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^OXJJUlSiliSD BY BfBVJLflJU…

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^OXJJUlSiliSD BY BfBVJLflJU AJtitAJNUJijMJSWT.] THE KING'S DIAMOND. BY FLORENCE STACPOOLE. (COPYRIGHT.) CHAPTER XXII. "How on earth do you know this Jadd?" The words "He travels without a suite; he hasn't a valet, nor yet a secretary," almost took Straight's breath away. The detective had turned and was directing his steps out of the cul df) sac at a smart pace. By making inquiries," he answered briefly. Then—then—do you suspect-" began the ba Irister. It's little use talking about suspicions, Mr. Straight. I told you, I believe we'll clear up this business before nightfall, but let us get one job done at a time. You want to know who wrote that letter even more than you want to know who stole the diamond?" I do, not a doubt of it, but this news about Prince Akbar-" We've quite enough to do for the next hour, Mr. Straight," interrupted Jadd, "without bothering about Prince Akbar. This Koura- patkin is a slippery eel, and as deep a devil as her coadjutor, Mr. Greenhough. Let's do one thing at a time; she'll give us enough work to twist the truth out of her." Straight had had a considerable experience of Jadd's moods, and knew that irritability was a symptom of anxiety. Prince Akbar and the dia- mond were suddenly driven out of his mind by thn thought that after all, though they had caught Sonia, even Jadd might fail to make her confess. In spite of his astut&ness, it was still possible she might be guiltless in the matter of the letter. Dejection seized him again, and he followed Jadd silently to the house. The detective probably perceived the effect of his discouraging words, and, as on a previous occasion, sepented him of his grumpiness, for as ho knocked at the door he said with another chuckle, "Well, there's one comfort. Mr. Straight, if I had known all this about the letter, and been going for it and nothing else I couldn't have hit on a better tack than I did when I told her Mr. Greenhough was going to marry Miss Chesney!" Any-reply which Mr. Straight may have felt inclined to make to this communication was prevented by the door being opened by Morgan, the policeman. He had been on the alert for the double knock which Jadd had told him was to announce his return, and opened the door a few seconds after it sounded. "Quiet—eh?" said the detective, quickly. "Yes, sir, much peaceabler; has fallen into a fulk, but looks uncommon wicked, Mr. Jadd," replied the man. "?lIow, Johnson, you and Morgan may go and smoke your pipes outside," remarked Jadd, as he and John Straight entered the room with Morgan behind them. Keep close by, and come the instant you hear the whistle." "Yes, sir," replied the men, simultaneously, as they withdrew with alacrity to the more con- genial employment suggested to them by their superior. Now, Mademoiselle, are you goin to he reasonable and let me take those bracelets off P" Sonia Kourapatkin was sunk in the big chair in which she had been seated by the Irish police- man. Her head was lowered so that her chin rested on her chest, but her black eyes flashed; fear had not abated the fury of her glance, nor capture quelled her spirit. Clawing at me doesn't do a scrap of good, you know. If it was Mr. Robert Greenhough now, there would be some reason for it, he has played you a scurvy trick, and if you could take it out on his hair or moustache, why there wouldn't be much blame to you." Jadd spoke with the remonstrant accent that a father might use when expostulating with a wilful daughter. The only effect it evoked was a vindictive hiss. Why should you be angry with me, my dear he continued in the same tone. "I have never made love to you—walked about in the woods in the evening with my arm round your waist, and then got yon to help in a. robbery, so that I could get money to marry a pretty young lady It was as well th", young woman's hands were secured from the ability to "claw" for at these words she sprang from her chair, and stamping violently, first one foot and then the other, she cried furiously. "You lie! You lie!" I indeed," returned the detective mildly but with conviction. "You know he did make love to you- when you were Mademoiselle de Jude, you know," he added parenthetically. when you were staying down at Riverdale Court as French governess. Why, my dear Made- mo i oile, you've no notion what gossips the Eng- lish country folk ate. There was not a n evening yon walked ubout the roads with Mr. Greenhough's arm round your waist but a dozen people saw you—or half a dozen, any way—and came and talked about it in the beer-house—the Cabaret, you know, that' what you call the ale-house in France, isn't it?" lie glanced at Straight, and then at the woman in the armchair. His words had told home. She had sunk back into it again, her face perceptibly paler than before. It was playing it very low down on you, Mademoiselle," he