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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Albert Gate Mystery, by Louis Tracy
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Albert Gate Mystery
+       Being Further Adventures of Reginald Brett, Barrister Detective
+
+Author: Louis Tracy
+
+Release Date: October 22, 2007 [EBook #23150]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ALBERT GATE MYSTERY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by D. Alexander and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ THE ALBERT GATE MYSTERY
+
+
+ Being Further Adventures of
+ REGINALD BRETT, _Barrister Detective_
+
+
+ BY LOUIS TRACY
+
+
+ _Author of_ "WINGS OF THE MORNING," "THE STOW-MARKET MYSTERY," "THE
+ FINAL WAR," ETC., ETC.
+
+
+ R. F. FENNO & COMPANY 9 & 11 East 16th Street, New York :: _1904_
+
+
+
+
+ Copyright, 1904
+
+ BY R. F. FENNO & COMPANY
+
+
+[Illustration: Hussein-ul-Mulk. --_Frontispiece._]
+
+
+
+
+                          Contents
+
+ CHAPTER                                           PAGE
+
+      I A MYSTERIOUS CRIME                            7
+
+     II MEHEMET ALI'S NOTE                           18
+
+    III WHAT THE POLICE SAW                          29
+
+     IV THE MURDERS                                  42
+
+      V A STARTLING CLUE                             51
+
+     VI A JOURNEY TO PARIS                           69
+
+    VII THE HOUSE IN THE RUE BARBETTE                87
+
+   VIII WHAT HAPPENED IN THE RUE BARBETTE           100
+
+     IX A MONTMARTRE ROMANCE                        115
+
+      X ON GUARD                                    125
+
+     XI A DISCONCERTED COMMISSARY                   140
+
+    XII THE INNKEEPER                               161
+
+   XIII THE RELEASE                                 176
+
+   XIV "TOUT VA BIEN"                               198
+
+    XV "MARIE"                                      209
+
+   XVI THE HALL-PORTER'S DOUBTS                     223
+
+  XVII THE YACHT "BLUE-BELL"                        235
+
+ XVIII TALBOT'S ADVENTURES                          247
+
+   XIX THE RACE                                     259
+
+    XX CLOSE QUARTERS                               269
+
+   XXI THE FIGHT                                    281
+
+  XXII PIECING THE PUZZLE                           292
+
+
+
+
+THE ALBERT GATE MYSTERY
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+A MYSTERIOUS CRIME
+
+
+Reginald Brett, barrister-at-law and amateur detective, had seldom been
+more at peace with the world and his own conscience than when he entered
+the dining-room of his cosy flat this bright October morning.
+
+Since the famous affair of Lady Delia Lyle's disappearance and death, he
+had not been busy, and the joy of healthy idleness is only known to the
+hard worker. Again, while dressing, he had received a letter inviting
+him to a quiet shoot at a delightful place in the country.
+
+All these things blended with happy inconsequence to render Brett
+contented in mind and affable in manner.
+
+"It's a fine morning, Smith," he said cheerily, as he settled himself at
+the table where his "man" was already pouring out the coffee.
+
+"Bee-utiful, sir," said Smith.
+
+"Smith!"
+
+"Yessir."
+
+"Not even the best English autumn weather can stand being called
+'bee-utiful.' Don't do it. You will open the flood-gates of Heaven."
+
+Smith laughed decorously. He had not the slightest idea what his master
+meant, but if it pleased Mr. Brett to be jocose, it was the duty of a
+servant who knew his place to be responsive.
+
+The barrister fully understood Smith's delicate appreciation--and its
+limits. He instantly noticed that the morning paper, instead of reposing
+next to his folded napkin, was placed out of reach on a sideboard, and
+that the eggs and bacon made their appearance half a minute too soon.
+
+As an expert swordsman delights to execute a pass _en tierce_ with an
+umbrella, so did the cleverest analytical detective of the age resolve
+to amaze his servitor.
+
+"Smith," he said suddenly, composing his features to their most severe
+cross-examination aspect, "I think the arrangement is an excellent one."
+
+"What arrangement, sir."
+
+"That Mrs. Smith and yourself should have a few days' holiday, while
+Mrs. Smith's brother takes your place during my forthcoming visit to
+Lord Northallerton's--why, man, what is the matter? Is it too hot?"--for
+the cover Smith had lifted off the bacon and eggs clattered violently on
+the table.
+
+"'Ot, sir. 'Ot isn't the word. You're a fair licker, that's what you
+are."
+
+Smith invariably dropped his h's when he became excited.
+
+"Smith, I insist that you shall not call me names. Pass the paper."
+
+"But, sir----"
+
+"Pass the paper. Utter another word and I refuse to accept Mrs. Smith's
+brother as your _locum tenens_."
+
+Smith was silenced by the last terrible epithet. Yet he was so
+manifestly nervous that Brett resolved o enlighten him before plunging
+into the day's news.
+
+"For the last time, Smith," he said, "I will explain to you why it is
+hopeless for you to think of concealing tradesmen's commissions from
+me."
+
+The shot went home, but the enemy was acquainted with this method of
+attack, and did not wince.
+
+"You knew that Lord Northallerton had recently invited me to his October
+pheasant-shooting. During the last few days a youth, who grotesquely
+reproduces Mrs. Smith's most prominent features, has mysteriously
+tenanted the kitchen, ill-cleaned my boots, and bungled over the studs
+in my shirts. This morning a letter came with the crest and the
+Northallerton postmark. Really, Smith, considering that you have now
+breathed the same air as myself for eight long years, I did not expect
+to be called on for an explanation. Besides, you have destroyed a
+masterpiece."
+
+"Sir----" began Smith.
+
+"Oh, I understand; there is nothing broken but your reputation. Don't
+you see that the mere placing of the newspaper at a distance, so that
+you might have a chance to speak before I opened it, was a subtle
+stroke, worthy of Lecocq. Yet you demand feeble words. What a pity!
+Know, Smith, that true genius is dumb. Speech may be silvern, but
+silence is surely golden."
+
+The barrister solemnly unfolded the paper, and Smith faded from the
+room. On a page usually devoted to important announcements, the
+following paragraphs stood forth in the boldness of leaded type:--
+
+     "MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE IN THE WEST END.
+
+     "An affair of some magnitude--perhaps a remarkable crime--has
+     taken place in an Albert Gate mansion.
+
+     "Owing to the reticence of the authorities, it is at present
+     impossible to arrive at a definite conclusion as to the nature
+     or extent of the incident, but it is quite certain that public
+     interest will be much excited when details are forthcoming.
+     All sorts of rumours attain credence in the locality, the murder
+     of several prominent persons being not the least persistent of
+     these. Without, however, giving currency to idle speculation,
+     several authentic statements may be grouped into a connected form.
+
+     "Four weeks ago a party of Turkish gentlemen of high rank in
+     Constantinople, arrived in London and took up their abode in the
+     house in question, after some structural alterations, pointing at
+     great security within and without, had been planned and executed.
+
+     "Attending these Turkish gentlemen, or officials, was a numerous
+     suite of Moslem guards and servants, whilst, immediately following
+     their arrival, came from Amsterdam some dozen noted experts in the
+     diamond-cutting industry. These were lodged in a neighbouring
+     private hotel, where they were extremely uncommunicative as to
+     their business in London. They were employed during the day at the
+     Albert Gate house. The presence in the mansion, both day and night,
+     of a strong force of Metropolitan police, tended to excite local
+     curiosity to an intense degree, but no clear conception of the
+     business of the occupants was allowed to reach the public.
+
+     "Whatever it was that took place, the full particulars were not
+     only well known to the authorities--the presence of the police
+     hints even at Governmental sanction--but matters proceeded on
+     normal lines until yesterday morning.
+
+     "Then it became clear that a remarkable development must have
+     occurred during the preceding night, as the whole of the Dutch
+     workmen and the Turkish attendants were taken off in cabs by the
+     police, not to Morton Street Police Station, but to Scotland Yard;
+     this in itself being a most unusual course to adopt. They are
+     unquestionably detained in custody, but they have not yet been
+     charged before a magistrate.
+
+     "The police, later in the day, carried off some of these men's
+     personal belongings, from both hotel and mansion.
+
+     "A sinister aspect was given to the foregoing mysterious proceedings
+     by the presence at Albert Gate, early in the day, of two police
+     surgeons, who were followed, about twelve o'clock, by Dr. Tennyson
+     Coke, the greatest living authority on toxicology.
+
+     "Dr. Coke and the other medical gentlemen subsequently refused to
+     impart the slightest information as to the reasons that led the
+     police to seek their services, and the Scotland Yard authorities
+     are adamant in the matter.
+
+     "The representative of a news agency was threatened with arrest for
+     trespass when he endeavoured to gain admission to the Albert Gate
+     house, and it is quite evident that the police are determined to
+     prevent the facts from leaking out at present--if they can by any
+     means accomplish their wishes."
+
+Brett read this interesting statement twice slowly. It fascinated him.
+Its very vagueness, its admissions of inability to tell what had really
+happened, its adroit use of such phrases as "Turkish gentlemen of high
+rank," "Noted experts in the diamond-cutting industry," "The greatest
+living authority on toxicology," betrayed the hand of the disappointed
+journalistic artist.
+
+"Excellent!" he murmured aloud. "It is the breath of battle to my
+nostrils. I ought to tip Smith for my breakfast. Had I read this
+earlier, I would not have eaten a morsel."
+
+He carefully examined the page at the back. It contained matter of no
+consequence--a London County Council debate--so he took a pair of
+scissors from his pocket and cut out the complete item, placing the slip
+as a votive offering in front of a finely-executed bust of Edgar Allen
+Poe, that stood on a bookcase behind him.
+
+Within three minutes the scissors were again employed. The new cutting
+ran--
+
+     "There is trouble at Yildiz Kiosk. A Reuter's telegram from
+     Constantinople states that a near relative of the Sultan has fled
+     to France. The Porte have asked the French Government to apprehend
+     him, but the French Ambassador has informed Riaz Pasha that this
+     course is impracticable in the absence of any criminal charge."
+
+"These two are one," said the barrister, as he turned towards Poe's bust
+and laid the slip by the side of its predecessor. This time he had
+mutilated a critique of an Ibsensite drama.
+
+The rest of the newspaper's contents had no special interest for him,
+and he soon threw aside the journal in order to rise, light a cigarette,
+and muster sufficient energy to write a telegram accepting Lord
+Northallerton's invitation for the following day.
+
+He was on the point of reaching for a telegraph form when Smith entered
+with a card. It bore the name and address--
+
+"The Earl of Fairholme, Stanhope Gate."
+
+"Curious," thought Brett. "Where is his lordship?" he said aloud--"at
+the door, or in the street?"
+
+(His flat was on the second floor.)
+
+"In a keb, sir."
+
+"Bring his lordship up."
+
+A rapid glance at "Debrett" revealed that the Earl of Fairholme was
+thirty, unmarried, the fourteenth of his line, and the possessor of
+country seats at Fairholme, Warwickshire, and Glen Spey, Inverness.
+
+The earl entered, an athletic, well-groomed man, one whose lines were
+usually cast in pleasant places, but who was now in an unwonted state of
+flurry and annoyance.
+
+Each man was favourably impressed by the other. His lordship produced an
+introductory card, and Brett was astonished to find that it bore the
+name of the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
+
+"I have come----" commenced his lordship hesitatingly.
+
+But the barrister broke in. "You have had a bad night, Lord Fairholme.
+You wish for a long and comfortable chat. Now, won't you start with a
+whiskey and soda, light a cigar, and draw an easy chair near the fire?"
+
+"'Pon my honour, Mr. Brett, you begin well. You give me confidence.
+Those are the first cheerful words I have heard during twenty-four
+hours."
+
+The earl was easily manoeuvred into a strong light. Then he made a
+fresh start.
+
+"You have doubtless heard of this Albert Gate affair, Mr. Brett?"
+
+"You mean this?" said the other, rising and handing to his visitor the
+longer paragraph of the two he had selected from the newspaper.
+
+"That is very curious," said the earl, momentarily startled. But he was
+too preoccupied by his thoughts to pay much heed to the incident. He
+merely glanced at the cutting and went on:
+
+"Yes, that is it. Well, Edith--Miss Talbot, I mean--vows that she won't
+marry me until this beastly business is cleared up. Of course, we all
+know that Jack didn't slope with the diamonds. He's tied up or dead, for
+sure. But--no matter what may have become of him--why the dickens that
+should stop Edith from marrying me is more than I can fathom. Just look
+at some of the women in Society. They don't leave it to their relatives
+to be mixed up in a scandal, I can tell you. Still, there you are. Edith
+is jolly clever and awfully determined, so you've got to find him, Mr.
+Brett. Dead or alive, he must be found, and cleared."
+
+"He shall," said Brett, gazing into the fire.
+
+The quiet, self-reliant voice steadied the young peer. He checked an
+imminent flow of words, picked up the newspaper slip again, and this
+time read it.
+
+Then he blushed.
+
+"You must think me very stupid, Mr. Brett, to burst out in such a manner
+when you probably have never heard of the people I am talking about."
+
+"You will tell me, Lord Fairholme, if you get quietly to work and try
+to speak, so far as you find it possible, in chronological sequence."
+
+His lordship knitted his brows and smoked in silence. At last he found
+utterance.
+
+"That's a good idea of yours. It makes things easier. Well, first of
+all, Edith and I became engaged. Edith is the daughter of the late
+Admiral Talbot. She and Jack, her brother, live with their uncle,
+General Sir Hubert Fitzjames, at 118, Ulster Gardens. Jack is in the
+Foreign Office; he is just like Edith, awfully clever and that sort of
+thing, an assistant secretary I think they call him. Now we're getting
+on, aren't we?"
+
+"Splendidly."
+
+"That's all right. About a month ago a chap turns up from
+Constantinople, a kind of special Envoy from the Sultan, and he explains
+to the Foreign Office that he has in his possession a lot of uncut
+diamonds of terrific value, including one as big as a duck's egg, to
+which no figures would give a price. Do you follow me?"
+
+"Each word."
+
+"Good. Well--I can't tell you why, because I don't know, and I could not
+understand it if I did--there was some political importance attached to
+these gems, and the Sultan roped our Foreign Office into it. So the
+Foreign Office placed Jack in charge of the business. He fixed up the
+Envoy in the house at Albert Gate, got a lot of diamond cutters and
+machinery for him, gave him into the charge of all the smart policemen
+in London; and what do you think is the upshot?"
+
+"What?"
+
+"The Envoy, his two secretaries, and a confidential servant were
+murdered the night before last, the diamonds were stolen, and Jack has
+vanished--absolutely gone clean into space, not a sign of him to be
+found anywhere. Yesterday Edith sends for me, cries for half an hour,
+tells me I'm the best fellow that ever lived, and then I'm jiggered if
+she didn't wind up by saying that she couldn't marry me."
+
+The Earl of Fairholme was now worked up to fever heat. He would not calm
+down for an appreciable period, so Brett resolved to try the effect of
+curiosity.
+
+He wrote a telegram to Lord Northallerton:--
+
+     "Very sorry, but I cannot leave town at present. Please ask
+     me later. Will explain reason for postponement when we meet."
+
+He had touched the dominant note in mankind.
+
+"Surely!" cried the earl, "you have not already decided upon a course of
+action?"
+
+"Not exactly. I am wiring to postpone a shooting fixture."
+
+"What a beastly shame!" exclaimed the other, in whom the sporting
+instinct was at once aroused. "I'm awfully sorry my affairs should
+interfere with your arrangements in this way."
+
+"Not a bit," cried Brett. "I make it a sacred rule of life to put
+pleasure before business. I mean," he explained, as a look of
+bewilderment crossed his hearer's face, "that this quest of ours
+promises to be the most remarkable affair I have ever been engaged in.
+That pleases me. Pheasant-shooting is a serious business, governed by
+the calendar and arranged by the head-keeper."
+
+An electric bell summoned Smith. The barrister handed him the telegram
+and a sovereign.
+
+"Read that message," he said. "Ponder over it. Send it, and give the
+change of the sovereign to Mrs. Smith's brother, with my compliments and
+regrets."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+MEHEMET ALI'S NOTE
+
+
+Then he turned to Lord Fairholme.
+
+"Just one question," he said, "before I send you off to bed. No, you
+must not protest. I want you to meet me here this evening at seven, with
+your brain clear and your nerves restored by a good, sound sleep. We
+will dine, here or elsewhere, and act subsequently. But at this moment I
+want to know the name of the person most readily accessible who can tell
+me all about Mr. Talbot's connection with the Sultan's agent."
+
+"His sister, undoubtedly."
+
+"Where can I find her?"
+
+"At Ulster Gardens. I will drive you there."
+
+The barrister smiled. "You are going to bed, I tell you. Give me a few
+lines of introduction to Miss Talbot."
+
+The earl's face had brightened at the prospect of meeting his _fiancee_
+under the favourable conditions of Brett's presence. But he yielded with
+good grace, and promptly sat down to write a brief note explanatory of
+the barrister's identity and position in the inquiry.
+
+The two parted at the door, and a hansom rapidly brought Brett to the
+residence of Sir Hubert Fitzjames.
+
+A stately footman took Reggie's card and its accompanying letter, placed
+them on a salver with a graceful turn of his wrist, which oddly
+suggested a similar turn in his nose, and said:
+
+"Miss Talbot is not at home, sir."
+
+"Yes, she is," answered Brett, paying the driver of the hansom.
+
+The footman deigned to exhibit astonishment. Here was a gentleman--one
+obviously accustomed to the manners of Society--who declined to accept
+the courteous disclaimer of an unexpected visit.
+
+"Miss Talbot is not receiving visitors," he explained.
+
+"Exactly. Take that card and the letter to Miss Talbot and bring me the
+answer."
+
+Jeames was no match for his antagonist. He silently showed the way into
+a reception room and disappeared. A minute later he announced, with much
+deference, that Miss Talbot would see Mr. Brett in the library, and he
+conducted this mysterious visitor upstairs.
+
+On rejoining Buttons in the hall he solemnly observed:
+
+"That's a swell cop who is with the missus--shining topper, button-hole,
+buckskin gloves, patent leathers, all complete. Footmen ain't in it with
+the force, nowadays."
+
+Jeames expanded his magnificent waistcoat with a heavy sigh over this
+philosophical dictum, the poignancy of which was enhanced by his
+knowledge that the upper housemaid had taken to conversing with a
+mounted policeman in the Park during her afternoons off.
+
+The apartment in which Brett found himself gave ready indications of the
+character of its tenants. Tod's "Rajasthan" jostled a volume of the
+Badminton Library on the bookshelves, a copy of the Allahabad _Pioneer_
+lay beside the _Field_ and the _Times_ on the table, and many
+varieties of horns made trophies with quaint weapons on the walls.
+
+A complete edition of Ruskin, and some exquisite prints of Rossetti's
+best known works, supplied a different set of emblems, whilst the room
+generally showed signs of daily occupation.
+
+"Anglo-Indian uncle, artistic niece," was the barrister's rapid comment,
+but further analysis was prevented by the entrance of Miss Edith Talbot.
+
+The surprise of the pair was mutual.
+
+Brett expected to see a young, pretty and clever girl, vain enough to
+believe she had brains, and sufficiently well endowed with that rare
+commodity to be able to twist the good-natured Earl of Fairholme round
+her little finger.
+
+Young, not more than twenty--unquestionably beautiful, with the graceful
+contour and delicately-balanced features of a portrait by Romney--Edith
+Talbot bore few of the marks that pass current as the outward and
+visible signs of a modern woman of Society. That she should be
+self-possessed and dressed in perfect taste were as obvious adjuncts of
+her character as that each phase of her clear thought should reflect
+itself in a singularly mobile face.
+
+To such a woman pretence was impossible, the polite fictions of
+fashionable life impossible. Brett readily understood why the Earl of
+Fairholme had fallen in love with this fair creature. He had simply
+bent in worship before a goddess of his own creed.
+
+To the girl, Brett was equally a revelation.
+
+Fairholme's introductory note described the barrister as "the smartest
+criminal lawyer in London--one whose aid would be invaluable." She
+expected to meet a sharp-featured, wizened, elderly man, with
+gold-rimmed eye-glasses, a queer voice and a nasty habit of asking
+unexpected questions.
+
+In place of this commonplace personality, she encountered a handsome,
+well-groomed gentleman--one who won confidence by his intellectual face,
+and retained it by invisibly establishing a social equality.
+Fortunately, there is yet in Britain an aristocracy wherein good birth
+is synonymous with good breeding--a freemasonry whose passwords cannot
+be simulated, nor its membership bought.
+
+Brett read the wonder in the girl's eyes, and hastened to explain.
+
+"The Earl of Fairholme," said Brett, "thought I might be of some service
+in the matter of your brother's strange disappearance, Miss Talbot. I am
+not a professional detective, but my friends are good enough to believe
+that I am very successful in unravelling mysteries that are beyond the
+ken of Scotland Yard. I have heard something of the facts in this
+present affair. Will you trust me so far as to tell me all that is known
+to you personally?"
+
+"My uncle, General Fitzjames, has just gone to Scotland Yard," she
+began, timidly.
+
+"Quite so. Perhaps you prefer to await his return?"
+
+"Oh, no, I do not mean that. But it is so hard to know how best to act.
+Uncle expects the police to accomplish impossibilities. He says that
+they should long since have found out what has become of Jack. Perhaps
+they may resent my interference."
+
+"My interference, to be exact," said Reggie, with the pleasant smile
+that had fascinated so many women. Even Edith Talbot was not wholly
+proof against its magic.
+
+"I, personally, have little faith in them," she confessed.
+
+"I have none."
+
+"Well, I will do as you advise."
+
+"Then I recommend you to take me into your confidence. I know Scotland
+Yard and its methods. We do not follow the same path."
+
+"I believe in you and trust you," said the girl.
+
+So ingenuous was the look from the large, deep eyes which accompanied
+this declaration of confidence, that many men would have pronounced Miss
+Talbot to be an experienced flirt. Brett knew better. He simply bowed
+his acknowledgements.
+
+"What is it that you want to know?" she continued. "We ourselves are no
+better informed than the newspapers as to what has actually happened,
+save that four men have been killed as the result of a carefully-planned
+robbery. As for my brother----"
+
+She paused and strove hard to force back her tears.
+
+"Your brother has simply vanished, Miss Talbot. If the criminals did not
+scruple to leave four dead men behind, they would not draw the line at a
+fifth. The clear inference is that your brother is alive, but under
+restraint."
+
+"I can see that it is possible he was alive until some time after the
+tragedy at Albert Gate. But--but--what connection can Jack have with the
+theft of diamonds worth millions? These people used him as their tool in
+some manner. Why should they spare him when success had crowned their
+efforts?"
+
+"We are conversing in riddles. Will you explain?"
+
+"You know that my brother is an assistant Under-Secretary in the Foreign
+Office?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, early in September, his chief placed him in charge of a special
+undertaking. The Sultan had decided to have a large number of rough
+diamonds cut and polished by the best European experts. They were all
+magnificent gems, exceedingly valuable it seems, being rare both in size
+and purity; but one of them was larger than any known diamond. Jack told
+me it was quite as big as a good-sized hen's egg. Both it and the
+others, he said, had the appearance of lumps of alum; but the experts
+said that the smaller stones were worth more than a million sterling,
+whilst the price of the large one could not be fixed. No one but an
+Emperor or Sultan would buy it. His Excellency Mehemet Ali Pasha was the
+especial envoy charged with this mission, and he brought credentials to
+the Foreign Office asking for facilities to be given for its execution.
+He and the two secretaries who accompanied him have been killed."
+
+"Yes?" said Brett, whose eyes were fixed intently on the hearthrug.
+
+"Jack was given the special duty of looking after Mehemet Ali and his
+companions during their residence in London. It was his business to
+afford them every assistance in his power, to procure them police
+protection, obtain for them the best advice attainable in the diamond
+trade, and generally place at their disposal all the resources which the
+British Government itself could command if it undertook such a curious
+task. He had been with them about a month--not hourly engaged, you
+understand, as once the preliminary arrangements were made, he had
+little further trouble--but he used to call there every morning and
+afternoon to see if he could render any assistance. Matters had
+progressed so favourably until the day before yesterday, that in another
+month he hoped to see the last of them. He was always saying that he
+would be glad when the business was ended, as he did not like to be
+officially connected with the fate of a few little bits of stone that
+happened to be so immensely valuable."
+
+"Did your brother call there as usual on Monday afternoon?" said Brett.
+
+"Yes; he came straight here from Albert Gate, and had tea with uncle and
+myself. He sat in the very chair and in the very position you now
+occupy. I can remember him saying: 'By jove! the hen's egg'--that is
+what he used to call the big diamond--'is turning out in fine style.' He
+even discussed the possibility of bringing us to see the collection when
+it was finished and before it left this country."
+
+"Did your brother say why the diamonds were brought to this country in
+the first instance?"
+
+"Yes; the Sultan and his advisers seemed to think the work of cutting
+them could be performed more safely and expeditiously here than anywhere
+else. Even the Turk has a high regard for the manner in which law and
+order are maintained in Britain. Yet the sequel has shown that the
+diamonds and their guardians were perhaps in greater danger here than
+they would have been in Constantinople."
+
+"Was that the only reason?" said Brett, who had apparently made up his
+mind with reference to the pattern of the carpet, and was now gazing
+into the bright fire which danced merrily in the grate, for the day
+though fine was chilly.
+
+The girl wrinkled her brows in thought before she answered: "I think I
+do remember Jack saying that he believed there was some State business
+mixed up in the affair, but I am quite sure he did not know the exact
+facts himself."
+
+"Can you recollect any of the special precautions taken to protect the
+gems? Your brother may have mentioned some details in conversation, you
+know."
+
+"Oh, I think I know all about them. In the first instance, the house at
+Albert Gate had previously been tenanted by a rich banker, and it was
+well defended by all ordinary means against the attacks of ordinary
+burglars. But, in addition to this, before the diamonds left the safe at
+the Bank of England, the building was practically torn to pieces inside
+by workmen acting under the direction of the Commissioner of Police. It
+was absolutely impossible for anyone to enter except through the front
+door, unless they flew out of the second storey window. Servants and
+workmen, like everybody else, had to use this door alone, as the windows
+and doors in the basement had all been bricked up. Inside the
+entrance-hall there were always twelve policemen, and an inspector in
+charge.
+
+"Every one who left the house was searched by the inspector on duty, and
+Jack used to say that he was very glad he invariably insisted upon this
+examination, although the police were at first disinclined to meet his
+wishes in the matter, he being, so to speak, their direct superior for
+the time. Beneath the entrance-hall were rooms occupied by several
+Turkish and other servants. Mehemet Ali himself, in the presence of his
+secretaries, used to open the door leading to the suite of apartments in
+which the diamond cutters worked, and two of the Turkish gentlemen would
+remain there all day until the men left in the evening. The Envoy and
+both secretaries used to meet Jack when he visited the place, and for
+the last three weeks he had nothing to do but see the diamonds, count
+them, drink an excellent cup of coffee, and smoke a wonderful cigarette,
+made of some special Turkish tobacco, cultivated and prepared only for
+the Imperial household."
+
+"Ah!" sighed Brett, with a note of almost unconscious envy in his voice.
+He knew exactly what that coffee and those cigarettes would be like. "I
+beg your pardon," he went on, perceiving that Miss Talbot did not
+understand his exclamation. "Will you tell me as nearly as you can the
+occurrences of Monday evening?"
+
+"They were simple enough," said the girl. "My brother dined at home. We
+had one or two guests, and were all in the drawing room about 10 15,
+when a note came for him from Mehemet Ali. I know exactly what was in
+it. I looked over his shoulder whilst he read it. The words were: 'I
+wish to see you to-night on important business. Come, if possible, at
+once.' I have to tell you that it was in French, but this is an exact
+translation."
+
+"Your brother was quite sure that it was from Mehemet Ali himself?" said
+Brett.
+
+"Quite sure," was the reply. "He knew his handwriting well, having had
+several communications from him during the progress of the business."
+
+"Did your brother leave the house immediately?" asked Brett.
+
+"That instant. He went downstairs, put on his overcoat and hat, and got
+into a cab with the messenger who brought the note."
+
+"Do you know who this messenger was?"
+
+"One of the policemen on duty in the house itself."
+
+A slight pause ensued, and Brett was about to take his departure, having
+no further questions to ask at the moment, when some one was heard
+hastily ascending the stairs, talking to a companion as he advanced.
+
+"This is my uncle," exclaimed Miss Talbot, rising to go to the door.
+Before she could reach it an elderly gentleman entered, bearing upon him
+all those distinguishing tokens that stamp a man as a retired
+major-general.
+
+He exclaimed impetuously--
+
+"I have brought a gentleman from Scotland Yard, my dear." Then he caught
+sight of Brett. "Who is this?"
+
+Edith was about to explain, when another man entered--a strongly-built,
+bullet-headed man, with keen eyes and firm mouth, and a curious
+suggestion in his appearance of having combined pugilism with
+process-serving as a professional means of existence. His face extended
+into a smile when his eyes fell upon the barrister.
+
+"Ah, Mr. Brett," he cried. "Now we have something to do that is up to
+your mark. You are on the spot first, as usual, but this time I can
+honestly say that I am glad to see you."
+
+Sir Hubert Fitzjames glanced in astonishment from his niece to the
+barrister. He could find nothing better to say than--
+
+"This, my dear, is Mr. Winter, of Scotland Yard."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+WHAT THE POLICE SAW
+
+
+Brett promptly cleared the situation by explaining to Sir Hubert, in a
+few words, the reason for his unexpected presence, and when the
+Major-General learnt the name of the distinguished personage who had
+sent Lord Fairholme to the barrister he expressed a ready acquiescence
+in the desire to utilise his services. Nor was the effect of such a
+notable introduction lost on Mr. Winter, whose earlier knowledge of the
+barrister's remarkable achievements in unravelling the tangled skein of
+criminal investigation was now supplemented by a certain amount of awe
+for a man who commanded the confidence of His Majesty's Government.
+
+"Well," said Sir Hubert Fitzjames, with the brisk animation of one
+accustomed to utter commands that must be instantly obeyed, "we will now
+proceed to business."
+
+For the moment no one spoke. The Scotland Yard detective evidently
+wished his distinguished colleague to take the lead. No sooner did Brett
+perceive this than he rose, bowed politely to Miss Talbot and her uncle,
+and said--
+
+"The first thing to do is to trace the whereabouts of Mr. Talbot, and
+this should be a comparatively easy task. The other features of this
+strange occurrence impress me as highly complex, but it is far too early
+a stage in the investigation to permit any definite opinion being
+expressed at this moment."
+
+Every one seemed to be surprised by Brett's attitude.
+
+"Where are you going to, sir?" asked Mr. Winter.
+
+"That depends largely upon you," was the smiling reply. "If you come
+with me we will go direct to Albert Gate, but if you decide to prosecute
+further inquiries here, I will await your arrival at my flat."
+
+"That is as much as saying that there are no facts worth inquiring into
+to be learnt here?"
+
+"Exactly so. Miss Talbot has told me all that is material to our
+purpose. Her brother was unexpectedly sent for after dinner on Monday
+night, and left the house hurriedly, without affording any clue to his
+subsequent proceedings beyond that contained in a brief note sent to him
+by Mehemet Ali Pasha. Indeed, it was impossible for him to afford any
+explanation, as he himself was quite unprepared for the summons.
+Meanwhile, every moment lost in the endeavour to follow up his movements
+is precious time wasted."
+
+The barrister's manner, no less than his words, impressed Mr. Winter so
+greatly that he too rose from the seat which he had occupied, with the
+intention of conducting a long and careful examination of each member of
+the household.
+
+"Then I will come with you at once," he said.
+
+"Oh," cried the Major-General, "I understood you to say as we came here
+that there were many questions which required immediate inquiry in this
+house, on the principle that the movements of the missing man should be
+minutely traced from the very commencement."
+
+Mr. Winter looked somewhat confused, but Edith Talbot broke in--
+
+"I think, uncle dear, it would be well to defer to Mr. Brett's
+judgment."
+
+"Do you really believe," she said, turning to the barrister, "that you
+will soon be able to find my brother?"
+
+"I am quite sure of it," he replied, and the conviction in his tone
+astonished the professional detective, whilst it carried a message of
+hope to the others. Even Sir Hubert, for some reason which he could not
+explain, suddenly experienced a strong sense of confidence in this
+reserved, distinguished-looking man. He stepped forward eagerly and held
+out his hand, saying--
+
+"Then we will not detain you, Mr. Brett. Act as you think fit in all
+things, but do let us have all possible information at the earliest
+moment. The suspense and uncertainty of the present position of affairs
+are terribly trying to my niece and myself." The old soldier spoke with
+dignity and composure, but his lips quivered, and the anguish in his
+eyes was pitiful.
+
+Brett and Mr. Winter quitted the house; they hailed a hansom, and drove
+rapidly towards Albert Gate.
+
+"Do you know," said the man from Scotland Yard, breaking in on his
+companion's reverie, "you surprised me by what you said just now, Mr.
+Brett?"
+
+"I thought you were too old a hand to be surprised at anything," was the
+reply.
+
+"Oh, come now, you know well enough what I mean. You said you thought
+it would be a comparatively simple matter to find Mr. Talbot, whilst the
+other features of the crime are very complex. Now the affair, thus far,
+impresses me as being the exact opposite to that statement. The crime is
+simple enough. A clever gang of thieves get into the place by working
+some particularly cool and daring confidence game. They don't hesitate
+at murder to cover up their tracks, and they make away with the plunder
+under the very noses of the police. All this may be smart and up-to-date
+in its methods, but it is not unusual. The difficult question to my mind
+is, what have they done with Mr. Talbot, and how did they succeed in
+fooling him so completely as to make him what one might almost call a
+party to the transaction?"
+
+The barrister pulled out a cigar-case.
+
+"Try one of these, Winter," he said. "You will find them soothing."
+
+"I never smoke whilst on business," was the testy reply.
+
+"I invariably do." He proceeded to light a cigar, which he smoked with
+zest.
+
+"I do not know how it is," went on Mr. Winter, "but whenever I happen to
+meet you, Mr. Brett, in the course of an inquiry, I always start by
+being very angry with you."
+
+"Why?" There was an amused twinkle in Brett's eyes, which might have
+warned the other of a possible pitfall.
+
+"Because you treat me as if I were a precocious youth. You listen to my
+theories with a sort of pitying indulgence, yet I have the reputation of
+being one of the best men in Scotland Yard, or I should not have been
+put on this job. And I am older than you, too."
+
+"I may surely pity you," said Brett, "even if I don't indulge you too
+much."
+
+"There you go again," snapped the detective. "Now, what is there silly
+about my theory of the crime, I should like to know."
+
+"You shall know, and before you are much older. Bear with me for a
+little while, I beg of you. You may be right, and I may be quite wrong,
+but I think there is much beneath the surface in the investigations we
+are now pursuing. My advice to you is to drop all preconceived theories,
+to note every circumstance, however remote it may appear in its bearing
+upon events, and in any case not to act precipitately. Whatever you do,
+don't arrest anybody."
+
+"But," said the other, somewhat mollified by Brett's earnestness, "half
+a dozen people may be arrested at any moment."
+
+"Pray tell me how?"
+
+"Descriptions of the stolen diamonds and of the suspected persons are in
+every police office in Great Britain and in most Continental centres by
+this time. Passengers by all steamers are most carefully scrutinised.
+Every pawnbroker and diamond merchant in the country is on the look-out,
+and, generally speaking, it will be odd if somebody does not drop into
+the net before many hours have passed."
+
+"It will, indeed," murmured Brett; "and no doubt the somebody in
+question will experience a certain amount of inconvenience before he
+proves to you that he had nothing whatever to do with the matter. Now,
+don't answer me, Winter, but ponder seriously over this question: Do you
+really think that the intelligence which planned and successfully
+carried through an operation of such magnitude will be trapped by
+plain-clothes constables watching the gangways of steamships, or by any
+pawnbroker who has ever lent half the value of a pledge?"
+
+Almost impatiently the barrister waved the subject out of the hansom,
+and the detective had sense enough to leave him alone during the few
+remaining minutes before the vehicle pulled up near the Albert Gate
+mansion.
+
+Brett stopped the driver some little distance short of the house itself,
+as he did not wish to attract the attention of a knot of curious
+sightseers in the street. He asked Winter to precede him and make known
+the fact that he was coming, so that there would be no delay at the
+door. This the detective readily agreed to, and Brett rapidly took in
+the main external features of the house which had become the scene of
+such a remarkable tragedy.
+
+It was a palatial structure, built on the sombre lines of the Early
+Victorian period. Miss Talbot's brief description of the measures taken
+to protect its occupants from interference was fully borne out by its
+aspect. There was no access to the basement; the main entrance was
+situated at the side; all the ground-floor and first-storey windows
+facing into the street were fitted with immovable wooden venetians.
+Presumably those on the Park side were similarly secured, whilst the
+back wall abutted on to that of another mansion, equally large and
+strongly built, tenanted by a well-known peer.
+
+Truly, it required a genius almost unrivalled in the annals of crime to
+murder four people and steal diamonds worth millions in such a place
+whilst guarded by twelve London policemen and under the special
+protection of the Home Office.
+
+The appearance of Winter at the door caused the gaping idlers in the
+street to endeavour to draw nearer to the mysterious portals. Thereupon
+three policemen on duty outside hustled the mob back, and Brett took
+advantage of the confusion thus created to slip to the doorway almost
+unperceived. One of the police constables turned round to make a grab at
+him, but a signal from a _confrere_ inside prevented this, and Brett
+quickly found himself within a spacious entrance hall with the door
+closed and bolted behind him.
+
+Winter was talking to two uniformed inspectors, to whom he had explained
+the barrister's mission and credentials.
+
+"We have here, Mr. Brett," he said, "Inspector Walters, who was on duty
+until ten o'clock on Monday night, and Inspector Sharpe, who relieved
+him. They will both tell you exactly what took place."
+
+"Thank you," said the barrister, "but it will expedite matters if you
+gentlemen will first accompany me over the scene of the crime. I will
+then be able to understand more accurately what happened. Suppose we
+start here. I presume that this is where the police guard was
+stationed?"
+
+Inspector Walters assumed the _role_ of guide.
+
+"I was in charge of the first guard established a month ago," he said,
+"and the arrangements I then made have been adhered to without deviation
+night and day ever since."
+
+From the outer door a short passage of a few feet led up half a dozen
+steps into a large reception room, the entrance to which was closed by a
+light double door, half glass. On both sides of the first short passage
+were two small apartments, such as are often used in London mansions for
+the purposes of cloak-rooms. The doors from these rooms opened into the
+inner hall. A large dining-room was situated on the left or Park side,
+and on the right was a breakfast or morning-room. At the back of the
+reception hall a handsome staircase led from left to right to the upper
+floors, whilst a doorway beneath the staircase gave access to the
+kitchens and basement offices.
+
+"Here," said the inspector, pointing to the foot of the staircase, "two
+police-constables were constantly stationed. Another stood there,"
+indicating the passage to the kitchen, "and a fourth at the glass door.
+As the outer basement entrance was not only securely fastened by bolts
+and bars, but actually bricked up inside, it was absolutely impossible
+for any person to enter or leave the house save by the front door, nor
+could any one go from the kitchen to the upper part of the house without
+passing under the observation of all four constables. I arranged my
+guards in military fashion, having three men for each post, with one
+hour on duty and two hours off, but the same men were never on guard
+together at definite hours, as they were relieved at varying times. You
+will understand that I considered it a very responsible task to
+safeguard these premises, and thought it best to render it impossible
+for any section of the force under my command to take part in a
+conspiracy, although such a thing was in itself most improbable."
+
+They then ascended the staircase and found themselves on the first
+floor.
+
+There were six spacious apartments on this storey, and all of them had
+originally opened on to the landing. The special precautions taken to
+guard the diamonds of the Turkish mission had altered all that. Five
+doorways had been bricked up, the result being that admission to the
+whole set of rooms could only be obtained through the first door that
+faced the top of the staircase.
+
+This apartment was luxuriously furnished, and Inspector Walters
+explained that the Turkish Envoy and his suite passed the working hours
+of each day there after they had personally thrown open the other
+apartments to the diamond polishers and unlocked the safes in which the
+gems were stored, when work ceased on the previous day.
+
+"His Excellency," said the inspector, "kept the keys of this room and
+the others, together with those of the safes, in his own possession
+night and day. He slept upstairs, and so did the other two gentlemen. No
+one was allowed to come to this floor except the confidential servant,
+named Hussein, who used to bring coffee, cigars, and newspapers or other
+things the gentlemen might require, together with their lunch in the
+middle of the day. The workmen brought their lunch with them, so that
+they came in and out once a day only."
+
+"Where did this confidential servant sleep?" said Brett.
+
+"I believe he used to lie curled up on the rug outside his Excellency's
+door."
+
+"And the other servants?"
+
+"They all slept in the basement."
+
+"What were they, Turks or Christians?"
+
+"Well, sir," said the inspector with a smile, "two of them were Turks in
+costume, whilst three were Christians in appearance. That is the best I
+can say for the Christians, as they were Frenchmen, though certainly the
+cook was a first-rate _chef_. Of course, we all got our meals here
+whilst on duty."
+
+"Did his Excellency and the other members of the mission eat food
+prepared in the ordinary way?"
+
+"Oh, yes; they appreciated French dishes as keenly as anybody might do."
+
+"It was in this room, then," continued Brett, "that the murders took
+place?"
+
+"Yes; I suppose that must be so," said the inspector. "But my friend
+here," pointing to Inspector Sharpe, "can tell that part of the story
+better than I can."
+
+They passed into the inner rooms, which were quite silent and deserted,
+and presented a strange appearance considering the character of the
+house and its locality. Although the ceilings were decorated with
+beautiful paintings and fringed with superbly emblazoned mouldings,
+although the walls were papered with material that cost as much per yard
+as good silk, each apartment was occupied with workmen's benches, and
+curious devices for cutting and polishing diamonds.
+
+In the first room were two small safes, one of which was intended to
+receive the gems under treatment at the close of each day's work; the
+other held certain valuable materials required in the diamond cutter's
+operations. Three of the rooms were on the Park side, and it was here
+that the small colony of skilled artisans had been installed.
+
+The other two rooms were not tenanted, nor had any communicating doors
+been broken through the walls in order to gain access to them.
+
+The windows of the three apartments occupied by the workmen were not
+only guarded by strong iron bars, but possessed the additional security
+of external wire blinds of exceedingly small mesh. Each window admitted
+plenty of light, and could be raised to allow a free circulation of air,
+but it was seemingly quite impossible for any active communication to
+take place with the outside. The three rooms looked out over a small
+enclosed lawn, which was separated from the park by a brick wall
+surmounted by iron railings. All the fireplaces had been closed with
+bricks and mortar.
+
+"You will see, sir," said the inspector, when he had called Brett's
+attention to these details, "that mysterious though the murders were,
+they were as nothing compared with the disappearance of the diamonds.
+Every person who came downstairs was most carefully and methodically
+searched each time he passed the constable on duty at the bottom. It may
+be admitted that a few small stones could be so secreted as to escape
+observation, but some of these stones were so large that such a notion
+is not to be thought of, whilst the size of the great diamond which Mr.
+Talbot christened the 'Hen's Egg' rendered its transference past the
+searchers beneath absolutely impossible. There was no humbug about the
+search, you will understand, Mr. Brett. People had to take their boots
+off, open their mouths, and hand over their hats, coats, sticks, or
+umbrellas for inspection. Every part of their clothing was scrutinised,
+and the contents of their pockets, money, watches, keys, and the rest,
+thoroughly examined. These were our orders, and they were strictly
+obeyed, Mr. Talbot himself being the first to insist that the regulation
+should be carried out rigidly, so far as he was concerned. Why, one day
+a Cabinet Minister came here to see the diamonds. He was elderly and
+stout, and did not at all like having to take off his boots, I can
+assure you, as he nearly got apoplexy whilst lacing them up again."
+
+During the inspector's running comments Brett had carefully scrutinised
+each of the windows. He at once came to the conclusion, by a simple
+analysis of the possibilities, that by no other means than through the
+barrier of iron wire had the diamonds passed out of the house; but the
+most thorough examination failed to reveal any loophole by which this
+achievement had been accomplished. He opened each of the windows, tested
+every iron bar, and saw that the fastenings of the external blind were
+undisturbed, whilst the fine wire mesh showed no irregularities in its
+hexagonal pattern wherein any defect would at once be visible.
+
+"We have done all that long since, sir," said the second police officer,
+smiling at the obviousness of an amateur's method of inspection, for it
+happened that he had never met the barrister before, though he had often
+heard of him.
+
+"You have?" said Brett, with the slightest tinge of sarcasm in his
+voice. "Did you do this?" and he commenced to thump with a clenched fist
+upon every portion of the external screen that he could reach.
+
+"No, we did not," said the policeman, "and I don't see that it is going
+to accomplish anything except hurt your hand."
+
+"That may be so," murmured Brett; "but the diamonds went this way and
+none other."
+
+He tested every portion of one window screen in this manner without
+effect. Then he approached the second window, and, beginning at the
+left-hand top corner, did the same thing. Suddenly an exclamation came
+from the three interested watchers. In the centre of the lower part of
+the screen Brett's hand made a visible impression upon the iron wire.
+Using no more force than had been applied to other portions, the blow
+served to tear a section of the blind about eight inches across.
+Instantly the barrister ceased operations, and, producing a
+pocket-microscope, minutely examined the rent.
+
+"I expected as much," he said, taking hold of the torn part of the
+screen and giving it a vigorous pull, with the result that a small
+piece, measuring about eight inches by six, came bodily out. "This has
+been cut away, as you will see, by some instrument which did not even
+bend the wire. It was subsequently replaced, whilst the fractured parts
+were sufficiently cemented by some composition to retain this section in
+its place, and practically defy observation. There was nothing for it
+but force to reveal it thus early. No doubt in time the composition
+would have dried, or been washed away, and then this bit of the screen
+would have fallen out by the action of wind and weather. Here, at any
+rate, is a hole in your defensive armour." He held out the _piece de
+conviction_ to the discomfited Sharpe, who surveyed it in silence.
+
+It was no part of Brett's business in life, however, to snatch plaudits
+from astounded policemen.
+
+"This is a mere nothing," he continued. "Of course, there must have been
+some such means of getting the diamonds off the premises. Let us return
+to the ante-room and there you can tell me the exact history of events
+on Monday evening."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE MURDERS
+
+
+In less confident tones Inspector Walters resumed his narrative--
+
+"On Monday evening, sir," he said, "about eight o'clock, his Excellency
+and the two secretaries were dining downstairs, and matters had, thus
+far, gone on with the same routine as was observed every preceding day.
+The workmen quitted work at six o'clock. The three gentlemen went out
+for a drive as soon as everything was locked up, and came in again at a
+quarter to eight. They did not change their clothes for dinner, so there
+was no occasion to search them, as no one had gone upstairs since they
+had descended soon after six. They had barely started dinner when some
+one called at the front door, and I was sent for. The door bell, I may
+explain, was always answered by one of the house servants, and he, if
+necessary, admitted any person who came, closing the door; but the
+visitor had to be examined by the policeman stationed in the passage
+before he was permitted to come any further. On this occasion I went out
+and found three gentlemen standing there. They were Turks, as could be
+easily seen by their attire, and appeared to be persons of some
+consequence."
+
+"What do you mean by the words 'their attire'?" interrupted Brett. "Were
+they dressed in European clothes or in regular Turkish garments?"
+
+"Oh," said the inspector, "I only meant that they wore fezzes; otherwise
+they were quite accurately dressed in frock coats and the rest, but they
+were unmistakably Turks by their appearance. Two of them could speak no
+English, and the third, who acted as the leader of the party, first of
+all addressed me in French. Finding I did not understand him, he used
+very broken, but fairly intelligible, English. What he wanted was to be
+taken at once to his Excellency, Mehemet Ali Pasha. I said that his
+Excellency was dining and that perhaps he had better call in the
+morning, but he replied that his business was very urgent, and he could
+not wait. He made me understand that if I sent in the cards of himself
+and his companions they would certainly be admitted at once. I did not
+see any harm in this, so I took the three cards and gave them to
+Hussein, who was crossing the hall at the moment."
+
+"As the cards were printed in Turkish characters you could not, of
+course, tell what the names were," said Brett.
+
+A look of blank astonishment crossed the inspector's face as he replied:
+"That is a good guess, but it is so. The hieroglyphics on the piece of
+pasteboard were worse than Greek. However, Hussein glanced at them. He
+appeared to be surprised; he went into the dining-room, returning with
+the message that the gentlemen were to be admitted. Of course I had
+nothing else to do but to let them in, which I did, accompanying them
+myself to the door of the dining-room, and making sure, before the door
+was closed, that their presence was expected."
+
+"How did you do that?" said Brett.
+
+"Well, although they spoke in what I suppose was Turkish, it is not very
+difficult to distinguish by a man's tones whether his reception of
+unexpected visitors is cordial or not, and there could be no doubt that
+the visiting cards had conveyed such names to his Excellency as
+warranted the introduction of the party into the house. The six
+gentlemen remained in the dining-room until 9.17 (I have the time noted
+here in my pocket-book). They then came out and went upstairs in a body
+to the ante-room, where they all sat down, as I could tell by the
+movement of chairs overhead, and in a few minutes Hussein was rung for
+to bring cigarettes and coffee. This was at 9.21. Hussein was searched
+as he came downstairs after receiving the order, and again at 9.30 when
+he returned after executing it. I was relieved at ten o'clock, and
+beyond describing the three gentlemen, I know nothing more about the
+business."
+
+"They were well dressed?" inquired Brett; "they impressed you as Turkish
+gentlemen by their features, and they wore fezzes?"
+
+"Yes," said the policeman, with a smile; "but there was a little more
+than that."
+
+"It is of no importance," said Brett.
+
+"But really it must be," urged the inspector. "One of them, the man who
+spoke to me, had a bad sword-cut across his right cheek, whilst another
+squinted horribly; besides, they were all elderly men."
+
+"Pardon me, inspector," said Brett, "but you admit, no doubt, that this
+is a very remarkable crime I am investigating."
+
+"I should just think it is, sir," was the answer.
