The Burglars' Club: A Romance in Twelve Chronicles

r itself. Two years ago he had kept up his membership by the burglary of the Duchess of Guiseley's emeralds; and now, by the unkindness of Fate or the simple cussednes

and he, Danby Travers, because of a stuffy, despairing feeling somewhere in his chest from the moment of awakening in the morning down to the last gleam of consciousness at night. But the Burglars' Club did not know it, nor did

But reflection brought a Mephistophelean suggestion of comfort. He had been unable to rob L

dedicated to the Hindoo God of Fire. From that day his fortunes had prospered amazingly. Promotion came for the asking; wealth by marriage and bequest. Influence, social and political, had followed, and a t

IM THE SECRET OF ITS H

worth. She had shown him the Pearl; and, because he was to be her husband, had shown him the secret of its hiding-place. Little did he thi

conduct that he could think of was that the temporary loss of the Pearl

He had to show the Pearl at the next meeting of the club-on the

late Master of Balliol in entertaining the most distinguished week-end parties in

he Bohemian Ambassador and Countess Polsky, the Duke of Strathpeffer, the Marquess

wonder he can go there after Mary's last refusal. I'll wait till they thin a bit. Some

king men were already seated. The weather was by no means cold, yet they were swathed in winter clothing. Thick mufflers were round their necks. Their faces were partly hidden by the wraps, and partly shaded by t

ltimate objective. He settled himself in his corner, prepared either to jo

ay they raised their voices, and, confident of not being understood, they spoke with absolute unrestraint. Travers, wit

ll man, as the train m

. "Buck up. Now is the conclu

ite the horror of mingling with these barbarians. To los

e a thrice happy man, and I will weave a garland of marigolds for your honourable head. Gosh!" Thi

the train emerged his companion gave a very cr

man smi

good moment that I met thee in Bombay, baboo-jee. You have served me

have been of much service to myself and many other honourable gentlemen, and have been extraordinarily admired by English

the plan again to

ece of paper, over whic

ing to ancestral home. A little beyond is a diminutive wall, which we ascend and descend. Then we step across the park and round the lake. Here and here. This sepia mark

d his compan

e. Here, behold it, painted in vermilion. You will climb up to the window. Inferior but friendly servant has arranged t

"The hiding-pla

i Ram Nath knew it fifty years ago, and yet another Swami seventy-five years ago, but none of these resto

en mentioned," replied the Baboo. "Your honour has intelligent assistant, while enumerated catalogue had not.

e one above all others necessary to the happiness of Agni? And why should I, of all the priests of the Temple, be chosen to restore the sacred stone? Here, with five thousand miles

top. There was a reason for their date. They had mentioned twenty-five, fifty, and seventy-five years. It was evidently an anniversary. Every twenty-five years an attempt had to be made to r

in road on which the Hindoos were going. He knew a cut across the fields which shortened the di

ndoos stepped out. Travers followed. He watched them st

ould take advantage of them. From eight to nine the men-servants were busy in the dining-room. Anyone could open the main outer door and enter. He might, of course, be seen, and i

Dinners at Knowlesworth were notoriously unpunctual, and if he entered now he might run into the house party or meet stragglers on the stairs. He must wait.

ow of the great portico. It was n

n quickly closed it again. Through the opening had come the sound of voices and laughter. They were gathered in the hall before the fire, waiting for the summons to dinner. So there he stayed, cursi

half a dozen yards of him now, separated only by some glass and a curtain. Yet he could not speak to her

arden. The situation was distracting. At a

thin. The guests trooped past the door

nbuttoned his top-coat, and, with cap in hand as though he were a gue

epped lightly up the stairs. At their head he pa

led back the panel as Mary had shown him, undid the bolt from within, and entered. The room was in darkness.

e, smug, cross-legged, and hideous. The eyes fascinated the beholder. The left one was of marble; the right made of a stone worth a prince's ransom-the one

