Messengers of Evil

din

inc

what ti

slender, rose from her chair and was hastening from the be

ay, Nadine!

e stared with big, astonished e

why don't you

tammered in a

, that to-day is the anniver

ute confidence. This Nadine was a native of Southern Russia. The movement of city life and civilised manners and customs had at first terrified this little savage; but she had learned to adapt herself to her changed surroundings, and was now high in the favour of Princess Sonia. She, and she alone, was authorised to be present when the beautiful great lady took her daily baths. For some years past the Princess had insisted on the presence of a maid when she took her baths: without fail they must either be in the bathroom itself, or in the room next to

of anguish so sincere that Nadine was genuinely alarmed. She

after frightening her, had robbed her of a large sum of money. The adventure would have been little out of the ordinary, for hotel robberies are frequent, had not

ed death by a series of unknown and unguessable circumstances: the tormenting mystery of it all had preyed insistently upon her mind. Since then Sonia Danidoff had never taken a bath without thinking of Fant?mas; and every year whe

orrible anniversary evoked, but controlling herself, she was

elled in her melodious voice: "You are going to a

ncess s

my uneasiness-my alarms!... This coincidence of date agitates me.... You know how superstitious we are at home-in

y to make to this pathetic ou

all, only a fortnight after the tragic death of that poor Baroness de Vibray!... I trie

aid," murmu

ent on, as if sp

ball to-night at all costs!... The Baroness de Vibray, so he told me, was no more than a good old friend.... I cannot

hrugged her beau

me a m

g and complacently at the marvellousl

"you must leave the bath,

e assistant of her beloved mistress. The toilet was a triumph: silk of an exquisite blue, draped with silk muslin incrusted with pointe de Venise an

s opened he

d diamonds!" cried the lovely creature, as

rincess! And what a lot they

s, my child, on eac

fingers three diamond

till more to come; for, rejecting a magnificent bracelet, on the plea that one no longer wore them at balls, the Princess smilingly bade her Circassian fasten round her neck a superb triple collar of pearls.

ons!" stammered Nadine, kneeling before

f in the mirrors, well satisfied with her appearance, certain of the effect she would produce on her future husband Thomery. She thr

cended to her motor-car, and

ur!... C

tried to shout louder and louder. It was in vain.

istant, shouting in the passage at the back of the store, returned cursing and swea

ts from the bottom of a cup, into which she had poured a small allowance of coffee and a co

he old receiver of stolen goods w

anajour!" yelled

was no

have answered, fool though he is, and would have come down!... Sure he's gone to drag h

burst open before a panting, breathless individual. He ran right up the store and stopped short. Mother Toulouche had se

instinctive recoil, he leaned against a table and wiped his for

uche had rec

ve been waiting for you this last half-hour! Ernestine will

was a good match; his bloated cheeks and his potato-shaped nose were covered with red patches; his shav

ntly a servant, wearing the livery of some big house. The fellow was slowly recovering his breath; but he continued to wipe great d

d or bad?" questioned Mother

lied almost

... It's good

y showed in the ol

in on her back,

ouche went into her back store and returned w

your throat! That

he bumper he seemed to

it's because I had to wait-bu

s her

ed: "A pretty little brat, too!...

with it?" interrupt

were able to make her gabble a

know everything now ... and I'm

che said in a

't tell

ay of speaking. She's a good little t

he. "Virtuous sorts aren't any use to our lo

tell you: without the asking she told me everything ... she was pretty well flabbergasted with all the jewels her mistress had

ouche was c

monds-it's possible th

eard on the pave

gan to sha

e asked. "Some

oulouche

n't I told you there

ss he aske

wanted for here, is there?

rnal and conciliating, "there's nothing more for you to

ntence Redhead hurried towards the exit.

