The next morning, before going round to Gibbons', Mark saw his chief and
told him of what had taken place on the previous evening.
“I certainly did not think that you would succeed so soon; you believe
that you will be able fairly to expose these fellows?”
“I have no doubt whatever that I shall be able to expose one of them;
and I have equally no doubt that if the others are arrested, either
false cards or pockets for cards will be found upon them. What do you
wish me to do, sir? I can, of course, expose any fellow I catch at it,
but can do nothing about the others.”
“I must have more than one captured,” the chief said. “At even the most
irreproachable club there may be one blackleg, but if it is clear that
this place is the haunt of blacklegs we can break it. There are half a
dozen Acts that apply; there is the 11th Act of Henry VIII, statute 33,
cap. 9, which prohibits the keeping of any common house for dice, cards,
or any unlawful game. That has never been repealed, except that gaming
houses were licensed in 1620. What is more to the point is that
five Acts of George II, the 9th, 12th, 13th, 18th, and 30th, impose
penalties upon the keepers of public houses for permitting gambling, and
lay heavy penalties upon hazard, roulette, and other gambling games, on
the keepers of gambling houses and those who play there. Having received
complaints of several young men being rooked in the place, we can, if
we prove that some of its frequenters are blacklegs, shut the place up
altogether. We should do it quietly, and without fuss, if possible;
but if we shut it up several others of the same sort will be certain to
close their doors. But mind, there will probably be a desperate row, and
you had better take pistols with you. I will have four men close at
hand from ten o'clock till the time the place closes, and if they hear a
scrimmage, or you fire a pistol out of the window, they will rush in and
seize all engaged in the row, and march them to the lock up. Of course
you will have to be included.”
Mark then went to Chetwynd.
“Well, what did you think of it last night?”
“Well, I own that it went against my grain to see that young fellow
being victimized by a sharper.”
“My dear Mark, you must not use such language as that. I fancy from
what I have heard that the Honorable John is not altogether an estimable
character, but to call him a sharper is going too far altogether.”
“I don't think that it is, for from what I saw last night I am pretty
well convinced that he did not play fair. I mean to go again tonight.”
“But why on earth should you mix yourself up in such an affair, Mark? It
is no business of yours; you are not an habitue of the place. Above
all, it is extremely unlikely that you are right. There were some
shady people there, no doubt, but there were also a good many gentlemen
present, and as you know nothing of cards, as far as I know, it is the
most unlikely thing in the world that you should find out that Emerson
cheated when no one else noticed it.”
“It is my business; it is the duty of every honest man to see that a
poor lad like that should not be eaten up by a shark like Emerson. I
don't care if there is a shindy over it. I shall not interfere unless I
can prove that the man is cheating, in which case no man of honor would
go out with him. I shall be glad if you and Boldero would go with me
again this evening. I am not known there, and you are to a good many
men, and Boldero to many more. I only want that, if I get into a row,
you should testify to the fact that I am a gentleman, and ordinarily
sane. If there is a row you will have an opportunity of seeing how much
I have benefited by my lessons.”
“Yes, I heard you were making tremendous progress. Jack Needham told
me a month ago that you had knocked him out of time, and I went into
Gibbons' yesterday morning with a man who wanted to buy a dog, and he
told me that he considered that it was a great misfortune that you were
an amateur, for that you only required another six months' practice, and
he would then be ready to back you for a hundred pounds against any man
in the ring. But about this affair, Mark. Are you really in earnest?”
“I am, Dick, thoroughly in earnest; so would you be if you had spoken
to Cotter last night, as I did. I tell you that if I had not given him a
little hope that the thing might come out right, he would have blown out
his brains today.”
“Well, Mark, if you have set your mind on it, of course I will stick to
you, though I have some doubts whether Cotter has any brains to speak
of to blow out, else he would not be mad enough to back himself against
Emerson and other men whom Boldero tells me he has been playing with.”
“He has made an ass of himself, no doubt, Dick; but I fancy a good
many fellows do that at one time or other of their lives, though not, I
grant, always in the same way.”
“Well, I will go, Mark. I need not ask Boldero, for he told me that he
should look in again at ten o'clock this evening, for he thought that
another night's play would probably bring Cotter to the end of his
tether.”
