Dick felt disturbed, but he said, “I don’t think so. Jake’s erratic, but he’s surprised me by his prudence now and then.”
Bethune left soon afterwards, and Dick went to bed, but got up again after an hour or two and began his work without seeing Jake. They did not meet during the day, and Dick went home to his evening meal uncertain what line to take. He had no real authority, and finding Jake languid and silent, decided to say nothing about his escapade. When the meal was finished, they left the hot room, as usual, for the verandah, and Jake dropped listlessly into a canvas chair.
“I allow you’re more tactful than I thought,” he remarked with a feeble smile. “Guess I was pretty drunk last night.”
“It looked rather like it from your clothes and the upset in the house,” Dick agreed.
Jake looked thoughtful. “Well,” he said ingenuously, “I have been on a jag before, but I really don’t often indulge in that kind of thing, and don’t remember drinking enough to knock me out. You see, Kenwardine’s a fastidious fellow and sticks to wine. The sort he keeps is light.”
“Then you got drunk at his house? I’d sooner have heard you were at the casino, where the Spaniards would have turned you out.”
“You don’t know the worst yet,” Jake replied hesitatingly. “As I’m in a very tight place, I’d better ’fess up. François doesn’t seem to have told you that I tried to draw my pay for some months ahead.”
“Ah!” said Dick, remembering with uneasiness what he had learned from Bethune. “That sounds ominous. Did you——”
“Let me get it over,” Jake interrupted. “Richter was there, besides a Spanish fellow, and a man called Black. We’d been playing cards, and I’d won a small pile when my luck began to turn. It wasn’t long before I was cleaned out and heavily in debt. Kenwardine said I’d had enough and had better quit. I sometimes think you don’t quite do the fellow justice.”
“Never mind that,” said Dick. “I suppose you didn’t stop?”