"
"Don't you reckon on that," murmured plain Mr. Jones seriously.
"No, sir, I don't, though you have a wonderful power of the eye. It's a
fact."
"I have a wonderful patience," remarked Mr. Jones dryly.
A dim smile flitted over the lips of the faithful Ricardo who never
raised his head.
"I don't want to try you too much, sir, but this is like no other job we
ever turned our minds to."
"Perhaps not. At any rate let us think so."
A weariness with the monotony of life was reflected in the tone of this
qualified assent. It jarred on the nerves of the sanguine Ricardo.
"Let us think of the way to go to work," he retorted a little
impatiently. "He's a deep one. Just look at the way he treated that chum
of his. Did you ever hear of anything so low? And the artfulness of the
beast--the dirty, tame artfulness!"
"Don't you start moralizing, Martin," said Mr. Jones warningly. "As far
as I can make out the story that German hotel-keeper told you, it seems
to show a certain amount of character;--and independence from common
feelings which is not usual. It's very remarkable, if true."
"Ay, ay! Very remarkable. It's mighty low down, all the same," muttered,
Ricardo obstinately. "I must say I am glad to think he will be paid off
for it in a way that'll surprise him!"
The tip of his tongue appeared lively for an instant, as if trying for
the taste of that ferocious retribution on his compressed lips.
Pages:
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324