He turned out to be a short, dark, determined-looking little man, with a square chin and old-fashioned, black, mutton-chop whiskers. No, he was clearly not quite a gentleman, in the sense that he had evidently never been at a public school.
“This,” said Mr. Brentin as he presented me, “is the originator of the little scheme I was telling you of—Mr. Vincent Blacker.”
“Oh, indeed!” Mr. Bailey Thompson replied, looking me full in the face with his penetrating black eyes, and politely lifting his small, tall hat. “Oh, indeed! so you really meant it?”
“Meant it?” echoed Brentin. “Why, the band of brothers is here; they were in the pew next you. Mr. Bailey Thompson, we are all here together for the making of our final arrangements, and in two weeks we start.”
“Oh, indeed!” he smiled; “it’s a bold piece of work.”
“Sir, it is colossal, but it will succeed!”
“Let us hope so. I am sure I wish you every success.”
“Mr. Bailey Thompson,” said Brentin, evidently nettled at the way the little man continued incredulously to smile, “if you care to join us some time during the afternoon we shall be glad to lay details of our plan before you. They will not only prove our _bona-fides_, but show how complete and fully thought out all our preparations are.”
“If I can leave my friend Crage towards four o’clock, I will,” Mr. Thompson replied. “I know Monte Carlo as well as most men, and may be able to give you some useful hints.”
“We shall be glad to see you, for none of us have ever been there. But not a word to your friend!”
“Not a word to a soul!” smiled the imperturbable little man; and he left us to join the abandoned Crage, who was still inside the sacred edifice snarling at the parson.
It was quite useless saying anything further to Brentin. I merely contented myself with pointing out that if anything could make me suspect Mr. Bailey Thompson, it was his being the guest of Mr. Crage.
“Pawsibly!” drawled Mr. Brentin. “I don’t pretend the man is pure-bred, nor exactly fit at this moment to take his seat at Queen Victoria’s table; but that he’s stanch, with that square chin, I will stake my bottom dollar. And seeing how well he knows the locality, we shall learn something from him, sir, which, you may depend upon, will be highly useful.”