Part 18 (2/2)
He had fallen at length into a deep slumber.
The party a.s.sembled in the drawing-room, discussing the extraordinary events of the morning, and Mrs. Rose was told every detail. The police and the County Council inspector were not there, but the chief inspector had promised to report later as to anything that should be learned of the truth of the mystery.
”Well,” said Mr. Goodrick, with a little chuckle, ”I went out this morning because I wanted to watch Miss Marriott, and because I am interested in the great experiment we are making with her. I had seen all that sort of thing before I knew Miss Marriott; in fact, I began my journalistic career by writing of such places as we have been among; but I never expected that I was going to get a journalistic scoop. This will make a fine column in to-morrow's paper. The junior members of my staff will be jealous of their editor-in-chief going out and bringing in copy!
They will regard it as an infringement of their rights!” He chuckled once more, and rubbed his hands together, all the true pressman's delight at exclusive news glowing in his eyes.
”Yes,” he went on, ”it will be quite a big thing, especially as you were present, Rose--a real sensation! The _Wire_ will solve the mystery that is agitating the mind of the public in a most startling fas.h.i.+on!”
A maid came into the room. ”If you please, sir,” she said to Rose, ”Inspector Green is here, and wishes to see you immediately on a matter of great importance.”
”Show him up, Annie,” said the Socialist, and in a second or two more the inspector burst into the room, his usual calm and imperturbable manner strangely altered. He seemed to be labouring under some deep emotion.
”What is it, inspector?” Rose said, and instinctively all the people in the room rose up.
”The man,” the inspector gasped, ”the man we found in the cellar, ladies and gentlemen--it is--it is his Grace the Duke of Paddington himself!”
There was a dead silence. The faces of every one went pale with excitement.
”The Duke of Paddington?” Rose said in a startled and incredulous voice.
”His Grace himself, sir. As you know, his Grace's disappearance has been agitating the whole of Europe for the last day or two. It seems what happened was this. The duke was lying down on the side of the line after the railway accident. He was almost uninjured, but the doctor who rescued him ordered him to rest for half an hour. The gang of men in the slum hard by, attracted by the accident in the fog and the possibility of plunder, had come through a doorway in the wall which leads upon the line. They rifled the duke's pockets, and from their contents found out who he was.
”The leader of the gang, Sidney O'Connor, is one of the most dangerous and desperate criminals in the country, and, moreover, a man of great daring and resource. He it was who thought it would be an infinitely better stroke of business if he could kidnap the duke and hold him to ransom. Owing to the fog and the proximity of their den--it is one of the duke's own houses, by the way, you will remember--the kidnapping was easily affected, the duke being too weak and stunned by the accident to offer any resistance. It is by the mercy of Providence that we found him when we did. The old Jewish woman who keeps the den has confessed everything. How is his Grace, Mr. Rose?”
”Much better,” said Mrs. Rose, ”much better, inspector. The doctor has been here, and says he will be all right in a few days. He is suffering from extreme weakness and shock. He is now sleeping peacefully, and a nurse from the Westminster Hospital is with him.”
Mr. Goodrick went up to the inspector. ”Now look here, inspector,” he said, ”promise me one thing, that neither you nor your companions will give any of the details of this affair to the press. I shall see that it is well worth your while, all of you, to be silent until to-morrow morning. Can you answer for your colleague and the plain-clothes man who was with us?”
”Certainly I can, Mr. Goodrick,” the inspector answered.
”Well, it will be worth five pounds each to them. And what about the County Council inspector?”
”He has gone back to Spring Gardens now, sir,” Green replied, ”but I can easily send a message up to him from Scotland Yard to that effect.”
”I shall be most obliged if you will do so,” said Mr. Goodrick, and then once more he gave a loud chuckle of triumph and rubbed his hands together. ”Sensation!” he said in an ecstasy, ”why, the _Wire_ will have one of the biggest scoops of recent years to-morrow. Oh, what luck! Oh, what splendid luck! No other paper will have anything except the mere statement of the fact that the duke has been discovered under mysterious circ.u.mstances. Mrs. Rose, I must say good-bye; I must hurry off. Don't forget, inspector! Absolute secrecy!”
He made a comprehensive bow, which included all of them, patted Fabian genially upon the back, and rushed away.
”What do you suppose we had better do, inspector?” Rose asked.
”Well, sir, I don't quite know what there is to be done, except, perhaps, to telegraph to the head of the young gentleman's college at Oxford, and to Colonel Simpson, his agent. You see, the duke has no very near relatives, though he is connected with half the peerage. I shall take care, also, that the news is at once conveyed to Buckingham Palace.
His Majesty has been most anxious during the last day or two, and inquiries are constantly reaching us. For the rest, I think it will be better that you should wait until his Grace regains consciousness and can say what he would like to be done.”
The inspector had disappeared, and Rose, his wife, Mary, and Mr.
Conrad, were left alone, looking at each other in amazement. Then suddenly Rose sat down and burst into laughter. The old elfin, mocking expression had returned to his face. The keen eyes twinkled with sardonic humour, the mustard-coloured beard and moustache wagged up and down, as the great man leant back in an ecstasy of mirth.
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