Page:Bailey - Call Mr Fortune (Dutton, 1921).djvu/122

Rh "You can do pleasant things with the stones—he loves me, he loves me not."

"It's not interesting any more," said Nurse Dauntsey, and looked demure.

"I'm off to British Columbia next week," Cranford announced.

"Alone?" said Reggie, with his eye on Nurse Dauntsey.

"This year, next year," Nurse Dauntsey counted. "May I have five peaches, Mr. Fortune?"

"I'm sure you know what's good for you. So you're dropping the Mozambique copper claim, Cranford?"

"Lady Lunt offered to turn it over to me. I couldn't touch it."

"Of course not," said Nurse Dauntsey.

"Good thing for me Victor Lunt didn't stand his trial," Cranford said.

"Yes. It would have kept you in England." Reggie lit a cigar.

"I should have had to tell the whole story." Reggie stared at him. "Yes. That's the proposition, sir. It was the case you put up against him got me off."

"I put up nothing," Reggie cried. "Everything I had against Victor was true, and he knew it was true. That's what broke him. He had a queer story of his own though," and Reggie told them