Taking the railway guide, Victor ruffled its pages, and after brief study
of the proper table remarked:
"Afraid I must ask you to run up to town for me to-night, Nogam. If you
don't mind ..."
"Only too glad to oblige, sir."
"I find I have left important papers behind. Give this to Shaik Tsin"--he
handed over the blank envelope--"and he will find them for you. You can
catch the ten-fifteen up, and return by the twelve-three from Charing
Cross."
"Very good, sir."
"Oh--and see that Mr. Sturm gets this, too, will you? If he isn't in, give
it to Shaik Tsin to hand to him. Say it's urgent."
"Quite so, sir."
"That is all. But don't fail to catch the twelve-three back. I must have
the papers to-night."
"I shan't fail you, sir--D.V."
"Deo volente? You are a religious man, Nogam?"
"I 'umbly 'ope so, sir, and do my best to be, accordin' to my lights."
"Glad to hear it. Now cut along, or you'll miss the up train."
Long after Nogam had left the memory of their talk continued to afford
Victor an infinite amount of private entertainment.
"A religious man!" he would jeer to himself. "Then--may your God help you,
Nogam!"
Some thought of the same sort may well have troubled Nogam's mind as he sat
in an otherwise untenanted third-class compartment blinking owlishly over
the example of Victor's command of the intricacies of Chinese writing.
He was happily free of surveillance for the first time in his waking hours
of many days. The Chinese chauffeur had driven him to the station, and had
furthermore lingered to see that Nogam did not fail to board it.
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