Victoria Mosel was vastly pleased. It was as good as the Zoo--and she
loved the Zoo. She promised herself an unholy feast and whispered to
Marjorie to put her next the Diplomat at dinner. She was not a woman of
gesture, or of external expression; but she very nearly clapped her
hands for joy. She had seen some funny things in the diplomatic service
in the time of her teeth, which were no longer short, but the like of
this she had never seen; and she thought, as many a contemporary has
thought since Queen Victoria's death, "We're getting on!"
Then she began to speculate within her own clear mind as to how this
monster had got into the diplomatic service at all. But she remembered
certain odd accidents during the war and other people than he who had
suddenly popped up in embassies at the F.O.--quite out of nature; and
just as she had all but clapped her hands, so she now all but whistled.
However, she in fact did neither. Only she looked upon Mr. Collop with a
happy, happy face, and felt that here, at last, was not a wasted day.
The Professor was vastly interested. He said "Bogotar" three times,
beamed, nodded, and then for a fourth time he said "Bogotar"
lingeringly, as though he loved it, and then whispered again, "Ah, yes,
of course. Bogotar." And put his head a little on one side and left it
there.
As for Aunt Amelia, her failing eyes did not distinguish the Apparition,
but her ears distinguished the accent, and the type of English; and she
marvelled feebly that things had changed so much since the days of the
Great Lord Salisbury and Peace with Honour. But of one thing she was
sure. That if the type of man used for delicate missions abroad might
have changed, the policy of Britain was still secure in the hands of
whomever the Secretary for Foreign Affairs might choose to entrust with
that mighty task; and Bogotar (she imagined) was the capital of Ormuzd
and of Ind; barbaric, splendid, and in fee to the British Crown.
"Ah! Shall I show you to your room--eh?" said the Home Secretary
courteously, putting an end to what could not be prolonged. "Ah, let me
show you to your room."
He went so far as to take the terrible thing by the elbow and actually
conduct it out; ... after an interval sufficient, but not too long,
McTaggart followed. He would again be alone. He could not bear to remain
with the rich longer than he was compelled, and now that there was a
detective in the house he would be discovered. Well, let it be so; let
the end come soon.
Now there stood, awaiting McTaggart in the hall, that Devil and that
Angel who had been off duty for a few hours, and were now back again,
fresh and keen, and bickering, as is the wont of such opposed beings of
the other world.
The Angel, seeing his human friend and ward, made him a suggestion at
once:
"You ass!" he blew into McTaggart's ear. "Put it in the Rozzer's
pocket." The Devil began to object violently.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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