CHAPTER XXI
LONDON AND BACK
At nine that night the two, as agreed upon, met at Dring in the hotelstables. There had been no mishaps.
The groom was busy putting the horse into the trap, and, when Jack sawwhat a really smart turn-out Acton had engaged, his fears began tooccupy less of his thoughts and the pleasures of a rattling hour's spina jolly lot more. Punctually to the minute Jack climbed up beside thedriver, the place of honour, and Acton swung himself up behind; the yarddoors were flung open, and the gig rattled smartly out. The hotelproprietor had not chanted the praises of his horse in vain. On thelevel road it laid itself out to go for all it was worth.
The pleasant music of the jingling harness and the scurrying of thewheels made as jolly a tune as Jack could wish to hear. There was atouch of frost in the air, which made the quick motion of the gig biteshrewdly on his cheeks, and made him button up his overcoat to the chinand settle his cap well over his ears. Acton threw out jokes, too, frombehind, which made Jack feel no end clever to listen to them, and thedriver now and then restrained his horse's "freshness" with the soothingmellow whistle which only drivers possess. The farmhouses, hayricks, andan occasional village, drifted past now to the right, now to the left,and occasionally they overhauled a leisurely belated cyclist, who atonce began to take an unimportant position in the rear, his lamp growingless and less down the stretch of long white road.
Soon the houses began to come more frequently, then came the streetswith their long avenues of yellow lights, and within the hour they wererolling smoothly over the wooden pavements.
"Piccadilly," said Acton. "Drop us at the top of Whitehall, will you?Then you can take the horse to the mews. Be ready for us outsideFrascati's by twelve. Understand?"
"Yes, sir, at Frascati's by twelve! I know the place." A minute or twolater the two swung off in Trafalgar Square, and the driver rattled awayinto the crowd.
Jack was delighted. "Spiffing run, Acton, eh?"
"Glad you liked it, young 'un. Now let us localize the UniversalSporting Club. I know it's about Covent Garden somewhere." Together theywent up the crowded Strand, Jack enjoying every minute of the bustlingwalk to the Garden and imagining that he was a very much daring youngdesperado to be so far from his little white bunk at St. Amory's. Hewould have been usually fast asleep by this time.
The Universal Sporting Club was not a difficult place to find, andthough all its windows were lighted up, upon its fast shut doors weretwo little notices: "This door will be open at 11 p.m. None but membersand friends admitted."
"Well," said Acton, "we've got about twenty minutes before there's anyparticular need to begin our watch for Raffles, but some of the membersare hanging round now. The early birds get the best perch for the show.On the whole, perhaps you'd better prowl about this door now, whilst Igo round the corner and see if I can run our fox to his earth."
"All serene," said Jack. "I'll mark time out here till I see you."
Acton walked round the corner, and Jack perambulated about, peering intothe faces of the idlers to see if he could spot the well-known andmuch-detested face of Raffles. He had (of course) no luck.
Five minutes afterwards Acton came back smiling. "Almost first fellow Iran against was Raffles, and I've given him his instructions. He'llhedge for me with the bookie within five minutes."
"So you're quite safe now, Acton?" said Jack, beaming.
"Oh, quite," said Acton, laughing. "Now, Jack, you've been no endbrickish, and I'm going to treat you. Ever seen a ballet?"
"No."
"Well, you shall."
A hansom flitted slowly up to them, and Acton hailed it. "In you get,Jack. Kingdom!" said Acton to the cabby. They glided noiselesslythrough the lighted streets, and in a minute or so were before the"Kingdom Theatre." The two hurried up the steps, and Acton asked anattendant if the ballet were rung up yet.
"No, sir. Two stalls, sir? Certainly. Twelve and thirteen are vacant."
Jack had never seen a ballet before, and when the gorgeous ballet"Katrina" slowly passed before his eyes, and he followed the simplestory which was almost interpreted by the lovely music, when every freshscene seemed lovelier than all the rest, and fairyland was realizedbefore his eyes, his face beamed with pleasure.
"This _is_ ripping, Acton. Isn't Katrina lovely? Jove! I'd hunt forRaffles every blessed night if there was a 'Kingdom' to finish up with!"
His enthusiasm amused Acton.
"It is very pretty, Jack, certainly."
For nearly an hour did Jack sit entranced, and when the orchestracrashed out the last floods of melody in the _finale_, and when most ofthe audience rose to go, he trotted out with Acton in a dream.
"We'll have a little supper at Frascati's, young 'un, and then home."
Frascati's completed the enchantment of Bourne. The beauty of thesupper-room, the glitter of snowy linen, of mirrors, and the invitingcrash of knives, and the clink of glasses, the busy orderliness of thewaiters, the laughter, chatter of the visitors, the scents, the sightsand sounds, fascinated him. Acton ordered a modest little supper, andwhen Jack had finally pushed away his plate Acton paid the bill, andwent out to find the driver. He was there, the horse almost waltzingwith impatience to be off. The two swung themselves up, and in anotherminute they were whirling along back to St. Amory's.
The St. Amory's clock could be heard striking the half hour after onewhen Jack and Acton parted at the corner of Corker's garden.
"Jack," said Acton, "good night! and you need not trouble about the L7.You've done more for me than that, and I shall not forget it."
Jack, almost weeping with gratitude, said, "Good night, Acton!" in afervent whisper, and scuttled over Corker's flower-beds. He pushed uphis window and crawled through, and, seeing that all was as he had leftit after supper, he undressed and jumped into bed, and in a few minutesslept the sleep of the just.
Acton had managed his re-entrance just as successfully--did he everfail?--and the thought of Bourne's hopeless rage, when he should findout about Jack's escapade, made him sleep the sleep of the happy man. Hewas made that way.
HE PUSHED UP HIS WINDOW AND CRAWLED THROUGH.]