+
+"Well, now, does it not strike you that the perpetrators thereof, who
+were not afraid to be scrutinized by yourself and by several other
+policemen, and to be searched and further scrutinized by a different set
+of officers when they came out again, would be very unlikely persons to
+bear about them such distinguishing characteristics as would lead to
+their arrest by the first youthful police-constable who encountered
+them? I do not want to be rude, or to indicate any lack of discretion on
+your part, but, from my point of view, I would vastly prefer not to be
+furnished with any description of these three persons, nor would I care
+to have seen them as they entered or left the house."
+
+"Well, that is very curious," said Inspector Walters, dropping his hands
+on his knees in sheer amazement at such an extraordinary statement from
+a man whose clearness and accuracy of perception had been so fully
+justified by the incident of the window-blind.
+
+"And now, Mr. Sharpe," said Brett, turning to the other officer, "what
+did you observe?"
+
+"I came on duty at ten o'clock, sir; posted my guards, and received from
+Inspector Walters an exact account of what had taken place before my
+arrival. Inspector Walters had hardly quitted the house, when one of the
+junior members of the mission came downstairs with a note which he asked
+me to send at once by a constable to Mr. Talbot."
+
+"You are quite sure he was one of the members of the mission?" said
+Brett.
+
+"Perfectly certain. I have seen him every previous night for nearly a
+month, as the gentleman often went out late to the Turkish Embassy, and
+elsewhere. I sent the note, as requested, and Mr. Talbot came back with
+the constable in about twenty minutes. Mr. Talbot went upstairs
+accompanied by Hussein; Hussein came down, was searched, went down to
+the kitchen, brought up more coffee, and never appeared again. The next
+time I saw him was about noon yesterday, when we broke open the door,
+and found his dead body. At 11.25, Mr. Talbot, accompanied by the one
+whom Inspector Walters has described as the spokesman of the strangers,
+came down the stairs. Mr. Talbot looked somewhat puzzled, but not
+specially worried, and submitted himself to the searching operation as
+usual. The other man seemed to be surprised by this proceeding, but
+offered no objection when his turn came, and said something laughingly
+in French to Mr. Talbot, when he had to take his boots off. The two
+gentlemen went outside and called a cab. Mr. Talbot got in, and the
+constable at the door heard the foreigner tell the driver to go to the
+Carlton Hotel. He repeated the address twice, so as to make sure the man
+would make no mistake.
+
+"Then they drove off, and there was no further incident to report until
+five minutes past twelve, when the other two foreigners came downstairs.
+Then we had a bit of a job. They knew no English, and one of our men,
+who could speak French, found that they did not understand that
+language. However, at last in dumb show we got them to perceive that
+everybody who came downstairs had to be searched. They submitted at
+once, and I took special care that the investigation was complete. There
+was nothing upon them to arouse the slightest suspicion, no weapons of
+any sort beyond a small pocket-knife carried by one man, and not much
+in the way of either papers or money. Before going out one of them
+produced a small card on which was written, 'Carlton Hotel.'
+
+"I took it that this was their residence, so I instructed a constable to
+see them into a cab and tell the driver where to take them. I also
+showed them how much money to give the cabman. None of the gentlemen
+upstairs put in an appearance, nor did I hear them retire to rest. To
+make quite sure that all was right, I and a sergeant who looked in a
+little later, went upstairs and tried the door of the ante-room. This
+was locked and everything was quiet within, so we returned to the hall,
+and the night was passed in the usual manner. Hussein always made his
+appearance about eight o'clock in the morning, when he came down to
+procure coffee for his Excellency and the others. As he did not show up
+I wondered what had become of him. When nine o'clock came, I determined
+to investigate matters. By that time the diamond cutters had put in an
+appearance, and were gathered in the hall, undergoing a slight search
+preparatory to their day's work."
+
+"How many of these men were there?" broke in Brett.
+
+"Fourteen exactly. They were mostly Dutchmen, with, I think three
+Belgians. Taking a constable with me, I went upstairs, and ascended to
+the second storey, where I knew his Excellency's suite was situated, and
+where I expected to find Hussein asleep on a mat in front of the bedroom
+door. The mat was there, but no Hussein. Then I went higher up to the
+rooms occupied by the two assistants. I knocked, but received no answer.
+One door was locked; the other was open, so I went in, but the room was
+empty, and the bed had not been slept upon. This seemed so strange that
+I knocked loudly at the other door, with no result. I returned to his
+Excellency's floor and hammered at the door, which was locked,
+sufficiently to wake the soundest sleeper that ever lived. This again
+was useless, so I returned downstairs and sent off two messengers post
+haste--one to Mr. Talbot, and the other to the Commissioner of Police at
+Scotland Yard. The man who went to Mr. Talbot's house returned first,
+bringing the startling information that Mr. Talbot had not been home all
+night, and that his uncle and sister were anxious to know where he was,
+as they had received no message from him since he quitted the house the
+previous night at 10.15. The Commissioner of Police came himself a
+little later. By that time Inspector Walters had reached here for his
+turn of day duty, and after a hasty consultation we decided to break in
+all the doors that were locked, commencing with that of the second
+assistant. His room was empty, and so was his Excellency's, neither
+apartment having been occupied during the night. We then returned to the
+first floor and forced the door of the ante-room, which, we discovered,
+was only secured by a spring latch, the lower lock not having been used.
+As soon as we entered the room, we found the four dead men. Hussein, the
+servant, was nearest the door and was lying in a crumpled-up position.
+He had been stabbed twice through the back and once through the spinal
+column at the base of the neck. His Excellency and the two assistants
+were seated in chairs, but had been stabbed through the heart. The
+instrument used must have been a long thin dagger or stiletto. There was
+no sign of it anywhere in the room, and most certainly none of the men
+who came out the previous night had such a weapon concealed upon him.
+
+"Doctors were at once sent for, and the first medical gentlemen to
+arrive said that each of the four had been dead for many hours, but they
+also imagined that the coffee, the remains of which we found in some
+cups on the table, had been drugged. So, before disturbing the room and
+its contents in any way, the Commissioner sent for Dr. Tennyson Coke.
+After careful investigation Dr. Coke came to the same conclusion as the
+other gentlemen. He believes that his Excellency and his two assistants
+were first stupefied by the drug and then murdered as they sat in their
+chairs, whilst the appearance of Hussein and the nature of his wounds
+seemed to indicate that he had been unexpectedly attacked and killed
+before he could struggle effectually or even call for assistance.
+
+"Of course, the diamonds had vanished, whilst in the safes or on the
+tables we found the keys which had evidently been taken from his
+Excellency's pockets. We were all puzzled to account for the
+disappearance of the diamonds and the dagger, but you have clearly shown
+the means whereby they were conveyed off the premises. Dr. Coke took
+away the coffee for analysis. The four bodies were carried to the
+mortuary in Chapel Place, and the fourteen workmen were conveyed to
+Scotland Yard, not because we have any charge against them, but the
+Commissioner thought it best to keep them under surveillance until the
+Turkish Embassy had settled what was to be done with them, in the matter
+of paying such wages as were due and sending them back to Amsterdam. The
+men themselves, I may add, were quite satisfied with our action in the
+matter. That is really all I have to tell you."
+
+"It is quite clear, then," said Brett, "that two men succeeded in
+murdering four and in getting away with their plunder and arms without
+creating the slightest noise or exciting any suspicion in your mind."
+
+"That is so," admitted Inspector Sharpe ruefully.
+
+"Then," said Brett, "there is nothing else to be done here. Will you
+come with me, Mr. Winter?"
+
+"Where to, sir?" inquired the detective.
+
+"To find Mr. Talbot, of course."
+
+"Easier said than done," remarked Inspector Walters, as the door closed
+behind the visitors.
+
+Inspector Sharpe was less sceptical.
+
+"He's a very smart chap is Brett," he said. "Neither you nor I thought
+of punching that wire screen, did we?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+A STARTLING CLUE
+
+
+Once clear of the Albert Gate mansion, the barrister was bound to
+confess to a sense of indefiniteness, a feeling of uncertainty which
+seldom characterised either his thoughts or his actions. He admitted as
+much to his companion, for Brett was a man who would not consent to pose
+under any circumstances.
+
+"It is quite true," he explained, "that our first duty must be to find
+Mr. Talbot, and it is still more certain that we will be able to
+accomplish that part of our task; but there are elements in this inquiry
+which baffle me at present."
+
+"And what are they, sir?" said the detective.
+
+"I fail to see why Mr. Talbot was dragged into the matter at all. On the
+straightforward assumption that Turks were engaged in the pleasant
+occupation of taking other Turks' lives--an assumption to which, by the
+way, I attach no great amount of credence--why did they not allow Mr.
+Talbot to go quietly to his own home? It was not that they feared more
+speedy discovery of their crime. The hour was then late; it was
+tolerably certain that he would make no move which might prove injurious
+to them until next morning, and then the whole affair was bound to be
+discovered by the police in the ordinary course of events."
+
+"I don't quite follow you, sir," said Winter, with a puzzled tone in his
+voice. They had, for the sake of quietude, turned into the Park, and
+were now walking towards Hyde Park Corner. "What do you mean by saying
+that Mr. Talbot would make no move in the matter until next morning?"
+
+"Oh, I forgot," said Brett. "Of course, you don't know why the diamonds
+were stolen?"
+
+"For the same reason that all other diamonds are stolen, I suppose."
+
+"Oh, dear no," laughed the barrister. "This is a political crime."
+
+"Political!" said the amazed policeman.
+
+"Well, we won't quarrel about words, and as there are perhaps no
+politics in Turkey, we will call it dynastic or any other loud-voiced
+adjective which serves to take it out of the category of simple felony.
+Why? I cannot at this moment tell you, but you may be perfectly certain
+that the disappearance of those diamonds from the custody of Mehemet Ali
+Pasha will not cause the Sultan to sleep any more soundly."
+
+"What beats me, Mr. Brett," said the detective, viciously prodding the
+gravel path with his stick, "is how you ferret out these queer
+facts--fancies some people would call them, as I used to do until I knew
+you better."
+
+"In this case it is simple enough. By mere chance I happened to read
+this morning that there had been some little domestic squabble in royal
+circles at Constantinople. I don't know whether you are acquainted with
+Turkish history, Mr. Winter, but it is a well-recognised principle that
+any Sultan is liable to die of diseases which are weird and painfully
+sudden; for instance, the last one is popularly supposed to have
+plunged a long sharp scissors into his jugular vein; others drank coffee
+that disagreed with them, or smoked cigarettes too highly perfumed. In
+any case, the invariable result of these eccentricities has been that a
+fresh Sultan occupied the throne. Now, don't forget that I am simply
+theorising, for I know no more of this business than you do at this
+moment, but I still think that you will find some connection between my
+theory and that which has actually occurred. At any rate, I have said
+sufficient to prove to you the importance of not being too ready to make
+arrests."
+
+"I quite see that," was the thoughtful rejoinder. "But you must not
+forget, sir, that we in Scotland Yard are bound by rules of procedure.
+Perhaps you will not mind my suggesting that a word from you to the
+Foreign Office might induce the authorities to communicate officially
+with the Home Department, and then instructions could be issued to the
+police which would leave the matter a little more open than we are able
+to regard it under the existing conditions."
+
+"I will see to that," said the barrister. "When does the inquest take
+place?"
+
+"This evening at six."
+
+"It will be adjourned, of course?"
+
+"Oh, yes; no evidence will be given beyond that necessary for purposes
+of identification, and this can be supplied by the police themselves and
+an official from the Turkish Embassy."
+
+"Very well. You will mention to no one the theory I have just explained
+to you?"
+
+"Not if you wish it, sir."
+
+"I do wish it at present. Which way are you going?"
+
+"Straight to the Yard."
+
+"In that case I will accompany you a portion of the distance."
+
+They had now reached Hyde Park Corner, and, hailing a hansom, Brett told
+the driver to stop outside the Carlton Hotel. The man whipped up his
+horse and drove in the direction of Constitution Hill, evidently
+intending to avoid the congested traffic of Piccadilly and take the
+longer, but more pleasant, route through the Green Park and the Mall.
+
+"By the way," said Brett, "did the driver of the hansom which conveyed
+Mr. Talbot and his companion from Albert Gate on Monday night tell you
+which road he followed?"
+
+"Yes," said the detective, "he went this way."
+
+Brett rubbed his hands, with a queer expression of thoughtful pleasure
+on his keen face.
+
+"Ah," he said, "I like that. It is well to be on the scent."
+
+He did not explain to his professional _confrere_ that it was a positive
+stimulant to his abounding energy and highly-strung nerves to find that
+he was actually following the path taken by the criminal whom he was
+pursuing. The mere fact lent reality to the chase. For a mile, at any
+rate, there could be no mistake, though he might expect a check at the
+Carlton. Arrived there, Brett alighted.
+
+"Are you going to make any inquiries in the hotel, sir?" said Mr.
+Winter.
+
+"Why should I?" said Brett. "You have already ascertained from the
+management that no person even remotely resembling any of the parties
+concerned is staying at the hotel."
+
+"Yes, confound it, I know I did," cried the other, "but I never told you
+so."
+
+"That is all right," laughed Brett. "Come and see me at my chambers
+this evening when the inquest is finished. Perhaps by that time we may
+be able to determine our plan of action."
+
+Once left to himself, Brett did not enter the hotel. Indeed, he hardly
+glanced at that palatial structure, having evidently dismissed it from
+his mind as being in no way connected with the tragedy he was
+investigating. He made it an invariable rule in conducting inquiries of
+this nature to adopt the French method of "reconstituting" the incidents
+of a crime, so far as such a course was possible in the absence of the
+persons concerned. He reasoned that a very plausible explanation of the
+unexpected appearance of the three strangers in the Albert Gate mansion
+on Monday night had been given to Jack Talbot. This young gentleman, it
+might be taken for granted, had not been selected by the Foreign Office
+to carry to a successful issue such an important and delicate matter as
+that entrusted to him, without some good grounds for the faith in his
+qualities exhibited by his superiors. Brett thought he could understand
+the brother's character and attributes from his favourable analysis of
+the sister, and it was quite reasonable, therefore, to believe that
+Talbot was a man not likely to be easily duped. The principals in this
+crime were evidently well aware of the trust reposed in the Assistant
+Under-Secretary, and they, again, would not underrate his intelligence.
+Hence there was a good cause for Talbot to accept the explanations,
+whatever they were, given him during the conclave in the dining-room;
+the effect of which, in Inspector Sharpe's words, had been to "puzzle"
+the young Englishman. Further, there must have been a very potent
+inducement held out before Talbot would consent to drive off with a
+stranger at such a late hour, and when the cab was dismissed at the
+Carlton, the excuse given would certainly be quite feasible.
+
+"It must surely be this," communed Brett. "The man explained that he was
+a stranger in London, that he lived quite close to the Carlton Hotel,
+and that he found it convenient not only for the purpose of giving
+directions that would be understood, but also for paying fares, to
+direct the drivers of hired vehicles to go there and not to his own
+exact address, which he had found by experience many of them did not
+recognize, whilst his knowledge of the language was not ample enough to
+enable him to describe the locality more precisely. It follows, then, in
+unerring sequence that Talbot was conveyed to some place within a very
+short distance of the spot where I now stand."
+
+He looked along Pall Mall, up the Haymarket, and through Cockspur
+Street, and he noted with some degree of curiosity that there were very
+few residential buildings in the neighbourhood. Clubs, theatres, big
+commercial establishments and insurance offices occupied the bulk of the
+available space. It was a part of his theory that none of the other
+great hotels in this district could harbour the criminals, otherwise
+there would have been no excuse to stop the hansom outside the Carlton.
+
+Brett did not take long to make up his mind once he had decided upon a
+definite course. He stood at the corner barely three minutes, and then
+walked off through Pall Mall and down the steps near the Duke of York's
+Column into the Horse Guards' Parade, intending to walk quietly to his
+Victoria Street flat. A call at the Foreign Office procured him an
+official authorization from the Under-Secretary to inquire into the
+circumstances of Talbot's disappearance and a promise that the Home
+Office should be communicated with.
+
+He desired to review the whole of the circumstances attending this
+strange mystery of modern life, and the result of his reflections
+quickly became apparent when he reached his residence, for in the first
+instance he despatched a telegram, and then made several notes in his
+private diary.
+
+The telegram, in due course, produced an elderly pensioned police
+inspector, a quiet reserved man, whom the barrister had often employed.
+He explained briefly the circumstances attending Mr. Talbot's
+disappearance, and added--
+
+"I want you to find out the names, and if possible the
+business--together with any other information you may happen to come
+across--of every person who lives within a distance, roughly speaking,
+of two hundred yards from the Carlton Hotel. The Post Office Directory
+and your own observation will narrow down the inquiry considerably. It
+is the unrecorded balance of inhabitants with whom I am particularly
+anxious to become more definitely acquainted." The man saluted and
+withdrew.
+
+Brett imagined that he would now be left in undisputed enjoyment of a
+few hours' rest before the Earl of Fairholme kept the appointment fixed
+for seven o'clock. But in this he was mistaken.
+
+Smith brought in some tea, which was refreshing after his walk, for the
+engrossing nature of the morning's occupation caused him to forget his
+lunch. A cigar and evening paper next claimed his attention, but he had
+barely settled down to the perusal of a garbled account of events at
+Albert Gate when his man again entered, announcing in mysterious tones
+the presence of Mr. Winter. Smith's attitude towards the myrmidons of
+Scotland Yard who occasionally visited the barrister on business, was
+peculiar. He regarded them with suspicion, tempered by wholesome awe,
+and he now made known the arrival of the detective in such a manner as
+caused his master to laugh at him.
+
+"Show him in, Smith," he said cheerily; "he has not come to arrest me
+this time."
+
+Winter entered, and a glance at his face brought Brett quickly to his
+feet.
+
+"What is the matter?" he cried when the door had closed behind the
+servant. "You have received important news?"
+
+"I should think I have," replied the detective, dropping into a seat. "I
+was just writing a report in the Yard when I was sent for by the Chief,
+and you could have knocked me down with a feather when I heard the
+reason. I suppose I am acting rightly in coming at once to tell you,
+although in my flurry at the time I quite forgot to ask the Chief's
+permission, but as you are mixed up in the case at the request of the
+Foreign Office, I thought you ought to learn what had happened."
+
+"Well, what is it?" cried Brett, impatient of the other's careful
+provisos.
+
+"Simply this," said the detective. "Mr. Jack Talbot bolted from London
+on Tuesday in company with a lady. They crossed over from Dover to
+Calais by the midday boat, and went direct to Paris. Mr. Talbot calmly
+booked rooms for himself and the girl in the Grand Hotel, had the nerve
+to write 'Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, 118, Ulster Gardens, London, W.,' in the
+register, and both of them disappeared forthwith. But we will soon lay
+hands on the gentleman, no fear. I have somehow suspected, Mr. Brett,
+that your notion of a political crime was all poppy-cock. It is a good
+big brazen-faced steal."
+
+"Is it?" said Brett, his face glistening with excitement at the
+intelligence so suddenly conveyed to him. "Would you mind explaining to
+me how this precious information reached you?"
+
+"There is no use, sir, in fighting against facts," said the detective,
+with dogged insistence. "This time you are dead wrong. Mr. Talbot was
+recognized at Calais by a Foreign Office messenger returning from
+France. Seeing him with a lady, and knowing that he was not married, the
+messenger--Captain Gaultier by name--did not speak to him, especially as
+Mr. Talbot seemed rather to avoid recognition. Captain Gaultier thought
+nothing of the matter until this morning, when he visited the Foreign
+Office on duty and heard something of the affair. He then saw the
+Under-Secretary, the same gentleman who sent the Earl of Fairholme to
+you, and told him what had happened. The Under-Secretary could hardly
+refuse to believe such a credible witness, so telegrams were despatched
+to the Embassy in Paris and the police at Dover. From Dover came the
+information that exactly such a couple as described by Captain Gaultier
+had crossed to France on Tuesday morning; and a few hours later a wire
+from Paris announced the discovery of the registered names at the Grand
+Hotel. The Paris telegram went on to say that the gentleman had told the
+manager his luggage was following from the Gare du Nord, and that his
+wife and himself were going out for half an hour, but would return in
+time to dress for dinner. When his traps arrived they were to be taken
+to his room. No luggage ever came, nor was either of the pair seen
+again; but we will lay hands on them, never fear."
+
+Brett took a hasty stride or two up and down the room.
+
+"So you think," he burst forth at last, "that Mr. Talbot has not only
+taken part in some vulgar intrigue with a woman, but that he has also
+bolted with the Sultan's diamonds, sacrificing his whole career to a
+momentary impulse and imperilling his neck for the sake of a few gems,
+which he cannot even convert into money?"
+
+"Why not? It is not the first time in the history of the world that a
+man has made a fool of himself over a woman, or even committed a murder
+in order to steal diamonds."
+
+"My dear Winter, do be reasonable. Where is the market for diamonds such
+as these are supposed to be? You know, even better than I do, that the
+slightest attempt to dispose of them at any figure remotely approaching
+their value will lead to the immediate detection and arrest of the
+person rash enough to make the experiment. Don't you see, man, that the
+Foreign Office and its messenger, its Under-Secretary, your
+Commissioner, and the Embassy officials in Paris have been completely
+and abjectly fooled--fooled, too, in a particularly silly fashion by the
+needless registration of names at the hotel?"
+
+"No, I do not see it. One cannot go against facts, but this time the
+evidence looks so strong that I shall be mightily mistaken if Mr. Talbot
+does not swing for his share in the matter. Anyhow, I have done my duty
+in letting you know what has happened, so I must be off."
+
+"To arrest somebody, of course?" cried Brett, with an irritating laugh;
+but Mr. Winter was already hurrying down the stairs.
+
+The momentary feeling of annoyance soon passed, to be succeeded by
+profound pity for the household at 118, Ulster Gardens. He well knew
+that once the police became convinced that a particular individual was
+responsible for the commission of a crime it required the eloquence of
+several counsel and the combined intelligence of a judge and jury at the
+Old Bailey to force them to change their opinion. Brett had never, to
+his knowledge, seen Talbot, yet he felt that this bright, alert and
+trustworthy young official was innocent of the slightest voluntary
+complicity in a crime which must shock London when its extent became
+known.
+
+The testimony of the Foreign Office messenger was, of course, staggering
+at first sight, especially when backed up by the hurried investigations
+made at Dover and Paris. But there must be an explanation of Talbot's
+supposed journey, and, even assuming the most unfavourable view of his
+actions, why on earth should he so ostentatiously parade himself and his
+companion at the bureau of the Grand Hotel? There could be but one
+answer to this question. He acted in this manner in order to make
+certain that his presence in Paris should be known to the police at the
+first instant they endeavoured to trace him. Then, who could the woman
+be? The last thing that a clever criminal flying from outraged law would
+dream of doing would be to encumber himself with a young and probably
+good-looking companion of the opposite sex.
+
+The more Brett thought out the complexities of the affair, the more
+excited he became, and the longer and more rapid were his strides up and
+down the length of his spacious sitting-room. This was his only outward
+sign of agitation. When thinking deeply on any all-absorbing topic, he
+could not remain still. He felt obliged to cast away physical as well as
+mental restriction on the play of his imagination, and he would at times
+pace back and forth during unrecorded hours in the solitude of his
+apartments, finally awakening to a sense of his surroundings by reason
+of sheer exhaustion.
+
+He was not destined to reach this ultimate stage on the present
+occasion. With a preliminary cough--for the discreet Smith was well
+versed in his master's peculiarities--his servant announced the
+appearance of the Earl of Fairholme.
+
+Brett looked at his watch, and was caught in the act by his visitor.
+"Yes, I know we fixed on seven o'clock," cried the impetuous young peer,
+"but I was simply dying to hear the result of your inquiries thus far,
+and I ventured to call an hour earlier."
+
+The barrister explained that he sought to learn the time as a matter of
+mere curiosity. "Indeed," he added, "your appearance at this juncture is
+particularly welcome. I want to ask you many things concerning Mr.
+Talbot."
+
+"Fire away," said Fairholme. "I'm no good at spinning a yarn, but I can
+answer questions like a prize boy in a Sunday-school."
+
+"Well, in the first instance, have you known him many years?"
+
+"We were at school together at Harrow. Then I entered the Army whilst he
+had a University career. My trustees made me give up the Service when I
+succeeded to the estates, and about the same time Jack entered the
+Foreign Office. That is three years ago. We have seen each other
+constantly since, and, of course, when I became engaged to his sister
+our friendship became, if anything, stronger."
+
+"Nothing could be more admirably expressed. Do you know anything about
+his private affairs?"
+
+"Financially, do you mean?"
+
+"Well, yes, to begin with."
+
+"He got a salary, I suppose, from Government, but he has a private
+income of some thousands a year."
+
+"Then he is not likely to be embarrassed for money?"
+
+"Most unlikely. He is a particularly steady chap--full of eagerness to
+follow a diplomatic career and that sort of thing. Why, he would sooner
+read a blue-book than the _Pink 'Un_!"
+
+"If you were told that he had bolted with a nondescript young woman,
+what would you say?"
+
+"Say!" vociferated Fairholme, springing up from the seat into which he
+had subsided, "I would tell the man who said so that he was a d----d
+liar!"
+
+"Exactly. Of course you would! Yet here are all kinds of people--Foreign
+Office officials, policemen, and hangers-on of the British Embassy in
+Paris--ready to swear, perhaps to prove, if necessary, that Talbot and
+some smartly-dressed female went to Paris quite openly by the day
+service yesterday, and even took care to announce ostentatiously their
+arrival in the French capital."
+
+For a moment the two men faced each other silently, the one amused by
+the news he was imparting, the other staggered by its seeming absurdity.
+Then Fairholme flung himself back into his chair.
+
+"Look here, Mr. Brett," he went on, "if Jack himself stood there and
+told me that what you have said is true I would hardly believe it." A
+note of agony came into his voice, as he added: "Do you know what this
+means to his sister? My God, man, it will kill her!"
+
+"It will do nothing of the sort," cried Brett. "Surely you understand
+Miss Talbot better. She will be the first to proclaim to the world what
+you and I believe, namely, that her brother is innocent, no matter how
+black appearances may be. I have no knowledge of him save what I have
+learned within the last few hours, yet I stake my reputation on the
+certainty that he is in no way connected with this terrible occurrence
+save by compulsion."
+
+"It gives one renewed courage to hear you speak so confidently," said
+the earl, his face lighting with enthusiasm as he looked eagerly at the
+other, whose earnestness had, for an instant, lifted the veil from
+features usually calm and impassive, betraying the strength of character
+and masterful purpose that lay beneath the outward mask.
+
+"Is there anything else I can tell you?" asked Fairholme.
+
+"You are quite sure that his was a nature that could not stoop to a
+vulgar intrigue?" said Brett. "Remember that in this relation the finest
+natures are prone to err. From long experience, I have learnt to place
+such slips in quite another category than mere lapses of criminality."
+
+"Of course any man who knows the world must appreciate your reasons
+fully, but from what I know of Jack I am persuaded the thing is quite
+impossible. Even if it were otherwise, he would never be so mad as to go
+off when he knew that something very unusual and important was about to
+occur with reference to a special mission for the successful conclusion
+of which he had been specially selected by the Foreign Office."
+
+"Ah, there you touch on the strange happenings of coincidence.
+Circumstantial evidence convicts many offenders, but it has hanged many
+an innocent man before to-day. I could tell you a very remarkable case
+in point. Once----"
+
+But Smith appeared to announce dinner, and Brett not only insisted that
+his new acquaintance should dine heartily, but also contrived to divert
+him from present anxieties by drawing upon the rich storehouse of his
+varied experiences.
+
+The meal, therefore, passed pleasantly enough. Both men arranged to
+visit Sir Hubert Fitzjames during the evening and decide on a definite
+course of action which would receive the approval of the authorities.
+Armed with a mandate from the Foreign Office, Brett could enter upon his
+task without fear of interference from officialdom. Nothing further
+could be done that night, as the private inquiry agent could not
+possibly complete any portion of his house-to-house scrutiny in the
+vicinity of the Carlton until the following morning at the earliest.
+
+They smoked and chatted quietly until 7.30 p.m., when Inspector Winter
+again put in an appearance, to announce that the coroner's jury had
+brought in a verdict of "Wilful murder by some two or more persons
+unknown."
+
+The detective was somewhat quieter in manner now that the sensational
+turn of events in Paris had assimilated with the other remarkable
+features of the crime. Moreover, the presence of a peer of the realm had
+a subduing influence upon him, and he had the good taste not to insist
+too strenuously that Lord Fairholme's prospective brother-in-law was not
+only an accessory to a foul murder, but also a fugitive thief.
+
+One new fact was established by the post-mortem examination of the
+victims. Considerable violence had been used to overcome the struggles
+of the servant, Hussein. His neck was almost dislocated, and there was a
+large bruise on his back which might have been caused by the knee of an
+assailant endeavouring to garrotte him.
+
+They were discussing this discovery and its possible significance when
+Smith entered, bearing a lady's visiting-card, which he silently handed
+to his master.
+
+Brett read the name inscribed thereon. He merely said, "Show the lady
+in." Then he turned to the Earl of Fairholme, electrifying the latter by
+the words: "Miss Edith Talbot is here."
+
+An instant later Miss Talbot came into the room. The three men knew that
+she brought momentous, perchance direful, intelligence. She was deathly
+pale. Her eyes were unnaturally brilliant, her mouth set in tense
+resolution.
+
+"Mr. Brett," she said, after a single glance at her lover, "we have
+received a letter from my brother."
+
+"A letter from Jack!" cried Fairholme.
+
+"Well, I never did!" ejaculated Mr. Winter.
+
+But Brett only said--
+
+"Have you brought it with you, Miss Talbot?"
+
+"Yes; it is here. My uncle, who was too ill to accompany me, thought you
+ought to see it at once," and she handed a torn envelope to him.
+
+He glanced at the postmark.
+
+"It was posted in Paris last evening," he said, his cool utterance
+sending a thrill through the listeners. "Is the address written by him?"
+he added.
+
+"Oh, yes. It is undoubtedly from Jack."
+
+Here was a woman moulded on the same inscrutable lines as the man whom
+she faced. Seldom, indeed, would either of these betray the feelings
+which agitated them. Then he took out the folded letter. It contained
+but three lines, and was undated.
+
+"My dear Uncle and Sister," it ran. "I am in a position of some
+difficulty, but am quite safe personally.--Ever yours,     JACK."
+
+Mr. Winter was the first to recover his equanimity. He could not control
+the note of triumph in his voice.
+
+"What do you think of it now, Mr. Brett?"
+
+The barrister ignored him, save for a glance which seemed to express
+philosophical doubt as to whether Mr. Winter's head contained brains or
+sawdust.
+
+"You are quite positive that both letter and envelope are in your
+brother's handwriting?" he said.
+
+"Absolutely positive."
+
+"There can be no doubt about it," chimed in Fairholme, to whom, in
+response to a gesture, Brett had passed the damning document.
+
+"Then this letter simplifies matters considerably," said Brett.
+
+Miss Talbot looked at him unflinchingly as she uttered the next
+question:
+
+"Do you mean that it serves to clear my brother from any suspicion?"
+
+"Most certainly."
+
+"I thank you for your words from the bottom of my heart. Somehow, I knew
+you would say that. Will you please come and help to explain matters to
+my uncle? Harry, you will come too, will you not?"
+
+The sweet gentle voice, with its sad mingling of hope and despair,
+sounded so pathetic that the impetuous peer had some difficulty in
+restraining a wild impulse to clasp her to his heart then and there.
+
+Even Mr. Winter was moved not to proclaim his disbelief.
+
+"I will see you in the morning, sir," he muttered.
+
+Brett nodded, and the detective went out, saying to himself as he
+reached the street--
+
+"Nerve! Of course he has nerve. It's in the family. Just look at that
+girl! Still, it did require some grit to sign his name in the hotel
+register and then calmly sit down to write a letter telling his people
+not to worry about him. I've known a few rum cases in my time, but this
+one----"
+
+The remainder of Mr. Winter's soliloquy was lost in the spasmodic
+excitement of boarding a passing omnibus, for this latest item of news
+must be conveyed to the Yard with all speed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+A JOURNEY TO PARIS
+
+
+The sight of Talbot's letter seemed to fire Brett's imagination. He
+radiated electric energy. Both Lord Fairholme and Miss Talbot felt that
+in his presence all doubts vanished. They realized, without knowing why,
+that this man of power, this human dynamo, would quickly dispel the
+clouds which now rendered the outlook so forbidding. For the moment,
+heedless of their presence, he began to pace the room in the strenuous
+concentration of his thoughts. Once he halted in front of the small bust
+of Edgar Allan Poe, whose pedestal still imprisoned the two cuttings of
+a newspaper which formed the barrister's first links with the tragedy.
+His ideas suddenly reverted to the paragraph describing the efforts of
+the Porte to obtain from the French Government the extradition of a
+fugitive relative of the Sultan. At that instant, too, a tiny clock on
+the mantelpiece chimed forth the hour of eight.
+
+"That settles it," said Brett aloud. "Smith," he vociferated.
+
+And Smith appeared.
+
+"Pack up sufficient belongings for a short trip to the Continent. Don't
+forget a rug and a greatcoat. Have the portmanteau on a cab at the door
+within three minutes."
+
+"I am sorry, Miss Talbot," he continued, with his charming smile and a
+manner as free from perplexity as if he was announcing a formal visit to
+his grandmother. "I have just decided to go to Paris at once. The train
+leaves Victoria at 8.15. Lord Fairholme will take you home, and you will
+both, I am sure, be able to convince Sir Hubert that to yield too
+greatly to anxiety just now is to suffer needless pain."
+
+"You are going to Paris, Mr. Brett!" cried Edith. "Why?"
+
+"In obedience to an impulse. I always yield to impulses. They impress me
+as constituting Nature's telegraphs. I have a favourite theory that we
+all contain a neatly devised adaptation of Marconi's wireless system,
+and the time may come when the secret will be scientifically laid bare.
+Then, don't you see, it will be possible for a man in London to ring up
+a sympathetic soul in San Francisco. At present the code is not
+understood. It is not even properly named, so people are apt to distrust
+impulses."
+
+He rattled on so pleasantly that Edith, absorbed by the agony of her
+brother's disappearance and possible disgrace, could not conceal an
+expression of blank amazement at his levity.
+
+Brett instantly became apologetic.
+
+"Pray forgive my apparent flippancy, Miss Talbot," he said. "I am really
+in earnest. I believe that a flying visit to Paris just now must
+unquestionably advance us an important stage in this inquiry. Let me
+explain exactly what I mean. Here is a letter from your brother, in
+handwriting which you and others best qualified to judge declare to be
+undeniably his. It also bears postmarks which would demonstrate to a
+court of law that it was posted in Paris last night and received here
+to-day. But it does not follow that it was written in Paris; it might
+have been written anywhere. Now, according to the police, there is an
+entry in the visitors' book at the Grand Hotel which appears to prove
+that your brother wrote his name therein on Tuesday night. If the
+handwriting in the Grand Hotel register corresponds beyond all doubt
+with that in this letter and envelope, then your brother must be in
+Paris. If it does not, he is not there. I am convinced that the latter
+hypothesis is correct, but to make doubly sure I will go and see with my
+own eyes. There now--I owed you an explanation, and I have barely time
+to catch my train. Good-bye. I will wire you in the morning."
+
+He placed the mysterious letter in his note-book, gave them a parting
+smile, and was gone.
+
+He managed to catch the 8.15, which started punctually, the sole remnant
+of railway virtue possessed by the Chatham and South Eastern line. A
+restful porter, quickened into active life by a half-crown tip, found
+him a vacant seat in a first-class smoking carriage, and Brett's hasty
+glance round the compartment revealed that his travelling companions, as
+far as Dover, at any rate, were severely respectable Britons bound for
+the Riviera.
+
+The harbour station at Dover wore its usual aspect of dejected misery.
+The hurrying passengers pushed and jostled each other in their frenzied
+efforts to board the steamer, for the average British tourist has a
+rooted belief that such pushing and jostling and banging of apoplectic
+portmanteaus against the legs of others are absolutely necessary if he
+would not be left behind.
+
+With an experience born of many voyages, Brett quickly noted the
+direction of the wind and the vessel's bearings. A stiff breeze had
+brought up a moderate sea, and the barrister dumped down his bag and
+flung himself into a chair on what a novice would regard as the weather
+side of the charthouse. He bore the discomfort for a few minutes, and
+was rewarded for his foresight by possessing the most sequestered nook
+on deck when the vessel turned her head seawards and began one of the
+shortest, but perhaps the most disagreeable, voyages in the world.
+
+Having retained his seat long enough to establish a proprietary right
+therein, Brett rose and made a short tour of the ship. To distinguish
+any one on deck was almost out of the question. The passengers were
+huddled up in indefinable shapes, and there was hardly light sufficient
+to effect a stumbling progress over the multitude of hand-baggage. So
+the barrister dived down the companion-way and cannoned against a burly
+individual who had propped himself against a bulkhead on the main deck
+saloon.
+
+Something hard in the man's pockets gave Brett a sharp rap, and when
+they separated with mutual apologies, he laughed silently.
+
+"Handcuffs!" he murmured. "Scotland Yard is always prepared for
+emergencies. I will wager a considerable sum that as soon as Winter
+reached headquarters his story about the letter caused a telegram to be
+despatched to Dover. Here's a detective bound for Paris and prepared to
+manacle Talbot the moment he sees him. What a fearful and wonderful
+thing is the English police system. A crime, obviously clever in its
+conception and treatment, can be handled by a sharp policeman wearing
+regulation boots and armed with handcuffs. Really, I must have a drink."
+
+Clinging to the hand-rails and executing some crude but effective
+balancing feats, he reached the dining saloon, which was woefully
+denuded of occupants, for the English Channel that night had sternly set
+its face against the indiscriminate use of cold ham and pickles.
+
+Near the bar, however, solemnly digesting a liqueur, stood a man to whom
+the choppy sea evidently gave no concern. He had the square shoulders,
+neat-fitting clothes and closely clipped appearance at the back of the
+neck which mark the British officer; but he also stood square on his
+feet and swayed with unconscious ease whether the vessel pitched or
+rolled or executed the combined movement.
+
+"Now, I wonder," said Brett, "if that is Captain Gaultier. He must be.
+Gaultier, from his name, should be a Jersey man, hence his facility in
+foreign languages and his employment as a Foreign Office messenger. It's
+worth trying. I will make the experiment."
+
+He reached the bar and ordered a whisky and soda. Turning affably to the
+stranger, he remarked--
+
+"Nasty night, isn't it? I hope we shan't be much behind time."
+
+The stranger glanced at him with sharp and inquisitive eyes, but the
+glance evidently reassured him, for he replied quite pleasantly--
+
+"Oh, no. A matter of a few minutes, perhaps. They usually manage to make
+up any delay after we leave Calais."
+
+"That's good," said Brett, "because I want to be in Paris at the
+earliest possible moment."
+
+The other man smiled.
+
+"We are due there at 5.38," he said. "Rather an early hour for business,
+isn't it?"
+
+"Well, yes," assented the barrister, "under ordinary circumstances, but
+as my only business in Paris is to examine an hotel register and then
+get something to eat before I return, I do not wish to waste time
+unnecessarily on the road."
+
+The other man nodded affably, but gave no sign of further interest.
+
+"So," communed Brett, "if it be Gaultier, he has not heard the latest
+developments. I must try a frontal attack."
+
+"Does your name happen to be Gaultier?" he went on.
+
+The stranger arrested his liqueur glass in the final tilt.
+
+"It does," he said; "but I do not think I have the pleasure of knowing
+you."
+
+"No," said Brett, "you haven't."
+
+"Well?" said the other man.
+
+"The fact is," said Brett, "I heard you had been in London. I guessed
+from your appearance that you might be a King's messenger, and it was
+just possible that the Captain Gaultier in whom I was interested might
+start back to the Continent to-night, so I put two and two together,
+don't you see, with the result that they made four, a thing which
+doesn't always happen in deduction if in mathematics."
+
+Now, Foreign Office messengers are not chosen for their simplicity or
+general want of intelligence. Captain Gaultier eyed his questioner with
+some degree of stern suspicion as he said from behind his cigar--
+
+"May I ask who you are?"
+
+"Certainly," replied Brett, producing his card.
+
+After a quick glance at the pasteboard, Gaultier continued--
+
+"I suppose, Mr. Brett, you have some motive in addressing me? What is
+it?"
+
+"I am interested in the fate of a man named Talbot," was the
+straightforward reply, "and as you told the Under-Secretary that you had
+seen Talbot crossing to Paris in company with a lady last Tuesday, I
+hoped that perhaps you would not mind discussing the matter with me."
+
+Captain Gaultier was evidently puzzled. Private conversations with
+Under-Secretaries of State are not, as a rule, public property, and his
+momentary intention to decline further conversation with this
+good-looking and fascinating stranger was checked by remembrance of the
+fact.
+
+"Really, Mr. Brett," he said, "although I do not question the accuracy
+of your statement, you will readily understand that I can hardly discuss
+the matter with you under the circumstances."
+
+"Naturally. You would not be holding a responsible position in His
+Majesty's service if you were at all likely to do any such thing. But I
+propose, in the first instance, to reassure you as to my bona fides, and
+I may point out, in the second place, that as I have met you by a
+fortunate chance, you can hardly deem it a breach of confidence to
+discuss with me the mere accidental appearance on a cross-Channel
+steamer of a man known not only to both of us, but to society at large."
+
+Gaultier clearly hesitated, but did not refuse to accept the
+Under-Secretary's letter, which Brett handed to him, with the words--
+
+"You know the handwriting, no doubt?"
+
+"That speaks for itself." The King's messenger smiled when he returned
+the note. "It is an odd coincidence," he added, "and still more curious
+that you should spot me so readily. However, Mr. Brett, we have now
+cleared the air. What can I do for you?"
+
+"Simply this," said the barrister; "do you mind telling me how you came
+to recognize Mr. Talbot?"
+
+"Well, for one thing," was the thoughtful reply, "I knew his overcoat. I
+often met Talbot in the Foreign Office, and one day he drove me to his
+club wearing a very handsome coat lined with astrachan. It struck me as
+a peculiarly comfortable and well-fitting one, and although there are
+plenty of men about town who may possess astrachan coats, it is a
+reasonable assumption that this was the identical garment when it
+happened to be worn by the man himself."
+
+"Then you are quite certain it was Talbot?" went on the barrister.
+
+"Quite certain."
+
+"Would you swear it was he, though his life depended on your accuracy?"
+
+"Well, no, perhaps not that; but I would certainly swear that I believed
+it was Mr. Talbot."
+
+"Ah, that is a material difference. The only way in which you could be
+positively certain was to enter into conversation with him, was it not?"
+
+"Yes, that is so."
+
+"I do not want you to think, Captain Gaultier, that I am cross-examining
+you. Let me tell you at once that I believe you saw someone masquerading
+in Talbot's clothes, and made up to represent him. Was there anything
+about his appearance that might lend credence to such a view?"
+
+The other reflected a little while before answering.
+
+"There was only one thing," he said--"he did not seem to notice me. Now,
+he is a sharp sort of chap, and as it was broad daylight and a fine day,
+he must have seen me, for he knows me well. Again, from all that I have
+heard of him, I do not think that he would either pass an acquaintance
+without speaking to him, nor take flying trips to the Continent with
+ladies of the music-hall persuasion."
+
+"You have supplied two very powerful reasons why the individual you saw
+should not be Jack Talbot. Yet, as you say, it was broad daylight, and
+you had a good look at him."
+
+"No, no," interrupted the other. "I had a good look at his coat--and the
+lady. Whoever the man was, he appeared to be wrapped up in both of them,
+and he certainly did not court observation. I naturally thought that the
+feminine attachment accounted for this, and for the same reason, I did
+not even seek to scrutinize him too closely. To put the thing in a
+nutshell, I saw a man whom I believed to be Jack Talbot--and who
+certainly resembled him in face and figure--attired in Talbot's clothes,
+and wearing a coat which I had noted so particularly as to be able to
+describe it to my tailor when ordering a similar one. Add to that the
+appearance of an attractive lady, young and unknown, and you have my
+soul laid bare to you in the matter."
+
+"Thank you," said Brett. "I am much obliged."
+
+He would have quitted the saloon, but Captain Gaultier laughed--
+
+"Hold on a bit: it is my turn now. Suppose I try to pump you."
+
+A giant wave took hold of the vessel and shook her violently, and Brett,
+though an average amateur sailor, felt that the saloon was no place for
+him.
+
+"Between you and the ship, Captain Gaultier," he said, "the success of
+the operation would be certain. I have secured a quiet corner of the
+deck. If you wish for further talk we must adjourn there."
+
+The transit was effected without incident, much to Brett's relief. After
+a minute or two he felt that a cigar was possible. He turned to his
+companion with a quiet observation--
+
+"The vessel has failed. You can start now."
+
+"Well," said Gaultier, "tell me what is the mystery attaching to
+Talbot's movements. I only heard the vaguest of rumours in the
+Department, but something very terrible appears to have happened, and,
+indeed, I heartily wished I had kept my mouth shut concerning my
+supposed meeting with him last Tuesday, as the affair was no business of
+mine. Moreover, you have now somewhat shaken my belief in his identity,
+although I can hardly tell you why that should be so."
+
+Brett paused to make sure that no one would overhear him, but the fierce
+wind whistling round the chart house and bridge, the seas that smote the
+ship's quarter with a thunderous noise, the all-pervading sense of
+riotous fury in the elements, rendered the precaution almost
+unnecessary. In any case, there was no one near enough to act the part
+of eavesdropper, and Brett, exercising the rapid decision which
+frequently impressed others as a gift of divination, determined that to
+let such a man as the King's messenger into the secret could not
+possibly be harmful to the interests of his client, whilst his help
+might be beneficial.
+
+In the fewest possible words, therefore, he poured the tale into the
+other's wondering ear. When he had finished, Gaultier remained silent a
+few minutes.
+
+Already the clear radiance of the magnificent light at Calais was
+sending intermittent flashes of brightness over the deck, and the long
+shoulder of Cape Grisnez was thrusting the force of the gale back into
+mid-Channel.
+
+"I think," said Gaultier, speaking slowly and thoughtfully, "that your
+view is the right one, Mr. Brett. There is much more in this business
+than meets the eye, and any man who believes that Jack Talbot would mix
+himself up in it must be a most determined ass. Of course, such people
+do exist, but they shouldn't be in the police force. You are going on to
+Paris, you said?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Then we can travel together. All that you have said is quite new to me.
+Curiously enough, I have just returned from Constantinople, and I may be
+able to assist you."
+
+Brett silently thanked his stars for the gratuitous circumstance which
+threw him into the company of Captain Gaultier. He recognized that the
+King's messenger, with the precaution that might be expected from one
+whose daily life demanded extreme prudence, desired to mentally review
+the strange facts made known to him before he committed himself further.
+With ready tact the barrister changed the conversation to matters of the
+moment until they reached the pier at Calais, when both men, not
+encumbered with much luggage, were among the first flight of passengers
+to reach the station buffet.
+
+On their way they captured a railway official and told him to reserve a
+_coupe lit_ compartment. In the midst of their hasty meal the Frenchman
+arrived, voluble, apologetic. The train was crowded. Never had there
+been such a rush to the South. By the exercise of most profound care he
+had secured them two seats in a compartment, but the third had already
+taken itself. He was sorry for it; he had done his best.
+
+When they entered their carriage the third occupant was in possession.
+He was French, aggressively so. Phil May might have used him for a
+model. The poor man had been wretchedly ill from the moment he left
+Dover until the vessel was tied to her berth in the harbour at Calais.
+He paid not the least attention to the newcomers, being apparently
+absorbed in contemplation of his own misery. The two Englishmen, though
+experienced travellers, were sufficiently insular to resent the presence
+of the stranger, whom Brett resolved to put to the language test
+forthwith.
+
+"It is very cold in here," he said. "Shall I turn on the hot air?"
+
+The Frenchman seemed to understand that he was addressed. He looked up
+with a shivering smile and explained that he had only booked one seat.
+The remainder of the compartment was at their disposal. He was evidently
+guiltless of acquaintance with the English tongue, but Brett did not
+like his appearance.
+
+Though well-dressed and well-spoken he was a nondescript individual, and
+the flash of his dark eyes was not reassuring. Yet the man was so ill
+that Brett forthwith dismissed him from his thoughts, though he took
+care to occupy the centre seat himself, thus placing Captain Gaultier on
+the other side of the carriage. After a visit from the ticket examiner,
+the Frenchman disposed himself for a nap and the train started.
+
+Captain Gaultier by this time had made up his mind as to the information
+he felt he could give his new acquaintance.
+
+"It is very odd," he said, "that those diamonds should disappear just at
+the moment when there is every sign of unrest in Turkey. You know, of
+course, the manner of the last Sultan's death?"
+
+Brett nodded.
+
+"And you have heard, no doubt, something of the precautions taken by the
+present Sultan to safeguard his life against the attacks of possible
+assassins?"
+
+"Yes," said Brett.
+
+"Well, these have been redoubled of late, and the man never goes out
+that he is not in the most abject state of fear. He is a pitiful sight,
+I assure you. I saw him less than a fortnight ago, driving to the Mosque
+on Friday, and his coachman evidently had orders to go at a gallop
+through the streets, whilst not only was the entire road protected by
+soldiers, but every house was examined previously by police agents.
+There is something in the wind of more than usual importance in the
+neighbourhood of Yildiz Kiosk just now, I am certain. I suppose you did
+not chance to see any mention of the fact that Hussein-ul-Mulk, the
+Sultan's nephew, has recently fled from Turkey, and is now under the
+protection of the French Government?"
+
+"Yes, I noticed that."
+
+"You don't seem to miss much," was Gaultier's sharp remark, pausing in
+his narrative to light a cigar.
+
+"One of my few virtues is that I read the newspapers."
+
+The train was slowing down as it neared the town station in Calais, and
+Gaultier's voice could be momentarily heard above the diminishing
+rattle.
+
+"Well," he said, "I happen to know Hussein-ul-Mulk, and if we find out
+where he lives in Paris I will introduce you to him."
+
+Brett looked at the slumbering Frenchman out of the corner of his eye.
