IN FULL CRY. CHAPTER XXII.

Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 49

IN FULL CRY.

CHAPTER XXII.

— ♦ By RIOHARD MARSZT, •

Author of "The Beetle: A Mystery," "The Crime and the Criminal," " The Dafcchet Diamonds," " Mra Musgravo and Her Husband," " The Woaian with One Hand," etc., etc. [COP Y~RI G H. T.]

-A GAME OF BILLIARDS.

ISS DOLLY HAMILTON took what waa evidently her own particular cue out of its metal case. She chalked the tip with much "I suppose that you can ' I used to be able to a little—once."

play " Shall I give you any points? " There was about this suggestion a touch of arrogance which was unmistakable. " Thank you. I think we might play for a hundred level, juf\L to see how we stand."' He opened with a miss. >She replied with another. " Of course, you behaved very badly." " I'm afraid I did." " You ought to have told me who you were directly you got into the carriage." " Before T knew who jrou were? " " You ought to have told me directly you did. You ought not to have allowed me to remain in ignorance a moment. It was unmanly." " Unmanly? " " Yes. See what I said about you to May Qifford, and what May Gifford said to me, while you said nothing." " Just so." " It has placed me in a false position — and her. I don't know what she will say when she knows that you were the man in the corner." " Perhaps it will be a lesson to you not to discuss third persons in a stranger's presence." " How absurd! " She brought her cue down on to the floor with a bang. "If I can't talk aJbout my own uncle to my best friend, whom can I talk about? How am I to know that my uncle likes to play the part of eavesdropper?" " How could I play the part of eavesdropper when I was there all the time in plain sight? " " But not in plain knowledge." " I think you re severe. The circumstances were peculiar." " Mo^t peculiar. But I don't see how that makes the position any better for you. All the same, I'll forgive you, since you are my uncle—that is, if you'd like me to." "I should —very much." " Then you're forgiven. That's a fluke." He had screwed a cannon in rather ingenious fashion, and did something very like the same thing- three or four times over. " Of course, if you are going to play like that, you ought to have let me know. I ought to have had points. I'm not a professional player." He sighed. "How many points shall I give you?" " None, thank you, in the middle of a game. If the balls will only run decently for me, perhaps I may make a break. I happen to-day to be in a forgiving mood." "I hope that's not peculiar to to-day." " Oh, but it is ; I'm not forgiving as a rule, I assure you. I haven't forgiven you before, have I? " "No, I'm afraid not. But better late than never." " But to-day I've had good news; Jack's got a brief! " " I'm very glad to hear it. Who's Jack?" "Who's Jack? Mr John Armilags is the gentleman to whom I am ea^a-JHed."

