第35章

"Oh!" said the other glaring at the unoffending Fisher, "that's very good of him.Very good of this person to see a scholar and a gentleman who has been about his dirty business for three years.

Grown grey in his service! Do you understand that, my man!""Yes, sir," said Fisher.

"Look here!"

The man thrust out his face.

"Do you see those grey hairs in my beard"The embarrassed Fisher grinned.

"Is it grey!" challenged the visitor, with a roar.

"Yes, sir," said the valet hastily.

"Is it real grey?" insisted the visitor."Pull one out and see!"The startled Fisher drew back with an apologetic smile.

"I couldn't think of doing a thing like that, sir.""Oh, you couldn't," sneered the visitor; "then lead on!"Fisher showed the way up the stairs.This time the traveller carried no books.His left arm hung limply by his side and Fisher privately gathered that the hand had got loose from the detaining pocket without its owner being aware of the fact.He pushed open the door and announced, "Mr.Gathercole," and Kara came forward with a smile to meet his agent, who, with top hat still on the top of his head, and his overcoat dangling about his heels, must have made a remarkable picture.

Fisher closed the door behind them and returned to his duties in the hall below.Ten minutes later he heard the door opened and the booming voice of the stranger came down to him.Fisher went up the stairs to meet him and found hire addressing the occupant of the room in his own eccentric fashion.

"No more Patagonia!" he roared, "no more Tierra del Fuego!" he paused.

"Certainly!" He replied to some question, "but not Patagonia," he paused again, and Fisher standing at the foot of the stairs wondered what had occurred to make the visitor so genial.

"I suppose your cheque will be honoured all right?" asked the visitor sardonically, and then burst into a little chuckle of laughter as he carefully closed the door.

He came down the corridor talking to himself, and greeted Fisher.

"Damn all Greeks," he said jovially, and Fisher could do no more than smile reproachfully, the smile being his very own, the reproach being on behalf of the master who paid him.

The traveller touched the other on the chest with his right hand.

"Never trust a Greek," he said, "always get your money in advance.

Is that clear to you?"

"Yes, sir," said Fisher, "but I think you will always find that Mr.Kara is always most generous about money.""Don't you believe it, don't you believe it, my poor man," said the other, "you - "At that moment there came from Kara's room a faint "clang.""What's that" asked the visitor a little startled.

"Mr.Kara's put down his steel latch," said Fisher with a smile, "which means that he is not to be disturbed until - " he looked at his watch, "until eleven o'clock at any rate.""He's a funk!" snapped the other, "a beastly funk!"He stamped down the stairs as though testing the weight of every tread, opened the front door without assistance, slammed it behind him and disappeared into the night.

Fisher, his hands in his pockets, looked after the departing stranger, nodding his head in reprobation.

"You're a queer old devil," he said, and looked at his watch again.

It wanted five minutes to ten.