The Argosy — page 283: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= 266 In the Dead of Night. “We did not talk much about it, my master and I. We understood one another without many words. There were certain things to be done which Mr. St. George had not the nerve to do. Ihad the nerve to do them, and I did them. It was I who put Mr. Dering’s stud under the bed. It was I who took his handkerchief, and « “Enough !” said Lionel, with a shudder. ‘“ Surely no more devilish plot was ever hatched by Satan himself! You—you who sit so calmly there, had but to hold up your little finger to save an innocent man from disgrace and death !” “What would monsieur have?” said Janvard, with another of his indescribable shrugs. ‘‘ Mr. St. George was my master. I liked him, and I was, besides, to have a large sum of money given me to keep silence. Mr. Dering was a stranger to me. Voila tout.” “‘Janvard, you are one of the vilest wretches that ever disgraced the name of man!” “Monsieur s’amuse.”’ “T shall at once proceed to put down in writing the heads of the confession which you have just made. You will sign the writing in question in the presence of Mr. Bristow as witness. You need be under no apprehension that any immediate harm will happen to you. As for Mr. St. George, I will deal with him in my own time, and in my own way. There are, however, two points that I wish you to bear par- ticularly in mind. Firstly, if, even by the vaguest hint, you dare to let Mr. St. George know that you have told me what you have told me to-night, it will be at your own proper peril, and you must be prepared to take the consequences that will immediately ensue. Secondly, you must hold yourself entirely at my service, and must come to me without delay whenever I may send for you, and wherever 1 may be. Do you clearly understand P ” ‘Ves, sir. I understand.” “‘ For the present, then, I have done with you. Two hours later I will send for you again, in order that you may sign a certain paper which will be ready by that time. You may go.” ‘* But, monsieur ’ ‘Not a word. Go.” [ Tom held open the door for him, and Janvard passed out without another word. “ At last, Dering! At last everything is made clear!” said Tom, as he crossed the room and laid his hand affectionately on Lionel’s shoulder. ‘ At last you can proclaim your innocence to the world.” “Yes, my task is nearly done,” said Lionel, sadly. “And I thank heaven in all sincerity that itis so. But the duty that I have still to perform is a terrible one. I almost feel as if now, at this, the eleventh ~ hour, I could go no farther. I shrink in horror from the last and most terrible step of all. Hark! whose voice was that?” Eomilcbooks.co