+The man appeared to be dozing peacefully enough, but the alert barrister
+had an impression that his limbs were not sufficiently relaxed under the
+influence of slumber. Indeed, he felt sure that the Frenchman was wide
+awake and endeavouring to catch the drift of their conversation.
+
+"I will be most pleased to meet your friend, Captain Gaultier," he said,
+"and lest it should slip your memory I will give you a reminder."
+
+He opened his card-case and wrote on the back of a card: "Grand Hotel.
+Breakfast 11.30. No more at present."
+
+The quick-witted King's messenger read and understood.
+
+"It seems to me," he went on, "that he is the very man for your purpose.
+Though he is not in favour at Court just now he has plenty of friends in
+the various departments, and he could give you letters which would be
+certain to secure you some excellent orders. I suppose you are going to
+the East as the result of the rumoured intention of the Turkish
+Government to reconstitute the navy."
+
+Brett made a haphazard guess at Gaultier's meaning.
+
+"Yes," he said, "we ought to place a good many thousand tons with them."
+
+Gaultier leant forward to strike a match and glanced at their companion.
+For some indescribable reason he shared Brett's views concerning this
+gentleman, and immediately started a conversation of general
+significance. They soon discovered that they had several mutual
+acquaintances, and in this way they passed the dreary journey to Paris
+pleasantly enough.
+
+At the Gare du Nord, their knowledge of French methods enabled them to
+get quickly clear of the _octroi_, as neither of them had any baggage
+which rendered their presence necessary at the Custom-house. The
+Frenchman, who seemed to be thoroughly revived by the air of his beloved
+Paris, hurried out simultaneously with themselves. He had no difficulty
+in hearing Brett's directions to a cabman. Gaultier entered another
+vehicle.
+
+Brett was the first away from the station. He fancied he saw his French
+travelling companion hastily whisper something to a lounger near the
+exit, so he suddenly pulled up his _voiture_, gave the driver a
+two-franc piece and told him to go to the Grand Hotel and there await
+his arrival. The cab had halted for the moment in the Rue Lafayette, at
+the corner of the Place Valenciennes, and the cabman, recognizing that
+his fare was an Englishman and consequently mad, drove off immediately
+in obedience to orders.
+
+Though nearly six o'clock in the morning, it was quite dark, but as
+Brett walked rapidly back towards the station he had no difficulty in
+picking out Gaultier, who occupied an open vehicle. Some little distance
+behind came another, and herein the barrister thought he recognized the
+man to whom the Frenchman in the train had spoken. By this time many
+other cabs were dashing out of the station-yard, so Brett took the
+chance that he might be hopelessly wrong.
+
+He hailed a third vehicle and told the driver to follow the other two,
+which were now some distance down the Rue Lafayette. Not until the three
+cabs had crossed the Place de l'Opera and passed the Madeleine could
+Brett be certain that the occupant of the second was following his
+friend Gaultier. Then he chuckled to himself, for this was surely a rare
+stroke of luck.
+
+Quickly reviewing the possibilities of the affair, he came to the
+conclusion that the travelling Frenchman really understood little, if
+any, English, but that he had caught the name of the fugitive from the
+Sultan's wrath and had forthwith betrayed an interest in their
+conversation which was, to say the least, remarkable. At the exit from
+the Gare du Nord the stranger had readily enough ascertained Brett's
+destination, but he clearly regarded it as important that Gaultier--the
+man who claimed Hussein-ul-Mulk as a friend--should be tracked, and had
+given the necessary instructions to the confederate who awaited his
+arrival.
+
+Although Gaultier had not said as much, Brett guessed that his
+destination was the British Embassy in the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore.
+The route followed by the cabman led straight to that well-known
+locality. The Frenchman in the second cab evidently thought likewise,
+for, at the corner of the Rue Boissy he pulled up, and Brett was just in
+time to give his driver instructions to go ahead and thus avoid
+attracting undue notice to himself.
+
+Gaultier turned into the Embassy, and Brett himself halted a little
+further on. Dismissing his _cocher_ with a liberal fare, he walked
+rapidly back, and saw the spy enter into conversation with the night
+porter on duty. The latter personage, however, was clearly a trustworthy
+official, for he loudly told the other to be off and attend to his own
+affairs.
+
+Then followed a most exciting and perplexing chase through many streets,
+and it was only by the exercise of the utmost discretion that Brett
+finally located his man at a definite number in the Rue Barbette, a tiny
+thoroughfare in the Temple district.
+
+By this time dawn was advancing over Paris, and the streets were
+beginning to fill with early workers. He inquired from a passer-by the
+most likely locality in which he could find a cab, and the man civilly
+conducted him to the Rue de Rivoli. Thence he was not long in reaching
+the Grand Hotel, where he found the astonished _cocher_ of his first
+vehicle still safeguarding his bag and arguing fiercely with a porter
+that he had unquestionably obeyed the Englishman's instructions.
+
+Tired though he was, Brett did not fail to scrutinize the list of
+arrivals at the hotel on the preceding Tuesday. He instantly found the
+entry he sought. The arrival of "Mr. and Mrs. John Talbot, London," was
+chronicled in the register with uncompromising boldness. Hastily
+comparing the writing in Talbot's letter with that of the visitors'
+book, Brett was at first staggered by their similarity, but he quickly
+recognized the well-known signs which indicate that a man who himself
+writes a bold and confident hand has been copying the signature of
+another with the object of reproducing it freely and with reasonable
+accuracy. There are always perceptible differences in the varying
+pressure of the pen and the distribution of the ink.
+
+Allowance had evidently not been made for the fact that Englishmen
+almost invariably write their names very badly in Continental hotel
+registers, owing to their inability to use foreign pens. The man who not
+only forged Mr. Talbot's name, but also supplied him with a wife,
+laboured under no such disadvantage. Indeed, Talbot himself would
+probably not have written his own name so legibly.
+
+"That is all right," said Brett wearily, traversing a corridor to gain
+his room. "Now, I wonder if there is any connexion between
+Hussein-ul-Mulk and the Rue Barbette."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE HOUSE IN THE RUE BARBETTE
+
+
+Brett was called at ten o'clock. After reinvigorating himself with a
+bath and a hearty breakfast, he was ready to meet Captain Gaultier, who
+arrived promptly at 11.30.
+
+In the spacious foyer of the Grand Hotel it was impossible to say who
+might be looking at them.
+
+"Come to my room," said Brett. "There we will be able to talk without
+interruption."
+
+Once comfortably seated, Brett resumed the conversation where he had
+broken it off in the train overnight.
+
+"You say you know Hussein-ul-Mulk," he commenced.
+
+"Yes," replied the King's messenger, "and what is more, I have
+discovered his residence since we parted. It seems that one of the
+attaches at the Embassy met him recently and thought it advisable to
+keep in touch with the Young Turkish party, of which Hussein-ul-Mulk is
+a shining light. So he asked him where he lived, and as the result I
+have jotted down the address in my note-book." Gaultier searched through
+his memoranda, and speedily found what he wanted.
+
+"Wait a minute," interrupted Brett. "Does it happen to be No. 11, Rue
+Barbette?"
+
+The barrister had more than once surprised his companion during the
+previous night, but this time Gaultier seemed to be more annoyed than
+startled.
+
+"If you know all these things," he said stiffly, "I don't see why you
+should bother me to get you the information. I certainly gathered from
+your remarks that the only acquaintance you had with Hussein-ul-Mulk was
+obtained from the newspapers, and that individual himself has the best
+of reasons for not publishing his address broadcast."
+
+Brett smiled.
+
+"You mean," he said, "that Hussein-ul-Mulk does live at No. 11, Rue
+Barbette."
+
+"Why, of course he does," was the irritable answer.
+
+"That is very odd," said the barrister. "It was a mere guess on my part,
+I assure you."
+
+His assurance evidently did not weigh much with Captain Gaultier, who
+replaced the note-book in his pocket, and obviously cast about in his
+mind for a convenient excuse to take his departure.
+
+Brett knew exactly what was troubling him.
+
+"I am quite in earnest," he said, "in telling you that I simply hazarded
+a guess at the address. To prove that this is so, I must place you in
+possession of certain incidents which took place after we parted at the
+Gare du Nord."
+
+Rapidly but succinctly he told the amazed King's messenger of the chase
+in the cab across Paris, and how he (Brett) had followed the Frenchman
+who was tracking Gaultier's movements so closely.
+
+"You will understand," he concluded, "that, in view of my preconceived
+theory, it was not a very far-fetched assumption to connect
+Hussein-ul-Mulk with the house in the Rue Barbette into which your spy
+vanished."
+
+"Well," gasped his astonished hearer, "I must say, Mr. Brett, that I owe
+you an apology. I really thought at first you were fooling me, whereas
+now I learn that you simply kept your eyes open much wider than other
+people, perhaps. Nevertheless, you have given me a genuine explanation
+of circumstances that were otherwise puzzling. For, do you know, I heard
+about that chap calling at the Embassy last night. The incident was
+unusual, to say the least, but I paid little attention to it, and
+certainly failed altogether to connect it with your visit to Paris. Even
+yet I do not see what reason anyone can have for shadowing my
+movements."
+
+"I regard it as mere chance. I imagine that our fellow-passenger in the
+train caught the name of Hussein-ul-Mulk in our conversation, and this
+decided him to shadow your movements, by means of the confederate who
+awaited his arrival at the station. As it happened, they simply hit upon
+the wrong person. It might have paid them much better to follow me. The
+outcome of the blunder is that I am in a fair way towards ascertaining
+all I want to know about them, whereas, up to the present, they do not
+even suspect my existence as an active agent in the affair."
+
+"Well, now, in what way can I help you regarding Hussein-ul-Mulk?"
+
+"Can you introduce me to him?"
+
+"In what capacity?"
+
+Brett reflected for a moment before replying.
+
+"It would best suit my purpose if I met him as a political sympathiser."
+
+Gaultier evidently did not like the idea. Foreign Office messengers do
+not care to be associated with politics in any shape or form.
+
+"Is there no other way?" he asked dubiously.
+
+"Plenty," said Brett. "I might pose as a friend of yours interested in
+Turkish carpets, or coffee, or cigarettes, but for the purpose of my
+inquiry it would be well to jump preliminaries at once and make this
+chance acquaintance under the guise of a wire-puller."
+
+"All right," said Gaultier. "I don't see that it matters much to me, and
+the letter you have in your possession from the Under-Secretary is
+sufficient warrant for me to give you any assistance that lies in my
+power."
+
+He glanced at his watch. "It is just about time for _dejeuner_," he
+continued. "What do you say if we drive to the Rue Barbette at once?"
+
+The barrister assented, and they were soon crossing Paris with the
+superb disregard for other people's feelings that characterises the
+local cab-driver.
+
+"By the way," inquired Gaultier, "have you learned anything else since
+your arrival?"
+
+"Only this--it was not our friend Talbot who came here on Tuesday with a
+lady."
+
+"You are sure?"
+
+"Positive. I have compared the handwriting in the hotel register with a
+letter undoubtedly written by Mr. Talbot, and the two do not agree. The
+entry 'Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, London,' in the visitors' book of the Grand
+Hotel, was a mere trick intended to amuse the police for a few hours
+until the conspirators had perfected their scheme for final and complete
+disappearance."
+
+"It was a bold move."
+
+"Very. Quite in keeping with the rest of the details of an uncommon
+crime."
+
+At last the _fiacre_ stopped in front of the house in the Rue Barbette
+which Brett had already scrutinized during the early hours of the
+morning.
+
+"Here we are," said Gaultier with a laugh. "If we find Hussein-ul-Mulk
+at home I don't know what the deuce we are going to say to him. Remember
+that I depend on you to carry out a difficult situation, because my
+Turkish friend will become suspicious the minute he finds me dabbling in
+intrigue. He knows full well that such matters are quite outside of my
+usual business."
+
+"I think I will be able to interest him," said Brett calmly; and without
+further preliminary Gaultier ascertained from the _concierge_ that the
+Turkish gentleman was within.
+
+The two men ascended to the second storey.
+
+Gaultier rapped loudly on the first door he encountered, and the summons
+appeared to scatter some of the inhabitants, judging by the rapid
+opening and closing of doors that preceded the appearance of an elderly
+and solemn-looking Turk, who cautiously demanded their business.
+
+Gaultier sent in his card, and the servitor locked the door in the faces
+of the two men while he went to ascertain his master's orders.
+
+"They evidently do not mean to take many risks," said the King's
+messenger in a low voice.
+
+"You are right," replied Brett, "though they appear to take the greatest
+one of all without giving it a thought."
+
+"And what is that?"
+
+"This exhibition of nervousness and precaution before visitors are
+admitted. The best way to excite suspicion is to behave exactly as they
+are doing."
+
+But now the door was reopened, and the elderly Turk ushered them into a
+spacious room on the right of the entrance hall, where they were
+received by a young man--a tall, dignified Mohammedan, who rose hastily
+from a chair, having apparently abandoned the perusal of a newspaper.
+
+"Ah! mon brave Gaultier," he cried, "I am so pleased to see you. I did
+not know you were in Paris. I have been spending an idle moment over
+smoke and scandal." He spoke excellent French, and appeared to be quite
+at his ease, but Brett noticed that Hussein-ul-Mulk held the discarded
+newspaper upside down. He was smoking a cigarette, lighted the instant
+before their appearance, and notwithstanding his Oriental phlegm he
+seemed to be labouring under intense excitement.
+
+Nevertheless, Hussein-ul-Mulk could control his nerves.
+
+"Have you had _dejeuner_, or have you time to join me in a cigarette?"
+he went on.
+
+"We will be delighted," said Gaultier, taking the proffered case. "The
+fact is, I only heard of your presence in Paris by accident, and I
+mentioned the fact to my friend here, who has interested himself in the
+Armenian cause in London. He at once expressed a keen desire to make
+your acquaintance, so I ventured to bring him here and introduce him to
+you. This is Mr. Reginald Brett, an English barrister, and one who
+keenly sympathizes with the reform movement in Turkey."
+
+"I am delighted to know you, Mr. Brett," said the suave Oriental. "It is
+naturally a great pleasure to me to make the acquaintance of any
+influential Englishman who has given sufficient thought to Eastern
+affairs to understand the way in which my country suffers under a
+barbarous and unenlightened rule."
+
+He spoke with the glibness of a born agitator, yet all the while he was
+inwardly wondering what could be the true motive of the visit paid him
+by this distinguished-looking stranger, and Brett was silently resolving
+to startle Hussein-ul-Mulk out of his complacency at the earliest
+possible moment.
+
+"It is an even greater pleasure to me," he said, "to find myself talking
+to a reformer so distinguished as you. Your name is well known in
+England. Indeed, in some quarters, it has come to be feared, which in
+this world is one of the signs of success."
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk was puzzled, but he remained outwardly unperturbed.
+
+"I was not aware," he purred, "that my poor services to my country were
+so appreciated by my English friends."
+
+"Ah," said Brett, with a smile that conveyed much, "a man like you
+cannot long remain hidden. I have good reason to know that at the
+present moment your achievements are earnestly attracting the attention
+of the Foreign Office."
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk became even more puzzled. Indeed, he exhibited some
+slight tokens of alarm lest Brett's vehement admiration should reach the
+ears of others in the adjoining room.
+
+"Really," he said, "you flatter me. Will you not try these cigarettes?
+They are the best; they are made from tobacco grown especially for the
+Sultan's household, and it is death to export them. I understand that
+the cigarette habit has grown very much of recent years in England?"
+
+"Yes," said Brett, "it certainly has developed with amazing rapidity. In
+trade, as in politics, this is an astounding age."
+
+Gaultier knew that there was more behind the apparent exchange of
+compliments than appeared on the surface. Having fulfilled his pledge to
+Brett, he said hurriedly, "Both of you gentlemen will understand that I
+cannot very well take part in a political discussion. With your
+permission, Hussein, I will now leave my friend with you for a
+half-hour's chat, as I have an appointment at the Cafe Riche."
+
+Although Hussein was profoundly disconcerted by Brett's manner no less
+than his utterances, he could not well refuse to accord him a further
+audience, so Gaultier quitted the apartment and the Englishman and the
+Mussulman were left face to face.
+
+Brett felt that the situation demanded a bold game. Under some
+circumstances he knew that to throw away the scabbard and dash with
+naked sword into the fray was the right policy.
+
+"I came to see you, Hussein-ul-Mulk," he said, speaking deliberately,
+"not only because I have an interest in the progressive policy voiced by
+the young Turkish party, but on account of matters of personal interest
+to you, and to friends of mine in England."
+
+The Turk bowed silent recognition of the barrister's motives.
+
+"You are aware," said Brett, "that a large number of valuable diamonds
+were stolen from the special Envoy of his Majesty the Sultan, in London,
+last Tuesday night, and that the theft was accompanied by the murder of
+four of the Sultan's subjects and the abduction of a prominent official
+in the British Foreign Office?"
+
+It is difficult for an olive-skinned man to turn pale, but
+Hussein-ul-Mulk did the next most effective thing for one of his race.
+His face assumed a dirty green shade, and his full red lips whitened.
+
+For some few seconds he strove hard to regain his composure and frame a
+reply, but Brett, nonchalantly puffing a cloud of smoke into the
+intervening space, and thus helping his hearer to control his emotions,
+went on--
+
+"Pray do not trouble to deny your knowledge of the fact. It is far
+better for men of the world like you and me to discard subterfuge when
+engaged in grave and difficult negotiations. I do not purpose wasting
+time by describing to you the details of a crime with which you are
+thoroughly acquainted. Let me say, in a sentence, that my chief, perhaps
+my only, motive in coming here to-day is to secure the release of my
+friend Mr. Talbot from the place where he is at present confined, and at
+the same time to obtain from you a statement which will satisfactorily
+clear Mr. Talbot in the eyes of his superiors of all personal complicity
+in the Albert Gate incident."
+
+Again there was a breathless silence.
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk had regained his nerve. He was now considering how best
+he could dispose of this Englishman who knew so much. To purchase his
+silence was too hopeless. He must die as speedily and unostentatiously
+as possible. So he answered not, but thought hard as to ways and means.
+
+Brett, in imminent danger of his life, disregarded all semblance of
+danger. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes in complete
+enjoyment of Hussein's cigarettes, which were really excellent, and
+said, in the even, matter-of-fact tones of one who discusses an abstract
+problem--
+
+"Of course, my dear friend, you are thinking that the best answer you
+can give me is to strangle me or to shoot me, or adopt some other
+drastic remedy which finds favour in Constantinople. But let me point
+out to you that this will be a serious error of judgment. I have not
+come here without safeguarding my movements. You are aware that Captain
+Gaultier, a trusted Foreign Office messenger, brought me here in person.
+Some members of the British Government, and several important officials
+of Scotland Yard know that I am in your house and discussing this matter
+with you. If any accident interferes with my future movements, you will
+simply precipitate a crisis quite lamentable in its results to yourself,
+to your association, and to your cause. You will see, therefore,
+Hussein, that to kill me cannot really be thought of. A man of your
+penetration and undoubted sagacity must surely admit this at once, and
+we can then proceed to discuss matters in a friendly and pleasant
+manner."
+
+At last Hussein found his tongue. "I have never met you before, Mr.
+Brett," he said, "but you interest me."
+
+Brett smiled and bowed in acknowledgment of the compliment.
+
+"Of course, I admit nothing," went on the Mohammedan.
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Least of all do I admit that I contemplated any breach of hospitality
+towards yourself."
+
+Brett waved his hand in deprecation of such a pernicious thought.
+
+"But you will understand," went on Hussein-ul-Mulk, "that it is quite
+impossible for me to even attempt to discuss the very interesting facts
+you have brought to my notice without some inquiry on my part, and on
+yours some proof that the events concerning which you have informed me
+have really happened. You see, one cannot trust newspapers. They get
+such garbled accounts of occurrences, particularly of State affairs;
+they are misleading----"
+
+"Excuse me, I am sure you will admit that although I dispensed with
+details in my brief statement, the facts were undeniable. I can tell you
+exactly how and why Mehemet Ali and his two secretaries, together with
+Hussein, his confidential servant, were murdered. But the circumstances
+were revolting, and need not be unduly discussed between gentlemen. I
+can tell you how the diamonds were obtained from the Albert Gate
+mansion, and how they were conveyed to Paris. But as they are probably
+in your possession, and the main object of your enterprise has thus been
+accomplished, it seems to me that all these otherwise dramatic effects
+are needless. I have told you exactly the object of my visit, and I
+still await an answer."
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk laughed a trifle uneasily.
+
+"On my part, monsieur, I might attempt to question the extent of your
+knowledge, but as you are mistaken in one part of your summing-up of
+evidence, you may be wrong in others."
+
+"To what do you allude?"
+
+The Mohammedan reflected for a moment, and then answered--
+
+"I can see no harm in telling you that I am not aware of any diamonds in
+which I am personally interested having arrived in Paris."
+
+"Indeed!" said Brett, leaning forward in his chair, and instantly
+dropping the listless air which had hitherto characterized his
+utterances. "That is a very curious thing, because the diamonds have
+been in Paris at least two days, and if they are withheld from the
+possession of those who employed certain agents to secure them, there
+must be a powerful reason to account for the delay. Speaking quite
+disinterestedly, monsieur, I would advise you to inquire into the matter
+at once."
+
+His words evidently perturbed the Turk.
+
+"Will you object," he said, "if I leave you alone a few minutes? I wish
+to consult with a friend of mine who happens to be staying here."
+
+"Assuredly," said Brett; "but let me beg you to leave your cigarettes
+behind. They are exquisite."
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk had never before encountered such a personality as
+Reginald Brett. His eyebrows became perfectly oval with surprise and
+admiration for the man who could thus juggle with a dangerous situation.
+
+"Here is my case," he said, "and when we have concluded this most
+interesting conversation I hope you will leave me your address, so that
+I may have the extreme pleasure of sending you a few hundreds."
+
+Then he quitted the room. He was absent fully five minutes.
+
+On his return he said--
+
+"In the opinion of my friend, Mr. Brett, it is impossible for us to do
+anything at the present moment. We must inquire; we must verify; we must
+consult others. You will see that the negotiations you have undertaken
+require on our part some display of the extreme delicacy and tact in
+which you have given us so admirable a lesson. Suppose, now, we agree to
+meet here again to-morrow at the same hour. Am I to understand that what
+has transpired this morning remains, we will not say a secret, but a
+myth, a mere idle phantasy as between you and me?"
+
+"That is precisely my idea," said Brett. "One hates to mention such a
+brutal word as 'police' in an affair demanding finesse. Personally I
+hate the blunderers. They rob life of its charm. They have absolutely no
+conception of art. Romance with them can end only in penal servitude or
+on the gallows. Believe me, Hussein, I am very discreet." In another
+minute he was standing in the street, and inhaling generous draughts of
+the keen air of Paris.
+
+"I wonder how much my life was worth during the first five minutes?"
+said he to himself; and then he made his way to a telegraph office,
+whence he despatched the following message--
+
+                         "TO THE EARL OF FAIRHOLME,
+                                 "STANHOPE GATE, LONDON.
+
+     "Have received definite intelligence which confirms my views. Expect
+     our friend will be discovered within forty-eight hours. If possible,
+     join me at Grand Hotel, Paris, to-night, eleven o'clock.
+
+                                                "BRETT."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+WHAT HAPPENED IN THE RUE BARBETTE
+
+
+Pending Fairholme's arrival, Brett was not idle. He visited a prominent
+jeweller in the Rue de la Paix, and, after making some trivial
+purchases, led the conversation to the question of diamonds. By skilful
+inquiry he ascertained a good deal about precious stones, both in their
+crude and their finished states. The accommodating Frenchman showed him
+a good many samples of South African, Brazilian, and Indian stones, and
+explained to him the various tests which were used to determine their
+value.
+
+Brett had no special object in seeking this information. When engaged in
+elucidating any mystery he made it an invariable rule to post himself as
+accurately as possible concerning all minor details which might, by any
+straining of circumstances, become useful.
+
+He returned to his hotel and jotted down some notes of this
+conversation. Whilst engaged in the task a telegram arrived from the
+Earl of Fairholme announcing that nobleman's departure from London by
+the afternoon train service via Boulogne.
+
+Punctually at the time appointed the earl reached the hotel. He was all
+eagerness to learn what had happened since they parted in London, and
+why Brett had so suddenly summoned him to Paris.
+
+"I really have not much definite information," said the barrister. "Thus
+far I am building chiefly on surmise, but I have undoubtedly come into
+contact with the persons who organized and planned, if they did not
+actually carry out, the raid on the Albert Gate mansion."
+
+"Then you have news of Jack?" broke in Fairholme excitedly.
+
+"Not exactly. All I can do at present is to assure you that the scent is
+hot, and we may run our quarry to earth some few minutes after eleven
+o'clock to-morrow morning."
+
+"I am jolly glad that there is a chance of my being useful in this
+matter," said the earl gleefully. "If only I am a little bit
+instrumental in recovering her brother, Edith hasn't got a leg to stand
+on in the matter of getting married. That's awkwardly put, isn't it?
+What I mean is that when Talbot is restored to his family and everything
+is satisfactorily cleared up, Edith and I can get spliced immediately,
+can't we?"
+
+"I regard it as the most assured fact we have yet encountered," said
+Brett, pleasantly.
+
+"But you haven't told me yet the exact manner in which I can be useful."
+
+"No," said the barrister. "I have been revolving in my mind the
+possibilities of to-morrow morning, and you must play an important part
+in what, by chance, may turn out to be a melodrama. Now, listen to me
+carefully. In the neighbourhood of the Porte St. Martin there is a
+street known as the Rue Barbette. At eleven o'clock to-morrow I go to
+the house No. 11 in that street, and you will accompany me as far as the
+door. It will be your duty to stand outside and take note of all
+persons who enter or leave the house once I have disappeared from view
+in the interior. You must exercise your powers of observation most
+minutely, paying heed to the height, build, complexion, and clothing of
+any individual, male or female, who enters or leaves No. 11, Rue
+Barbette, after you have taken your stand in the street. It is more than
+probable that no person will demand scrutiny, unless it be some chance
+tradesman's assistant visiting the building in pursuance of his ordinary
+work. However, do you feel capable of attending to this part of the
+programme?"
+
+"Perfectly."
+
+"You will maintain watch until 11.30. If at that hour I have not
+rejoined you, make your way to the nearest policeman, and tell him that
+you have good reason to believe that a friend of yours has either been
+murdered or suffered serious personal injury in a room on the second
+storey of the house in question. You will then, in company with the
+policeman, come rapidly to the apartment I have indicated and demand an
+immediate entrance--if necessary bursting the door open."
+
+"And what then?" gasped the amazed earl.
+
+"I really don't know," said Brett imperturbably. "It is possible you may
+find my gory corpse in one of the inner rooms. The best I can hope for
+is that I shall be simply a prisoner, but I fully expect to be seriously
+injured at the very least."
+
+"But look here, Brett: are you doing the right thing in this matter? Why
+on earth should you run such an awful risk, and take it alone, too?
+Isn't it possible to obtain some trustworthy detective to keep watch in
+the street, and let me go into the place with you? Don't you see, old
+chap, that two of us might make a reasonable show if violence is
+attempted? One man hasn't much chance."
+
+The barrister cut short his friend's protestations.
+
+"I sent for you, Lord Fairholme," he said, "because I felt that I could
+trust you to obey my instructions implicitly. This is a matter in which
+I do not want the police to interfere. My visit to the Rue Barbette
+to-morrow morning may end quite satisfactorily. If it does, we shall be
+in possession of important information leading to the prompt release of
+Mr. Talbot. If it fails, there will certainly be some shooting or
+stabbing, or perhaps an attempt may be made to keep me a prisoner. This
+latter eventuality renders the presence of the police essential. No
+matter what has happened to me, they will, with your assistance, be able
+to take up the inquiry exactly where I leave it off. In this note-book
+here, which I am placing in a locked drawer"--and he suited his action
+to the words--"you will find details of all that I have done up to the
+present moment, together with the lines along which future inquiries
+should proceed. In particular, you will find an elaboration of the
+theory which I expect to-morrow's visit to confirm. You fully understand
+me? All this anticipates that after 11.30 to-morrow I shall be
+personally unable to conduct the investigation further."
+
+"Yes," agreed the earl, with rueful emphasis, "I fully understand the
+proposition, and I tell you, Brett, I don't like it. There has been
+enough blood spilt in this beastly business already, and I feel a sort
+of personal responsibility for you, you know, because I brought you into
+it."
+
+"Then," said the barrister, with a laugh, "I solemnly acquit you of any
+such responsibility. I am going into the business with my eyes open. It
+interests me strangely, and I would not abandon the quest now on any
+account."
+
+"But can't you explain matters a little more clearly? Is it necessary
+that I should be kept in the dark as to the circumstances which have led
+up to this critical movement to-morrow?"
+
+"Not in the least. It is, indeed, very important that you should
+comprehend all that has gone before; I only started at the end, so to
+speak, so as to fix accurately in your mind your part of the business,
+which now stands separate and distinctly outlined in your memory. What I
+am going to tell you simply leads up to the expected denouement."
+
+He then recited to the wondering earl the whole of the curious events
+which had happened during the preceding twenty-four hours.
+
+It was late when they got to bed, but they rested well, and, after the
+manner of their race, fortified themselves with a good breakfast against
+the trials of the day, whatever these might prove to be. A few minutes
+before the appointed hour they quitted a _fiacre_ in the vicinity of the
+Rue Barbette, and at eleven o'clock Brett passed the _concierge_, whilst
+Fairholme took up his stand outside.
+
+The barrister was received with smiling complacence by Hussein-ul-Mulk.
+On this occasion he was conducted to another room of the flat, and he
+promptly noted that the windows looked out to the rear of the building,
+whereas during his previous visit he could survey the street.
+
+"This promises badly," said Brett to himself, but he betrayed not the
+slightest unwillingness to fall in with the arrangements made for his
+reception, and lounged back in a comfortable chair so easily that not
+even the quick-witted Turk suspected that the barrister's hip pocket
+contained a very serviceable revolver.
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk commenced the conversation. "I have," he said, "a couple
+of friends here who are interested in the matter you were good enough to
+mention to me yesterday. With your permission I will introduce them,"
+and he threw open another door with a single Turkish word which Brett
+imagined was an invitation to enter.
+
+Two men came from an adjoining room. They were Turks--swarthy,
+evil-looking customers, but well-dressed, and evidently persons of
+consequence in their own country. The newcomers eyed the barrister
+curiously, and with no very friendly intent.
+
+A brief conversation in Turkish resulted in Hussein-ul-Mulk addressing
+Brett.
+
+"I must apologize for the fact that my friends here only speak their
+native tongue. Before we proceed to business I wish to ask you a few
+questions."
+
+"Certainly," said Brett; "go ahead."
+
+"You mentioned to me yesterday that you had no desire to invoke the aid
+of the police in prosecuting the inquiry which interests you."
+
+"Quite right," said Brett.
+
+"May I ask if you have adhered to that intention?"
+
+"Absolutely."
+
+"Well, Mr.--Mr."--Hussein-ul-Mulk consulted a visiting card--"Mr.
+Reginald Brett, I think, is your name? It would be idle on my part to
+compliment you on your bravery, but it would be still more futile to
+attempt to conceal from you the danger of the position in which you now
+stand."
+
+"Sit," corrected Brett, still smiling.
+
+"Well," said the Turk, "we will not quibble about words. The fact
+remains, Mr. Brett, that you have needlessly thrust yourself into an
+enterprise of such a desperate character that all interlopers can be
+dealt with only in one way."
+
+"You kill them," said Brett, airily.
+
+"Yes," said the Turk, "I deeply regret to inform you that you have
+guessed the object of my remarks with the singular skill you have
+already betrayed in reaching the existing position. I can only add that
+I am surprised the same skill did not influence you to avoid forcing
+upon us the only alternative left."
+
+"Am I to be killed at once?" said Brett, speaking with a slight
+affectation of boredom.
+
+Even the self-possessed Turk could not conceal his amazement at the
+manner in which his strange visitor conducted himself.
+
+"That is a point we have not yet decided," he said. "We are strangely
+unwilling to take the life of such a brave man as yourself. If we were
+assured of your silence, we would even be disposed to permit you to
+escape this time, with a solemn warning not to cross our path again. But
+we feel that clemency is out of the question. There is one hope--a
+slight one, it is true--which may permit us to gag you and tie you
+securely in this room, where you will be left in peace for at least
+forty-eight hours, after which time a telegram can be despatched to any
+address you choose to supply us with. But really, owing to unforeseen
+circumstances, this chance of a reprieve is remote. It wholly depends
+upon the arrival, or otherwise, at this house, of a gentleman whom we
+expect at 11.15."
+
+Brett leaned forward in his chair, and took out his watch. The other
+misunderstood his movement, and each of the three men promptly produced
+a revolver.
+
+Brett laughed quite heartily. "Really, gentlemen," he cried, "your
+nervousness is ludicrous."
+
+He saw that he yet had five minutes' grace before his self-constituted
+judges would proceed to execute their sentence. As for the Turks, they
+were manifestly ashamed of having betrayed such trepidation, and they
+replaced the weapons so readily staged.
+
+"That is a point in my favour," thought Brett. "Next time, if I do wish
+to reach my revolver, I may be able to get the draw on them first."
+
+"During the interval," said Hussein-ul-Mulk suavely, "is there anything
+you wish to do--any letters to write, or that sort of thing?"
+
+"No," said Brett, "I do not think so; it seems to me that you have
+thoroughly misunderstood the purpose of this meeting. I came here in
+order to obtain from you particulars which will lead to the release of
+Mr. Talbot and redeem his character in the eyes of his superiors. I did
+not come here to be killed, Hussein-ul-Mulk. I am not going to be
+killed. If you touch a hair of my head you will only leave this house
+for a prison, and subsequently for the gallows. And so, you see, you are
+talking childishly when you dangle these threats and preliminaries to
+immediate execution before my eyes. It is not you, but I, who will
+dictate the terms on which we part. It may perhaps interest you to
+explain this new phase of the situation to your fellow-countrymen, and
+the matter will also serve to dissipate the few minutes which yet have
+to elapse before 11.15."
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk made no direct reply to this remarkable speech. That it
+impressed him was quite evident from his manner. Forthwith an animated
+but subdued conversation took place between the triumvirate.
+
+While it was yet in progress a peculiar knock was heard on the outside
+door of the apartment.
+
+"Ah! he comes," said Hussein-ul-Mulk in French. He left the room in
+order to meet the new arrival. He returned without delay, bringing with
+him a man very different from those whom Brett had encountered thus far
+in connection with the crime. This was a dapper little Frenchman,
+wizened, yellow-skinned, black-haired, and dressed almost in the extreme
+of fashion. He at once addressed himself to the barrister.
+
+"They tell me, my friend," he said, "that you have thrust your finger
+into the pie which the friends of his Majesty the Sultan are preparing
+for him. It is a bad business. You are too soon for the banquet. The
+result is that your poor little finger may get burnt, as the pie is
+still being cooked."
+
+The man smiled maliciously at his feeble witticism, and Brett instantly
+took his measure as a member of the gang of flash thieves which infest
+Paris. He knew that such a ruffian was both pitiless and cowardly.
+Whatever the outcome of the situation which faced him, he would not
+stoop to conciliatory methods with this despicable rascal.
+
+"I suppose," he said, "that the only part of the affair which concerns
+you is the robbery."
+
+"Well, and what if it is?"
+
+"I can only say that your political friends will be well advised to keep
+a close eye on you, for you would rob them just as soon as the persons
+against whom they have employed you."
+
+The little thief laughed cynically. "You are right, _mon vieux_. I would
+be delighted to have the chance. But this time it is impossible. The
+stones are too big. They are worth--pouf!--millions of francs, so I
+must be content to receive my pay, which is good."
+
+"Have you entrusted the Sultan's diamonds to the care of a scamp like
+this?" said Brett, addressing himself to Hussein, and inwardly resolving
+that unless the conversation by chance took a turn favourable to
+himself, he would forthwith open fire on the gang and endeavour to
+escape.
+
+"Yes," cried the conspirator with a savage laugh. "You have never seen
+them, Mr. Brett? Here they are. To many men the sight would be a
+pleasant one. To you it should be terrible, for the arrival of these
+diamonds at this moment means that you must die."
+
+So saying, he produced from an inner pocket of his frock-coat a large,
+plain morocco case. The pressure of a spring caused the lid to fly back,
+revealing to the eyes of those in the room a collection of diamonds
+marvellous by reason of the size and magnificence of each stone.
+
+In the centre reposed the Imperial diamond itself. For an instant Brett
+reflected that whilst the other men were fascinated by the spectacle, he
+would have a good opportunity to shoot some of them without mercy and
+make a dash for liberty.
+
+But at the same moment there came to him an odd thought. His friend the
+jeweller of the Rue de la Paix had not given him a lesson in vain during
+the previous afternoon.
+
+The barrister suspected--in fact, he was almost sure--that the gems now
+flaunting their half-revealed glories in the light of the day--for not
+one of them had undergone the final process peculiar to the
+diamond-cutter's trade--were not the real stones stolen from Albert
+Gate, but well fabricated substitutes.
+
+To his acute brain there came an immediate confirmation of his theory.
+Evidently the diamonds had not been previously in the Turk's possession.
+The little Frenchman had just delivered them, and this in itself was a
+strange circumstance in view of the fact that the genuine stones must
+have been in Paris at least three days.
+
+Brett concentrated all his dramatic faculties in look, voice, and
+gesture.
+
+"You fools!" he cried. "You have been swindled by a device which a child
+might suspect. These are not the Sultan's diamonds. These are
+frauds--cleverly concocted bits of crystal and alum--intended to keep
+you happy until you return to Constantinople and discover how thoroughly
+you were deceived."
+
+"You lie!" roared the little Frenchman. "They are genuine."
+
+Brett wanted to punch the diminutive scoundrel heavily in the face, but
+he restrained himself. Turning with a magnificent assumption of
+courteousness to Hussein-ul-Mulk, he said--
+
+"Come, I told you you were acting childishly; this proves it. A most
+outrageous attempt has been made to swindle you, if I may use such a
+term to persons who confessedly are plotting to rob another. Surely this
+will convince you that you have nothing to fear from me. I am here as
+the agent neither of Sultan nor police. It is a simple matter for you to
+verify my statement. All that is necessary is for one of your party to
+take any of these alleged diamonds--I would suggest the smallest one so
+as not to create suspicion--to any jeweller in the district, and he will
+test it for you immediately, thus proving the truth of my statement.
+Look here; I will convince you myself."
+
+He took the monster diamond irreverently in his hand before
+Hussein-ul-Mulk could prevent him and turned to the window. He pressed
+the stone against the glass and tried to make it cut. It failed. He
+placed it against his cheek. It was warm. A pure diamond would be icy
+cold. More than this, a small portion of the composition of which the
+imitation had been hastily concocted, broke off in his fingers.
+
+"You see," he laughed. "Do you require further proof?"
+
+Even while he spoke the diminutive little Frenchman turned and bolted.
+One of the Turks drew a revolver and rushed after him, but
+Hussein-ul-Mulk uttered some authoritative words which prevented the man
+from firing. The Frenchman was evidently an adept in the art of dodging
+pursuit. In the passage he ducked suddenly, and threw the Turk heavily
+to the ground. Then, without further interference, he slipped the latch
+of the door and slammed it hastily behind him, leaving Brett silently
+laughing at Hussein-ul-Mulk and his remaining confederate, whilst the
+gentleman who had been upset was slowly regaining his disturbed gravity.
+
+"Can it be possible that what you say is true?" said Hussein-ul-Mulk, in
+such piteous accents that Brett was moved to further mirth.
+
+"Surely you do not doubt the evidence?" he said. "Take any of these
+stones; they will crumble to pieces on the hearth if struck the
+slightest blow. See, I will pulverise one with my heel."
+
+And he did so, though the amazed and despairing men whom he addressed
+would have restrained him, for they still could not bring themselves to
+believe.
+
+"Come, now," he went on "arouse yourselves; and give me the information
+I want. That is the only way in which you may attain your ends. Of
+course I cannot help you. It may be that as you have bungled matters so
+badly, the authorities will stop you and land you all in prison; but
+that is no concern of mine. At this moment I simply wish to release my
+friend and proclaim his innocence. For the rest, you must take care of
+yourselves. You know best who it is that has so thoroughly outwitted
+you."
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk was the first to recover his scattered senses.
+
+"We cannot choose but believe you, Mr. Brett," he said. "We are even
+indebted to you for making this disastrous discovery at such an early
+date. We paid our agents so highly that we thought their honesty was
+assured. We find we are mistaken, and consequently we apologise to you
+for using threats which were unnecessary. We rely on your honour not to
+incriminate us with the police. All we can tell you is that your friend
+is not dead, but we do not know his whereabouts."
+
+"Nonsense," cried Brett angrily. "Why do you seek to mislead me in this
+fashion?"
+
+"Sir," said the Turk, "I am telling you the truth. We believe that Mr.
+Talbot is a prisoner in London, but we do not know in what locality. My
+friends here and myself, as you have already surmised, are merely
+members of a political organisation. It was necessary for us to secure
+possession of the Imperial diamond and its companions. We spared no
+expense, nor hesitated at any means that would accomplish our purpose.
+We have been foiled for the moment. I can tell you nothing else, and I
+advise you to leave us and forget that such persons exist, for I swear
+to you by the beard of the Prophet that had events turned out differently
+you would now be a lifeless corpse in this room, whilst your body would
+not be discovered for many weeks, as we intended to leave Paris this
+afternoon as soon as the diamonds came into our possession."
+
+[Illustration: "The door was thrown bodily from its hinges." --_Page
+113._]
+
+At this moment a thunderous knocking reverberated through the house.
+
+The Turks gazed at each other in affright. None of them moved to open
+the door. But the knock was not repeated, for the door itself was thrown
+bodily from its hinges, and the stalwart form of Lord Fairholme,
+accompanied by two policemen, appeared in the passage.
+
+"Ah," cried Brett, intervening with ready tact, "I had forgotten you,
+Fairholme. I see you kept your appointment. These are not required," he
+rattled on pleasantly, turning towards the stern-looking _sergents de
+ville_; "I am quite alive and uninjured. My friends here and myself had
+a few earnest words, but we have settled matters satisfactorily."
+
+The suspicious policemen glanced from the smiling Englishman to the
+perturbed Turks. At the first sound of danger Hussein-ul-Mulk had closed
+the case in which lay the spurious diamonds, so these pretentious-looking
+gems did not excite the curiosity of the men of law.
+
+The senior officer demanded from Lord Fairholme an explanation of the
+exciting statements which induced them to accompany him, but Brett
+stepped into the breach.
+
+"It is quite true," he said, "that my friend was anxious on my account.
+It was even possible these Turkish gentlemen here and myself might have
+proceeded to extremities, but the affair has ended satisfactorily, and
+if you will allow me----" He put his hand into his pocket and a slight
+monetary transaction terminated the incident pleasantly for all parties.
+
+Soon Brett and Fairholme found themselves in the street, and again did
+the barrister draw in deep and invigorating draughts of Paris air.
+
+"Where now?" said Fairholme.
+
+"Tell me," cried Brett eagerly, "did you notice in which direction the
+little man ran who left No. 11 about ten minutes ago?"
+
+"Better than that, I heard where he was going to. He was in such a
+fiendish funk that he paid heed to nobody, but flung himself into a
+passing cab and yelled, 'Take me to the Cabaret Noir, Boulevard
+Montmartre.'"
+
+"Good. You are a splendid detective. You have saved me hours of search
+and perhaps days of failure. Come; let us, too, go to the Cabaret Noir."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+A MONTMARTRE ROMANCE
+
+
+The exterior of the Cabaret Noir belied its name.
+
+Originally, no doubt, it was one of the vilest dens in a vile locality,
+but the fairy hand of the brewer had touched the familiar wineshop, and
+it glistened to-day in much mahogany, more brass, and a dazzling
+collection of mirrors.
+
+Brett was surprised when the driver of their cab pulled up in front of
+such an ornate establishment. Somehow, he expected the Cabaret Noir to
+be a different place. Not so Fairholme, accustomed only to the glaring
+exterior of London tied houses.
+
+"Here we are," said his lordship cheerfully. "Let's take them by
+surprise and run over the whole show before any one can stop us."
+
+"No," said Brett; "this is Paris, and the police here have ways even
+more mysterious than those of Scotland Yard. We will gain nothing by
+drastic measures. Indeed, had I known the sort of place we were coming
+to I would have visited it to-night and in disguise. As it is, we have
+been seen already by any one interested in our movements, and it would
+be useless to adopt any pretence, so follow me."
+
+He boldly entered through the main door, and found himself in a light,
+airy room, filled, in three-fourths of its area, with little
+marble-topped tables surrounded by diminutive chairs, whilst a bar
+counter was partitioned off in a corner.
+
+The attendant in charge was a dreary-eyed waiter, who seemed to think
+that the presence of a couple of sight-seeing Englishmen at such an hour
+was another testimony to the lunatic propensities of the Anglo-Saxon
+race. He welcomed them volubly, assuring them that the establishment
+kept the best Scotch whisky in stock, and guaranteed that roast beef
+would be ready in ten minutes.
+
+"This is the Cabaret Noir?" questioned Brett.
+
+"But yes, monsieur."
+
+"There is no other of the same name in Montmartre?"
+
+"But no, monsieur."
+
+"A gentleman, a friend of mine, came here a few minutes ago in a
+_fiacre_. He was small, slight, so high"--illustrating the stature by
+his hand. "He was dressed in dark blue clothes with shiny boots. He
+was----"
+
+Brett's eager description was cut short by the appearance of a new
+character. Through a narrow door leading into the bar came a handsome
+dark-eyed woman, aged perhaps twenty-five, well dressed, shapely, and
+carrying herself with the easy grace of a born Parisienne.
+
+Her hair was jet black. Her large dark eyes were recessed beneath arched
+and strongly pencilled eyebrows. Her skin had that peculiar tint of
+porcelain-white so often seen in women of southern blood.
+
+Yet there was nothing delicate in this lady's appearance or manner. A
+rich colour suffused her cheeks, and her language was remarkably free
+both in volume and style. She addressed a few observations to the waiter
+in the common vernacular of Montmartre, the only translatable portion
+being the question why he was standing about the floor like the ears of
+a donkey when there was work to be done.
+
+Her manner changed somewhat as she addressed herself to Brett and his
+companion. There was sufficient of the landlady in her demeanour when
+she said, "And what would messieurs be pleased to command?"
+
+Now, if there was one type of femininity more than another which Brett
+thoroughly understood it was the saucy, quick-witted, handsome
+adventuress. He knew that the woman scrutinizing him so coolly came well
+within this category.
+
+He could not tell, of course, in what way she might be associated with
+the gang whose proceedings contained the explanation of Talbot's fate,
+but he instantly resolved to adopt a determined position with the lady
+who half-petulantly, half-curiously, was awaiting his reply.
+
+He came nearer to her.
+
+"I am glad," he said, "that I have met you."
+
+The woman looked him boldly in the eyes. "Was it for the happiness of
+seeing me that monsieur has visited the house?"
+
+"That might well serve as the reason, but the pleasure is all the
+greater since it was unexpected."
+
+"You are pleased to be facetious," she replied. "Will you not tell me
+your business? I have affairs to occupy me."
+
+"Assuredly. I have driven here as quickly as possible from No. 11, Rue
+Barbette."
+
+This attack, so direct and uncompromising, did not fail to have its
+effect. A ready mask of suspicion fell across the woman's impudent
+pretty face.
+
+There was just a tinge of stage laughter in her tone when she cried:
+"Really, how interesting! And where is the Rue Barbette, monsieur? In
+what way am I concerned with--No. 11, did you say?"
+
+Brett well knew how to conduct the attack upon this lady. His voice fell
+to a determined note, his eyes looked gravely into hers as he
+answered--"It is useless to pretend that you do not understand me. You
+are losing moments worth gold, perhaps diamonds! Within a few minutes
+the police will be here, and then it will be too late. Help me first,
+and I will let the police take care of themselves. Refuse me your
+assistance, and I will leave you and your friends to the mercy of the
+district _commissaire_."
+
+A dangerous light leaped into the woman's eyes at this direct challenge.
+
+"Monsieur is pleased to speak in riddles," she said. "This is a
+restaurant. We can execute your orders, but we are not skilled in acting
+charades. You will find better performers in the booths out there"; and
+she swept her hands scornfully towards the boulevard, with its medley of
+tents, stalls, and merry-go-rounds.
+
+Brett smiled. "You are a stupid woman," he said. "You think you are
+serving your friends by adopting this tone. In effect you are bringing
+them to the guillotine. Now listen. If I leave you without further words
+you do not see me again. You will know nothing of what is going on until
+the police have lodged you in a cell. Neither you nor your associates
+can escape. I promise nothing, but perhaps if you tell me what I want to
+know there may be a chance for you. Otherwise there is none. Shall I
+go?"
+
+And he turned as if to approach the door.
+
+For an instant the woman hesitated, and Brett thought that he had
+scored.
+
+"Wait," she said, lowering her voice, though there was still the menace
+of subdued passion in her accents. "Who is your friend?"
+
+"A gentleman whose identity in no way concerns you. You must deal with
+me, and it will be better if you ask who I am."
+
+"I know," she said, laconically. "Come this way, both of you."
+
+She raised a flap-door located at one side of the counter. Brett
+followed her into a passage behind the doorway that led into the bar.
+Fairholme succeeded him.
+
+The trio passed rapidly through a door at the end of the passage, and
+quickly found themselves in a long, low room, usually devoted to
+billiards. The place was dark and smelled evilly of stale tobacco.
+Daylight penetrated but feebly through the red blinds that blocked up
+three windows on one side. The woman drew two of these blinds, and thus
+illuminated the interior. The windows opened on to a yard, and the place
+was thoroughly shut off from all observation from the street.
+
+"Now," she said, "I will show you something."
+
+She walked towards the fireplace at the end of the room. On the
+mantelpiece was a square of iron sheeting, painted white and studded
+with curious-looking spikes in circles, triangles, and straight lines.
+From a box close at hand she took half a dozen small glass bulbs, red
+and blue. She placed them in a line on some of the spikes at intervals
+of two inches. Then she retired to that side of the room where they had
+entered. The distance was perhaps thirty feet.
