He was loitering about among the warehouses till Jacob should join him, when a figure which seemed familiar to him approached, in earnest conversation with another man, but he could not see the face of either distinctly. After a while they parted, and the man whom he seemed to recognise was left alone, and turned towards him. But could it really be? Dare he believe his eyes? Yes; there could be no mistake, it was indeed Juniper Graves. That rather reckless character was, however, much more spruce in his appearance, and better dressed, than when in Frank Oldfield’s service. There was an assumption of the fine gentleman about him, which made him look ludicrously contemptible, and had Frank not been roused to furious indignation at the sight of him, he could hardly have refrained from a violent outburst of merriment at the absurd airs and graces of his former servant. As it was, breathless with wrath, his eyes flashing, and his face in a crimson glow, he rushed upon the object of his just resentment, and, seizing him by the collar, exclaimed in a voice of suppressed passion,—
“You—you confounded scoundrel! you rascally thief! So I’ve caught you at last. I’ll make very short work with you, you ungrateful villain.”
Then he paused for a moment, and shaking him violently, added,—
“What have you to say for yourself, why I shouldn’t hand you over at once to the police?”
Nothing could be more whimsically striking than the contrast between Juniper Graves’ grand and jaunty bearing a moment before, and his present utter crawling abjectness. He became white with terror, and looked the very picture of impotent cowardice. But this was but for a minute; then his self-possession returned to him. He felt that, if his master gave him over immediately in charge to the police, everything was lost; but if he could only get a hearing for a few minutes, before any further step was taken, he was persuaded that he could manage to stem the torrent that was bearing against him, especially as, fortunately for him, Frank Oldfield and himself were alone. His first object, therefore, was to gain time.
“Oh, Mr Frank, Mr Frank!” he cried beseechingly, “spare me—spare me—you don’t know all—you’re labouring under a great misapplication; if you only knew all, you’d think very indifferently of me.”
“That’s just what I do now,” said the other, smiling in spite of himself. Juniper saw the smile. He was satisfied that his case was not hopeless.
“Pray, Mr Frank,” he said humbly and softly, “pray do take your hand off my coat; there’s no need, sir—I shan’t try to escape, sir—I’ll follow you as impressively as a lamb—only give me time, and I’ll explain all.”
“Indeed!” exclaimed Frank; “do you mean to tell me that you’ll explain back my fifty pounds into my pocket again?”
“Yes, sir, and more besides, if you’ll only be patient and hear me. Thank you, sir. If you’ll just step in here, sir, I hope to be able to explain all to your satisfaction.”