ARRIVING at Redruth, Stranleigh sent off three telegrams, one
instructing his chief solicitors in London to request the leading marine
lawyer of Plymouth to call upon him at once at the Grand Hotel in that
town. The second telegram bade Captain Wilkie cheer up, as ample bail
was approaching him by the next train from the west, requesting him,
if at liberty, to call at the Grand Hotel about six o’clock. The third
telegram secured a suite of rooms at the Grand Hotel, and this task
finished, Stranleigh had just time to catch the 2.49 train for Plymouth.
On driving up to the Grand Hotel shortly after six o’clock, he found
both Captain Wilkie and Mr. Docketts, the marine lawyer, waiting for
him, and the three went together up to the engaged apartments.
“So they haven’t put you in quod, captain,” said the young man, as he
shook hands with him.
“No, sir; they thought better of that. In fact, there seems to be a good
deal of hesitation about their procedure. They placed men in possession,
and then have taken them out again. Just before I left the ship a fresh
lot came aboard. At first they were going to put handcuffs on me, then
they consulted about it, and asked if I could provide bail. Not knowing
whether you wished me to go to prison or not, I refused to answer.”
“Safest thing in the absence of instructions,” put in Mr. Docketts.
“What is it all about, my lord?”
“It’s rather a complicated case, Mr. Docketts,” said Stranleigh,
throwing himself into the easiest chair he could find, “and it is not
necessary to go into the whole story at the present time.”
The lawyer shook his head doubtfully.
“If I am to be of any assistance, Lord Stranleigh, I think you should
tell me everything. A point that may seem unimportant to the lay mind,
often proves of the utmost significance to the legal student.”
“You are wrong, Mr. Docketts. What you are thinking of is the detective
story. It is the detective that the slightest incident furnishes with
an important clew. You mustn’t insult my intellect by calling it a lay
mind, Mr. Docketts, because I take my marine law from that excellent
practitioner, Clark Russell; therefore, when it comes to ships I know
what I am talking about. The first point I wish to impress on you is
that I am not to appear in this case. No one is to know who engages you.
The second point is that no action will be fought in the courts. I could
settle the case in ten minutes merely by going to the venerable Conrad
Schwartzbrod, who has heedlessly set the law in action; but such a
course on my part would be most unfair to an eminent limb of the law
like yourself, who wishes to earn honest fees.”
Mr. Docketts bowed rather gravely, an inclination of the head which
contrived subtly to convey respect for his lordship’s rank in life, and
yet mild disapproval of his flippant utterances.
“I always advise my clients, my lord, to avoid litigation if they can.”
“Quite right, Mr. Docketts. That is good legal etiquette, so long as
the advice is conveyed in such a manner that it does not convince the
client. Now this steamer, the _Rajah_, belongs to me, but it has been
chartered for a number of months by the aforesaid Conrad Schwartzbrod--I
trust I am using correct legal phraseology--and the aforesaid Conrad
Schwartzbrod is one of the rankest, most unscrupulous scoundrels that
the city of London has ever produced, which statement is regrettably
libelous, but without prejudice, and uttered solely in the presence
of friends. The law, of course, is designed to settle, briefly and
inexpensively, such disputes as may be brought before it, nevertheless
it is my wish that the law shall be twisted and turned from its proper
purpose, so that this case may be dragged on as long as may be, with
injunctions, and restraints, and cross pleas, and demurrers, and
mandamuses, or any other damus things you can think of. Whenever you
find you are cornered, Mr. Docketts, and must come into the light of day
before a judge, you telegraph to me, and you will be astonished to know
how speedily everything will be quashed.”
Again the lawyer bowed very solemnly.
“I think I understand your lordship,” he said impressively.
“I am sure of it, and I hope you will do me the pleasure of remembering
your quickness of comprehension, so that you may charge extra for it
when you send in the bill. I assure you, quite candidly, that nothing
gives me such delight as the paying of an adequate fee to a competent
man. If these people should attempt any further molestation of Captain
Wilkie, you are to protect him, and I will furnish bail to any amount,
reasonable or the reverse. And now, Mr. Docketts, if you will let me
have your card, with your address on it, I shall leave the case in your
hands.”
Mr. Docketts complied with the request, and took his deferential
departure. Captain Wilkie also rose, but Stranleigh waved him to his
seat again.