+
+Before Brett or Fairholme could vaguely guess her intention she whipped
+a revolver out of her pocket. It would be idle to deny that they were
+startled, but the woman paid not the least attention to them.
+
+She steadily levelled the weapon and fired twice, smashing the two outer
+balls of the six. Then she transferred the pistol to her left hand and
+smashed another pair. Then she turned her back to the target, adjusted a
+small mirror attached to the butt of the revolver, and smashed both of
+the remaining bulbs by firing over her left shoulder. Sweeping round
+with a triumphant smile towards the barrister, she said, "I can do that
+in fifty other ways, but six will suffice."
+
+"It is very clever, madame," he said. "May I ask why I am indebted to
+you for this display?"
+
+She replaced the revolver in her pocket. "It is my answer to your
+question, monsieur," she said. "That is the way I and my friends often
+talk to people who annoy us; and now I shall wish you good-day. You will
+find other sights in Montmartre to interest you."
+
+Brett laughed easily, and bowed low.
+
+"Believe me," he said, "I will find few performers so expert and, may I
+add, so discreet. We will meet again, and perhaps test your skill."
+
+Without another word the party returned to the front room of the
+restaurant, and Brett and Fairholme passed into the street where their
+cab was waiting.
+
+"I suppose she meant," said Fairholme "that if we were not jolly
+careful she would put a bullet through our hearts as easily as through
+those glass bulbs."
+
+"Such was her intention," said Brett, dryly. "But women never have true
+dramatic genius. That was a piece of melodrama which might suffice with
+many of her class. It amused me, but it was a waste of time on her
+part."
+
+"Anyhow, we shall not get much out of her in the way of information."
+
+"Oh, yes, we will. She will tell us everything. She has told me a great
+deal already."
+
+"What?" cried his lordship. "Did that shooting affair convey anything
+more to you than what I have said?"
+
+"Of course. What need was there for such a trick? In the first place it
+is very simple. You or I could do it after ten minutes' practice with an
+expanding charge and a show pistol. Secondly, she admitted that the
+Cabaret Noir is a centre of operations for the gang in whom we are
+interested. By the way, I should like to know her name."
+
+He directed the driver to wait for them at a street corner some little
+distance further on. Close to where they stood an itinerant vendor was
+selling some mechanical toys.
+
+Brett bought one. The price was twenty sous. He gave the man a two-franc
+piece and refused the change.
+
+"Do you know," he said, "who is the proprietor of the Cabaret Noir?"
+
+"Certainly, monsieur," replied the gutter-merchant; "it is Gros Jean.
+His name is Beaucaire."
+
+"Ah! And the lady who lives there, a dark pretty woman with white skin,
+who is she?"
+
+"That is his daughter," said the man. "She is known as La Belle
+Chasseuse."
+
+"Why such a name?"
+
+"Because she is clever with firearms. She used to be in a circus, but
+she left the profession a year ago."
+
+"And does she live here constantly?"
+
+"I cannot say. I think she goes away a great deal. She was travelling
+recently; she came back--let me see--last Tuesday night."
+
+"Thank you," said Brett. The two re-entered their cab, and Brett told
+the driver to proceed as rapidly as possible to the Rue St. Honore.
+
+"I hope to goodness," he said to Fairholme, "that Captain Gaultier has
+not left Paris already; these Foreign Office messengers are liable to be
+despatched to the other end of the earth at a moment's notice."
+
+"Why do you wish to see him?" said Fairholme.
+
+"Simply to obtain definite confirmation of my theory. La Belle Chasseuse
+was the woman who accompanied the man made up to look like Jack Talbot
+during his journey from London. If Gaultier can see her and assure me
+that I am right I will be convinced concerning that which I already know
+to be true."
+
+"By Jove!" cried Fairholme, "that never occurred to me. I wonder if it
+is so?"
+
+"Mademoiselle Beaucaire is quite an adept in two things: she can break
+tiny glass bulbs and she can flirt. She chose to exhibit the first of
+these accomplishments to us, and convey what was intended to be a
+warning; in reality, she gave us some valuable information."
+
+"I suppose," said Fairholme, "that this crowd will watch us pretty
+closely, won't they?"
+
+Brett leaned back in the cab and laughed heartily.
+
+"We are the most interesting persons in Paris to them at this moment,"
+he said. "That poor fellow who sold us the toys will have to change his
+position, I am afraid. One of them is following us now. Let's see who it
+is."
+
+At the next street corner he stopped the cab suddenly, and jumped out,
+followed by Fairholme. A minute later another vehicle dashed into the
+street. In it was seated a lady, closely veiled; but a large feather hat
+and the grotesque pattern of a black veil could not wholly conceal the
+pretty, determined face of La Belle Chasseuse.
+
+Evidently she had no one at hand to undertake the mission, so she
+followed Brett in person. He signalled to her and to her driver.
+Astonished, the man pulled up. Brett instantly advanced and took off his
+hat with that pleasant smile of his which usually went straight to the
+female heart, but which now thoroughly lost its effect on the furious
+young woman who looked at him from the interior of the _voiture_.
+
+"Allow me," he said, "to offer my friendly services. It is a close day
+and mademoiselle has, I am sure, many other calls on her time. I will
+save you at least an hour, and myself nearly the same period. I am going
+to secure the presence of a witness to identify you as the lady who
+crossed the Channel last Tuesday in company with a gentleman. You both
+drove to the Grand Hotel, and your companion signed the register there
+in the names of Mr. and Mrs. Talbot; is it not so?"
+
+She bent forward and looked at him viciously. Her eyes sparkled with
+annoyance at being caught so easily in her self-imposed piece of
+espionage.
+
+"Monsieur is clever," she snapped.
+
+"Thank you," he replied, still smiling. "I can occasionally hit the mark
+with a guess as well as mademoiselle can with her pistol. But, believe
+me, I only intend at this moment to be polite. Of course, the presence
+of a witness to identify you is unnecessary. Mademoiselle can now return
+to the Cabaret Noir, whilst my friend and I will proceed direct to the
+Grand Hotel. It saves so much trouble, does it not?"
+
+For a moment the woman looked as though she would have liked to produce
+that infallible revolver and shot him on the spot. Then she angrily
+commanded her driver to return.
+
+Fairholme surveyed the scene with open-eyed amazement. "Well," he said,
+"that beats everything. You really have a splendid nerve. The whole
+business reads like a chapter out of one of Gaboriau's novels."
+
+"That is the way people live in Paris, my dear fellow. Life is an
+artificial matter here. But all this excitement has made me hungry. Let
+us have _dejeuner_."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+ON GUARD
+
+
+On their way to the hotel, Brett, yielding apparently to a momentary
+impulse, stopped the cab at a house in the Rue du Chaussee d'Antin.
+Without any explanation to Lord Fairholme he disappeared into the
+interior, and did not rejoin his companion for nearly ten minutes.
+
+"It is perhaps not of much use," he explained on his return, "but I do
+not like to leave any stone unturned. The man I have just called on is a
+well-known private detective, and I can trust him to look after my
+business without taking the police into his confidence. Two of his
+smartest agents will maintain a close watch on both the Cabaret Noir and
+No. 11, Rue Barbette, during the afternoon."
+
+"You do not seem to expect much result?"
+
+"No; we are tracking some of the most expert and daring criminals in
+France. It is hopeless to expect them to provide us with clues; they
+simply won't do it. No one but a genius in criminality would have risked
+such a dramatic move as the personation of Jack Talbot, or dared to put
+in an open appearance at the Grand Hotel. So my agents here can only
+hope, at the best, to get sight of any messenger or assistant scoundrel
+who may turn up at either of the places indicated."
+
+"May we expect to be busy to-night?"
+
+Brett did not answer at once. It was evident that whilst he rattled on
+in a careless strain his active brain was busily employed in discounting
+the future.
+
+"I hope so," he said at last. "Of course I cannot tell. Our only chance
+is that we may be able to guess the course of the hidden trail. If
+to-night does not yield us some information, our chances of solving the
+mystery will be remote, in which case we may as well abandon the quest."
+
+This faint-hearted reply naturally surprised Lord Fairholme
+considerably. To his mind, a considerable measure of success had already
+been achieved, and he utterly failed to understand why his friend should
+take such a pessimistic view of affairs at the very moment when they
+appeared to be opening up somewhat. Brett noted the Earl's perplexity,
+and smiled with genial deprecation.
+
+"Do not be afraid, Fairholme; I will liberate Mr. Talbot and clear his
+name so effectually that all difficulties will disappear from the path
+of your marriage."
+
+"Then what is it that makes you so downcast?" cried Fairholme.
+
+"I hate to be beaten at the final stage, and I have a premonition that
+were I in England--had I but the power to proceed unchecked and
+unhindered by officialdom--I would soon lay my hands on the man who
+originated the Albert Gate mystery. But we are in France--in a country
+of queer legal forms and unusual methods. At home I can always
+circumvent Scotland Yard; here I am in the midst of strange
+surroundings, and know not what may happen. Therefore, we must possess
+our souls in patience and wait developments. The agent I have just
+employed has promised me to report every two hours at the hotel until
+eight o'clock. Then I will take personal charge of the Cabaret Noir,
+and----"
+
+"What about me?" cried Fairholme.
+
+"You, my dear fellow, will remain at the hotel and await orders."
+
+This arrangement did not seem to suit the active young Englishman who
+had been so suddenly plunged into the excitement of a criminal chase in
+Paris.
+
+"Really, Brett," he said, "I hate to grumble at anything you propose,
+because you are always right; but you must pardon me for saying that I
+do not see what particular value my presence here has been to you."
+
+"What!" laughed Brett; "not after your dramatic appearance in the Rue
+Barbette this morning?"
+
+"Oh, any one could have done that. All I had to do was to break in a
+door at a given hour."
+
+"Exactly," said Brett gravely. "I wanted a friend whom I could trust to
+implicitly obey my orders, and you did it. I am sure you will fall in
+with my wishes now."
+
+So Fairholme was silenced on this point, but he ventured to put another
+question.
+
+"How long am I to sit chewing cigars in our rooms, then?"
+
+"All night, if necessary. If I do not appear by seven o'clock to-morrow
+morning you had better go to the Embassy and tell one of the secretaries
+everything connected with our visit to Paris. He will then take action
+through the police in proper form, and after that you must simply await
+developments."
+
+"Do you mean to say," said Fairholme, anxiously, "that you are
+contemplating another risky bit of business to-night?"
+
+"Once I take my stand outside the Cabaret Noir about 8.30 I cannot tell
+where Fate may lead me. If I am lucky I will certainly return, whatever
+be the personal outcome. If, on the other hand, I learn nothing, you may
+certainly expect to see me about two in the morning."
+
+At the hotel Brett found awaiting him a letter delivered by the midday
+post. It was from his elderly assistant in London, whom he had told to
+make a close scrutiny of all inhabited houses within a certain radius of
+the Carlton Hotel. The man had done his work systematically, and in only
+three instances was he called on to report doubtful cases.
+
+Two foreign restaurants in side streets contained a number of residents
+concerning whom it was difficult to obtain specific information.
+
+One of these establishments he believed to be the resort of Continental
+gamblers driven from Soho by the too marked attentions of the police.
+The other was a place of even more questionable repute, and in both
+instances he had utterly failed to obtain the slightest information from
+the servants, who apparently "stood in" with the management.
+
+The third dwelling which courted observation was a flat situated above
+some business premises in another quiet street. So far as he could
+learn, it was tenanted by an elderly lady who was a helpless invalid,
+waited on by a somewhat curious couple.
+
+"They are Italians, I think," wrote the ex-policeman, "and very
+uncommunicative people. I have twice called, on one pretext or another,
+but when the door is opened it is always kept on the chain, and I
+cannot see more than the face of a man or woman and a few inches of wall
+beyond. Still, I have no reason to doubt that the view taken by the
+milkman and baker is correct, namely, that the owner of the flat is
+confined to her bed and is suffering from a nervous disease, which
+renders it imperative she should be shut off from all noise. The
+landlord informs me that these people have occupied the place for nearly
+two months. Their rent is paid in advance, and they have not given the
+slightest cause for complaint. There are, of course, in this district a
+large number of private hotels and lodging-houses, but they seem to be
+run on regular lines, and, although some of their patrons might well
+demand closer observation, I have come across nothing suggestive of any
+suspicious circumstance whatever with reference to them. I have detained
+my report until I was able to give details concerning the other houses
+in the district, and I will now fall back on the second part of your
+instructions, i.e., to maintain a close watch on the three
+establishments which I have picked out as being more unusual in their
+habits than the others."
+
+This was all.
+
+Brett read the concluding portion of the report to Fairholme.
+
+"He is a level-headed, shrewd observer," he said--"one of the few men
+whom I can trust to do exactly what I want, neither more nor less. I
+think when we return to London we must endeavour to get that chain taken
+off the invalid lady's door, or, at any rate, obtain some specific facts
+concerning her disease from her medical adviser."
+
+Fairholme smiled. "I am glad to hear," he cried, "that you do anticipate
+our return."
+
+"Oh," said Brett airily, "I never count on failure."
+
+Soon after three o'clock a report arrived from the agent in the Rue du
+Chaussee d'Antin. It read--
+
+     "Nothing unusual has occurred in the vicinity of the Cabaret Noir.
+     The customers frequenting the place are all of the ordinary type
+     and do not call for special comment.
+
+     "A Turkish gentleman quitted the house No. 11, Rue Barbette, at
+     1.15 p.m., but returned shortly before two o'clock. Half an hour
+     later a man, whom my assistant recognized as a member of a well-known
+     gang of flash thieves, entered the place. His name is Charles Petit,
+     but he is generally known to his associates as 'Le Ver.' He is small,
+     well dressed, and of youthful appearance, but really older than he
+     looks. He is still in the house inhabited by the Turks."
+
+"What is the meaning of 'Le Ver'?" said Fairholme.
+
+"It means 'The Worm,'" answered Brett.
+
+"I must say these chaps do find suitable nicknames for one another. I
+wonder if he is the fellow we followed to Montmartre this morning?"
+
+"Possibly, though I am puzzled to understand why he should trust himself
+in that hornets' nest again. Most certainly the description covers him,
+but we shall probably hear more details later. I wonder where the
+Turkish gentleman went whom 'Le Ver' seems to have followed. He could
+not have gone to the Cabaret Noir in the time?"
+
+Brett's curiosity was answered to some extent by the next report,
+delivered about five o'clock. It read as follows--
+
+     "Le Ver is still in the house No. 11, Rue Barbette. My agent
+     explains that he did not follow the Turk, who left and returned
+     to the place earlier, because his definite instructions were not
+     to leave the locality, but to report on all persons who entered
+     or left. Absolutely nothing has transpired in this neighbourhood
+     since my first report.
+
+     "Gros Jean, the father of La Belle Chasseuse, arrived at the Cabaret
+     Noir soon after four o'clock. My agent ascertained from the cabman who
+     drove him that Gros Jean had hired the vehicle outside the Gare de Lyon.
+     Otherwise nothing stirring."
+
+At seven o'clock came developments.
+
+     "Three Turkish gentlemen have quitted No. 11, Rue Barbette, but the
+     Frenchman is still there. As it might be necessary to follow another
+     person leaving this house, I stationed another watcher with my
+     assistant, and this second man followed the Turks to a restaurant in
+     the Grand Boulevard. So far as he could judge, they seemed to be
+     excited and apprehensive. They drank some wine and conversed together
+     in low tones. At 6.15 they quitted the cafe and rapidly jumped into
+     an empty _fiacre_, being driven off in the direction of the Opera.
+     So unexpectedly did they leave their seats that before my agent could
+     hire another cab they had disappeared in the traffic, and although he
+     drove after them as rapidly as possible, he failed to again catch
+     sight of them. I have reprimanded him for his negligence, although he
+     did right in coming at once to me to report his failure. In accordance
+     with your instructions, I have ordered the watchers at the Cafe Noir
+     and in the Rue Barbette to be in this office at 8.15 p.m."
+
+"Now I wonder," said Brett, "why the Turks left the Frenchman alone in
+No. 11. It is odd, to say the least of it. Since the dramatic discovery
+of the spurious diamonds this morning they must be even more in the
+dark than I am. It must be looked into, but I cannot attend to it now.
+At this moment, if I am not mistaken, the centre of interest is the Cafe
+Noir."
+
+The two men occupied a sitting-room on the first floor of the hotel, and
+their respective bedrooms flanked it on each side. Brett explained that
+he could not tackle the table d'hote dinner, so he made a hasty meal in
+their sitting-room and then excused himself whilst he retired to his
+bedroom to change his clothing.
+
+He was absent some twenty minutes, and Fairholme amused himself by
+glancing over the copies of the day's London newspapers which had
+recently arrived. Suddenly the door of Brett's bedroom opened, and a
+decrepit elderly man appeared, a shabby-genteel individual, disfigured
+by drink and crumpled up by rheumatism.
+
+"Who the devil----" began Fairholme.
+
+But he was amazed to hear Brett's familiar voice asking--
+
+"Do you think the disguise sufficiently complete?"
+
+"Complete!" shouted Fairholme, "why, your own mother would not know you,
+and your father would probably punch me for suggesting that it could be
+you."
+
+"That is all right," said the barrister cheerfully. "I will now proceed
+to get quietly drunk at the Cafe Noir. Good-bye until seven o'clock
+to-morrow morning--perhaps earlier, and perhaps--well, no--until seven
+o'clock!"
+
+They shook hands and parted, and not even Brett, the cleverest amateur
+detective of his day, could have remotely guessed where and how they
+would meet next.
+
+Montmartre by day and Montmartre by night are two very different places.
+This Parisian playground, perched high on the eminence that overlooks
+the Ville Lumiere, does not wake to its real life until its repose is
+disturbed by the lamplighter. Then the Moulin Rouge, festooned with
+lamps of gorgeous red, flares forth upon an expectant world. The Cafe de
+l'Enfers opens its demoniac mouth to swallow ten minutes' audiences and
+vomit them forth again, amused or bored, as the case may be, by the
+delusions provided in the interior, whilst other questionable resorts
+shout forth their attractions and seek to beguile a certain number of
+sous from the pockets of sightseers.
+
+The whole district is a place of light and shade. It is artificial in
+every brick and stone, in the pose of every stall, the lettering of
+every advertisement. And it flourishes by gaslight; by day it is garish
+and forlorn.
+
+Prominent among the regular houses of entertainment was the Cabaret
+Noir, which, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., usually drove a
+roaring trade. Situated in the heart of a mountebank district, its
+patrons embraced all classes of society, from the American tourist with
+his quick eyes noting the vagaries of demi-mondaines, to the
+sharp-witted Parisian idler, on the alert for any easy and dishonest
+method of obtaining money which might present itself.
+
+Among such a crowd a wine-sodden and decrepit old man was not likely to
+attract particular attention.
+
+He sprawled over the table close to one of the windows which commanded a
+view of the side passage leading to the rear of the building. Although
+none of the noisy crowd in the cafe could suspect the fact, the
+half-closed eyes of this elderly drunkard noted the form and features of
+every individual who entered or left by the main door, whilst at the
+same time he paid the utmost possible attention to the comings and
+goings of any person who used the passage by the window.
+
+To facilitate his observations in this direction he querulously
+complained to the waiter that the atmosphere was stuffy, and prevailed
+on the man to raise the window a few inches, thus admitting a breath of
+clear cold air.
+
+Brett had previously ascertained from his agent that Gros Jean and his
+daughter were still in the private part of the building. No other
+visitor had put in an appearance, and so the time passed, until the
+clock in the cafe marked eleven, without any incident occurring which
+could be construed as having even a remote bearing upon his quest.
+
+Brett began to feel that his diligence that night would not be rewarded.
+
+At five minutes past eleven, however, a pink-and-white Frenchman, neatly
+attired, unobtrusive both in manner and deportment, entered the cafe and
+seated himself quietly near the door. He ordered some coffee and cognac,
+and lighted a cigarette.
+
+The barrister, of course, took heed of him as of all others, and he
+would soon have placed him in the general category that merited no
+special attention had he not noticed that the newcomer more than once
+glanced at the clock and then towards the corner bar, whence, it will be
+remembered, a small door led towards the billiard saloon in which La
+Belle Chasseuse had displayed her prowess with the pistol.
+
+In such a community the stranger's self-possession and reticence were
+distinguishable characteristics. So Brett watched him, largely for want
+of better occupation.
+
+"That is a man of unusual power," was his summing up. "He is elegant,
+fascinating, unscrupulous. Although apparently out of his natural
+element in this neighbourhood, he has some purpose in putting in an
+appearance in such a place as this at a late hour. Perhaps he is one of
+mademoiselle's lovers, though he looks the sort of person who would be
+singularly cool in conducting affairs of the heart, and most unlikely to
+wait many minutes beyond the time fixed for an appointment. His hands
+are large and sinewy, his wrists square, and, although slight in
+physique, I should credit him with possessing considerable strength.
+Being a Frenchman, he should be an expert with the foils. The effeminate
+aspect given to his face by his remarkable complexion might easily
+deceive one as to his real character. As a matter of fact, he is the
+only unusual man I have seen during my two hours' lounge in this
+corner."
+
+Brett had hardly concluded this casual analysis of the person who had
+enlisted his close observation, when the private door into the bar
+opened and Mlle. Beaucaire entered.
+
+Without taking the least notice of any of the numerous occupants of the
+cafe she turned her back on them, and apparently busied herself in
+checking the contents of the cash register. Beyond this useful
+instrument was a mirror, and Brett at once perceived that from the point
+where she stood she could command a distinct reflection of the
+pink-and-white Frenchman.
+
+The latter was gazing at the clock, and whilst doing so stroked his chin
+three times with his right hand. Immediately afterwards La Belle
+Chasseuse three times rang the bell of the register, and then, having
+apparently concluded her inspection, quitted the bar as unceremoniously
+as she had entered. Half a minute later the Frenchman finished the
+remains of his cognac, lit another cigarette, and passed into the
+street.
+
+It was with difficulty that Brett restrained himself from following him,
+but he was certain that no one could leave the residential portion of
+the building without using the passage--a view of which he commanded
+from his window--and he resolutely resolved to devote himself for that
+night to shadowing the movements of the ex-circus lady.
+
+His patience and self-denial were soon rewarded. A light quick step
+sounded in the passage, and a shrouded female form shot past the open
+window.
+
+Then the inebriated individual, now hopelessly muddled by drink,
+staggered towards the door and lurched wildly round the corner, just in
+time to see mademoiselle cross the Boulevard and daintily make her way
+between the rows of stalls.
+
+The air seemed, however, to have a surprising effect on the old
+reprobate, for the simple reason that to simulate drunkenness and at the
+same time keep pace with the lady's rapid strides was out of the
+question.
+
+La Belle Chasseuse was evidently in a hurry. She sped along at a
+surprising pace, until she reached a crossing where the rows of stalls
+and booths were temporarily suspended. At one corner stood a cab, and
+towards this vehicle she directed her steps. Before Brett quite realized
+what was happening, the door of the cab opened, mademoiselle jumped
+inside, and, as if he were waiting for her appearance, the driver
+whipped up his horse and drove off at a furious pace.
+
+At that instant a small victoria with a sturdy pony in the shafts, which
+had just deposited a lively fare in the vicinity of the Moulin Rouge,
+drove along the street.
+
+Brett sprang into it and said eagerly to the driver--
+
+"Keep that cab in sight! I will pay you double fare!"
+
+The man tightened his reins and raised his whip in prompt obedience to
+the order, when suddenly two men jumped into the vehicle from opposite
+sides, seized Brett and forced him down on to the seat, whilst one of
+them said in stern tones to the astonished cabby--
+
+"Take us at once to the Central Prefecture of Police."
+
+The man recognized that these newcomers were not to be trifled with.
+Without a word or a question, he rattled his horse across the stone
+pavement, and Brett, choking with rage at this interference at a supreme
+moment, realized that for some extraordinary reason he was a prisoner,
+and in the hands of a couple of detectives.
+
+By this time the cab containing the lady had vanished, but the barrister
+made one despairing effort.
+
+"For heaven's sake," he said to his captors, "take me where you will,
+but first follow that cab and ascertain its destination."
+
+"What cab?" demanded one of his guards sarcastically.
+
+"The cab which I wished our driver to overtake at the moment when you
+pounced on me."
+
+"This is a mere trick," broke in the other. "Don't bother about his cab.
+We have got him safe enough, and let the _commissaire_ deal with him
+now."
+
+"Listen to me," cried Brett. "You are making a frightful mistake. Your
+action at this moment may cause irretrievable delay and loss. If you
+will only do as I tell you----"
+
+"Shut up," growled the first man, "or it will be worse for you. Your
+best plan, my good fellow, is to keep a quiet tongue in your head."
+
+It was not often that Brett lost his temper, but most certainly he lost
+it on this occasion. He was endowed with no small share of physical
+strength, and for an instant the wild notion came into his head that he
+might perhaps succeed in throwing the two detectives into the roadway
+and then overpower the driver, taking charge of the vehicle himself and
+trusting to luck to again catch sight of the vanished lady and her
+companion, who, he doubted not, had awaited her arrival at the quiet
+corner where she joined him.
+
+Unconsciously he must have given some premonition of this desperate
+scheme, for the two policemen tightened their grasp, forced his hands
+higher up his back, and bent his head forward until he was in danger of
+having either his neck or his shoulder dislocated.
+
+"Will you keep quiet?" murmured the chief detective. "You cannot escape,
+and you are only making the affair more disastrous to yourself."
+
+Then Brett realized that further resistance was hopeless. He managed to
+gurgle out that if they would allow him to assume a more comfortable
+attitude he would not trouble them any further.
+
+Gingerly and cautiously the two men somewhat relaxed the strain, and he
+was able to breathe freely once more.
+
+Then he laughed, almost hysterically, but he could not help saying in
+English--
+
+"The shadow of Scotland Yard falls on me even here. Poor old Winter, how
+I will roast him over this adventure!"
+
+"What are you talking about?" demanded one of the men.
+
+"I was only thinking aloud," replied Brett.
+
+"And what were your thoughts?"
+
+"Simply this, that the sooner I meet your remarkably astute commissary
+the better I shall be pleased."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+A DISCONCERTED COMMISSARY
+
+
+The journey across Paris proceeded without further incident, until they
+reached the prefecture.
+
+The two detectives hurried their prisoner into a large general office,
+where he was surveyed with some curiosity by the subordinates lounging
+near a huge fire, whilst one of their number reported his arrival. After
+a brief interval he was taken into an inner office. Behind a green
+baize-covered table was seated a sharp-looking man, whose face was
+chiefly composed of eyebrows, pince-nez, a hooked nose, and a furious
+imperiale.
+
+This individual turned the shade of the lamp so that the light fell in
+its full radiance on the face and figure of the prisoner. He produced a
+huge volume, and thumbed over its leaves until he reached the first
+vacant place, ruled and numbered for the description of all persons
+brought before him.
+
+"Your name?" he said sharply.
+
+"Reginald Brett," was the reply.
+
+The Frenchman required this to be spelt for him.
+
+"Age?"
+
+"Thirty-seven."
+
+"Nationality?"
+
+"English."
+
+"Profession?"
+
+"Barrister-at-law."
+
+The official consulted a type-written document, which he selected from a
+mass of papers fastened by an indiarubber band. Then he looked curiously
+at the prisoner.
+
+"Are you sure this is the man?" he said to the senior detective.
+
+"Quite positive, monsieur."
+
+"Then take off his wig and get a towel, so that he may remove some of
+his make-up. The rascal should be an actor. I never saw a better
+disguise in my life."
+
+Brett knew it was hopeless to attempt explanations at this stage. He
+readily fell in with their directions, and in a few seconds he stood
+revealed in something akin to his ordinary appearance.
+
+Now, the French Commissary of Police was no fool. He was an adept at
+reading character, but he was certainly puzzled after a sharp scrutiny
+of Brett's clear-cut, intelligent features. Nevertheless, he knew that
+the criminal instinct is often allied with the most deceptive external
+appearances. So he turned to the detective, and said--
+
+"Tell me, briefly, what happened?"
+
+"In accordance with instructions, monsieur," the man replied, "Philippe
+and I ascertained the movements of the prisoner at the Grand Hotel.
+During the afternoon he received messages from London and from some
+persons in Paris, which documents are now probably in his possession. He
+quitted the hotel at eight o'clock, disguised as you have seen. He
+called for a moment at a house in the Rue du Chaussee d'Antin, the
+number of which we noted, and then made his way to the Cafe Noir in
+Montmartre. There we watched him from the door for nearly three hours.
+He feigned drunkenness, but held communication with no person."
+
+"Ha!" cried the commissary. This struck him as an important point. He
+made a memorandum of it.
+
+"Soon after eleven o'clock he rose hastily and quitted the cafe, crossed
+the Boulevard, and hailed a cab. We would have followed him, but there
+was no other vehicle in sight. As our instructions were to arrest him at
+any moment he seemed likely to elude us, we seized him. He struggled
+violently, and told us some story about his desire to follow another
+cab, which he said had disappeared. We saw no cab such as he described,
+and we treated his words as a mere device to abstract attention. We were
+right. A moment later he made an attempt to escape, and we were
+compelled to use considerable force to prevent him from being
+successful."
+
+The commissary turned his eyes to the prisoner and was seemingly about
+to question him, when Brett said with a smile--
+
+"Perhaps, monsieur, you will allow me to say a word or two."
+
+"Certainly." The official knew that criminals generally implicated
+themselves when they commenced explaining matters.
+
+"You are acting, I presume," said the barrister, "in obedience to
+reports received from the London police with reference to the murder of
+four Turkish subjects at Albert Gate, and the theft of some valuable
+diamonds belonging to the Sultan?"
+
+This calm summary of the facts seemed to disconcert the Frenchman. It
+astonished him considerably to find his prisoner thus indicating so
+clearly the nature of the charge to be brought against him.
+
+"That may be so," he admitted.
+
+"It is so," went on Brett; "and in this matter you are even more
+hopelessly idiotic than I took you to be. I have told you my name and
+profession. I am a friend of Mr. Talbot, the English gentleman who has
+been spirited away in connection with this crime, and I have in my
+pocket at this moment a letter from the British Under-Secretary of State
+for Foreign Affairs, authorising me to use my best efforts towards
+elucidating the mystery and tracking the real criminals. Here is the
+letter," he continued, producing a document and laying it before the
+amazed official.
+
+"I was on the point of making an important discovery with reference to
+this case when these too zealous agents of yours seized me and
+absolutely refused, even whilst I was a prisoner in their hands, to
+follow up the definite clue I had obtained. It is an easy matter to
+verify my statements. The authenticity of this letter will be proved at
+the British Embassy, whilst a telegram to Scotland Yard will place
+beyond doubt not only my identity, but my bona fides in acting for Mr.
+Talbot's relatives and the Foreign Office. Further, an inquiry made at
+the Grand Hotel will produce unquestionable testimony from the manager,
+who knows me, and from my friend, Lord Fairholme, who occupies rooms
+there at this moment."
+
+"Lord Fairholme!" stuttered the official. "Why, that is the name given
+by the other prisoner."
+
+"Do you mean to say you have arrested the Earl of Fairholme?" gasped
+Brett, struggling with an irresistible desire to laugh.
+
+The Frenchman covered his confusion by growling an unintelligible order,
+and bent over the letter which Brett had given to him. In half a minute
+one of the detectives returned, and with him was Fairholme, on whose
+honest face indignation and astonishment struggled for mastery.
+
+"Oh, surely that cannot be you, Brett!" cried his lordship, the moment
+he entered the room. "Well, of all the ---- fools that ever lived, these
+French Johnnies take the cake. I suppose that they have spoiled the
+whole business! If the brutes had not taken me by surprise I would have
+knocked over a dozen of them before they arrested me."
+
+"Silence!" shrieked the commissary, into whose mind was intruding the
+consciousness that he had committed an outrageous blunder.
+
+"What did you say your name was?" he demanded fiercely.
+
+"I told you my name an hour ago," said his lordship haughtily, "and if
+you had not been so beastly clever you would have believed me. I am the
+Earl of Fairholme, a fact that can be readily substantiated by dozens of
+people here in Paris, and this is Mr. Reginald Brett, a friend of mine,
+who would have probably discovered the mystery of my friend's
+disappearance and the whereabouts of those diamonds by this time if you
+had not interfered."
+
+His lordship was hardly coherent with annoyance, but the acute official
+had now convinced himself that a stupid mistake had been committed by
+his department.
+
+He became apologetic and suave. He explained that their mysterious
+proceedings had to some extent committed them in the eyes of the police
+to secret knowledge of the crime which had so thoroughly aroused the
+detective departments in both London and Paris.
+
+Evidently Scotland Yard had not advised the French police of Mr. Brett's
+official connection with the hunt for the murderers. The agents of the
+Paris Bureau had watched Brett's comings and goings during the day, and
+the detectives' suspicions, once aroused, were intensified when his
+friend, Lord Fairholme, sought the aid of two uniformed policemen to
+break in the door of the Turkish residents in the Rue Barbette.
+
+Even now, politely concluded the commissary, he would regretfully be
+compelled to detain them for a little while, until he verified their
+statements. Meanwhile, they would not be subject to any further
+indignities, and might procure such refreshments as they desired. They
+would probably be set at liberty within a couple of hours.
+
+At 1.30 a.m. Brett and Fairholme were ushered forth from the doors of
+the prefecture and stood in freedom in the street.
+
+"Where now?" said Fairholme.
+
+"To the hotel," replied Brett, wearily. "I must have sleep, so I consign
+the Turks, and the Sultan's diamonds, and every one concerned with the
+Albert Gate mystery, to perdition for the next eight hours."
+
+Notwithstanding his weariness, Brett rose early next morning. His
+companion slept like a top, and the barrister had to shake the earl
+soundly by the shoulder before the latter woke into conscious existence
+and sat up in bed sleepily demanding--
+
+"What's up? Where's the fire?"
+
+"I want you to dress at once," said Brett cheerily, "and join me at
+breakfast. You must leave for London by the 11.50 train."
+
+"Am I such a nuisance then that I have to be packed off at a moment's
+notice?" said the earl.
+
+"By no means. Decidedly the contrary, in fact. As matters in France
+evidently require persistent attention on my part for many days, perhaps
+weeks, I think it is hardly fair to leave Talbot in confinement any
+longer. Your mission is to restore your prospective brother-in-law to
+the bosom of his family, and I regret that it is impossible for me to
+accompany you."
+
+"Are you serious, old chap?" was the startled answer. "What has happened
+since one o'clock this morning to make you so confident?"
+
+"Nothing that is not already known to you. Had I succeeded last night in
+following Mlle. Beaucaire to her destination, I might have been able to
+accompany you to London this morning. As it is, Heaven alone knows what
+sort of dance she may lead me. However, you complete your toilette, my
+dear fellow. I have ordered breakfast to be served in a quarter of an
+hour. Then you can eat and listen."
+
+During the first portion of the repast Brett seemed too busily engaged
+to unburden his mind. It was not until he had lit a cigarette and pushed
+his chair away from the table, so that he could assume a posture of
+complete ease, that he commenced--
+
+"You slept so soundly, Fairholme, that you have not had time to review
+all the circumstances of yesterday's adventures. Otherwise I am sure you
+would have reached the same conclusions as suggest themselves to me.
+Curiously enough, although dog-tired when I went to bed, I woke about
+seven o'clock feeling thoroughly rested both in mind and body. I
+procured some coffee, took a bath, and went out for a stroll, with the
+result that I returned and aroused you after reaching finality in some
+of my conclusions, and deciding on a definite plan of action for both of
+us."
+
+"It is really very decent of you, Brett, to constantly assume that I can
+see as far through a brick wall as you can, especially as you know quite
+well that, although I am fairly well acquainted with all that happened
+yesterday, the only tangible opinion I can offer is that the Paris
+police interfered with you at a most inopportune moment."
+
+Brett smiled. "That is because you have not accustomed yourself to
+analysis," he said. "However, I will summarise my views, and if you can
+find any flaws in my reasoning I will be glad. The first thing to
+observe is that the diminutive Frenchman drew on himself the special
+vengeance of the Turks when I exposed the attempt to foist on them a
+collection of dummy diamonds. Yet he actually had the nerve to return to
+the Rue Barbette later in the day. He has not been seen since, so the
+little scoundrel is either dead or a prisoner in Hussein-ul-Mulk's flat.
+As I cannot permit myself to participate in a murder or even in an
+illegal imprisonment, I am regretfully compelled this morning to take
+the police into my confidence and inform them of an obvious fact which
+escaped their penetration yesterday."
+
+Fairholme whistled.
+
+"I must say," he cried, "I gave a passing thought to the incident myself
+last evening when your spy reported that the Frenchman remained in No.
+11 after the Turks had quitted it."
+
+"Yes," said Brett. "You see, all you need to cultivate is the habit of
+deduction, and you will soon become a capital detective."
+
+The earl laughed. "I hope you will tell that to Edith," he said, "and
+perhaps you may change her opinion concerning my reasoning capacities.
+She thinks I am an awfully stupid chap as a rule."
+
+"That is because she is in love with you," said Brett.
+
+"Well, now, that remark puzzles me more than anything else you have
+said." His lordship darted a quick look at the barrister in the
+endeavour to learn whether or not he was in a chaffing mood.
+
+"Why should a woman seek to depreciate anything she values?"
+
+"Simply because it denotes a secure sense of complete ownership. Miss
+Talbot would never hold such a view of your intellectual powers if you
+were merely a friend."
+
+"Well," said the earl dubiously, "that is a new point of view for me at
+any rate."
+
+"It is a fact nevertheless. But we have not much time, so we must
+reserve any further consideration of feminine inconsistency. The fate of
+the Frenchman must be determined to-day, and to decide the question I
+must act through the police, so a conversation with our friend the
+commissary becomes inevitable. And now to return to the hypothetical
+part of my conclusions. I began by assuming that the individual who
+planned the Albert Gate outrage and subsequently sought to bamboozle his
+employers by palming off on them a set of spurious diamonds, is far too
+acute to attempt to dispose of the real gems for many months yet to
+come. He obtained sufficient funds from the Turks, in pursuance of what
+may be termed the legitimate part of his contract, to enable him to live
+for a considerable period without further excitement. Closely associated
+with him in the present adventure is La Belle Chasseuse. Neither would
+endeavour to procure safety by flight to a foreign country. They will
+seek insignificance by living in a normal and commonplace manner. What
+more easy, for instance, for Mademoiselle than to return to the life of
+the circus, whilst her lover--granted that he wished to remain in her
+company--will obtain some suitable employment in the same circle. There
+is a suspicion of a joke in the statement, but I am quite serious. The
+mere consciousness that they have in their possession a vast fortune,
+which time alone will enable them to realize, will serve as an
+inducement to undergo the period of hard work which means safety. You
+remember that the lady's father, Gros Jean, visited the Gare de Lyon
+yesterday?"
+
+Fairholme nodded.
+
+"I think you will find that he was depositing there the necessary
+luggage for a contemplated trip into the interior, so that Mademoiselle
+might slip out late at night quietly and unnoticed and join her lover at
+some preconcerted rendezvous, a thing which we now know she did. I
+cannot, of course, be certain whether the Frenchman who signalled to her
+in the Cafe Noir was himself the favoured individual. It is possible. By
+the way, what height is Talbot?"
+
+"About five feet nine."
+
+Brett pondered for a little while.
+
+"Yes," he communed aloud, "I think I am right. That pink-and-white
+Frenchman is the master mind in this conspiracy. And to think that the
+unintelligent muscles of a couple of thick-headed French policemen
+should have crudely interfered with me at such a moment!" He sighed
+deeply.
+
+"Never mind," he went on, "it cannot be helped. I must keep to the
+thread of my story. Mademoiselle Beaucaire left the Cabaret shortly
+after eleven o'clock. We cannot be certain that she went to the Gare de
+Lyon, but the cab unquestionably set off in that direction. It is a long
+drive from Montmartre to the Lyons station. We will give her, say, until
+twelve o'clock to reach there. Now, unless she was journeying to some
+suburban district--a contingency which upsets the whole of my
+theory--there was no main line train leaving for the south until 1.5
+a.m., and that is a slow train, stopping at nearly every station south
+of Melun. Let us suppose that they guard against every contingency. She
+and her companion wish to escape the scrutiny of detectives. It will at
+once occur to you that they run far more risk of observation if
+travelling by a fast express than if they elect to journey by the
+commonplace trains which only serve the needs of country districts."
+
+"It did not occur to me," said Fairholme candidly. "Still, there is a
+lot in the idea all the same."
+
+"Very well. To sum up, I imagine that the pair, providing the two
+travelled together, would break their journey south at some quiet town
+in the interior early in the morning, and subsequently proceed to their
+destination by easy stages."
+
+"I am still fogged as to what you mean by their destination?" said
+Fairholme.
+
+"I mean the circus, the music-hall, the cafe chantant, or whatever place
+mademoiselle and her astute adviser may select as a safe haven wherein
+to avoid police espionage during the many months which must ensue before
+they dare to make the slightest effort to dispose of the purloined
+diamonds."
+
+"And how do you propose to follow them up?"
+
+"I cannot tell at present. My movements depend upon the results of the
+inquiries I shall make to-day in theatrical circles, and particularly at
+the Gare de Lyon, where I shall not meet with success in any event until
+the night staff comes on duty.
+
+"The third item," continued Brett, "which demands attention in Paris is
+the whereabouts of the Turks. They must be found and observed. My chief
+difficulty will be to keep that delightful commissary from imprisoning
+them, if, as I imagine, we find the little thief a captive in the Rue
+Barbette. So you see my actions are speculative. Yours, on the other
+hand, will be definite."
+
+"Ah!" said Fairholme, "I am glad to hear that. If you expect me to
+analyse and deduce and find out the probable movements of intelligent
+rascals, I am sure I shall make a mess of things."
+
+"You will reach London," said Brett, "at 7.30 p.m. I suppose you have in
+your service a reliable servant, endowed with a fair amount of physical
+strength?"
+
+"Rather," cried the earl. "My butler is a splendid chap. He has been
+fined half a dozen times for his exceeding willingness to settle
+disputes with his fists."
+
+"Telegraph to him to meet you at Charing Cross Station. I can depend
+upon my man Smith to use his nerve and discretion. Moreover, he knows
+Inspector Winter, of Scotland Yard, and should trouble arise, which I do
+not anticipate, this acquaintance may be useful to you. The third person
+who will meet you will be the ex-sergeant of police, whose report to me
+you heard yesterday. He will point out to you the flat tenanted by the
+invalid lady. You speak French well, and after a few questions you
+should be able to satisfy yourself whether or not the person who opens
+the door to you when you visit that flat is acting a genuine part. You
+can pretend what you like, but if admission is denied to you I want you
+to force your way inside and see that invalid lady at all costs. In the
+event of a gross mistake having been committed you must apologize most
+abjectly and assuage the wounded feelings of the servants with a liberal
+donation, whilst the ex-sergeant of police will advise you as to any
+other place which may demand personal inspection. I do not conceal from
+you the difficulties of your task, or the chance that you may get into
+trouble with the police. But the fact remains that Talbot, alive or
+dead, is concealed somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Carlton Hotel,
+and it is high time that this portion of the mystery attending his
+disappearance should be made clear. Do you follow me?"
+
+"Precisely," said Fairholme. "My programme appears to be very simple. I
+am to kick down any door that is pointed out by the ex-policeman,
+provided I am refused admission by fair means."
+
+Brett laughed. "I think," he cried, "you have put my instructions in
+very direct and succinct form. All I hope is that the invalid lady may
+prove to be an elderly fraud. It only remains for me to give you my
+blessing and say good-bye."
+
+"But what about you?" said the earl anxiously. "Suppose we come across
+Talbot to-night, as you anticipate, where shall I find you to-morrow?"
+
+"You must telegraph to me here," was the answer, "and you must possess
+your soul in patience until you hear from me.
+
+"No, don't protest," he went on, as Fairholme gave indications of
+impatience. "You need not fear that you will be left out of the
+denouement, whatever it be. I am sure to need your help before long, and
+I will cable you at the first possible moment. For that reason, should
+you leave your house for more than hour or so, I hope you will make
+special arrangements for telegrams to reach you without delay."
+
+"You may rely on that," was the hearty answer. "But look here, Brett. It
+is 10.45 a.m. now. If I have to catch that 11.50 train from the Gare du
+Nord I have no time to lose. By the way," he added, turning at the door,
+"is there any reason why I should not wire to Edith to expect me
+to-night?"
+
+"Not the slightest," said Brett, smiling, "except perhaps this, that
+instead of calling on Miss Talbot this evening you may be locked up on
+the charge of housebreaking."
+
+"Um," said the earl, thoughtfully, "I had not thought of that. It will
+be more fun to take her by surprise. So here goes to get my traps
+packed."
+
+After Lord Fairholme's departure, Brett took matters easily. He did not
+put in an appearance at the Prefecture until late in the afternoon, and,
+as he surmised, the commissary whom he encountered the previous night
+had even then only just arrived at his office. Without any difficulty,
+the barrister was introduced to the official, who evidently awaited an
+explanation of the visit with great curiosity.
+
+Brett's ill-humour at the uncalled-for interference of the police was
+now quite dispelled, and he greeted the commissary with the genial
+affability which so quickly won him the friendship of casual
+acquaintances.
+
+"I think," he began, "that your agents, monsieur, were watching me
+throughout the whole of yesterday."
+
+"That is so," nodded the other, wondering what pitfall lay behind this
+leading question.
+
+"Do I take it that after my departure from No. 11, Rue Barbette about
+midday they maintained no further guard over that house?"
+
+"Assuredly. It was monsieur's personal movements which called for
+observation."
+
+"Then you do not know that an individual whose identity may be much more
+important than mine is an inmate of the apartment at this
+moment--probably a captive against his will, possibly a corpse?"
+
+The Frenchman's huge moustache bristled with alarm and annoyance.
+
+"It is a strange thing, monsieur," he cried, "that an English gentleman
+should come to Paris and know more about the movements and haunts of
+criminals than the French police."
+
+It was no part of Brett's design to rub the official the wrong way, so
+he said gently--
+
+"Your remark is quite justifiable, and under ordinary circumstances any
+such pretence on my part would be ridiculous. But you must remember,
+monsieur, that I came here from London possessed of special information
+which was not known even to the police authorities in that city. I am
+working solely in the private interest of persons high in English
+Society, and it would not serve the purposes of any of the Governments
+concerned were too much stress publicly laid on their connexion with
+this mystery. If I can succeed in elucidating the problem it will be a
+comparatively easy matter for the police to bring the real criminals to
+justice. As a step towards that end I have come to you now to place you
+in possession of a clue which may reveal itself in the Rue Barbette. All
+I ask is, in the first instance, that the affair may be conducted with
+the utmost secrecy, and, secondly, that you will permit me to be present
+when you examine the person whom I expect to find there. I may be able
+to help you very materially in your questions, provided the man is alive
+and well."
+
+The commissary was soothed. The barrister's judicial reference to the
+importance and confidential nature of the inquiry raised in his mind a
+dazzling vision of personal distinction and preferment.
+
+"The matter shall be conducted with the utmost discretion," he cried.
+"What force does monsieur consider to be requisite in order to examine
+this house thoroughly, and prevent the attempted escape of others whom
+we may find there in addition to the man described?"
+
+Brett with difficulty repressed a smile. "I do not think that a large
+force of police will be necessary. If you yourself, monsieur, and
+another officer will accompany me in a cab, I am sure we will be able to
+deal with all possible opposition. There is no exit from the flat save
+through the main door, and the apartment is situated on the second
+storey. Escape by way of the windows is practically impossible if we act
+with promptitude."
+
+The commissary could not reach the Rue Barbette too rapidly. He bundled
+a subordinate into a _fiacre_, and the three were driven off at
+breakneck speed.
+
+They stopped the vehicle at the corner of the street and walked quietly
+to the house, attracting no attention, as neither of the Frenchmen were
+in uniform.
+
+Inquiry from the _concierge_ elicited the information that none of the
+occupants of the flat tenanted by the Turkish gentlemen had put in an
+appearance since the previous afternoon. So the trio mounted the
+staircase, and without any preliminary summons the junior official
+applied his shoulder to the door.
+
+The lock yielded quite readily. Indeed, the damage done by Lord
+Fairholme was but temporarily repaired, and no special precaution had
+been taken to fasten the place. All was quiet within. The first room
+they searched was empty. So was the second; but in a bedroom, the door
+of which was locked and required forcible treatment, an extraordinary
+sight met their eyes.
+
+Stretched on the bed, gagged and securely tied, was the figure of the
+diminutive Frenchman, who, little more than twenty-four hours earlier,
+had so coolly suggested that Brett should be murdered.
+
+Stout leather thongs were fastened to his wrists and ankles and then
+tied to the four uprights of the bed. His arms and legs were
+consequently stretched widely apart, and the only sign of vitality about
+the man was the terrible expression of fear and hate in his eyes as he
+looked at them.
+
+The gag stuffed in his mouth prevented him from uttering the slightest
+coherent sound, whilst the agony of his frame owing to the position in
+which he lay, joined to the exhaustion induced by terror and want of
+food, rendered him a pitiable object.
+
+They removed the gag and cut the bonds. The poor wretch remained on his
+back unable to move, though he flinched somewhat when the police, as
+gently as possible, loosened the leather straps from his wrists and
+ankles, for his useless struggles had caused the thongs to cut deeply
+into his skin.
+
+Brett was the first to realize the unfortunate wretch's chief
+requirement. He procured some water, raised the man's head, and allowed
+him to take a deep and invigorating draught.
+
+"Why, it is 'The Worm!'" said the junior policeman. "I know him well. He
+is a pick-pocket, an expert rascal in his line, but hardly up to the
+standard of great events."
+
+At the sound of his nickname a flicker of intelligence came into the
+little thief's eyes, but he was still dazed, and did not recognize his
+rescuers.
+
+"I don't care what you do with me," he murmured at last, in a weak and
+cracked voice. "Kill me quietly if you want to, but don't tie me up
+again. I have done nothing to deserve it. I really haven't. I have been
+acting quite square in this business." And then he broke down and
+whimpered further protestations of innocence.
