Long Odds ... New edition

Front matter

LONG ODDS BY HAWLEY SMART AUTHOR OF "BEATRICE AND BENEDICK," "WITHOUT LOVE OR LICENCE,'' "THE OUTSIDER," etc. A NEW EDITION LONDON CHATTO & WINDUS 1S96 CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. — TAKE CARE OF DAMOCLES, ... I II. — GOOD-BYE IN REAL EARNEST, ... 9 III. THE TELEGRAM, IS IV. — DICK BRAMTON'S WILL, . . . .21 V. — THE HELIOTROPE, . . . . .28 VI. A DELICATE COMMISSION, • • • 35 VII. MR SKINNER REPORTS PROGRESS, . . 42 VIII. LORD RANKSBOROW CALLS, . . , 49 IX. JOHN BRAMTON'S EYES ARE OPENED, . 56 X. THE SOUDAN'S ON THE BOIL, . . .62 XI. THE BRAMTONS MAKE THEIR DlEBUT, , 69 XII. THE DINNER AT KNIGHTSHAYES, . , 76 XIII. — LUCY'S INNOCULATION, .... 83 XIV. MR SKINNER IS PUZZLED, .... 89 XV. THE JULY STAKES, 96 XVI. WHAT NEWMARKET DID FOR THEM, • . IO3 XVII. ABU KLEA AND ABU KRU, . . IO9 XVIII. — LOST IN THE DESERT, . . . . 115 XIX. — TURF TACTICS, 122 XX. ' I'LL MAKE LOVE TO ONE,' . .

I 28 XXI. — ANOTHER BID FOR DAMOCLES, . . . Contents. XXII. — FRONT DE BŒUF, .... I41 XXIII. — FRONT DE BŒUF'S LITTLE BILL, . • J .8 XXIV. — 'I SHALL NEVER FORGET YOU, ZELNE,' . 155 XXV. — REPORTED MISSING, .... I«2 XXVI. ' WHAT NONSENSE YOU TALK,' . • l(>8 XXVII. MR NOEL LAYS LONG ODDS, . . • x75 XXVIII. LORD DARTREE'S MISTAKE, . . • l8l XXIX. ENGLISH HORSES VERSUS ARABS, . . 1 88 XXX. 'THE MUMMER,' 194 XXXI. CHAFFED INTO A MATCH, . . . 200 XXXII. THE RACE IN THE DESERT, . . . 20"J XXXIII. THE WROXETER BALL, . . . .213 XXXIV. — A VEF.Y PRETTY QUARREL, . . .219 XXXV. DEATH OF LORD DARTREE, . . .2 26 XXXVI. SOMETHING WRONG WITH DAMOCLES, . 233 XXXVII. ZELNE'S LETTER, .... 240 XXXVIII. HOMEWARD BOUND, .... 246 XXXIX. AT KNIGHTSHAYES ONCE MORE, . .252 XL. TOM ROBBINS GROWS GARRULOUS, . -259 XLI.

SEMI-BOYCOTTING OF BRAMTON, . . 265 XLII. MR NAPPER'S LITTLE COMEDY, . . 27 I XLIII. — BRAMTON NOT TO BE DRIVEN, . .278 XLIV. — FLOOD CALLS AT TEMPLE RISING, . .285 XLV. LUCY ASSERTS HERSELF, . , . 292 XLV1. DAMOCLES SHALL RUN, , , 298 XLVIL WINNING THE DERBY, .... 305 CONCLUSION jH

Chapter I. Take Care Of Damocles

pSCeSI GLORIOUS night. The moon, pale regent of IsS_-s| the sky, with all her glittering court is marching ByaEV?* like an army through the heavens. The numberless lights of Cairo twinkle brightly, and the cigars glow like fire-flies under the verandah of Shepheard's Hotel. Just visible from the lounging-chairs there, an un usually brilliant gleam of light catches the eye, evidently proceeding from some large building which is garishly illuminated. From that spot, at that time of night, the most striking object perhaps in the city of the Khedive. ' So you're getting pretty tired of the place you came to save, Jack, eh ? ' ' Yes,' replied the Honourable Jack Cuxwold of her Majesty's — th Lancers. ' Before Tel-el-Kebir the cer tainty that we had work before us kept us going. Then the ride down here was glorious, a match against time, whether we reached Cairo in time to save the city.' ' Yes,' said Flood, 'from all accounts you weren't an hour too soon.

