The Big Drum Part 56

[_Blankly._] The--the bulk of the volumes----?

PHILIP.

[_Staring at_ DUNNING.] The--the bulk of the----?

DUNNING.

[_To_ SIR RANDLE _and_ ROOPE.] Yes, gentlemen, the books are in a mouldy cellar, also rented by Messrs. Hopwood, at 6, Carmichael Lane.

There's thousands of them there, in cases--some of the cases with s.h.i.+pping marks on them, some marked for inland delivery. I've inspected them this afternoon--overhauled them. Mr. Sweasy had gone over to the Borough to see his married niece, and I managed to get the right side of _Mrs._ S.

SIR RANDLE.

[_Softly, looking from one to the other._] Curious! Curious!

LADY FILSON.

[_Forcing a smile._] How--how strange!

ROOPE.

[_To_ LADY FILSON, _a little disturbed._] Why strange, dear Lady Filson? s.h.i.+pping and other marks on the cases! These people are forwarding agents----

DUNNING.

[_Showing his teeth._] n.o.body makes the least effort to _despatch_ the cases, though. That's singular, isn't it?

ROOPE.

But----!

DUNNING.

[_To_ ROOPE.] My good sir, in the whole of our experience--mine and Mr.

Sillitoe's--we've never come across a neater bit of hankey-pankey--[_to_ PHILIP] no offence--and if Merrifield hadn't smelt a rat----

ROOPE.

But--but--but--the cost of it all, my dear Mr. Dunning! I don't know much about these things--the expense of manufacturing many thousands of copies of Mr. Mackworth's new book----!

SIR RANDLE.

[_Alertly._] Quite so! Surely, if we were to be deceived, a simpler method could have been found----?

ROOPE.

[_With energy._] Besides, what has Mr. t.i.tterton to gain by the deception?

SIR RANDLE.

True! True! What has _he_ to gain----?

PHILIP.

[_Who is sitting with his hands hanging loosely, utterly bewildered--rousing himself._] Good G.o.d, yes! What has t.i.tterton to gain by joining me in a blackguardly scheme to--to--to----?

DUNNING.

[_To_ SIR RANDLE _and_ ROOPE.] Well, gentlemen, in the first place, it's plain that t.i.tterton was too fly to risk being easily blown upon----

BERTRAM.

He was prepared to prove that the books _have been_ manufactured and delivered, I mean t'say----

DUNNING.

And in the second place, on the question of expense, the speculation was a tolerably safe one.

LADY FILSON.

[_Keenly._] Speculation?

DUNNING.

Madarme dee Showmeeay being, according to my instructions--[_to_ LADY FILSON, _after a glance in_ OTTOLINE_'s direction_] no offence, ladies--[_to_ SIR RANDLE _and_ ROOPE] Madarme dee Showmeeay being what is usually termed a catch, Mr. Mackworth would have been in a position, after his marriage, to reimburse t.i.tterton----

[PHILIP _starts to his feet with a cry of rage._

PHILIP.

Oh----!

ROOPE.

[_Jumping up and hurrying to_ PHILIP_--pacifying him._] My dear Phil--my _dear_ old chap----

PHILIP.

[_Grasping_ ROOPE_'s arm._] Robbie----!

[SIR RANDLE _rises and goes to_ LADY FILSON. _She also rises as he approaches her. They gaze at each other with expressionless faces._

ROOPE.

[_To_ PHILIP.] Where does t.i.tterton live?

PHILIP.

Gordon Square.