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He took it all as I intended he should, but never a sign of approval did I get from the two pretty girls. With my concluding words Miss Fluette thrust a hand under Maillot's arm and gave it an affectionate little squeeze. Before the door closed, Miss Cooper's head bent and she glanced back at me across her shoulder. She was much the more beautiful of the two.
And I added a bit grimly: "I'm growing impatient to hear what moved you to come here last night at all." Once more the friendly blue eyes met mine, and I felt better for their encouragement. But Maillot's look became momentarily apprehensive. "You already know what my most cherished hope and ambition is," he went on, with a glance at Miss Fluette.
That rapacious monster, the Wheat Pit, had exhausted all of his legitimate resources, and so mad was his obsession that he scrupled not to steal. I entertained only hard feelings for him at that moment. He had not bought the ruby, however, and doubtless Genevieve's fortune was still intact. "Go on," I commanded curtly. "What happened then?" "Well, Maillot's arrival demoralized everything.
Although I strove to speak cheerfully of the prospects of Maillot's early release, her manner was quite discouraging to all my overtures. When she spoke at all it was only in the faintest of monosyllables usually with her eyes avoiding mine. She looked at me, when at all, shyly, started at every unusual sound, and trembled during the whole time she sat in the Captain's big easy-chair.
Maillot's face had suddenly become a mirror of consternation. "Good God, Swift!" he gasped, recoiling, "I I can't do that!" I promptly grew grave. And then, from the head of the stairs, came the slow, colorless voice of Alexander Burke. "How about the Paternoster ruby, Mr. Maillot?" inquired he.
Maillot's note despatched, I directed my attention to ascertaining just what Alexander Burke meant by his reference to the ruby. His explanation in itself was simple enough. He had heard of the ruby, of course who had n't? and during his wanderings through the house the previous night, while he waited for Maillot to finish his business with Mr. Twice he had heard the gem mentioned by those within.
"The plain truth of the matter is that the fellow was in a condition of cowering terror," was Maillot's language, "and when I learned that he had n't made the first move toward ascertaining the cause of the disturbance, why, I simply pushed him to one side and went to see about it myself. "Burke disgusted me.
I was much perplexed to account for such a disturbance at that hour of the night, and for a time I stood motionless, waiting to see what would occur next. I admit that I was even somewhat frightened; but as nothing else happened, I crossed over to Mr. Maillot's door directly opposite my own and rapped. "He threw it open at once.
This disturbed pondering, however, carried me round in a circle. Why, the bare grouping of the facts discredited Maillot's story; he was left in a worse plight than before. I trust it is at least clear how heterogeneous were the elements of this crime.
"Please understand that you are not dealing with a criminal, and I don't propose to be bulldozed by any fat-witted sleuths." I laughed in his face. "Maybe it will interest you to know that I have wit enough to contrast your secretive manner with Maillot's willingness to talk, and to draw the one consistent inference therefrom."
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