+
+"He is weak from want of food, and dazed with terror," said Brett
+quietly. "I suggest that one of you should get him some meat and wine,
+whilst the others remain here and endeavour to reassure him. In half an
+hour he will be greatly recovered. Meanwhile we might examine the
+place."
+
+The commissary thought Brett's suggestion a good one. His assistant
+summoned the _concierge_ and attended to the wants of "The Worm," whilst
+Brett and the commissary conducted a careful scrutiny of the premises.
+
+They found little, however, beyond a considerable accumulation of dirt;
+for the ways of Turks are primitive and their habits unpleasant in
+European households. If was evident that before taking their departure
+the occupants of the flat had carefully removed or destroyed all
+documents or other articles which might throw light on their
+proceedings.
+
+The leather thongs which bound the prisoner evoked some comment from the
+barrister.
+
+"These are somewhat unusual articles," he said to the commissary. "You
+will notice that they are cut from raw cowhide and well stretched. In
+other words, they are the familiar 'bow-strings' of Constantinople, and
+warranted not to yield if twisted round the neck. I think they will
+answer for other purposes than tying people to beds."
+
+"We must find these Turks," said the commissary. "They are desperate
+characters."
+
+"Find them by all means," said Brett earnestly, "but on no account
+arrest them."
+
+"And why, monsieur?" cried the other, with elevated eyebrows.
+
+"Because if you do you will paralyse our future actions. When all is
+said and done, the only charge you can bring against them is a trivial
+one. It is evident they merely tied up this man, either with the object
+of frightening him into a confession, or to leave their hands free
+whilst they dealt with his employers. Perhaps they had both objects in
+view. In either event the appearance of the police on the scene would
+close their mouths more tightly than an oyster. As it is, I expect they
+will return, and, if possible, you must compel the _concierge_ to
+conceal the fact that you have visited the house. Let him put all the
+blame on me. They know that I am mixed up in the inquiry, and fear me
+far less than the recognized authorities. Oblige me in this respect and
+you will not regret it."
+
+The policeman was wise enough to fall in with the suggestion.
+
+An hour later "The Worm" was taken in a cab to the Prefecture, as his
+condition was yet so hopeless that little real benefit could ensue from
+a searching cross-examination.
+
+So Brett parted company with the officials, having made an appointment
+with the commissary for the next day at noon, when they assumed that the
+prisoner would be considerably recovered from his weakness and fright.
+
+The barrister subsequently made a round of the minor cafes in the
+neighbourhood of the Cirque d'Hiver. After much casual questioning, he
+elicited the information that a well-known circus, of which Mlle.
+Beaucaire was at one time a shining light, was performing at that moment
+at Marseilles. He ascertained that during the winter season this class
+of entertainment perambulated the South of France and Northern Italy.
+
+The actor from whom he gleaned these important facts said that he had a
+trustworthy friend in Marseilles who would easily be able to ascertain
+whether or not La Belle Chasseuse intended to rejoin her former
+profession. Brett secured his hearty co-operation by a liberal donation
+for expenses.
+
+The barrister resolved to pay another visit to the Cabaret Noir late
+that evening, but he waited in the hotel until nearly ten o'clock in
+anxious expectation of a telegram from Fairholme.
+
+At last the message arrived. Its contents were laconic.
+
+"Right first time," it ran. "Invalid lady's name 'Jack.' Somewhat
+exhausted, after long confinement. Edith delighted. Jack visits
+Under-Secretary to-night. We all purpose joining you in Paris to-morrow.
+Do you approve?"
+
+Brett promptly wired, "Yes," and then set out for Montmartre, dressing
+himself in the height of fashion so far as his wardrobe would permit,
+and donning a fierce moustache and wig, which completely altered his
+appearance. He looked like a successful impressario or popular Italian
+tenor.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+THE INNKEEPER
+
+
+The fair-ground of Montmartre was in full swing when Brett arrived
+there. The Cabaret Noir was in charge of his former acquaintance, the
+weary-eyed waiter, and other assistants.
+
+The barrister wondered whether Mlle. Beaucaire had taken her father
+completely into her confidence. To make certain he questioned the
+waiter.
+
+"Is Monsieur Beaucaire in?" he said.
+
+"But yes, monsieur. You will find him in the billiard-room."
+
+This time Brett was not conducted through the private passage that led
+through the rear of the bar. The man politely indicated another
+entrance, and brought him to the proprietor with the introductory
+remark--
+
+"A gentleman who wishes to see you."
+
+The room was tenanted by a nondescript crowd, whose attention was
+promptly attracted by the appearance of a stranger, and a well-dressed
+one at that.
+
+The games in progress at the two tables were momentarily suspended,
+whilst Gros Jean, a corpulent man above the middle height, whose legs
+seemed to be too frail to support his rotund body, advanced, peering
+curiously beneath his bushy eyebrows to get a glimpse of the newcomer,
+for the shaded light did not fall on Brett's features, and M. Beaucaire
+wondered who the stranger could be. The barrister almost started when he
+recognized his fellow-passenger, the man who travelled to Paris with
+Gaultier and himself. Gros Jean bowed politely enough, and murmured
+something about being at Brett's service.
+
+"Oh, it is nothing of great importance," said Brett airily, as he was
+not anxious to attract too much observation from the unwashed humanity
+who took such interest in him. "I merely wish to know when it will be
+convenient for me to have some conversation with mademoiselle, your
+charming daughter?"
+
+"May I inquire the reason, monsieur?" said the other.
+
+"Certainly. I have heard of her skill as an artist, and it is possible I
+may be able to arrange a London engagement for her."
+
+"Ah," said the landlord deprecatingly, "what a pity! Had monsieur called
+here yesterday he could have seen mademoiselle. She has now left Paris
+for some weeks."
+
+"Perhaps," said Brett, "I may have the pleasure of meeting her
+elsewhere. I myself depart to-morrow on a tour in the South of France.
+It is possible that mademoiselle may be employed in some of the southern
+cities. If so I will certainly make it my business to call on her."
+
+Beaucaire came a step nearer. Clearly he did not recall the barrister's
+face. He knew well that his daughter's attainments were not such as to
+command the eager search of London theatrical managers, yet he was
+assured that the individual who now addressed him was not an ordinary
+music-hall agent, hunting up fees.
+
+He lowered his voice, after an angry glance at the loungers in the room,
+which caused them to turn to the tables with redoubled interest.
+
+"I regret," he said, "that mademoiselle is not professionally engaged at
+this moment. Indeed, she has not appeared in public for some months. May
+I ask how monsieur came to hear of her name?"
+
+"It is the easiest matter in the world," said Brett with his ready
+smile, producing his note-book and rapidly turning over the leaves. "I
+have here the names and addresses of a large number of artists whom I
+was recommended to visit. Mademoiselle's name was given to me among
+others at the Cirque d'Hiver, where I heard most encouraging accounts of
+her skill. You see, monsieur," he went on, "that in England the public
+are not acquainted with any other language than their own, and when
+Continental artists are engaged we prefer those whose performance
+consists chiefly of acrobatic or other feats in which dialogue is
+unnecessary."
+
+The barrister's ready explanation was sufficient. Nevertheless Beaucaire
+was puzzled. But even the most vulgar or brutal Frenchman is endowed
+with a certain amount of politeness, and in this instance Gros Jean felt
+that his visitor should be treated deferentially.
+
+"I am most sorry," he cried, "to be unable to assist monsieur any
+further. If, however, you leave me your address I will communicate with
+you after I have heard from my daughter. I have no doubt that she will
+readily come to terms."
+
+"I think you said that mademoiselle was in the South of France?"
+observed Brett casually.
+
+Instantly Beaucaire became suspicious again.
+
+"No," he replied shortly; "I do not think I said so."
+
+"Of course not," laughed Brett. "How foolish of me! It was I who
+mentioned the South of France, was it not? You see that French is a
+foreign language to me, and I do not express myself very easily."
+
+Beaucaire grinned politely again: "Permit me to congratulate monsieur
+upon both his pronunciation and facility. Not many Englishmen speak
+French as he does."
+
+The barrister was determined not to allow the conversation to end too
+rapidly. He wished to note more carefully the details of this
+interesting household. Pulling out his cigar-case, he offered it to Gros
+Jean with the remark: "Your small French tables seem curious to my eyes
+after long acquaintance with English billiards. Are any of these
+gentlemen here skilled players in your fashion?"
+
+"Oh, yes," said the innkeeper. "Andre there, for instance, can make big
+breaks. I have seen him make forty consecutive coups. Will you not take
+a seat for a little while and observe the play?"
+
+"With pleasure." And Brett confirmed the favourable opinion formed of
+him by ordering refreshments for Beaucaire and himself and inviting the
+redoubtable Andre to join them.
+
+He apparently took a keen interest in the game, and applauded the manner
+in which the Frenchman scored a series of difficult cannons.
+
+Meanwhile he noted that between the private passage from the bar and the
+public one that led from the cafe was a room into which the light of day
+could not possibly penetrate. He was certain that no door communicated
+with it from the public passage, and he could not remember having
+passed one that first afternoon when La Belle Chasseuse brought him and
+Fairholme into the billiard-room to display her prowess as a markswoman.
+
+It was certainly a curious apartment, and for some undefinable reason he
+could not prevent his mind from dwelling upon its possible uses.
+
+Probably the Cafe Noir had no cellars. The place might serve as a store
+room. This natural hypothesis was upset by the appearance of the waiter,
+who passed through the billiard-room and opened another door at the
+further end, through which he soon emerged, carrying a fresh supply of
+bottles.
+
+"It is obvious," said Brett to himself, "that if there is no door
+communicating with the private passage, then the only way in which that
+room can be reached is by a ladder from the top. Now I wonder why that
+should be necessary?"
+
+He remained in the billiard-room some twenty minutes. When Gros Jean was
+called on some momentary errand to the front of the house he took his
+departure, purposely making the mistake of quitting the room by the
+wrong exit. At the same instant he struck a match to relight his cigar,
+and while the expert billiard player, Andre, ran after him to direct him
+as to the right way he rapidly surveyed the passage. The plaster walls
+were smooth and unbroken on their inner side, affording no doorway exit.
+
+Apologising to Andre with a laugh, he then sauntered towards the front
+cafe, where he purchased another drink at the counter. He assured
+himself that he had not been mistaken. The only private door out of the
+bar led into the passage, so that the room beyond could only be reached
+by a staircase or through a trap-door.
+
+"I have learned something, at any rate," he murmured as he passed out
+into the Boulevard, "and I imagine that my knowledge is not shared by
+the Paris police. Mademoiselle would have acted more wisely had she not
+yielded to impulse, and reserved her shooting display for a more
+dramatic occasion."
+
+Brett kept his appointment with the commissary next morning. That worthy
+official set himself to the congenial task of examining a prisoner with
+the air of one who said: "Now you will see what manner of man I am. Here
+I am on my native heath."
+
+He consulted bulky volumes, made notes, fussily called up various
+subordinates, both in person and by speaking-tube, and generally
+conducted himself with a business-like air that much amused the
+barrister, who, however, for his own purposes took care to appear
+greatly impressed.
+
+At last all was ready, and the captive of the Rue Barbette was
+introduced.
+
+This precocious personage had recovered his self-possession and natural
+impudence during the night. By the commissary's instructions he had been
+well supplied with eatables, and the restrictions as to persons under
+detention were relaxed, to permit him to enjoy a supply of his
+much-loved cigarettes. Consequently, the little thief was restored to
+his usual state of jaunty cheekiness.
+
+The first part of the interrogation, which promptly ensued, was not
+strange to him.
+
+"Your name?" said the commissary.
+
+"Charles Petit."
+
+"Age?"
+
+"Believed to be twenty-seven, but as no record was kept of my birth I
+cannot be certain."
+
+"Abode?"
+
+"Changeable. Of late I have dwelt in the Cabaret Noir, Boulevard de
+Montmartre."
+
+"You are generally known as 'The Worm?'"
+
+"That is so."
+
+"You have served several periods of imprisonment, and have paid over 400
+francs in fines?"
+
+"I have not kept count, but I suppose it is all written down there." And
+he jerked his thumb towards the conviction book on the commissary's
+desk.
+
+"You are a noted thief, and you obtained your nickname by reason of your
+dexterity in picking locks and climbing through scullery windows?"
+
+"If you say so, monsieur, your words cannot be disputed."
+
+"Very well." The commissary scratched a few lines on a memorandum
+tablet. Then he suddenly raised his quick eyes and fastened them on the
+prisoner with the direct question--
+
+"How came you to be detained in such an extraordinary manner in the
+house, No. 11, Rue Barbette, yesterday?"
+
+A vacant and stolid expression intended to convey an idea of utter
+innocence came over "The Worm's" face.
+
+"Believe me, monsieur," he said, "I cannot give you the slightest
+explanation of that extraordinary incident."
+
+"Indeed! You surprise me. I suppose you wish me to understand that you
+casually strolled in out of the street and were set upon by three Turks,
+who gagged you and bound you with leather thongs, leaving you to starve
+quietly to death if you had not been rescued by reason of a chance visit
+paid to the place by myself and others?"
+
+"I assure you, monsieur, that, strange as it may seem, you have almost
+related the facts. I went to the place in question with a very ordinary
+message from a Turkish gentleman with whom I have a slight acquaintance.
+The other Turks listened to me with the gravity peculiar to their
+nation, and then, before I could offer a word of remonstrance, treated
+me exactly as you saw."
+
+"At what time did you go there?"
+
+"It must have been nearly three o'clock, the day before yesterday," was
+the answer.
+
+"And what message did you bring?"
+
+"I was told to ask the Turkish gentlemen to be good enough to cross the
+Pont Neuf exactly at half-past six, when they would meet a friend who
+desired to give some information to them."
+
+"Oh! come now," said the commissary, with a knowing smile, "that will
+not do, Petit. You are far too old a hand to convey such a childish
+message as that. What reason can you have for seeking to shield these
+men who treated you in a barbarous way and left you to die a cruel
+death?"
+
+"On my honour----" began the thief melodramatically, but Brett here
+interrupted the conversation.
+
+"Will you allow me," he said to the commissary, "to put a few questions
+to this man?"
+
+"Certainly," was the answer.
+
+"Now listen," said Brett, sternly gazing at the truculent little rascal
+with those searching eyes of his, which seemed to reach to the very
+spine. "It is useless for you to attempt any further prevarication. We
+know exactly who are your confederates. We are acquainted with a large
+number of the gang that frequents the Cafe Noir. Do not forget that I
+was present when you tried to palm off on Hussein-ul-Mulk the false
+diamonds, which your confederates hoped he would accept. For you to
+attempt now to escape from the law is hopeless. The sole chance you have
+of remitting a punishment which may even lead you beneath the guillotine
+is to confess fully and freely all that you know concerning the outrage
+which has been committed.
+
+"No, don't interrupt me," he continued with even greater emphasis, when
+"Le Ver" tried to break in. "You will tell me that you merely acted as
+the agent of others, and that you yourself are not conscious of the
+nature of any crime that has been committed. I know that to be so. You
+have been made a mere tool. You are the cat, simply employed by the
+monkey to pull the chestnuts out of the fire, and you have only
+succeeded in getting your own paws burnt. Your sole chance of safety now
+is to inform the commissary and me exactly how you came to be mixed up
+with this affair."
+
+The Frenchman's truculency seemed to vanish under Brett's cutting words.
+His wizened face even manifested a faint flush of anger as the barrister
+pointed out how he had been duped by his employers and made to run risks
+which they avoided.
+
+Yet the order of his craft was strong in its influence, and he commenced
+another series of protestations.
+
+"I assure you, gentlemen," he cried, "that with respect to the Turks I
+have no knowledge whatever of their pursuits or motives. I was present
+when this English gentleman here was debating with them, and I
+understood that they even went so far as to use threats against him. My
+mission was to give to the leaders of the Turks a package which I did
+not even know contained diamonds, either genuine or false. No one could
+be more surprised than myself when the Turkish gentleman produced them."
+
+"Who sent you there with the diamonds?" said Brett.
+
+"Even that I cannot tell you," said Petit. "It was a mere chance affair.
+I was seated in a cafe sipping some absinthe when a man asked me if I
+would execute a small commission for him. He explained that it was to
+deliver a parcel at a house not five minutes distant, and----"
+
+"I see," interrupted Brett, with the cynical smile which so often
+disconcerted glib liars like Petit. "It is hopeless to expect you to
+tell the truth. However, I think I know a way to clear your wits. You
+must be brought face to face with La Belle Chasseuse. Perhaps when you
+are confronted with that lady in the room between the cafe and the
+billiard saloon of the Cabaret Noir----"
+
+"The Worm" gasped out brokenly--
+
+"Pardon, monsieur! I will tell you everything!"
+
+The man's face had absolutely become livid as he listened to the
+barrister's words.
+
+The commissary was vastly surprised at the turn taken by the
+conversation. He could not guess what deep significance lay behind the
+Englishman's threat, and, to tell the truth, Brett himself was
+considerably astonished at the effect of his vague insinuations, but he
+lost not a moment in following up the advantage thus gained.
+
+"Well," he said, "tell us now who it was that sent you to the Turks with
+the diamonds?"
+
+"It was Le Jongleur, Henri Dubois."
+
+"What?" cried the commissary, starting violently. "Henri Dubois! The
+most expert thief in France! A scoundrel against whom the police have
+vainly tried for years to secure evidence."
+
+"I know nothing of that, monsieur," said the little man, who seemed to
+be strangely crestfallen, "but I am telling you the truth this time. It
+was he who sent me the day before yesterday to the Rue Barbette, and
+again yesterday, although I was very unwilling to go the second time,
+because, as this gentleman will tell you, they looked very like
+murdering me on the first occasion."
+
+"What was the object of your visit yesterday?" said Brett.
+
+"There, monsieur, I have told you the truth, although monsieur the
+commissary here thinks it was childish. My instructions really were to
+ask them to meet him on the Pont Neuf at 6.30 p.m., when he said he
+would explain everything to their satisfaction. But, above all, I was to
+warn them to beware of the Englishman."
+
+"Then, why should they seize and gag you for conveying such a simple
+message?" demanded the commissary.
+
+"I cannot tell. I have done them no harm. Believe me, gentlemen both, I
+have not the slightest idea how these diamonds were obtained, or why
+there should be such a fuss about them. All I know is that these Turks
+are desperate fellows, and you won't catch me going near them again, I
+swear."
+
+"How long have you known Dubois?" said Brett.
+
+"Oh, two years more or less."
+
+"Have you ever been associated with him before?"
+
+"Never, monsieur. My record is there." And he again jerked his thumb
+towards the volume on the table. "It will tell you that I deal in small
+affairs. Dubois is an artist. If he found a woman's purse in the street
+he would return it to her with a bow, if she were rich and handsome--and
+with some francs added, if she were poor."
+
+"I know little about him," he continued, "except that he is a great man.
+They say that he once robbed the Bank of France of 200,000 francs!"
+
+And the little wretch's voice became tremulous with admiration as he
+recounted the legend.
+
+"He is a favoured lover of La Belle Chasseuse?" demanded Brett sharply.
+
+"The Worm" recovered his equanimity somewhat at this question. He softly
+drew his hand over his chin as he replied with a smirk: "There are
+others!"
+
+"I think not," came the quick retort. "No; there are none on whom
+mademoiselle bestows such favours. She left Paris with him last night."
+
+"The devil!" ejaculated the little man.
+
+"Oh, yes; and she has just passed a fortnight with him in London."
+
+"A thousand thunders!" screamed Petit. "Her father told me she was
+performing in a music-hall at Marseilles."
+
+The barrister had evidently touched a sore point, and "The Worm" was
+more ready than ever to tell all that he knew about Le Jongleur. But his
+information amounted to little more of importance. The chief fact had
+been ascertained, its predominant interest was the identity of the man
+who had planned and carried out the "Albert Gate outrage."
+
+Brett quickly realized that to question him further was useless. Petit
+evidently expected to be set at liberty at once. In this, however, he
+was disappointed, for the commissary curtly remanded him to the cells.
+
+Brett, on the other hand, made up his mind that "The Worm" at liberty
+might be more valuable to him than "The Worm" in gaol. So he asked the
+commissary, as a favour to himself, to set Petit free, first giving the
+thief to understand that he owed his release to the barrister's
+intervention.
+
+This was done, and "Le Ver" was voluble in his expressions of gratitude.
+Brett soon cut him short.
+
+"Here," he said, "are a couple of louis for your immediate necessities.
+I am living at the Grand Hotel, and I want you to call there each
+morning at ten o'clock. You will inquire at the office if Mr. Brett has
+left any message for you. Then, if I need your services, I will be able
+to reach you early."
+
+Petit protested that he would serve monsieur most willingly, and soon
+afterwards the barrister took leave of the commissary, promising to keep
+him fully posted as to further developments, and secure for him, and him
+only, the ultimate credit of capturing such a noted thief as Dubois.
+Fate settled matters differently.
+
+The French official was already much impressed by Brett's method of
+handling this difficult inquiry, and he consented readily enough not
+only to assist him in every possible way, but to restrain the police
+from further active interference in the case until matters had developed
+from their present stage.
+
+During the afternoon Brett received a visit from his actor acquaintance,
+who brought him a telegram from Marseilles. It read--
+
+"Mlle. Beauclaire has obtained an engagement here at the Palais de
+Glace. She makes her first appearance on Monday evening."
+
+Brett smiled as he realized how accurately he had interpreted the
+actions of La Belle Chasseuse and her companion.
+
+"This is certain," he said to himself. "They left Paris on Thursday
+night and they probably will not reach Marseilles until Monday. I have
+plenty of time to hear Talbot's story from his own lips before I take
+my departure for the South."
+
+An hour later he was seated in his room smoking and reading a magazine
+when the waiter appeared.
+
+"A lady and three gentlemen wish to see monsieur," he explained.
+
+He rose promptly, and accompanied the man to the foot of the staircase.
+There, near the elevator, he saw Edith Talbot, Lord Fairholme, and Sir
+Hubert Fitzjames, whilst with them was a tall, handsome young man, in
+whom the fair outlines of the girl's face were repeated in sterner and
+bolder characteristics.
+
+Edith was the first to catch sight of him. She sprang forward and cried
+with an impulsiveness that showed how deeply her quiet nature had been
+stirred.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Brett, I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you! Here is my
+brother!"
+
+The two men shook hands and looked at each other with a natural
+curiosity, for seldom had an acquaintance been made after more exciting
+preliminaries.
+
+"I am indeed glad to see you," said Brett, shaking Talbot's hand with
+more demonstrativeness than was usual to one of his quiet temperament.
+
+"Then how shall I find words to express myself?" was the reply, "for in
+my case there is joined to the pleasure of making a much-desired
+acquaintance the knowledge that to your efforts I am indebted for my
+liberty and possibly for my reputation."
+
+"We have much to say to each other," said the barrister. "I suppose you
+have secured rooms in the hotel?" he continued, turning to Miss Talbot.
+
+"Oh, yes, everything is settled," she cried. "The servants are looking
+after our trunks. I simply would not wait a moment until I had seen you.
+Please take us all somewhere at once where we can talk quietly."
+
+Brett answered with a smile: "Lord Fairholme and I have a sitting-room
+which we use in common, and which has already been the scene of many
+earnest conferences. Let us go there."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE RELEASE
+
+
+"Now, who talks first?" Brett cried, once the door was fairly closed
+behind them.
+
+"I do," burst forth Fairholme. "My story will not take long to tell, and
+if I do not get it off my chest, I shall simply explode."
+
+"We must not have any more tragedies," said Brett, "so proceed."
+
+"Well, thanks to your foresight, I found the two servants and your
+ex-policeman waiting for me on the platform at Charing Cross. As I only
+carried a handbag, I had no trouble with the Customs, and we walked
+straight out of the station. In less than five minutes we were standing
+outside the building which contained the invalid lady's flat. Your agent
+told me that, so far as he knew, there were no other persons in the
+place except the tenant and her two servants, an elderly French or
+Italian married couple. Our collective wits could not devise a plausible
+pretext for gaining access to the lady, so I determined to settle the
+business in the brutal British fashion. We marched quietly up the stairs
+to the second storey, and your assistant pointed out the right door.
+There were only two flats on that landing, and the other one was
+apparently empty. Your man had made a somewhat important discovery
+since he wrote to you. This empty flat had been taken by the agent who
+acted for the parties opposite, and although the place was not tenanted,
+the landlord was, of course, satisfied, as the rent had been paid in
+advance. This seemed to indicate that the place was left vacant simply
+to prevent the others from being overlooked."
+
+Brett marked his appreciation of Fairholme's sagacity by a nod, and the
+earl continued--
+
+"I rang the bell and promptly put my ear to the keyhole. It seemed to me
+that a couple of doors were hastily closed, and then someone slowly
+approached. The outer door was opened and a man's head appeared. I could
+only see his face and a portion of his left shoulder, because the chain
+was on the door, and the opening was not more than eight or ten inches.
+Speaking in broken English he said--'Vat you vant?' His accent showed
+that he was a Frenchman.
+
+"I answered in my best French, 'I wish to see madame, your mistress, at
+once.'
+
+"'It is impossible,' he said in the same language, and simultaneously he
+tried to shut the door in my face. I shoved my foot against the jamb and
+prevented him. At the same instant my own servant and I--as, if there
+was to be trouble, I thought it best to keep the others out of
+it--applied our utmost force to the door and succeeded in snapping the
+chain. It might have been a tough job, as you know that to force a way
+through anything that yields slightly and yet holds fast is much more
+difficult than to smash a lock or a couple of bolts. Luckily the flats
+were jerry built, so the chain broke, and so suddenly that the Frenchman
+was pitched violently backwards. We nearly fell after him. The
+ex-policeman was a splendid chap. His first idea was to jump towards the
+switch of the electric lights and turn on every lamp in the place.
+
+"I shouted, 'Talbot, are you there? It is I, Fairholme.'
+
+"I got no answer, but a woman darted out of a room which proved to be
+the kitchen, screamed something which I could not catch, and handed a
+revolver to the Frenchman, who was just struggling to his feet. That was
+where my prize-fighting butler came in useful. Before you could say
+'Wink' he gave the man an upper-cut that settled him effectually for the
+next minute. Almost with the same movement he caught the woman a slap
+over the ear that upset her nerves considerably. She had a revolver in
+her hand too. It fell to the floor, and Smith, your servant, seized both
+weapons.
+
+"The ex-policeman called out--'I do not think we are making any mistake,
+sir. They would not act after this manner if they were on the square.'
+
+"I must say it seemed to me that so far it was we who had been acting in
+an extraordinary way, but there was no time to discuss the ethics of the
+case then. Whilst my butler and Smith took care of the couple, your
+assistant and I hastily examined three rooms. They were empty, save for
+a small quantity of furniture. The fourth door resisted our efforts, so,
+of course, we burst it open. And the first thing that met our eyes was
+poor old Jack lying on his back on the bed, and glaring at us in a way
+that made me think at first he was mad."
+
+"I should think so," interrupted Talbot. "I would like to see your face
+if you were trussed up as I was--not able to speak a word--and a
+fiendish row going on in the passage outside."
+
+"You were gagged," questioned Brett, "and your wrists and ankles were
+secured to the four corners of the bed, your limbs being distended in
+the form of an X?"
+
+Fairholme glanced round admiringly. "Of course," he cried delightedly,
+"I knew you would guess it. That is the pleasant way these Turks have of
+securing their prisoners."
+
+"It is an awfully uncomfortable one," said Talbot. "My joints are still
+stiff at the mere recollection of it. I have lain in that way, Mr.
+Brett, for countless hours. Occasionally the brutes would allow me to
+change my posture, but the moment anyone came to the door I was strapped
+up in an instant and a gag slipped into my mouth. What used to make me
+so furious was the knowledge that if only I got the chance of a second I
+could have broken that Frenchman's neck and escaped, but he and his wife
+always took such precautions that I never had the liberty to do more
+than reach with some difficulty the food that they gave me. However, I
+must not interrupt."
+
+"I really have not much more to say," went on Fairholme. "You may be
+sure it did not take me long to release Talbot, and what do you think
+his first words were when he slowly sat up in bed and tried if his legs
+would bend?"
+
+"I cannot guess," said Brett.
+
+"He said: 'Have they got the diamonds?'
+
+"I answered 'Yes.'
+
+"'But it was impossible,' he said. 'They could not have mastered all
+those policemen.'
+
+"'But they did,' I replied, and then and there, before he would budge an
+inch, he made me tell him the whole story. Just as I had ended we heard
+a scuffle in the passage. We went out, though Jack was hardly able to
+walk at first. It was Smith wrestling with the woman, who was a regular
+wild cat, and who would, even then, have done us any mischief in her
+power. There was nothing for it but to tie her hands behind her back,
+and then fasten her securely in a chair. After this was done we took
+counsel as to our next movements."
+
+"Wait a little," said Brett. "How many rooms were there in the flat? You
+have accounted for four."
+
+"I forgot," said Fairholme. "The place had six rooms. The small
+apartment in which Jack was confined was a sort of dressing-room, and
+the bedroom beyond looked out into the well of the block of flats. They
+had carefully nailed the blind of this dressing-room, so that not even a
+chance puff of wind could blow it aside and reveal its secret to anyone
+in the flats on the opposite storey or higher. The remaining room was
+empty. Your friend the policeman subsequently searched the place from
+top to toe, but he found nothing. The only document of any importance
+was an address on a card which he discovered in the Frenchman's pocket."
+
+"Ah," said Brett, "what was that address?"
+
+"Here it is."
+
+The earl produced a small piece of pasteboard on which was scribbled,
+"Monsieur Jean Beaujolais, chez Monsieur Henri de Lisle, 41, Rue
+Bonnerie, Paris."
+
+"That is important," said the barrister. "Why did you not wire it to me
+last night?"
+
+"I had a reason," said the earl eagerly, "but that comes in with Jack's
+part of the story." And he turned towards Talbot, who, thus summoned to
+the stage, began to explain matters.
+
+"I understand, Mr. Brett," he said, "that you are accurately acquainted
+with all that transpired until the moment when I entered the Albert Gate
+mansion on that remarkable night?"
+
+"That is so," said Brett.
+
+"Well, when Inspector Sharpe met me at the door on my arrival he told me
+that his Excellency Mehemet Ali, with three strange gentlemen and the
+junior members of the commission, awaited me in the dining-room. I went
+in and was surprised to find the three visitors, for during the
+preceding month not a single stranger had entered the house save a
+member of the Government and one or two important officials of the
+Foreign Office, who came with me out of sheer curiosity to see a
+collection of remarkable diamonds.
+
+"The strangers bowed politely when I was introduced. Two of them spoke
+neither French nor English, but the third man spoke French fluently. He
+had, by the way, a somewhat peculiar accent, different from that to
+which I was accustomed in the Turks. It was softer, more sibilant, and
+impressed me as that of a man who was accustomed to speak Italian. He
+was a good-looking chap, about my height and build, and were it not for
+his brown skin, one would not have regarded him as a Turk. One side of
+his face was deeply scarred with a sword-cut, but, if anything, this did
+not detract from his appearance, and it gave a manly aspect to an
+otherwise effeminate face."
+
+Brett could not help smiling involuntarily.
+
+"Are you sure it was a sword-cut?"
+
+"It certainly looked like one."
+
+"And his skin was very brown?"
+
+"Oh, quite. Indeed it was a shade deeper than that of most Turks. I
+have seen very many of them. Although dark-featured, they are often
+pallid enough in reality, and their deep-hued complexion is due more to
+their black hair and eyebrows than to the mere colour of the skin."
+
+Brett smiled again.
+
+"I think," he said, "I will show you the same gentleman in a somewhat
+different aspect. But proceed."
+
+"The explanation given to me by Mehemet Ali was both extraordinary and
+disconcerting, especially at such a late hour. He told me that the three
+gentlemen to whom I had been introduced--I am sorry, by the way, that I
+cannot remember their names, as they were all Mohammeds, or Rasuls, or
+Ibrahims, and the dramatic events of the night subsequently drove them
+from my mind--had been sent post haste from Constantinople on a special
+mission. They had only reached London that night, and they bore with
+them a special mandate, signed by the Sultan himself, directing Mehemet
+Ali to hand over the diamonds to their charge, and to at once return
+with his assistants to Yildiz Kiosk.
+
+"There could be no questioning the authenticity of the Sultan's
+instructions. The document was in his own handwriting, was endorsed with
+his private seal, and conveyed other distinguishing marks which rendered
+his Excellency assured on this important point. He told me that he was
+compelled to obey implicitly, and were it possible he would have started
+from London that night. This, however, was out of the question, but he
+had not lost a moment in sending for me and acquainting me with his
+Majesty's wishes.
+
+"You will readily perceive that the affair placed me in an awkward
+predicament. I was, so to speak, representing the British Government in
+the matter, and the Foreign Office had pledged itself, through our
+Ambassador at Constantinople, to undertake all the precautions for
+safeguarding the diamonds with which you are acquainted. It seemed to me
+that notwithstanding the urgency of the Sultan's order, I should not be
+doing my duty to permit the transfer to be made in such an irregular
+manner. So I said quite plainly that the matter could not be settled
+that night. They must all wait until the morning, when I would consult
+my Department, and Mehemet Ali, together with his aides, could leave for
+Constantinople by the evening train, after my superiors had been
+acquainted with the Sultan's wishes.
+
+"Turks are difficult people to understand. It seemed to me that my
+decision gave some satisfaction to Mehemet Ali, who was undoubtedly very
+much upset by the queer manner in which he had been deposed from his
+important trust. At once an animated discussion took place."
+
+"In French?" interrupted Brett.
+
+"No; in Turkish."
+
+"Did the gentleman with the sabre-cut on his face take any part
+therein?"
+
+"Not in the least. He sat and smoked cigarettes in the most unconscious
+manner possible, leaving his two associates to carry on the
+conversation."
+
+As the barrister appeared to have no further question to ask at the
+moment, Talbot continued--
+
+"Several times Mehemet Ali appealed to me to change my mind and formally
+ratify the transfer at once. I was quite firm in my refusal, and did not
+hesitate to describe the Sultan's demands as ridiculous. I was rendered
+more determined, if anything, in this attitude by a growing certainty
+in my mind that his Excellency himself approved of my attitude.
+Ultimately, it seems, they hit upon a compromise. The whole party would
+remain together all night in a sort of dual control, and then the change
+of guardianship would take place next day in accordance with my views as
+to what was right and proper. I must admit I was intensely relieved when
+this decision was arrived at. Looking back now over the events of the
+night, I can perceive that from that moment the gang who effected the
+murders and the robbery had me in their power, for they had completely
+succeeded in allaying my suspicions, and I can only plead in extenuation
+of my shortsightedness that Mehemet Ali himself, and the other gentlemen
+with whom I had been acquainted during the past month, were willing
+accessories to the arrangement."
+
+"I do not see," said Brett, "that you have the slightest cause to
+reproach yourself. You acted quite properly throughout, and I am sure
+that when all the facts are known your status at the Foreign Office will
+be improved rather than diminished by this incident."
+
+The other man's face flushed with pleasure as he heard these words.
+
+"Thank you," he replied simply. "I certainly took every precaution that
+suggested itself to me. Subsequently I was the victim of circumstances.
+The French-speaking Turk, as I have told you, took no part whatever in
+the negotiations, and when he became aware of the _modus operandi_
+determined upon----"
+
+"By the way," said Brett, "how did he become aware of it?"
+
+"Oh, Mehemet Ali told him in French."
+
+"Didn't that strike you as curious?"
+
+"Most certainly it did. But the scoundrel explained it afterwards by
+telling me that although a Turkish subject, he had lived in Algiers and
+France since he was a child, and had quite forgotten his mother tongue.
+But he was employed in a confidential position in the Turkish Embassy at
+Paris, owing not only to family influence, but to his intimate
+acquaintance with the French language."
+
+"Ah!" said Brett, "Monsieur Henri Dubois has a ready wit."
+
+"What!" cried Edith, who naturally enough was following each word with
+the utmost interest, "do you already know his name?"
+
+"Not only his name," replied Brett, "but his identity, Miss Talbot. You
+shall see him in another skin and without the sword-cut. It is possible,
+however, that before we meet, this distinguishing mark may be replaced
+by a fractured skull or a bullet wound."
+
+Fairholme suddenly clenched his right fist and examined his knuckles,
+his unconscious action causing the others to laugh.
+
+"Is he a Frenchman, then?" said Talbot.
+
+"Unquestionably--a most modern product."
+
+"And his name is Dubois?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"All right. In future I will allude to him by his proper title. Well,
+Monsieur Dubois strolled towards me with the easy confidence of a man
+who was sure of himself.
+
+"'This affair bores me,' he said. 'I see no reason why I, who am in no
+way concerned with the Sultan's collection of precious stones, should
+sit up all night keeping guard over them with these very earnest
+gentlemen here. I am going to my hotel. I have sent my portmanteau to
+the Carlton. Will you honour me by driving there and telling me
+something about your wonderful London as we go?'
+
+"The man looked at me with a meaning in his eyes that conveyed quite
+plainly the intimation--
+
+"'We can talk quietly in the cab, and I can explain much that is at
+present hidden.' Unfortunately I fell in with his suggestions.
+
+"We crossed the dining-room together. We were searched by the police in
+the hall, much to his apparent surprise, and then we drove off through
+St. George's Place.
+
+"He at once aroused my curiosity by telling me sensational details of a
+widespread plot to dethrone the Sultan. An essential part of the
+conspiracy was to obtain possession of the diamonds before they had been
+cut, as they were an heirloom from the Prophet, and it would be a
+terrible thing in the eyes of the more fanatical section of the
+Mohammedans if they were tampered with in any way.
+
+"This sounded reasonable enough, as the same story had been dinned in my
+ears for several weeks.
+
+"He made out that for reasons of State the Sultan had decided to change
+the Minister Plenipotentiary charged with secret mission to London.
+
+"Altogether he talked so candidly, and with such an air of treating the
+whole business as the bugbear of a timid monarch, that I really believed
+him.
+
+"At last we reached the Carlton. We got out and he paid the cabman, who
+drove off round the corner; then my new acquaintance explained to me
+that he placed no greater trust in his fellow-countrymen than did their
+ruler. Therefore he had led them to believe he was staying at that
+hotel, whereas he had in reality taken up his abode in the flat of a
+French family with whom he was acquainted. If I would come with him for
+a moment he promised to place me in possession of certain documents
+which would render easy my explanations to the Foreign Office next
+morning.
+
+"I accompanied him without hesitation, secure in the knowledge that a
+strong force of police guarded my charge at Albert Gate, both inside and
+outside the house. We went to the mansions where he said he lived. The
+place had a perfectly respectable exterior, and is situated, as you
+know, in a reputable thoroughfare. We ascended to the second floor,
+entered the flat, and were ushered by a middle-aged Frenchwoman into a
+sort of sitting-room.
+
+"Dubois turned to a writing-desk and unlocked a drawer.
+
+"'Here are the documents I promised you, Mr. Talbot,' he said; but, to
+my amazement, he whipped out a revolver and held it within two feet of
+my breast.
+
+"'If you move, or attempt to cry out, you are a dead man!' he cried.
+
+"At the same instant a door behind me opened and some three or four
+persons entered. I was so furious at the trick that had been played upon
+me that I disregarded his threat and sprang at him, but he did not fire.
+Flinging the revolver behind him on the writing-table he closed with me.
+Before I well knew what had happened I was tied hand and foot, gagged,
+and placed helpless in a chair. A few minutes later, after a muttered
+consultation between my captors, I was taken to the room in which
+Fairholme found me, and I never left the place until nearly nine o'clock
+last night.
+
+"It was a most ghastly experience. I would sooner die than go through it
+again.
+
+"If ever I get within measurable distance of Monsieur Henri Dubois I
+promise you that I will repay him with interest some of the agony he
+inflicted on me. I never thought I should hate a man as I hate that
+Frenchman. I do not want to kill him. I want to torture him!"
+
+This was the first sign that Talbot had given of the anger that filled
+his soul. For a moment no one spoke. Edith stifled a sob, and Sir Hubert
+Fitzjames broke the tension by swearing as vehemently as ever did the
+army in Flanders.
+
+"You have suffered," said Brett quietly, "but not in vain. It is only by
+the manner in which these blackguards treated you that we have obtained
+so much knowledge. Your capture was a necessary part of their scheme. I
+wonder now that after you had served their purpose they did not kill
+you. It was not out of pity, believe me. The fact that you were spared
+confirms me in the opinion that the Albert Gate murders were a gigantic
+blunder, never contemplated by the expert criminal who planned the
+theft. But continue. What happened afterwards?"
+
+Talbot almost summoned up a smile as he said--"Really, the next thing
+was so grotesque that were not the whole business so serious a one you
+would be compelled to laugh at it.
+
+"Looking back now to those first ghastly hours when I laid on the bed
+tied hand and foot, I find it difficult to recall any definite
+impressions. It would be absurd to say that I suffered, either mentally
+or physically. I was sunk in a sort of stupor of rage, and my bonds did
+not hurt me so long as I kept quiet. Curiously enough, my thoughts were
+somewhat altruistic. Instead of speculating as to my own fate I rather
+wondered what would be the outcome of the whole mysterious business. I
+could not bring myself to believe that, cleverly as the rogues had
+outwitted me, they would be able to similarly dupe a strong body of
+Metropolitan police, not to mention Mehemet Ali and his assistants.
+
+"At last I fell asleep, dozing fitfully at first, but finally giving way
+to the deep slumber of exhaustion.
+
+"I was awakened by someone shaking me, though not roughly. It took me
+some time to recover my scattered senses, and at first I was almost
+unable to move, owing to the constrained position of my limbs. As well
+as I could judge it was not yet daylight, for the electric lamps were
+turned on, and I subsequently found that such rays of natural light as
+penetrated into my room during the day did not arrive for a considerable
+time.
+
+"Thenceforth, of course, my sole method of judging the progress of time
+was by the alternation of meals and the difference of light between day
+and night.
+
+"Someone assisted me to assume a sitting posture, the cords attached to
+my wrists were relaxed, and I was firmly held by two men--one a Turk
+whom I had not seen before, the other a Frenchman whom you found in the
+flat.
+
+"At the foot of the bed were standing Dubois and a closely-veiled
+female--a young woman, as well as I could judge, and a person of tall
+and elegant stature, who, it would appear, spoke only French.
+
+"Dubois addressed me calmly.
+
+"'I hope,' he said, 'you are in a better temper, my dear Talbot?'
+
+"'It does not appear to me that the state of my temper is of any
+material significance,' I answered.
+
+"'No,' he replied nonchalantly. 'The game is in my hands, and will
+probably remain there for a considerable period. But I do not wish to be
+unkind. You have, I am given to understand, a highly respectable uncle
+and a very charming sister, who will no doubt suffer much perturbation
+owing to your mysterious disappearance. Now, you may not think it, but I
+am a very humane sort of fellow. Consequently, I am quite agreeable that
+you should write them a brief note, omitting of course all superfluous
+information, such as dates, addresses, and other embarrassing facts, but
+simply telling them that you are well. I will guarantee its safe
+delivery.'
+
+"Naturally, I jumped at the offer. The veiled lady supplied me with a
+sheet of notepaper and an envelope, and I scribbled the unfortunate
+letter which was subsequently posted in Paris and caused such a
+sensation. I had only one hand at liberty, so Dubois politely offered to
+seal the envelope for me, first, however, reading carefully what I had
+written.
+
+"'That is quite correct,' he said; 'it will relieve their feelings and
+prove at the same time highly serviceable to me, as the letter will be
+posted in Paris and not in London. You see, my dear Talbot, how readily
+you fall in with my plans. You are as putty in my hands. Now, I suppose,
+being a brave Englishman, you would sooner have died than written this
+letter if you had guessed it would prove of material assistance to me?'
+
+"I fear I used some very bad language to Dubois, notwithstanding the
+presence of the lady, but he paid little heed to me, and the pair at
+once undertook the most curious proceedings I have ever witnessed.
+
+"They had before them a table set out with all sorts of paint, paste,
+and powders, such as one might expect to find in an actor's
+dressing-room.
+
+"Sitting himself astride a chair so that the light fell on his face,
+Dubois submitted himself to the skilful hands of the woman, who
+forthwith began to make him up in an exact resemblance to me. The right
+side of his face was towards me, but when, in obedience to her
+requirements, he turned somewhat, I noticed to my astonishment that the
+scar which I have mentioned had completely disappeared, and then I saw
+that his Turkish complexion had also vanished, leaving him a
+particularly white-skinned Frenchman, with a high colour."
+
+"Ah!" said Brett, leaning back in his chair and attentively surveying
+the ceiling.
+
+"You must remember," went on Talbot, "that my wits were somewhat
+confused by the extraordinary circumstances of the hour. Having been so
+suddenly awakened from a sound sleep, and subsequently annoyed by the
+incident of the letter, it took me some moments to recognize these
+discrepancies in his appearance. At first, so to speak, I knew him
+immediately as Dubois, but the more I looked at him the less confident I
+would have been were it not that his voice and manner supplied unerring
+indications of his identity.
+
+"The lady proceeded with her work in the most business-like fashion, and
+to my intense amazement he quickly assumed a marked resemblance to
+myself. Not such, perhaps, as would bear close scrutiny, but rather the
+effect attained by a skilful artist in a rapid sketch, or caught by a
+fleeting glance whilst passing a mirror.
+
+"'What is the game now?' I cried, when the true nature of their purpose
+dawned upon me.
+
+"'Oh, just the same,' replied Dubois, grinning, 'I merely wish to puzzle
+the thick-headed brains of you Englishmen a little more. That is all.'
+
+"'Halloa!' I cried, 'you understand English?'
+
+"'Yes,' he answered coolly. 'It is frequently necessary in my business.'
+
+"'Well,' I said, 'there can be no doubt that you are an accomplished
+villain. What you intend to achieve by masquerading in this fashion I
+utterly fail to understand. You can never be such a fool as to think
+that you will be able to gain admittance to Albert Gate by impersonating
+me. Were you even to succeed you would still be as far off as ever from
+securing your booty, which, I suppose, is the Imperial diamond and its
+companions.'
+
+"'Really,' he said, with a sneer, 'I thought that you, Mr. Talbot, were
+endowed with a little more intelligence than the average. Pardon,
+Mignon, _pour un moment_.'
+
+"He rose from his chair, unfastened a case which he took from the
+breast-pocket of his overcoat, and showed me the diamonds which had been
+the object of so much care and solicitude on my part during many weeks.
+
+"'You see,' he continued, seating himself again, whilst the lady resumed
+her task without a word, 'the business has been satisfactorily
+accomplished, Mr. Talbot. The diamonds are here; so are you.
+Unfortunately his Excellency and the secretaries are with the Prophet.
+You will, I am sure, express my regrets to the police, to the Foreign
+Office, and to all concerned, that the Sultan's commissionaries should
+have been so unceremoniously despatched to Paradise. It was not my
+fault, believe me, nor was it altogether necessary. I am in no way
+responsible for the bungling measures adopted by my Turkish assistants.
+You see, in Constantinople they are accustomed to these drastic means of
+settling disputes.'
+
+"He rattled on so pleasantly that I hardly grasped the true significance
+of his words, so I replied with almost equal flippancy--
+
+"'I will be most pleased to convey your regrets to the proper
+authorities. May I ask when I shall be at liberty to do so?'
+
+"'Ah,' he said, 'there you puzzle even my intelligence. It will
+certainly be days, it may be weeks, before you can communicate with your
+friends.'"
+
+"A sudden frenzy seized me at those words, and I endeavoured to smash
+the heads of my two gaolers together by throwing them off their balance
+outwards, and then rapidly contracting my arms. Thereupon I made another
+discovery. A cord lying loosely round my neck was suddenly tightened,
+and I was thrown back choking. A fourth man, of whose presence I was
+unconscious, was stationed behind me and held the noose in his hands.
+
+"It was some time before I recovered my breath or my speech.
+
+"At last I was allowed to rise again, and Dubois said with a quiet smile
+which was intensely irritating--
+
+"'By this time, Mr. Talbot, you should have realized that you have not
+fallen into the hands of children. We do not wish to do you a mischief.
+Indeed, it would not suit our purpose. It is far from our desire to
+quarrel with the British Government or to take the life of one of its
+rising young diplomatists. The dispute in which you are unfortunately
+involved is between a certain section of the Sultan's subjects and that
+potentate himself. But really you must recognize the absolute
+helplessness of your position. You have just received a stern reminder.
+Let it be the last, for if you give us any more trouble we may end a
+difficult situation by effectively cutting your throat. Such an
+operation would be distasteful to us and most distressing to you. So
+please do not compel us to perform it.'
+
+"I glared at him viciously. Speak I could not, but he paid no further
+attention to me, and his make-up was now pronounced to be perfect by his
+critical companion.
+
+"'_Vous etes un tres bel Anglais, mon vieux,_' she cried, coquettishly
+setting her head on one side and glancing first at him and then at me."
+
+"The cat!" cried Edith. "She evidently thought you good-looking, Jack."
+
+Talbot blushed and laughed at the involuntary slip.
+
+"I am not responsible for her opinions," he said. "I am simply telling
+you what happened.
+
+"Dubois left the room," he continued, "and returned in a few moments,
+dressed in an English tweed suit, with my overcoat and a deerstalker
+cap. Upon my honour, he was so like me that, notwithstanding my rage, I
+was compelled to smile at him. He caught my transient mood for an
+instant.
+
+"'_Tiens!_!' he cried, 'that is better. The surgical operation is
+beginning to take effect. You see the joke?'
+
+"'It is a somewhat bitter species of humour,' I replied. 'Perhaps in the
+future it may have a sequel.'
+
+"'Life is made up of sequels,' was the airy answer. 'Events generally
+turn out to be so completely opposite to that which I anticipated that I
+no longer give them a thought. I live only for the present, and at this
+moment I am victorious. But now, Mr. Talbot, I purpose taking a little
+trip to the Continent on your account. I hope, therefore, for your sake,
+that the Channel will be smooth.'
+
+"With a mock bow of much politeness he took his leave, carrying with him
+the case of diamonds. I have never seen him since. Last night in the
+Foreign Office I met Captain Gaultier, who told me of the _rencontre_ on
+the steamer. I readily forgave him for the mistake he had made with
+reference to my appearance, but it was too bad that he should imagine I
+would bolt to Paris with a lady of theatrical appearance in broad
+daylight."
