FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   >>  
"Great!" said Jimmy. "After all, why should you be in a hurry to break up this very pleasant little meeting. I'm sure I'm not. Let us chat. How are the theatricals going? Was the duologue a success? Wait till you see our show. Three of us knew our lines at the dress-rehearsal." Sir Thomas had backed away from the bell, but the retreat was merely for the convenience of the moment. He understood that it might be injudicious to press the button just then; but he had recovered his composure by this time, and he saw that ultimately the game must be his. His face resumed its normal hue. Automatically, his hands began to move toward his coat-tails, his feet to spread themselves. Jimmy noted with a smile these signs of restored complacency. He hoped ere long to upset that complacency somewhat. Sir Thomas addressed himself to making Jimmy's position clear to him. "How, may I ask," he said, "do you propose to leave the castle?" "Won't you let me have the automobile?" said Jimmy. "But I guess I sha'n't be leaving just yet." Sir Thomas laughed shortly. "No," he said--"no! I fancy not. I am with you there!" "Great minds," said Jimmy. "I shouldn't be surprised if we thought alike on all sorts of subjects. Just think how you came round to my views on ringing bells. But what made you fancy that I intended to leave the castle?" "I should hardly have supposed that you would be anxious to stay." "On the contrary! It's the one place I have been in, in the last two years, that I have felt really satisfied with. Usually, I want to move on after a week. But I could stop here forever." "I am afraid, Mr. Pitt--By the way, an alias, of course?" Jimmy shook his head. "I fear not," he said. "If I had chosen an alias, it would have been Tressilyan, or Trevelyan, or something. I call Pitt a poor thing in names. I once knew a man called Ronald Cheylesmore. Lucky devil!" Sir Thomas returned to the point on which he had been about to touch. "I am afraid, Mr. Pitt," he said, "that you hardly realize your position." "No?" said Jimmy, interested. "I find you in the act of stealing my wife's necklace--" "Would there be any use in telling you that I was not stealing it, but putting it back?" Sir Thomas raised his eyebrows in silence. "No?" said Jimmy. "I was afraid not. You were saying--?" "I find you in the act of stealing my wife's necklace," proceeded Sir Thomas, "and, because for the moment you succeed in
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   >>  



Top keywords:
Thomas
 

afraid

 

stealing

 

moment

 

necklace

 
castle
 
position
 

complacency

 
Usually
 

satisfied


pleasant

 

forever

 
ringing
 

intended

 
contrary
 

supposed

 
meeting
 
anxious
 

telling

 

realize


interested

 

putting

 

proceeded

 

succeed

 

raised

 

eyebrows

 

silence

 

Trevelyan

 

Tressilyan

 

chosen


returned

 
Cheylesmore
 

Ronald

 

called

 

normal

 
Automatically
 

resumed

 
ultimately
 

spread

 
rehearsal

understood
 

backed

 
convenience
 
retreat
 

injudicious

 

composure

 
recovered
 

button

 
restored
 

leaving