"Are you quite sober, sir?" he demanded.
"Yes, I am absolutely sober."
"Then allow me to tell you that you are talking so much tomfoolery! Of
course the marriage must take place! How on earth can you have allowed
yourself to come here with such a suggestion? I suppose Dora is in a
state of nervousness that borders on hysteria and so has got some
foolish fancy into her head that she doesn't like me enough. For
Heaven's sake, man, go home and reason with her, and don't delay me any
longer with such a wild-goose tale."
The ex-merchant regarded Jefferson with a cool and resolute gaze.
"This is not a wild-goose tale. Dora is not hysterical. Nor is this a
foolish fancy of hers. She prefers young Mortimer to you, and it would
be an unpardonable crime on my part to allow her to marry you."
"Mortimer!--_that_ bounder!"
"She loves Mortimer--and he is not, I may add, a bounder. He is as good
a gentleman as I have ever met."
The situation was getting serious. Jefferson took off his overcoat and
lit a cigarette. Then--by way of steadying his own nerves--he mixed
himself a whisky and soda. Finally he came to a halt opposite his
visitor, and as he did so his lips set in an ugly and determined line.
"Now, look here, Maybury," he said, blowing a column of smoke
ceilingwards, "let us talk sense. Dora likes this Mortimer--I have known
that for a long time. To-night his name is in every mouth--yes, I have
read in the evening papers of what he has done. And so it suddenly
occurs to her that she would prefer to be the wife of a brilliant young
surgeon rather than of a--well, of a not very brilliant young
stockbroker."
Mr Maybury held up his hand, but Jefferson would not be silenced.
"She comes to you in tears, declaring she cannot marry me. You, not
knowing women as I do, are convinced by her tears, and come straight off
to me to say the marriage can't take place. You are, if you will excuse
me for saying so, a fool. I will marry Dora to-morrow, and afterwards I
will prove to you that I am as good a man as any common cad of a surgeon
you may please to take into your house as a lodger!"
Jefferson's eyes were blazing with fury. The whisky had done its work.
"I have already told you," returned Mr Maybury, in even, quiet tones,
"that I feel very much for you. The abandonment of this match will put
you in a very awkward position, but I must repeat that the marriage
cannot and _shall not_ take place."
"And _I_ say," shouted Jefferson, "that I will not be bested by
Mortimer. He shall not marry Dora. I look to her to keep her promise.
Mortimer shall never have her!"
"No, he never will," said Mr Maybury.
"What! You said just now that she prefers him to me!"
"She will never marry him," Mr Maybury resumed, "because in all
probability he will be dead within four-and-twenty hours!"
"_Dead!_" Jefferson's face lit up with renewed hope.
"Yes, he has been severely mauled by a gang of Hooligans. The medical
man who has seen him declares that his case is hopeless."
Jefferson did not speak for a few moments. Then he burst into a laugh.
"I see--I see it all! Mortimer is brought in unconscious, and Dora
promptly faints. She is inclined to be sentimental, as I know. And so
you come here and tell me I mustn't marry her. Did ever man set out on
such a preposterous errand? My good Maybury, I shall be at the church
to-morrow, and if you and your daughter are not there you will never set
foot in my office again."
"We shall certainly not be there," replied Mr Maybury.
"We shall see. You've got a night to sleep on it. My father is ill,
and is away on the Continent. I am head of the firm during his absence.
Fail to keep your contract to-morrow afternoon, and you need never show
your face in my office again. Were my father in London he would support
me, for he will not see me insulted in this manner. I will telegraph to
him, if you like."
"You need not do that," said Mr Maybury, moving towards the door; "I
accept my dismissal at your hands."
Jefferson laughed again. "I really think you cannot be quite sober.
Just reflect on what you are doing. Can you afford to throw up your job
with us?"
Mr Maybury turned fiercely upon the young man. "_Afford_! Listen to me,
Mr Jefferson. My child's happiness is to me a matter of higher
importance than my post in your firm. I am a poor man--Heaven
knows!--and want every penny I earn as your book-keeper, but that fact
will not deter me from doing what I conceive to be my duty. I say my
child shall _not_ marry you."
And without another word Dora's father turned on his heel and went his
way.
*CHAPTER XXIX.*
*THE DOCTOR VISITS MOUNT STREET.*
When Koko left No. 9, after seeing Jim put to bed, he went straight to
Taplow's surgery, and was lucky enough to find that the bearded man was
still there.
"Doctor, I want you to spend the night with Mortimer," said Koko.
"Impossible," said the bearded man. "I have an urgent case which will
keep me up till four."
"What's to be done, then?"
"Get a trained nurse--I'll give you the address of a place in the West
End where about two hundred of them live when they have no case on.
Telephone the manageress, and say you want a nurse sent to No. 9 Derby
Crescent to-night. I'll look in at breakfast-time."
He gave Koko the address of the nurses' home.
"Right!" said Koko. "Now, doctor, tell me candidly--has Mortimer got a
chance?"
"Not a ghost of one," said the bearded man; "even if he pulled through
he would be paralysed for the rest of his life, but he won't pull
through. The mischief is in the spine--where he was kicked."
"I shot the fellow," said Koko, between his teeth.
"Did you? Well, I don't suppose he will be much loss. If the police
were allowed to carry revolvers we shouldn't hear much more of this
Hooliganism."
Koko paced restlessly up and down the surgery, and then turned abruptly
to the bearded man.
"Look here, doctor," he exclaimed, "I don't want to hurt your feelings,
but is it possible that you're mistaken about my friend Mortimer?"
"Time will show," said the bearded man, coldly. "I give him twenty-four
hours. Now, if you're ready, I'll turn the gas out. I must be off."
With a sorrowful heart Koko hailed a cab and drove to the nurses' home.
He had experienced too many of the telephone's delays. At the home he
promptly engaged a nurse, waited while she packed her box, and then
conveyed her to No. 9, where he confided her to the care of Mrs Maybury.
After this Koko made his way to a telegraph office in the Strand, and
inquired whether he could wire to Threeways. He was told that he was
too late. He therefore wrote out a telegram, briefly informing old Dr
Mortimer of what had happened, and left it with the clerk at the counter
to be dispatched directly the office opened on the following morning.
Then Koko, worn out, sought his bed. At ten the next morning he had to
appear at the Blackfriars police court to answer the charge of "causing
the death" of the bandaged Hooligan, and also to give evidence against
the six roughs in custody.
About eleven the next morning Dr Mortimer arrived at No. 9, and was
ushered up to Jim's bedroom. A brief examination told him that his
grandson was very far gone indeed, and so without delay he drove to
Harley Street and alighted at the door of Trefusis, the first authority
on spine trouble. Dr Trefusis promised to proceed to Derby Crescent
immediately. A few doors lower down lived Sir Savile Smart. Dr
Mortimer was so fortunate as to find him in.
"Smart, I want you to come and look at my boy."
"Jim! What's wrong?"
"The Hooligans have been at him. I want you to meet Trefusis and give
an opinion. Brain and spine injuries. You'll come?"
"My shoulder hurts; but I'll come with pleasure."
By one o'clock Jim had been examined by the two great surgeons. During
the process they both looked grave, but at the end of it Sir Savile drew
a deep breath of relief.
"He's a tough young dog. We shall pull him through, Trefusis?"