Accordingly a little before ten they walked into the gambling house
together.
“Now, Dick, I want you, as soon as you sit down, to take your place in
the front line within a yard or two of Emerson. I don't want you to be
just behind him, but a short distance away; and I want you to keep your
eye upon Sir James Flash, who, if I am not mistaken, will take up the
same position that he did last night, near enough to Cotter to see
his hand. You will remark, I have no doubt, as I did last night, that
whenever Cotter has a bad hand, Flash will either close his eyes, or put
his hand up to his mouth and stroke his mustache, or make some sign of
that sort. When Cotter has a good hand he will stand perfectly still or
look about the room. At any rate, he will make no sign--that, of course,
is a guide to Emerson whether to propose or to refuse to allow Cotter
to do so. I need not point out to you what a tremendous advantage
the knowledge whether an opponent's hand is good or not gives him. Of
course, while watching an hour's play I can only know that Flash was
making signs, and that when he did so Cotter's hand was a bad one. It is
possible that the manner in which the sign was made, either by closing
his eye or twisting his mustache, or so on, may have been an intimation
as to the suit in which Cotter was strongest or weakest.”
“By Jove, this is a serious thing, Mark.”
“It is a serious thing. I don't want you to get into a row with the
fellow. I should like you to give me a nod when you have satisfied
yourself that I was not mistaken. I will take upon myself to denounce
the fellow, and to say what I noticed yesterday and you can back me up
by saying that you saw the same thing. I have no doubt that I shall be
able to convince every decent man there that my charge is well founded.
I am going to watch Emerson. With the help he gets from Flash, he won't
risk anything by cheating until it comes to a big stake like the last
game yesterday, in which case, if Cotter's hand happens to be a strong
one, he is likely to do so, and I fancy if he does I shall be able to
catch him at it. You had better keep Boldero near you. You can whisper
to him what you are watching Flash for, and get him to do so too; as,
if I catch Emerson cheating, there is likely to be a row; he can lend
a hand if necessary, and, at any rate, his joining in with you will
suffice to show his friends that the thing is genuine.”
“All right, Mark. I am interested in the matter now, and am ready for
anything.”
Soon after ten Cotter and Emerson again sat down, and, as usual, a lot
of spectators gathered round the table. The game resembled the one on
the previous evening. Mark placed himself' by the side of Cotter, a
stranger stood immediately behind his chair, another member of the club
was on the other side, and Sir James Flash stood partly behind him, so
that although somewhat in the background he could obtain a view between
their heads of Cotter's cards. Mark saw to his satisfaction that Dick
and Boldero had secured the exact position that he wished them to take.
For the first few games the play was even, and Dick began to think that
Mark had been mistaken, for Flash appeared to take little interest in
the game, and made no sign how Emerson should proceed.
As soon as the stake rose to a hundred again he distinctly saw Flash
close his eyes and play with his mustache; he called Boldero's attention
to the fact, and found the latter, who had also been watching, had
noticed it. By the time a few games had been played he verified Mark's
assertion that these signs were signals that Cotter's hand was a bad
one, and in each case Emerson played without giving his opponent the
opportunity of discarding and taking in fresh cards. He and Dick nodded
quietly to Mark, who had satisfied himself that so far Emerson had not
cheated in any other way. As on the previous evening, Cotter, after
losing five or six hundred pounds, proposed a final game of five
hundred. Mark bent down his head, so that the intentness of his gaze
should not be noticed, but from under his eyebrows he watched Emerson's
every movement; suddenly he placed a foot on the edge of the chair of
the man sitting in front of him, and with a sudden spring leaped upon
the table, seized Emerson's hand, and held it up to the full length of
his arm.
“Gentlemen,” he shouted, “this fellow is cheating; there is a card in
his hand which he has just brought from under the table.”
In a moment there was a dead silence of surprise; then Mark forced the
hand open and took Emerson's card, which he held up.
“There, you see, gentleman; it is a king.”
Then a Babel of sounds arose, a dozen hands were laid upon Emerson, who
was pulled back from his chair and thrown down on a sofa, while hands
were run over his coat, waistcoat, and breeches.