Arabi's defeated troops would have fired and sacked it in another four-and-twenty-hours.' 'Just so,' replied Jack Cuxwold. 'I fancy that's what would have taken place. Defeated soldiery " out of hand" would probably treat a wealthy city in that way.' ' Well, it's all over now ; and I suppose you'll be soon coming home again ? ' A ' Not a chance of our coming home for ever so long,' retorted Cuxwold ; ' and as for its being all over, I very much doubt that. We've pooh-poohed the Mahdi, and there being no European troops engaged in it, haven't paid much attention to the annihilation of Hicks' column; but these Arabs are on the boil, and when a fellow calls himself a prophet, if they only take him up, there's no saying where their fanaticism may not carry them.' ' Exactly!' said Flood. ' And I can fancy these fellows thinking a raid from their own sandy deserts into Lower Egypt, in the name of religion, a very profitable speculation.

By the way. you were in luck at dinner. That was a deuced pretty girl you contrived to sit next.' 'She was, Master Alec, and very pleasant to talk to besides.' ' Did you make out her name and belongings ? ' 'She is a Miss Bramton,' replied Cuxwold; 'and that little dark man who sat next her was her uncle. They rather puzzled me. She was as ladylike a girl as you would meet anywhere ; but, hang it, I can't make him out.' ' Hardly looked a gentleman,' rejoined Flood. 'No,' said the other, 'whatever he is, he's not that. From what Miss Bramton told me, I gathered that they had come abroad for the benefit of her uncle's health. He is delicate in the chest, and has fled from the rigour of an English winter.' ' Then they're settled here for some time ? ' ' I suppose so. Miss Bramton told me that they had no intention of leaving till the winter was well over.' As has been gathered from the previous conversation, the Honourable Jack Cuxwold, second son of the Earl of Ranksborow, was a dragoon, whose regiment had formed part of the original expedition to Egypt.

He had been present at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, and then joined in Stewart's dashing ride to Cairo. Since then he had been kicking his heels about that city, and was now fain to confess that he was most heartily sick of it. He had been up the Great Pyramid, done the Mosques, seen the Sphinx, ransacked the Bazaars, assisted in getting up divisional races, and, in short, to use his own words, had thoroughly exhausted the Khedive's capital. But he Take care os Damocles. 3 knew there was no prospect of getting away, for with Gordon shut up in Khartoum, and the storm clouds of battle gathering in the desert, no man in health cou'd think of applying for leave. Alec Flood was an ola friend of his whom he had come across two or three days before, and with whom this evening he had been dining at Shepheard's Hotel.

Flood was one of those men, whom you always do come across, blessed with a comfortable income and a restless disposition; he literally ' wandered up and down upon the earth.' As for his friends, it did not signify what part ofthe world they had betaken themselves to, they were always prepared to see Alec Flood turn up in his usual listless fashion. He never seemed to know where he was going, and, what was very exasperating to people of ordinarily well-regu lated minds, he never seemed to care. If he was late for train or steamer, going to such and such a place, he would get into the next, perfectly regardless of what its destination might be. ' What does it matter,' he said upon one of these occasions, ' I haven't made up my mind, you see, where to go, but I'm quite determined to go for the present.' Cairo amused him, it was not that he hadn't done it all before, but he had met Cuxwold and two or three other old friends, and so had resolved to pull up there for a little.

Unmarried, and with no profession, he was free to roam wheresoever he would. Like Ulysses he had seen men and cities, and could discourse pleasantly of both, and was cordially welcomed in all such society as he affected ; but on this point he was somewhat fastidious, and by no means to be be guiled by all cards of invitation. ' I say,' exclaimed Cuxwold at length, ' we can't spend the whole evening in this drowsy old verandah ; what do you say to coming over there ? ' and he jerked his head in the direction of the building that shone out so bril liantly against the lights of Cairo. ' Anything to see much ? ' rejoined the other senten tiously. ' Well a music hall is a music hall,' rejoined Jack Cuxwold. ' It's not so entertaining as the Oxford, still one hears a good song sometimes ; and they've a girl there who warbles French chansons of the The. _se type rather archly.