“Sit you down, captain. Has the _Wychwood_ sailed yet?”
“No, sir, she has not. I met Captain Simmons yesterday. He came across
to the _Rajah_ to take away some of his belongings that were still in his
cabin. He said the Wychwood might be ready for sea to-morrow or next
day.”
“Well, I think I’ll go over and call on him. I can do that before
dinner. The estimable Mackeller has been my cook for some time past,
and if this lucky action had not been begun by that public benefactor,
Schwartzbrod, I do not know what would have become of me, for I did not
wish to cast any reflection upon Mackeller’s kitchen skill by desertion.
But now that I have been compelled by law to desert him, I hope,
captain, you will take pity on a lonesome man, and dine here with me at
eight o’clock. I’ll order such a dinner as will make this tavern sit up.
You’ll stand by, won’t you, captain?”
“Thank you, sir, I’ll be delighted.”
“Well, that’s settled. Now, if you will guide me to the _Wychwood_, I’ll
go aboard for a chat with Captain Simmons, and you will meet me in the
dining room at eight o’clock.”
The two parted alongside that huge steamer, the _Wychwood_, and
Stranleigh climbed aboard, greeting Captain Simmons on deck.
“Well, captain, you haven’t got off yet?”
“No, sir--my lord, not yet,” said the astonished captain. “If you’d sent
word you was coming, earl, I’d have had dinner prepared for you. As it
is, there’s nothing fit to eat aboard.”
“I am accustomed to that, captain. I was just complaining to Wilkie,
who brought me here, that Mackeller was my cook, and he seemed to
sympathize. No, it’s the other way about. You’re coming to dine with
me. I’ve invited Captain Wilkie, and we will form a hungry trio about
a round table at the Grand Hotel to-night at eight. Three Plymouth
brethren, as you may call us: you two practical salts, and me an
amateur. Have you been back to that little cottage on Southampton
water?”
“No, my lord--sir, but I keep a-thinking of it all the time with great
pleasure, and the wife or one of the girls writes to me every day. They
are delighted, sir--my lord. I didn’t know till after you left that
’twas you had bought all that furniture, but you must let me pay for
that, earl, on the instalment plan.”
“Oh, that’s all right, captain. You wait till I send round a collector.
Never worry about payment till it’s asked for. That’s been my rule in
life. Now, captain, take me down to your cabin. I wish to have a quiet
chat with you, and on deck, with men about, is a little too public.”
The captain led the way, and Stranleigh, standing, gazed about him.
“Ah, this is something like. This beats the _Rajah_, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does, my lord--I mean sir. I never expected to find myself in
a cabin like this, sir, and a fine ship she is, too; well found and
stanch. I’d like to sail her into Southampton water some day, just to
let the missus and the kids see her.”
“I’ll tell you what you must do, captain. Send a telegram to Mrs.
Simmons and the girls, asking them to lock up the shop, and come at
once to Plymouth. I’ll make arrangements for them at the Grand Hotel and
they’ll stay here until you sail, which can’t be for some days yet.
And now to business, captain. Old Schwartzbrod has discovered where
the _Rajah_ is, and has jumped aboard with a blooming injunction or some
such lawyer’s devilment as that: tried to _habeas corpus_ innocent
old Wilkie, or whatever they call it; anyhow, something that goes with
handcuffs, but the old boy was game right through to the backbone,
and was willing to go to the Bastile itself if his doing so would
accommodate me, but I’ve invited him to dinner instead.”
“Then Schwartzbrod will be trying to find me, very likely?” said Captain
Simmons, in no way pleased with the prospect.
“I shouldn’t wonder, so I’d keep my weather eye abeam, if I were you,
for very likely Schwartzbrod is in Plymouth. Still, I’ve told an eminent
lawyer to go full speed ahead, and I anticipate Schwartzbrod will have
quite enough to occupy his mind in a few days. Now, Captain Simmons,
although our acquaintance has been very short, I am going to trust you
fully. Since this action was taken by Schwartzbrod, it has occurred
to me that the proper person to go to the Paramakaboo River is the
redoubtable captain who has already been there, and that person is
yourself.”
