“And you really mean it, now you’re on the spot and can measure some of the difficulties for yourselves?”
“So much so that we have decided for Saturday night,” was Brentin’s light and untruthful reply. “We have observed the rooms are at their fullest then.”
“Where are the rest of your party—the other gentlemen I saw at ‘The French Horn?’”
“Mr. Hines is gambling, having unfortunately developed tastes in that direction. Mr. Masters is in attendance on a lady friend—”
“The ladies of your party know nothing of your intentions, I presume?” said Thompson.
“Nothing, sir; nothing. For them it is a mere party of pleasure all the time. Then Mr. Forsyth is playing that fool-game, tennis, with his late colonel, behind the “Hôtel de Paris,” and Mr. Parsons is somewhere way off on the Mentone Road, choking himself with dust on ay loaned bicycle.”
“That’s the six of you. But now you have seen everything, do you really think six will be enough?”
“Sir,” said Brentin, “six stalwarts of our crew have been confided in. They will be furnished with linen bags to collect the boodle, directly the tables are cleared of the croupiers and gamblers by us; in fact, acting on your kind hint, longshore suits have been provided them in which they have already rehearsed.”
“Sir, they were there mid-day just before you came, and their behavior was as scroopulous as the late Lord Nelson’s.”
“Was there any difficulty made about their cards?”
“Why, none whatever. They went in in pairs, and each told a different lie: one pair were staying at the ‘Metropôle,’ another at the ‘de Paris,’ and another at the ‘S. James.’ They were well coached and they are brainy fellows. They were informed they must behave like ornaments of high-toned society, and not expectorate on the floor; and they paraded in couples, ejaculating _Haw, demmy!_”
“Really!” murmured Bailey Thompson, “these people deserve to be raided. And that is your yacht, I suppose, lying off there—the _Amaranth_, isn’t it?”
“That is the _Amaranth_, sir. At 9.30 to-morrow—I should say Saturday!—_Saturday_ night, she will have orders to get as close up to the shore as quickly as she can. If you will step this way, sir, down on to the terrace here, we will have pleasure in showing you the spot marked out by Nature and Providence for our retreat.”