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Thus torn with grief for his friend, and sorrow for his lover, but moved to no upbraiding of Fate for the cruel trick she had played him, this British gentleman surrendered himself to the emissary of Public Gossip and went away with him. The officer, having ideas of his own, got into a cab with Barndale and drove straight to Scotland Yard.
Arrived at the historic 'Swan, they settled down to their separate avocations Lilian and the doctor to nurse Leland, and Barndale to do all that in him lay to track the Greek. My story nears its close; and I may say at once, without word-spinning, that Demetri Agryopoulo disappeared, and was no more heard of.
Leland's temperament was not of a nature to persuade him to perpetual effort in any direction; and so, whilst Barndale worked, the other amateur relieved vacuity with billiards. It got into a settled habit with him at last to leave Barndale nightly at his comedy, and to return to the house-boat at an hour little short of midnight.
A maiden who can be caught without chasing is pretty generally not worth catching; and cynics have been known to say that the pleasure of stalking your bride is perhaps the best part of matrimony. This our young Barndale would not have believed.
'Come, come, come, sir, said the official, with calm superiority in his tone; 'that's all very well and very pretty, but it's Mr. Leland's affair that I want you for, sir. 'Mr. Leland's affair? said Barndale. 'That little attempted murder the night before last, that's all. Now, take it quiet; don't let's have any nonsense, you know.
Leland's case at all desperate, if that's any comfort to anybody, There the doctor smiled. 'You are Mr. Barndale, I presume. Miss Leland has evidence of the name and even the whereabouts of the scoundrel who inflicted the wound, and we are here to hunt him up. 'May I ask who's the suspected party? asked Inspector Webb with his eye on the doctor. 'Demetri Agryopoulo, said Lilian, 'a Greek
William Holmes Barndale, of Barndale in the county of Surrey, and King's Bench Walk-, Temple, sat in shadow in front of a restaurant with his legs comfortably thrust forth and his hat tilted over his eyes. He pulled his tawny beard lazily with one hand, and with the other caressed a great tumbler of iced beer.
'I hope I am not so criminal as you fancy, says Barndale, finding the proof of his guilt fall less heavily than he had feared. 'If you were thrice as criminal, this is not the tribunal, and she waves her parasol round her feet, 'at which the felon should be tried. 'But, Miss Leland, if it were not because I met your brother that I came out here! If there were another reason!
But in Lilian's society it was not possible for Barndale to be gravely thoughtful just now. The business of the day was a trip to the Sweet Waters of Europe.
'You smiled, says the guilty Barndale. 'At what? inquires she with innocent inadvertency. 'Oh! cries the young fellow, laughing outright, 'that is too bad. Why did you laugh when I said it was singular? 'I am not prepared, she answers, 'to account for all my smiles of yesterday. 'Then, says Barndale, 'I'll go and ask Jimmy. 'You will do nothing of the kind. 'Why?
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