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How had Laroque come to play a part in the miserable scheme of trickery that was the Private Club Ring's last card. Jimmie Dale shook his head helplessly at the first question and shook it again at the second. He knew Laroque he knew him for one of the most degraded, as well as one of the most dreaded, gang leaders in crimeland.
Why, then, Sonnino's safe to-night? What was in that letter signed "J. Barca" that Clarie Archman had received? J. Barca was Gentleman Laroque; that would have been evident in any case, even if the Tocsin had not expressly said so but the letter! Did the letter, apart from its incriminating ingenuity, supply the answer to his question?
"And you remember Stangeist, and the Mope, and Australian Ike, don't you, Laroque you remember they went to the death house in Sing Sing and you remember that the Gray Seal sent them there? Yes, I see you do; I see your memory is good to-night! Listen, then!
I was glad when the dinner was over and we went into the drawing-room. Madame Laroque, the widowed mother of Marguerite, began to ask M. Bévallan about the new opera in Paris; he was unable to reply, so, as I had seen the work in Italy before it was produced in France, I gave her a description of it.
I arose, saying, "I am not hurt. If you will only wait another hour, I will go home and get some one to let you out. Believe me, I will save your honour as I have saved my own." Binding up my arm, I got on my horse, and galloped back to Laroque Castle. On the way I met Bévallan. "Have you seen Mlle. Marguerite?" he said. "We are afraid she has got lost." "I met her this afternoon," I replied.
There was a click of an electric-light switch, a cry from Clarie Archman, the inner room was ablaze with light, and Jimmie Dale had edged forward again out of the hallway Sonnino, revolver in hand, was standing just over the threshold facing Gentleman Laroque and the assistant district attorney's son. Then silence a silence of seconds that were as minutes.
The masonry was a continuation of one of those walls of rock which give such a distinctive character: to the geological formation of this region. The village lay far below a broken surface of tiled roofs, sloping rapidly towards the Lot, itself a broad ribbon of many blended colours, winding through the sunlit plain. The castle of Laroque belonged to the Cardaillac family.
My mother's brother had married a Mlle. Laroque of Bordeaux, so that we were able to talk of our family. Altogether the journey did not seem very long, in spite of the heat, the over-crowding, and our thirst. The arrival in Paris was more gloomy. We shook hands warmly with each other. The stout lady's husband was awaiting her; he handed her, in silence, a telegram.
Keep off my lan', if you hain't want anoder lesson. "'You's a tief, my fader say. "'Hermidas, make up Narcisse Laroque bill, de old rascal say to his clerk. 'If he hain't pay dat bill to-morrow, I sue him. "So my fader is scare mos' to death. Only my moder she's say, 'I'll pay dat bill, me. "So she's take the money she's saved up long time for make my weddin' when it come.
You'd make a wooden Indian nervous!" There was silence for an instant, then a curious gnawing sound punctuated with quick, low, metallic rasps as of a ratchet at work and upon Jimmie Dale for a moment came stunned dismay. Time, the one factor upon which he had depended, was lost to him; Clarie Archman and Gentleman Laroque were already at work in there in that room beyond.
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