The Paternoster Ruby | Page 5

this Royal Maillot?" I next asked.
Was Burke returning my intent look? Or did he have an eye for some
fancied movement behind him, or off there toward the closed library

door? For the life of me, I could not have told with assurance.
"I can't tell you much from my own knowledge," he presently returned;
and now I was pretty positive that he was meeting my regard. "Mr.
Maillot is still here, however; he can speak for himself."
"I know that"--curtly; "but I prefer to be informed beforehand--even if
it's only by hearsay. Who is Mr. Maillot?"
Again the furtive, wandering look behind the blank of the clean-shaven,
ageless features.
"I 've gathered the idea that he 's a young lawyer, and that some
business affair brought him here to confer with Mr. Page. He arrived
only last night. The whole circumstance was very unusual."
"What do you mean by that?"
Some moments elapsed before he replied.
"Why," presently, "Mr. Page was not in the habit of seeing people here,
or--as far as that's concerned--of considering any business matters
whatever after he returned home in the evening; this was his invariable
rule, excepting--" He paused.
"Excepting what?" I urged.
"Well, occasionally--very rarely--he would have me here. Last night
was one of those occasions; he expected to be absent from the city, and
there were special instructions that he wanted to give me, concerning
certain matters that had to be looked after to-day.
"But, without an exception that I can recall, everybody else who had
any business with him was required to go to the Drovers' National, or to
his office in the same building.
"Even our relations--our acquaintance--practically ended with each
day's business, not to be renewed until the next day; and I suppose I
approach nearer than any of his other employees to being what you

might call a confidential clerk, or secretary."
I rose briskly to my feet.
"Let's go some place where it's more comfortable," suggested I,
throwing open the library door; "in here will do."
He entered unhesitatingly, for it is an easy matter to influence people to
your will in such trifling manoeuvres; and as I followed, I glanced
about the spacious apartment.
Its walls were wainscoted with oak, save for a narrow painted frieze,
and while very few books were in evidence, the place would have been
cheerful enough had there been a fire in the wide, handsome brick
fireplace, or had there existed any indication at all that the room was
ever used by human beings. Before the cold and empty hearth stood a
table, where, very likely, Mr. Page had been in the habit of working on
those rare occasions of which his secretary had spoken. On the right of
this table was the curtained alcove.
Now Burke's conduct during the next second or so was destined, later
on, to give me an idea concerning that gentleman, which indirectly
aided me in clearing up a puzzling feature of the case. It was this.
As I indicated the chair where I wanted him to sit--one near enough to
the alcove for Stodger not only to hear what Burke might say, but also
to have the additional advantage of watching him without much
likelihood of being observed in turn--I could have sworn that Burke
hesitated and bent a doubtful, inquiring look toward the alcove; yet I
am not positive that he ceased for a moment his blank, unblinking
scrutiny of me. At any rate, he was no sooner seated than he bounded
up again.
"We can have a little more light here," said he, starting toward the
alcove, behind whose curtains Stodger was at that moment, I daresay,
hastily planning a means of precipitate retreat. I was already seated
myself, and I stayed his progress only in the nick of time.

"Burke!" I called sharply.
He wheeled about, a trifle disconcerted, I imagined.
"Please sit down," I went on authoritatively. "You are not precisely at
liberty to go just where you please; for the present I 'm responsible for
your movements."
He shrugged his shoulders and returned to his chair, remarking in an
unemotional way:
"I forgot that I was under arrest."
I did n't trouble to define his position. At best it was at that instant an
anomalous one; so far as I knew there were no grounds upon which to
hold him at all; and while I would have hesitated to say that he was
actually in custody, at the same time it is also true that I would not have
permitted him to walk out of the house and away, had he desired to do
so.
"Now, Mr. Burke," I went on, "tell me just what you know about this
matter. Don't slur details; take your time."
"I know very little, Mr. Swift."