' He
seemed to wake up to his ordinary briskness. 'You see the point?'
he began. 'He had not yet read the newspaper, but who could tell
when he might? He might have had that damned journal in his
pocket, and how should we know? We were--I may say, we are--at the
mercy of the merest twopenny accident.'
'Why, true,' said I: 'I had not thought of that.'
'I warrant you,' cried Romaine, 'you had supposed it was nothing to
be the hero of an interesting notice in the journals! You had
supposed, as like as not, it was a form of secrecy! But not so in
the least. A part of England is already buzzing with the name of
Champdivers; a day or two more and the mail will have carried it
everywhere: so wonderful a machine is this of ours for
disseminating intelligence! Think of it! When my father was born-
-but that is another story. To return: we had here the elements
of such a combustion as I dread to think of--your cousin and the
journal. Let him but glance an eye upon that column of print, and
where were we? It is easy to ask; not so easy to answer, my young
friend. And let me tell you, this sheet is the Viscount's usual
reading. It is my conviction he had it in his pocket.'
'I beg your pardon, sir,' said I. 'I have been unjust. I did not
appreciate my danger.'
'I think you never do,' said he.
Pages:
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267