The Crime Club

ately shown into a long, low, pretty drawing-room,

, and from the gown she wore, she

were softened, and in the dimness of the pretty room she

y nothing of her present-his heart was touched by a certain air of loneliness

And it came home to him that for the first time for many years he had been shaken out of himself-

conventional, and bore no evidence of surprise.

tional strain, "is entirely mine. I do not wish in the least to be

ose," she said, in a pleasant voice, "tha

h he was anxious to get the matter over and go back to the

ell, gave her orders

fairly certain of not being interrupted

used for a moment to be amused at himself; he might have been a

the last few days have meant much to me. Possibly you

miled. "I can guess," she said;

iumph. After all, this woman was not wholly

y foisted myself upon Melun. I think I may even go so far as to say that I compelled him to reveal himself to me in his most unp

a mock, Madame smiled-not a

Allow me to put the matter as I think you should have put it had you been entir

honest," said W

d down several times as thou

continued, "was that Melun had some sort of h

e sta

a perfectly reasonable and logical course of argument I came to the conclusion that the secret, howev

course, as a woman of the world-that whatever Lord Penshurst had to be

at he is so honourable a man that he is not guarding any secret that might imperil his family's standing. Indeed, I am

Madame

n before, "you may or may not be aware that I purchased an insight

went first whi

of it," she said, and there was

You know who I am; you know therefore what m

came loud and very clear, "I will double tha

stared at him with open mouth; th

it were, man to man? Two hundred thousand po

ughed

ar away, said dreamily, and a litt

d shook her head almost fiercely. "I cannot help you

old, bright eyes, and saw that she

e secret was, then she coul

tell her

y see where matters were trending. Money, he understood, would b

t Madame surveyed him with open suspicion. "

t what s

"Oh, Heaven! If that's the sac

ed his back and made a formal little b

he said, "when you decl

me's camp now, or whether he should keep what, to this woman, would be the coping-stone of Melun's villainy-hi

rham's part to hold this second secret to himself

ome into possession of a fact that would prove a mighty wea

were wheels

ch and being trusted little; and with his pity came a speculation as to what ex

neither the financing of Bagley nor the ambitions of Mme. Estelle, nor yet the brutal

came more complete pu

nation was, he had as yet been unable to build up any theory which could possibly account for the obstina

it was with a start he realised that Mme. Estelle was gazing at him with wide-

g matters back to a businesslike

I came here expecting to find a liar

the woman wince. But the anger which stole across her fa

hand. Madame r

u once more give me your word of honour as a woman t

hopes to obtain some advantage from Lor

side her reserve and dre

and honest with you. I have been given to understand that the cultivation of your acquaintance will free us-I am speaking now for Captain Melun and

t Melun is capable of. I have seen"-her

e is yet time? There is no reason why your good name should be besmirched; there is

am, in an even voice, "wh

ittle gasping sigh an

g away her face, "you a

elle with his searching gaze while her face was turned

the trim maid said

h a laugh. It was rather like the star

"Speak of the devil--" He stopped short, shrugged

thout embarrassment, having been warned b

to stay and see that Mme. Estelle did not suffer physically as the result of his call. He

d on this score that he stepped for

ly pleasant, agreeable hour. I hope that you will

ok his hand. Her ow

e dealt with this man the more he regarded

dertone of command in his voice, "that

ome; he had been cramped by travelling in the car, and had a wi

elling for dear life and waving about him a fiery-coloured placard. The wind caught it,

agging Outrage i

ck intuition of a woman, and at this moment it came h

his third thoughts were that it was foolish to distrust his intuition

e as yet knew nothing, that he opened the paper perfectly prepared for a shock. It was w

n at No. 17B Bruton Street, Bond Street. The scene was the flat of a Mr. James Robin

purchased a magnificent motor car, has not been sleeping regularly at his chambers. As a matter of f

which he had not hitherto used. He was heard to instruct the chauffeur to drive along the Hertfordshire Road, upon which

the man entered by a pass-key, and was astonished to find the whole place in a state of great disorder. Rushing into the dining-room, he discovered that eve

ok the gag out of the mouth of Charles Blyth, t

e had come a knock at the door. On opening it, he was confronted by a very tall and powerful-looking man, who, he is quite certain, was a

ook him to make the statement, the stranger had rushed

consists of a torn pillowcase-into his mouth, and,

equently lifting him bodily on to the bed, where he le

inary proceedings, for not a single thing is missing from Mr. Robinson's rooms, though e

hich he expected to be there. Whether he found it or not is open to question,

turn at once," and, hailing a hansom, he directed t

, as it was quite possible that by this time the police had discovered where he ha

his rooms in much the same condit

tly fending off question after question which was being put to him by a couple of men

elder and taller of the two men

. Robinson?

rham

from Scotland Yard. We were, of course, called in by the

easily. "I have been reading a

kley, gravely, "if my colleague takes you

e that I desire any

irst astounded an

ested, "this is a m

r case, a most puzzling case. But, at the same time

y, with meaning, "that the sooner

want to talk, and as, moreover, I have nothing on earth to do, I su

erely, and he beckoned to his collea

sharply on Westerham and demanded in a di

question I should have asked you. You, Mr. Rookley, of Scotland Yard, as

subsequently turns all my effects topsy-turvy. You are summoned by

led "cool hands," but, as he said afterward

was equal to

"we are to make an arrest if you don'

ely there is plenty of data here,

of the Yard are no respecters of persons. You came here a week ago. You apparently dropped from the skies. No one knows who

. "Quite true,"

ppear. You order out the car, and scarcely is

went through your things was looking for some special thing. I say a 'gentleman' advise

e quarrel about some lady. Maybe you have taken something belonging to some lady which the other gentleman thought you shou

prove satisfactor

e seldom fail. Of course, it is open to us to put what constru

h a comparative trifle as this. Why not, for your

ith suspicion-and I assure you that with us it is not a far cry from suspicion to action. In fact, the consequences may be exceedingly serious for you. There i

suavely, "I have not the slig