At all events, it is better fun than sitting here.' Alec Flood said nothing, but rose and prepared to accompany his mercurial guest. Left to himself, he would have smoked passively as an Oriental for the next hour or two, and then retired to bed ; but the restless Anglo-Saxon blood of Jack Cuxwold rebelled against such passive enjoyment. ' Come on,' he exclaimed, ' it's no distance ; and though the streets of Cairo are not policed like those of London, yet nobody ever presumes to interfere with our insular race in any way. 'No,' rejoined Flood, laughing, 'the conquerors stalk abroad with much majesty at present. It isn't till later on that the conquered avenge their wrongs by midnight assassination.' Thus jesting, the two young men left their hotel, and made their way to this last exotic of Western civilisation newly grafted on the East.

The music hall was, as Cuxwold had explained, of very ordinary type, differ ing but little from the conventional London entertain ment. Only in this wise, that there was a considerable amount of French singing introduced into it. Flood and Cuxwold were perhaps more amused by the queer melange of the audience than in anything they saw upon the stage. The seemingly congregation of all nationalities present, from the Frank in light tweeds to his brother in evening costume; from the Greek ofthe Levant to the Armenians; from the scarlet fezzed officer of the Egyptian army to the undress of his British compeer. Eastern dresses of all kinds were scattered amongst the audience. The hall was crowded and, needless to say, hot. They had been there for about an hour, and the mer curial Cuxwold was already beginning to doubt whether the game was worth the candle, when they were accosted by a slim dark man of unmistakable Jewish physiognomy, who, in somewhat indifferent English, said, — ' Ah, pouf !

Gentlemen, this place is something too hot. What would you think of adjourning to a little establish ment that I know of? Ha ! we get there something cool to drink, and a leetle amusement. Ha ! we see the leetle I Take care of Damocles. 5 ball go round and round, we back the colour, we fill our pockets, we rinse our throats ; ah peste ! it is more amus ing than this place. What say you, gentlemen ? Will you stroll across to the establishment of my friend? It is close by. All the best gentlemen of Cairo look in there.' ' Gambling house tout,' said Flood in an undertone. 'No doubt,' rejoined Cuxwold, 'still this is deuced dull. Suppose we go, Alec, and look in for half-an-hour, just to see how they manage these things in the East.' ' All right old man,' rejoined Flood ; ' but a gambling house is a gambling-house, whether you see it in the East or in the West.

However, I don't suppose that you or I will hurt ourselves much at it. I am good to go if you like. Show us the way in,' he said, turning to their new acquaintance, 'and we will see if we are in luck's vein to-night.' They emerged from the music hall under the guidance of their new friend, and crossing the road, plunged at once into the labyrinth of small streets that run at the back of the Great Square, till their guide stopped at a low doorway, over which, as has been the fashion of such dens from time immemorial, there blazed a brilliant fan light. A tap at the door, and the portal was at once opened, and their mentor led the way into a narrow passage which opened into a brilliantly lighted room, wherein a roulette table, surrounded by a throng of eager speculators, was in full swing. 'A queer crowd, by Jove!

Jack; some villainous faces as ever I saw,' whispered Flood. 'Yes,' replied the other; 'and look, Alec, I'm blessed if there isn't our invalid. There's Bramton punting, if 1 know anything about it, like a man who means business.' ' Ah, gentlemen,' exclaimed their conductor, ' never mind that just now"; you will allow me to be your guide. I am well known here. I think just a quail en aspic and a glass of champagne before we battle the enemy.' ' Right you are,' rejoined Cuxwold ; ' I've a prodigious thirst on me.' ' It strikes me we have met before, my friend,' said Alec Flood, as they followed the stranger into an inner room, where a liberally furnished supper-table was laid out. ' I can't quite recollect where.' 'Impossible, monsieur,' interposed the stranger. 'I have an excellent memory for faces, and, monsieur will pardon me,' he continued with a low bow, ' his is not one that we — ah, what you call it ? — forget.' He called to the attendants, and Cuxwold and Flood were speedily supplied with an excellent supper, washed down with equally good wine.