+
+"Yes," cried Fairholme, "if it had been the night steamer----"
+
+"Bobby!" exclaimed Edith.
+
+"Oh, I meant, of course," stammered Fairholme, "that by night Gaultier
+might have been more easily mistaken."
+
+"Well, and what happened at the Foreign Office?"
+
+Brett's question recalled the younger people to the gravity of the
+conclave.
+
+"First of all," said Talbot, "Fairholme drove me straight home, where it
+was necessary to give some slight preliminary explanation before I made
+a too sudden appearance, so I remained in the cab outside whilst
+Fairholme went in and found Edith."
+
+"Ah!" said Brett, still surveying the ceiling; but there was so much
+meaning in his voice that this time it was the turn of the young couple
+to blush.
+
+"We did not take long to explain matters," continued Talbot. "I sent off
+messengers post-haste to the Under-Secretary and others suggesting that
+if possible we should meet at the Foreign Office. Within an hour my
+chiefs were good enough to fall in with my views, and therefore I had an
+opportunity to tell them my story exactly as I have repeated it to you.
+The result is that I carry with me a letter from the Under-Secretary in
+which he explains his views. I am already acquainted with his reasons,
+but I have no doubt that he puts them before you quite clearly."
+
+He handed a letter to Brett. Its contents were laconic, but
+unmistakable--
+
+"The inquiry in which you are engaged," it read, "must be conducted with
+the utmost secrecy and discretion. The gravest political importance is
+attached to its outcome. No trouble or expense should be allowed to
+interfere with the restoration of the diamonds to their rightful owner.
+The British Government will regard this as a most valuable service to
+the State, and Mr. Talbot is commissioned to place at your disposal the
+full resources of the Foreign Office. You will also find that his
+Majesty's Ministers throughout Europe have been advised to give you
+every assistance, whilst there is little reason to doubt that the
+various European Governments will be ready to offer you all possible
+support. The first consideration is the restoration of the gems intact
+to the Sultan; the second, absolute secrecy as to the whole of the
+circumstances."
+
+"Whew!" whistled Brett. "Read between the lines, this communication
+shows the serious nature of our quest. If those diamonds are not
+recovered, a revolution in Turkey is the almost certain outcome, and
+Heaven alone knows what that means to the European Powers most
+concerned."
+
+"If you succeed," said Sir Hubert Fitzjames, "the Government will make
+you a baronet."
+
+"If you succeed," growled Talbot, "I will get even with that Frenchman."
+
+"And when you succeed," said Fairholme, in a matter-of-fact tone that
+indicated the wild improbability of any other outcome, "Edith and I will
+get married!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+"TOUT VA BIEN"
+
+
+Brett now deemed it advisable to take the commissary of police fully
+into his confidence. The official promptly suggested that every
+personage in Paris connected even remotely with the mystery--Gros Jean,
+the Turks, the waiter at the Cafe Noir, and even the little thief "Le
+Ver"--should be arrested and subjected to a _proces verbal_.
+
+But Brett would not hear of this proceeding.
+
+He quite firmly reminded the commissary that the wishes of the British
+Government must be respected in this matter, and the proposed wholesale
+arrests of persons, some of whom were in no way cognisant of the crime,
+would assuredly lead to publicity and the appearance of sensational
+statements in the Press.
+
+"But, monsieur," cried the Frenchman, "something must be done. Even you,
+I presume, intend to lay hands on the principal men. While they are
+wandering about the country each hour makes it easier for them to
+secrete the diamonds so effectually that no matter what may be the
+result the Sultan will never recover his property."
+
+"Calm yourself, I beg," said the barrister, with difficulty compelling
+himself to reason with this excitable policeman. "You speak as though we
+had in our hands every jot of evidence to secure the conviction of
+Dubois and his associates before a judge."
+
+"But is it not so?" screamed the other.
+
+"No; it is very far from being so. Let us look at the facts. In the
+first place the Turks will not speak. They are political fanatics. The
+moment a policeman arrests them they become dumb. Torture would bring
+nothing from them but lies. Then we have the two people who acted as Mr.
+Talbot's gaolers. What charge can we prefer against them? Merely one of
+illegal detention, whilst they would probably defend themselves by
+saying that Talbot was represented to them as a lunatic whose restraint
+was necessary for family reasons. Then we come to Dubois himself and the
+fair Mlle. Beaucaire. In the first place, you may be certain that they
+have provided a strong alibi to prove that they were in Paris on the
+days when we are certain they were in London. Who can identify either of
+them? The lady we rule out of court at once. The only persons who saw
+her were Mr. Talbot and Captain Gaultier, the latter of whom has already
+placed on record the statement that he would not recognize her again.
+Talbot's evidence is stronger, but I would not like to hear him
+subjected to the merciless cross-examination of an able counsel. As for
+Dubois, there are two inspectors of police and a dozen intelligent
+Metropolitan constables who would be forced to swear that he was not the
+man who entered Albert Gate on the night of the murder in company with
+the other Turks. I tell you candidly, monsieur, that in my opinion the
+case would not only break down very badly, but Mr. Talbot would leave
+the court under grave suspicion, whilst I would be regarded by the
+public as a meddlesome idiot."
+
+"Then what are we to do?" said the commissary, piteously throwing out
+his hands and shrugging his shoulders with the eloquent French gesture
+that betokens utter bewilderment.
+
+"Difficult though it may be, we must first accomplish the main part of
+our work. In other words, we must secure the diamonds before we collar
+the murderers."
+
+The Frenchman was silent for a moment. At last he said submissively--
+
+"In what way can I help?"
+
+"By procuring for me from the chief of your department an authorization
+to call in the aid of the police when and where I may desire their
+assistance. This, of course, will render necessary on his part some
+inquiry before I am entrusted with such an important document. The
+British Embassy in Paris and your own Foreign Office will quickly supply
+you with the reasons why this power should be given to me."
+
+"But what of the house of the Rue Bonbonnerie?"
+
+"You anticipated my next request. Whilst you are looking to that letter
+you must place at my disposal two of your most trusty agents. In their
+company Lord Fairholme and I purpose visiting the house to-night."
+
+They were conversing in the commissary's office at a late hour after
+Brett had quitted his friend in the Grand Hotel.
+
+[Illustration: Reginald Brett. --_Page 200._]
+
+Within a few minutes the two Englishmen and their French companions were
+standing outside No. 41, Rue Bonbonnerie, and they found that Monsieur
+de Lisle kept a small shop, whose only significant feature was a placard
+announcing that letters might be addressed there.
+
+"Oh," said Brett, when he noticed this legend, "this is simple. We need
+not waste much time here."
+
+The four men walked inside, crowding the narrow space before a
+diminutive counter. The proprietor was supping in style, as they could
+perceive through the glass top of the door which communicated with the
+sitting-room at the back. His feast consisted of a tankard of thin wine,
+half a loaf of black bread, and two herrings.
+
+The man was surprised by the sudden incursion of customers. He came out
+looking puzzled and alarmed.
+
+"Have you any letters here for Monsieur Jean Beaujolais?" said Brett.
+
+"No, monsieur."
+
+"Have you received any letters for a person of that name?"
+
+"No, monsieur."
+
+"I suppose you never heard the name of Jean Beaujolais before in your
+life?"
+
+"I think not, monsieur."
+
+"Then," exclaimed Brett, turning quietly away, "I fear you must be
+arrested. These two gentlemen"--and he nodded towards the
+detectives--"will take you to the Prefecture, where perhaps your memory
+may improve."
+
+The man blanched visibly. His teeth chattered, and his hands shook as if
+with ague, whilst he nervously arranged some small objects on the
+counter.
+
+"I cry your pardon, monsieur," he stammered, "but you will understand
+that I receive letters at my shop for a small fee, and I cannot remember
+the names of all my customers. I will search with pleasure among those
+now in my possession to see if there are any for M. Beaujolais."
+
+"You are simply incriminating yourself," said Brett sternly. "If your
+excuse were a genuine one you would first have looked among your letters
+before answering so glibly that the name of Beaujolais was unfamiliar."
+
+"I beg of you to listen," cried the dismayed shopkeeper. "I had no idea
+you were from the Prefecture, otherwise I would have answered you in the
+first instance. There have been letters here for Monsieur Beaujolais.
+They came from London. He called for them three or four times. The last
+letter arrived yesterday morning. It is here now. I have not seen
+Monsieur Beaujolais since the previous evening."
+
+He took from a drawer a packet of letters tied together with string, and
+the handwriting betrayed the contents of most of them. They evidently
+dealt with that species of the tender passion which finds its outlet in
+the agony column or in fictitious addresses.
+
+One of the detectives did not trust to Monsieur de Lisle's examination.
+He seized the bundle and went through its contents carefully, but this
+time Monsieur de Lisle was speaking the truth.
+
+There was only one letter addressed to Beaujolais, and it bore a foreign
+postmark. Brett tore it open. It contained a single sheet of notepaper,
+without a date or address, or any words save these, scrawled across the
+centre--
+
+                         "_Tout va bien_."
+
+He placed the document and its envelope in his pocket-book, and then
+fixed his keen glance on the shopkeeper's pallid face.
+
+"What sort of a person is Monsieur Beaujolais?"
+
+The man was still so nervous that he could hardly speak.
+
+"I am not good at descriptions," he began.
+
+So Brett helped.
+
+"Was he a Frenchman, about my height, elegant in appearance, well built,
+with long thin hands and straight tapering fingers, with very fair skin
+and high colour, dark hair and large eyes set deeply beneath well-marked
+eyebrows?"
+
+"That is he to the life," cried the shopkeeper. "Monsieur must know him
+well. I recall him now exactly, but I could not for a hundred francs
+have described him so accurately."
+
+"How long have you known him?" broke in Brett.
+
+"Let me think," mused the man, who had now somewhat recovered from his
+alarm. "He came here one day last week--I think it was Thursday, because
+that day my daughter Marie--no matter what Marie did, I remember the
+date quite well now. He came in and asked me if I did not receive
+letters for a fee. I said 'Yes,' and told him that I charged ten
+centimes per letter. He gave me his name, and thereafter called
+regularly to obtain the enclosure from London. He always handed me half
+a franc and would never take any change."
+
+"Was he alone?"
+
+"Invariably, monsieur."
+
+"Thank you. You will not be arrested to-night. I think you have told the
+truth."
+
+The shopkeeper's protestations that he had given every assistance in
+his power followed them into the street.
+
+Brett dismissed the two detectives and returned to the hotel, where he
+and Fairholme found Edith and her brother sitting up for them. When
+Talbot heard the contents of the letter he remarked: "I suppose that
+'All goes well' means that I am still a prisoner?"
+
+"Undoubtedly," said the barrister. "The letter was posted in the
+Haymarket. It came from your French host. I wonder what he will write
+now? By the way, where is he? Did you lose sight of the couple after
+your escape?"
+
+"I did," laughed Talbot. "But Inspector Winter did not. By some
+mysterious means he learnt all about Fairholme's action in smashing in
+the door. Whilst I was at the Foreign Office that night he arrested both
+the man and the woman."
+
+"Winter is a perfect terror," said Brett. "He dreams of handcuffs and
+penal servitude. I hope this couple will not be brought to trial, or at
+any rate that your name will not be mixed up in it."
+
+"Oh, no. As soon as I heard the Under-Secretary's wishes, I promptly
+communicated with Scotland Yard. The Frenchman and his wife will be
+remanded on a mysterious charge of abetting a felony and held in durance
+vile until their testimony is wanted, should we ever capture Dubois."
+
+At Brett's request, detectives were hunting through Paris all that night
+and the next day for a sign of Hussein-ul-Mulk and his Turkish friends.
+But these gentlemen had vanished as completely as if the earth had
+swallowed them up.
+
+This was a strange thing. Although Paris is a cosmopolitan city, a party
+of Turks, only one of whom could speak French, should be discovered
+with tolerable rapidity in view of the fact that the French police
+maintain such a watch upon the inhabitants.
+
+It was not until Brett and his four companions quitted the train at
+Marseilles late at night and the barrister received a telegram from the
+commissary announcing that the search made by the police had yielded no
+results, that he suddenly recalled the existence of a doorless and
+windowless room in the Cafe Noir.
+
+Curiously enough, he had omitted to make any mention of this strange
+apartment in his recital to the official. He would not trust to the
+discretion of the Telegraph Department, so on reaching the Hotel du
+Louvre et de la Paix he succeeded, after some difficulty, in ringing up
+the commissary on the long-distance telephone.
+
+Having acquainted the police officer with the exact position of the
+hidden apartment, he ended by saying--
+
+"Continue inquiries throughout Paris during the whole of to-morrow. Do
+not visit the Cabaret Noir for the purpose of police inspection until a
+late hour--long after midnight--when the cafe is empty and the Boulevard
+comparatively deserted. It is only a mere guess on my part. The Turks
+may not be there. If they are, they should be set at liberty and not
+questioned. Tell them they owe their escape to me. If you do not find
+them you may make other discoveries of general interest to the police.
+But above all things, I do not wish you to interfere with Gros Jean or
+his house until the next twenty-four hours have elapsed."
+
+The commissary assured him that his desires would be respected, and soon
+afterwards Brett went upstairs with the full determination to secure a
+long and uninterrupted night's sleep, of which he stood much in need.
+
+He had reached the sitting-room reserved for the use of the party when
+Talbot and Lord Fairholme burst in excitedly.
+
+"We have seen her!" gasped the earl.
+
+"Seen whom?" demanded the barrister.
+
+"Mademoiselle Beaucaire," cried Talbot; "the woman who accompanied
+Dubois in his flight from London. I recognized her instantly. I could
+pick her out among a million as the same person who so coolly made up
+Dubois to represent me, whilst I was lying tied on the bed in that
+flat."
+
+In their eagerness the two men had forgotten to close the door. Brett
+ran to it, and looked out into the passage to learn if their words had
+perchance been overheard. No one was in sight. He closed the door behind
+him when he re-entered the room, and said quietly--
+
+"How did you happen to meet her?"
+
+"Whilst you were wrestling with the telephone," said Fairholme, "Edith
+and Jack and I went to the door of the hotel to have a look at the
+people passing in the Cannebiere. None of us have ever been in
+Marseilles before, you know. We were gazing at the crowd, when suddenly
+Jack gripped my arm and said: 'There she is! Look at that woman, quick!'
+He pointed to a tall, well-dressed female, wrapped up in a fur cloak,
+and wearing a large feather hat. Luckily her veil was up, and the
+electric light fell fully on her as she passed. She was undoubtedly La
+Belle Chasseuse, and I bet you anything you like she had just come away
+from the music-hall where she is performing."
+
+"Did she see you?" demanded Brett excitedly.
+
+"Not a bit; she was gazing at the passing tramcars, and evidently on
+the look-out for some particular line."
+
+"What happened next?" demanded the barrister. "Where is Miss Talbot?"
+
+"Edith has gone after her," said Fairholme.
+
+"What!" cried Brett, more startled than he cared to own.
+
+"Yes," broke in Talbot eagerly. "She heard my words and instantly
+decided to follow her. She said that the woman knew both of us, and
+might easily detect us, but she, Edith, was unknown to her, and would
+never be suspected. She simply forced us to come and tell you, and then
+darted off like a greyhound before we could stop her."
+
+Brett forced himself to say calmly--
+
+"I always knew that Miss Talbot had brains, but still I wish she had not
+taken this risk. Nevertheless, your chance discovery and her prompt
+action may be invaluable to us."
+
+"But what must we do?" exclaimed the impetuous Fairholme. "We cannot
+allow Edith to go wandering around Marseilles by herself at this hour of
+the night. I have always heard that this town is a perfectly damnable
+place. What a fool I was not to follow her at once."
+
+"Miss Talbot has acted quite rightly," said Brett decisively. "We must
+simply remain here until she returns. There is not the slightest ground
+for alarm. A woman who could act with such ready judgment is well able
+to take care of herself. Unless I am much mistaken, we shall see her
+within the hour."
+
+It was well for the peace of mind of the younger men that Sir Hubert
+Fitzjames had gone to his room soon after the party reached the hotel.
+Had the irascible baronet known of his niece's mission, no power on
+earth could have restrained him from setting every policeman in
+Marseilles on her track forthwith.
+
+And so they kept their vigil, striving to talk unconcernedly, but
+watching the clock with feverish impatience until Edith should return.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+"MARIE"
+
+
+Marseilles is one of the most picturesque cities in the world.
+
+Its streets cluster round an ancient harbour, famous before history was
+writ, or climb the sides of steep hills enclosing a land-locked bay.
+
+In the suburbs Marseilles is modern enough, but the chief thoroughfare,
+known to all who read, the famous and ever busy Cannebiere, plunges
+rapidly downhill until it empties itself on the crowded quays that
+surround the old port.
+
+With the newer Marseilles of the Joliette--well found in wharfs and
+warehouses, steam cranes and railway lines--the town beloved of the
+Phoenicians has no concern. There is no touch of modern ugliness in
+the tiny maritime refuge which is barely half the size of the
+Serpentine. Lofty, old-fashioned, half-ruined houses throng close to its
+rugged quays.
+
+At night this quarter of the turbulent city wears an air of intense
+mystery. The side streets are narrow and tortuous. Dark courts and
+alleys twist in every conceivable direction, while the brightness of the
+many wine shops facing each other across the tideless harbour only
+serves to enhance the squalid gloom that forms the most marked
+characteristic of the buildings clustered behind them.
+
+Edith Talbot, intent on the pursuit of a woman so dramatically bound up
+with the mystery affecting her brother, paid heed to no consideration
+save the paramount one, that the hurrying figure in front must be kept
+in sight.
+
+Contrary to the opinions expressed by the two men, Mlle. Beaucaire did
+not board a passing tramcar. To Edith's eyes she seemed to be eagerly
+watching for some person who might pass in one of the small open
+carriages which in Marseilles take the place of the London hansom. Even
+as she rapidly walked down the crowded street mademoiselle closely
+scrutinised each vehicle that overtook her, and once, at a busy
+crossing, she deliberately stopped. Edith, of course, slackened her
+pace, and simultaneously she became aware how incongruous was her
+appearance at such an hour in such a thoroughfare.
+
+Much taller than the average Frenchwoman, neatly dressed in an English
+tailor-made costume, with her smart straw hat and well-gloved hands,
+Miss Talbot naturally attracted the curious gaze of the passers by.
+
+Instantly it occurred to her that some disguise was absolutely necessary
+if she would not court an attention fatal to her enterprise. It chanced
+that where she stood for a moment a fruit-seller occupied a tiny shop,
+squeezed tightly between a church and a restaurant. The interior was
+dark enough, for a couple of flaring naphtha lamps were so disposed as
+to cast their flickering brilliancy over the baskets of fruits and
+vegetables displayed in the window or crowded together on the pavement.
+
+The woman inside had a kindly and contented face, cherry ripe in cheek
+and lips, and from a pair of deep-set blue eyes she looked out
+quizzically at the hurrying crowd.
+
+Assuring herself with one fleeting glance that La Belle Chasseuse still
+remained motionless and intent at the crossing, Edith darted into the
+shop. She produced a sovereign.
+
+"I have not much French money," she said hurriedly, "but this is worth
+twenty-five francs. Can you let me have a large dark shawl? I do not
+care whether or not it is old or worn. It is necessary that I should
+remain out for some few minutes longer, and I do not wish to court
+observation."
+
+Even as she spoke she removed her straw hat and eagerly tore off her
+gloves. The Frenchwoman saw that one of her own sex, English, and
+consequently mad, desired to screen her appearance from too inquisitive
+eyes.
+
+It was sufficient for her that there should be a spice of romance in the
+request. With one hand she pocketed the sovereign; with the other she
+dived into a recess beneath the counter and produced the very article
+Edith wanted.
+
+"But certainly, mademoiselle," she cried. "See. It will cover you to the
+waist."
+
+Edith advanced another pace into the darkest corner of the shop, quickly
+arranged the shawl over her head and shoulders, and, hastily murmuring
+her thanks, rushed forth into the street again, leaving hat and gloves
+behind in her haste.
+
+The fruit-seller was far too wise a woman to call after the other and
+apprise her of the loss.
+
+"It must be serious, this adventure," she mused. "And yet the novelists
+say that the English are cold! For me, now, I think that women are very
+much alike all over the world."
+
+And with this bit of Provencal philosophy she picked up the discarded
+articles and discovered, to her joy, that they must be worth at least
+ten francs.
+
+"Thirty-five francs for an old shawl is a good night's work," she
+murmured. "Who could dream of such fortune at this hour? To-morrow I
+will buy a candle and place it in the church of Notre Dame de la Garde."
+
+Meanwhile Edith was just in time to see Mlle. Beaucaire either abandon
+her search or resolve it in some manner, for the lady once more resumed
+her progress towards the old harbour, in whose placid bosom could be
+seen the reflections of numberless lights from the small promontory
+beyond, crowned with the Fort St. Nicholas and the Chateau du Phare.
+
+Looking neither right nor left, but hastening onwards with rapid
+strides, mademoiselle crossed the rough pavement of the Quai de la
+Fraternite, bearing away diagonally towards the left.
+
+But if the Frenchwoman was a good walker, Edith Talbot was a better one,
+and now that she no longer feared notice--for she draped the large shawl
+as elegantly about her shoulders as any woman in Marseilles--she decided
+to adopt a little strategy. Instead of keeping directly behind
+mademoiselle she broke into a run under the shadow of the houses. By
+thus making up ground she approached the narrow street towards which the
+Frenchwoman was heading almost simultaneously with her quarry, but
+apparently from an opposite direction. The aspect of the thoroughfare
+through which the two women sped was forbidding in the extreme. The
+houses were many storeys in height, of disreputable appearance, and so
+close together on both sides that, were other conditions equal, an
+active man might easily spring from one room into another across the
+street.
+
+The walls appeared to be honeycombed with doors and windows, while an
+indescribable number of shutters, balconies, projecting poles and
+clothes-lines created such a medley in the darkness, which was only made
+visible by a solitary bracket lamp, that Edith felt some anxiety as to
+whether or not she would be able to recognize the house into which
+mademoiselle disappeared, should her destination be close at hand.
+
+There were, of course, many other people in the street besides
+themselves, else Edith's self-imposed piece of espionage would have been
+rendered difficult, if not impossible.
+
+Men, women, and children lounged about the doorways and kept up a
+constant cackle of conversation in a mysterious _patois_ which Miss
+Talbot, though an excellent French scholar, could make nothing of. The
+presence of these people naturally shielded her from the direct
+observation of La Belle Chasseuse, but nevertheless threatened a slight
+danger should it be necessary for her to stand still, for she well
+understood that in such a locality each person was known to the other,
+and the loitering of a stranger could not fail to arouse curiosity.
+
+Soon after passing beneath the lamp mademoiselle vanished into a
+doorway. Edith perceived to her joy that at this point there was no
+group of loungers. Indeed, for a few yards the street was empty. Keeping
+her eyes sedulously fixed upon the exact spot where the Frenchwoman
+disappeared, she reached the door, and, after a moment's hesitation,
+stepped lightly into the interior darkness.
+
+The narrow entrance was at once lessened to half its width by a
+staircase. She listened intently, and could hear the other woman
+ascending the second flight of stairs.
+
+At the next landing mademoiselle paused and knocked three times.
+Presumably in reply to a question within, she murmured something which
+Edith could not catch, and was at once admitted. The shooting of a rusty
+bolt supplied further evidence that the door was locked behind her.
+
+Edith's next task was to identify the house. She stepped out into the
+street again and crossed to the opposite pavement. She looked up to the
+second storey, but, owing to the short distance--barely fourteen
+feet--that separated her from the house--she could discern nothing, save
+that the windows on that floor were closely shuttered.
+
+She rapidly noted that the door was the third removed from the lamp.
+
+Whilst wondering what to do next, a couple of girls approached her. They
+were young and of course inquisitive. Without any dissimulation, they
+stood in front of her and scrutinized her face, wondering, no doubt, who
+this tall and graceful newcomer could be.
+
+"What is your name?" said one. "Where do you live? Have you just come
+here? Are you staying with old Mother Peter?"
+
+With difficulty Edith caught the drift of their questions. But she
+answered smilingly--
+
+"No, I do not live here, and I do not know Mother Peter. But I want you
+to tell me who lives in the house opposite?"
+
+Her Parisian French greatly surprised the two girls, who giggled at each
+other, and one of them cried--
+
+"Oh, here's a lark!"
+
+But they scented an intrigue, and were quite ready to give all the
+information in their power.
+
+"A lot of people live there," said the elder one, trying, with the ready
+tact of her nation, to accommodate her words to the understanding of the
+stranger. "It all depends who you want to know about. On the ground
+floor is Josef the barber and his wife, with three little ones. It
+cannot be them, I am sure, and it cannot be Monsieur Ducrot, who is
+their lodger, for he is seventy years old and a sacristan in the Church
+of the Sacred Heart. Then on the first floor there are three men, not a
+woman amongst them. One is a bill-sticker, another a fisherman, and the
+third a waiter in the Cafe du Midi. I do not know their proper names. We
+call the bill-sticker 'Paste-pot,' and the fisherman 'Crab.' The waiter
+is called 'Thomas' in the cafe, but when a letter comes for him it is in
+another name. Then, on the second floor--by the way, Marie, who is it
+that lives on the second floor?"
+
+Edith with difficulty restrained her excitement. She felt that if only
+these youngsters rattled on a little longer she might gain some valuable
+information.
+
+Marie, thus appealed to, was evidently of a more cautious temperament
+than her companion.
+
+"If the young lady will tell us why she wants to know, we may be able to
+help her?" she stipulated.
+
+"Certainly," cried Edith, instantly resolving to pursue the tactics of
+the penny novelette. "I have been deserted. My lover has been taken away
+from me by another woman--at least, that is what I am informed. I do not
+wish to make any trouble about it. There are plenty as good men as he
+left in the world; but, on the other hand, I must not act unjustly. I
+have been told that he lives in this house--that he is living with her
+here at this moment, in fact. If I can make sure of it, I will go away
+and never set eyes on him again unless by chance, and then you may be
+sure I will take no notice of him. I am not one of those silly girls who
+break their hearts over a faithless sweetheart."
+
+Marie was reassured.
+
+"I should think not," she said, with a sympathetic and defiant sniff. "I
+had the very same experience last Sunday, when Phillippe--the grocer's
+boy at the corner, you know--walked along the Corniche Road with a chit
+of a girl out of a shop. She thinks herself better than we are because
+she stands behind a counter, and I am sure she made eyes at Phillippe
+one day when his master sent him there on an errand."
+
+"Phillippe must have bad taste," broke in Edith. "But I am sorry I must
+hasten away. If you girls will tell me quickly all the other people that
+live in that house I will give you two francs each. That is all the
+money I have got."
+
+She produced the coins, which she easily distinguished from the gold in
+her pocket by their size. She knew that to appear too well supplied with
+money in that neighbourhood was to court danger, if not disaster, to her
+undertaking.
+
+Both girls eagerly seized the forty-sous pieces.
+
+"Oh, on the second floor," said Marie, "I am afraid you will find your
+young man. They are a funny couple that live there. They only came here
+on Monday. When did your young man leave you?"
+
+"I saw him on Saturday."
+
+"Where?"
+
+This was a poser, but Miss Talbot answered desperately:
+
+"At Lyon."
+
+"What is he like?"
+
+Another haphazard shot.
+
+"He is tall and dark, and, oh! so good-looking, with a beautifully white
+skin and a pink complexion."
+
+"That is he!" cried both girls together.
+
+"The scoundrel! But tell me," went on Edith, whose excitement was
+readily construed as the pangs of jealousy, "who is the creature that
+lives with him?"
+
+"We think she is a music-hall artiste," replied Marie. "At least, that
+is what the people say. I have not heard yet what hall she appears in.
+They say she is very pretty. Are you going to throw vitriol over her?"
+
+"Not I," said Edith, with a fine scorn. "Do they live there alone?"
+
+"Yes, quite alone. They rent the place from Pere Didon. He owns most of
+the houses in this street, you know, and is a regular skinflint. He
+won't let any one get behind with their rent for an hour. He is old, so
+old that you would not think that he could live another week, yet he is
+that keen after his francs you would imagine he was a young man anxious
+to get money for a gay life. You ought to have heard the row here last
+Saturday when he turned the people out from their rooms where your lover
+now lives with his mistress. It was terrible. There was a poor woman
+with two sick children."
+
+How much further the revelations as to Pere Didon's iniquity might have
+gone, Miss Talbot could not say, but at that moment there came an
+interruption.
+
+From the opposite doorway appeared the figure of Mlle. Beaucaire,
+carrying a small bag. She was followed by a man, tall, slight, and
+closely muffled up, who shouldered a larger portmanteau. Edith grabbed
+both the girls, and pulled them close to her against the closed door
+behind them.
+
+"It is he!" she whispered tragically. "Silence! Let us watch them!"
+
+The man darted a suspicious glance up and down the street. There was no
+one whom even the clever Henri Dubois could construe as an enemy--no one
+save some chattering Marseillais loitering around their doorsteps, and
+three girls huddled together in close conclave directly opposite.
+
+Thus reassured, he strode after La Belle Chasseuse, who cried out
+impatiently:
+
+"Come quick, Henri; what are you waiting for?"
+
+"Is his name Henri?" whispered the awe-stricken Marie.
+
+"Yes. Isn't he a villain? I wonder where they are going now!"
+
+"Let us follow them and see," suggested Marie.
+
+"Yes, let us follow them and see," chimed in the other one, who
+delighted in this nocturnal romance. It was a veritable page out of one
+of Paul de Kock's novels.
+
+The programme suited Miss Talbot exceedingly well.
+
+They strolled off down the street, nestling together, Edith in the
+centre, and keeping the shrouded couple in front well in sight. This
+time, when Mademoiselle Beaucaire and her companion reached the point
+where the street emerged on to the harbour, they did not cross over
+towards the broad and brilliantly-lighted Cannebiere, but hurried on
+through the darkness in the direction of a cluster of fishing smacks
+that lay alongside the Quai de Rive Neuve.
+
+"My faith, Eugenie!" cried Marie, "they must be going on board one of
+the vessels."
+
+"What a lark!" was the answer. "I suppose they fear you," she added,
+turning her sharp eyes on Edith. "What is your name?"
+
+"Lucille," came the answer on the spur of the moment.
+
+"Lucille what?"
+
+"Lucille Beauharnais."
+
+"My gracious!" cried Eugenie, "what a swell name!"
+
+"Oh, let us hurry," interrupted Miss Talbot desperately. "You girls know
+everybody. You must know all the vessels. If they are going on a boat
+and you find out the name and number for me I will give each of you a
+whole louis. I will give them to you now--I mean, that is, if you will
+walk with me afterwards to my lodgings."
+
+Even amidst the exciting circumstances surrounding her, Edith recognized
+the absolute necessity there was to maintain the credibility of her
+previous narrative.
+
+Unquestionably Dubois and the lady intended to embark on one of the
+fishing boats. They hastened to the further end of the harbour, through
+whose tiny entrance Edith could now see the dark waters of the bay
+beyond, for the night was beautifully clear and fine, and the bright
+stars of the south lent some radiance to the scene, when the girls
+quitted the deep shadow of the houses.
+
+A solitary boat, a decked fishing-smack of some forty tons, was lying by
+the side of the quay, apart from the others. Edith, who knew something
+about yachting, recognized that her gearing was not fastened in the trim
+manner suggestive of a craft laid by for the night. At the same instant,
+too, she caught sight of a third form--that of a man who had been seated
+on a fixed capstan, and who now strode forward to peer at the
+newcomers.
+
+Some few words passed between the three, but it was impossible for the
+girls to hear a syllable. Instantly the sailor assisted Dubois and
+Mademoiselle Beaucaire to step down from the quay on board the smack. He
+followed them, and three other men, who appeared out of the chaos of
+sails and ropes, commenced to labour with a large pole in order to shove
+the sturdy vessel out into the harbour.
+
+"Quick!" murmured Edith, in an agony lest the opportunity should slip.
+"Tell me what vessel it is."
+
+"I think," said Marie, "it is the _Belles Soeurs_. Anyhow, we can
+easily make certain. All we have to do is to go back around the top of
+the harbour, walk down the Quai du Port, and watch her as she passes
+under the lighthouse of the Fort St. Jean. They will hoist her sail then
+and we shall see her number."
+
+"Oh, come," cried Edith, "let us run!"
+
+"We can run if you like," replied Marie coolly, "but there is no need.
+They have to get out by using the sweeps, and we will be underneath the
+lighthouse at least a minute or two before they pass, even if we walk
+slowly."
+
+Whilst they were talking the three girls put their words into practice,
+and Edith found herself battling with a logical dilemma. Dubois was
+evidently escaping from France--making out from Marseilles at this late
+hour on a vessel capable of sailing to almost any point of the
+Mediterranean.
+
+What could she do? Was it possible to invoke the aid of a policeman and
+get some authority to hail the craft and order her to return, or was
+there time to take a cab in the Cannebiere and drive furiously to the
+hotel, where Brett, Fairholme, and her brother must be anxiously
+awaiting her return?
+
+Rapidly as these alternatives suggested themselves, she dismissed them.
+It was best to fall in with Marie's suggestion and ascertain beyond
+doubt the identity of the fishing smack. Then, at any rate, Brett would
+have a tangible and definite clue.
+
+So she hastened with her companions along the three sides of the now
+almost deserted quay, and, in accordance with the prediction of her
+youthful guides, she reached the promenade beyond the small lighthouse
+of the inner port before the vessel had quitted the harbour. To move a
+forty-ton boat with oars is a slow matter at the best.
+
+As the craft came creeping steadily through the narrow channel Edith
+saw, to her great relief, that two of the men drew in their sweeps, and
+commenced to haul upon ropes whilst the clanking and groaning of pulleys
+heralded the slow rising of the mainsail.
+
+She thought the sail would never climb up in time, but as it began to
+yield to the steady pull of the men it mounted more and more rapidly,
+and at last, feeling the influence of a gentle breeze blowing off the
+land, it shook out its cumbrous folds and the number stood clearly
+revealed in huge white letters on the dark brown canvas.
+
+At first, in her eagerness, she could hardly discern it, save a big "M"
+and an "R."
+
+"There!" cried Eugenie, bubbling over with excitement. "There it is!
+'M.R. 107,' Marseilles, No. 107, you know. Why, isn't that Jacques le
+Bon's boat?" she demanded from her companion.
+
+"Yes, it is," said Marie; "and there is Jacques himself standing by the
+tiller."
+
+Edith's eyes were now becoming accustomed to the night and the dancing
+water.
+
+"Where are the others?" she said. "I cannot see them. There is no one
+standing on the deck but the sailors."
+
+"Oh, they have gone below, I expect," said the practical Marie. "They
+will be in the way of the sails, you know. There is not much room for
+people who don't work on the deck of a small ship like that. Besides,
+they don't want to be seen. If a customs officer or a harbour official
+were to notice the boat now he would think that Le Bon was going out
+fishing for the night, but he would be sure to wonder what was happening
+if he caught sight of a woman on board. Funny, isn't it," she rattled
+on, "that Jacques should be called 'Le Bon,' for he is the worst man in
+Marseilles? They say that his ugly grin when he draws a knife would
+frighten anybody!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE HALL-PORTER'S DOUBTS
+
+
+When one o'clock came and Edith had not arrived, the three men waiting
+in the hotel made no further effort to conceal their anxiety. The
+impetuous Fairholme was eager to commence an immediate search of
+Marseilles, but Brett steadily adhered to his resolution not to stir
+from their sitting-room until either Miss Talbot came back in person or
+it became quite certain that she was detained by some other influence
+than her own unfettered volition.
+
+"It may be," he argued, "that she will require some action on our part
+the moment we see her, and nothing could be more stupid than for the
+three of us to be wandering about this great city hopelessly inquiring
+for a missing English lady, whilst she was impatiently awaiting our
+return in the knowledge that valuable time was being lost to no purpose.
+What is there to fear? Miss Talbot is absolutely unknown to all the
+parties concerned in the affair. Even if she attracted their attention,
+which is improbable, it is almost inconceivable that they should connect
+her with the search being made for them. The only risk she runs is that
+of insult by some semi-intoxicated reveller, and even in a rowdy city
+like this, it must indeed be a strange locality in which she would be
+denied some protection. Of course I will be much relieved when Miss
+Talbot returns, but up to the present I see no reason for undue anxiety
+on our part. Indeed, we ought to congratulate ourselves on the fact that
+she deems it necessary to leave us for such a long period. The
+probability is that she is making highly important discoveries which may
+tend materially to reduce the area of inquiry."
+
+With this view Talbot could not help concurring, so Fairholme had to
+content himself by smoking many cigarettes and walking uneasily about
+the room. Sit down he could not, whilst any casual ring at the hotel
+door found him leaning over the balustrade of the inner court and
+listening intently for the first words of the new arrival.
+
+But the Englishmen were not the only persons in the hotel that night
+whose composure was disturbed. Their extraordinary behaviour caused
+uneasiness to the manager and those members of his staff who remained on
+duty. The facts disclosed by the hall-porter were certainly remarkable.
+Only one member of the party had behaved in a normal manner. Sir Hubert
+Fitzjames, soon after his arrival, went quietly to bed, but the
+hall-porter's report as to the conduct of the others was passing
+strange.
+
+One of them, to his surprise, had rung up the Prefecture of Police in
+Paris on the telephone. The others were standing at the hotel door,
+gazing quietly enough at the passers-by, when suddenly about midnight
+much excitement rose amongst them. They conversed eagerly in their own
+tongue for a few moments, and the lady had rushed off down the street by
+herself, whilst her two companions ran with equal precipitancy to join
+the third in the sitting-room they had engaged, and there they were
+still seated in moody expectancy, apparently watching for some dramatic
+event to happen.
+
+It was time that all good people were in bed. But it was hopeless to
+approach such lunatics with questions, for they were English, and no
+decent Frenchman could possibly hope to understand their actions or
+motives. It was satisfactory that they could speak French well;
+therefore the manager counselled the hall-porter to exhibit patience and
+prudence. Moreover, milords upstairs would be sure to recompense him for
+an enforced vigil by a liberal _pourboire_.
+
+At last, when even the Cannebiere was empty, and when the latest cafe
+had closed its doors and the final tramcar had wearily jingled its way
+up the hill towards a distant suburb, the electric bell jangled a noisy
+summons to the front door. It produced the hall-porter and Fairholme
+with remarkable celerity.
+
+The Frenchman cautiously opened the door and saw outside a muffled-up
+female who eagerly demanded admittance. He knew by her accent that she
+was not a Marseillaise, but the shawl that covered her head and
+shoulders showed that she belonged to the working classes.
+
+"Whom do you wish to see at this hour?" he gruffly demanded.
+
+"I live here," said Edith. "I came here to-night with my brother from
+Paris. Please let me in at once."
+
+In her excitement and breathlessness, for she had hurried at top speed
+from the harbour, Edith forgot that the homely garment she adopted as a
+disguise effectually cloaked her from the recognition of the hall-porter
+as from all others.
+
+Moreover, her French accent was too good. It deceived the man even more
+thoroughly than did the shawl.
+
+"Oh, really now," he said, "this is for laughter! A woman like you
+staying at the hotel! Be off, or I will call a gendarme."
+
+In his amazement at her demand he had not heard Fairholme's rapid
+approach behind him. He was now swung unceremoniously out of the way and
+the earl jumped forward to seize Edith in his arms.
+
+"My darling girl," he cried, "where have you been? We almost gave you up
+for lost. Where is your hat? Where did you get that shawl?" And all the
+time he was hugging her so fiercely that it was absolutely impossible
+for her to say a single word. At length she disengaged herself.
+
+"Don't be so ridiculous," she said, "but let me come in and close the
+door. The hall-porter will think we are cracked."
+
+She summarised the hall-porter's sentiments most accurately. He
+explained the transaction to the manager with most eloquent pantomime,
+and the two marvelled greatly at the weird proceedings of their strange
+guests.
+
+"Ah," said the manager at length, "now that mademoiselle has returned,
+perhaps they will go to bed."
+
+At that instant Brett's voice was heard upon the stairs. He wanted the
+telephone again.
+
+Edith had rapidly detailed her adventures to her astonished auditors,
+and Brett seemed to resolve on some plan of action with the lightning
+rapidity peculiar to him.
+
+Owing to the late hour he got through to Paris without much difficulty,
+and then he returned to the sitting-room, where Edith was rehearsing in
+greater detail all that had happened since she left them at the hotel
+door. Brett explained to his companions the motives of his second
+telephonic message.
+
+"I am convinced," he said, "that Gros Jean is in communication with his
+daughter. For this reason I did not wish the police to put in an
+appearance at the Cafe Noir until to-morrow night, or rather to-night,
+for we have long entered upon another day. I wished to have a reasonable
+time for quiet inquiry at Marseilles before mademoiselle could be
+apprised of our presence here. Miss Talbot's remarkable discovery has,
+however, wholly changed my plans. Mlle. Beaucaire and her lover have set
+off for some unknown destination, and the best chance we have of
+discovering it is to secure the immediate arrest of her father.
+Possibly, being taken by surprise at this hour of the morning, some
+document may be found on him which will reveal his daughter's
+destination. It occurs to me that she half expected him to arrive by a
+late train. Again, when the fishing-smack puts into port, the girl will
+probably adopt some method of communicating with him, and that
+communication must come into our hands, not into his. So I have
+telephoned the police officials in Paris to raid the Cabaret Noir
+forthwith, and it is possible that they may report developments within
+the next two or three hours."
+
+"Is there no chance of your discovering the whereabouts of that
+fishing-smack?" said Fairholme.
+
+"In what way?" demanded Brett.
+
+"Well, this is a big port, you know, and there are always tugs knocking
+about with steam up, on the off-chance of their services being required.
+Isn't it possible to charter a steamboat and set off after the smack?"
+
+"I do not think so," said Brett. "I imagine it would be wasted effort.
+By this time the _Belles Soeurs_ is well out to sea. She can go in a
+dozen different directions. She may beat along the coast towards Toulon
+and the Riviera. She can make towards Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearic
+Islands, Spain, or the mouth of the Rhone. She will certainly not show
+any lights, and I personally feel that although there is, perhaps, a
+thousand to one chance we might fall in with her, it will be far better
+for our purpose to remain quietly here and await developments in Paris."
+
+"Anyhow," remarked Fairholme, convinced that his proposal was
+impracticable, "it will be an easy matter for the authorities to
+ascertain the port that she arrives at."
+
+Brett shook his head dubiously.
+
+"I have my doubts on that point," he said. "The man who has thus far
+kept himself so easily ahead of all pursuers, and exhibited such a
+wealth of resource in his methods, may well be trusted to cover up his
+tracks effectually. There is even a possibility that the _Belles
+Soeurs_ will never be seen again, and that her number will long remain
+vacant on the shipping register of Marseilles. However, we shall see."
+
+"Then, Mr. Brett," put in Edith quietly, with a tired smile, "I suppose
+we may go to bed?"
+
+"Most certainly, Miss Talbot. You have earned your rest more than any of
+us to-night," he answered.
+
+He held out his hand to wish her good-night, but she demanded with some
+surprise, "What are you going to do? Surely you want some sleep?"
+
+"I will remain here," he said. "I have bribed the hall-porter to keep
+awake, and I may be wanted on the telephone at any moment."
+
+"Then I will stop with you," cried Fairholme.
+
+"And I too," chimed in Talbot.
+
+"You will do nothing of the sort," he answered with pleasant insistence.
+"You will just be off, both of you, and get some hours of sound sleep.
+You may need all your energy to-morrow. Do not be afraid. I will arouse
+you if anything dramatic should happen."
+
+Left to himself, Brett again interviewed the hall-porter and returned to
+the sitting-room, where he disposed himself for a nap on the sofa. Like
+all men who possess the faculty of concentrated thought, he also
+cultivated the power of dismissing a perplexing problem from his mind
+until it became necessary to consider it afresh in the light of further
+knowledge.
+
+Within five minutes he was sound asleep.
+
+At length he woke with a start. He was stiff with cold, for the fire had
+gone out, and the tiny gas jet he had left burning was not sufficient to
+warm the room. He sprang to his feet and looked at his watch. It was
+half-past six.
+
+"Surely," he cried, "there must have been a message from Paris long
+before this!"
+
+He ran downstairs, encountering on his way some of the hotel servants,
+who even thus early had commenced work, for your industrious Frenchman
+is no laggard in the morning. Going to the hall-porter's office he found
+that functionary snoring peacefully. The poor fellow was evidently tired
+out, and twenty telephone bells might have jangled in his ears without
+waking him.
+
+So, for the third time, Brett rang up the exchange to get in touch with
+Paris. As he had anticipated, he quickly learnt that the Prefecture had
+endeavoured to get through to him about 4.30 a.m., but the operators
+were unable to obtain any answer.
+
+"I can hardly blame the man," said he to himself, "for I was just as
+tired as he."
+
+The intimation he received from the Prefecture was startling enough. In
+accordance with his instructions a number of detectives had raided the
+Cabaret Noir soon after three o'clock. They found the place in
+possession of a waiter and a couple of female servants. Gros Jean had
+quitted the house the previous evening, and, most astounding fact of
+all, with him were three Turks.
+
+Neither the waiter nor the domestics could give any information whatever
+concerning the hidden room. They knew of its existence, but none of them
+had ever seen it, and the place was generally regarded as a sort of
+cellar for the reception of lumber.
+
+The police forced a padlock which guarded its trap-door, and found to
+their surprise that the place was much more spacious than they
+anticipated. It really contained two apartments, one of which was so
+firmly secured that it had hitherto resisted all their efforts to open
+it. The other was a sort of bed-sitting-room, and it had recently been
+occupied. From various indications they came to the conclusion that its
+latest tenants were Hussein-ul-Mulk and his confederates.
+
+Judging from the fact that these gentry had quietly left the cafe in
+Gros Jean's company about half-past seven the previous evening, they
+were not in confinement against their will. In fact, the police theory
+was that this secret chamber provided a safe retreat for any person who
+desired complete seclusion other than that provided by the authorities.
+
+
+"It is assumed," said the officer who communicated this bewildering
+information to Brett, "that the locked room contains a quantity of
+stolen goods. The police remain in charge of the cafe, and when the
+necessary workmen have been obtained this morning the door will be
+forced. We will at once let you know the result of our further
+investigations."
+
+"But what about Gros Jean and the Turks? Surely Paris cannot again have
+swallowed them up?" inquired Brett.
+
+"Every effort is being made to trace their whereabouts," was the reply,
+"but you must remember, monsieur, that they had many hours' start of the
+police, and that this period of the day is the most difficult of the
+twenty-four hours in which to make successful inquiries. You must rest
+assured that the moment we receive even the slightest clue we will ring
+you up, provided, that is, you arrange for someone at your end to answer
+the telephone."
+
+"Oh," said Brett with a laugh, "there is little fear of further delay in
+that respect. It will be daylight in another hour, and the servants are
+already busy about the place."
+
+He rang off and then darted back to his sitting-room to consult a
+time-table, for the thought came to him that Gros Jean and the Turks had
+quitted the cafe in order to reach Marseilles.
+
+He could not yet explain this strange alliance. It was impossible to
+believe that the innkeeper would betray his daughter to serve the ends
+of a political party. No; there must be some other explanation which the
+future alone could reveal.
+
+He well knew that the last thought likely to occur to the Paris police
+would be to suspect the missing men of any desire to reach the south
+coast. It was with an almost feverish anxiety that he scrutinized the
+pages of the _indicateur des chemins de fer_, and he heaved a sigh of
+profound relief when he discovered that the first train Gros Jean and
+the Turks could travel by left Paris the previous evening at 8.40 p.m.,
+and was not due at Marseilles until 8.59 that morning.
+
+It was now close on seven o'clock, so he went to his bedroom, effected
+some much-needed changes in his personal appearance, and then consumed
+an early breakfast of coffee and rolls. At half-past eight he called a
+carriage and was driven to the railway station, where, punctually to the
+minute, the Paris train arrived.
+
+Brett managed to secure a favourable point whence he could observe the
+passengers without being seen, for on the platform were stacked hundreds
+of baskets of fruit and vegetables which had arrived by a local train.
+
+There were not many passengers in the express, and among the first to
+alight were Gros Jean and the three Turks--Hussein-ul-Mulk and the two
+others he had seen in the Rue Barbette.
+
+It would be idle to deny that the barrister experienced a thrill of
+satisfaction at his own shrewdness, and he smiled as he realized the
+consternation of the Paris commissary when informed that he had so
+easily allowed the rogues to slip out of the net.
+
+The travellers were evidently tired after a sleepless journey. Gros
+Jean, being a fat man, had wobbled about a great deal during the night.
+He much needed the restorative effect of a comfortable bed; whilst the
+Turks, though younger and more active, also showed signs of fatigue, for
+this long journey, in their case, was a sequel to many hours of
+detention in an ill-ventilated apartment.
+
+So they paid not the slightest heed to their whereabouts, save in so
+far as to eye with suspicion a harmless gendarme who happened to be on
+the platform.
+
+The policeman, of course, took no notice of them whatever. Gros Jean was
+to him merely a typical Frenchman, whilst persons of dark complexion and
+Moorish appearance are everyday sights in the streets of Marseilles.
+
+A diminutive railway porter loitered near Brett in the conceit that
+perhaps this well-dressed stranger might have felonious designs on the
+oranges and cabbages. His intense joy may therefore be pictured when the
+barrister beckoned to him, placed a gold piece in his hand, and said--
+
+"You see those Turks there. Go after them and find out where they are
+going to. They are sure to take a carriage, as their luggage appears to
+be somewhat heavy."
+
+The man darted off, secure in the belief that no one who could afford to
+give away twenty francs for such trivial information would be likely to
+pocket a cauliflower. In half a minute he returned.
+
+"They have all driven off together, monsieur," he announced eagerly,
+"and the French gentleman first of all inquired of the driver how much
+he would charge to take them to the Jolies Femmes. Two francs was the
+fare, and this was agreeable, so they have gone there."
+
+"I hope, in this instance," said Brett gravely, "that the Jolies Femmes
+is the name of a hotel."
+
+"But certainly," replied the porter, elevating his eyebrows; "what else
+could it be?"
