He paused in some embarrassment, and Mr. Bonstone said, “All right, go. I’m obliged.”
Fifeson shot out into the night, and not a dog followed him this time.
Mr. Bonstone turned to my master, “Fifeson has had some dealings with the underworld that he doesn’t want to reveal. Now, how am I to get to town?”
“I’ll take you in the racer,” said master pointing to his French car.
“I’ll say a word to Stanna,” said Mr. Bonstone, and he leaped upstairs calling over his shoulder, “Czarina.”
Czarina told me afterward that Mr. Bonstone shot into his wife’s bed-room, exclaimed, “I’m going to town—will explain later. Keep the hound with you for company. Everything’s all right, but dress yourself and telephone Thomas to take you over to Claudia. Tell her Rudolph is with me. We’ll be back in a few hours. Not a word to a soul about the man who was here.”
Czarina says Mrs. Bonstone smiled brightly, never asked a question, motored over to my dear mistress’s house, told her the two men had gone off to the city, probably on one of their errands of mercy.
I think mistress was a little worried, for Czarina says she called for Cannie, King Harry and myself to watch in the house till master returned. She got King Harry and Cannie, but not your humble servant, for I had sprung first in the car, and was flying to New York on the wings of the wind.
The car is a beauty, and as there were few machines on the road, master didn’t trouble about the speed limit. We didn’t go quite into the city. We stopped at the Johnsons’, where Louis and I had had the adventure in saving Lady Serena Glandison from drowning. Mr. Johnson, fortunately, was just getting home from his club in his own car. A few words to him from master, and back he went to the city, to put detectives on the track of the wicked young burglars who were going to steal Mr. Jones’ diamonds.
The burglary didn’t come off, two men were caught, and sent to Sing Sing, though one escaped, and best of all, Fifeson’s connection with the affair was never suspected, as it had been managed in such a roundabout way.