“Here they are!” a man shouted, and held a dozen cards over his head.
The place of concealment had been cleverly chosen; the breeches
apparently buttoned closely at the knee, but in reality they were loose
enough to enable a finger and thumb to be passed between them and the
stocking, and in the lining of the breeches was a pocket in which the
cards had been placed, being held there by two pieces of whalebone, that
closed the pocket. The searchers, among whom were Dick and Boldero, did
not have it all their own way; four or five men rushed upon them, and
endeavored to pull them off Emerson. The din of voices was prodigious,
but Mark, still standing on the table, stilled it for a moment by
shouting:
“The scoundrel has an accomplice, who this evening and yesterday has
been signaling the strength of the cards in Mr. Cotter's hands.”
“Who is he?” was shouted over the room.
“It is Sir James Flash,” Mark said. “I denounce him as a cheat and a
sharper.”
As pale as death, Flash rushed to the table.
“I don't know who you are, sir,” he said, in a tone of concentrated
rage, “but you are a liar, and you shall answer for this in the
morning.”
“I will answer to any gentleman that calls me to account,” Mark said,
in a ringing voice, “but I don't meet a man who has been expelled from
White's for cheating, and who I have no doubt is well stocked with cards
at the present moment, in readiness for the victim that he is next going
to meet after the plucking of Mr. Cotter has been done. Now, gentlemen,
search him and see if I am wrong; if I am I will apologize for that part
of my accusation.”
Flash drew a pistol from his pocket, but in an instant his arm was
seized by those standing round him, and it exploded harmlessly. Among
those who seized Flash was the man who had played with him the previous
evening. In spite of his struggles and curses, and the efforts of his
friends to rescue him, he too was thrown down and eight court cards were
found concealed in his sleeve. The uproar while this was going on had
been tremendous, but it was suddenly stilled as four men in dark clothes
entered the room. Each held in his hand the well known symbol of his
office, the little ebony staff surmounted by a silver crown.
“I arrest all present in the name of the king,” one said, “for breaking
the laws against gambling, and for brawling and the use of firearms.
Now, gentlemen, resistance is useless; I must request that you each give
me your card, and your word of honor that you will appear at Bow Street
tomorrow morning.”
“What is all this about, sir?” he asked Mark, who was still standing on
the table.
“Two fellows here have been caught cheating.”
“What is your name and address, sir?”
“My name is Mark Thorndyke, and I am a landed gentleman at Reigate; my
friends Mr. Chetwynd and Mr. Boldero will bear this out.”
“Who are the two men?” the constable asked.
“The two fellows with torn clothes,” Mark said. “They are Mr. Emerson
and Sir James Flash.”
“You are certain of the charge that you are making?”
“Quite certain; the cards have been found hidden upon them.”
“Yes, yes!” a score of voices shouted; “they have been caught in the act
of cheating.”
“Take those two men into custody,” the constable said to two of his
companions.
“Who fired that pistol?” he went on.
A number of voices shouted:
“Sir James Flash; he attempted to murder Mr. Thorndyke.”
The constable nodded to the man who had laid his hands on Sir James
Flash, and in a moment a pair of handcuffs closed on his wrists.
“You shall repent this!” Flash exclaimed furiously.
“Calm yourself, Sir James,” the constable said calmly. “We know our
duty, and do it whether a man is a peer or a peasant; you are accused of
card sharping and an attempted murder.”
“What is your address in town, Mr. Thorndyke?” he asked.
“18 Villiers Street.”
“Is there any charge against anyone else here? A good many of you seem
to have your clothes torn and disarranged.”
“Some fellows attempted to rescue Emerson and Flash while we were
searching them; for what reason we can all pretty well imagine.”
“I shall require the names in the morning of your assailants,” the
constable said; “it looks very much as if they were confederates of the
two prisoners. Now, gentlemen, you can all leave. This house is
closed, and will not be opened again until this affair is thoroughly
investigated.”
In five minutes the house was deserted.
