Yes, it was undoubtedly the same woman. I had seen her before, and
knew her to be of very equivocal character. Nay, I will go a step
further, and assure my readers that she was a person of very
disreputable antecedents, and had recently served a term of
imprisonment in consequence of certain disclosures for which our
firm was responsible.
Her penchant for frequent changes of names made it difficult to
follow her career. But the last name under which I had known her was
Angelina Dyer, and as Angelina Dyer she was convicted of assisting
at the operations of a gang of burglars, of whom I have an exciting
story to tell some day.
Knowing the true character of this woman, therefore, it caused me
no small surprise to see her talking to Mr Lanimore, one of our city
aldermen, whom I would have deemed one of the last individuals in
the world to have dealings with Angelina Dyer.
My curiosity was aroused. I determined to see the farce to the end,
and for the present relinquished my intention of taking a hansom to
Liverpool-street Station, whither I was bent on a mission that could
easily wait for another opportunity.
Angelina was naturally rather handsome, and on the present occasion
was dressed with such remarkably good taste that the casual onlooker
might easily mistake her for the lady she was evidently pretending
to be.
Her face wore an expression of pleased surprise, and she held out
her hand with a warmth of welcome which there was no resisting.
There was a handshake, very cordial on the one side, somewhat
hesitating on the other, and then I knew what was going on just as
well as if I had been within earshot.
Alderman Lanimore was finding it difficult to recognise his
impulsive interlocutor, and Angelina was expressing her delight at
meeting such an old friend. And in London, too, of all places in
the world!
There was a few moments’ smiling repudiation of bygone acquaintanceship
on one side, and an apparently regretful realisation of the truth
on the other, and then the little comedy ended, the lady bowing
ceremoniously, and the gentleman raising his hat politely.
A second later Angelina had vanished in the never-ending crowd which
makes the neighbourhood of the Mansion House one of the typical
sights of London. Mrs Dyer’s abrupt departure did not trouble me. I
knew where to find her if I wanted her again. And I also knew that
there would be a further development of this seemingly trivial
adventure, for that the lady with the angelic name had had an
ulterior motive in accosting the alderman I was certain.
Nor was my conviction long in being verified. Mr Lanimore, followed
by myself, walked along Cheapside, with a good-natured smile on his
face, until he reached Sir William Bennet’s famous horological
establishment. Then it struck him that he had better compare his
timepiece with the big clock over the shop, and he mechanically put
his hand to his fob to withdraw his costly gold repeater.
It was gone!
I could almost have laughed, aloud at this development of my little
comedy, for though I had not been quite sure what form Angelina’s
cunning would take, and although in spite of my keen watch I had not
seen her take anything, I had no doubt that pocket-picking was the
lady’s real game.
Nor did the alderman’s next act surprise me. He hailed an empty
passing hansom and almost shouted to the driver, “Bell and White,
Holborn, and drive like wildfire.”
That he would invoke our aid had also been one of my foregone
conclusions, for we had already transacted business for him in
connection with the large firm of which he was the senior partner.
Feeling glad that Mr Lanimore had not seen me, I waited until
another hansom had appeared, and then gave the driver a somewhat
similar order to the one given by the alderman a few moments before.
Arrived at our office, I found that the impatient victim of the
“auld acquaintance” dodge had been waiting a few minutes for an
audience with one of the principals. Mr Jones conducted a branch
business now, and was seldom at the London office. Mr White had sold
out and retired, and my uncle only just entered the office as I did.
“Leave this case to me,” I whispered, “I know all about it.”
With a smile and a nod of comprehension, Mr Bell betook himself to
his own private sanctum, while I removed my outdoor wraps and
proceeded to interview the alderman.
“Good morning, Mr Lanimore! What can we do for you this time?”
“Oh, such a fool as I have been, Miss Bell! Actually let a strange
woman stop me in the street and talk to me! Pretended to know me,
and I never suspected the hussy’s intentions.”
“And the result?”
“My beautiful gold repeater, given to me by our employees when I was
elected sheriff, has disappeared.”
“That is very serious.”
“Serious! good heavens! It’s as much as my happiness and reputation
are worth to lose that watch! I must have it back, and the affair
must not get into the newspapers.”
“I suppose not. Publicity is not always desirable.”
“In this case it would be ruination. The circumstances are so
exasperating. My partners are inclined to twit me about what they
call my ‘starched morality!’ My rivals in the Council Chamber are on
the lookout for a chance of picking a hole in my character. My wife
is desperately and absurdly jealous. They would one and all refuse
to believe that I did not know to whom I was speaking, and I should
be branded as a hypocrite who practised social vices under the cloak
of pretended morality.”
