_Providence, 1:30 A.M._
When I got to the service gate of Fernhurst I found it guarded by two
men, detectives unmistakably. This was disconcerting. I passed on.
They bored me through with their gimlet eyes and I broke out in a
gentle sweat all over. Presently, however, I realised it was but their
professional manner of looking at anybody who was not well dressed, and
I calmed down.
It filled me with a kind of terror to think that I might be prevented
from carrying out my part of the evening's entertainment, so you will
see I was well worked up to it by this time. I went around the block
and prepared to try again. On my way towards the service gate I had
the luck to fall in with a crowd of waiters clearly bound for the show
and it was no trouble at all to mix in with them. My make-up was of
the same general style as theirs. We passed through the gate without
question.
Once inside I began to lag behind the bunch, and presently slipped away
in the darkness. I reached my specified hiding-place in the shrubbery
behind the bench without further adventure. The place had been so
carefully mapped, there was no possibility of mistaking it.
I had to wait over an hour for Foxy. It was not a pleasant time.
Lorina's plan seemed perfect, but you never can tell. And my
inexperience in this line was such that I didn't feel overmuch
confidence in myself should an emergency arise. Not far behind me I
could hear the steady procession of motors bringing guests to the
party. In the distance I could hear the music. They had picked their
spot well. In all that time no one passed that way.
In the end Foxy's coming gave me a great start. Creeping through the
bushes without the rustle of a leaf, he was beside me before I heard
him coming. He was dressed in the height of fashion. I caught a gleam
of a monocle dangling against his white waistcoat. I silently passed
him over the coat I had brought, and standing in a little open space,
he put it on together with the cap and mask. Then we crouched down
side by side under the leaves, with the back of the bench in plain view
before us. Foxy laid the nippers on the ground ready to his hand. We
did not speak to each other.
Bye and bye we heard voices approaching, and my poor heart set up a
tremendous how-de-do. On the other hand something told me Foxy was
enjoying it. Mrs. Levering and the young man called Frank came
strolling dimly into view. I was nearly suffocating with excitement.
"This is the place," Frank said.
"How cosy!" she sang.
"Shall we sit down?" he suggested.
"Let's!" said she. "I'll have a cigarette."
They sat. Frank presently struck a match. If she had looked over her
shoulder she would have seen the glare faintly reflected from our white
faces. I stole a look at Foxy's ratlike profile. He had shoved up the
mask. His teeth were bared. He was amused at the prospect of a little
scandalous eavesdropping. Merciful Heavens! what a face!
I need not report the further conversation of the two on the bench. It
was merely silly. Frank's voice was trembling. I suppose she ascribed
that to the violence of his feelings for her. She is a fool.
Foxy gave them a good while to their talk. Meanwhile I suffered
agonies of suspense, and Frank no doubt worse. I at least could see
when the blow was going to fall, but he could not. Not until Mrs.
Levering said she must go back, but not really meaning it yet, did Foxy
pull down the mask and creep forward. I held my breath.
It seemed as if it were all accomplished in a single movement. Foxy
rose to his knees behind the woman, snipped the shining thing around
her neck--and there it was lying at my knees. I mechanically dropped
it in my pocket.
She did not scream. In that, at least, she showed blood. "My
necklace!" she gasped, jumping up, hand to throat. "Gone!"
In Frank's little choking cry one heard the snapping of the frightful
tension he had been under.
Foxy, bent almost double, started up from behind the bench, and headed
diagonally across the path. Another gasping cry, not loud, broke from
the woman. "There he is!"
Frank flung himself on the back of the runner, and they rolled over on
the ground, all exactly as I had seen it rehearsed a dozen times in the
hotel room. They sprang up, grappled, swayed and finally Frank was
flung with apparently great violence to the ground. Foxy disappeared.
Frank struggled to his feet, seemingly hurt. He attempted to stagger
in the direction the fugitive had taken, but Mrs. Levering clung to
him. One may suppose he was not sorry to be prevented.
At this moment the tragic-farce was interrupted by the entrance of an
actor not on the bill. This was a man with an electric flash, a
detective to all appearances. I suppose they had them posted about the
grounds, and this man had heard the disturbance, slight though it was.
The flash terrified me. I softly and precipitately retired under the
leaves into the thickest of the shrubbery.
"I have been robbed!" I heard Mrs. Levering gasp. "My diamond
necklace! He came from there. He went that way."
The detective threw his light around. Fortunately for me I had put a
screen of leaves in front of me. I was not disposed to linger in the
neighbourhood. I ran along close to the fence where there was a narrow
open space. As I passed out of hearing, I heard others come running
up. Excitement runs like electricity. I had no doubt that Foxy in
immaculate evening dress, was among the first to reach the scene. I
took care to survey the service gate from a discreet distance before
presenting myself there. It was well that I did so. I saw that it was
closed, and the two men still on guard. Not knowing at what instant an
alarm might be raised behind me, I dared not apply to them with any
tale however ingenious. Those diamonds were red hot in my pocket. On
the other hand, I would have to retrace my steps nearly a quarter of a
mile to reach the main entrance, and I was not suitably dressed to be
seen there. I could not climb the fence at any point, for it was a
smooth, high iron affair, moreover, the street outside was brightly
lighted. I knew nothing about the cliff side of the grounds.
For a moment or two I felt decidedly panicky. Before my mind's eye
headlines in the next day's papers were vividly emblazoned:
"WELL-KNOWN JEWELLER STEALS THE
DIAMONDS HE SOLD"
or something like that. Finally I recollected that the road to the
service entrance of Fernhurst ran quite close to the boundary of the
next estate. I determined to try that way.
To reach the boundary I was obliged to make a long detour. Still there
were no sounds behind me to indicate that an alarm had been raised, at
any rate a public alarm. The line between the two estates was marked
by a thorn hedge and a wire fence. Choosing a dark spot I managed to
struggle through without receiving any serious damage. I finally
gained the street through the service gate of this place.
This brought me out beyond the point where Jim was to be stationed with
the motor car, and I had to retrace my steps. The car was in the
appointed spot. Jim was on the front seat with his head craned in the
other direction whence he expected me. I gave him a little signal. He
was much troubled to see me come from that way thinking the plan had
fallen through, but was reassured no doubt by the fall of the necklace
on the floor of his car. I was thankful to be rid of the cursed thing.
There were several cars standing across the street, with their
chauffeurs chatting together, and I was afraid of attracting attention
to myself or to Jim by turning back at that moment. I kept on. I was
startled half out of my wits when a motor patrol wagon full of police
came flying up the street past me. It turned in at the service gate of
Fernhurst ahead. Since I was travelling in that direction I had to
keep on.
A man stepped out as I approached. Seizing my shoulder he swung me
half around so that the light fell on my face. "What are you doing
here?" he demanded.
I thought it was all up with me. "I just wanted to have a look at the
swells," I stammered.
Another man joined him. "Hold this guy," said the first. While the
second man kept a hand twisted in my collar, the first one frisked me
expeditiously. I had taken care, of course, not to have anything on
me. But the side pocket of my coat was still hot from the diamonds.
Finding nothing the man growled an order for my release. The second
man spun me around, and propelled me towards town with a shove. "Get
the H---- out of here!" said he.
And I did.