“Well, then, Bill, that is one of the things you must not do. All I want is for you to let him see that you live here, and that Miss Hallett is under your protection. He won’t face you, and as soon as he finds that you are here he will keep away.”
“But he must be taken for his assault on the police, Antony.”
“No, no: let him go on in his own way. If you take him, there will be a great deal of inquiry and exposure that would be most painful to all my friends. We should have to go into the witness-box and be cross-examined, and it would be extremely painful to me, both on my own behalf and that of others.”
“You wouldn’t like it, Antony?” he said.
“No, indeed I should not,” I replied.
“That’s enough, dear lad,” he exclaimed, giving the table a rap with his fist. “That’s settled; but I may give him a word or two of a sort, eh? Just show him I know him, and move him on pretty sharp?”
“As much of that as you like,” I said; “I leave it in your hands. What I ask of you is, as an officer, to see that we are not pestered by that man.”
“It’s as good as done, Ant’ny,” he exclaimed, stuffing some more tobacco in his pipe.
“It’s better than done, my dear,” said Mary decisively. “When my William says a thing’s as good as done, you may make yourself comfortable about it.”
Revitts said no more about it in the future, only once when he met me at the door, chuckling to himself, and shaking his head.