“Well; sir, Captain Wilkie has also been there, in your yacht, and
perhaps he’d like this new ship. I’m sure he doesn’t care about the
_Rajah._”
“Oh, he doesn’t need to care about the _Rajah_. He’s off the _Rajah_ for
good, and will take command of my yacht again. No, you are the man for
the Paramakaboo. You know Frowningshield, and you know his gang, and he
knows you. Now, I leave everything to your own discretion. If you tell
Frowningshield how everything stands, there is one chance in a thousand
he may seize the _Wychwood_, and compel you to sail for Lisbon, or
wherever he likes. It all depends how deeply he is in with that subtle
rogue, Schwartzbrod.”
“I’ll tell him nothing about it, sir.”
“That’s my own advice. I should say nothing except that they have
furnished you with a larger steamer, so that you can get away with
double the quantity of ore, all of which is true enough. But if
circumstances over which you have no control compel you to divulge the
true state of affairs, get Frowningshield alone here in the cabin,
and talk to him as I talked to you on the high seas. He’s engaged in a
criminal business, whether he is under the jurisdiction of the British
flag or not; but the main point I wish you to impress upon him is this:
I shall stand in Schwartzbrod’s place; that is to say, I shall make good
to him, as I made good to you, every promise that rascal has given. I
know that virtue is its own reward, yet I sometimes wish that virtue
would oftener deal in the coin of the realm in addition. It doesn’t seem
fair that all the big compensations are usually on the devil’s side.
Anyhow, I trust this ship and this business entirely to you.
You act as you think best, and if they compel you to sail to Lisbon or
anywhere else, telegraph fully to me whenever you get into touch with
a wire. I don’t anticipate any trouble of that kind, however.
Frowningshield will know on which side his bread is buttered, even if he
is a villain, which I don’t believe. Now, Schwartzbrod promised you five
thousand pounds extra for three trips to Lisbon, and two thousand pounds
for every additional voyage. How many additional voyages could you have
made?”
“I couldn’t have made one, sir, with the _Rajah_.”
“Well, let us call it two. That amounts to nine thousand pounds. I’ll
give you a check for that amount to-morrow, and you can hand it to the
missus to put in the bank when she returns to Southampton.”
“I couldn’t think of taking that from you, sir,” said the captain, with
an unfeigned look of distress.
“It’s not from me at all, Captain Simmons. I am going to make
Schwartzbrod hand over that amount to my bank. I am merely anticipating
his payments; passing it on from him to you, as it were. In a similar
way I shall recompense Frowningshield, and I shall give you a sufficient
number of gold sovereigns with which to pay all his men, and this will
create a certain satisfaction in the camp, even although there is no
spot within a thousand miles where they can spend a penny. So, captain,
you will load up your ship with an ample supply of provisions for those
in camp, and take out to them anything that you think they may need,
charging the same to me, which account I shall pass on to Schwartzbrod.”
“But isn’t there a chance, sir, that Schwartzbrod may charter another
steamer, in which case we may have to fight?”
“No, I don’t think so. I am having old Schwartzbrod watched, and from
the latest report he has not even chartered a rowboat. No, I have
extended his charter of the _Rajah_ for an extra three months, and he will
hope to get possession of her. It will take him a few days to realize
the extent of the law’s delay, and with such a start, together with the
speed of the _Wychwood_ you will find no difficulty about filling this
ship, and getting away without encountering any opposition. No, I don’t
want any fight. You see, I can’t spare Mackeller, and it would break his
heart to think there was a ruction and he not in it.
“Here is a suggestion which has just occurred to me, and you may act
on it or not as circumstances out there dictate. When the _Wychwood_ is
fully loaded with ore, and ready to sail, you might ask Frowningshield
to come aboard with you for that twelve-mile run down the river. The
steam launch could follow and take him back. Inform him that you have
something important to say which cannot be told ashore, then get
him down here into your cabin, and relate to him everything that has
happened. He cannot stop the _Wychwood_ then if he wanted to. Your crew
will obey you, and no matter what commands he gave them to put about,
they would pay no attention to him. Show him that he can make more money
by being honest than by following the lead of old Schwartzbrod. Tell
him you have received your nine thousand pounds--and, by the way, that
reminds me I had better give you the check tonight before dinner, so
that you can post it to your bank at Southampton, and receive the bank’s
receipt for it before you sail. The deposit receipt will be just as
cheering to Mrs. Simmons as the check would be--and then you can tell
Frowningshield, quite conscientiously, that the money is already in
your hands. I always believe in telling the truth to a pirate like
Frowningshield if it is at all possible. Don’t imagine I’m preaching,
captain. What I mean is that the truth is ever so much more convincing
than even the cleverest of lies. We will suppose, then, that
Frowningshield comes to the same decision that you did, and agrees to
join me in preserving my own property from an unscrupulous thief. In
that case tell him that Schwartzbrod will very likely send some other
steamer to carry away the ore, as soon as he realizes he cannot again
get hold of the _Rajah_, and that I shall expect Frowningshield and his
merry men not to allow such a vessel to take away any of my ore.”