PAIR ESCAPED

nail of the fourth finger. The god's right eyelid lifted, and the complete stone was di

omplished. But wha

indow. The Hindoo was ther

rpowering curiosity to see the end of the drama, he

disarrangement of the curtain, and had observed his figure against the light, and now he was alarming

ward, and looked up eagerly into the idol's face. Then a cry of despair escaped him. The stone for which he had travelled five thousand miles was not there. He had lost his

teps in the corridor. The door was flung open, and Lord Illingworth burst into the room, revolver in hand. The Duke of Strath

is it?" demanded

oo did n

y socket, and repeated the question,

" said Lord

but, of course, n

gworth sto

thundered, but again th

her man," said L

, in charge of two stablemen. A boy car

s done with the Pea

put the

it. It was not h

ated this to L

ed. "It was here an hou

est," said Ramma Lal to his f

only proteste

ay?" demanded L

earl than there was the flash of fire and much smoke. When it cleared a

worth blaze

" he said. "We shall

With a serpentine twist he slid from the grasp of one of his captors and knocked up the arm

n rushed from the room. The others followed. Only the Babo

" said one o

ch you," said Ramma Lal, "and

other, who was of a romantic temperament, said, "

ent of this evening. It is positively my last appearance in the open. Let me worship Agni as I do in my own land. No Englishman has y

ach other. Their curio

ur minutes, so loo

al gratefully. "Agni will bl

osed the window, the other shut the

coat. He advanced to the idol and salaamed low

the bazaars, and it had as much to do with the

nterest. He had evidently some ulterio

t touched Agni's knees. Travers hardly saw the movement of the hands. Only an Oriental could have d

and incidentally bring down the huge candlesticks. Then recovering, they dashed about the room in sea

the boy. The window

lights of the searchers flashed in the di

y, who was still suffering from rough usage in

in' to his tommy rot," said the

er. "Wot's the good of talkin' here? Come out an' look f

Then he emerged from his recess, and followed the Indians through the window. Leaving the park to the searchers, he kept to the mai

n he awoke. The morning papers and his letters were at his bedside. He at once opened one o

ens! What

ND FIRE AT

GWORTH PE

ALL G

of the Illingworths, was last night

parties at dinner when a daring and successful attempt was made to steal

as at once called into question. Lord Illingworth and his guests hurried to the Temple room, where the great Pearl was kept, and there found another native, who was promptly secured. The Pear

were again apprehended-one of them at Dorton, in a state of collapse from fear and cold; the other at Lingfield

, assisted by a high wind, spread with extraordinary rapidity, in spite of the prompt measures taken by the Hall fire brigade. Engines quickly arrived from Lingfield and Dorton, but the supply of water was t

t family jewel and his ancestral seat. The 'Luck

ed the Hindu Temple of Agni the night that the Pea

he Hindu G

been well on the way to Bombay with it by now, and if neither of us had taken it, the stone might have been burnt up. Would it, though? There mightn't have been a fire at all. Rummy notion that Agni should blaze the whole show in revenge for my desecration! It

s, succeeded to the whole estate, a bequest made "on account of intrepidity shown in the recent Iráwadi campaign." The income therefrom, the solicitor

! That meant Mary. But did it? It was a fortune to him, but how would Lord Illingworth vie

of happiness. He was rather late. Other men were th

ture?" he asked. "You ha

" said Altamont. "

uce are you

ou seen th

etters too. My head's buzzin'

e steps in Vienna last night, and y

inal stroke of fortune

een sorry if it had been me. And I'm glad about the title because of--.

nged hands, we hope," said the Secretary, wh

and I've got a bequest and a title. Perhaps you fellows'll be more superstitious in futur

rd Illingworth received the missing stone fr

hey were released from custody. An unknown friend interested himself in the natives. One of them, a Baboo, was sent back to Bombay by an early steamer. The other, who refus

lingworths. In making excavations consequent on rebuilding the Hall,

y quaint electrical conceits. When the next anniversary comes

, and Danby, ninth Baron Travers, a nobleman who had been mentioned in despatches in the Iráwadi campa