CHAPTER XVII.
RUNNING HIM DOWN.
“Now, Briny,” said Miss Stratton, having assured herself that there was no possibility of her either being overseen or overheard, “we shall have to be smart lest we startle our game too soon again. I think that with all his attempts at disguise it will take him all his time to deceive me. I wonder what he will think of me when he comes under the spell of the fascinations I mean to exercise over him? H’m! Perhaps he is not very susceptible, and won’t be fascinated. In that case, I mean to work upon another tack. I only hope that I have studied the art of make-up sufficiently to prevent me from committing a hopeless blunder. Madame D’Alterre charged plenty for her instructions, and, so far, I am doing credit to them.”
As Miss Stratton talked to her dog, she patted and caressed him, and altogether treated him as if he could understand every word she said. For his part, he made no noisy demonstrations of approval, but showed his sympathy and appreciation in his own dignified way. Then he laid himself beside the door and watched the transformation which his mistress soon began to make in her appearance. Truth to say, the change effected was sufficiently startling to deceive even the keenest observer, and perhaps Briny himself would have been at fault if he had not been already initiated into some of his owner’s curious habits.
In about an hour Miss Stratton was nowhere to be seen, and in her place stood the young gentleman who has been introduced to the reader as Mr. Bootle. Enjoining the dog to remain at his post, Mr. Bootle put the light out, after placing some matches ready for use. Then he raised the blind and looked out of the window. Greatly to his delight, it proved to be a French window, opening into the garden, which was now dark and deserted, but from which it was easy to emerge unobserved into a lane which communicated with the main street. Before leaving the garden, however, after closing the window, Mr. Bootle reconnoitred a little, for he had an idea that Mrs. Dollman’s dining-room had a window which overlooked this part of the premises. The supposition proved quite correct, and what was equally important was the fact that the window was not too closely blinded. As it did not present any points of observation for the ordinary passer-by, particular care was not deemed necessary.
Regulating his movements with all possible care, Mr. Bootle contrived to obtain a good view of the persons seated round the table, occupied in partaking of supper. Sergt.-Major Twiley and his wife were there, and there were two other gentlemen present. The sergeant-major was easy to distinguish, and it took Mr. Bootle but a very short time to decide which of the other two men was the one posing as Mr. Gregory Staines, for one of them was a podgy, red-faced man, with clear, honest blue eyes, that would certainly have been very much out of place on his vis-à-vis’s face.
“There now, Mr. S., I have got a good look at you unobserved,” was the inward comment of the unseen watcher. “I must now take measures for keeping you under my notice without being suspected by you.”
Five minutes later our friend, cigarette in hand, was promenading carelessly up and down the front street, and keeping a sharp look-out upon Mrs. Dollman’s door. It was half-past nine when at last his vigil was rewarded by the sight he hoped for. Mr. Gregory Staines was bent upon either business or amusement, and was hurrying ahead of Mr. Bootle, perfectly unsuspicious of the fact that he was being followed. Lina is not a very large place, and it did not take long for either individual to reach the goal aimed at.
Mr. Bootle, otherwise Annie Cory, felt a slight accession of nervousness on entering the hotel to which Mr. Staines hurried as if he were afraid of missing some of the fun going on inside. But, although Annie found herself entering upon a totally new phase of life, she sauntered through the vestibule, and into a large saloon behind Staines, as if she were quite used to the habits of the society to which she was now being introduced. Following the example of her unconscious guide, she seated herself at a small table, and ordered a drink of brandy. Her reason for ordering brandy was soon apparent. While keenly taking note of all that transpired around her, she only feigned to drink, and after a while, watching her opportunity, she deftly substituted an empty glass for the one she was supposed to be using. In this way she fairly accounted for her presence in the place without appearing to be an unprofitable customer. Her next proceeding was to follow Mr. Staines into a side-room, in the centre of which stood a table, round which were seated some men playing at cards. The game was being watched by about a score of onlookers, and it was easy to stand among them and elude special observation. After about twenty minutes spent impatiently by Mr. Staines, that gentleman found someone to play with him, and was forthwith transformed into a happy man, for his adversary, though not an inexperienced player, was too excitable to stand the smallest chance of beating such a combination of skill, coolness, and knavery as now confronted him. Mr. Staines, although his luck was almost miraculous, seemed to have as yet aroused no suspicions of unfair play. Now and again he lost a trifle, but Mr. Bootle concluded that these occasional losses were deliberately effected solely for the purpose of preserving the confidence and stimulating the gambling propensities of the people whose money the unscrupulous fellow meant to win.
“I think I will drop it,” said Mr. Staines at last, putting his winnings into his pocket. “Luck seems all my way to-night, and I don’t think it fair to go on playing, for I have no wish to skin anybody out.”
But this show of consideration for others had precisely the effect anticipated by the speaker. The majority of his hearers were English, and they did not relish the imputation of unskilfulness thus adroitly thrown upon them.