+
+He meditated on this question for five minutes after Brett's departure,
+and then an idea struck him.
+
+"Ah," he cried, slapping his thigh with a grin, "he is a droll dog, that
+Englishman."
+
+Brett, secure in the knowledge that his quarry had been located, drove
+back to his hostelry. He found Edith, Fairholme, and Talbot just sitting
+down to breakfast. He joined them, and had barely communicated his
+startling intelligence when Sir Hubert Fitzjames put in an appearance.
+
+"Dear me," said the genial old soldier, smiling pleasantly at the
+assembled party. "I see you are all nearly as lazy as I have been
+myself. I hope you slept well, and enjoyed a quiet night."
+
+The burst of merriment which greeted this remark not only amazed the
+worthy baronet, but startled the other guests in the dining-room.
+
+"That is a strange thing," whispered a Frenchman to his wife. "I thought
+the English never laughed!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+THE YACHT "BLUE-BELL"
+
+
+After breakfast the party adjourned to their sitting-room, and there
+Brett detailed his immediate plan of action.
+
+"The first point to determine is an important one," he said. "Which of
+you three--Sir Hubert Fitzjames, Talbot, or Fairholme--looks most like a
+Frenchman?"
+
+The trio at once began to scrutinize each other carefully, to Edith's
+intense amusement.
+
+"I am afraid, uncle," she laughed, "we must rule you out at once. You
+have 'British Major-General, late Indian Army' stamped so plainly on you
+that here in Marseilles, a port accustomed to the weekly transit of P.
+and O. passengers, the smallest child could not fail to identify you.
+And as for you, Bobby! Good gracious! You are painfully Anglo-Saxon. I
+am afraid, Jack, that we must decide against you. That is to say, I
+suppose it hurts your vanity to be taken for a Frenchman; but you must
+not forget that Mademoiselle Beaucaire thought you were good-looking,
+and I suppose she adopts Parisian standards."
+
+Jack was amused by his sister's raillery.
+
+"It is gratifying to find," he said, "that there are some handsome
+Frenchmen. But may I ask, Brett, why you wish one of us to haul down the
+British flag?"
+
+"Because it is necessary that someone should keep a close eye on Gros
+Jean and the Turks. As a matter of fact, Miss Talbot is doubly right.
+Sir Hubert Fitzjames might possibly be made up to represent _un vieux
+moustache_, but it is essential that he should speak French well."
+
+"Then," cried Sir Hubert decisively, "I am out of court, because my
+French is weak, and I always want to go off into Hindustani whenever I
+open my mouth. Why, even this morning, when I rang for my hot water, I
+said to the waiter, '_Gurrum pani lao_.' I am sure he thought I was
+swearing at him."
+
+"Very well," concurred the barrister, "it comes back to you, Talbot, and
+I regret to inform you that for the next few hours you must be content
+with the inferior cooking and accommodation of the Jolies Femmes Hotel.
+If you will come out with me now I will get you rigged up in a cheap
+French suit. That, and a supply of bad cigarettes, will provide a
+sufficient disguise for your purpose. You must pack a few belongings in
+a green tin box and betake yourself to the Jolies Femmes. Do not make
+any inquiries about Gros Jean. Simply watch him."
+
+"But what about the Turks?" said Talbot. "Perhaps two of these
+scoundrels may be the identical pair who accompanied Dubois to Albert
+Gate. It is possible that they may recognize me at once."
+
+"No," said Brett decisively. "This is a different gang. The two men who
+committed the murders never came to Paris. Dubois would not hear of it,
+I am certain. If you act with discretion, I am sure they will never
+suspect you."
+
+"Can't you find me a job?" demanded Fairholme.
+
+"Yes, a most pleasant one. It will be your duty to accompany Miss Talbot
+and Sir Hubert, and show them the sights of Marseilles. I will meet you
+here at luncheon, but we probably cannot see Mr. Talbot again until late
+to-night, when he will have an opportunity to come here quietly and
+detail the results of his observations. Of course," he added, addressing
+the young man directly, "if anything important happens during the day
+you know where to find me, either personally or by messenger."
+
+It was natural that Edith's first steps with her lover and uncle would
+tend towards the scene of her overnight adventure. But Miss Talbot was a
+clearheaded girl and took no risks. She knew well that in a chance
+encounter the sharp eyes of Marie and Eugenie might pick her out unless
+she was to some extent shrouded from observation. So she donned a large
+Paris hat and a smart costume, which, with the addition of a thick veil,
+rendered her very unlike the girl who twelve hours earlier was pursuing
+a recalcitrant lover.
+
+Secure in the changed appearance effected by these garments, and
+especially in the escort of two such English-looking persons as Lord
+Fairholme and Sir Hubert Fitzjames, she walked with them down the
+Cannebiere and on the quay. She showed them the street up which she
+pursued Mlle. Beaucaire, and the point on the wharf whence the fishing
+smack took her departure into the unknown.
+
+Then they strolled back around the harbour, still pursuing the track of
+Edith's midnight wanderings, when Fairholme suddenly whistled with
+amazement.
+
+"By Jove, look there!" he cried. "That's a piece of luck."
+
+He pointed to the upper part of the basin, in which a number of smart
+yachts were anchored side by side. Marseilles is a natural point of
+departure for Mediterranean tours, and many yacht-owners send their
+vessels there to be coaled and stored for projected trips.
+
+"What is it?" queried Edith, when she could see nothing in the locality
+indicated save the vessels and the small expanse of water dancing in the
+rays of a bright sun.
+
+"The very best thing that could have happened. There is Daubeney's
+yacht, the _Blue-Bell_."
+
+"Yes. So I see. It would be charming if we had time to go for a run
+along the Riviera, but I am afraid, whilst Mr. Brett controls our
+energies, amusement of that sort will be out of our reach."
+
+"Not a bit of it. You do not see my point, Edith. Daubeney is a
+first-rate chap, and a thorough sportsman. Suppose it becomes necessary
+for us to follow up Dubois and his fishing-smack, and we let Daubeney
+into the know. The _Blue-Bell_ would pursue the _Belles Soeurs_ to
+China. He would ask no better fun. I tell you that Brett will be
+delighted when he hears of it."
+
+"Yes, dear, but we do not even know that Mr. Daubeney is in Marseilles."
+
+"Let us go and see. It doesn't matter a pin anyhow, because a telegram
+from me to him would place the yacht at our disposal, and he would join
+us by express at the first possible stopping-place. You do not know what
+a good chap Daubeney is."
+
+"No," said Edith shortly. "He is evidently a most useful acquaintance."
+
+It is a most curious fact that young ladies in the engaged stage regard
+their _fiance's_ male friends with extreme suspicion; the more
+enthusiastic the man, the more suspicious the woman.
+
+Fairholme, sublimely unconscious of this feminine weakness, continued to
+dilate upon the superlative excellences of Daubeney until they reached
+the yacht itself.
+
+A smartly-attired sailor was pretending to find some work in carefully
+uncoiling a rope which did not satisfy his critical eye. Before
+Fairholme could hail the man, a rotund form, encased in many yards of
+blue serge, surmounted by a jolly-looking face on top of which was
+perched an absurdly small yachting cap, emerged from the companion.
+
+"Why, there he is," shouted the earl. "Halloa, Daubeney! Yoicks!
+Tally-ho!"
+
+The person addressed in this startling manner stopped as though he had
+been shot. He gazed at the sky and then gravely surveyed the gilded
+statue that surmounts the picturesque church of Notre Dame de la Garde.
+
+"Here I am, you idiot," continued Fairholme. "I am not in a balloon. I
+am on the quay. Come here quick. I want to introduce you to Edith and
+Sir Hubert."
+
+Luckily Miss Talbot's dark doubts had vanished after one keen glance at
+Daubeney. He was eminently a safe friend for her future husband. Such a
+fat and hail-fellow-well-met individual could not possibly harbour
+guile. So she passed over without reference the extent of Daubeney's
+acquaintance concerning herself, implied by the use of her Christian
+name. Indeed, was there not a compliment in Fairholme's unconscious
+outspokenness? If he only discussed her charms with Daubeney then
+Daubeney was a man to be cultivated.
+
+The meeting on the quay was hearty in the extreme, and the Honourable
+James Daubeney further ingratiated himself by saying: "Even if Lord
+Fairholme had not told me who you were, Miss Talbot, I should have known
+you at once."
+
+"That would be very clever of you," purred Edith.
+
+"Oh, no, there is nothing remarkable in the fact, I assure you. He
+always sat in his chambers so that he could look at your photograph, and
+as, in addition to that speaking likeness, I know the colour of your
+hair, your eyes, your teeth even, I could not be mistaken."
+
+Miss Talbot thought Mr. Daubeney rather curious. But still he was very
+nice, and unquestionably the services of the _Blue-Bell_ might be more
+than useful.
+
+So she was graciousness personified in her manner, and promptly
+determined to invite him to luncheon, thinking that the chance direction
+of their conversation with Mr. Brett might lead towards the use of the
+yacht being hinted at.
+
+She counted without Fairholme. The latter slapped his heavy friend on
+the back.
+
+"Look here, old chap, are you fixed up for a cruise? Plenty of coal,
+champagne, and all that sort of thing?"
+
+"Loaded to the gunwales."
+
+"That's all right, because we may want the _Blue-Bell_ for a month or
+so."
+
+"There she is," said Daubeney; "fit to go anywhere and do anything."
+
+Miss Talbot had never heard such extraordinary conduct in her life. She
+wondered how two women would have conducted the negotiations. The
+question was too abstruse, so she gave it up and contented herself
+instead with accepting Daubeney's hearty request that they should
+inspect the yacht.
+
+The _Blue-Bell_ was an extremely smart little ship of 250 tons register,
+and an ordinary speed of twelve knots. Incidentally Miss Talbot
+discovered that the owner made the vessel his home. He was never happy
+away from her, and the _Blue-Bell_ was known to every yachtsman from the
+Hebrides to the Golden Horn.
+
+To eke out her coal supply she was fitted with sails, and Daubeney
+assured his fair visitor that the _Blue-Bell_ could ride out a gale as
+comfortably and safely as any craft afloat. Altogether Miss Talbot
+congratulated herself on Fairholme's discovery, and she could not help
+hoping that their strange errand to Marseilles might eventuate in a
+Mediterranean chase.
+
+When the tour of inspection had ended Daubeney suggested an excursion.
+
+"I understand you have never been to Marseilles before, Miss Talbot. In
+that case, what do you say if we run over and see the Chateau d'If--the
+place that Dumas made famous, you know?"
+
+"Is it far?" said Edith.
+
+"Oh, not very; about a mile across the harbour. Monte Cristo swam the
+distance, you know, after his escape."
+
+"Shall we go in the yacht?"
+
+Daubeney bubbled with laughter.
+
+"Well, not exactly, Miss Talbot. You cannot swing a ship of this size
+about so easily as all that, you know. I have another craft alongside
+that will suit our purpose."
+
+He whistled to a tiny steam launch which Edith had not noticed before,
+and without further ado the party seated themselves. They sped rapidly
+down the harbour and out through the narrow entrance between the
+lighthouses.
+
+No sooner did Edith behold the splendid panorama of rocky coast that
+encloses the great outer bay, with its blue waters studded with
+delightful little islands, through which fishing boats and small steam
+tugs threaded their way towards different points on the coast, than she
+clapped her hands with schoolgirl delight.
+
+"I had no idea," she cried, "that Marseilles was half so beautiful. Why,
+it is a wonderful place. I have always read about it being hot and
+dirty. It certainly is untidy, but to wash its citizens would take away
+all the romance! As for the climate being hot, just imagine a day like
+this in the middle of November. Can you possibly think what the
+sensation would be if you were plunged into a London fog at this moment,
+Mr. Daubeney?"
+
+"I have hardly ever seen one," he replied. "I take mighty good care to
+be far removed from my beloved country during the fog season."
+
+She sighed. "What it is to be a man and to be able to roam about the
+world unfettered."
+
+"It all depends upon the meaning of the word 'unfettered,'" said
+Daubeney. "Have you got any sisters, Miss Talbot?"
+
+They all laughed at this inconsequent question. It was impossible to
+resist Daubeney's buoyant good nature, and Edith felt certain that in
+half an hour she would be calling him "Jimmy."
+
+They sped across the waves towards the Chateau d'If, and drew up
+alongside its small landing-stage.
+
+The island supplies an all-the-year-round resort for the townspeople.
+Every fine day a steamer runs at intervals to and fro between it and the
+inner harbour. The good folk of the south of France, whether Marseillais
+or visitors to the city, find a constant delight in taking the short
+marine excursion and wandering for half an hour about the rocky
+pathways and steep turrets of the famous prison, whilst they listen with
+silent awe to the words of the guide when he tells them how the Abbe
+died, and shows them the hole between the two walls excavated by Monte
+Cristo. So the English visitors found themselves in the midst of a
+number of laughing, light-hearted French sightseers.
+
+They wandered round with the crowd until Edith looked at her watch.
+
+"It is past twelve o'clock," she said. "Should we not be going back to
+the hotel to lunch? You will come with us, of course, Mr. Daubeney?"
+
+"I am famished with expectation," answered the irrepressible Jimmy, "but
+before we go away you certainly ought to climb to the leads and get the
+panoramic view of the harbour which the tower affords on a clear day. It
+is a sight to be remembered, I promise you."
+
+So they made the ascent, Daubeney leading in his capacity of guide,
+though he was quite breathless when they reached the top of the steps.
+
+Edith followed him, and to her alarm perceived that he was purple in the
+face. He tried to smile, and indicated by a gesture that he would
+recover in a minute. Meanwhile he was speechless.
+
+Fairholme was the next up. He had hardly set foot on the roof before he
+exclaimed--
+
+"Well, I'm d----d!"
+
+Edith turned round quickly.
+
+"What on earth is the matter?" she cried. "Why are you using such horrid
+language? Mr. Daubeney only hurried a little too fast, that is all."
+
+Fairholme dropped his voice to a whisper.
+
+"Look," he said, indicating with his eyes a distant corner.
+
+Edith followed his glance, and instantly comprehended the cause of his
+startled exclamation. For in that quiet spot, far removed from watchful
+police or inquisitive hotel servants, stood four men, whom she could not
+fail to recognize as Gros Jean, Hussein-ul-Mulk, and the other two
+Turks, although, of course, until this moment she had never previously
+set eyes on them.
+
+She instantly understood that they must continue to talk and act in the
+guise of ordinary tourists. In this respect the presence of Daubeney was
+invaluable, for he naturally could not guess the community of interest
+between his aristocratic friends and the motley group in the corner.
+
+As soon as he regained his breath, Edith and he commenced a lively
+conversation. Sir Hubert joined them, and in the course of their casual
+stroll round the tower they passed close to the Frenchman and his
+companions, attracting a casual glance from the former, who instantly
+set them down as English people bound for the East, and whiling away a
+few hours in Marseilles prior to the departure of their steamer.
+
+But another surprise awaited them.
+
+A small staircase led to the top of the turret, which, as already
+described, formed part of the angle that sheltered the group of men.
+
+When Edith and the others strolled past the door they glanced inside and
+caught sight of a shabby-looking Frenchman, who had paused halfway up
+the stairs, and was leaning eagerly forward through an embrazured
+loophole, obviously intent on hearing every word uttered by the
+quartette beneath.
+
+Fortunately Edith, who was nearest to the door, was completely shrouded
+from Gros Jean's observation. Else that astute gentleman might have
+noticed her involuntary start of surprise. For the shabby-looking
+Frenchman was her brother.
+
+The instant Talbot heard footsteps he naturally turned to see who it was
+that approached, and he also was amazed to find Edith's wondering eyes
+fixed upon him at a distance of only a few feet.
+
+She nodded her head and placed a warning finger upon her lips. As it
+happened, Daubeney caught her in the act, and for the next few moments
+that gentleman's emotions were intense, not to say painful.
+
+"Who would have thought it?" he muttered to himself. "A girl like her
+making secret signs to a dirty scoundrel of that sort. The beggar was
+good-looking, of course; but what--well, I give it up. Poor old
+Fairholme! What funny creatures women are, to be sure!"
+
+How much further this soliloquy might have proceeded he knew not, for
+Edith sharply interrupted his thoughts.
+
+"You seem to be preoccupied, Mr. Daubeney. What has happened?" she
+inquired.
+
+"I--I--really don't know."
+
+His distress was so unmistakable that her quick woman's wit divined the
+true cause. They had now sauntered some distance away from the part of
+the tower that might be marked "dangerous," so she grasped Jimmy's
+ponderous arm, and whispered with a delightful smile--
+
+"You saw me make signs to that Frenchman, didn't you?"
+
+"Well--er--I--er----"
+
+"Oh, yes, I understand. Of course you were surprised. But don't jump
+now, or say anything; he is my brother!"
+
+She need not have warned Daubeney as to any remarks he might feel
+inclined to make, for her announcement again rendered him speechless.
+
+"It is a mystery," she whispered, "a deep secret. We will tell you all
+about it at lunch."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+TALBOT'S ADVENTURES
+
+
+Although Miss Talbot spoke so confidently of revelations to accompany
+the expected meal, it is idle to pretend that any of the three people
+who were cognizant of Talbot's mysterious appearance on the island
+betrayed undue haste to return to the waiting lunch.
+
+Sublimely unconscious of the excitement raging in their breasts, Sir
+Hubert Fitzjames could not understand why they each and all answered him
+in such a flurried manner when he dilated upon the beauties of the bay.
+Finally he turned to Edith with an air of apprehension.
+
+"I fear," he said, "that your expedition of last night has upset you.
+Have you a headache?"
+
+Then she could contain her news no longer. Drawing him close to the
+rampart, and bending down so as to apparently take a deep interest in
+the laughing excursionists beneath, she murmured--
+
+"Listen to me carefully, uncle. Don't look around. Have you noticed the
+party of Turks and a Frenchman grouped together in the opposite corner?"
+
+"Yes," he said. "You do not mean to tell me that they are the people
+whom Mr. Brett met this morning at the station?"
+
+"Yes, unquestionably they are. Had your attention not been otherwise
+taken up you must have recognized them from their description. But the
+most marvellous thing remains. You know the little turret close to which
+they are standing?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, in the staircase leading to the top, and leaning out through a
+window, trying to hear what they are saying, is Jack!"
+
+"What an extraordinary thing," said the major-general, who was really
+very annoyed that such a meeting should have taken place under his very
+nose and its significance remain hidden from him.
+
+"Can we do anything?" he added.
+
+"Nothing save to remain here a little longer and be most careful not to
+appear to have the least knowledge of their identity. I have told you
+lest we might chance to meet Jack face to face, and you should be taken
+by surprise if you recognized him."
+
+"Is he in disguise, then?" gasped her uncle.
+
+"Yes, in a sense. Mr. Talbot has put him into a sort of French
+working-man's holiday suit. He looks so odd, but it is evident that
+neither Gros Jean nor the Turks have the least suspicion of his
+presence. It was very clever of Jack to get into that turret without
+alarming them."
+
+They were joined by Daubeney and Fairholme, and Edith knew by a single
+glance at the expressive expanse of the former's face that should he be
+again brought into close proximity to the Turks and her brother it was
+quite possible the quick-witted Gros Jean might detect the look of
+interested amazement which must inevitably appear upon his honest
+British countenance.
+
+"Bobby," she said at once, "I want you and Mr. Daubeney to go down to
+the launch and await us there. We will join you in a few minutes."
+
+"Certainly," was the reply, for Fairholme knew that some motive lay
+behind the request. "You cannot do much by remaining here, can you, so I
+suppose you will not be long?"
+
+"No; uncle and I will survey the view until it is firmly fixed in our
+minds. After that it is full steam ahead for the Hotel du Louvre."
+
+The two young men disappeared down the stairs leading to the courtyard.
+On their way they encountered a number of holiday makers, climbing to
+the top of the tower. In they came, twenty or more of them, and promptly
+spread themselves around the walls, the Marseillais amongst them
+indicating to their country cousins points of interest in the city and
+along the coast.
+
+At this moment, too, the siren of the small pleasure steamer at the quay
+announced she was about to make her hourly trip back to the town.
+Whereupon Gros Jean and the Turks, having apparently ended their
+consultation, crossed the roof and disappeared down the staircase.
+
+Instantly Jack Talbot strolled after them, but no sooner had the bulky
+form of Gros Jean--who was the last of his party--vanished than Talbot
+ran towards his uncle and sister, and said rapidly--
+
+"Dubois and the girl have gone to Palermo. Gros Jean and the Turks have
+been in communication with the Sultan, and there is a movement on foot
+to buy back the diamonds. That is all that I can tell you now, but let
+Mr. Brett know. When I have seen these chaps safely home, I will at
+once come to the hotel."
+
+Then he, too, vanished.
+
+Edith felt a thrill of elation that her good judgment should have led
+her to remain sufficiently long on the tower to glean such important
+information.
+
+When Brett heard the news it seemed to annoy him.
+
+"I feared as much," he said. "I had not much faith in the patriotism of
+the Young Turks. I wonder how much the Sultan has offered. It must be a
+severe wrench for him to dip his hands into his money-bags, and Dubois
+will certainly demand a handsome figure before he disgorges his booty.
+However, we must possess our souls in peace until Talbot comes here and
+tells us all what he has learnt. At this moment I cannot help marvelling
+at the strange coincidence which should have led the Turks and yourself
+to select the Chateau d'If for a morning stroll. I fully expected that
+Gros Jean would be in bed. He must have received some startling
+intelligence to keep him away from his rest after a long journey.
+Meanwhile, I have not been idle."
+
+Everyone awaited with interest his next words, for Brett seldom made
+such a remark without having something out of the common to communicate.
+
+"I telephoned to Paris," he explained, "to tell the Prefecture that Gros
+Jean and the Turks had arrived at Marseilles. The police were surprised,
+and perhaps a little sore, that they had not discovered the fact for
+themselves, but when I soothed them down they informed me that 'Le
+Ver'--the diminutive scoundrel whom we rescued from the Rue
+Barbette--had faithfully kept his appointment with me at the Grand Hotel
+yesterday.
+
+"It seems that he was much upset when he learnt that I had left. He went
+straight to the commissary to inform him that, contrary to expectations,
+the Turks were acting in complete accord with mademoiselle's father.
+This naturally puzzled the commissary a good deal, and the affair became
+still stranger when an attache from the Turkish Embassy called a little
+later and urged the police to do all in their power to discover the
+whereabouts of Hussein-ul-Mulk, as he was particularly anxious to have a
+friendly talk with him.
+
+"Close on the heels of the Turk came a confidential messenger from the
+British Embassy, requesting the latest details, and, when questioned by
+the commissary, this man admitted that he had in the first instance
+called to see me at the Grand Hotel.
+
+"In a word, Miss Talbot, I had suspected the existence of the
+negotiations, which your brother's smart piece of work this morning has
+confirmed."
+
+Whilst they were talking Fairholme took Daubeney on one side, and with
+Brett's permission gave him a detailed account of the whole affair.
+
+The Honourable James Daubeney was delighted to be mixed up in this
+international imbroglio. He told the earl that the _Blue-Bell_ was at
+his disposal at any moment of the day or night she might be required.
+Indeed, he forthwith excused himself on the ground that certain little
+formalities were requisite before he could clear the harbour, and he
+must hurry off to attend to these immediately.
+
+"I tell you what," he added, with his hand on the door, "I will come
+back and dine with you, if I may, at half-past seven, because I shall
+not sleep to-night until I hear how things are going on. But I promise
+you, if I meet a single Turk between here and the harbour, I will cross
+over to the other side of the street."
+
+No one quite knew what he meant by this portentous guarantee, but it was
+evident that Daubeney, if nothing else, was a man of action, and his
+yacht might become very useful.
+
+He had hardly quitted the hotel when a waiter announced that a _jeune
+Francais_ wished to see Mr. Brett.
+
+"Show him up," said the barrister, and a moment later Talbot entered. He
+stood near the door twiddling his hat in his hand until the waiter had
+gone. Then he told them what had happened since he took up his quarters
+at the Hotel des Jolies Femmes.
+
+"When I reached there," he said, "I was under the impression that Gros
+Jean and the Turks were in bed. I hired my room; sent my tin box there,
+and then settled myself in the cafe to smoke cigarettes and read these
+vile Marseilles newspapers until lunch time. You may judge my surprise
+when I saw the three Turks and Gros Jean come out into the street and
+ask a waiter the way to the post-office.
+
+"They set off, and, being sure of their destination, I did not quit the
+cafe myself until they were well out of sight. Then I walked away in the
+same direction, inquired of a policeman the quickest way to reach the
+post-office, and stepped out rapidly.
+
+"I had not gone far when I overtook them. They reached the building. The
+Turks remained in the street and Gros Jean went inside, so I followed
+him, and found him inquiring for letters at the Poste Restante
+department. Whereupon I sent a telegram to London."
+
+"Who on earth did you telegraph to, Jack?" broke in Edith.
+
+"To my shirt-maker, telling him to put a couple of dozens in hand at
+once."
+
+This unexpected answer evoked a general titter.
+
+"The funny thing to me," said Talbot, "was the effect of the message on
+the telegraph clerk. He could evidently read English, and he surveyed me
+curiously, for in my present appearance I looked a most unlikely person
+to order shirts by telegram from a well-known London house. However, I
+achieved my purpose, which was to overhear Gros Jean's request. He asked
+if there were any letters for M. Isidor de Rion."
+
+"Good gracious," cried Edith, "what an aristocratic name for that fat
+man."
+
+"Anyhow, it was effective. There was a letter for him, and he evidently
+only expected one, for, before the clerk who handed it to him was able
+to examine the remainder of the packet, he tore it open, glanced briefly
+at its contents, and then hurried out to join his friends to the street.
+After a short conclave they entered a cafe and procured a railway guide.
+I tried hard to find out what section of the book Gros Jean was looking
+at, but failed, for the double reason that he did not consult the Turks,
+nor did he seem to make up his mind, for he looked through the book,
+sighed impatiently and suggested to the others that they should go out
+again. I followed them into the Cannebiere, and thence down towards the
+harbour. When we reached the quay a small pleasure steamer was whistling
+for passengers, and a placard announced a fifty-centimes return trip to
+the Chateau d'If.
+
+"Seemingly on the spur of the moment, Gros Jean invited the others to
+accompany him. It probably occurred to him that the island would supply
+a safe nook in which they could talk without fear of observation, as
+their presence on board the steamer would stamp them as excursionists.
+So, of course, I followed them. When we reached the island, I quickly
+perceived that the castle filled the whole of it. Therefore, in place of
+keeping behind them I went in front. We all passed on with the stream of
+sightseers until we reached the courtyard. I had never been in the place
+before, but Gros Jean seemed to know it well. Owing to my policy of
+preceding them I found myself halted for a moment at the foot of the
+stairs leading to the tower. It struck me that the Frenchman was making
+in this direction, so I took the chance and ran up. I reached the top
+and looked over before the party had entered the doorway at the bottom.
+They came in. Thus far I was right. I looked around, and found, as you
+know, the square roof surrounded by bare battlements with a turret in
+one corner. I decided instantly that it would be hopeless to try to get
+close to them if they halted at any other point save in the vicinity of
+the turret. Elsewhere I must remain too far away to catch any portion of
+their conversation. So I darted across and entered the turret, noting on
+my way up the stairs the existence of the loopholed window where you
+finally saw me. It would never do to be caught there, so I went to the
+top and peeped over. You can guess how delighted I was when they came
+straight across and settled themselves in the angle beneath. Then I
+crept halfway down the stairs and leaned as far as I dared through the
+loophole, being just in time to hear Gros Jean read a letter from his
+daughter. Fortunately the innkeeper had to speak plainly, as his
+companions were foreigners, and for the same reason I had no difficulty
+in catching the drift of what the Turks said.
+
+"The letter was quite short. It told him that H. had decided to leave
+France, and had made arrangements to proceed at once to Palermo, whither
+the writer would accompany him.
+
+"One sentence I remember exactly: 'H.,' she wrote, 'has friends in
+Sicily, and he feels assured of a kind reception at their hands.'"
+
+"Friends!" interrupted Brett. "That means brigands!"
+
+"The information seemed to annoy the Turks very much. They were very
+angry at what they described as the enforced delay, and discussed with
+Gros Jean the quickest means of reaching Palermo forthwith. Then he told
+them that he had endeavoured to find out the trains running through
+Italy to Messina, but they could not leave Marseilles until to-night,
+and he thought it best that they should have a quiet talk on the
+situation before deciding too hurriedly upon any line of action.
+
+"The rest of their conversation was inconsequent and desultory, alluding
+evidently to some project which they had fully discussed before. But it
+is quite clear from the drift of their remarks that an emissary from the
+Sultan had approached Hussein-ul-Mulk, and had offered such terms for
+the recovery of the diamonds that not only were the Young Turkish party
+in Paris eager to compromise with him, but they had succeeded in
+convincing Gros Jean that Dubois also would be likely to accept the
+proposition."
+
+Brett smiled grimly. "The commissary in Paris always follows up the
+wrong person," he said. "Had he only used his wits yesterday morning he
+would have discovered that the agent of the Embassy was in touch with
+Hussein-ul-Mulk. Hence the presence of the quartette in Marseilles
+to-day."
+
+Talbot was naturally mystified by this remark until Brett explained to
+him the circumstances already known to the reader.
+
+"Was there anything else?" inquired the barrister, reverting to the
+chief topic before them.
+
+"Only this. I gathered that Gros Jean did not know his daughter's
+whereabouts in Marseilles, but she had arranged that if circumstances
+necessitated her departure from the town she would leave a letter for
+him in the Poste Restante, giving him full details. Nevertheless, this
+presupposes the knowledge on her part that he would come to Marseilles,
+so I assume therefore that telegrams must have passed between them
+yesterday afternoon."
+
+"Obviously!" said Brett. "Anything else?"
+
+"Yes," and now Talbot's voice took a note of passion that momentarily
+surprised his hearers. "It seems to me that this underhanded
+arrangement, if it goes through, condones the murder of poor Mehemet Ali
+and his assistants, and places on me the everlasting disgrace of having
+permitted this thing to happen whilst an important and special mission
+was entrusted to my sole charge by the Foreign Office. Dubois has been
+able to commit his crime, get away with the diamonds, hoodwink all of us
+most effectually, and, in the result, obtain a huge reward from the
+Turkish Government for his services. I tell you, Mr. Brett, I won't put
+up with it. I will follow him to the other end of the world, and, at any
+rate, take personal vengeance on the man who has ruined my career. For,
+no matter what you say, the only effective way in which I can
+rehabilitate myself with my superiors is to hand back those diamonds to
+the custody of the Foreign Office. No matter how the panic-stricken
+sovereign in Yildiz Kiosk may sacrifice his servants to gain his own
+ends, I, at least, have a higher motive. It rests with me to prove that
+the British Government is not to be humbugged by Paris thieves or
+Turkish agitators. If I fail in that duty there remains to me the
+personal motive of revenge!
+
+"No, Edith; it is useless to argue with me," for his sister had risen
+and placed her arms lovingly round his neck in the effort to calm him.
+"My mind is made up. I suppose Mr. Brett feels that his inquiry is
+ended. For me it has just commenced."
+
+The young man's justifiable rage created a sensation which was promptly
+allayed by Brett's cool voice.
+
+"May I ask," he said, "what reason you have to suppose that I should so
+readily throw up the sponge and leave Monsieur Henri Dubois the victor
+in this contest?"
+
+"Do you mean," cried Talbot, starting to his feet, "that you will stand
+by me?"
+
+"Stand by you!" echoed the barrister, himself yielding for an instant to
+the electrical condition of things. "Of course I will. We will recover
+those diamonds and bring them back with us to London if we have to take
+them out of the Sultan's palace itself!"
+
+"And now, Lord Fairholme," he added, before Talbot could do other than
+grasp his hand and shake it impulsively, "we want your friend's yacht.
+We will set out for Palermo at the first possible moment. We must reach
+there many hours, perhaps a whole day, before Dubois, who is on a
+sailing vessel, and even with the start he has obtained cannot hope to
+equal the performance of a fast steamer. Let Gros Jean and his Turks
+travel overland. We will beat them, too. Come, now, no more talk, but
+action. You, Fairholme, go ahead and prepare Daubeney. I will see to
+your luggage being packed. Talbot and I will join you in half an hour."
+
+"Eh! what is that?" broke in Sir Hubert. "Fairholme, Talbot, you--what
+are Edith and I going to do?"
+
+"Mr. Brett, of course," said Edith, in her steady, even tones, "did not
+trouble to include us, uncle, because we shall be on the yacht first. A
+woman can always pack up much better than a man, you know, and I will
+look after you, dear."
+
+Brett gave one glance at her flushed and smiling face, and forthwith
+abandoned argument as useless.
+
+An hour later the _Blue-Bell_ was skimming merrily past the outer
+lighthouse in Marseilles bay.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE RACE
+
+
+For a wonder, the Gulf of Lyons was not boisterous. They had a pleasant
+journey through the night, and Daubeney assured them that his handsome
+yacht was doing twelve knots an hour without being pressed.
+
+Next morning they reached the Straits of Bonifacio, and here they had to
+slacken speed somewhat, for the navigation of that rocky channel was
+difficult and dangerous. Far behind them they could see a huge steamer
+approaching. As the morning wore, this vessel came nearer, and Daubeney,
+important now in his capacity of commander, announced that she was the
+P. and O. steamship _Ganges_, bound for Brindisi and the East, via the
+Straits of Messina.
+
+"She left Marseilles at a late hour last night," he said, "and will call
+at Brindisi for the Indian mails."
+
+An idea suddenly struck Brett. "Do you know how fast she is steaming?"
+he inquired.
+
+"Oh, about thirteen and a half knots an hour. That is her best rate. The
+P. and O. boats are not flyers, you know."
+
+"And does she stop at Messina?"
+
+Daubeney now caught the drift of the barrister's questions.
+
+"I don't think so, but Macpherson, my chief engineer, will probably tell
+us."
+
+Macpherson was produced, a bearded and grizzled personage, hailing from
+Dundee. Being a Scotchman he would not commit himself.
+
+"I hav'na hear-rd o' the P. and O. ships stoppin' at Messina," he
+announced, "but aiblins they wad if they got their price." And "Mac"
+would not commit himself any further.
+
+Another hour passed, and the _Ganges_ was now almost alongside. Although
+both ships were well through the Straits of Bonifacio, and the _Ganges_
+should have followed a course a point or two north of that pursued by
+the _Blue-Bell_, she appeared to be desirous to come close to them.
+
+Suddenly the reason became apparent. A line of little flags fluttered up
+to her masthead.
+
+"She is signalling us," cried Daubeney excitedly. "Here you," he shouted
+to a sailor, "bring Jones here at once."
+
+Jones was the yacht's expert signaller. He approached with a telescope
+and a code under his arm. After a prolonged gaze and a careful scrutiny
+of the code, he announced--
+
+        "This is how the message reads: 'Turks on board.
+        Stopping Messina.--WINTER.'"
+
+For once the barrister was startled out of his usual quiet
+self-possession.
+
+"Winter!" he almost screamed. "Is he there?"
+
+A hundred mad questions coursed through his brain, but he realized that
+to attempt a long explanation by signals was not only out of the
+question, but could not fail to attract the attention of passengers on
+board the _Ganges_. This he did not desire to do. Quick as lightning, he
+decided that by some inexplicable means the Scotland Yard detective had
+reached Marseilles full of the knowledge that Dubois and the diamonds
+were _en route_ to Sicily, and had also learnt that he, Brett, and the
+others were on board the _Blue-Bell_.
+
+He had evidently taken the speediest means of reaching the island, and
+found himself on board the same ship as Gros Jean and the Turks. Hence
+he had approached the captain with the request that the _Blue-Bell_
+should be signalled.
+
+"What shall we answer?" said Daubeney, breaking in upon the barrister's
+train of thought.
+
+"Oh, say that the signal is fully understood."
+
+Whilst the answering flags were being displayed Daubeney asked--
+
+"What does it all mean?"
+
+"It means," said Brett, "that if the _Blue-Bell_ has another yard of
+speed in her engines we shall need it all. It perhaps will make no
+material difference in the long run, but as a mere matter of pride I
+should like to reach Palermo before Gros Jean. If I remember rightly,
+Palermo is six hours from Messina by rail. Can we do it?"
+
+"Mac" was again consulted. Of course he would not commit himself.
+
+"We will try damned ha-r-rd," he said.
+
+And with this emphatic resolve the _Blue-Bell_ sped onwards through the
+sunlit sea until, late in the evening, the _Ganges_ was hull down on her
+quarter.
+
+Macpherson came on deck to take a last look at the P. and O.
+
+"It will be a gr-reat race," he announced, "and I may have to kill a
+stoker. But----"
+
+Then he dived below again.
+
+So rapidly did the _Blue-Bell_ speed over the inland sea that as night
+fell over the face of the waters on the second day out from Marseilles
+the look-out forrard announced "a light on the starboard bow," and
+Daubeney, after scrutinizing it through his binoculars and consulting a
+chart, announced it to be the occulting light on Cape San Vito.
+
+This discovery occasioned a slight alteration in the course. The
+_Blue-Bell_ ran merrily on until the small hours of the morning, when
+everybody on board was suddenly awakened by the stoppage of the screw.
+
+This is always a disturbing incident at sea when people are asleep.
+Travellers not inured to the incidents of ocean voyaging cannot help
+conjuring up vivid pictures of impending disaster.
+
+It is useless to tell them that for the very reason the ship has
+slackened her speed it is obvious she is being navigated with care and
+watchfulness. Reason at such a time is dethroned by the natural timidity
+of the unseen, and it is not surprising therefore that the passengers on
+board the _Blue-Bell_ should one and all find some pretext to gain the
+deck in their eagerness to find out why the vessel had slowed down. The
+answer was a reassuring one. She had burnt a flare for a pilot, and
+quickly an answering gleam came from afar out of the darkness ahead.
+
+The pilot was soon on board. He was an Italian, but, like most members
+of his profession doing business in those waters, he spoke French
+fluently.
+
+Brett asked him how long, with the north-easterly breeze then blowing,
+a small sailing vessel, such as a schooner-rigged fishing-smack, would
+take to reach Palermo from Marseilles.
+
+The pilot seemed to be surprised at the question.
+
+"It is a trip not often made, monsieur," he said. "Fishing vessels from
+Marseilles are frequently compelled to take shelter under the lea of
+Corsica or even Sardinia, but here--in Sicily--why should they come
+here?"
+
+"Oh, I don't mean a schooner engaged in the fishing trade, but rather a
+small vessel chartered for pleasure, taking the place, as it were, of a
+private yacht."
+
+"Ah," said the Italian, "that explains it. Well, monsieur, with this
+breeze I should imagine they would set their course round by the north
+of Corsica in order to avoid beating through the Straits of Bonifacio.
+That would make the run about 650 knots, and a smart little vessel,
+carrying all her sails and properly ballasted, might reach Palermo in a
+few hours over three days."
+
+"Thank you," said Brett. "Is Palermo a difficult port to make?"
+
+"Oh no, monsieur. There is deep water all round here, no shoals, and but
+few isolated rocks, which are all well known. The only thing to guard
+against is the changeful current. According to the state of the tide and
+the direction of the wind, sailing ships have to alter their course very
+considerably, for the currents round here are very strong and
+consequently most dangerous in calm weather."
+
+Brett smiled.
+
+"It would be an ignoble conclusion to the chase if the _Belles Soeurs_
+were wrecked with her valuable cargo. I most devoutly pray," he said to
+himself, "that the breezes and currents may combine to bring Dubois
+safely on shore. Then I think we can deal with him."
+
+Soon after daybreak the _Blue-Bell_, after a momentary halt at the
+Customs Station, crept past the Castello a Mare, and amidst much
+gesticulation, accompanied by a torrent of volcanic Italian, she was
+tied up to a wharf in the Cala--the small inner harbour of the port.
+
+Edith, who could not sleep since the advent of the pilot, made an early
+toilet and climbed to the bridge, whence she had a magnificent view of
+the sunrise over the beautiful city that stands on the Conca d'Oro, or
+Golden Shell--the smiling and luxuriant plain that seems to be provided
+by Nature for man's habitation. It lies beyond a lovely bay, and is
+enclosed on three sides by lofty and precipitous mountains.
+
+Naturally Fairholme was drawn to her side as a chip of steel to a
+magnet.
+
+"We are certain to have a furious row here," he remarked when they had
+exhausted their superlative adjectives concerning the splendid prospect
+opening up before their eyes.
+
+"Why?" cried Edith wonderingly. "I understood that our present adventure
+may at any moment have exciting developments, but I do not see the
+association between the view and the possibility."
+
+"It is this way," he answered. "I have not read a great deal, as you
+know, but I have always noticed in my limited way that wherever Nature
+is most lavish in her gifts, she seems to take a delight in setting
+people by the ears. Italy is a fine country, you know, yet there are
+more murders to the square inch there than in any other place on earth.
+Then again, it is likely that several armed policemen are at this moment
+chasing bandits among those hills over there," and he nodded towards
+the distant blue heights which looked so peaceful in the clear
+atmosphere, now brilliant with the rays of the rising sun.
+
+Edith laughed. "Really, Bobby," she pouted, "you are becoming
+sentimental. I half expect to find you break out into verse."
+
+"I can do that, too," he said, "though it is not my own. Hasn't Heber
+got a hymn which tells us of a place where
+
+                         Every prospect pleases,
+                         And only man is vile.
+
+I forget the rest of it."
+
+Miss Talbot faced him rapidly.
+
+"Good gracious, Bobby, what is the matter with you? I never knew you in
+such a melting mood before?"
+
+"How can I help it?" he half-whispered, laying his hand on her shoulder.
+"We have never been together so much before in our lives. Don't you
+realize, Edith, what it means to us if Mr. Brett discovers those
+diamonds within the next few hours or days?"
+
+He bent closer towards her and his hand passed from her shoulder round
+her neck. "When we return to England, if you are willing, we can be
+married within a week."
+
+A bright flush suffused her beautiful face. She bent her head and was
+silent. It is quite certain that Fairholme would have kissed her had not
+Daubeney shouted--
+
+"Look here, you two, flirting on the bridge is strictly forbidden. You
+will demoralize the whole crew. Even the pilot cannot keep his eyes off
+you."
+
+They laughed and giggled like a couple of children caught stealing
+gooseberries. Yet the incident and the words were fraught with a solemn
+significance which often came back to their minds in other days.
+
+The party breakfasted on board and then set out to survey the hotels.
+Brett's first care was to ascertain the scheduled hours of the train
+service between Messina and Palermo. To his joy he discovered that
+neither Winter nor the gang he was shadowing could possibly reach the
+city until a quarter to four in the afternoon. They decided in favour of
+the Hotel de France as being most modern in its appearance and centrally
+situated.
+
+The next thing to do was to provide an efficient watch on all sailing
+vessels entering the harbour, and here the pilot proved to be a valuable
+ally. Brett explained to him that he was most anxious to meet some
+people who were coming from Marseilles on a fishing smack named the
+_Belles Soeurs_, No. 107. It was possible, he explained, that both the
+number and the name might be obliterated, so he wished the pilot, or any
+helpers he might employ for the duty, to take particular note of all
+strange boats answering to this description, and at once report their
+appearance. This the man guaranteed to do. He said that it was quite
+impossible for a French-rigged smack to enter Palermo without attracting
+his notice.
+
+As the daily remuneration fixed for his services was far beyond any sum
+he could earn as a pilot, he set about his task with enthusiasm. He
+engaged two assistants to take turns in watching the harbour, and gave
+the barrister such assurances of devotion to duty that Brett felt quite
+satisfied that Dubois could not arrive in Palermo without his
+knowledge. Of course it was quite on the cards that some secluded creek
+along the coast might be preferred by the astute schemer as a point of
+debarkation, but this was a risk which must be taken.
+
+By approaching the police authorities and requesting their co-operation,
+and also using Gros Jean and the Turks as a stalking-horse, Brett felt
+tolerably certain that the time would soon arrive when Dubois and he
+would stand face to face.
+
+In making these manifold preparations the morning passed rapidly. The
+barrister insisted that his companions should go for a drive whilst he
+busied himself with the necessary details, and they should meet at the
+hotel for the midday meal. It was then that he singled out Sir Hubert
+for his personal share in the pursuit.
+
+"You know Mr. Winter?" he said to the baronet.
+
+"Yes, I remember him perfectly."
+
+"In that case I wish you to go to the station and meet the 3.45 p.m.
+train on arrival. You will probably see the Turks and Gros Jean, but pay
+no attention to them. Keep a bright look-out for Mr. Winter. Walk up
+quite openly and speak to him, and the probability is that should Gros
+Jean have become suspicious of this Englishman who follows in the same
+track as himself, your presence on the platform will convince him that
+he was mistaken in imagining the slightest connection between Winter's
+journey and his own."
+
+"That is good," said the major-general. "It would never have occurred to
+me. Any other commands?"
+
+"None, save this," continued Brett, smiling at the old soldier's
+eagerness to obey implicitly any instructions given to him. "When you
+meet Winter, tell him, if possible, to so direct his movements as to
+find out Gros Jean's destination, if it can be done without giving the
+Frenchman the slightest cause for uneasiness. Otherwise the matter is of
+no consequence. I have already interviewed the chief of police here, and
+it will only be a question of an hour's delay before the local
+detectives effectually locate the quarters occupied by Gros Jean and the
+Turks."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+CLOSE QUARTERS
+
+
+Sir Hubert was all eagerness to undertake his mission. He reached the
+station at least half an hour too soon. Anyone seeing him there would
+readily admit that the barrister could not have chosen an agent less
+guileful in appearance. The very cut of his clothes, the immaculate
+character of his white spats, bespoke the elderly British gentleman.
+
+At last the train arrived. The vast majority of its passengers were
+Sicilian peasants or business men returning to Palermo from the interior
+of the island. To Sir Hubert's delight, he at once caught sight of Gros
+Jean and the Turks, whom, of course, he quickly identified as the
+loungers on the tower of the Chateau d'If.
+
+It occurred to him that there was a remote chance of recognition by Gros
+Jean, so he busied himself for an instant in a seeming scrutiny of the
+bookstall until they had passed. A little further down the platform he
+caught sight of Inspector Winter, that worthy individual being engaged
+in a fiercely unintelligible controversy with an Italian porter as to
+the possession of his portmanteau.
+
+Sir Hubert hurried forward, and seized the amazed policeman by his hand,
+wringing it warmly. To tell the truth, Winter did not know for a moment
+who it was that accorded him such a cordial greeting, for, as it
+subsequently transpired, the policeman was not aware of Sir Hubert's
+journey to Marseilles, nor did he guess that Edith was with him.
+
+The stolid detective, however, quickly recovered himself, and his first
+words were--
+
+"Did Mr. Brett fully understand my signal?"
+
+"I think so," said the other; "but he will tell you all about that
+afterwards. At present he wishes you to ascertain Gros Jean's intended
+residence."
+
+Mr. Winter smiled with the peculiar air of superiority affected by
+Scotland Yard.
+
+"Oh, that is too easy," he condescended to explain. "I have been talking
+to him."
+
+"You don't say so!"
+
+"Yes, I have. My French is bad, and his English is worse, but he
+understands that I am in the wholesale grocery trade. I have come to
+Palermo to buy currants!"
+
+"Most extraordinary! How very clever of you!"
+
+Mr. Winter drew himself up with an air of professional pride.
+
+"That is nothing, sir," he said. "We often make queer acquaintanceships
+in the way of business. But Gros Jean is a smart chap. He eyed me
+curiously when he happened to hear that I was the fifth passenger who
+wished to leave the steamer at Messina, so I took the bull by the horns
+and made myself useful to him in the matter of getting his baggage out
+of the hold."
+
+"Marvellous!" gasped Sir Hubert.
+
+"The upshot of it was that he gave me some advice about currants. We
+stayed in the same hotel at Messina, travelled together in the train,
+and I am going to put up at the Campo Santo Hotel, where he will stay
+with the Turks."
+
+Meanwhile the subject of their conversation had quitted the station, and
+Sir Hubert's respect for Mr. Winter's powers as a sleuth-hound yielded
+to anxiety lest the slippery Frenchman might vanish once and for all.
+
+"Hadn't we better follow him?" he suggested.
+
+Mr. Winter winked knowingly. "Don't be anxious, sir. He wants to be seen
+in my company. He believes I am here for trading purposes, and the
+association will be useful to him."
+
+Nevertheless the baronet was glad to find that Mr. Winter's confidence
+was not misplaced, when, ten minutes later, he again encountered the
+Frenchman and the Turks at the door of the Campo Santo, a cheap and
+popular hotel near the square that forms the centre of Palermo.
+
+The detective was eminently suited for the _role_ he now filled.
+
+"Ah, monsoo," he cried with boisterous good humour, "permittez-moi
+introducer un friend of mine, Monsoo Smeeth, de Londres, you know. Je ne
+savez pas les noms de votre companiongs, but they are tres bons
+camarades, je suis certain."
+
+Gros Jean was most complaisant.
+
+"It ees von grand plaisir, m'sieu," he said, whilst the Turks gravely
+bowed their acknowledgments.
+
+The upshot of this extraordinary meeting was that when Mr. Winter had
+secured a room and the party had ordered dinner, the six men set out
+for a stroll through the town.
+
+Sir Hubert strove hard to so manoeuvre their ramble that they should
+pass the Hotel de France, and perchance come under the astonished eyes
+of Brett and the others.
+
+But this amiable design was frustrated by Gros Jean's eagerness to visit
+the post-office, which lay in a different direction.
+
+One of the Turks, none other than Hussein-ul-Mulk, spoke English fairly
+well, and it puzzled the old baronet considerably to answer his
+questions.
+
+Yet the situation passed off well. Gros Jean came out of the
+post-office, apparently without having obtained any missives--a letter,
+of course, could not possibly await him--and suggested that they should
+wander towards the harbour.
+
+Sir Hubert strongly recommended the spectacular beauty of the street
+where the Hotel de France lay, but Gros Jean politely insisted that he
+wished to make some inquiries at the shipping office, and Mr. Winter
+backed him up, being ignorant of the baronet's real motive.
+
+There was nothing to do but yield gracefully.
+
+They walked along the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele. Sir Hubert, fresh with
+memories of his morning's drive with a guide, pointed out the chief
+buildings, becoming sadly mixed up in the names of some of them.
