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"I'll not ask you to drink with me," he said with a twinkle, "but chin-chin!" and tilting his glass, half-emptied it at a draught. Muttering formally, at a disadvantage and resenting it, Lanyard drank with less enthusiasm if without misgivings. Wertheimer selected a cigarette and lighted it at leisure.
"Right-O! The old man had me puzzled for a minute with his silly chaffing. Stupid of me, too, because we'd just been talking about you." "Had you, though!" "Rather. Hadn't you better take me where we can have a quiet little talk?" "I'm not conscious of the necessity " "Oh, I say!" Wertheimer protested amiably "don't be shirty, old top. Give a chap a chance.
There is still much to be said on both sides of the argument." "Has there been one?" "Besides, I promised you news from Antwerp." "To be sure," Lanyard said, and paused, his curiosity at length engaged. Wertheimer delved into the breast-pocket of his dress-coat and produced a blue telegraph-form, handing it to the adventurer.
And of course you understand you won't be permitted to engage in any more profitable pursuit until you make terms with the powers that be or leave Paris." "Terms with Bannon, De Morbihan, Popinot and yourself eh?" "With the same." "Mr. Wertheimer," Lanyard told him quietly, "none of you will stop me if ever I make up my mind to take the field again."
He took a wonderful fancy to me, Bannon did; I really was appointed first-lieutenant in Greggs' stead.... So you first won my sympathy by laughing at my offer," said Wertheimer, restoring the oil-can to its place in the tool-kit; "wherein you were very wise.... In fact, my personal feeling for you is one of growing esteem, if you'll permit me to say so. You've most of the makings of a man.
Before Lanyard replied to this the look of wonder in his eyes had yielded to one of understanding. "Scotland Yard, eh?" he queried curtly. Wertheimer bowed. "Special agent," he added. "I might have guessed, if I'd had the wit of a goose!" Lanyard affirmed bitterly. "But I must admit..." "Yes," the Englishman assented pleasantly; "I did pull your leg didn't I? But not more than our other friends.
Lanyard took his car smartly away from the curb, wheeled round the corner into the boulevard des Capucines, and toward the rue Royale. He had gone but a block when the window at his back was lowered and his fare observed pleasantly: "That you, Lanyard?" The adventurer hesitated an instant; then, without looking round, responded: "Wertheimer, eh?"
Although Duchemin knew very well that he was merely being ragged in that way of deadly seriousness which so often amuses the English, he chose to suggest sourly: "My resignation is at your disposal any time you wish it." "Accepted," said Wertheimer airily, "to take effect at once." To this Duchemin merely grunted, as who should say he didn't consider this turn of conversation desperately amusing.
In London, about noon of that day, a gentleman whom Lanyard most often thought of by the name of Wertheimer deciphered a code message whose contempt for customary telegraphic brevity was quite characteristic of the sender, indeed a better voucher for his bona fides than the initials appended in place of a signature.
Now a waiter's going out to him." "You can see his face now?" Lanyard asked, sealing the note. "Not well...." "Nothing you recognize about him, eh?" "Nothing...." "You know Popinot and Wertheimer by sight?" "No; they're only names to me; De Morbihan and Mr. Bannon mentioned them last night." "It won't be Popinot," Lanyard reflected, addressing the envelope; "he's tubby."
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