"Of course you know, sir," he said, shifting uneasily, "Mr. Billings ain't exactly himself, so to speak, so you mustn't mind. Fact is—if I may say so—he's got the most considerable case of jimmies I ever see him with, so—"
"Oh, go on!" I breathed miserably.
"Yes, sir—h'm!" Wilkes heaved distressfully, then drove doggedly ahead: "Oh, well, sir, what he says was that it was his duty, he thought, to tell the family the truth about those pajamas, so that they would know that the man they were harboring under their roof wasn't what he seemed to be." His gaze bored higher over my head, his voice tapering off so faintly I could hardly hear.
But I heard all right! Oh, yes, I got the full devilish force of it; but I couldn't speak. My dry lips touched wordlessly and I hunched deep into the hollow of the big leather rocker. I would have liked to get even deeper, and I studied wistfully a tiny floor-crack under the radiator. I thought I could make it if I were alone!
Wilkes coughed again. I winced—there was evidently more!
"Yes, sir," he murmured, as I cut a quick glance upward. "He did say further that if you weren't satisfied, though, and would prefer another trial—"
"Eh?" I bounded out of the chair. "What's that? Oh, dash it, yes—I would, by Jove!"
"Very good, sir." Wilkes looked relieved, himself. "In that case, he said he was willing to experiment again—that was his word—experiment. He said he wouldn't detain you here on his account, but he would have to ask you to stay another day or two while he made his observations."
It was a devilish cold shoulder, but I had no choice. Fact was, by Jove, I was so jolly glad for that chance, and for being trusted again by Billings, even in this half-hearted way, that I just ground my pride under my heel—why, dash it, I would have ground anything under my heel for her! I was as happy as a bird, and life was again one grand, sweet what's-its-name.
"Tell him certainly, Wilkes, and thank him—don't forget to thank him." And I believe I wrung his hand. "And—er—wait, Wilkes—couldn't you use a tenner?" I checked him on the threshold. "Let's see—no, that's a twenty—say, take that; take them both—thank you, Wilkes!—and there's a five, too. Oh, yes, you must take it all—I have no use for it, you know—never would use those particular ones!"