+
+Still, this was a safer topic than his previous conversation with
+Hussein-ul-Mulk, so he persevered gamely.
+
+They soon reached the quay. Sir Hubert became almost incoherent with
+agitation when they passed the _Blue-Bell_ and came into full view of
+Edith, Jack, Fairholme and Daubeney, who happened to leave the hotel
+shortly before five o'clock in order to visit the yacht and secure a
+good cup of tea.
+
+Brett refused to accompany them, on the ground that his Italian scout,
+the pilot, might bring news at any hour, and he must remain within
+immediate call.
+
+It was a supreme moment when Gros Jean halted and called general
+attention to the smart-looking vessel and the tea-drinkers.
+
+Sir Hubert keenly examined the top of the funnel, and tried
+simultaneously to yawn and light a cigar. In the result he nearly choked
+himself. Mr. Winter, somewhat more prepared for emergencies, endeavoured
+to interest Gros Jean in the wonderful clearness of the water.
+
+But Hussein-ul-Mulk and his two sedate friends suddenly betrayed a keen
+interest in Fairholme.
+
+When they last met the earl on the tower of the Chateau d'If they were
+so engrossed in the object of their visit to Marseilles that he had
+passed them unnoticed.
+
+But now, looking steadily at him--for Fairholme was seated facing them,
+and was striving to maintain the semblance of an animated chat with
+Edith--there came to the Turks a memory, each instant becoming more
+definite, of an exciting scene in the Rue Barbette, and the opportune
+arrival of a stalwart young Englishman, backed up by a couple of
+gendarmes.
+
+Hussein-ul-Mulk's swarthy countenance reddened with suspicious anger. He
+drew Gros Jean on one side and whispered something to him. The Frenchman
+started violently.
+
+"They have recognized you, Bobby!" murmured the quick-witted Edith.
+"Oh, why didn't we remain with Mr. Brett!"
+
+There is no knowing what might have happened had not Fate stepped in to
+decide in dramatic fashion the important issues at stake.
+
+Whilst Gros Jean and the Turk were still conferring in stealthy tones,
+and the English people endeavoured to keep up an appearance of complete
+unconcern, a tramp steamer swung round the corner of the mole that
+protects the harbour.
+
+In tow, with sails trimly furled and six people standing on her small
+deck--a lady and gentleman and four sailors--was the _Belles Soeurs_,
+fishing-smack No. 107, from Marseilles. Instantly a watcher, otherwise
+unperceived, ran off from the quay at top speed towards the Hotel de
+France.
+
+Gros Jean, the Turks, Edith, Fairholme--each and every member of the two
+parties on the wharf and on the deck of the _Blue-Bell_--momentarily
+forgot the minor excitement of the situation in view of this unexpected
+apparition.
+
+"_Voila! Ils viennent! Venez vite!_" cried Gros Jean.
+
+He ran further along the quay, followed by the Turks.
+
+"Quick, Bobby! Oh, Jack, do something! Mr. Brett could not foresee this,
+though he seemed to have an inspiration that kept him in the hotel. What
+can we do? Dubois and the girl will know you at once! Jack, shouldn't
+you keep out of sight?--go below--go and fetch Mr. Brett. Oh, dear, this
+is dreadful!"
+
+Thus did Edith, for once yielding to feminine irresolution, appeal to
+her lover and brother, vainly seeking to discover the best line of
+action to follow in this disastrous circumstance, for she knew that the
+diamonds must now be in the personal possession of Dubois. It was a
+golden opportunity to recover the stolen gems. If once he eluded the
+grasp of his pursuers after landing they might--probably would--secure
+him, but not the diamonds.
+
+Daubeney, now purple with perplexity, and Fairholme, swearing softly
+under his breath, sprang from the deck to the low wall of the quay.
+Almost unconsciously they joined Sir Hubert and Mr. Winter. Edith
+followed them. She glanced at her brother. He was gazing curiously,
+vindictively, at the two figures on the deck of the _Belles Soeurs_.
+There was a fierce gleam in his eyes, a set expression in his closed
+lips, a nervous twitching at the corners of his mouth, that betokened
+the overpowering emotions of the moment.
+
+With a woman's intuition Edith realized that no power on earth, no
+consideration of expediency, would restrain him from laying violent
+hands on Dubois at the first possible opportunity. She knew there must
+be a struggle, in which Gros Jean and the Turks, perhaps the four
+sailors, would participate. They might use knives and firearms, whereas
+the Englishmen were unarmed.
+
+So she ran back on board the yacht and cried to the Scotch engineer--
+
+"Oh, Mr. Macpherson! Please come with some of your men! There may be a
+fight on the wharf, and Mr. Daubeney and the others will be
+outnumbered!"
+
+Macpherson for once forgot his cautiousness. There was none of the
+characteristic slowness of the Scottish nation in his manner or language
+as he yelled down the fore-hatch: "Tumble up, there! Some damned
+Eye-talians are goin' to hammer the boss. Bring along a monkey-wrench
+or the first thing to hand. Shar-r-p's the wo-r-rd!"
+
+Forthwith there poured from the hatchway a miscellaneous mob of seamen,
+firemen and stewards. Following Edith and Macpherson, they ran along the
+quay. Already there was something unusual in progress. Loungers by the
+harbour, perceiving a disturbance, were running towards the scene of
+action.
+
+A solitary Italian policeman, swaggering jauntily over the paved
+roadway, was suddenly startled out of his self-complacency.
+
+"_Caramba!_" he shouted. Drawing his sabre, he broke into a run.
+
+For matters had developed with melodramatic suddenness. Casting off the
+steamer's tow-ropes, the _Belles Soeurs_ swung alongside the wharf
+much more easily and quickly than did the friendly vessel by whose aid
+she had so soon reached Palermo.
+
+Both steamer and smack had already been searched by the Customs'
+officers, who boarded them in the quarantine station, and the reason
+that the schooner had not been earlier sighted from the shore was
+supplied by the mere chance that she was rendered invisible by close
+proximity to her bigger companion.
+
+The instant that the fishing-boat was tied to the wharf, Mlle. Beaucaire
+sprang ashore. Gros Jean, breathless and excited, was there to greet
+her. But the greeting between father and daughter was not very cordial.
+The innkeeper seemed to be dumbfounded with surprise at her early
+arrival.
+
+Dubois followed more leisurely. He took no notice of Gros Jean, and
+appeared to be looking around for a cab. Two of the sailors were handing
+up a couple of portmanteaus from the deck. Hussein-ul-Mulk and the two
+other Turks, unable to restrain their excitement, crowded round the
+pink-and-white Frenchman, jabbering volubly, but Mademoiselle and her
+father moved some slight distance away.
+
+At this juncture Mr. Winter strode resolutely forward, seized Dubois
+firmly by the shoulder, and said--
+
+"Henri Dubois! In the name of the King of England I arrest you for the
+murder of----"
+
+The detective's words were stopped by a blow.
+
+A wild struggle promptly ensued. The man turned on him like a tiger, and
+the Turks joined in. Gros Jean, too, ran back to take a hand in the
+fray. Fairholme, Sir Hubert, Daubeney and Talbot flung themselves on the
+would-be rescuers, and the four French sailors of the _Belles Soeurs_
+leaped ashore to assist their passenger in this unlooked-for attack.
+
+Frantic yells and oaths came from the confused mob, and knives were
+drawn. Talbot had but one desire in life--to get his fingers on Dubois'
+throat. He had almost reached him, for Winter clung to his prey with
+bull-dog tenacity, when an astounding thing happened. The Frenchman's
+handsome moustaches fell off, and beneath the clever make-up on her face
+were visible the boldly handsome features of La Belle Chasseuse, now
+distorted by rage and fear.
+
+"You fool!" yelled Talbot to Winter. "You have let him escape!"
+
+Tearing himself from the midst of the fight, he was just in time to see
+the female figure, which he now knew must be Dubois masquerading in his
+mistress's clothes, jumping into a cab and driving off towards the Corso
+Vittorio Emmanuele.
+
+"Come on, Fairholme!" he cried. "He cannot get away! Here comes an empty
+carriage!"
+
+But now Macpherson and his allies had reached the scene. Using a
+"monkey-wrench or the first thing to hand," they placed the Turks, Gros
+Jean, and the crew of the _Belles Soeurs_ on the casualty list.
+
+Mr. Winter's indignation on finding that he had arrested a woman was
+painful. In his astonishment he released his grasp and turned to look at
+the disappearing vehicle containing the criminal he so ardently longed
+to lay hands upon.
+
+La Belle Chasseuse, with the vicious instinct of her class, felt that
+Talbot's pursuit of her lover must be stopped at all costs.
+
+She suddenly produced a revolver and levelled it at him. Fairholme and
+Edith alone noted her action. At the same instant they rushed towards
+her, but the girl reached her first.
+
+With a frenzied prayer that she might be in time--for she had been told
+of this woman's prowess with a pistol--Edith caught hold of her wrist
+and pulled it violently. Her grip not only disconcerted Mademoiselle's
+deadly aim, but also caused her to press the trigger. There was a loud
+report, a scream, and Edith collapsed to the ground with a severe bullet
+wound in her left shoulder. Even her cloth jacket was set on fire by the
+close proximity of the weapon.
+
+It is to be feared that Fairholme flung La Belle Chasseuse from off the
+quay into the harbour with unnecessary violence. Indeed, the Italian
+onlookers, not accustomed to sanguinary broils, subsequently agreed that
+this was the _piece de resistance_ of the spectacle, for the lady was
+pitched many feet through the air before she struck the water, whence
+she was rescued with some difficulty.
+
+[Illustration: "Fairholme flung La Belle Chasseuse with unnecessary
+violence." --_Page 278._]
+
+Careless how or where Mademoiselle ended her flight, the earl dropped on
+his knees beside Edith and quickly pressed out the flames of the burning
+cloth with his hands. He burnt himself badly in the act, but of this he
+was insensible. Then he bent closer and looked desperately, almost
+hopelessly, into her face.
+
+"Speak to me, darling!" he moaned in such a low, broken-hearted voice
+that even Sir Hubert, himself almost mad with grief, realized how the
+other suffered.
+
+Edith heard him. She opened her eyes, and smiled bravely.
+
+"I don't think it is serious," she murmured. "I was hit high
+up--somewhere in the shoulder. Don't fret, there's a dear."
+
+Then she fainted.
+
+Not knowing why Fairholme did not join him, Talbot raced towards the
+carriage he had seen approaching. It was a smart vehicle, with a sleek,
+well-groomed horse, and he guessed that it must be a private conveyance.
+Gazing anxiously around, he could not see another carriage anywhere in
+the vicinity. There was nothing for it but the method of the brutal
+Saxon. Explanations would need precious time and might be wasted. So
+Talbot jumped into the victoria, hauled the coachman off the box, threw
+him into the roadway, seized the reins, and climbed into the vacant
+seat.
+
+Brett, hurrying with the pilot from the Hotel de France, saw a veiled
+and curious-looking female vehemently urging the driver of a carriage to
+proceed up the main street of Palermo as fast as his horse could travel.
+
+Even in the turmoil of thought caused by the pilot's intelligence he
+noted something peculiar in the lady's manner. Half a minute later he
+encountered Talbot, driving an empty vehicle and furiously compelling
+with reins and whip a lazy animal to exert himself.
+
+Brett shouted to him. He might as well have addressed a whirlwind.
+
+"I saw them all together on the yacht when I came away, signor,"
+exclaimed the pilot. "That is, all except the old signor, who was
+walking with some Turks, a Frenchman, and another who looked like an
+Englishman."
+
+"The old signor was walking with the Turks?" cried Brett.
+
+"Without doubt. He conversed with them. I thought it strange that he
+took no notice of those on board the yacht, but just then the
+steamer----"
+
+"Now," said Brett to himself, "Winter has arrested somebody. Talbot is
+on the right track!"
+
+Yielding to impulse he stopped suddenly and called a cab.
+
+"Here!" he said to the pilot, "ask the driver if he saw two carriages
+pass up the Corso just now at a very fast pace? Very well! Tell him to
+follow them if possible. Jump in with me. I may need your services as
+interpreter. We must overtake one or both of those carriages!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+THE FIGHT
+
+
+Not often have the good people of Palermo seen three cabs pass through
+the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele in such fashion. The sight made loiterers
+curious, drove policemen frantic, and caused the drivers of other
+vehicles to pull to one side and piously bless themselves.
+
+Dubois had evidently offered his _cocchiere_ a lavish bribe for a quick
+transit through the city, and the Italian was determined to earn it.
+Although he had a good start, and his horse was accustomed to
+negotiating the main thoroughfare at a rapid pace, nevertheless the
+half-starved animal was not able to maintain a high rate of speed for
+more than a few minutes.
+
+By the time they reached the Corso Catafini, which carries the chief
+artery of Palermo out into the country--crossing the railway and passing
+the magnificent convent of San Francisco de Sale--the horse was
+labouring heavily notwithstanding the frantic efforts of the cabman.
+
+It was at this point, when mounting the bridge, that Dubois knew for
+certain he was followed. Three hundred yards behind, he saw Talbot
+whipping an equally unwilling, but better-conditioned steed than that
+which carried his own fortunes. At the distance he could not recognize
+the Englishman, but instinct told him that this impassioned driver was
+an enemy.
+
+Brett, of course, was not visible, being far in the rear.
+
+"My friend," said Dubois, standing up in the small carriage and leaning
+against the driver's seat, "I offered you twenty francs if you crossed
+the city quickly. I will make it forty for another mile at the same
+pace. See, I place the money in your pocket."
+
+"It will kill my horse, signorina."
+
+"Possibly. I will buy you another."
+
+The _cocchiere_ thought that this was a lady of strange manner. There
+was an odd timbre in her voice, a note of domination not often
+associated with the fair sex. But she had given earnest of her words by
+a couple of gold pieces, so he murmured a prayer to his favourite saint
+that the horse might not die until the right moment.
+
+Thus they swirled on, pursued and pursuers, until the villa residences
+on the outskirts of the town were less in evidence, and fields devoted
+to the pepper-wort, alternated with groves of olives and limes, formed
+the prevalent features of the landscape.
+
+Now it became evident that the leading horse could barely stagger
+another fifty yards, notwithstanding the inhuman efforts of the
+_cocchiere_ to make the most of the poor brute's failing energies. At
+last the animal stumbled and fell, nearly pulling the driver off his
+perch. It was sad, but he had more than earned his price, for Palermo
+lay far behind.
+
+"My horse is done for, signorina," cried the cabman. "It is marvellous
+that he--_Corpo di Baccho!_ It is a man!"
+
+Dubois felt that his feminine trappings were no longer a disguise, only
+a hindrance. He had torn off jacket, skirt, hat and wig. The frightened
+cabman saw his fare--changed now into an athletic young man, attired in
+shirt and trousers, the latter rolled up to his knees--spring from the
+vehicle and vault over a ditch by the roadside.
+
+Some portion of the discarded clothing lay on the seat of the carriage,
+but Dubois had thrown the skirt over his arm.
+
+"Here! Come back!" yelled the Italian. "What about payment for my dead
+horse?"
+
+But Dubois paid little heed to him. He was fumbling with the pocket of
+the skirt as he ran. Not until he had withdrawn a revolver from its
+folds--whereupon he at once threw away the garment--did the maddening
+remembrance come to him that he unloaded the weapon prior to the Customs
+examination, and had forgotten to reinsert the cartridges.
+
+They were in the pocket of his serge coat, the coat which Mademoiselle
+wore. She, like a prudent young woman, had been careful to reload the
+revolver she carried, and which she transferred to her new attire when,
+at the last moment, Dubois suggested the exchange of clothing as a final
+safeguard in the most unexpected event of police interference with their
+landing.
+
+Henri Dubois could not afford to expend his breath in useless curses.
+But his eyes scintillated with fiery gleams. He, the man who took no
+chances, who foresaw every pitfall and smiled at the devices of outraged
+law, to compromise his own safety so foolishly!
+
+For an instant he was tempted to fling the weapon away, but he
+controlled the impulse.
+
+"As it is," he thought, "this fellow who is pursuing me may not be
+armed, and I can terrorise him if he comes to close quarters."
+
+Moreover, this superlative scoundrel could feel tightly fastened round
+his waist a belt containing diamonds worth over a million sterling. Such
+a ceinture was worth fighting for, whilst his pocket-book contained
+ample funds for all immediate necessities.
+
+If the worst came to the worst he carried a trustworthy clasp knife, and
+he was an adept in the savate--the system of scientific defence by using
+hands and feet which finds favour with Parisian "sports."
+
+On the whole, Henri Dubois made for a neighbouring wood in a state of
+boiling rage at his momentary lapse concerning the revolver, but
+conscious that he had many a time extricated himself from a worse fix. A
+hundred yards in his rear ran Jack Talbot. The Englishman,
+notwithstanding his recent imprisonment, was in better condition than
+Dubois. He was a good golf player and cricketer, and although in
+physique and weight he did not differ much from the Frenchman, his
+muscles were more firmly knit, and his all-round training in athletic
+exercises gave him considerable advantage.
+
+Thus they neared the wood, neither man running at his top speed. Both
+wished to conserve their energies for the approaching struggle. Talbot
+could have come up with his quarry sooner, were it not for the paramount
+consideration that he should not be spent with the race at the supreme
+moment, whilst Dubois only intended to seek the shelter of the trees
+before he faced his opponent. The Frenchman did not want witnesses.
+
+Neither was aware that Brett and the Italian pilot had by this time
+reached the place where the two leading carriages were halted in the
+roadway. Without wasting a moment the barrister leapt the intervening
+ditch and followed the runners across the field, whilst behind him,
+eagerly anxious to see the end of this mysterious chase, came the
+sailor.
+
+On the edge of the wood Dubois halted and turned to face his pursuer.
+Instantly he recognized Talbot, and for the first time in his career a
+spasm of fear struck cold upon the Frenchman's heart. In the young
+Englishman he recognized the only man who had cause to hate him with an
+implacable animosity.
+
+But the unscrupulous adventurer quickly recovered his nerve.
+
+"So it is you who follow me so closely," he cried. "Go back, my friend.
+This time I will not tie you on a bed. You are becoming dangerous. Go
+back, I tell you!"
+
+And with these words he levelled the revolver at Talbot's breast, for
+the latter was now within fifty yards of him. But Jack was animated with
+the mad elation of a successful chase, and governed by the fierce
+resolve that his betrayer should not escape him. For an instant he
+stopped. It was only to pick up a huge stone. Then he ran on again, and,
+careless whether Dubois fired or not, he flung the missile at him.
+
+The Frenchman barely succeeded in dodging, as it passed unpleasantly
+close to his head. He instantly understood that here was a man who could
+not be deterred by idle threats. To attempt to keep him at arm's length
+by pointing an empty pistol at him would merely court disaster.
+
+So now, with an imprecation of genuine rage, he flung the weapon at
+Talbot, who, in his turn, was so surprised by the action that he did not
+get out of the way in time. It struck him fair in the chest and
+staggered him for a moment, whereupon Dubois ran off again into the
+interior of the wood.
+
+But Talbot's pause was only a matter of seconds. He did not trouble to
+pick up another stone. He felt with a species of mad joy that his enemy
+was unarmed--that he could throttle him with his hands, and wreak upon
+him that personal and physical vengeance which is dearer to outraged
+humanity than any wounds inflicted by other means.
+
+Dubois reached a small glade among the trees before he comprehended that
+his ruthless adversary was still close at his heels. He stopped for the
+last time, resolved now to have done with this irritating business, once
+and for all. Talbot too halted, about ten yards from him. He felt that
+he had the Frenchman at his mercy, and there were a few things he wished
+to say to him before they closed in mortal combat.
+
+"This time, Henri Dubois," he panted, "I am not drugged and strapped
+helplessly to a bed. You know why I am here. I have followed you to
+avenge the stigma you inflicted on my reputation and at the same time to
+recover the diamonds which you obtained by subterfuge and murder."
+
+The Frenchman was quite collected in manner.
+
+"I murdered no one," he answered. "I could not help the blundering of
+other people. If I am regretfully compelled to kill you to-day, it is
+your own fault. I am only acting in self-defence."
+
+"Self-defence!" came the quick retort. "Such men as you are a pest. Like
+any wild beast you will strive to save your miserable life! But, thank
+Heaven, you must depend upon your claws. Lying and trickery will avail
+you no further!"
+
+"How can we fight?" demanded the Frenchman calmly.
+
+"Any way you like, you villain. As man to man if you are able. If not,
+as dog to dog, for I am going to try and kill you!"
+
+"But you are probably armed, whereas I am defenceless? My revolver, as
+you saw, was not loaded."
+
+"We are equal in that respect, if in no other," retorted Talbot.
+
+An evil smile lit up the Frenchman's pallid face. He pulled out his
+knife with a flourish and hissed--
+
+"Then die yourself, you fool!"
+
+He advanced upon Jack with a murderous look in his face. Talbot awaited
+him, and he, too, smiled.
+
+"You are a liar and a coward to the end!" he cried. "But if you had
+twenty knives, Henri Dubois, I will kill you!"
+
+At that instant a cold, clear voice rang out among the trees, close
+behind the two men.
+
+"Halt!" it cried.
+
+Both men involuntarily paused and turned their eyes to learn whence came
+this strange interruption. Brett quietly came a few paces nearer.
+
+He held a revolver, pointed significantly at Dubois' breast.
+
+"Drop that knife," he said, with an icy determination in tone and manner
+that sent a cold shiver through his hearer's spine.
+
+"Drop it, or, by God, I will shoot you this instant!"
+
+Dubois felt that the game was up. He flung down the knife and tried even
+then to laugh.
+
+"Of course," he sneered, "as I am cornered on all sides I give in."
+
+Brett still advanced until he reached the spot where the knife lay. He
+picked it up, and at the same instant lowered the revolver. Then he
+observed, with the easy indifference of one who remarks upon the
+weather--
+
+"Now you can fight, monsieur. My young friend here is determined to
+thrash you, and you richly deserve it. So I will not interfere. But just
+one word before you begin. Two can play at the game of bluff. This is
+your own pistol. It is, as you know, unloaded."
+
+Dubois' cry of rage at the trick which had been played on him was
+smothered by his effort to close with Talbot, who immediately flung
+himself upon him with an impetuosity not to be denied.
+
+Luckily for the Englishman he had clutched Dubois before the latter
+could attempt any of the expedients of the savate. Nevertheless the
+Frenchman sought to defend himself with the frenzy of desperation.
+
+The fight, while it lasted, was fast and furious.
+
+The two men rolled over and over each other on the ground--one striving
+to choke the life out of his opponent, the other seeking to rend with
+teeth and nails.
+
+This combat of catamounts could not last long.
+
+From the writhing convulsive bodies, locked together in a deadly
+struggle, suddenly there came a sharp snap. The Frenchman's right arm
+was broken near the wrist.
+
+Then Talbot proceeded to wreak his vengeance on him. Unquestionably he
+would have strangled the man had not Brett interfered, for with his left
+hand he clutched Dubois' throat, whilst with the right he endeavoured to
+demolish his features. But the barrister, assisted by the Italian
+pilot--whose after-life was cheered by his ability to relate the details
+of this Homeric fight--pulled the young man from off his insensible foe.
+
+Talbot regained his feet. Panting with exertion, he glared down at the
+prostrate form, but Brett, being practical-minded, knelt by the
+Frenchman's side, tore open his shirt, and unfastened the precious belt.
+
+"At last!" he murmured.
+
+Peering into one of the pockets, which by the way of its bulging he
+thought would contain the "Imperial diamond," he looked up at Talbot
+with the words--
+
+"Now, Jack, we are even with him."
+
+It was the first time he had addressed Talbot by his familiar and
+Christian name. The very sound brought back the other man to a conscious
+state of his surroundings, and in the same instant a great weakness came
+over him, for the terrible exertions of the past few minutes had utterly
+exhausted him.
+
+"I cannot even thank you, for I am done up. But I owe it all to you, old
+man. If it had not been for you we should never have found him."
+
+Brett's grave face wrinkled in a kindly smile.
+
+"I think," he said, "we are even on that score. If you had not followed
+this rascal he might have escaped us at the finish, and my pride would
+never have recovered from the shock. However, go and sit down for a
+minute or two and you will soon pull yourself together again. I wish to
+goodness we had some brandy. A drop would do you good, and our prostrate
+friend here would be none the worse for a reviver."
+
+The Italian pilot caught the word "brandy." Being a sailor he was equal
+to all emergencies. He produced a small flask with a magnificent air.
+
+"Behold!" he declared. "It is the best. It is contraband!"
+
+Brett forced his companion to swallow some of the liquor; then he gently
+raised Dubois' head and managed to pour a few drops into his mouth.
+
+The Frenchman regained consciousness. Awakening with a start to the
+realities of existence, he endeavoured to rise, but sank back with a
+groan, for he had striven to support himself on his broken arm.
+
+"Be good enough to remain quite still, M. Dubois," said Brett
+soothingly. "You have reached the end of your rope, and we do not even
+need to tie you."
+
+With the aid of some handkerchiefs and a couple of saplings cut by the
+Italian he managed roughly to bind the fractured limb. Then he assisted
+Dubois to his feet.
+
+"Come," he said, "we are regretfully compelled to bring you back to
+town, but we will endeavour to make the journey as comfortable as
+possible for you. In any event, the horses will certainly not travel so
+fast."
+
+In the roadway they found the carriages where they had left them, whilst
+three wondering _cocchieri_ were exchanging opinions as to the mad
+behaviour of the foreigners.
+
+Brett and the Frenchman entered one vehicle, Talbot and the Italian
+pilot the other.
+
+"But, gentlemen," moaned the disconsolate cabman who had headed the
+procession from Palermo, "who will pay me for my dead horse?"
+
+"I know not," replied Brett. "In any event you had better occupy the
+vacant seat and drive those two gentlemen to the city, where you can
+secure the means of bringing back your carriage."
+
+In this guise the party returned to Palermo, evoking much wonderment all
+the way through the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, whence no less than six
+outraged policemen followed them to the Hotel de France to obtain their
+names and addresses.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+PIECING THE PUZZLE
+
+
+Palermo was in a perfect ferment. Not since the last revolution had
+people seen such a pitched battle in the streets, for Macpherson and his
+myrmidons had used no gentle means to pacify Gros Jean and the Turks,
+whilst the crew of the _Belles Soeurs_ would not be in a fit state to
+go to sea for many days.
+
+An excited mob of people surrounded the hotel when Brett and Talbot
+arrived with their wounded prisoner. Fortunately the Chief of Police
+came in person to ascertain the cause of all this turmoil. The first
+alarmist report that reached his ears made out that a species of
+international warfare had broken out in the harbour.
+
+He told his subordinates to clear away the crowd, and explanations by
+Brett and Winter soon demonstrated the wisdom of an official
+_communique_ to the Press that the row on the pier was merely the
+outcome of a quarrel between some intoxicated sailors.
+
+The Chief of the Police politely offered to place detectives at the
+disposal of the Englishmen for the proper custody of their captive.
+Brett thanked him, but declined the proffered assistance, having decided
+to warn Winter not to interfere.
+
+"The only prisoner of interest," he explained, "received such severe
+injuries during a struggle which he brought on himself that he will be
+quite unable to be moved for several days. His right arm is broken, and
+his face has been reduced to a pulp. There is a stout Frenchman named
+Beaucaire and three Turks who accompanied him, whom I recommend to your
+safe custody. We bring no charge against them, but it would be as well
+to keep them under lock and key until we have left Palermo."
+
+"Do you mean the innkeeper Gros Jean and the Turks who accompanied him
+from Messina by train to-day?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"You need not trouble about them. They have all been carried to the
+hospital."
+
+"What!" exclaimed Brett. "How did they come to be injured?"
+
+"I cannot tell you exactly, but they, together with some sailors from
+the fishing-smack, were knocked senseless by the crew of the steam yacht
+when the young lady was shot."
+
+"What young lady?" demanded Brett and Talbot together. This conversation
+had taken place in the entrance of the hotel, whilst Dubois was being
+carried to a bedroom by the servants.
+
+"Did you not know?" inquired the official gravely. "The young lady was
+of your company who stayed here with you--the niece of milord, the
+elderly gentleman."
+
+"Edith! Shot, did you say!" cried her brother, leaning against the
+barrister for support.
+
+"Yes, but not seriously, I hope. She has been brought here. The doctors
+are now with her in her room."
+
+"Who shot her?" demanded Brett savagely.
+
+"The person who was flung into the harbour by the other milord. It is
+stated that she is a woman, but really at this moment I have not heard
+all the facts. She was carried to the hospital with the others."
+
+The two waited to hear no more. They ran upstairs, and Talbot would have
+fallen twice had not Brett supported him. Reaching the corridor which
+contained their apartments they found Sir Hubert, Lord Fairholme,
+Daubeney, and Mr. Winter standing silently, a sorrowful, motionless
+group, outside Edith's room.
+
+"What terrible thing has happened?" Brett asked them. "Surely Miss
+Talbot cannot be seriously hurt?"
+
+The only one who could answer was Mr. Winter.
+
+"We hope not, sir," he said, "but the doctors will be here in a moment.
+They are extracting the bullet now."
+
+Before the bewildered barrister could frame another question the door of
+Edith's room opened noiselessly, and two Italian gentlemen emerged. One
+of them spoke English well. He addressed himself to Sir Hubert
+Fitzjames.
+
+"I am glad to tell you," he said cheerfully, "that the young lady's
+wound is not at all dangerous. It looks worse than it is. Most
+fortunately, the bullet first struck a large bone button on her coat.
+This, combined with the thick woollen material, and some small amount of
+padding placed beneath the collar by the maker, offered such resistance
+that the bullet lodged itself against the collar bone without breaking
+it. Consequently, although the wound has a nasty appearance, it is not
+at all serious. The young lady herself makes light of it. Indeed, she
+thought that an anaesthetic was unnecessary, but of course we
+administered one prior to extraction, and she is now resting quietly."
+
+"You are not deceiving us, doctor? Tell us the truth, for Heaven's
+sake." It was Fairholme's voice, broken and hollow, that so fiercely
+uttered these words.
+
+The kindly doctor turned and placed his hand upon the earl's shoulder.
+
+"I would not dream of such a thing," he answered. "It would be cruel to
+raise false hopes if the young lady's condition were really dangerous.
+Believe me, there is nothing to fear. With the careful attention she
+will receive, she will be well able to travel within a week, though, of
+course, the wound will not be fully healed until later."
+
+Sir Hubert managed to stammer--
+
+"When can we see her?"
+
+"As soon as she wakes from sleep. We have given her a small draught, you
+understand, to secure complete rest after the shock of the operation. My
+colleague and I will return here at eight o'clock, and then there will
+probably be no reason why you should not speak to her. Meanwhile be
+confident; there is absolutely no cause for alarm."
+
+With this reassuring statement they had perforce to rest content. The
+medical men were about to take their departure when Brett intervened.
+
+"There is yet another patient who requires your attention, gentlemen,"
+he said. "You will find him in room No. 41. He is suffering from a
+broken arm and other injuries."
+
+The doctors hurried off, and it was not long before they were able to
+make a satisfactory report concerning Dubois.
+
+"The fracture of the ulna is a simple one," said the spokesman, "and
+will become all right in the ordinary course of nature. But what
+happened to the man's face?"
+
+"He settled a slight dispute with my friend here," said Brett,
+indicating Talbot, who was leaning with his head wearily resting on his
+hands. The accident to Edith had utterly unnerved her brother.
+
+"Then all I can say," remarked the doctor, when he took his leave, "is
+that the settlement was complete. Whatever the debt may have been, it is
+paid in full!"
+
+The Englishmen were now safe in the seclusion of a private room, so
+Brett resolved to arouse Talbot from the stupor which had settled upon
+him.
+
+"Listen to me, Jack," he said. "You must pull yourself together. Don't
+forget you have an important trust to discharge. Our first duty is to
+ascertain whether or not the diamonds are intact."
+
+He laid on the table the belt taken from Dubois, and lifted out its
+precious contents with careful exactness. The men crowded around. Even
+amidst the exciting events of the hour, the sight of the fateful stones
+which had caused so much turmoil and bloodshed could not fail to be
+deeply interesting.
+
+Predominant among them was the Imperial diamond, luminous, gigantic,
+awesome in its potentialities. Its size and known value rendered it one
+of the most remarkable objects in the world, whilst even in its present
+unfinished state the facets already cut by the workmen gave evidence to
+its brilliant purity.
+
+Pulling himself together by an effort, Talbot advanced to the table and
+slowly counted the stones. There were fifty-one all told, and even the
+smallest of the collection was a diamond of great value.
+
+"Yes," he said, "that is the correct number. I cannot be certain, but I
+believe they are the originals. The big one certainly is. It will be one
+of the happiest days of my life when I see the last of them."
+
+"That day will arrive soon," remarked Brett quietly. "You and I, Mr.
+Winter, must sail on the _Blue-Bell_ to-night for Marseilles. That is,
+if Mr. Daubeney is agreeable," he added, turning to that worthy
+gentleman, whose face was a trifle paler than it had been for years.
+
+"I am at your service, gentlemen," he announced promptly.
+
+"But what about Fairholme and the young lady," he went on, turning to
+Sir Hubert.
+
+"I think I understand," replied the baronet. "Mr. Brett means that these
+wretched diamonds should pass officially out of the control of the
+British Government as early as possible."
+
+The barrister nodded.
+
+"That being so, no time should be lost. Edith, should all go well, will
+be compelled in any event to remain here for several days before she can
+be removed. You, Jack, and you, Mr. Brett, should you so desire, can
+easily return here from London, after having fulfilled the trust reposed
+in you."
+
+"Then I only make one stipulation," put in Daubeney quickly. "The
+_Blue-Bell_ will remain in Marseilles and bring you back."
+
+His eagerness evoked a quiet smile all round, and it was generally
+agreed that this programme should be followed. In the brief discussion
+which ensued, Mr. Winter explained his earlier movements. The detectives
+attached to the British Embassy in Paris told him of Dubois' journey to
+Marseilles.
+
+Learning that Brett was staying at the Hotel du Louvre et de la Paix, he
+went straight there on his arrival, only to learn that the barrister
+and some friends had quitted Marseilles that day on a private yacht
+bound for Palermo. The local police filled in some of the details, but
+chance did the rest.
+
+Going to the P. and O. office to book his passage to Messina on the
+_Ganges_, he heard of Gros Jean and the Turks, and then knew that he was
+on the right scent.
+
+There was a touching meeting between Edith and the others that evening.
+She was naturally pale and weak, but her buoyant spirit triumphed over
+physical defects, and she made light of her injuries. Even Fairholme was
+restored to a state of sanity by his brief visit, a fact that was
+evidenced by his quiet enjoyment of a cigar when he walked down to the
+quay to witness the departure of the _Blue-Bell_.
+
+Before leaving Palermo Brett had another interview with the Chief of
+Police, the result being that unobtrusive but effective means were taken
+to safeguard the different members of the gang which had caused so much
+personal suffering and diplomatic uneasiness.
+
+The reception of the party in London may be detailed in a sentence. The
+Turkish Ambassador was specially instructed from Constantinople to take
+charge of the diamonds, and Talbot had the keen satisfaction of
+personally handing them over to the Sultan's representative, in the
+presence of his chief at the Foreign Office. The unlucky gems were
+forthwith taken back to their owner, and no doubt repose at this moment
+in a special reliquary, together with other mementoes of the Prophet,
+for the project which led to their first visit to London was definitely
+abandoned.
+
+Meanwhile daily telegrams from Palermo assured Talbot and Brett as to
+the continued progress of the fair sufferer, who had so nearly
+sacrificed her life in her devoted championship of her brother's cause.
+
+At last a day came when the _Blue-Bell_ again steamed into the harbour
+of Palermo, and the manner in which Fairholme shouted when he caught
+sight of Daubeney standing on the bridge was in itself sufficient
+indication that all had gone well during their absence.
+
+The travellers were surprised and delighted to find Edith herself seated
+in a carriage with her uncle on the wharf. Were it not that she was
+pale, and her right arm was tightly strapped across her breast to
+prevent any movement of the injured shoulder, no one could have guessed
+that she had recently undergone such a terrible experience.
+
+But Brett, delighted as he was to meet his friends again under such
+pleasant conditions, experienced the keenest sentiments of triumphant
+elation when he entered the apartment where Dubois was still confined
+under the watchful guard of two detectives.
+
+Talbot accompanied him. The young Englishman had by this time quite
+forgiven his enemy. He felt that he was more than quits with him.
+Indeed, he was the first to speak when they came together.
+
+"I am sorry to see it is your turn to be trussed up in bed, Dubois," he
+said. "How are you feeling now? Getting along all right, I hope."
+
+The Frenchman did not answer him directly. A faint smile illumined his
+pale face. He turned to Brett with a nonchalant question--
+
+"Mr. Brett, have you any influence with those two worthy Italian
+doctors?"
+
+"Perhaps," said the barrister. "What is it you want?"
+
+"I want a cigarette. They won't let me smoke. Surely to goodness, a
+cigarette won't hurt my arm."
+
+The barrister turned a questioning glance towards the male nurse in
+charge of the patient, but the man did not understand what had been
+said. Brett, who spoke no Italian, indicated by pantomime what it was
+the Frenchman required, and the attendant signified his sentiments in
+silent eloquence--he turned and looked out of the window. So Dubois
+enjoyed his cigarette in peace. He gave a sigh of great contentment, and
+then said, lazily--
+
+"Now, ask me anything you like. I am ready."
+
+"There is only one point concerning which I am really at fault," began
+Brett. "How did your Turkish associates manage to murder Mehemet Ali and
+his secretaries so quietly?"
+
+"Oh, that was easy enough," declared the Frenchman. "You understand I
+was in no way responsible for the blood-letting, and indeed strongly
+disapproved of it."
+
+"Yes," replied the barrister. "I believe that."
+
+"Well, the rest of the business was simplicity itself. Hussein--the
+Envoy's confidential servant--was in our pay. It was, of course,
+absolutely necessary to have an accomplice in the house, and his price
+was a small one--five hundred pounds, I think. The credentials we
+brought, which you, Mr. Talbot, examined, were not forgeries."
+
+"How can that be?" cried Jack. "The Sultan would never be a party to a
+plot for his own undoing."
+
+"Don't ask me for explanations I cannot give," responded Dubois coolly.
+"The exact facts of this story can only be ascertained at Yildiz Kiosk,
+and I do not suppose that anyone there will ever tell you. No doubt you
+saw for yourself that Mehemet Ali was convinced. Were it not for you,
+he would have given up control that night. But you and your policemen,
+and your confounded English notions of right and wrong, rendered
+necessary the adoption of the second part of the plan we had decided on,
+in case the first miscarried. After I left the house with you, Hussein
+brought in more coffee. That which he and my Turkish friends drank was
+all right. The beverage given to Mehemet Ali and his secretaries was
+drugged."
+
+"Ah!" interrupted Brett, "that explains everything. But why was Hussein
+killed?"
+
+"That is another matter, which only a Turk can understand. These fellows
+believe in the knife or a piece of whipcord as ending unpleasant
+difficulties most effectually. You see they were not ordinary rogues.
+They pretended to be conspirators actuated by pure political
+motives--motives which a common servant like Hussein could not really be
+expected to appreciate. So to close his mouth thoroughly they stabbed
+him whilst he was taking some loose cash from his master's pockets. Then
+it occurred to them that when Mehemet Ali and the others recovered from
+the effects of the drug, they also would be able to throw an
+unpleasantly strong light on the complicity of certain high personages
+in Constantinople. This was sufficient reason for the adoption of strong
+measures, so they also were peacefully despatched."
+
+"But where did the knife come from?" pursued Brett. "It was not in their
+possession when they entered, nor when they left."
+
+"No; of course not. Hussein brought it himself, to be used in case of
+necessity. He also brought the pliers which cut the wire blinds, and the
+material used for concealing the broken strands subsequently. Hussein
+was really an excellent confederate, and I was furious when I heard that
+he was dead. You know how the diamonds were abstracted from the house?"
+
+"Yes," said Brett. "They were made up into a parcel and flung through
+the window into the Park. The knife and the pliers accompanied them, I
+suppose?"
+
+"The third Turk--the gentleman who pulled you down on to the bed so
+unceremoniously, Mr. Talbot--was waiting there for the packet. But he
+had to hide in the Park all the night, until the gates were opened in
+the morning. It was a ticklish business right through. I did not know at
+what hour the police might discover the extent of the crime. The
+diamonds did not reach me until seven o'clock. And then I had some
+difficulty in persuading the Turks to give them up to me. You see, I had
+my own little plan, too, which these excellent gentlemen never
+suspected, as they already had paid me L5,000 for my help. But the real
+heads of the party were in Paris--Hussein-ul-Mulk and that gang, you
+know--and by representing the danger to their cause which would result
+from any attempt on the part of the Turks in London to reach France,
+they were at last persuaded. By nine o'clock that morning I got them
+safely off to the docks, where they boarded a vessel bound for Smyrna.
+Their passages were already booked in Armenian names. Gros Jean, who had
+no connexion with the affair personally, stayed at a little hotel in
+Soho in order to report all clear during the next few days. He happened
+by chance to travel with you and the other man. It was a clever scheme,
+I assure you, from beginning to end. By the way, may I trouble you for
+another cigarette?"
+
+"These are not equal to Hussein-ul-Mulk's," said Brett, producing his
+case.
+
+"No, he has an exquisite taste in tobacco. But I nearly fooled him with
+the dummy diamonds. I would have done so if it had not been for you. Do
+you know, Mr. Brett, I have always underrated Englishmen's brains. You
+are really stupid as a nation"--here Talbot almost blushed--"but you are
+an exception. You ought to be a Frenchman."
+
+"I suppose I may regard that as a compliment?" remarked Brett casually.
+
+"Take it as you like," said Dubois. "And now that I have told you all
+that you want to know, I suppose, may I ask you a question of some
+interest to myself? What is to become of me? Am I to be hanged, or
+imprisoned, or passed on to the Sultan for treatment?"
+
+Brett was silent for a few moments. He had fully discussed Dubois'
+connexion with the British authorities.
+
+"How much of the five thousand pounds given you by the Turks remains in
+your possession?" he demanded.
+
+The Frenchman hesitated before replying--
+
+"There is no use lying to you. I have not yet expended the first
+thousand, although I had to pay pretty dearly for a good many things."
+
+Again there was silence.
+
+"Why did you come here?" asked the barrister.
+
+"Because I would be safe for some months with a few hospitable gentlemen
+whom I know up in the hills there." He nodded towards the window,
+through which they could see the blue crests of the distant mountains.
+
+"And then?"
+
+"Then Marguerite and I were going to the Argentine, to dwell in rural
+felicity, and teach our children to bless the name of Mahomet and Abdul
+Hamid."
+
+"Marguerite is Mademoiselle Beaucaire?"
+
+"Yes, poor girl! I hear she is ill and in prison, together with her
+excellent father. Really, Mr. Brett, I cannot help liking you, but I
+ought to feel anxious to cut your throat."
+
+"In that case you would certainly be hanged. Are you married to
+Mademoiselle Beaucaire?"
+
+The Frenchman darted a quick and angry look at his inquisitor.
+
+"What has that to do with you?" he snarled.
+
+Dubois' future had already been determined. The rascal was more
+fortunate than he deserved to be. Owing to the lucky chance that his
+crime had a political significance he would escape punishment. By no
+known form of European law could he be brought to trial on any charge
+and at the same time gagged in his defence. The slightest public
+reference to either the theft of the diamonds or the Sultan's original
+intentions with regard to them would create such a storm in the
+Mohammedan world that no man could prophesy the end.
+
+When the Ottoman Empire is next torn asunder by civil war other thrones
+will rock to their foundations. Half unconsciously, though he had a
+glimmering perception of the truth, Henri Dubois was saved by the
+magnitude of the interests involved.
+
+Brett knew exactly how to deal with him. But a fantastic project had
+arisen in his mind, and he determined to graft it upon the drastic
+expedient adopted by the authorities. He abruptly broke off the
+conversation and told the Frenchman that he would call again during the
+afternoon.
+
+True to his promise, Talbot and he visited the injured man some hours
+later. This time they were accompanied by a stout individual and a
+closely-veiled lady--Gros Jean and his daughter.
+
+The meeting between Henri and Marguerite was pathetic. It was at the
+same time exceedingly French, and somewhat trying to the nerves of the
+Englishmen.
+
+At last the couple calmed their transports, and Brett promptly recalled
+them to a sense of their surroundings by reminding them that there was
+serious business to be discussed.
+
+"I am commissioned to inform you," he said, addressing Dubois, "that if
+you proceed direct to the Argentine, never attempt to revisit France,
+and keep your mouth closed as to your attempt to purloin the Sultan's
+jewels, you will be set at liberty here, and no effort will be made by
+the French or English police to arrest you. The infringement of any of
+these conditions will lead to your extradition and a sentence of penal
+servitude for life."
+
+"_Ma foi!_" cried the Frenchman, looking intently into the barrister's
+inscrutable face. "Why such tenderness?"
+
+Brett would not give him time for prolonged reflection.
+
+"I have not yet finished," he said drily. "I imagine that Mlle.
+Beaucaire cannot produce a marriage certificate. She will be supplied
+with one, to permit her to travel with you as your lawful wife."
+
+The pair were startled. They somewhat relaxed the close embrace in which
+they sat. The man's handsome face flushed with anger. The woman became a
+shade paler and looked from the barrister to her lover.
+
+"Good," growled Gros Jean. "Quite right!"
+
+"We can manage our own affairs," began Dubois savagely; but Brett again
+took up the parable.
+
+"You owe this lady a deep debt of gratitude for her unswerving devotion
+to you. She has helped you to lead an evil life; let her now assist you
+in a better career. You have your chance. Will you take it?"
+
+La Belle Chasseuse sat mute and downcast. This personal development came
+as a complete surprise to her. Pride would not permit her to plead her
+own cause. Dubois glanced at her covertly. He was still annoyed and
+defiant; but even he, hardened scoundrel and cynic though he was, could
+not find words to contest Brett's decision.
+
+The barrister deemed the moment ripe for his final smashing argument. He
+came somewhat nearer to the bed, and said with exasperating coolness--
+
+"There is a secret room in the Cabaret Noir, the contents of which have
+not yet been too closely examined by the police. It is in their charge.
+At my request, backed up by the British Foreign Office, they have thus
+far deferred a detailed scrutiny. Perhaps if the external influence is
+removed they may press their investigations to a point when it will be
+impossible to permit your contemplated voyage to the Argentine. You know
+best. I have nothing further to say."
+
+Dubois looked at him in moody silence. The Argentine--with L4,000? Yes.
+But a wife!
+
+Suddenly all eyes were attracted to Gros Jean, who emitted a gasping
+groan. His fat cheeks were livid, and huge drops of perspiration stood
+on his brow. Feeling that the others were regarding him intently, he
+made a desperate effort to recover his composure.
+
+"It is nothing!" he gurgled. "The English gentleman's proposal with
+regard to my daughter interested me, that is all."
+
+Dubois and the innkeeper gazed intently into each other's eyes for a few
+trying seconds. Then the Frenchman drew Marguerite closer to him, with
+his uninjured arm, and said--
+
+"Let us get married, _ma p'tite_. It is essential."
+
+And married they were forthwith, a priest and an official from the
+Mayor's office being in waiting at the hotel. Whilst they were signing
+the register Gros Jean motioned Brett to one side.
+
+"Allow me to thank you, M'sieu', for the kindness you have shown," he
+murmured. "Touching that hidden room in the Cabaret, now. Do the police
+really know of it? You were not joking?"
+
+"Not in the least."
+
+"Then, M'sieu', I accompany them to the Argentine," and he jerked his
+thumb towards Dubois and his wife. "Paris is no place for me."
+
+Soon after the ceremony Mme. Dubois asked to be allowed to visit Edith.
+When the two women met Marguerite flung herself impulsively on her knees
+and sobbed out a request for forgiveness. Miss Talbot should have been
+very angry with her erring sister. She was not. She took the keenest
+interest in the Frenchwoman's romantic history. They talked until
+Fairholme became impatient. He had not seen Edith for two whole hours.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Six months later, when the Earl and Countess of Fairholme returned from
+a prolonged wedding tour on the _Blue-Bell_ through the Norwegian
+fiords, Brett was invited to dinner. Talbot was there, of course, and
+Daubeney, and Sir Hubert.
+
+"Constantinople must be a queer place," observed Jack after the first
+rush of animated converse had exhausted itself.
+
+"Surely there are no more diamond mysteries on foot!" cried his charming
+sister, who looked delightfully well, and brown as a berry with the keen
+sea breezes of the hardy North.
+
+"Not exactly; but I made some inquiries through a friend of mine in the
+Legation. Hussein-ul-Mulk and his two Paris friends are quite important
+functionaries in the palace. You remember that the other pair of
+scoundrels escaped to Smyrna?"
+
+"Yes," cried everybody.
+
+"Well, Mehemet Ali's relatives heard the truth about them by some means.
+Within a reasonable time they were chopped into small pieces, with other
+details that need not be repeated."
+
+"Dogs, or pigs?" inquired Brett.
+
+"Dogs!"
+
+"I wish you wouldn't say such horrid things," protested Edith. "Is there
+any news of Monsieur and Madame Dubois, and the fat man Gros Jean?"
+
+"You will receive some in the drawing-room, Lady Fairholme," said Brett;
+and not another word of explanation would he give until dinner was
+ended.
+
+In the drawing-room her ladyship was delighted to find a splendid
+cockatoo, magnificent in size and white as snow, save for the brilliant
+red crest which he elevated when they all crowded round his handsome
+cage.
+
+"The happy couple in the Argentine sent him to me to be presented to you
+on your return," explained the barrister. "He is named 'Le Prophete,'
+and he talks beautifully--indeed, his language is most emphatic, but it
+is all French."
+
+"What a darling!" cried Edith. "I do wish he would say something. _Cher
+Prophete, parlez avec moi!_"
+
+And immediately the cockatoo stretched his wings and screamed--
+
+"_Vive Mahomet! Vive le Sultan! A bas les Grecs! a bas! a bas!_"
+
+
+                                  FINIS
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Albert Gate Mystery, by Louis Tracy
+
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