“Shall I tell him to sink Schwartzbrod’s steamer?”
“Sink her? No, bless my soul, no. What would you sink her for? Tell
him to use gentle persuasion, and not give up the ore. An ordinary crew
cannot fill the hold with ore which a hundred and fifty men refuse to
allow them to touch. You don’t need to fight. If Frowning-shield will
just line up his hundred and fifty men along that reef, one glance at
their interesting faces will convince any ship’s captain that he’d be
safer out at sea.
“I think the _Wychwood_ will answer our purposes very well. She is
large and fast. Try to find out, if you can, exactly what Schwartzbrod
promised Frowningshield and his men, and let me know when you return.
Now, captain, I think you understand pretty well what your new duties
are, so get off for the south just as quickly as you can. Meanwhile we
must be moving on toward the Grand Hotel. I’m rather anxious to meet
that dinner, and on the way we will send a telegram to Mrs. Simmons and
the family. After that we three roisterers will make a night of it, for
I must go up to London to-morrow.”
*****
Mackeller worked industriously at his smelting, dumping the gold down
into the abandoned mine after his assistants had left him for the night.
He was anxious to hear what had become of the _Rajah_, and what had
happened to Captain Wilkie threatened with imprisonment, but no letter
came from Lord Stranleigh, which was not to be wondered at, for all
Stranleigh’s friends knew his dislike of writing.
The third morning after Stranleigh’s departure Mackeller received a long
telegram which had evidently been handed in at London the night before.
At first Mackeller thought it was in cipher, but a close study of
the message persuaded him that no code was necessary for its
disentanglement. It ran as follows:
“Take half a pound of butter, one pound of flour, half a pound of moist
sugar, two eggs, one teaspoonful of essence of lemon, one fourth glass
of brandy or sherry. Rub the butter, flour, and sugar well together, mix
in the eggs after beating them, add the essence of lemon and the brandy.
Drop the cakes upon a frying pan, and bake for half an hour in a quick
oven.”
Mackeller muttered some strenuous remarks to himself as at last he
gathered in the purport of this communication. He detained the telegraph
boy long enough to write a line which he sent to Lord Stranleigh’s
residence at a cost of sixpence.
“What have you done about the _Rajah_--Mackeller.”
Late in the afternoon the telegraph boy returned, and bestowed upon the
impatient and now irascible Mackeller the following instructions:
“For two persons alone at the mouth of a pit take one plump fowl, add
white pepper and salt to suit the taste, one half spoonful of grated
nutmeg, one half spoonful of pounded mace, a few slices of ham, three
hard-boiled eggs, sliced thin, half a pint of water, and some puff paste
crust to cover. Stew for half an hour, and when done strain off the
liquor for gravy. Put a layer of fowl at the bottom of a pie dish,
then a layer of ham, then the slices of hard-boiled egg, with the mace,
nutmeg, pepper and salt between the layers. Put in half a pint of water,
cover with puff paste, and bake for an hour and a half.”
“I suppose,” growled Mackeller to himself, “he thinks that’s funny, but
it will cost him a pretty penny if he keeps it up every day.”
“Any answer?” said the telegraph boy.
“Yes,” answered Mackeller, and being made reckless by example, he wrote
a more lengthy message than was customary with him:
“Everything going on well here. The cooking I am doing consists in the
production of hardbake cake, and the receipt is as follows: Take ore
from Africa, salt and pepper to suit the taste, mix it with hard coal
from the north, quick fire and a hot oven. When completely baked run
into molds of sand, and place in a deep cellar to cool. Save the money
you are wasting on the postoffice department by sending me, through
parcel post, the cook book from which you are stealing those items, and
use a telegram to let me know what has happened to the _Rajah_ and Captain
Wilkie.”
In the evening an answer came.
