It was a
transaction in which he could be perfectly secure; bribing of public
officials is a solemn offence in Austria and Germany. She could have no
recourse, could make no complaint. Her money was gone!
"Where is Mr. Br--Mr. Medcroft?" she demanded, her voice full of
anxiety. If he were out of gaol, why had he failed to come to the
meeting-place?
"He's locked in," persisted Freddie.
"That's just it, Miss Fowler," explained Odell-Carney glibly. "You
shee--see, it was this way: we got him out on bail on condition he'd
'pear to-morrow morning 'fore the magistrate. Affer we'd got him out, he
insisted on coming 'round here so's he could run away with you. That
wassen a gennelmanly thing to do, affer we'd put up our money. We
coul'n' afford have him runnin' away with you. So we had him locked in a
room on top floor of the hotel, where he can't get out 'n' leave us to
hold the bag, don't you see. He almos' cried an' said you'd be waitin'
at the church or--or something like that bally song, don't you know, an'
as a lash reshort, to keep him quiet like a good ferrer--feller, we said
we'd come an' get you an' 'splain everything saffis--sasfac--ahem!
sassisfac'rly."
She looked at then with burning eyes. Slow rage was coming to the
flaming point; And for this she had sat and suffered for hours in a
street restaurant! For this! Her eyes fell upon the limp horses and the
dejected stable-boy.
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