The White Lie

perfumes the air, the dry pavements reflect back the heat into one's face, and the straw-hatted

their annual fortnight long ago, and had nearly forgotten it, and now only principals were away golfing,

Ralph Ansell looked down upon the busy traffic of motor-buses, taxis, and

ce with soft crimson carpet, big, comfortable, leather arm-chairs, and a profusion of photographs, mostly of the fair

t, also in evening clothes, entered. He was evidently French, a

forward to welcome him. "I hardly expected you yet. Yo

sed his black overcoat on to the couch, flung his soft felt hat a

loose, clean-shaven mouth. Between his eyes were three straight lines, for his brow wore a constant look of care and anxiety. He did not possess that careless, easy, g

scertain there was no eavesdropper, and, closin

ecause I want you," he said, in a

etching out his legs and placing his

sy job. The

welle

ed in the a

he

ar fro

h st

of good

the s

ell answered. "You've brought o

was afraid the Customs might open the

er open anything here. This is

t take t

osed as a young man of means, was well known in a certain criminal set in Paris as

st and most daring jewel robberies in France. For several years the police had tried to bring their crimes home to them, but without avail, until the great robbery at Louis Verrier's, in the Rue des

ly ones escaping being Carlier, who had fled to Bordeaux, where he had worked at the docks till the aff

rested Bonnemain and the rest, and had already been to his lodgings. Two hours later, without baggage or any encumbrance, he had reached Melun in a hired motor-car, and had thenc

rdam to whom they always sold their booty. Therefore both men had been possessed of funds. Like others of their profession, they made large gains, but spent freely, and were continually short of

German Secret Service. It was, indeed, his habit to undertake for the Baron certain disagreeable little duties which he did not care to perform himself, and for such services he was usually highly pai

s seated, and in the twilight unfolded his scheme for a coup at a well-known jeweller's in

details of the proposition, every one of which had been most carefully thought out by the pupil of the notorious Bonn

nsell said, in English. Then, after a few moments' pause, he a

ew

g to be marrie

r, staring at his friend

t, sweet-a perfect peach," was his answer

silent for a

hing?" he asked in

thi

she say whe

ay?" asked Anse

one of us,

morrow. You must dine with us-dine before we go out and do

ighted to meet her, Ralph, but-but I'm thinking it is

"Do you insinuate that I'm not worthy to hav

" replied Carlier. "I scent danger, that is all. She may t

mouth h

l have to grin and be

ht give

can assure you. The litt

e way you s

a man blindly is, in m

f a girl loves a man truly and well, as apparently this young lady loves you, then surely s

ol where women are concerned, A

can assure you that I would never dar

could ever settle down to the humdrum existence of so-called respectability. But are these people who pose as being so highly respectable really any more honest than w

to link her life with that of the merry, careless, but unscrupulous young fellow before him. They were bosom friends, it was true, yet he knew, alas! ho

again, and Ralph

ond Street at half-past eleven. I've watched the police for the past week, and know their exa

and a number of the latest inventions of burglarious too

alace Theatre, finishing up at a night club in Wardour Street. Then, on the following morning, Carlier re

there. She had been home, but had left half an hour later to go to Balham to visit one of her fellow-a

Ralph had suggested th

to Carlier, in an undertone. "And we'll want a good dinner

ng to the Trocadero grill-room, where, amid the clatter of plates, the chatte

o Ansell's flat, and each had a

hide the glare from the jet, they stood together before the great safe at the back of Matheson and Wilson's, the well-known jewellers, and while Ansel

plates like a knife through butter, and the door, believed to be burglar-proof, stood open, displaying wond

succeeded in getting clear, both men were gloating over thei

d Ansell blistered his fingers when they had accidentally touched the edge. The only light now was a small electric torch whic

cks, and, for a second, lo

ly night-watchman dashe

u fellows w

ell, as he raised his hand and da

man raised his r

ner room, and both intruders knew that the alarm was raised. Not a sec

arm and instantly fired, point blank, at t

te night-watchman fell back into the darkne

l was s