Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-09-06
CHAPTER Xxx


the value of the information which he
professed to be able to give me by
watching the effect Of his remark upon
the expression of my face.
am afraid I added thousands of
rubles to that estimated value simply
through my inability to control my
countenance.
Iwould have given worlds to appear
to remain Indifferent or incrednlous or
what not, but I was very young and
but poor actor to boot. and 1 gave my
hand away lavishly,
grew pale and red; I knew 1t. /
clutched the arms Of my chair; 1 felt
choky and faint. My heart behaved
ridiculously and commenced to play
DEVILS tattoo within my breast. could
not speak; believe I should have cried
If I had attempted 1t. Had this little
rascal really and truly important COM
munications to make concerning my
fatherf Could he possibly know any
thingH If 80, Andre was equally well
informed. Nay. father must be or must
have been, actually in the hands of
these rascals, though why or for what
purpose they should have captured and
kept him I could not conceive.
If this student could be brought over
into our camp and made to tell us all
he knew, why. he would be worth al
most any money to u.s. Not only would
we learn perhaps priceless news about
my dear father. but we should. more
over, be able to score off Andre and
turn him at once. neck and crop, out
of the house; nay. perhaps have him 60
completely in our power that we should
be enabled. by the help Of the police, to
get him quietly sent away to places
where he could no longer worry Us by
his presence. which. of course, we only
tolerated for a moment in the hope Of
obtaining our quid pro quo in the form
of information about father.
What a satisfaction it would be to do
without him altogether-hal How he
would fume and rage, the rascal, for
undoubtedly he flattered himself that
he had my mother and myself in the
hollow of his hand, as. indeed, he had
until this most fortunate rencounter OF
mine in mid.Neva with the we'll feast
ed and pride puffed little rascal In the
armchair herel All these thoughts
passed very quickly through my brain
as I sat trying to regain control over
my features and my tongue before re-
plying to the student.
At last I felt that might attempt to
speak.
"What you have just said." began,
my voice sounding faint and far away
in my own ears. "makes me think that
you may possibly be in possession Of in
formation that is really valuable to US
If it should prove SO, you will not re-
gret having confided 1t to me-"
"No, no; that is not business" he
laughed. "See here, this is the posi-
ton I have vitally important news to
give you, news that concerns your ia.
ther and which you can obtain from
none but me"
"There's always Andre, blurted.
"Andre, for reasons Of his own, and
mighty good ones. would never reveal
it to you-not though you fed and
pampered and housed and paid him for
years to come. You will understand
why when-and five have come to
terms and my secret becomes yours
Very we'll. then. The position, I say, is
this: am in possession of this informa.
ton You, being dutiful son. are nat
urally desirous Of obtainingit. That is
point No. /. Point No. Q: You chase
me (heaven knows why) into hole in
the ice. which in itself is enough to
close my lips forever, in so far as con-
Germs the opening of the same to do you
any service; but. point No. 8. you pulled
me out again. al some risk and with some
pluck. as l am ready to admit, which
reopens my lips to your advantage, II
(point No. ~ you make it worth my
while to do so. and (point No. 6) since
nv secret in itself is of some value, and
(6) since am running risks-which you
little suspect in coming under your root
and selling my secret to you, (point
and last) | cannot possibly put the fig.
ure down at less than 10. 900 rubles.
| would have given the sum named,
l think. to take the little rascal by the
shoulders from behind and to kick him
round the room until either he died OF
| tired. but | kept my temper and
showed little or no signs of the rage ]
felt 1t was his conceited manner that
angered me far more than the exorbi-
tance of the sum he demanded for his
information
To receive news which would set us
upon a track which should ultimately
lead to the discovery of my dear father
| would gladly have paid ten times the
sum asked But this little student wore
such detestable air as he spoke. and
was. besides. such consummate little
villain on the face of him. that I would
have given worlds, as | say. to kick the
secret out of him or garote him till he
was glad to save his neck by confessine
to his share of the devilry that must
have been played with his connivance
upon my poor father
"May consult my two friends and
my mother before answering your ques
tion ?" / said as calmly as could.
don't think the calmness was very
striking. however.
Certainly not. Your mother sno
the rest may agree afterward. Tbi'
matter Is between you and me. Who
are your two friends. by the way"