Mr. McTaggart explains to the Great Statesman
his theory—or rather, certitude—upon the
whereabouts of the Great Emerald.
"Don't say that, Mr. McTaggart"—all the gentleman in him arising to patronize poverty—"don't say that!"
"I say I can understand that a man in my position should be suspected. But you will see; mark my words, you will see after no long space of time that I was right. I have an instinct in such things."
"But damn it all! Mr. McTaggart! Collop? Damn it all, think!"
"No," said Mr. McTaggart, moving towards the door, "I tell you I am sure, for I had it in a dream." And he and his bewildered host went downstairs.
The Home Secretary, as he moved by the young man's side towards the big drawing-room where they were all to assemble, felt in his mind something like a kaleidoscope or like the music in the drunken scene of "The Master Singer," or like a Wiggle-Woggle or like the Witching Waves.... Galton had seen Cousin William with the emerald. He had seen it with his own eyes—or else he lied. Cousin William had worked an infallible scientific test, and the Emerald had certainly been on McTaggart or else he lied. And yet McTaggart had not got it—or else he lied. The Home Secretary's powerful mind kept on returning to the central point, "How the hell could they all have it, and least of all how could Collop have it? That must be nonsense! ... Anyhow, Collop was there, that was a relief. It was his business to find out." Had Mr. de Bohun been in the habit of prayer he would have prayed fervently that Collop would track down the real man.
But side by side with that relief rose an immense wave of apprehension, for he remembered what manner of deep-sea beast Collop was, and he sickened at the coming ordeal of the dinner.
Nor was he wrong.
* * * * * * *