'
"'Well,' said I,' you'll be lucky if he don't throw you both
downstairs for a pair of knockabout artists astray. I've a sense of
humour that can stretch some distance, and with the permission of our
kind friends in front this matinee performance will be repeated
to-night, when Otty's sense of humour will gape for it, no doubt,
after being stretched to the Pyrenees and back.'
"The Professor motioned Farrell out to the staircase. Then he came
forward to me and said, pretty low and serious, 'You're a good boy,
Jimmy. You're so good a boy that I want you to keep out of this.
If Roddy turns up to-night, tell him that my man's for Wimbledon,
safe and sound. On second thoughts, we won't bother a tired man,
to-night, with any excuses or apologies. By to-morrow he will
probably have had my letter, and will understand. He may or may not
decide to show it to you. I hope he won't. I hope you'll let us see
him alone to-morrow. Good-bye.'
"--Now what do you make of that?" demanded Jimmy helplessly.
"I make it out to be no jest, but pretty serious," said I.
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