Give us an appetite for our breakfast, eh?"
He laughed again, a happy, schoolboyish laugh which brought a positively
shocked expression to Mr. Narkom's round face.
"My dear Cleek!" he expostulated. "Really, one might think that you
actually enjoyed this sort of thing! One of these fine days, if you're
not careful, you'll be caught napping, and it'll take all Dollops's
and my ingenuity to get you out of the clutches. I do beg of you to be
careful--for Ailsa's sake, if not for mine."
At mention of the name, for a second the whole look upon Cleek's face
altered. Something came into his eyes that softened their keenness,
something settled down over his countenance, wiping away the mirth and
the grim lines together. He sighed.
"Heigho!" he said, softly, spinning round upon his heel and surveying Mr.
Narkom with a half-smile upon his lips. "I will be careful, dear friend.
I promise. And I have given my word to--her--as well. And that the life
of Hamilton Cleek should be so precious to any such angel as that--well,
it 'fair beats me', as Dollops would say.
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