She was carried away by his narrative. He had let himself go now, speaking in short, quick sentences. Yet his plain words seemed to paint with a marvellous vividness the story he told. It seemed to her that she could see it all, could realise what he went through.
“Go on, Dick,” she whispered. “I understand.”
“Well, I got down into the room all right, and I got the safe open, and there was the money, and, right facing me, my letters and bonds, and pretty well a hundred thousand dollars in cash. And then I saw the lights flare up, and Murchison was there in his shirt and trousers.
“‘So that’s your game, is it, Richard Beverley?’ he said.
“There were two of the others with him who’d been playing cards. There they were, three strong men, and I was a thief! I felt limp. I hadn’t an ounce of resistance in me. Murchison stood there, showing his ugly teeth, his small eyes full of anger.
“‘So you’re a thief, are you, Richard Beverley?’ he went on.
“I couldn’t speak. At that moment they could have done just what they liked with me. And then the door opened very quietly and closed again. Jocelyn Thew came in. I saw Murchison’s face. I tell you, Nora, it was something you wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
“‘Is anything wrong?’ Jocelyn Thew asked calmly.
“One of the guests pointed to Murchison and me.
“‘We heard footsteps,’ he explained. ‘Dan called me and I followed him down. Young Beverley there was at the safe.’
“‘Probably helping himself,’ Jocelyn said, in that same smooth, dangerous tone, ‘to his own money.’
“‘To what?’ Murchison cried.
“‘To his own money,’ Jocelyn repeated, coming a little nearer. ‘You know, Murchison, well enough what I mean — you and your two confederates here. You’re nothing more nor less than common card sharpers. I took a pack of your cards up-stairs. I needn’t say anything more. I think you’d better give the boy back his money. I meant to wait until to-morrow. Fate seems to have anticipated me. How much did you lose, Richard?’
“Dan Murchison strode up to him and I saw one of the other men go for his hip pocket.
“‘Will you take that back?’ Murchison demanded.
“‘Not on your life!’ Thew replied.
“Murchison went for him, but he hadn’t a dog’s chance. I never saw such a blow in my life. Jocelyn hit him on the point of the chin and he went over like a log — cut his head against the fender. He lay there groaning, and I — I swear to you, Nora, that I’m not a coward, but I couldn’t move — my knees were shaking. The two of them went for Jocelyn, and before they could get there the door opened and a third man came in — Jake Hannaway, the most dangerous of the lot. Jocelyn kept the other two off and half turned his head towards me, where I was standing like a gibbering, nerveless lunatic.
“‘I think you’d better take a hand, Richard,’ he said.”
Nora gasped a little and laid her hand upon his sleeve.
“Don’t, Dick,” she begged,— “not for a moment. I can’t bear it. Just a moment.”
She clutched at the side of the settee. Richard Beverley simply sat still, looking through the walls of the room. There was not the slightest change in his face. He just waited until Nora whispered to him. Then he went on.
“I won’t tell you about the fight,” he said. “I wasn’t much use at first. Jocelyn was there, taking two of them on, and butting in sometimes against Hannaway, who’d tackled me. Then I began to get my strength back, and I think I should have settled Hannaway, but the door opened softly and I saw Katharine’s face. She gave a little shriek, and Jake Hannaway got me just at the back of the head. I was pretty well done in, but Thew suddenly swung round and caught Jake Hannaway very nearly where he had hit Murchison. Down he went like a log. I stood there swaying. I can see the room now — a table overthrown, glasses and flower vases all over the floor, and those two men looking as though they meant to murder Thew. They rushed at him together. He dodged one, but his strength was going. Then for the first time he sprang clear of them, got his back to the wall. — I won’t spin it out — he shot one of them through the shoulder. The other one had had enough and tried to bolt. Jocelyn Thew was just too quick for him. He flung a heavy candlestick and got him somewhere on the neck. There they all were now — Murchison sitting up and dabbing his face, half conscious, one of the others groaning and streaming with blood, the other lying — just as though he were dead. Jocelyn turned and spoke to Katharine — I can hear his voice now — I swear, Nora, there wasn’t a quaver in it —
“‘I am afraid, Miss Beverley,’ he said, ‘that your brother has unwittingly brought you into a den of thieves. I had my suspicions, and my car, instead of being at the garage, is under the shrubs there. One moment.’
“He stepped out into the hall, brought a coat and threw it around her. Then he turned to me.
“‘Empty the safe, Richard,’ he ordered.
“I obeyed him. There was all the money I owed Murchison there, and a lot of other stuff. We stepped out of the French windows. Jocelyn moved the leg of one of those men on one side and held the window open for Katharine to pass through. I tell you he set the switch and started his car without a tremor. Katharine was nearly fainting. I was still fogged. He drove us into New York with scarcely a word. It was daylight when we reached our house in Riverside Drive. He drove up to the front door.
“‘Perhaps if you don’t mind, Richard,’ he said, ‘you could lend me an overcoat. People are quite content to accept us as night joy-riders, but I am scarcely respectable for anything in the shape of a close examination.’
“Then I saw that he was all over blood on one side. Katharine took him away and sponged him, although he laughed at it. Then he had me in the study and together we went through the stuff we’d brought away. He made me keep what Murchison had done me out of, and the rest he made into a packet, addressed ready for posting and left it on the table.
“‘For anything else that may happen, Dick,’ he said, ‘we must take our chance. I have had my suspicions of that man Murchison for a long time. My own opinion is that we shall hear nothing more about the matter.’”
Nora turned and looked at her companion with big, startled eyes.
“But it was Jake Hannaway,” she exclaimed, “whom they accused of making a row!”
He stopped her, without impatience but firmly.
“Jake Hannaway died the next day,” he said. “I must have hit him harder than I thought — or Jocelyn did! He had no relatives, no friends. Murchison put the whole trouble down to him, admitted that there was a row over a game of cards, and a free fight. The other two swore to exactly the same story. Our names — mine and Jocelyn’s, were never brought in. Murchison never came near me again. I have never seen him since. That’s the whole story.”
“What about the police examination?” she asked curiously. “I know no more than you do,” he replied. “I expect Murchison had a pull, and he was terrified of Jocelyn Thew. I — I went to Jake Hannaway’s funeral,” the young man went on, with a slight quiver in his tone. “I’ve seen his face, Nora, up in the clouds. I’ve seen it when I’ve been flying ten thousand feet up. Suddenly a little piece of black sky would open and I’d see him looking down at me!”