Piccadilly Jim

  CHAPTER XIV

  LORD WISBEACH

  Jimmy halted in his tracks. The apparition had startled him. Hehad been thinking of Ann, but he had not expected her to boundout at him, waving her arms.

  "What's the matter?" he enquired.

  Ann pulled him towards a side-street.

  "You mustn't go to the house. Everything has gone wrong."

  "Everything gone wrong? I thought I had made a hit. I have withyour uncle, anyway. We parted on the friendliest terms. We havearranged to go to the ball-game together to-morrow. He is goingto tell them at the office that Carnegie wants to see him."

  "It isn't uncle Peter. It's aunt Nesta."

  "Ah, there you touch my conscience. I was a little tactless, I'mafraid, with Ogden. It happened before you came into the room. Isuppose that is the trouble?"

  "It has nothing do with that," said Ann impatiently. "It's muchworse. Aunt Nesta is suspicious. She has guessed that you aren'treally Jimmy Crocker."

  "Great Scott! How?"

  "I tried to calm her down, but she still suspects. So now she hasdecided to wait and see if Skinner, the butler, knows you. If hedoesn't, she will know that she was right."

  Jimmy was frankly puzzled.

  "I don't quite follow the reasoning. Surely it's a peculiar kindof test. Why should she think a man cannot be honest and trueunless her butler knows him? There must be hundreds of worthycitizens whom he does not know."

  "Skinner arrived from England a few days ago. Until then he wasemployed by Mrs. Crocker. Now do you understand?"

  Jimmy stopped. She had spoken slowly and distinctly, and therecould be no possibility that he had misunderstood her, yet hescarcely believed that he had heard her aright. How could a mannamed Skinner have been his step-mother's butler? Bayliss hadbeen with the family ever since they had arrived in London.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Of course, of course I'm sure. Aunt Nesta told me herself. Therecan't possibly be a mistake, because it was Skinner who let herin when she called on Mrs. Crocker. Uncle Peter told me about it.He had a talk with the man in the hall and found that he was abaseball enthusiast--"

  A wild, impossible idea flashed upon Jimmy. It was so absurd thathe felt ashamed of entertaining it even for a moment. But strangethings were happening these times, and it might be . . .

  "What sort of looking man is Skinner?"

  "Oh, stout, clean-shaven. I like him. He's much more human than Ithought butlers ever were. Why?"

  "Oh, nothing."

  "Of course, you can't go back to the house. You see that? Hewould say that you aren't Jimmy Crocker and then you would bearrested."

  "I don't see that. If I am sufficiently like Crocker for hisfriends to mistake me for him in restaurants, why shouldn't thisbutler mistake me, too?"

  "But--?"

  "And, consider. In any case, there's no harm done. If he fails torecognise me when he opens the door to us, we shall know that thegame is up: and I shall have plenty of time to disappear. If thelikeness deceives him, all will be well. I propose that we go tothe house, ring the bell, and when he appears, I will say 'Ah,Skinner! Honest fellow!' or words to that effect. He will eitherstare blankly at me or fawn on me like a faithful watchdog. Wewill base our further actions on which way the butler jumps."

  The sound of the bell died away. Footsteps were heard. Annreached for Jimmy's arm and--clutched it.

  "Now!" she whispered.

  The door opened. Next moment Jimmy's suspicion was confirmed.Gaping at them from the open doorway, wonderfully respectable andbutlerlike in swallow-tails, stood his father. How he came to bethere, and why he was there, Jimmy did not know. But there hewas.

  Jimmy had little faith in his father's talents as a man ofdiscretion. The elder Crocker was one of those simple, straightforward people who, when surprised, do not conceal theirsurprise, and who, not understanding any situation in which theyfind themselves, demand explanation on the spot. Swift andimmediate action was indicated on his part before his amazedparent, finding him on the steps of the one house in New Yorkwhere he was least likely to be, should utter words that wouldundo everything. He could see the name Jimmy trembling on Mr.Crocker's lips.

  He waved his hand cheerily.

  "Ah, Skinner, there you are!" he said breezily. "Miss Chester wastelling me that you had left my step-mother. I suppose you sailedon the boat before mine. I came over on the _Caronia_. I supposeyou didn't expect to see me again so soon, eh?"

