At the foot of the grand staircase stood Count
Casimir and Jaikie. Theprovision-trade in Scotland must be a remarkable
profession.
Youll bring him straight up, and youllnever let on
its me.
Toget you safely out of the country will be a heavy
job, I can tellyou. Ive got in here easy enough, but how on earth am I going toget
out? Butafter that he grew more restless with every hour.
There is not an hour to waste, Casimir cried, but
we are aneternity off having any plan.
His tone wasalmost cheerful, as if the masterful
comedy of events hadobliterated his own cares.
The car was waiting in a small inner
courtyard.
The Archduke Hadrian died this morning ateleven
oclock.
All the group, even the Countess Araminta, had
eyesunnaturally bright and faces a little pale. Its my old friend Dougal, and you
can trust him to theother side of Tophet.
The odds I admit are about a thousand to one.
Heremembered too that this was Alisons accepted lover.
That would be a queer profession for a laddie
thatcame out of the Gorbals. At least the man Im pretending to beis
dead.
Eightyears ago I retired from the shop, and I was a
timid elderly body.
I want you to arrange for me to move in here, forI
ought to be near him. Sire, he said, as the Chamberlain of the king your father
Iwelcome you home.
He skipped backthe road he had come, and for an
awful minute was uncertain of hisroom.
I wish I was, but I could never string two
versestogether. THIS eBook IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU AS-IS. Its going to be a
near thing, he said at last. I can send Mr McCunn off in it, and that will give us
astory for Juventus tomorrow. Prince Odalchini had left them on some errand of
hisown.