If this be so, let me implore him, in the name
of the sun his father, to reveal himself."
Now Hanky had already given my father more than one look that had made
him uneasy. He had evidently recognised him as the supposed ranger of
last Thursday evening. Twice he had run his eye like a searchlight over
the front benches opposite to him, and when the beam had reached my
father there had been no more searching. It was beginning to dawn upon
my father that George might have discovered that he was not Professor
Panky; was it for this reason that these two young special constables,
though they gave up their places, still kept so close to him? Was George
only waiting his opportunity to arrest him--not of course even suspecting
who he was--but as a foreign devil who had tried to pass himself off as
Professor Panky? Had this been the meaning of his having followed him to
Fairmead? And should he have to be thrown into the Blue Pool by George
after all? "It would serve me," said he to himself, "richly right."
These fears which had been taking shape for some few minutes were turned
almost to certainties by the half-contemptuous glance Hanky threw towards
him as he uttered what was obviously intended as a challenge. He saw
that all was over, and was starting to his feet to declare himself, and
thus fall into the trap that Hanky was laying for him, when George
gripped him tightly by the knee and whispered, "Don't--you are in great
danger.
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