went on, treating you very badly, I mean," he supplemented as he remem- bered that she might not be quite familiar with English colloquialisms, "to make love to you while he was going to marry his cousin all the time." ft's a lie, I say!" she hissed furiously. Me does not want, to marry her. He laughs at her—• he calls her 'baby;' he does not care for that doli infant—no. not two pins!" lie pretended to you he didn't, of course." said .ladd drily. It wasn't likely he would tell you while he was kissing you under the tmes that he was madly in love with his beautiful cousin, and was only waiting to find some way of getting hold of a good lot of money so that he could marry her!" Although Sonia's lips had become so dry that it was hard for her to articulate, she still muttered. "It's a lie!" Yon know as well as I do that it isn't a lie," answered Jadd, laughing. Why, you foolish creature, every one of the country people round Pembridge were talking of you and Greenhough. I've just come back from staying there, you know. I heard them myself. In those little country places they know everybody as well as they know their own mothers. They've known him since he was in petticoats; and you're not so small you can be easily hidden. They saw your love-making right enough. You should have made him marry you, Miss Sonia, before you betrayed Leopold Vergenstram's secret to him. Then he couldn't have betrayed you in your turn!" This venture evidently hit the bull's eye. She struggled to her feet, her chest heaving, her face livid. He has not betrayed me she cried, hoarsely. I don't know what you call it then," said Jadd, folding his arms and looking at her calmly. "He got out of you that Leopold Vergenstram had sent you down to Piverdale Court to steal the diamond. You told him the trick that opened the case—a very simple one. He sug- gested that he could get hold of it easier than you could, and you nevei guessed that he wanted to lay hands on the diamond first, for his own benefit!" The woman's great black eyes were fixed on Jadd. She was breathing hard. She had ceased to make even a gesture cf dissent to the story he was unrolling. You would have done better, Madam Sonia, to have taken Mr. Straight's offer, instead of locking him in and running away. You played just the game Mr. Robert Greenhough wanted you to play—women always do when they think too much of any of us men," added Mr. Jadd, in a philosophical aside. Sonia's teeth were set—her crippled hands were working convulsively. Straight had seated himself astride a chair, and was watching Jadd with fervent admiration. Slowly but surely the Russian woman seemed to be falling under the spell the detective was weaving out of his sus- picions of imagination, and the farts he had gathered during his stay in Pembridge. "If that isn't betraying will you tell me what is mademoiselle?" lie continued, speaking slowly and clearly so that there could be no risk that ehe should misunderstand him. "He wanted to marry !.k pret ty cousin,Miss Dora, Sit* Richard's daughter, and he had no money. His uncle, of course, wouldn't hear of his daughter making such a match. Then you came along, mademoi- selle. I believe Mr. Greenhough knew well enough from the first that you weren't a real governess. Anyway he got round you, found out your little game, saw his chance of getting hold of a diamond worth close on a hundred thousand pounds—and—got it, sate enough, while you my dear Miss, ran away. making it clear you were the criminal and he quite innocent. By now I expect he has sold the diamond. lie doesn't care whether he ruins his uncle or nor, so long as he gets what he wants himself. He told Sir Richard that some shares he had in an African mine—shares that he bought for twenty pounds long ago have gone up a thousand per- cent., and being now worth all this pot of money his uncle consents to the match, and ho is to marry Miss Dora directly. Can you guess, mam- relle, where that money is to come from, eh ?" The manner of Mr. Jadd's recital was so realistic and convincing that even Straight for a moment thought there must be some element of truth in the story. A sidelong glance from the detective's left e, kovever, showed hat his mistake. The next instant the barrier that bad been holding Sonia dumb burst, as a dam will sud- denly give way under the pressure of an intoler- able weight of waters. Every imprecation in every language of which she had command rushed from her lips. They had become moist and mobile in a moment. She raved wildly, madly, as she heaped a polyglot assortment of invectives upon Greenhough, Jadd and Straight impartially. Jadd sat down, as one waits if caught in a storm antil it blows over, and John Straight simply put his hands over his ears to shut cut as much as he could of the din. It ceased as suddenly as it began, and Sonia, still panting, turned to Jadd. You can put him in prison—if you know all this so well, vou can put him there. He