The Tiger shook his head sadly. “Piked on the bean, guv’nor!” he said simply.
“ What?”
“So help me bob, guv’nor, it’s Gawd’s truth! Loped off with that well-breeched swell I seed her with t’other day!”
The Viscount had the oddest impression that the floor was heaving under his feet. He put out a hand to grasp the edge of his dressing-table, saying hoarsely: “It’s a lie!”
“I’ll wish myself backt if ever I told you a lie, guv’nor!” Jason said earnestly. “Nor I wouldn’t tell no lies about the missus! Fit to nap my bib, I be!”
In proof of this statement he drew the sleeve of his jacket across his eyes and sniffed dolorously. The Viscount, white as his shirt, said: “How do you know this, rascal?”
“Seed her with my werry own daylights, guv’nor.” He shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “I was waiting in Camden Place, that Maria — the saucy mort what is maid to the missus — whiddling the scrap to me that the missus takes the dog what belongs to the old gentry-mort for a walk every evening. Seemed to me if I was to go and tell the missus as how we miss her mortal bad — but I never had no chance to open me bone-box! There was a rattler a-standing in the road, and this cove as you knows of, guv’nor. So I lays low, and keeps my daylights skinned. And along comes the missus with the dawg on a string. Then I seed that well-breeched swell put a mask over his phyz, and I’m bubbled if he didn’t catch hold of the missus and start a-kissing of her! And afore I could get my breath he threw her into the rattler and jumped on to a niceish piece of blood, and whole lot starts off!”
The Viscount started forward. “You damned little fool, did you do nothing to aid her ladyship? You watched her being forcibly carried off, and you — ”
“Guv’nor, it ain’t no use bamming you: she weren’t carried off, not agin her will she weren’t! For I seed her put her arm round the cove’s neck, hugging him like you never saw, and she didn’t struggle, nor let a squeak, not once!”
“I knew it!” declared the dowager.