Page:Edgar Jepson--the four philanthropists.djvu/272

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
262
THE FOUR PHILANTHROPISTS

carry out such a delicate operation as the kidnapping of a wealthy and gentlemanly young fellow, well known in the city of London, even had we been careless of the consequences. And we were very far from being careless of the consequences, for Gutermann's race has the reputation of being litigious, and we had no mind that the Children's Hospital should lose in an action for damages the hard-earned gold of the reluctant Driver.

The Hertfordshire cottage seemed at once and to all of us the proper place in which to gaol Gutermann; but we cudgelled our brains in vain to find a pretext for gaoling him which would leave him without cause of complaint against us, or at any rate disable him from parading that complaint before the world. It seemed impossible to find, and after an hour's argument and discussion we got to Bridge to soothe our racked minds.

"Why! Oh, why didn't I insist on outright removal?" Chelubai almost wailed.

"I'm very glad you didn't!" said Angel sharply, "You'd no right to do anything of the kind till you knew for certain that this Gutermann is a wicked and objectionable person who deserves to be removed."

Chelubai bowed his head meekly to the reproof.

"Patience—patience," said I. "The resources of the intellect of the modern world are not yet so exhausted that it will not find a way. We have