They began to notice his altered manner and they became suspicious of him. Was it possible he was going to turn traitor? His face sometimes wore the nervous, anxious look which the professional Judas cannot always banish. But, consulting together, Heckett, Brooks, and Preene dismissed the notion as absurd. How could he play them false? It was to his interest not to. Besides, he had the reputation of being a chief among swindlers—a master-mind. It is not from such men there is danger to be feared. It is generally some outsider, who hasn’t the talent to make a rogue, who proves a traitor, and, lacking pluck, turns his cowardice to some account.
Marston saw that his manner was attracting notice, and he controlled himself directly. He hurried on the settlement, however, and even agreed to accept less than his original share in order to get out of the business.
When, in due course, everything had been safely done and the traces removed, the four men met for the last time in a lonely house which they had taken near Kilburn, and where the melting operations had been conducted.
It had been agreed between them that, once their joint property realized and the division fairly made, they should separate for good. Marston had long ago announced his intention to ‘turn the game up;’ Brooks had determined to get out of the country for a bit in case of accidents; Preene had not said what he was going to do, and Heckett had been equally silent. He had never been very communicative, and as he was only an extra hand, laid on for this special job, none of them troubled much about him.
When the night came, however, for them to separate, and they left the house, Heckett, who had walked on by himself, found that Marston was coming quickly after him.
‘Well, Josh,’ he said, in his cheeriest tones, ‘I don’t think you’ve done badly, have you?’
‘I ain’t done as well as you,’ answered Mr. Heckett, surlily; ‘but then I ain’t a swell.’
‘What are you going to do now Josh? Going into the animal line again?’
‘No, I ain’t got no animals now, savin’ that there parrot, as cusses wus nor ever. I carn’t have no business now the gal’s gorn. She was my right hand like, and I ain’t been the same since she went.’
‘Oh,’ said Marston, looking at Heckett quite innocently, ‘then she’s never come back?’