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than you'd think, and I shall be twenty in October next."
I wasn't very far out in his age then.
"And now, if you don't mind telling me, what is your name?"
"I suppose there can be no harm in letting you know it. I was told if ever I
met anyone and they asked me, not to tell them. But since you saved my life it
would be ungrateful not to let you know. I am the Marquis of
Beckenham."
"Is that so? Then your father is the Duke of Glenbarth?"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"Never set eyes on him in my life, but I heard him spoken of the other day."
I did not add that it was Mr Matchem who, during my conversation with him, had
referred to his Grace, nor did I think it well to say that he had designated
him the 'Mad Duke'. And so the boy I had saved from drowning was the young
Marquis of Beckenham. Well, I was moving in good society with a vengeance.
This boy was the first nobleman I had ever clapped eyes on, though I knew the
Count de Panuroff well enough in
Thursday Island. But then foreign Counts, and shady ones at that, ought not to
reckon, perhaps.
"But you don't mean to tell me," I said at length, "that you've got no
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friends? Don't you ever see anyone at all?"
"No, I am not allowed to. My father thinks it better not. And as he does not
wish it, of course I have nothing left but to obey. I must own, however, I
should like to see the world to go a long voyage to Australia, for instance."
"But how do you put in your time? You must have a very dull life of it."
"Oh, no! You see, I have never known anything else, and then I have always the
future to look forward to. As it is now, I bathe every morning, I have my
yacht, I ride about the park, I have my studies, and I have a tutor who tells
me wonderful stories of the world."
"Oh, your tutor has been about, has he?"
"Dear, yes! He was a missionary in the South Sea Islands, and has seen some
very stirring adventures."
"A missionary in the South Seas, eh? Perhaps I know him."
"Were you ever in those seas?"
"Why, I've spent almost all my life there."
"Were you a missionary?"
"You bet not. The missionaries and my friends don't cotton to one another."
"But they are such good men!"
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
38
"That may be. Still, as I say, we don't somehow cotton. D'you know I'd like to
set my eyes upon your tutor."
"Well, you will. I think I see him on the beach now. I expect he has been
wondering what has become of me.
I've never been out so long before."
"Well, you're close home now, and as safe as eggs in a basket."
Another minute brought us into as shallow water as I cared to go. Accordingly,
heaving to, I brought the dinghy alongside, and we got into her. Then casting
off, I pulled my lord ashore. A small, cleanshaven, parsonishlooking man, with
the regulation white choker, stood by the water waiting for us. As I beached
the boat he came forward and said:
"My lord, we have been very anxious about you. We feared you had met with an
accident."
"I have been very nearly drowned, Mr Baxter. Had it not been for this
gentleman's prompt assistance I should never have reached home again."
"You should really be more careful, my lord. I have warned you before. You
father has been nearly beside himself with anxiety about you!"
"Eh?" said I to myself. "Somehow this does not sound quite right. Anyhow, Mr
Baxter, I've seen your figurehead somewhere before but you were not a
missionary then, I'll take my affidavit."
Turning to me, my young lord held out his hand.
"You have never told me your name," he said almost reproachfully.
"Dick Hatteras," I answered, "and very much at your service."
"Mr. Hatteras, I shall never forget what you have done for me. That I am most
grateful to you I hope you will believe. I know that I owe you my life."
Here the tutor's voice chipped in again, as I thought, rather impatiently.
"Come, come, my lord. This delay will not do. Your father will be growing
still more nervous about you. We must be getting home!"
Then they went off up the cliff path together, and I returned to my boat.
"Mr Baxter," I said to myself again as I pulled off to the yacht, "I want to
know where I've seen your face before. I've taken a sudden dislike to you. I
don't trust you; and if your employer's the man they say he is, well, he won't
either."
Then, having brought the dinghy alongside, I made the painter fast, clambered
aboard, and we stood out of the bay once more.
CHAPTER V. Mystery
THE following morning I was sitting in my room at the hotel idly scanning the
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Standard, and wondering in what way I should employ myself until the time
arrived for me to board the yacht, when I heard a carriage roll up to the
door.
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
39
On looking out I discovered a gorgeous landau, drawn by a pair of fine
thoroughbreds, and resplendent with much gilded and crested harness, standing
before the steps. A footman had already opened the door, and I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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