"Yes, arrest me," Mr. Pyecroft went on, easily, yet under his easy words trying to suggest certain definite contingencies. "That would be bad enough in itself. But, as you know, Judge Harvey, my arrest would unfortunately but necessarily involve the arrest of several other quite innocent persons--bring about a great public scandal--and create a situation that would be deplorable in every particular. You see that, Judge?"
Judge Harvey got the covered meaning.
"I see. But what do they want to arrest you for?"
"On a most absurd charge," answered Mr. Pyecroft, smiling,--but eyes straight into Judge Harvey"s eyes. "They seem to think I am Thomas Preston."
"Thomas Preston!" cried the Judge.
"Yes, the man that forged those Jefferson letters you bought."
Mr. Pyecroft saw the puzzled semi-recognition that he had observed in the Judge"s face the night before flash into amazed, full recognition.
Quickly but without appearance of haste, he stepped forward diverting attention from the Judge"s face, and made himself the center of the party"s eyes.
"You see, lieutenant and officers," he said easily, filling in time to give Judge Harvey opportunity to recover and think--and still aiming his meaning at the Judge, "you see, I have here summoned before you the best possible witness to my ident.i.ty. You threaten to arrest and expose me and two other persons in this house. Judge Harvey knows, as well as I know, how unfortunate it would be for these parties, and how displeasing to Mrs. De Peyster, if you should make the very great blunder of arresting me as Thomas Preston. Now, Judge Harvey,"--with a joking smile,--"you know who I am. Will you please inform the lieutenant whether I am the man you wish to have arrested?"
Judge Harvey stared, silent, his face twitching.
"Is what he says O.K., Judge?" queried Lieutenant Sullivan. "He ain"t the man you want arrested?"
"He is not," the Judge managed to get out.
"From the way you hesitated--"
"The Judge"s hesitation, Lieutenant," Mr. Pyecroft interrupted in his pleasant tone, "was due to his amazement at the utter grotesqueness of the situation. He was for a moment utterly taken aback. That"s it, isn"t it, Judge?"
"Yes," said Judge Harvey.
The lieutenant twisted his derby in chagrined, ireful hands.
"Some of my men have been d.a.m.ned fools again!" he exploded. He got himself back under control. "Judge Harvey, I hope you"ll excuse our b.u.t.tin" in like this--and--and won"t find it necessary to mention it to the heads of the department."
"It"s--it"s all right," said the Judge.
"And you, Mr.--Mr.--"
"Simpson--Archibald Simpson," supplied Mr. Pyecroft.
"Mr. Simpson, I hope you don"t mind this too much?"
"No ill feeling at all, Lieutenant," Mr. Pyecroft said graciously.
"Such little mistakes must occasionally occur in the most careful police work."
"And--and--there"s another thing," said Lieutenant Sullivan with a note of gruff pleading. "You know how the papers are roasting the department just now. For every little slip, we get the harpoon or the laugh. I"ll be obliged to you if you don"t say anything that"ll let this thing get into the papers."
"Believe me, Lieutenant, I shall do everything in my power to protect you," Mr. Pyecroft a.s.sured him. "And now, since the matter is settled," he added pleasantly, "perhaps you"d like to have Matilda show you the way out. These upper hallways are really very confusing.
Matilda, my dear,--if you don"t mind."
Wordlessly, Matilda obeyed, and four sets of policemen"s feet went heavily down the stairs. Beneath her bedclothes Mrs. De Peyster began faintly, ever so faintly, to return to life. Judge Harvey glared at Mr. Pyecroft, hands spasmodically clutching and unclutching; his look grew darker and darker. Respectful, regretful, Mr. Pyecroft stood waiting.
His left forefinger had not lost the place in "Wormwood."
CHAPTER XVIII
THE THIRD FLIGHT
The storm broke.
"You are a scoundrel, sir!" thundered the Judge.
"I fear, sir, you are right," respectfully a.s.sented Mr. Pyecroft.
"And what"s more, you"ve made me lie to the police!"
"Not exactly, sir," Mr. Pyecroft corrected mildly. "I was careful about that. I did not ask you to deny that I was Thomas Preston. I merely asked you if I was the man you wished arrested. You answered that you did not want me arrested; under the circ.u.mstances I am certain you spoke the truth. And in explaining your hesitation to the lieutenant, when you said it was due to your utter amazement at the grotesqueness of the situation, I am certain you there also spoke the truth."
"You are a quibbler!" fumed the outraged Judge. "You made me lie to the police!"
"Well, even if I did," returned Mr. Pyecroft in his same mild tone, "is there any one else you would rather lie to?"
The Judge glared, almost choking. "Have you no respect, man, for common decency--for order--for the law?"
"For order and decency, yes,--but as for ordinary law, I fear I have no more respect than your honor has," Mr. Pyecroft admitted gravely.
"And I acquired my irreverence toward law just as your honor did--from studying it."
Judge Harvey stared.
"What! You"re a lawyer?"
"I have been admitted to the bar, and have been a law clerk, but have never practiced for myself."
"But last night you said you were a clergyman!"
"I have gone no deeper into theology, sir, than the price of a clerical suit. And that was for its moral effect on the police."
"Sir," exploded the Judge, "you are utterly incorrigible!"
"I trust that I am not, sir," submitted Mr. Pyecroft gravely, hopefully.
At that moment Jack and Mary appeared on tiptoe in the doorway, alive with curiosity; and directly behind them came Matilda. Upon the latter Judge Harvey turned.
"Well, Matilda, I certainly want to compliment you on your brother!"
he exclaimed with irate sarcasm.