F. Raffles even as
you counted on A. J. I thought of the man with the W. G.
beard--the riderless horse and the bloody saddle--the deliberate
misdirection that had put me off the track and out of the
way--and now the missing manager and the report of bushrangers at
this end. But I simply don't pretend to have felt any personal
pity for a man whom I had never seen; that kind of pity's usually
cant; and besides, all mine was needed for myself.
"I was in as big a hole as ever. What the devil was I to do? I
doubt if I have sufficiently impressed upon you the absolute
necessity of my returning to Melbourne in funds. As a matter of
fact it was less the necessity than my own determination which I
can truthfully ascribe as absolute.
"Money I would have--but how--but how? Would this stranger be
open to persuasion--if I told him the truth? No; that would set
us all scouring the country for the rest of the night. Why
should I tell him? Suppose I left him to find out his mistake .
. . would anything be gained? Bunny, I give you my word that I
went in to dinner without a definite intention in my head, or one
premeditated lie upon my lips. I might do the decent, natural
thing, and explain matters without loss of time; on the other
hand, there was no hurry. I had not opened the letter, and could
always pretend I had not noticed the initials; meanwhile
something might turn up.
Pages:
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111