cannot marry her if 1" is in prison, can he?" Her fury had quiekly given place to a vicious eagerness. "No. certainly not; but he must be found guilty by a jury first. He will deny the story, of course, just as you did, and while I am search- ing for evidence to get him into pi i-onhe will hOlVCl got a special licence and married Miss Chesney. It doesn't take so long in England, Mam'zelle, to get married as it sometimes does to prove to a jury that a, man is a thief and a blackguard. He is madly in love with Miss Dora, and wants to marry her as quick as he can He has paved the way cleverly by first getting rid of you, so that you can't come back." "Rut I can come back," she cried vehemently. I can do as much as if I came back twenty thousand times, five hundred thousand times. I can show you he is guilty." She turned to Straight, reiterating again and again, "I can— I can." "Well. do so, Mademoiselle," he replied, politely. "Take these off—let me free," she cried. "I will show he is a thief. I can prove all—every- thing you want to know." She held out her manacled wrists to the detective. "They must come off first—your eyes are safe, I shall not touch them; but make me free, or I cannot find what I must show you." She was holding her hands towards Jadd, her eyes fixed upon the handcuffs. He glanced quickly at Straight, his eyes gleaming. Then he dexterously loosened the handcuffs and freed her hands. Ach .That is well," she said, with a murmnr of relief, wringing her hands for a moment as if in protest at the indignity to which they had been subjected, then she pushed aside the big chair from which she had risen, and pulled from its place of concealment behind it a black lsather bag. Straight held his breath as he watched her. His bright grey eyes were more luminous than they had ever been in his life, as Sonia, diving her hand into the breast of the bodice she wore under her Newmarket coat. drew out a small key threaded on a piece of elastic she wore round her neck. opened the bag, and began to search through a big packet of papers. Jadd had been keeping close to her, his vigilant watch on her every movement never relaxing, but he stepped for an instant to Straight's side and whispered into his ear hurriedly, "Don't be too eager; she'll smell a rat—she's a deep devil. Leave it to me, and you sit still After fumbling through the papers for a few seconds, Mademoiselle selected two letters, or rather a note, and a large sheet of letter paper. She looked from one to the other, then she tossed them over to Jadd. "You know so much of him, perhaps you also know his handwriting," she said. Straight with considerable difficulty retained his nonchalant attitude astride of the chair while Jadd took the papers that were thrown to him, and ran his eyes over them. The glance of quick significance he then darted at Straight together with the sparkle in his eyes said plainly to the other that he had got the document they wanted. Yps, I know Mr. Greenhough's handwriting. It is not an ordinary one; it's what they call individual, characteristic, not easily mistaken for anyone else's. This is his, sure enough, and he ought to be proud of it." Then Jadd read aloud gravely the note. It ran:— Thursday. My darling,—We must get that confounded lawyer out of the way, and there is only one thing that will do it. He won't go unless Baby gives him the sack. You know what I mean— tells him to go. She'll do it if she gets the enclosed—copied out and posted in London. Let it, ma chere, be in a hand that a not too well educated female would write. You have fingers so skilful I am sure you can do it exactly as it should be done, and let it be done directly—without a moment's loss of time. That will shake him loose quicker than any- thing I can think of. I want to follow you, ma belle, but I cannot stir from here till this cursed lawyer is gone and his meddling stopped. I have it safe in the little leather bag you made; it is round my neck on a string, but that is no use to us; we want what will help us to cross the water. Be quick, then. Till we get rid of Straight my hands are tied—you understand. How I wish I could give you a kiss, my beauty.—Your ever loving B." Long before Jadd had finished reading Straight had sprung up and was looking over his shoulder. "Is it true that you know his handwriting? Is this it really—can you swear to it?" he whis- pered breathlessly. That they had actually got hold of the original copy of the diabolical letter, and evidence in his own writing that it was sent at Greenhough's bidding, seomed altogether too good to be true. To be sure I can!" answered Jadd aloud, as he finished the note. I have a letter from Mr. Gieenhough in my pocket. I wrote to him on purpose to have a specimen of his writing by no —not in my own name, you know. I got a friend t) write, to ask about a horse. If he had know II it was for me it might have set his wits work- ing. I always have their handwriting