He found in the table drawer three unpublished articles, a few poems,
and the First Act of the second and unfinished tragedy, saved by its
obscure position at the back of the drawer. The woman owned to having
lit the fire with the rest. Maddox cursed and groaned as he thought of
that destruction. He knew that many poems which followed _Saturnalia_
had remained unpublished. Had they too been taken to light the fire?
He turned the garret upside down in search of the missing manuscripts.
At last in a cupboard, he came upon a leather bag. It was locked and
he could find no key, but he wrenched it open with the poker. It
contained many manuscripts; among them the Nine and Twenty Sonnets,
and the testament concerning them. He read the Sonnets, but not the
other document which was in a sealed envelope. He found also a bundle
of Dicky Pilkington's receipts and his last letter threatening
foreclosure. And when he had packed up the books (Lucia's books) and
redeemed Rickman's clothes from the pawn-shop, he took all these
things away with him for safety.
There was little he could do for Rickman, but he promised himself the
pleasure of settling Dicky's claim. But even that satisfaction was
denied him. For Dicky had just renewed his bill for a nominal three
months. Nominal only. Dicky had in view a magnificent renunciation,
and he flatly refused to treat with Maddox or anybody else. He was
completely satisfied with this conclusion; it meant that Rickman, for
all his style and pluck, had lost the game and that he, Pilkington,
had done the handsome thing, as he could do it when the fancy took
him.
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