before the theatre, there was no sign of a gentleman awaiting an
audience: only the people pouring on into the Academy.
"Around the corner," whispered the dark man hoarsely. "He dassen't wait
here. Quick!"
Around the corner the pair hurried, Varney close in their wake. In the
silent alley, half-hidden in the shadows of the building, stood a large
carriage with a pair of strapping bays tugging at their traces. They
halted before it, and the stranger, who had considerately taken Ryan's
arm, flung open the door.
"Here he is, Jim--Mr. Ryan. Now you c'n tell him--"
The sentence died unended. At the same moment the sound of a violent
scuffle smote the nocturnal air. It appeared that Jim, presumably
laboring under an unfortunate misapprehension, had not received his
visitor with that refined hospitality due from one gentleman to another.
Even more inexplicable, it looked in the deceitful darkness, remarkably
as though the boss's guide, suddenly dropping that gentleman's arm, had
laid forcible hold upon his outraged and madly protesting legs.
It was all over in a minute. There was a faint yell, quickly and
violently muffled. Then the carriage door banged, leaving nobody on the
sidewalk, and the horses, responding to an acutely painful lash from the
strong arm on the box, sprang forward at the gallop.
Varney stood in the dark alley, looking after the vanishing carriage
with mingled admiration and amazement. Swift footsteps sounded near him;
and the next moment a strong hand seized him and pulled him back into
the shadow of the wall.
"_Sh-h! It's me_! Anybody see it?"
"_Hello!_ Not a soul but me."
Peter leaned against the wall and drew a deep breath.
"He can never prove it on me--not to save his soul!--_and I hold his
meeting in the hollow of my hand_. Do you see that lighted window at
the back there? That's my last bridge. Waiting in there are the chairman
of the meeting and the mayor, who's the orator of the evening. I'm going
in and make 'em take me on as one of the platform speakers. I'll pass
out a few remarks and call on Hare--"
|