“That’s not a bad receipt of yours, Mackeller. I didn’t think so serious
a man as you was capable of such frivolity. The _Rajah_ is in Chancery,
in litigation, in irons, in Plymouth harbor, in-junctioned. I expect it
will be a long time before the _Rajah_ gets out of court. Captain Wilkie
is all right, and back on my yacht. The _Wychwood_, with Simmons in
command, is off to Paramakaboo. I expect to be with you after you have
had time to study the volume which at your suggestion I send to-day by
parcel post; ‘Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management’; bulky but
useful.”
*****
Lord Stranleigh did not return, however, as promised, to the Cornish
mine. Although apparently leading an aimless life at home, or in one or
other of his clubs, or at an interesting race meeting, he was keeping
his eye on Schwartzbrod by means of an efficient secret agent. He
wondered how soon so shrewd a man as the financier would come to the
knowledge that the _Rajah_ was tied up with the red tape of the law, as
immovable in her berth as if she had been chained to the breakwater by
cables of steel. He was determined that Schwartzbrod should not
further complicate the situation by sending out another steamer on an
ore-stealing expedition to West Africa; and when at last he received a
report from his agent that Schwartzbrod’s men were in negotiation
once more with Sparling & Bilge of Southampton, the indolent young man
thought it time to strike, so he telephoned to Schwartz-brod, asking him
to call at his town house next morning at half past ten, bringing his
check book with him.
Schwartzbrod, spluttering at his end of the telephone, wished further
explanation about the request for the check book. The charter money, he
said, was not due. Nothing had been said in the document signed about
payment in advance, but Stranleigh rang off, and left the financier
guessing. When, some minutes later, Schwartzbrod got once more into
communication with the house, the quiet-voiced Ponderby told him that
his lordship had left for his club, but would expect to see him promptly
at half past ten next day.
When Schwartzbrod arrived, he was shown this time into Lord Stranleigh’s
scantily furnished business office on the ground floor. He had been so
anxious to know what the cause of the summons was that he found himself
ten minutes before the half hour, and that ten minutes he spent alone in
the little room. As the clock in the hall chimed the half hour, the door
opened, and Lord Stranleigh entered.
“Good morning, Mr. Schwartzbrod. There are several little business
matters which I wish to discuss with you and, as I expect to leave
London shortly, I thought we might as well get it over.” Stranleigh sat
down in a chair on the opposite side of the table from the keen-eyed
city man, who watched him with furtive sharpness.
“As I was telling you, my lord, there is nothing in the papers you
signed saying that any payment was to be made in advance on account of
the _Rajah_.”
“You object, then, to paying in advance?”
“I don’t object, my lord, if it’s any accommodation to you. The first
payment, you see, was made to Messrs. Sparling & Bilge.”
“Of course, I’ve nothing to do with that.”
“Well, the second amount I did not expect to be called on to pay until
the steamer had earned some money.”
“Ah, yes, I see. That seems quite just. The steamer, then, hasn’t been
earning money, I take it.”
“It is too soon yet to say, my lord, whether she is earning money or
not.”
“Is she still at South America?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Has she not returned since I saw you last?”
“No, my lord.”
“That’s very strange,” murmured Stranleigh, more to himself than to the
other. “Shows how blooming inaccurate those newspapers are.”
He took out from his inside pocket a thin memorandum book, searched
slowly among some slips of loose paper, and at last took out a cutting
from some daily journal.
“The paper from which I clipped this was issued a day or two after
we last met. My attention was called to the item by the fact that
so shortly before we had been in negotiation regarding the _Rajah_;
successful and pleasant negotiation, if I remember rightly, and I signed
the papers you presented to me without consulting a solicitor, and the
impression left on my mind is that you went away satisfied.”
“Oh, I was perfectly satisfied, my lord, perfectly satisfied. Yes, you
very kindly signed the renewal of the charter.”
“You said, if I remember rightly, that the trip of the _Rajah_ was merely
an experiment. It had something to do with the cattle business; a ranch,
or several ranches, in the Argentine Republic.”
“Quite right, my lord. I regret to say the business has not been as
prosperous as I had hoped.”
“I am sorry to hear that. I have always looked on ranching as a sure way
to wealth, but it seems there are exceptions. Now, you said to me that
if the experiment did not prove successful, which, regrettably, seems to
be the case, you would turn the _Rajah_ over to me when she returned.”
