"And he has not even left any message? He promised that I should meet
him at ten o'clock to-day.--A strange gentleman, do you say, whom Miss
Frick has recommended to come to you--?"
The mother must have spoken of my presence, but the daughter seemed to
have a legitimate suspicion about the recommendation from Miss Frick.
Perhaps she was inquisitive, and wanted to see the phenomenon who came
to Madame Reierson with his washing; for the door immediately opened,
and I stood face to face with Evelina, the lady's-maid.
She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed
to me she tottered a little. She only pressed her thin lips together
and looked calmly at me.
"Are you here? I did not know the police were here." She looked at my
garb and smiled a little scornfully.
At these words, Madame Reierson forced herself past her daughter and
surveyed me angrily.
"Police, do you say? Does he belong to the police? Well, I might have
guessed it, since he sneaked in here and began to talk of the stolen
diamond and suchlike."
I looked at the daughter, but her features were immovable. Either she
had nothing to do with the diamond robbery, or she had a stronger will
power than most people.
"You forget, Madame Reierson," said I, "that it was you who began to
talk to me of the robbery at Mr. Frick's."
Was I mistaken, or was it really so? It seemed to me that the young
girl's look was directed for a second or two at her mother with great
displeasure.
"Well, if it was I who began the talk, it must have been because you
fooled me on to do it," said Madame Reierson, jumping up from her chair;
"else why did you come here? Perhaps you fancy we have stolen Frick's
diamond! Be so kind as to look for yourself, and see if it is to be
found in my house."
The worthy dame began to pull out her chest of drawers, and to open her
cupboards, while her tongue went on with startling rapidity.
"I hadn't thought of making any investigations in your house, my dear
madame," said I, trying to pacify her; "I came really to find out a
little about your lodger, the actor, Frederiksen."
This time the daughter's self-control did not serve her; for some
seconds her face was overspread with a deep flush, and she went away and
looked out of the window.
"Frederiksen is old enough to answer for himself," said Mrs. Reierson,
curtly. "He is not at home now, and I don't know when he is likely to
be."
As I had nothing further to do there, I took my hat, nodded to the
woman, and left without ceremony. The young girl still stood at the
window, and did not turn round when I went out. Either she did not
notice it, or she did not wish to show her face.
When I had descended to the next floor, I heard the sound of heavy steps
coming up. First of all a ruffled silk hat appeared on the stairs,
afterward a pale, dissipated-looking face, with clean-shaven cheeks,
luxuriant curly hair under the brim of the hat, a black frock coat of
faultless cut but with spotted silk revers, light trousers somewhat
frayed at the bottoms, and cracked patent-leather shoes with large bows.
The apparition stared at me stupidly and disappeared through the door
leading to his apartments. It was Ludwig Frederiksen, who had little or
no reputation as an actor, but was well known as a Don Juan, now
somewhat on the decline, but worshipped, nevertheless, by the fair sex,
not only of the better classes, but also of the demi-monde.
He possessed the happy gift of being able to easily forget
unpleasantness, for at this moment he evidently did not recognize me,
while less than a month before we had had a not very pleasant
conversation at my office.
The cause of this conversation was a respectful application from the
artist for a loan of some thousand of kroners, directed to one of the
merchants of the town. This document the merchant in question found
best to deliver into the hands of the police, although the bewitching
artist had offered to deposit, as security, several pink and perfumed
notes, billets-doux, from the merchant's own daughter to the owner of
the curly locks.
"We shall probably have another interesting conversation," I thought, as
my eyes followed the form of the artist as he mounted upward and
disappeared; "but not now."
The fact was that in the course of the last half hour, certain ideas,
which earlier had begun to dawn in my mind, now assumed a more solid
form, and fitted together, so that they formed a chain.
I thought I had hold of one end of the chain, and I was determined to
fumble my way to the other end; or perhaps it would be better with a
resolute pull to try and grasp it without fumbling at all.
The chain had, however, begun to link itself in this way, and when I
left Mrs. Reierson's parlour, I felt convinced that Evelina knew
something about the diamond, and very likely her mother also.
