“To the sale of the black diamond,” he repeated.
All the men, in a spirit of high bravado, drained off their glasses. A moment later they sat down. Other toasts followed. The party grew wilder and more merry. Each man capped his neighbour’s story. The room was clouded with smoke, and echoed from end to end with the sound of boisterous mirth. Suddenly, in the midst of a very wild and daring tale, Rowton staggered to his feet. He made a step or two forward in the chief’s direction.
“You scoundrel, you have poisoned me!” he cried.
CHAPTER XXXV.
WAGES.
The moment Rowton spoke Long John rapped his hand loudly on the board. He rose and spoke in a clear and penetrating voice.
“Silence, men,” he said, “I have something to say.”
Every tongue was instantly arrested.
“I wish to state a fact,” continued Long John, just glancing for a moment at Rowton, who, white to his lips, was standing near. “Our gentleman leader, Adrian Rowton, of Rowton Heights, in Yorkshire, otherwise known to this school by the name of Silver, has been in debt to us to the tune of five hundred pounds. The debt was contracted on behalf of a certain diamond, which we all know here as the black diamond. The diamond was of great worth, and from different circumstances in connection with its coming into our possession, its presence in the School was fraught with extreme danger. Silver was commissioned to take it to Spain and sell it there for two thousand pounds, a sum, as you know, very much below its intrinsic value. Silver did sell the diamond, but, as it turns out, he sold it to himself for five hundred pounds below the price I set upon it. In this manner he contracted a debt to our School of five hundred pounds. By securing the diamond for himself he contracted a further debt, the dimensions of which cannot be measured. This further debt formed the subject of our very painful discussion last night. The first debt was of small importance; the second debt was vital. There was only one way in which Rowton could pay the second debt. I wish to tell you all, now, my men, that Adrian Rowton has cleared the debt. His record with us is white.”
“Hold a minute,” said Rowton. His voice was loud but somewhat shaky. He was staggering with mortal pain. “All here present have acted towards me with treachery. There’s not a man in this room who did not know what Long John wanted me here for. You, Scrivener, lured me to this place by means of a lie. When I came here I trusted to your honour, mates. You have every one of you failed me.”