That finished, they at once adjourned to the salon de jcu. ' Now, messieurs,' said their guide laughing, ' give me a lead. I never do right myself. I will follow your game, gentlemen.' It was the ordinary roulette as played at Monte Carlo or any other similar establishment ; but the eager faces and glittering eyes of the gamblers showed that the play was deep. There was all the silence that would charac terise a London card-room, when the battle waged fierce, and if luck went against them, ruin ere daybreak stared some of the combatants in the face. But these Easterns cannot control their physiognomies like the children of the West, and, though nothing but a smothered exclama tion or low ejaculation of triumph escaped their lips, the slashing eyes and flushed faces showed that the intoxica tion of gambling was boiling in their veins. ' A run on the red,' whispered Flood ; ' best follow that as far as the colour goes.

Back the numbers to suit your own fancy.' Once more did the ball go circling round, and again did the croupier asseverate that red was the successful colour. It speedily became evident to Flood that what he had first deemed deep play all round was prettily nearly confined in this instance to Bramton, who had been evidently losing heavily, was backing black with dogged persistency, and was evidently equally unfortunate in his selection of the numbers. His face was cool and impassive, but there was an angry light in his eyes. As Flood and Cuxwold could see, he kept on increasing his stake after every rebuff. Once more did the ball spin round, and as it slowly hesitated into which partition to dribble into, the croupier, either accidentally or by design, touched the board with his hand. ' Foul play, by G — d ! ' shouted Bramton, springing to Take care of Damocles. 7 his feet. ' No such run as this was ever brought about by fair means ; that thief can pull the strings as he likes.

I'll have back every shilling he has won of me.' In an instant all was confusion. The men of that motley crew not only snatched up their own stakes, but in some instances perhaps as much of their neigh bour's as they could lay hands on. The quiet of the chamber was broken, and the room rang with a perfect polyglot of blasphemy. The myrmidons of the estab lishment, of course, gathered round the bank, and well they might, for there were those in that precious crew who reckoned little of how money was come by. ' Disgorge, you scoundrel ! ' screamed Bramton. ' If you don't return me the money you've robbed me of, I bring the whole place about your ears. I pay up when I lose ; but I'll be hung if I'll submit to being robbed,' and, in the excitement of the moment, he sprang at the croupier. For a minute or two the melee seemed about to be general, and at all events a sharp struggle took place around the bank.

Cuxwold and Flood half fought half pushed their way to the scene of action. Suddenly a shriek rang through the room, followed by a cry of ' I am stabbed.' The crowd fell back, and Bramton reeled out of the melte, bathed in blood, and fell fainting on the floor. In an instant the two Englishmen were at his side. Cuxwold raised his head, and Flood, who in his wanderings had acquired some slight knowledge of surgery, tore open the wounded man's waistcoat only to discover two deep gashes in his chest from which the blood was welling. The tragic ending of the affair seemed to have sobered all those present. They had meddled with an Englishman— meddled with him even to his death — and there was an obvious desire on the part of the company to depart as quickly and privily as might be. A few minutes and the house was cleared of all save the wounded man, Cuxwold, Flood and its proprietors ; and these latter seemed in much perturbation at the untoward occurrence.

Cuxwold noticed that the gentleman who had introduced them was amongst those who had disappeared. He had seen him just before the commencement of the fray, apparently staking his money on the game ; but whether he had taken any part in the scrimmage, or when he disappeared, Jack could not say. ' It's no use,' gasped the wounded man ; ' there's nothing much to be done for me. I've got my gruel, and I know it. Give me a glass of something, just to keep me going for a few minutes while I say what I've got to say. You're Englishmen, both of you, aren't you ? ' Flood nodded assent as he rose to his feet. ' No,' cried the dying man, as Flood turned towards the door ; ' doctors are of no use. I shall be gone before they can get here.' ' I regret to say that, Mr Bramton, I agree with you,' replied Flood gravely. ' I am only going to get you some stimulant.

We will do what we can to forward your wishes, but I know enough of surgery to warn you that you have no time to lose in telling us what you want.' ' Good chap your pal ; but he comes pretty straight to the point, don't he ? Well it's best, in cases like mine. Let's see, I've seen your face before. Ah ! you're the young chap who was at the hotel, and was so civil to Lucy. She is a good girl that. She and Damocles are the only creatures I care about on earth. What I want you to do is this — is your friend never coming with that brandy, or whatever it is ? — I feel so faint.' ' Here he is, here he is,' said Cuxwold softly, as he took the tumbler from Flood's hand, and held it to Bramton's lips. The man swallowed it eagerly, and then continued, — ' That's what I want you to see about. Just break it to her.

