The Knave of Diamonds

cas! Can I

oor, an impatient frown on his face, hi

ap," drawled bac

bruptness that seeme

Errol was reclining, while his valet, a huge man with the features of an American

ual noiseless tread despite the fac

n!" he said. "We

ous eye at him and b

said quietly. "Nap, my frie

d pushed it with his foot. "I

h the shoulders of a strong man and the weak, shrunken limbs of a cripple. His face was quite smooth. It might have belonge

ition. Hudson the valet tended him with the reverence of a slave. Nap fell to pacin

ed at last. "I will ring when I want you. Now,

words, but his brows were sli

oted the fact. "You are

her repeated gently.

tance. He looked as if he wo

likely to remain so. The doctor

nd has bee

th, "has been informed, and he declines to c

comment, and after a

r after a day's sport. And I believe she hates the s

the last words. Lucas turned his

r rather wel

wing redly, met his wi

quiet, uttered in the tired voice habitual to this man w

don't know," he said curtly. "I d

t his brother with unvarying steadiness till a

guard, I know. It's my speciality, isn't it?" He spoke with exceeding

; his tone was almost a

not appear

you a blackguard, Bo

led cynically. "You

m assertion. It was not the way of the world to contradict Lu

restlessly a

from him and seemed

wever, he ro

he doctor sa

wn from town to-morrow. I'd go tonight, only-" he broke off, hammering impotently with his clenched fist on the arm of his chair. "I must be at hand to-night," he said, after a moment, controlling himsel

ed his eyes, and there was nothing in his

kingly into the red depths. There was no repose in h

ilence. "Why not dine, dear fellow, while you are waiti

savagely. "You don't know what I've been through." Again he paused to cont

o picked her u

know the place-or p'r'aps you don't. It's a ten-foot drop. The brute went clean over, and he must have rolled on her or kicked her gettin

ssailed him. He re

And so I just had to wait-Heaven knows how long-till one of the keepers heard me shouting, an

whisper. He got up and

ds in silence: then, "Boney," he said, "since you

ly. "I am sorry, old fellow. I

p me yourself?

sistance. Lucas Errol, with a set face, accepted it, but once on his feet h

d hurt you," Na

aid. "It is your affairs that trouble me just now, not my own. And, Boney, if you don'

emed to make the words the more emph

right now," hi

don't see you a

lue and very steady, looked straight into Nap's. So for a second or two

Lucas said again gra

speech. But nothing came of it. He apparently thought better