“But she has not returned, my lord.”
“Then what does this journal mean by stating that a few days after we
foregathered in this house the _Rajah_ arrived at Plymouth from Brest, in
France?”
“That must be a mistake, my lord. Would you let me read the item?”
Schwartzbrod extended his hand, trembling slightly, and took the slip
of paper, adjusting his glasses to see the better, visibly gaining time
before committing himself further.
“The item is very brief,” commented Stranleigh, “still, it is definite
enough. ‘Steamer _Rajah_, Captain Wilkie, arrived at Plymouth from
Brest.’”
“That cannot have been our _Rajah_,” said Schwartzbrod at last, having
collected his wits. “The captain on your steamer, my lord, is named
Simmons.”
“Simmons? Oh, Captain Simmons of Southampton? Why, I know the man. A
fine, bluff old honest tar, one of the bulwarks of Britain. So Simmons
was the captain of the _Rajah_, was he? Still, he may have resigned.”
“He couldn’t resign in midocean, my lord.”
“Oh, I’ve known the thing done. I’ve known captains transferred from one
steamer to another on the high seas.”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing, my lord, unless one vessel was
disabled, and then abandoned when another came along.”
“My dear Mr. Schwartzbrod, accept my assurance that these daring devils
of sea captains do things once they are out of our sight which we honest
men ashore would not think of countenancing.”
“I thought you said just now they were the bulwarks of Britain?”
“So they are, so they are, but bulwarks, Mr. Schwartzbrod, need to be
made of stouter and coarser timber than that which lines the cabin. You
must not think I am attributing anything criminal to our captain, Mr.
Schwartzbrod; not at all, but it has often seemed to me that they do
not always pay that scrupulous attention to the law which animates our
business men in the city of London, for instance. A captain out of the
jurisdiction of England, much as it may shock you to hear it, will dare
to do things that would make our hair stand on end, and send a lawyer or
a judge into a dead faint. Now, there’s the Captain Simmons, of whom
you just spoke. He tells me that he has undertaken devilish deeds in
out-of-the-way parts of the world which he would not think of doing
under that arch in the main street of Southampton.”
The company promoter moistened his lips, and stroked the lower part of
his face gently with his open hand. Lord Stranleigh beamed across at him
with kindly expectancy, as if wishing some sympathetic corroboration of
the statements he had made. At last the city man spoke.
“You have perhaps had more experience with seafaring people than I, my
lord. I had always supposed them to be a rough-and-ready sort of folk,
as reasonably honest as the rest of us.”
“It was to be expected, Mr. Schwartzbrod, that your kind heart would
hesitate to credit anything condemnatory said about them. Because you
would not do this or that, you think other people are equally blameless.
Take Captain Simmons, for instance, and yet, when I think of him I
remember, of course, there were mitigating circumstances in the case.
Captain Simmons had set his eye on a little bit of property, something
like five acres, stretching down to Southampton water. There was a
cottage and a veranda, and the veranda seemed to lure Captain Simmons
with its prospect of peace, as he passed up Southampton water in command
of the disreputable old _Rajah_. But Simmons never could succeed in
saving the money to buy this modest homestead, but at last far more than
the money necessary was offered him if he did a certain thing. It was a
bribe, Mr. Schwartzbrod, and perhaps at first he did not see where he
was steering the blunt snout of the old _Rajah_. He did not completely
comprehend into what miasmatic and turbid waters his course would lead
him. But when at last he saw it was involving him in theft, in wholesale
robbery, and in potential murder, in the sinking of ships, and the
drowning of crews, Simmons drew back.”
A gentle expression of concern came into Lord Stranleigh’s face as he
saw the man before him in visible distress, sinking lower and lower in
his chair. His face was ghastly: only the eyes seemed alive, and they
were fixed immovably on his opponent, striving to penetrate at the
thought or the knowledge that might be behind the mask of carelessness
he wore.
“Don’t you feel well, Mr. Schwartzbrod? Would you like a little
stimulant?”
Without waiting for an answer he rang the bell.
“Bring some whisky and soda,” he said, “also a decanter of brandy.”
Schwartzbrod took a cautious sip or two of the weaker beverage.
“Were any names mentioned?” he asked.
“Simmons told me the tempter was a city man; some rank scoundrel who
wished to profit by another’s loss, and did not hesitate at robbery so
long as he was legally safe in London, and others were taking the risk.
