Nocturnal Adventure
Jimmy Thesiger arrived at Letherbury on a sunny autumn afternoon and was greeted affectionately by Lady Coote and with cold dislike by Sir Oswald.
Aware of the keen matchmaking eye of Lady Coote upon him, Jimmy took pains to make himself extremely agreeable to Socks Daventry.
O’Rourke was there in excellent spirits. He was inclined to be official and secretive about the mysterious events at the Abbey, about which Socks catechised him freely, but his official reticence took a novel form—namely that of embroidering the tale of events in such a fantastic manner that nobody could possibly guess what the truth might have been.
“Four masked men with revolvers? Is that really so?” demanded Socks severely.
“Ah! I’m remembering now that there was the round half-dozen of them to hold me down and force the stuff down my throat. Sure, and I thought it was poison, and I done for entirely.”
“And what was stolen, or what did they try and steal?”
“What else but the crown jewels of Russia that were brought to Mr. Lomax secretly to deposit in the Bank of England.”
“What a bloody liar you are,” said Socks without emotion.
“A liar, I? And the jewels brought over by aeroplane with my best friend as pilot. This is secret history I’m telling you, Socks. Will you ask Jimmy