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Page 87
He returned for a moment, however, and spoke again.
"You will do exactly as I wish and allow no human being to enter
the Grey Room. Keep the key in your pocket, Sir Walter; and do not
go there yourself either. It is still a trap of death for
everybody else in the world but myself."
CHAPTER XII
THE GOLDEN BULL
When Masters came to clear the tea, he found Sir Walter still
unconvinced.
"What do you think of Signor Mannetti, Masters?" asked Henry; and
the butler, who was a great reader of the newspapers, made answer.
"I think he's a bit of a freak, Mr. Henry. They tell me that old
people can have a slice of monkey slipped into 'em nowadays--to
keep 'em going and make 'em young and lively again. Well, I should
say the gentleman had a whole monkey popped in somewhere. I never
see such another. He's got a tongue like a rat-trap, and he leaves
you guessing every time. He's amazing clever; so's his man. That
Stephano knows a thing or two! He's got round Jane Bond something
disgraceful. I never knew what was in Jane--and her five and
fifty if she's an hour."
"Would he be safe in the Grey Room?" said Sir Walter.
"He'd be safe anywhere. The question in my mind is whether our
silver's safe; and a few other things. I catched him poking about
in the silver table only this morning. He knows what's what. He
knows everything. I wouldn't say he ain't one of the swell mob
myself--made up to look like an old man. I'll swear he's never
seen eighty years for all he pretends."
Henry laughed.
"Don't you be frightened of him, Masters; he's all right."
"Let him go in the Grey Room by all means, Mr. Henry. He knows
he's safe anywhere. Yes, Sir Walter, he knows he's safe enough.
He's got the measure of it."
"Prince is to go with him, Masters."
"Prince! Why, ma'am?"
"We don't know. He wishes it. He can't hurt poor old Prince
anyway."
"Well, I sha'n't sleep no worse; and I hope none of you won't, if
you'll excuse me. Come what will, there's nothing in the Grey
Room will catch that man napping. Not that I'm against the
gentleman in general, you understand. Only I wouldn't trust him a
foot. He's play-acting, and he's no more a foreigner than I am--
else he couldn't talk so fine English as I do, if not finer."
"Masters is on our side, father," said Mary. "And he's right.
The signor is play-acting. He loves to be in the centre of the
stage. All old people do, and one of the pathetic things in life
is that they're seldom allowed to be. So he's making the most of
his opportunity."
"And if you refuse, Uncle Walter, he'll only go away and say he
cannot help you, and accuse us of giving him all this trouble for
nothing," added Henry Lennox.
They had their wish at last, and when Signor Mannetti came down
to an early dinner in splendid spirits, Sir Walter conceded his
desire.
"Good, my friend! And do not fear that a night of anxiety awaits
you. Indeed, if I am not mistaken, it will be possible for us all
to sleep very soundly, though we may go to bed rather late. But
I think we must be prepared not to retire till after two o'clock.
I will enter upon my watch at eight--in half an hour. The door
shall be left open, as you wish. But I beg that none will
approach the east end of the corridor. That is only fair. I will,
however, permit Mr. Lennox to station himself on the top of the
great staircase, and from time to time he may challenge me. He
shall say 'Is all well?' and be sure I shall answer 'All is well.'
Could anything be more satisfactory?"
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