, unsuspecting, childlike confidence. It came to pass also that when Leland Junior began to get better he saw good and sufficient reasons for setting a term to his bachelor existence.
And with no great difficulty Thecla Perzio was brought to his opinion.