As I had passed through the little kitchen my elbow knocked against a
dirty coffee-service which stood there,--a pot and two cups with
dried-up grounds at the bottom. This accident was sufficient to set
going a train of thoughts which, no doubt, had already been
unconsciously developing in my mind; but which would never have been
started into active life if Mrs. Reierson's objectionable coffee-cups
had not been standing there.
They brought to my mind an expression in Evelina's explanation the other
day:--
"I went home to my mother as soon us I had served the coffee in the
museum."
She had served the coffee in the museum; she had seen that the diamond
had been shown about; had seen Jurgens's imbecile greediness to become
possessed of it; she had heard him bid ten thousand kroners for it!
Later on she had passed the museum, when all were gone, and seeing the
door standing open, knew she had only to stretch out her hand to become
possessed of a large sum of money.
Perhaps she had some use or another for the latter, of which I, as yet,
had no certain knowledge,--but of which I had a suspicion.
If this train of thought was correct, then Mr. Jurgens had now the
diamond in his possession.
The improbability that this worthy old man should have become the
receiver of stolen goods did not concern me. I knew that the mania for
collecting sweeps away all moral considerations like chaff before the
wind, especially when second childhood has already begun to obscure the
mind.
*CHAPTER VII*
*LAWYER JURGENS*
My decision was taken. I would pay a visit to the lawyer without loss
of time. The difficulty lay in getting the old man to speak out the
truth, if he really was in possession of the black tortoise.
I dared not use strong means; it was a weakly old man I had to do with,
but to get the better of him was not so easy. He was possessed of not a
little cunning, and his firmness, when it was a question of preserving
any of his treasures, was quite incredible; of this I was already aware.
Mr. Jurgens knew me well. I had had to do with him twice before on
official business, when some one had tried to rob him. Besides, we had
met each other several times at Frick's, and finally, I had now and then
gone, like so many other interested people in the town, to see if he had
any remarkable increase in his line collection.
Of course you know the Jurgens collection in the national museum? It
has a whole department to itself. Some time before his death he
presented all of it to the public.
While I called at my lodgings to change clothes I laid my plan of
campaign.
It was neither particularly subtle nor cunningly conceived--only a
common trick, as you will see; but, as you will also see, it was good
enough for the occasion.
I rang at Mr. Jurgens's house in Munkedam Road. He lived on the first
floor.
At the back lay a kitchen and servants' room, where his cook and
housekeeper lived; on the other side of the hall was a room which
belonged to the servant-man. Jurgens himself lived in a room looking
out on the street, and the remaining three rooms, which likewise looked
to the street, gave him ample space for his collection of antiquities
and other curiosities.
By my advice, he had taken a lot of precautions to protect himself
against thieves. There were strong doors provided with patent locks,
iron bars before the windows, and some fire-proof iron safes as a place
of deposit for the most costly articles.
The man-servant opened the door to me. The reason why the lawyer had a
man-servant was, as I have already mentioned, because his feet were
almost lame. He could just manage to get along from one room to
another, with much difficulty; but in the street he was obliged to be
wheeled in a chair. Otherwise the lawyer was a man of small
pretensions, and notwithstanding his large fortune, was very economical.
That is to say, in everything possible, except what concerned his
collection. In this respect he was, as already mentioned, irresponsibly
extravagant.
The old lawyer got up with difficulty from his armchair and tottered
toward me.
He shook me by the hand, fumbling a long gold chain, which he wore round
his neck, with the other hand, and himself began the conversation.
His voice was a little shaky, and he seemed to be uneasy when he saw me;
but it was difficult to say if these symptoms were a natural consequence
of the man's age, or if he really had something to hide, and felt uneasy
at my appearance.
"Well, really, Mr. Monk," he said, "it is a long time since I had the
honour of seeing you at my house. May I perhaps have the pleasure of
showing you some rare curiosities which I have lately acquired? You
have generally so little time that I believe you have really never seen
my collection properly."
These words proved to me that if the old man had the diamond in his
possession, he had it in a safe hiding place, and of these there were
plenty. The old furniture was full of the most extraordinary corners,
secret places, drawers, and such-like.
"Many thanks, Mr. Jurgens," I answered promptly, "but this time I am
here on official business, and have still less time than usual."