“How can I thank you, Mr. Thorndyke?” Cotter, who was one of those who
had seized Flash's arm, diverted his aim and searched him, said, when
they got outside the house. “You have saved my life. It did not seem
possible to me that you could succeed in showing that I was being
cheated, and I had firmly resolved that, instead of allowing you to
suffer loss, I would tomorrow morning make a clean breast of the whole
affair to my father, as I had intended to have done this morning.”
“If I might advise you, Mr. Cotter, I should say, carry out your
intention as far as making a clean breast of it is concerned. Happily,
you are free from debt, as those IOUs are worthless, for they were
obtained from you by cheating, therefore you have no demand to make upon
his purse. The police will, I have no doubt, endeavor to keep this thing
quiet, but your name may come out, and it would be far better that
your father should hear this story from you than elsewhere; and your
assurance that you will never touch a card again, and the heavy lesson
that you have had, will doubtless induce him to look at the matter
leniently. It will, no doubt, be a painful story to tell, but it will be
far better told by you.”
“I will do it, sir; as you say, the lesson has been a heavy one, and
henceforth my father shall have no reason to complain of me. May I call
and see you tomorrow evening?”
“Certainly. I shall be at home from seven to eight, after which hour I
have an engagement. Good night.”
Cotter walked on, and Mark fell back, and joined Dick and Boldero, who
had fallen behind when they saw him speaking to Cotter.
“Well, Mark, I congratulate you,” Dick Chetwynd said. “You did it
wonderfully, though how on earth you knew that fellow had a card in his
hand is more than I can guess.”
“I felt sure he was going to cheat,” Mark said quietly; “I saw that
Cotter's hand was a very strong one, and knew that Emerson would be
aware that it was so, because he would receive no signal from Flash,
therefore this was the time, if any, that he would cheat. He had been
playing with both hands upon the table. I saw him withdraw one, there
was a little pause, and then it came up again, and I had not a doubt
in the world that there was a card in it, and that it had been
hidden somewhere in his breeches, which is one of the best places of
concealment, for his hand being under the table while getting at the
card, no one present who was not behind the scenes, as I was, could
detect him doing it.”
“The wonder to me is,” Boldero said, “that while there were a number
of men looking on closely, for Emerson has long been suspected of not
playing fair, you, just fresh from the country, if I may say so, should
have spotted him.”
“That is easily explained,” Mark said. “Not wishing to fall a victim, I
have of late been put up to a great many of these sharpers' tricks by a
man who at one time had been in the trade himself.”
“That was a capital idea, Mark,” Dick said. “I wish you would introduce
me to him.”
“I won't do that, Dick, but I shall be very glad to teach you all I know
myself about it; but I fancy that after this you will be in no great
hurry to enter a gambling hell again.”
“That is so, Mark. I have never had any great inclination for play;
but after this you may be quite sure that I will light shy of cards
altogether. Still, I shall be glad if you will put me up to some of
these tricks, for I may be able to some day save a victim of card
sharpers, as you have done this evening.”
The next morning, when those who had been present at the scene of the
previous evening arrived at the office of the detectives in Bow Street,
they were shown into some private rooms, and asked to wait. Cotter,
Mark, and his two friends first had an interview with the chief.
“You will understand,” the latter said, “that this is an altogether
informal affair. I propose you first tell me your story as briefly as
possible.”
This was done.
“Now, Mr. Cotter. I take it that you do not wish to prosecute?”
“Certainly not. I would, in fact, give anything rather than appear in
it.”
“You have said that, in addition to the IOUs that you have given to the
two men caught cheating, they hold others to the amount of some five
or six thousand pounds, given by you to three other frequenters of the
club. In fact, these papers have been found in Emerson's pocketbook; he
told you, I believe, that he had taken them up, so that you should not
be inconvenienced by them. I understand, then, that you will be quite
content if you get these IOUs back again; those given to Emerson and
Flash are, of course, worthless. After what has happened, they could not
be presented, but probably you might have trouble about the others,
for, though I have no doubt that the whole of the men were in league
together, we have no means of absolutely proving it.”
“I shall be more than content, sir; I have no wish to prosecute.”
“We are glad,” the chief said, “to be able to close a dangerous place;
and as the exposure will put a stop to the career of these two men, and
no doubt alarm a good many others, we don't care about taking the matter
into court. Such gross scandals as this are best kept quiet, when there
is no object in ventilating them. Therefore, gentlemen, as Mr. Cotter
is willing to do so, we shall let the matter drop. I shall be obliged if
you will step into the next room, however, until I have seen these three
men.”
