Herman Cyril McNeile

“ It is perfectly true that Algy did suggest to me this morning that I should try to persuade you to accept the offer Sir Raymond made you. But I am not going to do anything of the sort. I may say that even this morning it struck me that far more serious things were at stake than your acceptance or refusal of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds. I am not at all certain in my own mind that if you accepted the money you would even then be safe. You are the owner of far too dangerous a piece of knowledge. ”

“ Drummond drained his cocktail.
“That's the spirit, professor!” he cried cheerily. “But for all that, we may just as well see where we are. Here is Sinclair now: don't forget—not a word.” He rose as Toby Sinclair came up. “Morning, Toby. Do you know Professor Goodman? He is the misguided man who is allowing Algy to marry into his family.”
“Morning, sir,” said Sinclair, with a grin. “Well, old man—a cocktail, a rapid lunch, and I must buzz back. I tell you things are moving with some celerity in our line at present. And as the bright boy of the firm, my time is fully occupied.” ”

“ Mr. Blackton's services had been secured to arrange matters for them with Professor Goodman; to negotiate for the suppression of his discovery. How he did it, was, of course, his concern and had nothing whatever to do with them. Even Sir Raymond himself tried to lull his conscience by reflecting that perhaps the drastic measures alluded to in his interview at the Palace Hotel would not be necessary. And if they were—well, only a weak man wavered and hesitated, once he was definitely committed to a particular line of action. ”

“ Still talking, he opened it himself, and over his shoulder the girl got a fleeting glimpse of Professor Goodman absorbed in one of his experiments to the exclusion of all else.
“My hat, girl!” cried the German, waving his arms at her. She went to get it, and from behind her back came the noise of a key turning. “Ach, my friend—no one will disturb you,” rumbled the German. “No need to your door lock.” Mechanically he took the hat the parlor maid was holding out, while he still continued muttering to himself. “What is the good? One mistake and you will experiment no more. ”

“ A few little details still required polishing up in connection with his afternoon's work, and he was deep in thought as he entered a room on the first landing.
Seated at a desk was a man who rose as he entered—a man whose face was well-nigh as inscrutable as his chief's. He was Mr. Blackton's confidential secretary, Freyder—a man with a salary of ten thousand a year plus commission. He was as completely unscrupulous as his employer, but he lacked the wonderful organizing brain of the other. Given a certain specific job to do, he could carry it out to perfection ”

“ In England, meanwhile, Professor Goodman's daughter Brenda and her fiancé, Algy Longworth, are tremendously disappointed at this reckless refusal of a vast fortune for the sake of science and Algy appeals to his friend Hugh Drummond to influence the professor to accept the money and forego the glory. But Drummond realizes instantly that the affair is really serious and he promises to lend a hand. ”

“ But as Drummond might have answered they were not out of his, and no man living knew better that strange things took place daily in London—things which would tax the credulity of the most hardened reader of sensational fiction. ”

“ With a gasp of relief he dashed into a waiting taxi, leaving Hugh partially stupefied on the pavement.
“Tell the driver where to go, there's a good fellow cried the professor. “And if you could possibly lend me half a crown, I'd be very grateful. I've left all my money at home, as usual.”
Drummond smiled and produced the necessary coin. Then a sudden thought struck him.
“I suppose you know this German bloke, don't you?”
“Yes, yes!” cried the professor testily. “Of course I know him. I met him ten years ago in Geneva. For goodness sake, my boy, tell the man to drive on!” ”

“ Strong men have rushed in and out and conferred behind locked doors, and the strain has been enormous. Made one quite dizzy to see them. However, it's been better the last two or three days, ever since old Blantyre came back from Switzerland.”
Drummond adroitly kicked the professor's leg.
“And who is old Blantyre?” he remarked carelessly. “And why does he go to Switzerland?”
“SIR RAYMOND BLANTYRE is head of the syndicate to which our firm belongs, though why he went to Switzerland I haven't any idea. ”

