He handed them back with no comment at first: then—“Well, I don’t see that makes any difference,” he said, and broke off the subject.
Terrard had no reason for remaining much longer, nor had Cassleton. They parted with as little ceremony as they had met. Cassleton moved off without haste, hailed a taxi and was with Trefusis within half an hour. Terrard saw him well off, and then went to the box to talk to his office. Even as Terrard was telling his partner over the ’phone that there was nothing doing Trefusis was hearing from Cassleton that the thing was real and urgent, that his fears were realized, and that at any moment the mine might be sprung under his feet.
“How shall I get him, here? Now?” Trefusis had asked sharply.
“You can’t,” Cassleton had drawled out. “I can get Terrard if you like.”
“Get Terrard,” said Trefusis.
But by the time Cassleton had got the Club he was told that Terrard had gone, and when he got on to Blake and Blake he was told that Terrard had not yet come, but that Charlbury could speak to him.
“How long will Mr. Terrard be?”
“We don’t know,” said the voice.
“Tell him to ring up 4398 St. Martin’s the moment he comes.... Tell him that it’s urgent,” he ended, in the voice of a man who doesn’t believe anything to be ever urgent at all. Then he put up the receiver and waited, saying nothing, while his master sat at the table looking through the walls and thinking furiously. The deep lines about Trefusis’ mouth were heavily drawn and he was breathing a little more rapidly than was his wont. He turned to the table and made a pretense of writing. But if any one had looked over his shoulder they would have seen that he was writing nothing, only scribbling the pen forward feverishly line after line to avoid the lifting of his head and the indiscretion of speech.
At long last the bell of the telephone rang. Cassleton was taking it up when Trefusis rushed to his side, took it from his hand and, even as he spoke into it, his eyes became so vivid and of such an intensity that the younger man, who knew him too thoroughly, was afraid.