Part 42 (2/2)
”I shall regret the friends I have made,--the very dear friends,” he repeated, ”who have been so very much kinder to me than I have deserved.
Life is a sad pilgrimage sometimes, because one may not linger for a moment at any one spot, nor may one ever look back. But I know quite well that when I leave here there will be many whom I would gladly see again.”
”There will be many, Prince,” she said softly, ”who will be sorry to see you go.”
The Prince rose to his feet. Another little stream of callers had come into the room. Presently he drank his tea and departed. When he reached St. James' Square, his majordomo came hurrying up and whispered something in his own language.
The Prince smiled.
”I go to see him,” he said. ”I will go at once.”
CHAPTER XXVII. A PRISONER
Dr. Spencer Whiles was sitting in a very comfortable easy chair, smoking a particularly good cigar, with a pile of newspapers by his side. His appearance certainly showed no signs of hards.h.i.+p. His linen, and the details of his toilet generally, supplied from some mysterious source into which he had not inquired, were much improved. Notwithstanding his increased comfort, however, he was looking perplexed, even a little worried, and the cause of it was there in front of him, in the advertis.e.m.e.nt sheets of the various newspapers which had been duly laid upon his table.
The Prince came in quietly and closed the door behind him.
”Good afternoon, my friend!” he said. ”I understood that you wished to see me.”
The doctor had made up his mind to adopt a firm att.i.tude. Nevertheless the genial courtesy of the Prince's tone and manner had the same effect upon him as it had upon most people. He half rose to his feet and became at once apologetic.
”I hope that I have not disturbed you, Prince,” he said. ”I thought that I should like to have a word or two with you concerning something which I have come across in these journals.”
He tapped them with his forefinger, and the Prince nodded thoughtfully.
”Your wonderful Press!” he exclaimed. ”How much it is responsible for!
Well, Dr. Whiles, what have the newspapers to say to you?”
The doctor handed across a carefully folded journal and pointed to a certain paragraph.
”Will you kindly read this?” he begged.
The Prince accepted the sheet and read the paragraph aloud:
”FIFTY POUNDS REWARD! Disappeared from his home in Long Whatton on Wednesday morning last, Herbert Spencer Whiles, Surgeon. The above reward will be paid to any one giving information which will lead to the discovery of his present whereabouts. Was last seen in a motor car, Limousine body, painted dark green, leaving Long Whatton in the direction of London.”
The Prince laid down the paper, smiling.
”Well?” he asked. ”That seems clear enough. Some one is willing to give fifty pounds to know where you are.”
The doctor tapped the advertis.e.m.e.nt with his forefinger impressively.
”Fifty pounds!” he repeated. ”There isn't a person in the world to whom the knowledge of my movements is worth fifty pounds--except--”
”Except?” the Prince murmured.
<script>