But
he was desperate. "You see my position," he said hurriedly. "I'm in a
hurry; I have a lady with me. No man of honor"--
"You do me wrong," interrupted Jack, with a pained expression,--"you do,
indeed. You are in a hurry--well, I have plenty of time. If you cannot
attend to me now, why I will be glad to accompany you and the lady
to the next station. Of course," he added, with a smile, "at a proper
distance, and without interfering with the lady, whom I am pleased
to recognize as the wife of an old friend. It would be more sociable,
perhaps, if we had some general conversation on the road; it would
prevent her being alarmed. I might even be of some use to YOU. If we are
overtaken by her husband on the road, for instance, I should certainly
claim the right to have the first shot at you. Boy!" he called to the
hostler, "just sponge out Pancho's mouth, will you, to be ready when the
buggy goes?" And, loosening his grip of Van Loo's wrist, he turned away
as the other quickly entered the hotel.
But Mr. Van Loo did not immediately seek Mrs. Barker. He had already
some experience of that lady's nerves and irascibility on the drive, and
had begun to see his error in taking so dangerous an impediment to
his flight from the country. And another idea had come to him. He
had already effected his purpose of compromising her with him in that
flight, but it was still known only to few.
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