“Up to my room,” said Kelly. “There’s where we shall find Claude.”
“I say let us go to my room,” said Hayward. “We can count the money there, and he need not know any thing about it.”
“Do you intend to cheat Claude?” asked Kelly in surprise.
“I don’t know that there will be any cheating about it. He knew where the money was, and we got it. He thought we were going to fail; that was what was the matter with him.”
“We didn’t fail, and through him we got money that we wouldn’t have been able to earn in a lifetime,” said Kelly earnestly. “I won’t cheat Claude. You can go to your room if you want to, and I will divide my profits with him.”
Hayward did not say anything after this, but Kelly noticed that when he turned toward his room his companion went also. When they got to the door they tried to open it, but the apartment was fastened.
“Who is that?” asked a voice from the inside.
It was Claude who gave the challenge. He was sitting, with his feet on the window-sill, watching the lamp, which gave out a dim light through its smoky chimney, threatening every moment to go out and leave him in darkness. But his thoughts were far away from there. He was dreaming about Carl and his money, and wondering what was going to become of him if Kelly and his friend were baffled in their attempts to win it. He had mistrusted Kelly ever since he saw him speak to Carl, and had pretty nearly given up all hope; but the sound of the latch when the door was tried made his heart bound with exultation.
“It is me,” said Kelly. “Open up.”
It was all Claude could do to find the key, but he finally opened the door. A glance at their faces was sufficient for him.