“I believe he did,” answered Drummond, draining his glass. “An effusion which ended with a threat to the people at the back of men like Latter. As if it would have any effect! Scum like that, Mr. Longmoor, remain hidden. They blush unseen. I do wish you’d have another chop.”
“Thank you—no.” The Reverend Theodosius waved away the waiter and leaned back in his chair. “Doubtless you are right, Captain Drummond, in championing this person; but if what this wretched, ill-treated clerk says is correct, I am afraid I can look on him as nothing less than a common thief. Of course, he may have made a mistake, but he seems very positive that one of the miscreants last night was the leader of the Black Gang himself.”
“I see,” said Drummond, with the air of a man on whom a great truth had dawned. “That hundred thick ’uns still rankling in the grey matter what time the vestry collapses.”
“Hardly that,” returned the clergyman severely. “My friend, whose office was wrecked, was amongst other things a dealer in precious stones. Last night in his desk were six magnificent diamonds—entrusted to him for sale by a—well, I will be discreet—by a well-known Russian nobleman. This morning he finds them gone—vanished—his room wrecked. Why, my heart bleeds for him.”
“I’ll bet it does,” answered Drummond sympathetically. “Darned careless, isn’t it, the way some of these people drop bombs about the place? Still, if your pal circulates an exact description of the diamonds to the police, he’ll probably get ’em back in time. I suppose,” he added by way of an afterthought, “I suppose he can go to the police about it?”
“I don’t quite understand you, Captain Drummond.” The Reverend Theodosius stared at his host in surprise.
“One never knows, these days, does one?” said Hugh mildly. “Dreadful thing to get a nice little bunch of diamonds shot at one’s head, and then find you’ve got stolen property. It puts the next fellow who pinches them rather on velvet. A cup of coffee, won’t you?”
“Fortunately nothing of that sort exists in this case. Yes, thank you, I would like some coffee.”
“Good,” said Hugh, giving the order to the waiter. “So that all you’ve got to do—or rather your pal—is to tell the police that the office was blown up by the leader of the Black Gang, and that the diamonds were pinched by the leader of the Black Gang, and that you would like his head on a silver salver by Wednesday week. It seems too easy to me. Cigarette? Turkish this side—gaspers the other.”
“Thank you.” The Reverend Theodosius helped himself from the case Hugh was holding out. “It certainly does seem easy, the way you put it.”
“The only small trifle which seems to jut out from an otherwise clear-cut horizon is too ridiculous to worry about.”
“And that is?”
“Why—who is the leader of the Black Gang? It would be a dreadful affair if they brought the wrong bird’s head on a charger. No diamonds; no Bradburys; no nothing.”
“I don’t anticipate that it should be hard to discover that, Captain Drummond,” said the clergyman mildly. “Surely with your marvellous police system—”
“And yet, Mr. Longmoor,” said Hugh gravely, “even though lately I have been reinforcing that system—literally helping them myself—they are still completely in the dark as to his identity.”
“Incredible,” cried the other. “Still we can only hope for the best. By the way, I’m afraid your wife has finally deserted you for lunch.” He pushed back his chair. “I shall hope to have the pleasure of making her acquaintance some other day. And now if you will excuse me, I must run away. My correspondence at the moment with regard to the relief funds for destitute Austrians is very voluminous. A thousand thanks for a most enjoyable meal.”
He bowed with a courteous smile, and threaded his way through the crowded restaurant towards the door. And it was not until he had finally disappeared from sight that Hugh turned to Peter Darrell with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Deuced interesting position of affairs, Peter,” he remarked, lighting another cigarette. “He knows I’m the leader of our bunch, and doesn’t know I know it; I know he’s Peterson, and he doesn’t know I know it; I wonder how long it will be before the gloves come off.”
“Supposing he keeps out of it himself, and gives you away to the police,” said Peter. “It’ll be rather awkward, old son.”
“Supposing he does, it would be,” grinned Hugh. “I’d love to see Tum-tum’s face. But, my dear old Peter, hasn’t your vast brain grasped the one essential fact, that that is precisely what he can’t do until he’s certain I haven’t got the diamonds? Apart altogether from a variety of very awkward disclosures about Number 5, Green Street—he, or his hunchback friend, would have to explain how they gained possession in the first place of those stones. I made discreet inquiries this morning, Peter, and that rose-pink diamond was one of the Russian Crown jewels. Awkward—very.”
He smiled and ordered two brandies.
“Very, very awkward, Peter—but with distinct elements of humour. And I’m inclined to think the time is approaching when the seconds get out of the ring.”
XII
In Which Count Zadowa Is Introduced to Alice in Wonderland
A quarter of an hour later the two young men stepped into Piccadilly. Evidently Phyllis was not proposing to turn up, and nothing was to be gained by remaining. The next move lay with the other side, and until it was played it was merely a question of marking time. At the entrance to the Ritz they separated, Peter turning eastwards to keep some mysterious date with a female minor star of theatrical London, while Hugh strolled along Berkeley Street towards his house. At times a faint smile crossed his face at the thought of Peterson devoting his young brain to the matter of starving Austrians, but for the