“ What was the life of one old man compared to the total loss of hundreds of millions of pounds, when viewed from the standpoint of the losers? He glanced at the envelope he still held in his hand, and slipped it into his pocket. Then he went into the telephone box and rang up his chauffeur to bring around his car. ”

“ He sat back in his chair and drained his port, and the professor, impressed in spite of himself, looked at him in perplexity.
“Then what do you suggest that I should do, Drummond?” he asked. “This sort of thing is not at all in my line.”
Illustration: “Was it you, Lewisham?” asked Liebhaus. Mr. Lewisham swallowed once or twice, then he stood up, clutching the edge of the table. “Yes—it was,” he said defiantly
HUGH smiled. ”

“ But this letter —on top of your being followed—shows that you are in the public eye, so to speak.”
“But I don't understand, Drummond,” said the professor feebly.
“NO more do I,” answered Hugh. “However, that will make it all the jollier when we do. And it is possible that we may get a bit nearer the mark today at lunch. A fellow of the name of Sinclair is joining us—he's a pal of Algy's, too—and he's in a big diamond merchant's office down in the city. He's a knowledgeable sort of bird, and we'll pump him. I don't want you to say a word as to your discovery—not a word. ”

“ Lewisham was saying obstinately to the little group of men who were standing around him. “I don't care if that letter of mine does stop it all. I'd sooner be ruined than go through the rest of my life feeling that I was a murderer.”
“MR. LEWISHAM seems a little excited,” said Blackton suavely. “Who, may I ask, has said anything about murder?”
They fell silent, and stared at him.
“When Sir Raymond Blantyre came to me in Montreux his request to me was to prevent the publication of this secret process of Professor Goodman's. I stated that I would. ”

“ Blackton—I implore of you, we all implore of you not to desert us like this!” Sir Raymond's eyeglass was dreadfully agitated. “Can nothing be done to counteract Mr. Lewisham's inconceivable stupidity?” ”

“ Nervous work, that waiting: even he began to feel the strain. But he daren't go too soon: he daren't leave too long a space of time between the moment he left the house and the moment when the ticking would cease. ”

“ Most people wouldn't be full of happiness when they were facing immediate ruin. Professor, you may take it from me—and I am not an alarmist by any means—that the jolly old situation has just about as many unpleasant snags sticking out of it as any that I have ever contemplated. ”

“ Blackton suavely, “necessitate one's altering one's appearance at times. However, to get to business. You are doubtless wondering at my action in coming around to see you. | may say that I had no intention of so doing until this morning. I have been in London for two days, and my plans were complete—when a sudden and most unexpected hitch occurred.” He paused and fixed his eyes on Sir Raymond. “How many people are there who know of Professor Goodman's discovery?” ”

“ Blackton's. That it consisted of a singularly cold-blooded murder is beside the point: all artists are a little peculiar. And if fool men write fool letters they must expect to suffer small annoyances of that sort. After all, reflected Mr. Blackton with commendable thoughtfulness, the world would endure Mr. Lewisham's departure with almost callous fortitude. ”

“ Tn fact, honesty compels me to admit, Brenda, that I no longer wonder at his allowing you to marry Algy. He may be the outside size in chemistry, but beyond that he wants lessons. Will you believe it that at lunch today he suddenly removed from his pocket the notes of this bally discovery of his! ”

“ For good or ill, the die was cast, and try as they would the seven eminently respectable city magnates assembled round the table could not rid themselves of the thought that they had deliberately hired a man to commit murder for them. ”

“ It's ready to move straight into this afternoon.”
The telephone bell rang on Freyder's table.
“Good,” he remarked a few moments later, replacing the receiver. “Number 10 reports that he followed Goodman to St. James' Square, that he is now having lunch at the Junior Sports Club, and that he has not communicated verbally with the police.”
“And since the letter was in his pocket when he left his house, presumably he has not communicated in writing. He must be a frivolous old man, Freyder, to lunch at such a club. ”