THE NOVELIST

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 25, 5 March 1881, Page 256

THE NOVELIST

HUNTED DOWN. A NOVEL. Bt Adolphe Belot.

CHAPTER XV.— (Continued.) As soon as Brownpath made his appearance, the police-agent rushed to meet him. "Ah! is it you, my dear sir?" he exclaimed. "Come in, do. I am delighted to see you. All right after yesterday? i'Jl lay odds you have been in bed ever since. At all events that is where I have been ; I had a bath when I came home yesterday, and a champagne breakfast to follow. After that I went to bed, and there I stayed until about au hour ago." "I have not have had half as much sleep as you have," said Brownpath, as soon as he could get a word in edgeways," " How was that ? Surely you were tired out." " Yes, but I was preoccupied." "Preoccupied? Audi suppose yon were — does not sleep take precedence of the most absorbing preoccupations? But I see how the land lies. I would bet a trifle that your are in love with one of those charming ladies whom Aye met." " But— " began Brownpath. " No, no, my dear sir, your are going, out of sheer politeness, to make a pretty speech. But you will not change my opinion on that score. For instance, the lady I introduced you to, do you not remember her ?" " Perfectly." " You were ignorant, then, of the style of society at Miss Hamilton's ?" asked Brownpath, in his turn. "The society there ? They play cards there, as I have been told is the case in every drawing room in London." _ " Perhaps. But they do not play in that particular style, and up to 11 a.m., except in certain drawing-rooms, and in a certain world." " What do you mean ? Da you wish me to infer that my friend's visit was a mistake ?" "(Since you put the question to me, I suppose I must reply — yes." "Good heavens! This comes of being a stranger and not knowing the customs of a place "There is, indeed, a good deal of society here," observed Brownpath, smiling. "So you see, the first thing I did was to make my call and introduce this lady, who is my cousin. Fortunately, she did not speak to a soul besides yourself ; everybody else was too intent on the game to think of her. "What a lucky escape !— lf my cousin had suspected anything of the kind— and yet, I took her there witli the very best intentions. Poor girl! She lost her husband only six months ago, and her grief, I verily believe, would seriously have affected her health if she had not resolved upon this trip to London with me. The journey did her a great deal of good, and since our arrival I have been endeavouring to lind some distraction for her. My first attempt in that direction does not appear to have been very happy. 1 ought to have asked my friend for further information about Miss Hamilton. He was under the impression that 1 was travelling alone, and his information was meant for the use of bachelors." "1 called — " began Brownpath, changing the conversation. "You have called," said Cooke, hastily interrupting him, "to settle this little affiair of ours. 'Tis what you were about to say. Don't i mention such a triile." "But—" "Allow me rather to continue under the impression that you wish to improve an acquaintance which I value highly. A- for the paltry sum I had the misfortune to win from you, put it on that table and let us talk of other matters." "The fact is— " said Brownpath, becoming more and more ill at case as he saw his creditor treating the matter so lightly. "The fact is," ideated Corke unconcernedly — "Thai I am compelled to remain in your debt for some days longer, in consequence of a succession of losses I am in rather a strait, and — " _ "Not really," said the police-agent with the air of a man astonished that anybody could be driven into a corner for so little." "And I come, count," continued Brownpath, "to beg of you, in the iirst place, not to mention my temporary embarrassment, and, secondly, to give me a little time for the payment of my debt to you." "With the greatest pleasure imaginable," replied Cooke, "I will give you, my dear sir, as long as you require. A week, a fortnight, if you like. You have, no doubt, to realise some securities. I should iind it difficult to refuse you, more especially as I have to rely upon your courtesy for an important service."' "You?" " Yes, truly. Will you allow me to explain?" "Do so, I beg." "You have already had an opportunity of seeing," replied Cooke, with a clever assumption of carelessness and good-fellowship, "that I have no experience whatever in this world of London, and that I am liable to go astray at any moment if I have not a trustworthy guide to lead me aright. It was this which made me eager to seize upon the opportunity of making the acquaintance of such a one as yourself, and of asking you frankly to aid me by your advice and superior knowledge." "Pray make use of me," eagerly replied Brownpath. The proposal thus made to him was too favourable to be lost sight of. He already saw resulting from it the vague possibility of getting rid of a debt, which had, since tile previous evening, for reasons already explained to our readers and rightly divined by Cooke, caused him the greatest anxiety. Gambling debts, indeed, can only be considered really serious amongst strangers, or at all events, ordinary acquaintances. Intimacy, it is true, cannot annul such obligations, but at the same time it is scarcely permissible to dun a friend or post him as a defaulter.

"Thank you for your kindness," said Cooke, when Brownpath consented to be made use of. " But take care that you are not undertaking iin impossibility. I am not alone. I have with me one who is sad and ' suffering, and whose amusement is my object. Between men these matters are easily arranged. I might possibly make myself a boon companion, because I should share your tastes and should take a liking to your pleasures, which would become mine. But in assuming- charge of me .you will also be saddling yourself with my cousin, and it is of her that you must think. That Avill not be quite so easy, I imagine." "Why not?" replied Brownpath. "In my short interview with her I thought her a charming woman." " Very well, then. I agree, and it will not be long before I put your good nature to the proof, I 2>romise you." " So much the better." " I have a mass of informationto get from you— addresses, names of the best tradesmen, and above all, advice, and plenty of it. We reckon on remaining in London all the winter, and we should like to pass the time as agreeably as possible. What are we to see? Where must we go ? All this bothers one, I can tell you, and you can be of the greatest use. When may I have the 2>leasure of introducing you to my cousin in her own house, and in a more "Correct fashion than on the iirst occasion of your meeting ? " " Whenever you please." "Then, to-morrow. You seel take you at your word." "To-morrow be it." They separated a quarter of an hour afterwards. Cooke was in ecstacies. As for Brownpath, he, too, was perhaps not ill-pleased with the bargain he had just struck.