I'll tell you what. I'll go with you."
He turned round and stared at me with surprise and suspicion. "You would
go with me?" he repeated.
"You don't understand," I said, amused at the incredulous disgust of his
tone. "I must run up to town, to-morrow morning. Let us go together.
You have a set of travelling chessmen."
His physiognomy, contracted by a variety of emotions, relaxed to a
certain extent at the idea of a game. I told him that as I had business
at the Docks he should have my company to the very ship.
"We shall beguile the way to the wilds of the East by improving
conversation," I encouraged him.
"My brother-in-law is staying at an hotel--the Eastern Hotel," he said,
becoming sombre again. "I haven't the slightest idea where it is."
"I know the place. I shall leave you at the door with the comfortable
conviction that you are doing what's right since it pleases a lady and
cannot do any harm to anybody whatever."
"You think so? No harm to anybody?" he repeated doubtfully.
"I assure you it's not the slightest use," I said with all possible
emphasis which seemed only to increase the solemn discontent of his
expression.
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