When they had left, the three were brought in.
“You have been concerned, sirs,” the chief said sternly, “in winning
large sums of money from the Hon. William Denton, from Mr. James Carew,
from Mr. William Hobson, and others; in all of these cases the two men
caught cheating last night were also concerned. You all hold notes of
hand of Mr. Hobson. I shall advise that gentleman's father to refuse to
pay those notes, and promise him that if any further request for payment
is made I will furnish him with such particulars for publication as
will more than justify him in the eyes of the world in refusing to honor
them. You, as well as Mr. Emerson and Sir James Flash, have won large
sums from Mr. Cotter, and the fact that the IOUs he gave you were found
on Mr. Emerson points very strongly to their being in confederacy with
you in the matter; at any rate, they point so strongly that, whether a
jury would convict or not on the evidence that we shall be able to lay
before them, there can be no question whatever as to what the opinion of
men of honor will be. These IOUs are in our hands. Mr. Cotter does not
desire to pursue the case; he will, however, refuse absolutely to pay
those IOUs, and in doing so he will have the approval of all honorable
men. That being so, the IOUs are absolutely useless to you, and if you
will agree to my tearing them up now, he has most kindly consented to
let the matter drop in your cases.”
The three men, who had all turned very white when he was speaking, now
protested angrily against imputations being made on their honor.
“Well, sirs,” the officer said, “in that case the matter can, of course,
go on. You know best what the feeling will be as to these IOUs. They
will form an important item of evidence against you, you will see. As
the matter stands, either you gave them to Emerson to collect for you,
without any money passing between you--a very strange procedure, which
you will find it difficult to explain--or else he gave you the coin for
them, and you passed them over to him, and have, therefore, parted with
all claim on Mr. Cotter on your own account. Of course I impound them
with the other IOUs as proof of a conspiracy between you. Now, sirs, am
I to tear them up or not?”
The three men looked at each other, and then one of them said:
“We protest altogether against the assertion, sir, but at the same
time, as there can be little doubt that Emerson and Sir James Flash have
played unfairly, and we do not wish any association of our names
with theirs, we are perfectly willing that the IOUs, which, under the
circumstances, we should never have dreamt of presenting, should be
destroyed.”
“I think that you have chosen wisely,” the chief said dryly. “It is a
pity that you did not do so at first. These are the IOUs he gave to one
or other of you. Perhaps it would be pleasanter for you to destroy them
yourselves.”
The three men took the papers with their names on them and tore them up.
“Thank you,” he went on sarcastically. “That will place you in a
better position. You will be able to tell your friends that you felt so
indignant at the manner in which Mr. Cotter had been swindled by Emerson
and Flash that you at once destroyed his IOUs for the sums that you had
won of him. But, gentlemen,”--he spoke sternly now,--“remember that we
have a long list against you, and that the next victim, or let us say
his father, might be more disposed to push matters to their full length
than is Mr. Cotter. Remember, also, that we keep ourselves acquainted
with what is going on, and that should trouble arise we shall produce
all the complaints that have been made against you, and shall also
mention your connection with this affair, in which, as I understand, you
all did your best to prevent those two fellows from being searched.”
Without saying another word the three men went out of the room,
too crestfallen to make even an attempt at keeping up their air of
indignation. The others were then called in.
“I am sorry, gentlemen,” he said, “that you have had the trouble of
coming here, for the gentleman swindled has declined to prosecute the
swindlers, and you will understand that he is somewhat anxious that his
name should not appear in the matter. Fortunately, as instead of paying
in cash he gave IOUs for his losses, he will not be a loser to any large
amount by these transactions. I may say that the proprietor of the hell
has been there this morning, and to avoid trouble he has consented to
close his place for good. I have only to remark that I should advise
you, gentlemen, in future, only to indulge in gambling in places where
you may be fairly assured of the character of the men you play with. I
think, in conclusion, that you may all feel grateful to Mr. Cotter for
refusing to prosecute. It has saved you from having to appear in court
as witnesses in so utterly disreputable an affair.”