" Engaged ! You don't mean to say that you're engaged?" " And why not? Why do you look at me like that? " "You — you seem so young." " Young ! I seem young ! My good uncle, I'm positively ancient." "Are you? Then what am I?"' " You ! Compared to me, you are positively juvenile. At least, you seem so to me. A woman is always older than a man." "Is she? I see. Now I understand." " Now that he's made his first step up the ladder" I trust that people will be more '•casonable, especially mamma. There ought to be a formal announcement. Because, of course, if he wins this case, he'll get shoals of others." "Not a dembt of it." • "As Jack himself says, it's the sort of case in which a man has an excellent opportunity of bringing himself before the public eye". He's lucky to have got it — though, no doubt, he can't be long among even the dullest people without their discovering that's he's something Very much out of the common." "So I should imagine. In what sort of case has he been briefed?" " It's a case of murder." " Oh." With much deliberation, Mi' Polhurston essayed a long jenny, and scored. " A case of murder? " " It's very odd ; at least it seems odd, and a little embarrassing. But there's always something." "In what way?" "£o I thought I'd be the first to tell you." "To tell me what? That Jack's got a brief? " f " It's not only that — that is, not exactly. I hope you won't be annoyed." "Annoyed? What at? At Jack's getting a brief? I hope he'll get a thousand." " Well, you see " — she was re-chalking her cue with much assiduity — " what makes it seem rather awkward is that it's in the case of Mr Shapcott." "Of " He was about to mike a stroke, but, at the mention of the name he pause and turned. "'Of whom?" "Oh." He made his stroke, and scored. "Of Mr Shapcott — your Mr Shapcott." "That does seem rather odd."' " I understand that you've offered a reward for the detection of the criminal ; and, of course, you'd like to see the man who did it hung." "Well — to continue?" He scored again. "Jack's for the defence." "Is that Mr Armitage your Mr Armiiage?" " You knew he was for the defence? " " I understood that a Mr Armitage was to be counsel for the prisoner, and I was told that he was a very clever man." "Who told you? Do tell me who told you?" Her eyes sparkled: She moved towards him with eager steps. " Oh — someone. I'm. not sure that I quite remember who it was, but I know that I was told." " You mustn't be angry if he wins." " If he wins? " "If he gets the prisoner off. He has to do his best, for his own sake, and — and for mine." "And for the prisoner's?" " Yes, of course — and for the prisoner's. He may be innocent." " He may be."' "You won't be angry if he gels him oft", even — even if he's guilty? You see Jack's so very clever that he may get him off in any case. Think what that would mean to him, and — and to me ! " • "My dear Dolly, can you keep a seret? " "' Can I keep a secret! As if I couldn't! Have I breathed a word to any living soul about how you behaved in the railway carriage? And I'm going to bind May over to inviolate secrecy." " That's very good -of you ; but this is — rather different." " That doesn't matter, I can keep all kinds. I've kept dozens — that is I've kept all I've ever had to keep." Taking his glass out of his eye, he carefully wiped it with his pocket-handkerchief, looking at her with a smile which suggested peculiar enjoyment of the situation. " I want there to be a private understanding between you and me, of which you're not to breathe a word to any living soul." " What is the understanding to be about? " " If Mr Armitage procures the prisoner's acquittal I'll give you — a set of diamonds." "You'll give me a set of diamonds?" "Something like a set." " If Jaclt wins? " " That's it — if Jack wins." " But — I thought you wanted the prisoner to be hung." " Why should 3'ou think it? " " You've been offering a reward for his discovery." "A reward has been offered for the discovery of the actual murderer. The "prisoner may be innocent. ' " How do you know he's innocent? " He turned to the table. - ' • "I believe it's my stroke. I think I'll try to double the red into the middle pocket." He doubled it. " I didn't say I did know that he was innocent. I said he might be." • ' " Then why are you so anxious for his acquittal? He may be guilty " " The prisoner's name is Robert Foster. He is a young man, a very young man ; like yourself, a positive ancient. I have had inquiries made about him ; he seems to be an honest, hard-working, self-conducted youngster ; a strong impression of his innocence has been left upon my mind." "Then why do you prosecute?" "I don't; "it is the Crown." " But you can go into the witness box and say what you know." " I can." " Then why don't you? " He fenced with her question, although she did not notice it. " In England one cannot go into the witness box merely to express one's opinion. Itfa your stroke."

