“Nothing was further from my intention,” Pennington hastened to say.
Disbelief was plain in Scarlett’s face; he turned to Ezra saying:
“None, other than that I am not his intimate. To the best of my knowledge,” proceeded Ezra, “I have never met with this gentleman before to-night.”
Gilbert Scarlett shot him a mingled glance of astonishment and regret.
“I was mistaken in you, then,” spoke he. “I took you to be an upstanding youth of much character and straightforwardness.”
Ezra was about to speak in answer to this, but the young soldier waved his hand.
“Let me have no denials. I have eyes,” and he gestured angrily. “Also, I have perception, though you both seem to doubt it.”
“Sir,” spoke Pennington, in a soothing tone, “you much deceive yourself if you fancy that we have in any way sought to mislead you.”
He leaned forward upon the settle, his legs crossed and his hands upon his knees.
“Now,” he proceeded, “I leave it to you as a gentleman of wide experience and much service, to pass judgment upon what I am about to say.”
The adventurer unhooked his thumbs from his sword belt and twirled his moustache. He said nothing in reply; but there was a sardonic look in his face.
“I,” and Pennington tapped his chest, “am the person whom your young friend here,” with a nod toward Ezra, “was to inquire for. I acknowledge it.”
“It’s overlate for frankness,” said Gilbert Scarlett, grimly. “But, go on.”
“I am able to say in perfect good faith,” went on Pennington, “that I had no expectation of seeing him. Neither had I any notion that he knew anything of the affairs of Abdallah. As for my failure to acknowledge a connection with the story which you told me a while ago, you surely can feel no resentment for that. When a man is engaged in”—he paused and shrugged his shoulders—“well, in work of a more or less secret character, it is not quite safe for him to speak freely with strangers.”
The adventurer unbent his brows and his face altered in expression.
“Now,” said he, “that is talk that holds much sense. It is clear to me that you could not do other than you did.”
“Chance and circumstance seem to have taken you for their very own,” said he.
“Some things have befallen me of late days that make your saying seem like the truth,” said Ezra. “But my experience must be but a trifle, as compared with what yours must have been, sir. I have no doubt but that chance has figured much in your life.”