Page:The Black Camel (IA blackcamel0000earl).djvu/210

she isn’t up yet. It must have been one of the servants. Jessop, perhaps. Was it Jessop, Mr. Chan?”

“What does it matter if——”

“But I assure you it matters very much. Because, you see, I don’t stand very well with Jessop. There’s an old grudge between us—on his part, at least.”

“You will, please, explain what you mean by that?”

“Of course. As I told you last night, Miss Fane’s servants were always cheating her. When I first became her secretary I shut my eyes to it, because I’m no tale-bearer. But about a year ago, her finances became terribly involved, and I began an investigation. I discovered that Jessop had a most shameless arrangement with the tradespeople—all the bills were padded outrageously and Jessop was getting a share of the profits.

“I said nothing to Miss Fane—I knew what that would mean—a temperamental outburst, tears and recriminations, and probably a grand scene of forgiveness in the end. She was always so kind-hearted. Instead I went to Jessop, told him I knew what he was doing and that the thing must stop. He was most indignant. All the other servants in Hollywood, he told me, were doing the same, and he seemed to consider it a sort of royal prerogative. But when I threatened to tell Miss Fane, he backed down and agreed to put an end to the practise. I fancy he did, too, but since that time he has always been very cool to me, and I know that I have never been forgiven. So you see why I asked you if it was Jessop who told that—falsehood about the ring.”

“Just where do you stand—as you say it—with Anna?”