Of High Descent Part 43

"May be; but that's our game, Harry. The other could not be managed without being missed; this, you see, is not in use."

"Pradelle, it's madness."

"Say Vic, dear boy."

"Well, Vic, I say it's madness."

"Nothing of the kind. It's making use of a little coin that you can get at easily. Why, hang it, old fellow, you talk as if I were asking you to steal the money."

"Hus.h.!.+ Don't talk like that."

"Well, you aggravate me so. Now, am I trying to serve you, or am I not?"

"To serve me, of course."

"Yes, and you behave like a child."

"I want to behave like an honourable man to my father's friend."

"Oh, if you are going to preach I'm off."

"I'm not going to preach."

"Then do act like a man. Here is your opportunity. You know what the old chap said about the tide in the affairs of men?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, your tide is at its height. You are going to seize your opportunity, and then you can do as you like. Why you might turn the tables on Miss Madelaine."

"If you don't want to quarrel just leave her name alone," said Harry, with a bulldog-like growl.

"Oh, I'll never mention it again if you like. Now, then, once for all, is it business?"

Harry was silent for a few minutes, and then replied--

"Yes."

"Your hand on it."

Harry stretched out his hand unwillingly, and it was taken and held.

"I shall hold you to it now, my lad. Now, then, when is it to be?"

"Oh, first opportunity."

"No: it's going to be now--to-night--as soon as it's dark."

"Nonsense, it must be some day--when Crampton is not there."

"That means it will not be done at all, for Crampton never leaves; you told me so. Look here, Harry Vine, if you borrow the amount then, and it's missed, of course you are asked directly, and there you are. No, my lad, you'll have to go to-night."

"But it will be like housebreaking."

"Bah! You'll go quietly in by the back way, make your way along the pa.s.sage to Van Heldre's room, take the keys down from the hook--"

"How did you know that the keys hung there?"

"Because, my dear little man, I have wormed it all out of you by degrees. To continue; you will go down the gla.s.s pa.s.sage, open the office door, go to the safe, open that, get the two hundred--"

"Two hundred! You said fifty would do."

"Yes, but then I said a hundred, and now I think two will be better.

Easier paid back. You can work more spiritedly with large sums than with small. You've got to do this, Harry Vine, so no nonsense."

Harry was silent.

"When you have the notes, you will lock all up as before, and then if they are missing before we return them, which is not likely, who can say that you have been there? Bah! don't be so squeamish. You've got to do that to-night. You have promised, and you shall. It is for your good, my lad."

"Yes, and yours," said Harry gloomily.

"Of course. Emanc.i.p.ation for us both."

Harry was silent, and soon after they rose and strolled back to the old house, where through the open window came the strains of music, and the voices of Madelainc and Louise harmonised in a duet.

"One less at Van Heldre's, lad. The old man will be having his evening pipe, and the doors open. Nothing could be better. Half-past nine, mind, while they are at tea. It will be quite dark then."

Harry was silent, and the two young men entered and sat down, their coming seeming to cast a damp on the little party, for the music was put aside and work taken up, Vine being busy with some notes of his day's observations of the actions of a newly-found mollusc.

Tea was brought in at about a quarter past nine, and Pradelle rose and went to the window.

"What a beautiful night, Harry," he said. "Coming for half an hour's stroll before bed?"

"Don't you want some tea?" said Harry, loudly.

"No. Do you?"

"No," said Harry shortly; and he rose and went out, followed by his friend.

"You mean this then," he said, as soon as they were out on the cliff.

"No; but you do. There is just time for it, so now go."

Harry hesitated for a few minutes, and then strode off down toward the town, Pradelle keeping step with him, till they reached the street where a lane branched off, going round by the back of Van Heldre's house, but on a higher level, a flight of steps leading down into the half garden, half yard, overlooked by the houses at the back, whose bas.e.m.e.nts were level with Van Heldre's first floor.

The time selected by Pradelle for the carrying out of his scheme happened to be Crampton's club night, and, according to his weekly custom, he had gone to the old-fas.h.i.+oned inn where it was kept, pa.s.sing a m.u.f.fled-up figure as he went along, the said figure turning in at one of the low entrances leading to dock premises as the old clerk came out, so that he did not see the face.

It was a trifling matter, but it was not the first time Crampton had seen this figure loitering about at night, and it somehow impressed him so that he did not enjoy his one gla.s.s of spirits and water and his pipe. But the matter seemed to have slipped his memory for the time that he was transacting his club business, making entries and the like.

Later on it came back with renewed force.