There was a general murmur of assent, and in a minute or two the room
was clear. Flash and Emerson were then brought in, with a constable on
each side of them.
“Mr. Cotter has, I regret to say, declined to prosecute, and Mr.
Thorndyke has done the same with regard to Sir James Flash's use of his
pistol. You have, therefore, escaped the punishment due to swindlers
at cards. It is the less matter, as you are not likely to have an
opportunity of making fresh victims, for the story will be known by
this afternoon in every club in London. These IOUs will be of no use to
you--they are not worth the paper on which they are written. However,
I shall take it upon myself to hand them back to Mr. Cotter, to prevent
the possibility of their getting into other hands and giving him
trouble.
“You can unlock those handcuffs, constable; these men are at liberty to
go, and if they will take my advice they will lose no time in crossing
the water and establishing themselves somewhere where their talents are
likely to be better appreciated than they are here. They can go; one
of you can call a hackney coach for them if they wish it. They will
scarcely care to walk with their garments in their present condition.”
Then the chief went into the next room.
“There is an end of that affair, Mr. Cotter. Here are the IOUs you gave
to those two swindlers. Those you gave to the other three men, who were
no doubt their confederates, have been torn up by them in my presence.
They declare that after seeing how shamefully you had been victimized
they had not the slightest idea of ever presenting them.”
“I am sure that I am extremely grateful to you,” Cotter said. “I know
that I have behaved like a madman, and that I don't deserve to have got
off as I have done. It will be a lesson to me for life, I can assure
you.”
On leaving, Dick Chetwynd walked for some distance with Mark--as far as
Gibbons' place in St. Giles.
“There is one thing which I cannot understand,” he said, “and that is
how it was that the constables happened to be so close at hand, just at
the time they were wanted.”
“Well, you see, Dick, my relations with Bow Street are just at present
of a somewhat close nature, for they are aiding me in the search that I
told you that I was making for my father's murderer. The consequence was
that I had only to mention to the chief that I fancied I had detected
cheating at that place, and that there was a likelihood of a row there
last night, and he at once said he would send four men, to come in if
they heard a rumpus; and he was, indeed, rather glad of an opportunity
for breaking up the place, concerning which he had had several
complaints of young men being plucked to the last feather. Well, it was
lucky they came. I don't say that it would have made any difference,
because I think our side was a great deal stronger than they were, still
it would have led to a nasty row, and perhaps to half a dozen duels
afterwards. Well, I will say goodby now. I am very glad that the affair
has been dropped; it would not have mattered so much to me, as I am
single and my own master, but there were a good many men there who would
have been ready to have paid up handsomely rather than that their names
should appear in connection with a row at a gambling house.”
At seven o'clock in the evening Philip Cotter called at Mark's lodgings,
accompanied by his father, who, as he came in with him, advanced at once
to Mark and shook him warmly by the hand.
“My son has told me everything, Mr. Thorndyke,” he said, “and I cannot
thank you sufficiently for the noble part you took in rescuing him from
the terrible effects of his folly. I have been down here twice this
afternoon, for I felt that I could not rest until I had shaken you by
the hand. It is not the question of money so much, though that would
have been a serious loss to me, but it is the saving of my son's life,
and the saving of the honor of our name.”
“I am glad indeed to have been of service, Mr. Cotter, and I trust that
you have consented to forgive the folly that he has committed, and which
I feel sure will never be repeated.”
“Yes. It was a heavy blow to me, Mr. Thorndyke, when Philip told me; but
as he has sworn most solemnly never to touch a card again, and as I feel
sure that the lesson cannot but be a useful one to him all his life, I
have agreed to say no more about it, and let the matter drop altogether.
He has been fortunate to have escaped so easily. He has told me of the
noble offer you made to pay his losses if you should not be able to
prove that he was being cheated.”
“I was not committing myself heavily,” Mark said with a smile. “I had
seen enough to be absolutely certain, and was sure that I should be able
to bring it home to them.”
“But it was at a considerable risk to yourself, Mr. Thorndyke. As it
was, you had a narrow escape of being shot.”