by me, if I have 'em shadowed. Comes in useful in un- expected ways, as in this case. Yes, it's genuine light enough, better luck!" Jadd was jubilant. Success is always stimulating. There is nothing more delicious to a detective than finding himself a true prophet. Straight was even more jubilant. "Good old .Jadd!" he said, patting the detec- tive on the back with a boyish delight that would have astonished people who had only seen him in his sober wig and gown. "Good old Jadd," then beneath his breath he added, Thus shall be the best job, Jadd, you have ever done in your life." A variety cf mixed emotions made his voice unsteady. "Thank you, Mr. Straight. I'm pleased to see I was right. If it hadn't been for that look on his face, sir, when I came from behind the curtains I shouldn't have been led up to this"— he was glancing over the larger paper as he spoke. H'm, yes—what I read just now- outside—' yours faithfully, Gertrude Straight h'm! like his impudence! I needn't read it again. The handwriting s all right. Any ex- pert will swear to that. Pon my word he was pulling your leg, Mademoiselle, when he got you to do this—that is to say, in plain English-1:-I was making a fool of you. He was mortally jealous of Mr. Straight, and he was tired of you; so to get a rival out of his way and to get rid of you for ever, and to grab the diamond safely, he thought of this clever dodge. He made a fool and a tool of you, my poor lady, both at the same time!" Sonia's fury had expended itself. She uttered no word, nor replied—even by so much as a hiss to the detective's observations; but her hands were again convulsively working as she locked them together and resumed her seat in the arm- chair, and her face was deadly white. Straight, surprised that her vituperations were notaagain started by Jadd's words, turned to look at her, and, although she was undoubtedly a criminal and had done him a great deal of mis- chief, he could not help pitying her. He had considerably changed since the day when he sat under the apple trees in the orchard at Nares- brook Farm and sneered at the ill-fated hero of "Hearts Win." He could sympathise now with heartache, which then he had known nothing about; and as he looked at the drawn white face of the once handsome and defiant Mademoiselle de .Tude, his instinct told him that she was suffer- ing from something more than the terrible posi- tion in which she found herself as a prisoner on a criminal charge. Heartbreak was written on every line of her wretched face, not terror or fear. "Don't pile it on he said in an undertone; "she knows it well enough, poor creature." Jadd glanced at her, and nodded acquiescence. Then he drew the barrister into the window. H Yes, she's been badly tricked, poor wretch Women like this generally are, you know—made tools of for all their cleverness, and cut at last by someone sharper than themselves. She's gone on that scoundrel still, for all she's given him away. Look here, Mr. Straight, I want now to get down to the Golden Cross. I shan't be long. T think I shall have some news that will surprise you when I come back. Where shall I see you, sir ? I had better call Johnson or Morgan to fetch a cab and take her to Bow Street her rest for awhile first: she has been having a very bad quarter of an hour and must need a little quiet to get over the shock," said Straight, compassionately. "I'll stay myself and keep watch, and if you would come back heie, Jadd, and tell me what your surprise is, it would save time. I want to hear as soon as I can what you have to tell me. Then we can see her off to Bow Street, or perhaps you would go with her yourself, Jadd, and give her into the charge of the police matron; if you would do that I thaald be very much obliged to you indeed." The recollection of Dora's words, my poor, Mademoiselle, I am so fond of her; I can't bear to think she has done anything wrong," had recurred to his mind. The idea that any one of whom Dora had ever been fond should be hustled into a police station was hideous. He was eager—now that she had been brought to confess—to treat the tmJaeky fetgqra— m tesiently as possiSto. "All right, Mr. Straight, I'll see to her mysw. I I'll take Johnson on with me in a hansom so as not to lose time." "You are going to arrest Vergenstram?" Straight exclaimed in an eager whisper. Have you a warrant, or will you do it on your own responsibility ?" Jadd was opening the door. He tapped his breast pocket as he stepped on to the landing. The warrant is here. It's been out two years— false declaration, you know—when he went bail for her-" nodding towards the room they had left. I've carried it about with me lately." Tell me before you go what the mystery isi -about Akbar?" Straight tried to catch the detective's arm to detain him, but Jadd was too quick—already he was running down the stairs. "I'll tell you with greater certainty when I come back, sir he called. And Straight knowing the nature of