Henry Christopher Bailey

“ Sir Albert Lunt might not have died on the instant. He could not have lived long. But that mortal wound was tiny. What made the dead man look horrible was the gash in his forehead and the bruise round it. And over that Reggie frowned and pondered. "Showy, isn't it, very showy?" he complained. Such a hurt a man might get by falling on a stone. But Sir Albert Lunt had fallen on his back on the turf. If some one had hit him with a stone or some such jagged thing—but why should any man take a stone who had a pistol and was not afraid to use it? ”

“ The yacht was meeting a southerly breeze and the first of the ocean swell and grew lively. Reggie had the deck to himself. He was nearly at the end of his cigar before any one disturbed his humorous meditations.
"Mr. Fortune? You amuse yourself?" It was the Comte de Spoleto.
"I can smile."
"In effect, my friend, we are ridiculous. My uncle he is a dreamer—a student. He sees a thing in his mind it is logical, it is to his desire, and he conceives it done. He has been like that always. A temperament! He is not a man of the world." ”

“ My dear chap, you mustn't mind my saying so, but you do preach a good deal over this case."
"I had noticed the same thing myself," said Superintendent Bell, and they both looked curiously at Reggie.
"Why am I so moral? Because the thing's so damned immoral," said Reggie vehemently. "What's most crime? Human. Human greed, human lust, human hostility. But this is diabolical. Sheer evil for evil's sake. Lomas, I'll swear, when we have it all out, we'll find that it still looks unreasonable, futile, pure passion for wrong."
"Meaning Mr. Kimball mad. You do come back to that, sir," Bell said. ”

“ There's something we don't know, Lomas, old thing. I dare say it's crazy enough. I'll bet you my favourite shirt it's something the ordinary sane man feels."
"If we are to go looking for something crazy which sane men feel!" said Lomas.
"Speakin' broadly, all the human emotions," said Reggie. "Didn't you ever hate a man because he married a girl who was pretty? Don't be so godlike."
"They weren't either of them married, sir," said Bell, in grave surprise. ”

“ Herbert emerged elegant and ordinary. In spite of Eton and Oxford, Geoffrey disturbed his father by showing signs of originality. He was bored by the big house in Mayfair, he would not bother himself with society, he scoffed at going into Parliament. This freakish obstinacy roused the hereditary temper in Stephenson Charlecote, who was the more angry with his son because his nephew Herbert obeyed him in all things, and was successful in the most pompous drawing-rooms. The breaking point came when Geoffrey discovered that he wanted to go abroad and be a sculptor. ”

“ The shares then went to a vast price.
"All the usual nauseating features of a Stock Exchange boom," said Reggie.
"No. This is founded on fact," said Lomas. "That's the distinguishing feature. It was worked on the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Whoever started the game had exact and precise information. They only touched those companies which the Government meant to take over; they knew everything and they knew it right. Somebody of the inner circle gave the plan away."
"'Politics is a cursed profession,'" said Reggie. ”

“ He was more at his ease with the world than a man has a right to be at thirty-five.
It is presumed that he had never wanted anything which he had not got. Old Dr. Fortune possessed a small fortune and a rich practice, and Reggie enjoyed the proceeds and proposed to inherit both. The practice lay in that pleasant outer suburb of London called Westhampton, a region of commons and a large park, sacred to the well-to-do, and still boasting one or two houses inhabited by what auctioneers call the nobility. ”

“ The Archduke Maurice was a man of geniality and extraordinarily natural tastes. His garden—a long walk—a pint of beer in one of the old Westhampton inns made him a happy day. The Archduchess was not so simple, for she loved to drive her own car, a ferocious vehicle. But Archduchesses may not do that in Bohemia.
Reggie, having eaten all the muffins, lit his pipe and meditated on the cases left him by his father. Old Mrs. Smythe had her autumn influenza, and old Talbot Browne had his autumn gout, and the little Robinsons were putting in their whooping-cough. A kindly world! ”

“ THE HOTTENTOT VENUS
IT WAS a night in June. The Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department was pensive. "Did you ever want to marry, Fortune?" he murmured.
"Often; but never one at a time." Reggie Fortune looked curiously at his host. The dinner had been good, the claret very good, the cigars were of the most benignant. But still—"Why this touch of sentiment, Lomas?" said he.
"Some students say women have no minds," Lomas murmured drowsily. "But that's partiality. The trouble is, women aren't human beings. Consider the parallel case of the dog. He is intelligent. ”

