Carnaby's smile vanished, and he stared up at calm-eyed Barnabas in
open-mouthed astonishment.
"You're not mad, are you?" he demanded at last, his red under-lip
curling.
"Sir," said Barnabas, taking out his memorandum, "it is now your
turn to answer. Do you take my bet?"
"Take it!" cried Sir Mortimer fiercely, "yes! I'll double it--make
it ten thousand guineas, sir!"
"Fifteen if you wish," said Barnabas, his pencil poised.
"No, by God! but I'll add another five and make it an even twenty
thousand!"
"May I suggest you double instead, and make it thirty?" inquired
Barnabas.
"Ha!--may I venture to ask how much higher you are prepared to go?"
"Why, sir," said Barnabas thoughtfully, "I have some odd six hundred
thousand pounds, and I am prepared to risk--a half."
"Vastly fine, sir!" laughed Sir Mortimer, "why not put it at a round
million and have done with it. No, egad! I want something more than
your word--"
"You might inquire of my bankers," Barnabas suggested.
"Twenty thousand will suit me very well, sir!" nodded Sir Mortimer.
"Then you take me at that figure, Sir Mortimer?"
"Yes, I bet you twenty thousand guineas that you do not pass the
winning-post ahead of me! And what's more,--non-starters to forfeit
their money! Oh, egad,--I'll take you!"
"And I also," said Mr. Chichester, opening his betting-book. "Gentlemen,
you are all witnesses of the bet. Come, Viscount,--Slingsby,--here's
good money going a-begging--why not gather it in--eh, Marquis?" But
the trio sat very silent, so that the scratch of Sir Mortimer's pencil
could be plainly heard as he duly registered his bet, which done,
he turned his attention to Barnabas again, looking him up and down
with his bold, black eyes.
"Hum!" said he musingly, "it sticks in my mind that I have seen
you--somewhere or other, before we met at Sir George Annersley's.
Perhaps you will tell me where?"
"With pleasure, sir," answered Barnabas, putting away his memorandum
book, "it was in Annersley Wood, rather early in the morning. And
you wore--"
"Annersley--Wood!" Sir Mortimer's careless, lounging air vanished,
and he stared at Barnabas with dilating eyes.
"And you wore, I remember, a bottle-green coat, which I had the
misfortune to tear, sir."
And here there fell a silence, once more, but ominous now, and full
of menace; a pregnant stillness, wherein the Viscount sat leaned
forward, his hands clutching his chair-arms, his gaze fixed upon
Barnabas; as for the Marquis, he had taken out his snuff-box and, in
his preoccupation, came very near inhaling a pinch; while Captain
Slingsby sat open-mouthed. Then, all at once, Sir Mortimer was on
his feet and had caught up a heavy riding-whip, and thus he and
Barnabas fronted each other, eye to eye,--each utterly still, yet
very much on the alert.