Let her down easy. Poor girl, she does care a bit about her old uncle; and then, you see, gentlemen, she's all alone here in a foreign land, and don't know the hang of things. If you'll just put matters straight for her. Manage all about this row ; take her passage for England, and all that. There's plenty of money ; Dick Bramton ain't dying a pauper by any means. Give me some more brandy. Thanks; that'll do. Will you promise to do what I ask gentlemen ? Don't say more about this than you can help. Say I'm dead, stabbed in the streets, any thing. Give her my love. Where am I ?— it's getting dark. Tell her to take care of Damocles. I wonder what time Good-lye in Real Earnest. 9 it is ? I feel awfully sleepy. It's hard, too, with the winner of the Derby in your stable; ' and with those words Dick Bramton fell back upon the cushions they had laid on him, and seemed to sleep.

Slowly the blood flowed from the wound, and trickled over the carpet, in spite of all Flood's efforts to staunch it. A quarter of an hour, a slight twitching of the mouth, a faint fluttering of the eyelids, and Dick Bramton's spirit had sped.

Chapter II. Good-bye In Real Earnest

By this time the gendarmes had made their appearance up on the scene, and at once proceeded to take possession of the house and its occupants. Only for Cuxwold's uniform, there was no doubt but both he and Flood would have found themselves in custody ; but the guardians of the law were shy of meddling with anyone wearing the Queen of England's uniform. The preliminary investigation told nothing. The three men, who avowedly were the pro prietors of the house, protested their innocence, and neither Flood nor Cuxwold, although they were fighting their way to Bramton's assistance at the time, had seen who it was that had dealt those fatal blows. They certainly could formulate no accusation against the three men in question. Cuxwold took a high tone with the officer of gendarmes, and that functionary at once proved subservient and willing to do anything the English captain deemed advisable.

He acquiesced at once in Cuxwold's proposal that the body of the dead man should be removed to the hotel at daybreak. He would make every effort to discover the murderer, and exert himself to the utmost of his ability in order that justice should be done ; but it was difficult. They had many of such cases; so many of these Greeks, Arab dealers, traders, etc., from the Upper Province, carried knives, and were wont to use them freely. He would send down some of his men at daybreak with a hand litter to remove the deceased to Shepheard's Hotel. He would not trouble the gentlemen more than he could help, but it would be necessary that Captain Cuxwold should give evidence before the Cadi, and then with 'plenty salaam' to the two Englishmen, and a fierce whisper to the proprietors of the house, that if plenty of bakseesh were not forthcoming, it would be the worse for them, the man in authority took his departure. 'This is a nice business we've let ourselves in for,' said Flood in a low tone as they commenced their vigil o'er the dead. ' I wonder what became of that confounded little Semite.

I can't help thinking I've seen that fellow's face somewhere before.' ' Well,' said Jack meditatively, ' I suppose all this would have happened whether we had been here or not. The whole thing passed too quick for us to save this poor fellow ; but, for all that, it's as well we were here.' ' As you say so, my dear boy, I suppose it is ; but upon my life I can't see it.' ' We can do the poor fellow's last bidding,' said Jack. ' It's better that pretty girl at the hotel should have the thing broken gently to her, instead of hearing of it abruptly. She will want someone, too, to help her about all her arrangements to return home, etc.' Flood eyed his companion curiously for a moment, and then remarked, — ' True ; you are a good fellow, Jack, and always had a touch of chivalry in your nature. Consider me as under your orders in every respect about this affair.

I wonder who or what is Damocles — a dog, I suppose ? ' ' I can tell you all about that,' replied Cuxwold. ' That name reveals a good deal to me about the poor fellow who's gone. I don't do very much in the racing way, myself — younger sons can't afford it ; but I come, remember, of a regular racing stock. My noble father and Dartree, my eldest brother, are up to their eyes in it. Well, if it's only to see what their horses are doing, I always skim the racing intelligence. Damocles is a two year-old of whom great things are expected. He was bought for a lot of money last year by Richard Bramton, who is a well-known racing man — began life, I believe, as a stable-boy — and who was yesterday one of the luckiest u wners on the turf.' Good-bye in Real Earnest. 11 ' Ah ! a self-made man ? ' remarked Flood. ' Quite so ; I never saw him before last night at dinner, and never dreamt of his being the man who on the turf they call "Lucky Dick Bramton."