“ Every one else was much excited by Mr. Ford. He was pulled down in his seat. The coroner rebuked him with awful majesty. The foreman of the jury wanted to know if he would be called. The coroner pronounced that the court would most certainly require Mr. Ford to explain himself—and came back to May Weston.
"The fool that he is; he's done the trick, though," Reggie muttered to Mr. Gordon, and Gordon nodded and grinned. For after this interruption the coroner handled May Weston much more gently, almost indulgently, as a good man sorry for a woman's weakness. ”

“ And why did the angel wife tell Geoffrey to keep the money? She ought to want her husband clear of ill-fame. You would expect a woman to care more about that than the man himself. And you would expect a woman to share her husband's rage with the horrid man who had not stuck up for him. Instead of which the angel wife was very anxious to keep on good terms with that horrid man. Because he represented the police? Or why else? She had a dubious way with her, the angel wife.
Reggie was worried—a rare state for him—and he took himself to his least sociable club. ”

“ Of course Horace Kimball did the absurd thing, said she mustn't marry, abused Sandford, and so on, and of course that made her marry. Unfortunately—this really seems to be the only thing against her—unfortunately she was married in a sly, secret sort of way. She didn't tell her brother she'd made up her mind, or when the marriage was to be or anything. She simply slunk out of his house and left him to find out. I suppose he had terrified her, poor thing, or his bullying made her sullen," said Miss Amber. "It was rather feeble of her. Only one hates to blame her. ”

“ Why will they grow up, Miss Lomas? They're so much more satisfying now."
Miss Lomas stared at him. "Naturally they grow up," she explained. "They can't be children all their lives."
"Some of us never were," Reggie sighed. "Charming, charming. Like the young things in Homer, what? The maidens and the princess of the white arms they fell to playing at ball. Charming—especially that one. Yes. Which did you say was Alice?"
"That is Miss Warenne." Miss Lomas pointed with her sunshade to two girls arm in arm. ”

“ Sir Lawson made his bow, and Reggie went with him to his car. "Why did you tell them that the Archduke was in grave danger?" he said.
"He'll be safer if they believe he is going to die," said Sir Lawson.
"Oh, do you think so?" said Reggie, as the car shot away.
Then he made an excellent supper and slept sound.
He found his patient peaceful in the morning. No sign of consciousness yet, but more colour in the cheeks, a deeper breathing and a stronger pulse, more warmth. "The Archduchess has come twice in the night to ask about him, doctor," the nurse said. "I told her he was no better." ”

“ Reggie descended descended upon the Prince and Princess. She was sitting upon his bed. She was smiling. She kissed her hand to His Highness as she went out.
All which Reggie observed with a face of stone.
"I am infinitely your debtor, Mr. Fortune," His Highness beamed. "You are not married, no?"
"It becomes every day less probable," said Reggie grimly.
"One never knows the beauty of a woman's nature till one is suffering," said His Highness.
The X-rays were put to work on the arm, and the operator and Reggie went off to the yacht's dark room. ”

“ My father says that he never saw such a strange case of a man holding down a passionate rage. He thought at one time that Horace Kimball would have gone mad. The thing seemed like an obsession. Doesn't it seem paltry? A man wild with temper because he was jealous of his sister marrying!"
"Most jealousy is paltry." Lomas shrugged.
"Jealous of his sister marrying," Reggie repeated. "Yes, I dare say seven men in ten are. Common human emotion. Commonest in the form of mothers hating their sons' wives, Miss Amber. Still, men do their bit. Fathers proverbially object to daughters marrying. ”

“ When they arrived, the two prisoners were already in the charge-room and the woman was protesting vehemently, to the great edification of the uniformed inspector at the desk and a plain-clothes friend of his, and the embarrassment of Superintendent Bell and Inspector Mordan. It was an outrage. Why did they assault her and her husband? Why? They were respectable people. She would not endure it.
"Oh, Flora, Flora!" Reggie shook his head at her.
The woman whirled round on him. "You! Ah, it is you, then, the doctor. You are a traitor. You are a wicked villain. ”

“ His Highness overflowed with gratitude. He did not know how to thank Mr. Fortune—what to offer him.
"If I might have this little lady, sir." Reggie took up the Hottentot Venus. "It would be a pleasant memento of an interesting adventure." And so he went off with the Hottentot Venus in his pocket. He hurried on deck to the uneasy Lomas. "You were right, Lomas. You are always right. We have no locus standi. And where's that shore boat?" They embarked hurriedly and rowed away from the royal house of Ragusa. "In heaven," said Reggie, "there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage. ”