is back as a kind of farewell, "cut your

she grumb

never did!... White-liver

ched in through the back way. She had on a large hat and wa

" she

ows through the little maid that the Princess went off to the

h of satisfaction: her only repl

e a beggar's outfit: it's up to you to see I'm disguis

was not to be wondered at, considering the queer company she kept, and the

ttles, bandages, and medicated cotton-wool. By the light of a smoky lamp the two women scrutinised the labels, sniffing the various phials and flasks. Big Ernestine, with the aid of Mother Toulouche, prepared compresses of pomade and cotton-

f cotton, which is moulded by force on the face of the victim in order to plunge him, or her, into a heavy sleep. Whilst making these sinis

t I have to say, but while I attract her attention, Mimile, who will be on the other side, will open the door, and will stick the compress on her mug.... She won't struggle-b

oulouche

ight, but how will y

in; they'll do it all right.... I

uche, "Mimile isn't in bits then? Th

tine gave

m pretty high too-but he's not broken a thing ...

her Toulouche. Then she said: "You spoke o

stine, for she thought old Mother Toulouche was in t

ch impressed: "If the Beard's in

of stolen goods: "It's serious all right! If the chloroform d

at her little silver

rked: "I must hurry off a

off Mother Toulo

m to start on-it pu

nk together. When they had swallowed the

t puts a heart into

Toulouche: "It's what Nibet prefers!" she added. T

put a finger

he-but he's content to show the way-you know he seldom does anythin

old shawl over her he

it now!... Soon be ba

ened on to the boulevard Malesherbes, and was known as the avenue de Valois. All the dwellings there are sumptuous, richly inhabited, and if the avenue is peaceful and si

ion. Motors and broughams succeeded one another in a long file, putting down the gues

eception: all Paris swarmed into the brillian

he carriages move on, and drove away from the aristocratic avenue de Valois the band of poverty-stricken and ragged creatures

police sergeants accustomed to ceremonial func

ell, my boy, this Thomery affair is as fine

reat reception-rooms of the Thomery mansion, it was certain that outside the crowd had to form up in line to get near the counters, where the wine sellers were serving their customers without a moment'

the servant world, and these aristocrats were ready to seize this chance of a little liberty, and at the same time play the generous patron to these poor failures in life's batt

s more than usually difficult, because they were disguised almost out of recognition. The Beard was muffled in a blue blouse and a big soft hat, which gave him the look of a peasant, who had wandered i

he habit of coachmen who cannot smoke on their seats, and t

from his car, a magnificent limousine, lined with cream cl

le, going up to the chauffeur with

ponded to the offered handclasp. But, after a short s

ot reca

dle. "Why, don't you remember César-Cé

ice of Princess Sonia Danidoff, that there was nothing extraordinary about his forgetfulness. Besides, César looked quite a decent fellow, and had a ta

anidoff, whom he had only known by sight for the last forty-eight hours, did in fact

s, he had two defects: he was addicted to tippling, though he never drank to excess, and

and tastes. Thus nothing was easier than to set trap after trap, int

e asked if he might be left in charge of the car. It was Mimile. The young hooligan, who had followed the conversation of the three men, and of Casimir in particular, whilst keeping in the background, now intervened at the right moment. He m

anyone come mouching around it, and when I ret

g low before the chauffeur: "You may res

s, whilst they, talking as they went, drew the innocent Casimir

ey dared not be seen together too much for fear of attracting attention. As time went on, Mimile was surprised that neither the Beadle nor the Beard came to report pr

nct voice, he gave him some hurried instru

ttle.... But this shanty has got to stop about five hundred yards from here, at the corner of the rue de Monceau and the rue de Téhéran ... it's by this way Casimir will take his Baroness back from the ball.... Well, what you have to do is to take fourteen litres and a half from th

blouse an empty bottle, whic

n the story will be forty sous, and not to rouse his suspicions; then, while he goes up the avenue de Valois to take up the

uffeur-for there was nothing he did not know in the way of applied mecha

had returned to th

ssession of his motor, and had generously tipped his understudy: thereupon the hooligan had made off as fast as his legs could carry

ing eyeballs. At last, after an agonising wait, she and Mimile saw the carriages driving by

prey excited them. Then as they stared at the first outflow of departing guests, the two bandits could not but notice that far from looking gay and animated as people do wh

mouth, don't they?" whispered

think they were retu

e, but which little by little took definite shape. It was said that the Thomery ball had just become the scene of an accident, of a drama, of a robbery, of a crime!... The police, and of the highest grade, had intervened.... The news

talk separately, joined each other again, looking crestfalle

ne ... someone has got in bef

he was of th

have had the same idea as he and his comrades, and to realise it successfully? Whoever it was ha

t?m