Albert Gate Mystery — The Release, part 2

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 très 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