“There you are, what did I tell you, guv’nor?” demanded Henry scornfully. “Him a prize-fighter! You’d have done better to let me handle the whole job. You’ll have that chicken-hearted shifter handing Jem Tyler over to a beak if you ain’t careful.”
Hinkson turned on him wrathfully, but upon the tiger saying at once: “Yes, you pop in a hit at me, and see what you get from my guv’nor!” a slow grin spread over his unprepossessing countenance, and with an apologetic look at the Earl he went on harnessing the horses to the tilbury. Henry cast a professional eye over the buckles, and watched with considerable interest his master and Hinkson hoist the inanimate form of Jem Tyler into the tilbury, and cover it with a rug.
Hinkson gathered up the reins and said gruffly: “I won’t fail you, my lord.”
“No, because if you did you’d lose a fatter purse than you’ve ever fought for, or ever will!” retorted Henry.
“And when all’s clear,” said Hinkson, settling himself on the box-seat, and addressing the tiger, “I shall come back into this yard and wring your skinny neck, my lad!” With which he jerked the reins, and drove out of the yard into the alley.
The Earl watched him go, and turned to look down at his tiger. “You know me, don’t you, Henry? One word of this on your tongue and it is I who will wring your neck, long before Hinkson has the chance of doing it. OS with you now!”
“ And I’d let you, guv’nor, which is more than what I would that lump o’ lard!” replied Henry, unabashed.
An hour later Captain Audley went softly into the book-room and shut the door behind him. The Earl was writing at his desk, but he looked up and smiled faintly. Captain Audley glanced across at Peregrine’s still form. “Julian, are you quite sure—?”
“Perfectly.”
Captain Audley walked to the couch and bent over it. “It seems a damned shame,” he said, and straightened himself. “What have you done with the groom?”