“Yes, I remember the talk,” Hilary said. “So you were there?”
“I was there with Colonel Mackenzie.”
“It was my first night at the Club,” Hilary said. “I was introduced to so many. You must forgive my not remembering you. Margaret, will you let me introduce Mr. Brown: my sister.”
Margaret bowed.
“While you talk,” she said, “I will see about some food. The household is a little disorganised.” There was not much light in the hall, but she looked hard at Mr. Brown and went into the kitchen.
“Come into the sitting-room, Mr. Brown,” Hilary said. “What can I do for you?”
“I am an American minister, Mr. Kingsborough,” Mr. Brown replied, as they walked back to the sitting-room together. “I am here, engaged in getting information about this rum-running. I was in Colonel Mackenzie’s office an hour or two ago, when Richard Shullocker, the club porter, came in, to say that you had been threatened, or warned or told of some risk or other. No, I don’t ask you if that be so or no, nor for any details, but I just felt it to be my duty just to look in, Mr. Kingsborough, and I will tell you why. You have a man up the road here, a young fellow, of the name of Paco; Enrique Paco, to whom I owed a small sum for horse-hire. I was driving out to pay this to Paco, and I said to Colonel Mackenzie and to Richard Shullocker, ‘I will tell you what I will do,’ I said. ‘Don’t trouble to send out guardias or vigilantes to them. No,’ I said, ‘for I have to go out to Paco’s on a matter of business, and coming back from Paco’s, as I pass the gate of their house, Los Tamales, or whatever it may be, I will stop my horse-car or caleche, or country-surrey, and offer Mr. Kingsborough a ride into town.’ So now, Mr. Kingsborough, there it is, I have paid Paco; and my surrey, though not exactly a White Surrey, is at the gates of your house, at your service, ready to drive you and your sister in to Las Palomas. You could have rooms at the hotel, for I took occasion to ask that at the hotel, before I came out to Paco’s. And I guess you would both feel easier in your minds away from this place, miles out in the forest.”
“Thank you, Mr. Brown,” Hilary said; “we are most grateful for your thought and for the offer. We were on our way to Paco’s to hire his buggy to take us to Las Palomas, as we thought it best not to neglect the warning.”
“That is sure sound sense, Mr. Kingsborough, near a seaport town like this. And if you will excuse me the observation, Mr. Kingsborough, your servants, though I guess you hired them along with the house, are not quite in the frame of mind to repel boarders.”
“They are not.”