The Impending Sword: A Novel (Vol. 2 of 3)Yates, Edmund
General
The Impending Sword: A Novel (Vol. 2 of 3)
Yates, Edmund
Fiction
'Should they move Mr. Dunn to another suite of rooms? They could do so
at once.'
'No, thank you,' said Mr. Dunn in reply. 'It is unfortunate, but still
it is an accident, and could not have been prevented. I will sleep in
the bedroom to-night, and I should not have used the sitting-room
much, as I am a stranger in Liverpool, and I want to see all that is
to be seen on this the only day I have. In the mean time, I shall be
thankful if you will prepare me a little dinner, some fish and a chop,
in the coffee-room, and I will come down to it as soon as I have
washed my hands and face, which seem to be tolerably blackened by the
smoke.'
When the manager and the servants had taken their departure--the
inspector and sergeant had gone long since--Mr. Dunn retired to his
bedroom, and, after turning the key in the door, took off his coat and
waistcoat, and seated himself on the edge of the bed.
'So far so good,' he soliloquised; 'so far everything that I have done
has been perfectly successful. My personal identity ceased on my
leaving America, and no one can have found any traces of Mr. Dolby,
the cynical millionaire, in Tom Summers, the sailor, or Mr. Dunn, the
soft-spoken tourist. One night more and I shake the dust of this land
from my feet, and can fairly consider myself scot free. That was a
lucky idea of mine to strew those cinders on the hearth-rug; the smell
of Tom Summers' smouldering rags might have awakened the keen
suspicions of those police gentry downstairs. That flannel shirt was
beginning to smoke confoundedly before I left the room, but that is
now all provided for; the police themselves were the first persons to
see what had occurred, and helped to extinguish the smouldering
carpet. Not one precaution has been omitted, and, distrustful of
myself as I generally am, I begin to look with pride upon my powers of
organisation as exhibited in this matter. If my orders have only been
implicitly obeyed in America, all I could have looked for is
accomplished. One more night of acting and character-playing, and I
can rest in peace, and return to reap the reward of all I have gone
through.'
Then Mr. Dunn rose from the edge of the bed, carefully washed his face
and hands, put on the gray coat and waistcoat, and, looking
wonderfully simple and respectable, went down to dinner.
The dinner was ready, and as soon as he heard that his visitor was
seated, the manager was in attendance to give special directions to
the waiter, and to exhibit the utmost consideration for one who had
been the victim of such an untoward accident. When Mr. Dunn had
finished his fish, the manager ventured to attempt a little
confidential conversation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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