"What?"
"As charming as ever, and prepared for your coming."
"Some of your work!" he commented. "Did you propose for me?"
"I left that finality for you--being the person most interested."
"Thanks! you"re exceedingly considerate."
"I thought you would appreciate it."
"When did you arrange for me to go over?" asked Macloud.
"Any time--the sooner the quicker. She"ll be glad to see you."
"She confided in you, I suppose?"
"Not directly; she let me infer it."
"In other words, you worked your imagination--overtime!" laughed Macloud. "It"s a pity you couldn"t work it a bit over the Parmenter jewels. You might locate them."
"I"m done with the Parmenter jewels!" said Croyden.
"But they"re not done with you, my friend. So long as you live, they"ll be present with you. You"ll be hunting for them in your dreams."
"Meet me to-night in dream-land!" sang Croyden. "Well, they"re not likely to disturb my slumbers--unless--there was a rather queer thing happened, last night, Colin."
"Here?"
"Yes!--I got in to Hampton, in the evening; about nine o"clock, I was returning to Clarendon when, at the gates, I was accosted by a tall, well-dressed stranger. Here is the substance of our talk.... What do you make of it?" he ended.
"It seems to me the fellow made it very plain," Macloud returned, "except on one possible point. He evidently believes we found the treasure."
"He is convinced of it."
"Then, he knows that you came direct from Annapolis to Hampton--I mean, you didn"t visit a bank nor other place where you could have deposited the jewels. Ergo, the jewels are still in your possession, according to his theory, and he is going to make a try for them while they are within reach. Informing the Government is a bluff. He hoped, by that means, to induce you to keep the jewels on the premises--not to make evidence against yourself, which could be traced by the United States, by depositing them in any bank."
"Why shouldn"t I have taken them to a dealer in precious stones?" said Croyden.
"Because that would make the best sort of evidence against you. You must remember, he thinks you have the jewels, and that you will try to conceal it, pending a Government investigation."
"You make him a very canny gentleman."
"No--I make him only a clever rogue, which, by your own account, he is."
"And the more clever he is, the more he will have his wits" work for naught. There"s some compensation in everything--even in failure!"
"It would be a bit annoying," observed Macloud, "to be visited by burglars, who are obsessed with the idea that you have a fortune concealed on the premises, and are bent on obtaining it."
"Annoying?--not a bit!" smiled Croyden. "I should rather enjoy the sport of putting them to flight."
"Or of being bound, and gagged, and ill-treated."
"Bosh! you"ve transferred your robber-barons from Northumberland to the Eastern Sh.o.r.e."
"No, I haven"t!" laughed Macloud. "The robber-barons were still on the job in Northumberland. These are banditti, disguised as burglars, about to hold you up for ransom."
"I wish I had your fine imagination," scoffed Croyden. "I could make a fortune writing fiction."
"Oh, you"re not so bad yourself!" Macloud retorted. Then he smiled.
"Apropos of fortunes!" and nodded toward the envelope on the table.
"It"s bully good to think you"re coming back to us!"
At that moment Moses pa.s.sed along the hall.
"Here, Moses," said Croyden, "take this letter down to the post office--I want it to catch the first mail."
"I fancy you haven"t heard of the stranger since last evening?" Macloud asked.
Croyden shook his head.
"And of course you haven"t told any one?"
"Yes, I have!" said Croyden.
"A woman?"
"A woman."
"How strange!" commented Macloud, mockingly. "I suppose you even told her the entire story--from the finding of the letter down to date."
"I did!--and showed her the letter besides. Why shouldn"t I have done it?"
"No reason in the world, my dear fellow--except that in twenty-four hours the dear public will know it, and we shall be town curiosities."
"We don"t have to remain," said Croyden, with affected seriousness--"there are trains out, you know, as well as in."
"I don"t want to go away--I came here to visit you."
"We will go together."
"But we can"t take the Symphony in Blue!"
"Oh! that"s it!" Croyden laughed.
"Certainly, that"s it! You don"t think I came down here to see only you, after having just spent nearly four weeks with you, in that fool quest on Greenberry Point?" He turned, suddenly, and faced Croyden.
"Who was the woman you told?"
"Miss Carrington!" Croyden laughed. "Think she will retail it to the dear public?"