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Page 49
He snapped his fingers contemptuously and emptied his pewter. A
sense of what was coming began to dawn on me. That the "hold-up"
near the riverside formed part of the scheme was possible, and,
reflecting on my rough treatment of the two Chinamen, I chuckled
inwardly. Possibly, however, the scheme had germinated in my
acquaintance's mind merely as a result of an otherwise common
assault, of a kind not unusual in these parts, but, whether
elaborate or comparatively simple, that the story of the pigtail
was a "plant" designed to reach my pocket, seemed a reasonable
hypothesis.
"I told him to go to China," concluded the object of my
suspicion, again rapping upon the counter, "and you see what come
of it. All I got to say is this: If they're so bloody patriotic,
I says one thing: I ain't the man to stand in their way. You
done me a good turn to-night, mate; I'm doing you one. 'Ere's
the bloody pigtail, 'ere's my empty mug. Fill the mug and the
pigtail's yours. It's good for a quid at the dock gates any
day!"
My suspicions vanished; my interest arose to boiling point. I
refilled my acquaintance's mug, pressed a sovereign upon him (in
honesty I must confess that he was loath to take it), and
departed with the pigtail coiled neatly in an inner pocket of my
jacket. I entered the house in Wade Street by the side door, and
half an hour later let myself out by the front door, having cast
off my dockland disguise.
II
HOW I LOST IT
It was not until the following evening that I found leisure to
examine my strange acquisition, for affairs of more immediate
importance engrossed my attention. But at about ten o'clock I
seated myself at my table, lighted the lamp, and taking out the
pigtail from the table drawer, placed it on the blotting-pad and
began to examine it with the greatest curiosity, for few Chinese
affect the pigtail nowadays.
I had scarcely commenced my examination, however, when it was
dramatically interrupted. The door bell commenced to ring
jerkily. I stood up, and as I did so the ringing ceased and in
its place came a muffled beating on the door. I hurried into the
passage as the bell commenced ringing again, and I had almost
reached the door when once more the ringing ceased; but now I
could hear a woman's voice, low but agitated:
"Open the door! Oh, for God's sake be quick!"
Completely mystified, and not a little alarmed, I threw open the
door, and in there staggered a woman heavily veiled, so that I
could see little of her features, but by the lines of her figure
I judged her to be young.
Uttering a sort of moan of terror she herself closed the door,
and stood with her back to it, watching me through the thick
veil, while her breast rose and fell tumultuously.
"Thank God there was someone at home!" she gasped.
I think I may say with justice that I had never been so surprised
in my life; every particular of the incident marked it as
unique--set it apart from the episodes of everyday life.
"Madam," I began doubtfully, "you seem to be much alarmed at
something, and if I can be of any assistance to you------"
"You have saved my life!" she whispered, and pressed one hand to
her bosom. "In a moment I will explain."
"Won't you rest a little after your evidently alarming
experience?" I suggested.
My strange visitor nodded, without speaking, and I conducted her
to the study which I had just left, and placed the most
comfortable arm-chair close beside the table so that as I sat I
might study this woman who so strangely had burst in upon me. I
even tilted the shaded lamp, artlessly, a trick I had learned
from Harley, in order that the light might fall upon her face.
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