"Oh, by the way, I'm not known here as Pennington, but as Du Cane. The
fact is, I had some unfortunate litigation some time ago, which led to
bankruptcy, and so, for business reasons, I'm Arnold Du Cane. You'll
understand, won't you?" he laughed.
"Entirely," I replied, overjoyed at receiving Pennington's consent.
"When shall we meet in London?"
"I'll be back on the 10th--that's sixteen days from now," he replied.
"I have to go to Brussels, and on to Riga. Tell Sylvia and dear old
Shuttleworth you've seen me. Give them both my love. We shall meet
down at Middleton, most certainly."
And so for a long time we chatted on, finishing our cigars, I
replying to many questions he put to me relative to my financial and
social position--questions which were most natural in the
circumstances of our proposed relationship.
But while we were talking a rather curious incident arrested my
attention. Pennington was sitting with his back to the door of the
lounge, when, among those who came and went, was a rather stout
foreigner of middle age, dressed quietly in black, wearing a gold
pince-nez, and having the appearance of a French business man.
He had entered the lounge leisurely, when, suddenly catching sight of
Sylvia's father, he drew back and made a hurried exit, apparently
anxious to escape the observation of us both.
So occupied was my mind with my own affairs that the occurrence
completely passed from me until that same night, when, at ten o'clock,
on descending the steps of White's and proceeding to walk down St.
James's Street in the direction of home, I suddenly heard footsteps
behind me, and, turning, found, to my dismay, the Frenchman from
Manchester quietly walking in the same direction.
This greatly mystified me. The broad-faced foreigner in gold
pince-nez, evidently in ignorance that I had seen him in Manchester,
must have travelled up to London by the same train as myself, and must
have remained watching outside White's for an hour or more!
Why had the stranger so suddenly become interested in me?
Was yet another attempt to be made upon me, as Shuttleworth had so
mysteriously predicted?
I was determined to show a bold front and defy my enemies; therefore,
when I had crossed Pall Mall against St. James's Palace, I suddenly
faced about, and, meeting the stranger full tilt, addressed him before
he could escape.
Next moment, alas! I knew that I had acted injudiciously.