Massingbred stretched out his hand to take the book, but Scanlan quietly replaced it in his pocket, and, with a dry and very peculiar smile, said,--“Have a little patience, sir. We must go regularly to work here. You shall see this book--you shall examine it--and even retain it--but it must be on conditions.” “Oh, you may confide in me, Scanlan. Even if Mr. Merl were my friend,--which I assure you he is not,--I could not venture to betray _you_.”
“That's not exactly what I 'm thinking of, Mr. Massingbred. I 'm certain you 'd say nothing to Merl of what you saw here. My mind is easy enough upon that score.”
“Well, then, in what direction do your suspicions point?”
“They 're not suspicions, sir,” was the dry response.
“Fears,--hesitations,--whatever you like to call them.”
“Are we on honor here, Mr. Massingbred?” said Scanlan, after a pause.
“For myself, I say decidedly so,” was the firm reply.
“That will do, sir. I ask only one pledge, and I 'm sure you 'll not refuse it: if you should think, on reflection, that what I propose to you this evening is neither practicable nor advisable,--that, in fact, you could neither concur in it nor aid it,--that you'll never, so long as you live, divulge it to any one,--man, woman, or child. Have I that promise?”
“That will do. I don't ask a word more. Now, Mr. Massingbred,” said he, replacing the book on the table, “I 'll tell you in the fewest words I can how the case stands,--and brevity is essential, for we have not an hour to lose. Merl is gone to London about this business, and we 'll have to follow him. _He 'd_ be very glad to be rid of the affair to-morrow, and he 'll not waste many days till he is so. Read that bit there, sir,” said he, pointing to a few closely written lines in the note-book.
“Good heavens!” cried Jack, “this is downright impossible. This is a vile falsehood, devised for some infernal scheme of roguery. Who 'd believe such a trumpery piece of imposition? Ah, Scanlan, you are not the wily fellow I took you for. This same precious note-book was dropped as a decoy, as I once knew a certain noble lord to have left his betting-book behind him. An artful device, that can only succeed once, however. And you really believed all this?”