Then he called in the commissionaire, and together they bound
Jules firmly to the bedstead, allowing him, however, to lie down.
All the while the captive never opened his mouth - merely smiled a
smile of disdain. Finally Racksole removed the ornaments, the
carpet, the chairs and the hooks, and wrenched away the switch of
the electric light. Then he and the commissionaire left the room,
and Racksole locked the door on the outside and put the key in his
pocket.
'You will keep watch here,' he said to the commissionaire, 'through
the night. You can sit on this chair. Don't go to sleep. If you hear
the slightest noise in the room blow your cab-whistle; I will
arrange to answer the signal. If there is no noise do nothing
whatever. I don't want this talked about, you understand. I shall
trust you; you can trust me.'
'But the servants will see me here when they get up to-morrow,'
said the commissionaire, with a faint smile, 'and they will be pretty
certain to ask what I'm doing of up here. What shall I say to 'em?'
'You've been a soldier, haven't you?' asked Racksole.
'I've seen three campaigns, sir,' was the reply, and, with a gesture
of pardonable pride, the grey-haired fellow pointed to the medals
on his breast.
'Well, supposing you were on sentry duty and some meddlesome
person in camp asked you what you were doing - what should you
say?'
'I should tell him to clear off or take the consequences, and pretty
quick too.
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