“I didn’t know in time. And, for another thing, she was so set on getting a pattern of virtue. But when she finds things ’ave gone wrong, and there’s no time to spare, unless she’s willing to lose money by it, she won’t be so partic’lar, and she’ll overlook some of your faults, Joe, if you keeps the rest of ’em dark.”
“You seem pretty sure things are going wrong,” said Mr. Tridge.
“I can feel it in me bones,” returned Mr. Dobb. “Anyway Mrs. Jackson’s coming in the day after to-morrow to meet this chap at one hundred and twenty-one, ’Igh Street. Now, I may be at the station when ’e arrives, and pass the time of day with ’im.”
“I can ’ear the dawn breaking,” observed Mr. Tridge, humorously. “You’ll tell ’im there’s nothing doing, and say you were sent by ’er to meet ’im and tell ’im so. And she’ll think ’e never come?”
“Helementary, Joe,” criticized Mr. Dobb. “Most helementary! ’E’d write to ’er when ’e got back, and then the fat ’ud be out of the frying-pan and into the fire. No, I mean to fix it so that she’s finished with ’im for good and all two minutes after she’s first set eyes on ’im!”
“And ’ow do you do that?” asked Mr. Lock. “Mesmerism?”
“No, circumstantial hevidence,” returned Mr. Dobb, happily. “There’s more people comes a cropper over circumstantial hevidence than over the truth coming out by haccident, and that’s saying a lot!”
He glanced warily about him, and then raised his arms in a gesture inviting closer heed to his words. Four heads bent over the table; three pairs of ears listened attentively. From one pair of lips came a whispered fluency of instruction and explanation. Finally, Mr. Dobb sat back with simpering pride, and his three companions unanimously expressed their awed respect for his brain-powers.
Again Mr. Dobb bent forward to add sundry details, promising to instruct those selected for dramatic roles at a more private opportunity on the morrow.
Mr. Samuel Clark, flattered by having the star part assigned to him, promised that he would rehearse on every possible occasion during the following day. Some twenty-two hours later Mr. Dobb called at Mr. Clark’s lodgings to see whether he was fulfilling this promise, and Mr. Clark at once afforded him something in the nature of a dress rehearsal.