“We’d better pay this fellow.”
“I’ll see him——” mumbled the other, but Brown was apparently the brains of the organisation and had merely mentioned his intention of paying out of sheer politeness to his companion.
He took a thick pocket-book from his hip pocket and counted out the notes, and Timothy picked them up.
“I’ll fix you for this,” said Chelwyn, mopping his bleeding lip. “You’ve taken this from me—not him.”
“Don’t frighten me,” said Timothy as he unbolted the door and stepped out.
“Some day I’ll get you,” said the livid man, and the finger he pointed at Timothy was shaking with anger.
“I’ll take a chance on that,” said Timothy.
He ascended the companion-way feeling remarkably cheerful, and met the purser coming down. That officer regarded him even more suspiciously than ever. But as there were no signs of the fray upon him, the purser went to his cabin relieved, and Timothy passed out to relieve his feelings by the side of the rail. So he sat whilst the big liner was brought alongside the wharf, and then he heard his name spoken and jumped up, hat in hand.
“I just wanted to tell you, Timothy, in case I did not see you on the train,” she remarked, “that Mrs. Renfrew has decided not to go back to Bath but to go on to Paris almost immediately.”
“Good for Mrs. Renfrew,” said Timothy. “Bath or Paris will find me hanging around. I nearly came down to you just now to borrow my fare to Bath.”