I owe you fifty pound," said Lord Crosland joyfully.
Tinker stopped short and his face grew very bright. "Do you?" he said.
"I think I should like it in gold--a fiver at a time."
CHAPTER TEN
TINKER'S FOUNDLING
On the following afternoon Tinker met Madame de Belle-Ile hurrying out
of the hotel in a scarlet travelling costume.
At the sight of him she stopped short and cried, "Have you heard the
sad news?"
"No; what sad news?" said Tinker.
"About poor Monsieur Courtnay! He has had an accident; he is laid up
at Nice, ill among strangers! I go; I fly to nurse him!"
"Nurse that brute!" said Tinker quickly. "That--that is a waste of
kindness."
Madame de Belle-Ile's face fell, and then flushed with anger. "You are
a horrid and detestable boy!" she cried angrily.
"Oh, no! I'm not! It's quite true," said Tinker quietly, and he
looked at her seriously. He wanted to warn her; then he saw that he
could not do so without revealing Claire's secret. "I wish I could
tell you about him," he went on. "But I can't. He really is a sweep!"
"You are an impertinent little wretch!" she said, and left him.
"Au revoir," said Tinker gently.
But she only tossed her head, and hurried on.
Pages:
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145