The Great God Gold Part 21

The dead man was, according to his own story, a Dane. But what more natural than that he had received the extraordinary ma.n.u.script from Germany, or from Sweden?

"To me," remarked the Professor, "the situation of the man who died in Paris was this. Either he himself was the inventor of the whole story or else he had paid something for it and was trying to dispose of it to some financier or other."

"Doctor Diamond, my friend who attended him before his death, says that the man was evidently a scholar."

"Then possibly he was the inventor," remarked Anderson decisively. "But if he was a scholar he was certainly unknown to us. Therefore we may be permitted to doubt his _bona-fides_. My advice to you is to find Haupt."

"Yes, Professor," answered the young man, "I will."

And an hour later he sent a long telegram to the Doctor at Horsford, while that same afternoon he received a brief telegraphic message from Professor Griffin, asking him to return to London at once.

His belief was that the great expert had found some clue, and he left that same evening direct for London, by way of Kiel, Hamburg and Flushing.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

SHOWS THE ENEMY'S TACTICS.

The tall, thin man into whose chambers Gwen Griffin had been enticed treated the trembling girl with a certain amount of politeness. Her head reeled. She hardly knew where she was, or what had occurred.

The stipulation he had made, at the instructions left by Jim Jannaway, was that she must remain there in order to meet some person who was desirous of making her acquaintance. He did not say who this person was, but she, on her part, had a dozen times begged him to release her, or at least to telegraph to her father a.s.suring him of her safety.

"My dear girl," the tall man had answered, "don't distress yourself.

Come, do calm yourself." And he a.s.sisted to raise her to her feet again. "No harm will befall you, I a.s.sure you."

"I--I don't know you, sir," she faltered through her tears, "therefore how can I possibly trust you?"

"I can only a.s.sure you that I am acting upon instructions. As far as I'm concerned, you might walk out free--only I dare not disobey my orders."

"You dare not--and you a man!" she cried.

"There are some things that a man such as myself dare not do, miss-- pardon me, but I haven't the pleasure of knowing your name."

"Griffin--Gwen Griffin is my name," and she also told him where she lived. Then she asked: "Why have I been brought here?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," was the stranger's reply. "These are my chambers, and a friend of mine has had the key during my three years'

absence abroad. I returned only this morning to find you locked up in here and a note left for me, giving me instructions to keep you here until a gentleman calls to see you."

"Ah! that horrid blackguard!" she screamed. "That man who met me, and called himself `Captain Wetherton.' He told me I should find Frank in hiding here."

"And who's Frank?" asked the stranger.

"The man to whom I'm engaged."

"H'm," grunted the other; "and he wouldn't be very pleased to find you here, with me, would he?"

"No. That is why I've been entrapped herein order to compromise me in the eyes of the man who loves me."

"Why?" asked the owner of those bachelor chambers, leaning upon the bed-rail and looking at her.

"How can I tell?" said the frightened girl. "As far as I know, I've done nothing whatever to warrant this."

"Ah! in this world it is the innocent who mostly suffer," he remarked.

"But will you not allow me to go?" she implored eagerly. "Remember that all my future happiness depends upon your generosity in this matter."

"My dear child," he replied, placing his hand upon her shoulder, "if I dare, I would. But to tell you the truth, I, like yourself, am in the hands of certain persons who are utterly unscrupulous. I tell you, quite frankly, that I couldn't afford to excite their animosity by disobeying these orders I have received."

"But who is this gentleman who desires to see me?" she demanded quickly.

"I don't know. No name is given."

"Why--for what reason does he wish to see me? Could he not have called at Pembridge Gardens, or even written making a secret appointment in Kensington Gardens or in the Park?"

"To that I am quite unable to give any reply, for I'm in ignorance like yourself."

"But is it that brutal fellow who threw me down and tore my clothes last night?" she asked. "Look!" and she showed her torn blouse.

"I think not," was his response. "But those rents look a bit ugly, don't they," he added. "Come through into the sitting-room, and see if we can't find a needle and cotton. I used to keep a travelling housewife, full of all sorts of b.u.t.tons and needles and things."

So the pair pa.s.sed along the short, narrow pa.s.sage of the flat into the sitting-room which she so vividly recollected the night before. Before her was the couch upon which the man who had called himself "Wetherton"

had flung her fainting and insensible.

After a brief search in the drawers of an old oak bureau, over in the corner, the stranger produced a small roll of khaki, in the pockets of which were all sorts of cottons, b.u.t.tons, needles and odds and ends, the requisites of a travelling bachelor.

She laughed as she selected a needle and a reel of cotton, and then retired into the bedroom where, for a full quarter of an hour, she sat alone mending her torn garments.

The man remained in the sitting-room, staring out of the window into the street below, damp and gloomy on that winter's morning.

"A fine home-coming indeed!" he muttered to himself. "They've put a nice thing upon me--abduct a girl, and then leave her in my charge!

Jim's afraid of being connected with the affair, that's evident. I wonder who she is, and why they want her? Devilish pretty, and no mistake. It really seems a blackguardly shame to treat her badly, and wreck her young life, as they no doubt intend. By Gad! Jim and his friends are cruel as the grave. Poor little thing!" And he sighed and, crossing the room, applied a match to the fire that had already been laid.

"Yes," he remarked under his breath. "A fine home-coming. The devils hold me in the hollow of their hands, alas! But if they dare to give me away, by Jove! I wouldn't spare one of them. These last two years I've tried to live honestly, and nearly starved in doing so. And now they bring me back by force--back to the old life, because they want my a.s.sistance. And if I refuse? Then--well, I suppose they'll compel me to act according to their instructions. Here is a specimen of the dirty work in progress. I'm holding a poor innocent girl a prisoner on their behalf! I'd let her go now--this very moment, but if I did--if I did-- what then? I'd be given away to the police in half an hour. No. I can't afford that--by G.o.d, I can't. She must stay here."

Presently Gwen emerged from the bedroom with her blouse repaired, and he induced her to seat herself reluctantly in the armchair before the fire.

He lit a cigarette and, taking another chair, endeavoured to rea.s.sure her that she need have no fear of him.

Then they commenced to chat, he endeavouring to learn something from her which might give him an idea of the reason why she had been enticed there. But with a woman's clever evasion, she would tell him nothing.

He inquired about her lover, but she was silent regarding him. She only said:

"He is abroad just now. And they are evidently aware of his absence.

The telegram I received was worded most cleverly. I unfortunately fell a victim to their vile conspiracy."

"Is it a plot to prevent you marrying him, do you think?"

"It must be. It can be nothing else," declared the girl quickly. "Oh, when will he return--when will I be able to see him again?"