Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/168

152 "I assure you, Messieurs," said he, "this is the first time that I have ever allowed myself to be placed in so embarrassing a position."

Rosenthal threw me a swift look. I gave my shoulders a slight shrug. My friend, although I looked impassive enough, I was all in a turmoil. So John was the thief. John had stolen his wife's pearls, brought them to this man Delmas, and sold them outright on Delmas' verbal agreement that he would not dispose of them for twelve months, and then only after making such changes as would render it impossible to recognise the string.

As this went through my head, the first emotion was a hot, furious rage against my thieving sot of a half-brother. It was for this that I had bearded Ivan in his den and tried to assassinate Chu-Chu. It was for this that my life must hang in the balance until I should either kill or be killed. Now that I knew I wanted to get out of the place and mentally digest the situation.

The dealer saw the blood surging into my face. Perhaps he saw the fury behind my eyes, for he began to renew his apologies and regrets and offers to make what amends he could for having broken his given word. I had no doubt that he was a fairly honest man. But he had lacked the force to resist Rosenthal's insistence. He reasoned that since he had bought the pearls outright and was under no written bond, and as the pearls were going to Buda Pest to adorn the large person of such a be-jewelled woman as he knew the Baroness Rosenthal to be, their non-recognition would be practically assured. John, I thought, had probably sold the pearls out-