“What was the woman like?”
“Tall, of fine figure, and ladylike appearance, with bright
complexion, and a quantity of bright golden hair. She also wore a
pair of gold rimmed eyeglasses.”
“H’m! not much to go by. There are so many stylish-looking woman
with yellow hair and bright complexions nowadays. A little ready
money and a determination to be in the fashion can work wonders.
Did you observe any other peculiarity about the pick-pocket?”
“No, nothing. You see, I had not time to notice much, for the
interview was short and I was quite unsuspicious.”
“Well, there is very little to act upon. Still, I daresay you will
find our firm of more use than the police would have been.”
“I am quite sure of it. Those other cases you undertook for me were
nothing short of miraculous, and I have the utmost faith in your
powers.”
“Thank you. I believe I may almost promise that you shall have your
watch back within a week. Meanwhile, say nothing about the affair to
anyone else. You can be supposed to have taken your repeater to be
regulated.”
When Mr Lanimore left our office he was much more at ease about his
property than when he came in, and I was pretty confident about my
ability to fulfil my apparently rash promise.
I had taken shorthand notes of all the details Mr Lanimore was able
to give me. Not that I needed them. But it looks well to be as
business-like as possible.
A few minutes later I was explaining the whole affair to my uncle,
and we soon had our plans for future action completed. We generally
keep an eye, through our subordinates, on such likely people for
business as Angelina Dyer, and knew that she was lodging in a street
off Commercial-road at this moment.
We also felt sure that for this day, at least, she would suspend
further active operations in the city. At present she would be
displaying her prizes to the admiring gaze of her associates.
Pawnshops are a worked-out field for our regular watch-lifters.
They have a safer means of disposing their gains. Not far from
Houndsditch there lives a man under whose clever manipulative
fingers stolen watches and jewellery lose their identity. If
ordinary “faking” won’t work the oracle, then the melting-pot is
resorted to.
In all probability Alderman Lanimore’s repeater would be in the
hands of the watch-faker within twenty-four hours. We must,
therefore, secure it to-night – if not by strategy, then by force.
Four subordinates were instantly instructed to keep a careful watch
upon Angelina Dyer’s abode, and to set about the business without
delay. Half-an-hour later I started on the track, accompanied by
Adam Henniker. We had both undergone a considerable transformation,
and would not have been recognised by our best friends. We looked
like very well-to-do country simpletons who had never been in London
before, and who were agog with amazement at all we saw. We noticed
many a smile of covert meaning on the faces of passers-by, whose
knowledge of the neighbourhood we were in made them question the
wisdom of our gorgeously liberal display of jewellery.
But we did not anticipate trouble, as our colleagues were mostly
near enough to assist us at a moment’s notice, although until they
received that notice, we were as utter strangers to each other in
our occasional encounters.
I had had no time to snatch a meal before setting out to watch for
Angelina again, and was feeling very hungry, but dared not relax my
attention. I knew, however, that people of the class we had chosen
to represent saw no breach of manners in eating in the street, and
we decided that our assumption of the roles of country Johnnies
would look much more natural if we comported ourselves with true
country unconsciousness.
When, therefore, Angelina realised our expectations by emerging from
her habitation, and walking towards Aldgate, Adam was cutting a big
sandwich with a huge clasp-knife, and I was making futile efforts to
dispose of a cake that had proved much less tempting than when it
was displayed in the vendor’s window.
In an instant Angelina spotted prey, and Adam, with his mouth
half-full of sandwich, contrived to give her an excuse for speaking
to us, if she had needed one, remarking loudly, “Aw doant care, Jane,
aw’m not gooin’ whoam withawt seein’ th’ place wheer th’ Whitechapel
murders were done. Aw say, missis, con yo tell us which is th’
street as th’ fust murder were done in?”
“Why, yes,” was the smiling reply. “It’s just over here. I’m going
that way, and I’ll show you the street.”
Five minutes later the business was accomplished. We had caught the
pickpocket in flagrante delicto, and one of our men had come up in
time to help us to ease her of the watch and chain she had just
stolen from Adam. We gave her the alternative of going to prison for
both thefts she had committed that day, or of purchasing present
immunity by delivering the alderman’s gold repeater to us.
“Well, if ever I let a set of lags take me in again like that!” she
remarked, in great disgust. “Here, take the blooming ticker, and
thank your stars that none of my pals are about.”
When Alderman Lanimore received his property back safe and sound the
next morning, he could not restrain his admiration of our astuteness,
which had of course suppressed disenchanting explanations.
“Wonderful!” he exclaimed. “I never heard tell of anything like it.
Your deductions and methods of reasoning must be more than human.
Wonderful!”