  A spasm seemed to pass over Mr. Crocker's face, leaving it calmand serene. He had been thrown his cue, and like the old actor hewas he took it easily and without confusion. He smiled arespectful smile.

  "No, indeed, sir."

  He stepped aside to allow them to enter. Jimmy caught Ann's eyeas she passed him. It shone with relief and admiration, and itexhilarated Jimmy like wine. As she moved towards the stairs, hegave expression to his satisfaction by slapping his father on theback with a report that rang out like a pistol shot.

  "What was that?" said Ann, turning.

  "Something out on the Drive, I think," said Jimmy. "A carback-firing, I fancy, Skinner."

  "Very probably, sir."

  He followed Ann to the stairs. As he started to mount them, afaint whisper reached his ears.

  "'At-a-boy!"

  It was Mr. Crocker's way of bestowing a father's blessing.

  Ann walked into the drawing-room, her head high, triumph in theglance which she cast upon her unconscious aunt.

  "Quite an interesting little scene downstairs, aunt Nesta," shesaid. "The meeting of the faithful old retainer and the youngmaster. Skinner was almost overcome with surprise and joy when hesaw Jimmy!"

  Mrs. Pett could not check an incautious exclamation.

  "Did Skinner recognise--?" she began; then stopped herselfabruptly.

  Ann laughed.

  "Did he recognise Jimmy? Of course! He was hardly likely to haveforgotten him, surely? It isn't much more than a week since hewas waiting on him in London."

  "It was a very impressive meeting," said Jimmy. "Rather like thereunion of Ulysses and the hound Argos, of which this bright-eyedchild here--" he patted Ogden on the head, a proceeding violentlyresented by that youth--"has no doubt read in the course of hisresearches into the Classics. I was Ulysses, Skinner enacted therole of the exuberant dog."

  Mrs. Pett was not sure whether she was relieved or disappointedat this evidence that her suspicions had been without foundation.On the whole, relief may be said to have preponderated.

  "I have no doubt he was pleased to see you again. He must havebeen very much astonished."

  "He was!"

  "You will be meeting another old friend in a minute or two," saidMrs. Pett.

  Jimmy had been sinking into a chair. This remark stopped him inmid-descent.

  "Another!"

  Mrs. Pett glanced at the clock.

  "Lord Wisbeach is coming to lunch."

  "Lord Wisbeach!" cried Ann. "He doesn't know Jimmy."

  "Eugenia informed me in London that he was one of your bestfriends, James."

  Ann looked helplessly at Jimmy. She was conscious again of thatfeeling of not being able to cope with Fate's blows, of nothaving the strength to go on climbing over the barriers whichFate placed in her path.

  Jimmy, for his part, was cursing the ill fortune that had broughtLord Wisbeach across his path. He saw clearly that it only neededrecognition by one or two more intimates of Jimmy Crocker to makeAnn suspect his real identity. The fact that she had seen himwith Bayliss in Paddington Station and had fallen into the errorof supposing Bayliss to be his father had kept her fromsuspecting until now; but this could not last forever. Heremembered Lord Wisbeach well, as a garrulous, irrepressiblechatterer who would probably talk about old times to such anextent as to cause Ann to realise the truth in the first fiveminutes.

  The door opened.

  "Lord Wisbeach," announced Mr. Crocker.

  "I'm afraid I'm late, Mrs. Pett," said his lordship.

  "
No. You're quite punctual. Lord Wisbeach, here is an old friendof yours, James Crocker."

  There was an almost imperceptible pause. Then Jimmy steppedforward and held out his hand.

  "Hello, Wizzy, old man!"

  "H-hello, Jimmy!"

  Their eyes met. In his lordship's there was an expression ofunmistakable relief, mingled with astonishment. His face, whichhad turned a sickly white, flushed as the blood poured back intoit. He had the appearance of a man who had had a bad shock and isjust getting over it. Jimmy, eyeing him curiously, was notsurprised at his emotion. What the man's game might be, he couldnot say; but of one thing he was sure, which was that this wasnot Lord Wisbeach, but--on the contrary--some one he had neverseen before in his life.

  "Luncheon is served, madam!" said Mr. Crocker sonorously from thedoorway.