the woman he had under- taken to watch returned hastily to the room he had left for a moment. She had changed her position even in that moment. She had risen from the chair, and was standing at the fireplace, her back to the door. Her right hand fell from her face as Straight entered, and he saw the leather bag open beside her chair. He locked the door, and putting the key in his pocket, moved to the window. Mademoiselle, if you would wish for some refreshment I can send for it," he said gently. I wish for silence—for sleep for half-an-hour. Can you give me that?" she asked. Her voice was toneless. ) Certainly—I shall not disturb you. There was an old horsehair cushioned couch at the further end of the room. She stretched herself on it and covered her face. Straight, who felt strangely sorry for the unhappy woman, sat down near the window and looked out at the dreary vision of house backs, smoke-grimed and dingy, which was all the view that was to be had. Its dinginess, however, did not depress him. The sudden relief from his late despon- dency was so great that it made him buoyant. He could have whistled with pleasure but for the woman on the sofa who had asked for tilence. •:(•*»*»* The half-hour for which Sonia asked had long passed without bringing Jadd's return. The silence and tedium of the gloomy room were becoming unbearably irksome, and Straight, who had made up his mind to return to the Nares- brook Farm that very evening was beginning to get apprehensive that he might miss the last train to Pembridge and be obliged to defer his departure till the morning. Thoughts were flit- ting through his mind hb to whether he should summon Morgan and leave him on guard in the landing when he heard the hall door open and feet rapidly ascending the stairs. He rose in haste, directly he turned the key in the lock Jadd hurried in excitedly. By George, sir, it's just as I thought This is a bag of tricks—neat as a nut by the Lord It's wonderful, Mr. Straight—wonderful, sir, how I've spotted this case. I don't think, sir, there's a single point I've been wrong in—in it !-not one single point, though I've no business to be blowing my own horn in this fashion; but it really is enough to make one congratulate one- self—it really is But you have not told me what it is yet, man!" ejaculated the bewildered barrister. What have you done ? Have you arrested Leopold Vergenstram ?" "Arrested! Yes, half an hour ago. Fished him out of cne of the linen closets, where he had hidden hirrslf. A rare hunt we had through the hotel to find him. He had dis- guised himself as a chambermaid; kept the cap and apron by him no doubt for the purpose, and slipped past the men I had sent to the corridor. But I fwigged it wasn't a woman and hauled him from among the pillow-cases. Ha! ha!" Good heavens!" was all Straight could say. So His Highness will sleep to-night at Bow Street, as well as Madam Sonia!" continued Jadd, laughing. "His Highness! What the dickens do you mean? What has His Highness to do with Vergenstram ? I hope success hasn't turned your head, Jadd?" "No, Mr. Straight; my head is right enough. I've arrested by warrant, sir, and sent on to Bow Street, Leopold Vergenstram, staying at the Golden Cross Hotel, South Kensington, and going under the name of Prince Akbar." "Good Lord!" ejaculated Straight, starting. What in the name of Heaven does this mean, Jadd? Has he been personating the Prince?" "No, he hasn't; he's the Prince in person." "The Prince in person!" echoed Straight, dumbfounded. "Ilow-liow on earth!" He stared at Jadd. thinking the detective must have gone clean off his head. "How, for heaven's sake, can he be the Prince, and yet be the man who sent Sonia Kourapatkin down to steal the King's dia- tnond p" "God bless my soul, what's up?" cried Jadd. The exclamation seemed irrelevant, but his voice was altered and awestruck. The excite- ment in his face had given place to consterna- tion. Straight, following the direction of his eyes, saw they were fixed on the other side of the room, on the sofa where Sonia was lying. In a moment both men were beside her, and had turned her face to the light. It was white as death. Jadd caught her hands. They were cold and clammy. In one a little bottle was grasped: it was labelled in small print, "Opium tabloids—5 grains." It was empty. Jadd struck a match and lifted her eyelids. The iris made no response to the light flashed before it. The pupil was little bigger than a pin-hole. He dropped the match. "I believe she's all but gone," he said, "but we must fetch a doctor. I don't believe he'll rouse her though. She's drifted too far. Poor soul!" Straight rubbed her hands. Jadd opened the window and fanned her, Morgan, the policeman, fetched the doctor and brought brandy, but Sonia Kourapatkin was never taken in the cab to Bow Street nor stood in the dock ef the police station there again. (To be concluded.)

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