“ Going to take us to Epping Forest, doctor?"
"We may have to go farther," Reggie said, and Gordon laughed.
"Are you in this, sir?" The Inspector turned on him.
"Professional secret, dear boy."
Reggie led the way to the station dining-room. "I don't know the cook. But let's hope for the best. A tirin' day, and active evening. Strength is what we need. Strength without somnolence. Salmon, I see. Lamb chops, I would add. One of your younger ducks would comfort me. Do you sleep after Burgundy, Inspector? A warm night, as you say. Larose is a genial claret. Let us all be genial." ”

“ He smiled and nodded at Kimball. "It was that fellow I wanted to ask you about."
Kimball, as was natural, did not relish this sort of thing. "I understood you had something important on hand. I've no time to waste."
"Why, it's so jolly hard to understand what's important and what isn't, don't you know? But it all comes out in the end."
"You think so, do you? This is the coal affair?"
"I wouldn't say that," Reggie answered thoughtfully. "No, I wouldn't say that. After all, the Coal Ramp isn't the only pebble on the beach."
"Then why the devil do you bother me?" Kimball cried. ”

“ The Comte de Spoleto went on shore to bring off its X-ray man. Reggie stretched himself in a deck chair to wait events. They were not long in arriving. A shore boat brought off the Hon. Stanley Lomas, dapper as ever, and a woman whom Reggie identified by her hair and her magnificent figure as the mother of Hilda—Mrs. Crowland—the Princess of Ragusa. Reggie went down the gangway to meet them.
Lomas sprang out of the boat. The Princess was handed out and went up the gangway. "Good God, Fortune!" Lomas shook hands. "You're a wonder! How did you bring them back?"
"Genius—just genius." ”

“ Again Bell and Lomas consulted each other's faces. "I wonder why you drag in Sandford?" said Lomas slowly.
"He's in it all right. I asked you a question."
"Well, if you insist. One might charge a man on a prima facie case, to hear his defence."
Reggie struck his hand on the table. "There it is! A man who is nobody—he can stand trial. Not a Cabinet Minister. Oh dear, no!"
"My dear fellow, the world is what it is. You know very well that if I wanted to charge Kimball on this evidence it would be turned down. I couldn't force the issue without a stronger case. ”

“ Newton. "It's really terrible." He sighed. He was a florid, bearded man with a sentimental expression and manner. "Poor Charlecote! He never seemed to bear up after Geoffrey broke with him. But who would have thought that strange escapade would have ended like this?"
"So you think Geoffrey did the trick?"
"I beg your pardon!" Dr. Newton was horrified. "You put words into my mouth, Mr. Fortune. No, no. A most invidious suggestion."
"Murder's rather an invidious business," said Reggie placidly. "Come, doctor, what do you think of Geoffrey?" ”

“ Reggie murmured. "The Civil Service frightens me. I have a brother-in-law in the Treasury. Sometimes he lets me dine with him. Meditations among the Tombs for Reginald. No. It isn't much in my way. I want passion and gore. But you intrigue me. Lomas, you do indeed. I would know more of H. Kimball and Secretary Sandford. They worry me."
"My God, they worry me," said Lomas heartily.
"They are too good to be true. I wonder if there's any other nigger in the wood pile?" ”

“ I think my sex leaves that to young men, Mr. Fortune."
"Women are so revoltin' nowadays," Reggie murmured. "I wonder—you have no new woman in the flock? No bold, bad rebel?" The face of Miss Lomas answered him. "I thought so. We must have the second solution. Somebody wanted somebody's photograph."
"But why? Why should one girl want to steal photographs of the other girls? It's nonsensical."
"Oh, it's all nonsense," Reggie agreed cheerfully. "It's gibberish till we find the key. But here's one odd thing for certain, the Hottentot Venus. I expect to find a lot more before we've done." ”

“ There's lots of purpose here. This is damned cold, calculating crime. That kind of mad. Some fellow's got an object that makes it worth while to him to do any beastliness. That's the worst kind of mad. Bell. Not homicidal mania—that only makes a man a beast. What's here is the sort of thing that makes a man a devil."
"You're going a bit beyond me, sir. It's a bloody murder, and that's all I want."
"Yes, that's our job," said Reggie thoughtfully. Together they went off to Montmorency House. ”

“ If our men hadn't been here, Sandford would have been as good as hanged. Nobody could have believed his story. Why did he come here? There could be no evidence of Kimball's telephone call. What did Sandford come for? There's no reasonable reason. Kimball put him under a cloud, he was furious, he meant murder, and did it. The jury wouldn't leave the box."
"That's right, sir," said Superintendent Bell. "If it wasn't for Mr. Fortune he'd be down and out. What you might call a rarity in our work, that is, to save a man from a charge of murder before it comes along." ”