MR. DUGE FAILS
Norris Vine without a doubt was trapped. He realized it from the moment
Phineas Duge closed the door and turned the key. The two men who had
entered were to all appearance absolutely harmless and ordinary. They
were dressed most correctly in dark clothes of fashionable cut. Each
wore a silk hat, and would have passed without a moment's question
amongst any ordinary group of better-class city men. Nevertheless, when
at his quick motion toward the bell the fingers of one of them closed
upon his arm, he knew very well that he was helpless. He suffered them
to lead him without resistance into the little sitting-room. What could
he have done? If he had opened his mouth to call out, he saw the hand of
the man who was watching him, with his arm linked through his, ready to
close his lips. They all passed into the sitting-room, and Phineas Duge
closed the door behind them.
"I am sorry," he said, "to resort to such old-fashioned measures, but
as you know I am methodical in all my ways. The first place to look for
stolen goods is obviously in the abode of the thief. Frankly, I have not
much expectation of discovering anything here. At the same time I could
not afford to run the risk of leaving these rooms and your person
unsearched."
"I can quite appreciate that," Norris Vine said, seating himself in the
armchair towards which he was being gently pushed. "The only favour I
will ask is that you are as quick as possible, as I have rather a busy
afternoon, and want to lunch early."
"These gentlemen," Phineas Duge remarked, "are quite used to little
affairs of this sort. I do not think that you need fear that there will
be any undue delay."
Even while he spoke both of them were busy. Vine felt a silken cord
being drawn about his legs and chest. Something was slid softly into his
mouth. In less than two minutes he was bound and gagged. Then he had an
opportunity, so far as the sitting-room was concerned, of watching a
search conducted upon scientific principles.
In about twenty minutes the place looked as though a tornado had struck
it. The search, however, was over. The two men were prepared to
guarantee that no papers of any sort were hidden in any place within the
reach of any one in that room. They carried him, bound as he was, into
the bedroom, and he watched with interest, and some admiration, a
repetition of the search. The result, however, was the same. Then the
two men came over to him, and he felt his bonds softly loosened. Only
the gag remained in his mouth, and one by one his garments were removed
from him. A trained valet could not have been more careful or deft. The
contents of all his pockets were hastily run through and restored. His
under garments were felt all over for any hidden hiding place. Even his
shoes were taken off, and the inner sole cut through with a knife.
Finally the two men turned towards Phineas Duge. Their faces were a mute
expression of the fact that the search was over. Phineas Duge motioned
them to remove the gag. They did so, and Vine, who was now free, stood
up and commenced to dress.
"I am sorry," Phineas Duge said calmly, "to have inconvenienced you,
but, of course, a person who becomes a receiver of stolen goods is
always liable to a little affair of this sort. You are quite at liberty
to ring the bell now if you like, and to make complaints about us. My
methods may have seemed to you a little melodramatic, but as a matter of
fact they are entirely commonplace. These two gentlemen are connected
with the American police, and it may interest you to know that we have
with us warrants for the arrest both of yourself and my daughter, Miss
Stella Duge, on the charge of theft and conspiracy. All that we have
done here has been quite legal, except that we should have been
accompanied by a gentleman from Scotland Yard, with whose presence we
preferred to dispense. You can make what complaints you like, and I
shall immediately apply for your extradition. In any case I expect to do
so to-morrow or the next day, if a certain document is not forthcoming.
You see I am placing myself in your hands. You have time even now to
cable its contents to New York before the warrant can be executed."
Norris Vine was busy tying his tie, and waited for a moment until he had
arranged it to his satisfaction. Then he turned round.
"I can assure you," he said, "I had not the slightest intention of
making any complaint with regard to your doings here. In fact, I can
truthfully say that I have rather enjoyed the whole proceeding. To tell
you the truth," he continued, moving across the room and taking a
cigarette from the mantelpiece and lighting it, "when I heard that you
were in England, I was exceedingly curious to know what your methods
would be. 'Phineas Duge the Invincible' they have called you. I knew
that you came over here because you had entered in a fresh alliance with
your gang, and I knew therefore that you came over to get back that
document. I imagine that if you can get it you can make your own terms
with them. I must say that I have been exceedingly curious to know what
your methods would be in approaching me. Littleson could suggest nothing
better than a bribe and a common burglary. There is something much more
attractive about the way you have opened the proceedings. I consider
that this little affair, for instance, has been most artistic. If you
have not discovered what you sought, you have at least discovered the
fact that it is not here. That gives you something to start upon. How
kind of your assistants! I see that they are putting my room
straight again."
Phineas Duge nodded. He showed no disappointment at the ill-success of
this first effort, and he was watching Vine all the time curiously.
"Your further plan of operations," Vine continued, "is again worthy of
you. I believe all that you say. I believe that you have the warrants,
and I believe that you could easily obtain an extradition order. On the
other hand, I am perfectly well aware that this is only a feint. It is a
good scheme up to a certain point, of course, although neither your
daughter nor myself could be convicted of conspiracy without the
production of what we are supposed to have stolen. Still, as I said, it
is a good feint, and it has made me curious. I wonder what your real
scheme is! I do not think that you will tell me that."
Phineas Duge smiled.
"You should have been a diplomatist. Mr. Vine," he said. "As a
journalist you are wasted. You might even have achieved what I presume
you would have called infamy, as a financier."
"Ah, well!" Norris Vine said, "the world is full of those who have
missed their vocation. I am content to pass amongst the throng. Can I
offer you anything before you go? A whisky and soda, or a glass
of sherry?"
"I think not, thank you," Phineas Duge said. "You are naturally in a
hurry to keep your luncheon engagement, and I see that my friends have
succeeded in restoring your apartment to some semblance of order. We
part now to pass on to the second stage of our little duel. Understand
that, so far as regards this little matter of business, I have no
special ill-feeling towards you, Mr. Vine. I ask you even no questions
concerning your friendship with my daughter. She is old enough to know
her own mind, and she has heard my views often enough; but I should like
you to know this, and to remember that I who say it am a man of many
faults, but one virtue: never in my life have I broken my word. If I
find that my niece has disappeared through any ill-usage of yours, I
will risk the few years that may be left to me of life, and I will shoot
you like a dog the first time that we meet."
Norris Vine looked gravely across at the man whose words so quietly
spoken, seemed yet from their very repression to be charged with an
intense dramatic force. He knew so well that the man who spoke them
meant what he said and would surely keep his word. He shrugged his
shoulders very slightly.
"My dear sir," he said, "I fear that I have misunderstood you. I could
have imagined your sentiment being aroused by the sight of a dollar bill
being burnt and wasted, but I never expected to see it kindled upon the
subject of your niece, or any other human being. I amend my judgment of
you. You are really not the man I thought you were. If your friends have
quite finished "--he took up his hat and glanced for a moment at his
watch. Duge turned toward the door.
"Once more, Mr. Vine," he said, "my regrets, and good morning!"
The three men left the room. Vine remained, leaning against the
mantelpiece, and whistling softly to himself. He went through the whole
of a popular ballad, and then he tried it in a different key. When he
was sure that the three men had had time to leave the building, he too
took up his hat and went out.