I read it upon his drawn
face, upon his sidelong head with his ear scooped into his hand, above
all in his twitching, restless eyes. He expected an interruption, and
he was talking, talking, talking, in order to gain time for it. I was
as sure of it as if he had whispered his secret in my ear, and down in
my numb, cold heart a warm little spring of hope began to bubble and
run.
But Toussac had chafed at all this word-fencing, and now with an oath he
broke in upon our dialogue.
'I have had enough of this!' he cried. 'It is not for child's play of
this sort that I risked my head in coming over here. Have we nothing
better to talk about than this fellow? Do you suppose I came from
London to listen to your fine phrases? Have done with it, I say, and
get to business.'
'Very good,' said my champion. 'There's an excellent little cupboard
here which makes as fine a prison as one could wish for. Let us put him
in here, and pass on to business. We can deal with him when we have
finished.'
'And have him overhear all that we say,' said Lesage.
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68