How the deuce a niece of his is what Miss Bramton is is somewhat diffi cult to explain.' ' It is odd,' said Flood. ' She was as refined, ladylike a looking girl as one ever came across, and her poor uncle, even in his last moments, quite justified your opinion of him as to his not being a gentleman ; he was very rough of speech.' ' Yes,' replied Cuxwold ; ' but here are the first streaks of dawn. Ah ! and here come the gendarmes with their stretchers.' The gendarmes at once entered the house, and the remains of poor Dick Bramton were at once placed rever ently on the stretcher by Cuxwold and Flood. Under their auspices, the body was borne back to Shepheard's Hotel, and safely deposited in the dead man's chamber, there to await burial. The proprietor of the hotel was much concerned. Such a thing as the assassination of a guest of his within a mile of his house had never happened before.

He could not understand it. When did it take place ? But upon this point Cuxwold and his friend were somewhat reticent, preferring at present that the hotel-keeper should believe it to be the result of a street brawl rather than of a fracas in a gaming-house. 'Now,' said Jack, 'let's go up to your room. By the time I've made myself a little decent, Miss Bramton, no doubt, will be up, and I've got to tell her then what has happened. People rise early in the East. There is not much to induce one generally to sit up in such cities as Cairo. Men will sit up to play under all climes, and under all circumstances. Nothing but the most arbitrary lav/ stops the gambler in his favourite pursuit. Miss Bramton was up betimes, and flitting about her sitting-room, waiting for her uncle to come to breakfast.

They usually took that meal more or less together in their own apartment ; but her uncle was habitually unpunctual, and Lucy as often as not had finished breakfast before Dick Bramton put in his appearance. She was just de bating in her own mind whether she should ring for that repast, when a servant entered and said that a gentleman wished to see her. To the very natural request of ' What is the gentleman's name?' the waiter produced an en velope, on the back of which was written, ' Captain Cux wold requests to see Miss Bramton on business of urgent importance.' That Captain Cuxwold was the name of her neighbour at the table d'hote on the previous night Lucy was aware, and though the request was not a little extraordinary, still, from what she had seen of him, she could not but believe that he must have reasonable grounds for making it. ' Tell the gentleman I shall be very glad to see him.' Another moment and Jack Cuxwold entered the room, feeling, sooth to say, considerably more nervous than was his wont at being shown into a lady's boudoir. ' Good morning, Captain Cuxwold,' said Miss Bramton. 'The waiter tells me that you wish to see me; but we know how stupid these people at the hotel are.

It is far more probable that your business is with my uncle, whose ac quaintance seems to me to comprise men of all kinds and conditions.' ' No, Miss Bramton,' returned Jack gravely, ' I regret to say my business is with you. I grieve to say that your uncle was seriously injured in a street fray last night. I was present, and, though I did my best, was unluckily too late to come to his assistance.' ' Uncle Dick hurt ! ' exclaimed the girl, ' Where is he ? I must go to him at once ; tell me Captain Cuxwold,' and the dark grey eyes looked keenly into his. 'It's what I've come to do, Miss Bramton. Please be quiet, and sit down, and don't make my task more difficult than it is already. Everything has been done for your Uncle Dick that is possible, and it would be useless your going to him now.' ' Why not ? ' she exclaimed. ' He may be rough, he may be uncouth, but he has been the best and dearest uncle to me always.

He has never grudged any expense if he thought a thing would give me pleasure. If he is seriously hurt, my place is at his bedside ; it is trifling Good-bye in Real Earnest. 13 with me, Captain Cuxwold, not to tell me where he is. No one can nurse him as well as me.' 'You have misunderstood me, Miss Bramton. I fear I am doing my errand badly. Cannot you understand. there are cases past all nursing ? ' 'Past all nursing,' repeated Lucy. 'Do you mean to tell me,' she continued slowly, while her eyes dilated and her voice dropped almost to a whisper, 'that my uncle is deads ' Even so,' rejoined Jack. 'I saw him struck down with my own eyes — was with him to the last — and have brought his dying message to you.' ' Saw him struck down, sir ! ' exclaimed the girl indig nantly ; ' and is the man alive who dealt that felon blow, or is he in the hands of the police ? ' ' He has escaped justice so far, Miss Bramton,' rejoined Cuxwold in low tones. ' And what were you doing, sir ?