Edgar Wallace

“ The Government is about to pass into law a measure which will place in the hands of the most evil Government of modern times men who are patriots and who are destined to be the saviours of their countries. We have informed the Minister in charge of this measure, the title of which appears in the margin, that unless he withdraws this Bill we will surely slay him. ”

“ The action of a Minister of the Crown must primarily be governed by the intelligent judgment of the great body of the electorate, whose fine, feelings’—no—’whose higher instincts’—no—that wasn’t it—at any rate I made it very clear what the duty of a Minister was,” concluded the oracle lamely.
“Now I—” commenced Aldgate East, when an attendant approached with a tray on which lay a greenish-grey envelope.
“Has any gentleman dropped this?” he inquired, and, picking up the letter, the member fumbled for his eyeglasses. ”

“ There are thousands of men who are physically heroes and morally poltroons, men who would laugh at death—and live in terror of personal embarrassments. Coroner’s courts listen daily to the tale of such men’s lives—and deaths.
The foreign secretary reversed these qualities. Good animal men would unhesitatingly describe the Minister as a coward, for he feared pain and he feared death.
“If this thing is worrying you so much,” the premier said kindly— it was at the Cabinet Council two days following the publication of the Megaphone’s story—”why don’t you drop the Bill? ”

“ There comes a moment to the man who has trained himself to guard his tongue in the Councils of Nations, who has been schooled to walk warily amongst pitfalls digged cunningly by friendly Powers, when the practice and precept of many years are forgotten, and he behaves humanly. ”

“ He checked the impatient motion that Falk made.
“I know that Falk would say,” he went on smoothly, “that what I’m saying is outside the bargain; when I fixed up the Guild, I gave my ’davy that there wouldn’t be any parson talk or Come All-ye-Faithful singing. Everybody knows that being on the crook’s a mug’s game, and I don”t want to rub it in. What I’ve always said and done is in the direction of making you fellows earn bigger money at your own trade. ”

“ The Secretary withdrew and the Scotland Yard expert waited.
“Have your people found how the machine was introduced?”
“No, sir; the police have all been relieved and been subjected to separate interrogation. They remember seeing no stranger either entering or leaving the House.”
The Premier pursed his lips in thought.
“Thank you,” he said simply, and the expert withdrew.
On the terrace Aldgate East and the oratorical member divided honours. ”

“ There’s a man who writes about the army who’s been trying to induce soldiers to learn trades, and he started right by making the Tommies dissatisfied with their own trade; and that is what I am trying to do. What did I do with young Isaacs? I didn’t preach at him, and I didn’t pray over him. Ike was one of the finest snide merchants in London. He used to turn out half-crowns made from pewter pots that defied detection. They rang true and they didn’t bend. Ike got three years, and when he came out I found him a job. ”

“ Somebody—was it Mr Gladstone?—placed it on record that there is nothing quite so dangerous, quite so ferocious, quite so terrifying as a mad sheep. Similarly, as we know, there is no person quite so indiscreet, quite so foolishly talkative, quite so amazingly gauche, as the diplomat who for some reason or other has run off the rails. ”

“ Jessen went on, “only you chaps don’t know it. Take tale-pitching——”
It would not be fair to follow Jessen through the elaborate disquisition by which he proved to the satisfaction of his audience that the “confidence” man was a born commercial traveller. Many of his arguments were as unsound as they could well be; he ignored first principles, and glossed over what seemed to such a clear-headed hearer as Charles to be insuperable obstacles in the scheme of regeneration. But his audience was convinced. The fringe of men round the fire was reinforced as he continued. ”

“ His voice was harsh, as is that of a man who uses his voice at rare intervals.
“Billy Marks is dead,” he continued, “deader than a door-nail. He knew the Four Just Men; pinched the watch an’ the notebook of one an’ nearly pinched them.”
There was a man who sat next to Falk who had been regarding Charles with furtive attention.
Now he turned to Jessen and spoke to the point.
“Don’t get any idea in your head that the likes of us will ever have anything to do with the Four,” he said. “Why, Mr. Long,” he went on, “the Four Just Men are as likely to come to you as to us ”

“ Why this should be has never been discovered by ordinary people, although the psychological minority who can generally explain the mental processes of their fellows, have doubtless very adequate and convincing reasons for these acts of disbalancement. ”

“ The flashy man nodded genially, and one of the circle pushed his chair back to give place to Jessen.
“I was just a-saying——” said the flashy man, then looked at Charles.
“All right,” signalled Jessen.
“I was just a-sayin’ to these lads,” continued the flashy one, “that takin’ one thing with the other, there”s worse places than ‘{{tooltip|stir| (slang) jail) ’.”
Jessen made no reply to this piece of dogmatism, and he of the rings went on.
“An’ what”s the good of a man tryin’ to go straight. The police will pull you all the same: not reportin’ change of address, loitering with intent ”