Beverley ground his teeth, but said in a blustering voice: ‘Very well! Ididt-take the damned necklace! If you m-must know, I’m d-done up, ruined! But you n-needn’t take that psalm-singing t-tone with me! If I d-don’t sell it, my father will soon enough!’
‘I don’t doubt you, Beverley, but I must point out to you that you have forgotten one trifling circumstance in your very engaging explanation. The necklace belongs to your father.’
‘I c-consider it’s family property. It’s folly to keep it w-when we’re all of us aground! D-damn it, I was forced to take the thing!Youdon’t know w-what it is to be in the p-power of a d-damned cent-per-cent! If the old m-man would have p-parted, this wouldn’t have happened! I told him a m-month ago I hadn’t a feather to fly with, but the old fox wouldn’t c-come up to scratch. I tell you, I’ve no c-compunction! He lectured me as though he himself w-weren’t under hatches, which, by God, he is! Deep b-basset’s beenhisruin; m-myself, I prefer to g-go to perdition with a d-dice-box.’ He gave a reckless laugh, and suddenly sat down on the moss-covered stump of a felled tree, and buried his face in his hands.
‘You are forgetting women, wine, and horses,’ said Sir Richard unemotionally. ‘They also have played not inconsiderable roles in this dramatic progress of yours. Three years ago you were once again under the hatches. I forget what it cost to extricate you from your embarrassments, but I do seem to recall that you gave your word you would not again indulge in – er – quite so many excesses.’
‘Well, I’m n-not expectingyouto raise the w-wind for me this time,’ said Beverley sulkily.
‘What’s the figure?’ Sir Richard asked.
‘How should I know? I’m n-not a damned b-banking clerk! T-twelve thousand or so, I dare say. If you hadn’t spoiled my g-game, I c-could have settled the whole thing.’
‘You delude yourself. When I encountered your friend Yarde he was making for the coast with the diamonds in his pocket.’
‘Where are they now?’
‘In my pocket,’ Sir Richard said coolly.
Beverley lifted his head. ‘L-listen, Richard, you’re not a b-bad fellow! Who’s to know you ever had the d-diamonds in your hands? It ain’t your affair: give them to m-me, and forget all about the rest! I swear I’ll n-never breathe a w-word to a soul!’
‘Do you know, Beverley, you nauseate me? As for giving you the diamonds, I have come here with exactly that purpose.’
Beverley’s hand shot out. ‘I d-don’t care what you think of m-me! Only hand the n-necklace over!’
‘Certainly,’ Sir Richard said, taking the leather purse out of his pocket. ‘But you, Beverley, will give them back to your mother.’
Beverley stared at him. ‘I’ll be d-damned if I will! You fool, how could I?’
‘You may concoct what plausible tale you please: I will even engage myself to lend it my support. But you will give back the necklace.’
A slight sneer disfigured Beverley’s face. ‘Oh, j-just as you l-like! Hand it over!’
Sir Richard tossed the purse over to him. ‘Ah, Beverley! Perhaps I should make it clear to you that if, when I return to town, it has not been restored to Lady Saar I shall be compelled to – er – split on you.’
‘You won’t!’ Beverley said, stowing the purse away in an inner pocket. ‘M-mighty pretty behaviour for a b-brother-in-law!’
‘But I am not your brother-in-law,’ said Sir Richard gently.
‘Oh, you n-needn’t think I don’t know you’re g-going to m-marry Melissa! Our scandals will become yours too. I think you’ll keep your m-mouth shut.’
‘I am always sorry to disappoint expectations, but I have notthe smallest intention of marrying your sister,’ said Sir Richard, taking another pinch of snuff.
Beverley’s jaw dropped. ‘You d-don’t mean she w-wouldn’t have you?’
‘No, I don’t mean that.’
‘B-but it’s as g-good as settled!’
‘Not, believe me, by me.’
‘The d-devil!’ Beverley said blankly.
‘So you see,’ pursued Sir Richard, ‘I should have no compunction whatsoever in informing Saar of this episode.’
‘You w-wouldn’t split on me to my f-father!’ Beverley cried, jumping up from the tree-stump.
‘That, my dear Beverley, rests entirely with you.’
