Sir Andrew, pale and staring, drew away, with an exclamation of
repulsion. His eyes were fastened upon the Naval Attache with
fascinated horror. But the American emitted a sigh of great content,
and sank, comfortably, into the arms of his chair. He clapped his
hands, softly, together.
"Capital!" he murmured. "I give you my word I never guessed what you
were driving at. You fooled ME, I'll be hanged if you didn't--you
certainly fooled me."
The man with the pearl stud leaned forward, with a nervous gesture.
"Hush! be careful!" he whispered. But at that instant, for the third
time, a servant, hastening through the room, handed him a piece of
paper which he scanned eagerly. The message on the paper read, "The
light over the Commons is out. The House has risen."
The man with the black pearl gave a mighty shout, and tossed the
paper from him upon the table.
"Hurrah!" he cried. "The House is up! We've won!" He caught up his
glass, and slapped the Naval Attache, violently, upon the shoulder.
He nodded joyously at him, at the Solicitor, and at the Queen's
Messenger. "Gentlemen, to you!" he cried; "my thanks and my
congratulations!" He drank deep from the glass, and breathed forth a
long sigh of satisfaction and relief.
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