"Yes," I said; "we've seen the parlourmaid. Could you get us a cab?"
"Certainly, sir; taxi, sir?"
"It doesn't matter," interrupted Bruce in a dazed voice, "as long as
there are no women in it."
I nudged him warningly, but the porter, evidently taking him for a
humourist, laughed heartily.
"Very well, sir," he said briskly; "I'll see to that, sir." Then,
pulling a whistle from under his uniform, he stepped outside and blew
a shrill blast. Almost immediately a taxi rolled up the drive.
The porter opened the door; and as we came down the steps to get in,
a small boy with a bundle of newspapers under his arm dashed up and
thrust one out before me.
"'Ere y'are, sir; two-thirty winner. Death of a well-known
millionaire, sir."
"Push off, me lad," said the porter grandly.
I had pulled a penny out of my pocket, however, before he spoke, and
with an _Evening News_ in my hand I followed Bruce into the taxi.
"Where to, sir?" inquired the porter.
For a moment I was floored.
"The Bachelors' Club," said Bruce, handing him a shilling.
The porter saluted and passed on the instructions.
"Bruce," I said dully, "do you realize what we're spending in cabs?"
Bruce shook his head with an air of utter weariness.
"It doesn't matter," he said. "I've got six million somewhere."
Half an hour earlier I should have laughed. As it was I only stared
at him stupidly.
"Yes," I said. "I suppose you have."
Then, in a sort of mechanical way, I opened the paper.
For a moment I gazed at it like a man in a trance.
"What's the matter?" asked Bruce.
I was past speaking. I could only point with a trembling finger to
the three huge headlines which seemed to dance mockingly across the
page:
"SUICIDE OF JOHN P. FOX.
RUINED RUBBER KING BLOWS OUT HIS BRAINS.
PAUPER FOR THE PAST SIX WEEKS."
Bruce read them aloud in a strange, dry voice. Then he burst out
into a horrid, cackling, mad sort of laugh.
"That's done it!" he cried. "No money, and this nightmare of a day
for ever!" His voice rose to a scream. "I'm damned if I do!" he
yelled.
Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the Nadir Bandar.
"I wish," he sobbed, "that I'd never had a wish at all!"