“All right; is that all?”
“Not quite. While you are at the hotel, see my father and sister and Herbert Oswald, and tell them that the danger is all over for us—that is, if you haven’t already ’phoned them.”
“Your father and Oswald came up here with me when the alarm was given, and they have been here ever since until a couple of hours ago, when I persuaded Oswald to take your father back to the Inn on the assurance that we should reach you with the pipe within a short time. Your father was pretty well tuckered out, and I didn’t dare to let him stay here any longer.”
“Good man!” said David; “I owe you something for that, Silas. Be sure and tell them at the hotel that we are all right and quite comfortable, and that there is nothing to worry about. And while you’re at it, you may give Oswald and my sister my hearty congratulations, and tell them, from Miss Virginia and me, that we hope they’ll be as happy as they deserve to be.”
Plegg, the imperturbable, let slip a little imprecation of joy.
“I—I’ll be damned!” he burbled; “you don’t know what a relief it is to hear you talking that way! Any more errands?”
“Yes; one more. Our engagement—Miss Virginia’s and mine—hasn’t been announced yet, so you may break the news, if you care to; to Mr. Grillage when you see him, to my people, and to the folks at the Inn. Also, you may let it go to the fellows on the staff and to the men on the job. We shall be married as soon as Mr. Grillage is up and able to give the bride away.”
“Good!—oh, bully good!” came from the other end of the tube, from which it may be inferred that the first assistant’s half-cynical habit of self-restraint and reticence was broken beyond repair. Then: “Of course, I’m taking your word for it, but if Miss Virginia would—er—sort of counter-sign the order ... I haven’t heard her voice yet.”
Virginia put her lips to the tube and her eyes were dancing.
“It’s so, Mr. Plegg; can you hear me? And there are some other things that are going to be so, too—things in which you’ll have to help. We are counting upon you—may we?”