Jack Harkaway and his Sons Escape from the Brigands of Greece | Page 7

on my toe!" saying which she jerked herself back, and dragging his foot away too, down he went.
"It's Mr. Mole," shrieked the lady; and catching up her pink skirt and black lace flounces, she fled precipitately along the path, leaving her admirer scrambling in the most undignified manner upon the gravel walk.
Poor Mr. Mole.
But oh, poor Marietta; how sadly was she disappointed with her prince.
CHAPTER III.
MR. MOLE--THE THREE DEVILS AND THEIR DEVILMENT--THE CONTESSA'S JEWELS--AN ALARM.
"Mr. Mole--Mr. Mole!"
It was Harvey's voice.
Now Mr. Mole was convinced at once that Dick was at the bottom of this comical conspiracy in which he had been made to look so ridiculous. So he resolved at first not to make any reply.
But Harvey was guided to the spot by information which had been furnished him concerning Mr. Mole, and soon he appeared in sight.
"Mr. Mole--Mr. Mole!" exclaimed Dick, in grave reproof.
"Help me up, Harvey," said Mole, "and don't be a fool."
"Well, that's polite."
"Quite as polite as you can expect."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know what I mean well enough."
"I'm hanged if I do!" protested Harvey, stoutly.
His manner caught Mr. Mole immediately.
So this led the old gentleman to reflect.
If Dick did not know, it would be as well to keep the adventure to himself.
"Is it possible, Harvey, that you don't know what has occurred?"
"No."
"You don't know about Marietta?"
"No."
This decided Mole.
"Marietta is here."
"Never!" said Dick, in accents of deep mystery.
"A fact."
"Never! And who the dickens is Marietta when she is at home?"
"Mrs. Harkaway's maid, to be sure."
Dick burst out laughing at this.
"Why, Mr. Mole," he cried, "what a sly old fox you are."
Mr. Mole stared again.
"I don't quite understand what you are driving at, Mr, Harvey," said he.
"Don't you, though?--well, I do, old Slyboots."
"Harvey!"
"Oh, don't you try to come the old soldier over me."
"Sir!" said Mr. Mole, rearing himself up to his full height upon his timbers, "I don't understand your slangy allusions to the ancient military."
"Why, it is clear enough that you brought her."
"I what?" almost shrieked Mr. Mole, indignantly.
"Brought her, and your poor wife ought to know of it."
"Sir?" said Mole, "if you are bent on insulting me, I shall leave your company."
"Go it, Mole," said Dick, laughing until the tears came into his eyes; "go it. The fact is, you have been sneaking about after that little girl for a long while past; there can be no doubt about it."
"Harvey, I repudiate your vile insinuations with scorn, The fact is, that in your anxiety to fix some wickedness never contemplated upon me, you forget all the most important part of the tale."
"What?"
"Why, that girl has left the villa unprotected."
"Nonsense! there's old Constantino there."
"Useless."
"And Mike."
"He barks, but don't bite."
"Besides; you may be mistaken," urged Dick.
"Not I. I knew her at once, and what's more, she recognised me."
"The deuce!"
"And she bolted directly I pronounced her name."
"How was she dressed?"
Mr. Mole gave a hurried description of Marietta's dress, and they want off in search through the house and grounds after the flighty Marietta.
* * * * *
In another part of the grounds three men met.
"Hunston."
"Toro."
"Captain."
"Here."
"All safe?"
"Yes."
"Good!"
"What have you learnt, Toro?"
"Not much."
"And you, captain?"
"Nothing, or next to nothing," was the reply.
"And you, Hunston?"
"I have gained knowledge," answered the latter; "good, useful knowledge."
The other two laughed heartily at this reply.
"You were always of a studious turn of mind, Hunston."
"Ha, ha, ha!"
[Illustration: "'WHAT HAVE YOU DISCOVERED?' ASKED THE CAPTAIN"--ADV IN GREECE, VOL II, PAGE 21]
It may be as well to mention that they had sought a secluded part of the contessa's gardens, and met now by appointment.
They were all three arrayed in that peculiar style of costume which the prince of darkness is popularly supposed to don when he makes his appearance to German students, in certain weird and wild works of fiction, or in the supernatural drama.
It sounded really remarkable to hear these three men, disguised as devils, discussing matters generally in such an offhand manner.
The dresses of all three were alike nearly in every particular.
The only mark of distinction between them was a small straight feather they wore in their caps.
One wore a yellow feather.
Another had a feather of brilliant red.
The third one's feather was of a bright emerald green.
Now these feathers were small, but yet, by reason of the conspicuous colours, could be seen at a considerable distance.
"What is it you have discovered?" asked the captain.
"Out with it, Hunston," said Toro, in his old impatient way.
"Well, in the first place," was Hunston's reply, "our letters to old Mole and to the girl Marietta were perfectly successful."
"Of course."
"The vanity of the one, and the conceit of the other, made it an easy matter."
"It did."
"I saw the interview from a snug place of concealment, and took care to let her know it."
"How?"
"By humming her song which you heard her sing up at the villa."
The latter looked somewhat alarmed at this.
"Was