They were to take the risk, and he was to secure the property. I even
doubt if he intended to give the recompense he had promised. It amounted
in Simmons’s case to nine thousand pounds, and only one thousand was
needed for the purchase of the place on which he had set his heart.”
“But Simmons must have known, if such a sum was offered him, that he was
undertaking a shady transaction?”
“That’s exactly what I told him, but, you see, he had committed himself
before he realized what he was letting himself in for. ‘Chuck the whole
business,’ I said to him. ‘You’ve got friends enough who’ll buy that
little place and present it to you. I am willing myself to subscribe
part of the money,’ and so Simmons struck. He is off, I understand,
on another steamer. He has influential friends who got him a better
situation than the one he held. Now, as I have said, I am willing to put
some money on the table to buy that little house near Southampton. How
much will you give, Mr. Schwartzbrod?”
Schwartzbrod now took a gulp of the whisky and soda. His courage was
returning.
“Do you mean to tell me, Lord Stranleigh, that you have called a
busy man like me to the West End in order to ask him for a charity
subscription?”
“But surely you subscribe to many charities, Mr. Schwartzbrod?”
“I do not. It’s as much as I can do to keep my own head above water,
without troubling with other people. I believe in being just before
being generous. If I pay my debts, that’s all any man can ask.”
“Most true philosophy, Mr. Schwartzbrod, but a little hard, you know.
Some poor fellows get under the harrow, and surely we may stop our
cultivation for a moment, and lift the harrow long enough to allow him
to crawl out.”
Schwartzbrod finished the whisky and soda, but made no further comment.
“It was not altogether for charitable purposes that I requested the
pleasure of your call. There is business mixed with it. But you,
Schwartzbrod, try to place the worst side of yourself before the world.
You are really a very generous man. At heart you are; now, you know it.”
“I don’t know anything about it, my lord, and I do not understand the
trend of this conversation.”
“Well, I have come to the conclusion that you are one of the most
generous men in London. You have done things that I think no other
business man in London would attempt. You do good by stealth, and blush
to find it fame, as I think the poet said. You’ve been doing me a great
benefit, and yet you’ve kept quiet about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why, I mean Frowningshield and his hundred and fifty men on my gold
reef.”
“What!” roared Schwartzbrod, springing to his feet.
“The kidnapping of Mackeller I did not mind. That’s all in the day’s
work, and a mining engineer must expect a little rough and tumble in
this world.”
“I had nothing to do with that, my lord.”
“No, it was Frowningshield who did it. Am I not saying that you are
perfectly blameless? When I learned about the _Rajah’s_ expedition,
about the money offered to Captain Simmons, about the compensation
that was to be given to Frowningshield, about the running of the ore to
Lisbon; when I heard all this, so prejudiced was my brain that I said
to myself: ‘Here I’ve caught the biggest thief in the world.’ But when
I learned that you had done it, I saw at once what your object was.
You were going to smelt that ore without expense to me, take it over in
ingots to England, and say, ‘Here, Lord Stranleigh, you’re not half
a bad sort of chap. You don’t understand anything about mining or the
harsh ways of this world. Here is your gold.’”
Schwartzbrod poured down his throat a liquor glass full of brandy, and
collapsed in his chair.
“You see, Mr. Schwartzbrod, there were only two alternatives for a poor
brain like mine to accept: first, that you are the most generous man in
the world; second, that you are the most daring robber in the world.
Do you think I hesitated? Not for a moment. I knew you were no thief.
Thieves are in Whitechapel, and Soho, and the East End generally, but
not in the City of London. They’re all men of law there. You are not
a thief, are you, Mr. Schwartzbrod? No. Then sit down, honest man, and
write me a check for the nine thousand pounds I have already paid
to Captain Simmons, and for the amount which you promised to
Frowningshield. I accept the benefit of your generosity in the same
spirit in which it is tendered. I do not ask you where the gold is, I’ll
look after that; but the new ship you are trying to charter must not
sail for the Paramakaboo. I cannot accept further kind offices from you.
All I ask of you is to write a check for such an amount that it will
fulfill the promises you made to Simmons and Frowningshield. That’s why
I requested you to bring your check book.”
Schwartzbrod, with a groan, sat down at the table and drew forth his
check book.