] She played, and missed, then turned I eagerly to him" again. "' But I don't understand. From what I iknew, and from what Jack says, I had so ; taken it for granted that your heart was ! set on a conviction that now I know ifr isn't my -ideas seem' to be all disarranged. Tell me — why are you so" anxious for an acquittal?" "Aren't we all desirous that innocence should be made plain T" , "That's all very well, but when it comes I to a set of diamonds ! " ■ " You think that my anxiety for abstract justice goes too far? y'ery good. Shall I withdraw my offer?" " Not at all — I think it's a very proper present to make me in any case." j " That's kind of you." ! " Suppose he's not acquitted? " "Then; according to the letter of tU» bond, the offer's off;' you'll get no diamonds." " Oh ! " Her face was a vivid note of exclamation. "I think that's very hard on me. I can't compel them to let him go." "Perhaps Mr Armitage may be able to bring about the desired consummation. " " Jack's not omnipotent. You don't seem to remember that this case is the very first Brief he's' ever had." ' . " -Are you suggesting that it would have been wiser to have elected a counsel oi more experience? " ""The idea!" - " "If you are of opinion that the matter would have been safer in more experienced hands it is perhaps not yet too late to altet the arrangements which have been made.!' i " How horrid you are ! .If Jack can't win no one can — you may be certain of that. But even Jack can't be sure of winning, can he? Are you ever going to leave off scoring? There, that's game. I think you ought to have told me before we began that you were a splendid player, then there would have been something like a proper handicap ; I've hardly begun." " There's still time for your proper handicap. SHall we have another game?" " I don't care.' But tell me, never mind my diamonds ; • what shall you do if he isn't acquitted?" "He will be." "I'm not so sure. Jack himself says the case against him's very strong ; he says that one girl's evidence alone is almost) enough to hang him. Her name's Hills— Pollie Hills.' j Mr Polhurston .was manipulating the scor* ing board with his back towards Dollle. "How many points .shall I give you?" " Sixty, at least." i "That's a lot." ! " I ought to have , seventy ; you play better than Jack, and he gives me eighty." "Does he ever win?" " Well, sometimes — when he's disagreeable he does." , " And L suppose when you're agreeable ■ he loses." "That's one way of putting it, no doubt. Do you know I'm beginning to suspect that you're sarcastic ; that you hardly ever ' intend what you say ; that nearly all your speeches have a double meaning. That's a kind of character I particularly dislike." "I'm sorry that I should come within the definition of the kind of character towards which you have such a natural aversion." " You're not a bil sorry, you're laughing at me now. But I don't care, I'll tell you something else, and you can laugh at that. I believe you're a mystery — that your whole life's a mystery ; like one of those tales which come out in penny numbers, and keep on coming out for years and years because the mystery wants such a frightful lot of unravelling." " Perhaps a similar good fortune may attend on me. I believe that the lives of noteworthy criminals are occasionally published." " Are you a noteworthy criminal? " : He shrugged his shoulders. " I beat you the last game." " Yes, and if you beat me this, you'll be a criminal of the very deepest dye. No excuse will be accepted. I'll take seventy instead of sixty ; you're to start. You're not to give a miss — you're to play at the red, and you're to leave both balls over the pockets : you haven't told me what you'll do if the man's found guilty." " How do you mean, what I shall do?" " Shall you let him hang? " x v " What steps do, -you expect me 1 to take , to prevent it — cut the rope? " " Do you mean to say that you will let him hang when you know he's innocent? '* " I did not say I knew that he was innocent." i ".But you do know — I'm sure of it." j To him there seemed to be something • significant in her tone. He cut the rtd I into the. middle pocket ; then l.c looked at her. ; " You are sure of it? " • " Don't you know that he is innocent? " I She appealed to him with a little imperative gesture. He chalked his cue, smiling as he did so. "My dear Dolly, you appear to attribute to me a. variety of qualities. I'm a ' man of mystery, and now, it seems, I'm ■u'man of knowledge, too. To be able to positively affirm that this man was innocent I should require to know who was guilty." " Don't you? " : " Don't I "what? " 1 "Don't you know who killed Mr Shap« cott? He still smiled as he glanced at the tip of his cue to see if the process of chalking was complete. "You natter me by supposing rhat if I did I should have kept the knowledge to

Inyself. It would have made me accessory fcfter the fact." She impatiently brushed a truant lock back from her ear. "All I can say is I don't understand it in the least. Directly I heard wh^it Jack ,jwas going to do I made up my mind that there was going to be a pretty complication ; for I felt sure that you wouldn't rejiish the idea of his getting the prisoner eff, and now it seems that it's all the other "{ray. What I feel is if you don't know that the man is innocent, why are you so pnxious that he should be acquitted? And df you do know, why don't you say so? ;lt almost, looks as if you didn't want to pay that £200 reward you offered." > "You think so? You mustn't always jtrust to looks. It's your turn. Now you've got the balls you ought to run right out." "I don't care to piay any more, thank you ; I've had enough. I'm no match for you ; you can win whenever you please — I believe if you gave me ninety-nine out of a hundred, and I don't care to be made a laughing-stock. If you don't mind I jthink I'll go and write -to Jack. I must Jtvrite to hfm to-day, and this may be my Jonly chance. I'll tell him what you've 4,01 d me." " Do ! " ■ "Though I don't in the least understand jphat it is you have told me. But I can only do my best to make things plainer - ,to him than they are to me." t "Beyond doubt in your efforts to achieve lucidity you will be successful. You will faring to the task the sufficient qualification of a calm and well-balanced mind." ' She looked at him ; she replaced her cue dn the rack ; and she left the room in something very nearly approaching to a pet. When he was left alone Mr Polhurston laughed to himself, as if in the enjoyment of some private and particular joke ; and he tried his hand at some nursery cannons. (To be continued.)