"What a pity," grumbled the old fellow, letting himself fall back into
his chair, and taking a pinch of snuff with his shaky hands. "Any
snuff? No, young fellows nowadays don't take snuff; but take a seat,
Mr. Monk, take a seat!"
"Thanks!" I brought a chair forward in front of the old man and leaned
toward him. "The fact is, that an audacious robbery has been committed;
an unusually costly article has been stolen, and the superintendent has
sent me to inquire about it."
"You don't suppose I buy stolen goods, sir?"
The lawyer's eyes blinked, and his hands and shrivelled fingers moved up
and down the watch chain.
"No, of course not; but you know that it has happened once or twice
before, that stolen goods have been offered to you for sale, and that
you have been of inestimable value to us in giving the thief's
description; therefore--"
"No, this time I cannot help you; no, not at all!"
"But you haven't yet heard what it is."
"No--but--but--I have not bought anything for a long time; nothing of
consequence, or anything that could be of interest to you."
"That is tiresome--most tiresome! Our last hope is gone; if only the
bracelet is not sent abroad! It would then be very difficult to get."
"Bracelet, you say; was it a bracelet, you said?"
"Yes, it was a bracelet, an uncommonly costly bracelet, set with
precious stones, which disappeared from Adelina Patti's dressing-room in
the theatre yesterday. You know she is appearing here for a few days.
She had had it given her by the Emperor of Brazil."
"Indeed! What a pity! But as I said, no one has tried to sell anything
of the kind to me lately."
There was no doubt that the old fellow felt very much relieved. He took
hold of the bell rope and ordered his man-servant to bring in wine and
cigars.
"Take a glass of wine with me, sir; both old and young need a good glass
of wine, and you'll not get better than this: I brought it myself from
Oporto in '47."
We each drank a glass, and I must admit that the wine was good.
The lawyer had hastily left the subject of the stolen gem, and had begun
upon several interesting reminiscences from the year 1820 or so.
But it was not my plan to let him have his own way; I had opened my
trenches, and I wished to advance to the attack.
"It is a nuisance," said I, "all these robberies of curiosities and
costly jewels, which have taken place in the town of late. No one knows
what bother they cause the police."
"I can understand," said the lawyer, unwilling again to approach the
same theme; and he filled the glasses again with a shaking hand.
"Yes," I continued, "every one who possesses such things should be just
as careful as old Frick of Drammen Road."
On hearing old Frick's name, the old fellow almost jumped out of his
chair, but I continued mercilessly.
"This last robbery at old Frick's is a laughable affair." I then burst
into long and hearty laughter, which evidently affected Jurgens's nerves
in the most unpleasant manner.
"Haven't you heard about it? Well, as you know, old Frick possesses a
whole lot of curiosities, and many of them are of gold, silver, and
precious stones, and all are very valuable. People are always coming
there, some as guests of the house, and some to visit his collection.
Old Frick got tired of always having to watch them so carefully, and so
he had imitations made of all his most valuable objects,--gilt-brass
mounts instead of gold, and glass instead of precious stones. This is,
however, a great secret, so much so, that even his best friends think
they are the real things they see, while these are lying securely in the
cellar of the bank."
"Eh, what do you say?" The old fellow stretched out his neck like a
vulture.
"Yes, indeed--but listen: a few days ago the most costly of all his
curiosities disappeared; I fancy it was a black diamond in gold setting.
It was called the 'black tortoise.' We expect the thief has gone abroad
with his treasure. Ha! ha! just sixpenny worth of brass, and half a
crown's worth of cut glass!"
I again burst into a peal of hearty laughter. The old man sank back,
but tried to raise himself, gasping for breath. I thought he was going
to have a fit, and in a minute I got his necktie undone, and rang for
the servant.
We soon brought him round again; he was a tough old bit of humanity,
that I must admit.
I knew now what I wanted to know; the lawyer had the diamond in one of
his hiding places. The difficulty was to get him to give it up without
being obliged to resort to unpleasant means.
For this reason I took leave, as soon as I saw he had got over his
little attack, and without suggesting anything as to what the cause
might be.
The servant followed me into the hall to open the door for me.