“Not a very narrow escape,” Mark replied. “With so many men standing
round him and their attention called to him, it was certain that he
would be seized before he could take aim at me. I had pistols in my
pocket, and was prepared to fire in an instant, but I saw at once that
there was no occasion for that.”
“But I cannot imagine how you should have detected the cheating,” the
banker said. “You are younger than my son, and he said that you told
him that you had only recently come up to London. It is astonishing that
while experienced players should never have noticed that anything was
wrong you should have discovered it.”
“The explanation is simple, Mr. Cotter. I have no inclination for play
myself, but I happened a short time since to fall in with a man who was
well acquainted with all the various methods of card sharping. I thought
that a knowledge of that might some day be useful, and I got him to
put me up to a number of the tricks of card sharpers both at home and
abroad. Having these fresh in my mind, and seeing that your son was
playing with a man whose reputation I knew to be bad, I naturally
concentrated my attention upon him, and was not long in discovering that
he had a confederate standing behind your son's chair. Being a stranger
in the place, I could not denounce him, but the next night I set two
friends to watch that method of cheating, while I kept my eyes fixed on
Emerson's hands. As I anticipated, there was nothing suspicious about
his movements so long as play was comparatively low, for the advantage
that he gained from his confederate enabled him to be sure of winning in
the long run; it was only in the last game, which was a high one, that,
as he knew that your son had a strong hand, he was tempted to stock
his hand with false cards; and watching closely, I had no difficulty in
detecting his method.”
“Well, sir, you have, at any rate, laid us both under the deepest
obligation. Is there any possible way in which we can show our
gratitude?”
Mark thought for a moment.
“In one way you might do me a favor, Mr. Cotter. A ward of my father's,
who will inherit some property when she comes of age, is at present
finishing her education in town, and is living with a lady who has
been her friend and companion since childhood. I have a good many
acquaintances, but they are all bachelors; and having been living down
at my father's place, near Reigate, for so many years, the ladies have
no acquaintances in London. They live at Islington, and their life is
a very dull one. I am anxious, for several reasons, that the young lady
should have the advantage of going somewhat into society. Hitherto I
have had no means of introducing her. If it is not too much to ask, Mr.
Cotter, I should be extremely glad and obliged if Mrs. Cotter would call
on them and give them an introduction into society. The lady with my
father's ward is the widow of a captain in the Indian Army, and is in
all ways a very charming person, and has been at the head of my father's
establishment for the last twelve years.”
“With the greatest pleasure in the world, Mr. Thorndyke. I am only sorry
that it is so slight a thing that you ask of me. I have thought it
but right to tell my wife what has passed, and I had difficulty in
persuading her not to come with me this evening to also express her
gratitude to you. She will be pleased indeed to call upon your friends
at once, and I am sure she will do so tomorrow. I was going to ask you
to dine with us, and I hope that you will do so. We shall have no one
else, and I hope that you will be able to arrange to meet your friends
at our house a few days later.”
The next morning Mark called on Mrs. Cunningham.
“I think you will have a visitor today,” he said. “It has happened that
I have been able to do a service to the son of Mr. Cotter, a wealthy
banker. I am going to dine there this evening. He asked me about my
friends in London, and I mentioned that my only lady friends were you
and Millicent. He asked a few questions as to where you were living, and
so on, and said that his wife would have much pleasure in calling and
introducing Millicent into society. As your life is very dull here, and
it is clearly very desirable that Millicent should go into society, I
gladly accepted the offer, and I believe that she will call today.”
“That will be very nice indeed, Mark. Millicent is not complaining, but
she must have felt it very dull. I have even felt it so myself after the
cheerful society we had at home.”
“I don't know that I shall like it,” Millicent said doubtfully.
“Oh, yes, you will, Millicent; and besides, it will be good for you. It
is not natural for a girl of your age to be here without friends, and I
shall be very glad to know that you are going to mix a little with other
people.”
Mrs. Cotter called that afternoon, and three days later Mark met Mrs.
Cunningham and Millicent at a dinner party at the banker's, and Mrs.
Cotter introduced them very warmly to several of her friends, with the
result that in a very short time they were frequently invited out, while
they became very intimate with the banker and his wife, and often spent
the day there.