Ranson's Folly (Fiscle Part 3), Richard Harding Davis [best novel books to read TXT] 📗
- Author: Richard Harding Davis
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Him Bound And Gagged And Thrown Into A Sedan Chair. The Watch Would
Not Interfere, The Passers-By Would Take To Their Heels, My Hired
Bullies And Ruffians Would Convey Him To Some Lonely Spot Where We
Would Guard Him Until Morning. Nothing Would Come Of It, Except Added
Reputation To Myself As A Gentleman Of Adventurous Spirit, And
Possibly An Essay In The 'Tatler' With Stars For Names, Entitled, Let
Us Say, 'The Budget And The Baronet.'"
"But To What End, Sir?" Inquired The Youngest Of The Members. "And
Why Sir Andrew, Of All Persons--Why Should You Select Him For This
Adventure?"
The Gentleman With The Black Pearl Shrugged His Shoulders.
"It Would Prevent Him Speaking In The House To-Night. The Navy
Increase Bill," He Added, Gloomily. "It Is A Government Measure, And
Sir Andrew Speaks For It. And So Great Is His Influence And So Large
His Following That If He Does"--The Gentleman Laughed Ruefully--"If
He Does, It Will Go Through. Now, Had I The Spirit Of Our Ancestors,"
He Exclaimed, "I Would Bring Chloroform From The Nearest Chemist's
And Drug Him In That Chair. I Would Tumble His Unconscious Form Into
A Hansom-Cab, And Hold Him Prisoner Until Daylight. If I Did, I Would
Save The British Taxpayer The Cost Of Five More Battleships, Many
Millions Of Pounds."
The Gentleman Again Turned, And Surveyed The Baronet With Freshened
Interest. The Honorary Member Of The Grill, Whose Accent Already Had
Betrayed Him As An American, Laughed Softly.
"To Look At Him Now," He Said, "One Would Not Guess He Was Deeply
Concerned With The Affairs Of State."
The Others Nodded Silently.
Part 3 Title 1 (Ranson's Folly) Pg 111
"He Has Not Lifted His Eyes From That Book Since We First Entered,"
Added The Youngest Member. "He Surely Cannot Mean To Speak To-Night."
"Oh, Yes, He Will Speak," Muttered The One With The Black Pearl,
Moodily. "During These Last Hours Of The Session The House Sits Late,
But When The Navy Bill Comes Up On Its Third Reading He Will Be In
His Place--And He Will Pass It."
The Fourth Member, A Stout And Florid Gentleman Of A Somewhat
Sporting Appearance, In A Short Smoking-Jacket And Black Tie, Sighed
Enviously.
"Fancy One Of Us Being As Cool As That, If He Knew He Had To Stand Up
Within An Hour And Rattle Off A Speech In Parliament. I'd Be In A
Devil Of A Funk Myself. And Yet He Is As Keen Over That Book He's
Reading As Though He Had Nothing Before Him Until Bedtime."
"Yes, See How Eager He Is," Whispered The Youngest Member. "He Does
Not Lift His Eyes Even Now When He Cuts The Pages. It Is Probably An
Admiralty Report, Or Some Other Weighty Work Of Statistics Which
Bears Upon His Speech."
The Gentleman With The Black Pearl Laughed Morosely.
"The Weighty Work In Which The Eminent Statesman Is So Deeply
Engrossed," He Said, "Is Called 'The Great Rand Robbery.' It Is A
Detective Novel For Sale At All Bookstalls."
The American Raised His Eyebrows In Disbelief.
"'The Great Rand Robbery'?" He Repeated, Incredulously. "What An Odd
Taste!"
"It Is Not A Taste, It Is His Vice," Returned The Gentleman With The
Pearl Stud. "It Is His One Dissipation. He Is Noted For It. You, As A
Stranger, Could Hardly Be Expected To Know Of This Idiosyncrasy. Mr.
Gladstone Sought Relaxation In The Greek Poets, Sir Andrew Finds His
In Gaboriau. Since I Have Been A Member Of Parliament, I Have Never
Seen Him In The Library Without A Shilling Shocker In His Hands. He
Brings Them Even Into The Sacred Precincts Of The House, And From The
Government Benches Reads Them Concealed Inside His Hat. Once Started
On A Tale Of Murder, Robbery, And Sudden Death, Nothing Can Tear Him
From It, Not Even The Call Of The Division-Bell, Nor Of Hunger, Nor
The Prayers Of The Party Whip. He Gave Up His Country House Because
When He Journeyed To It In The Train He Would Become So Absorbed In
His Detective-Stories That He Was Invariably Carried Past His
Station." The Member Of Parliament Twisted His Pearl Stud Nervously,
And Bit At The Edge Of His Mustache. "If It Only Were The First Pages
Of 'The Rand Robbery' That He Were Reading," He Murmured Bitterly,
"Instead Of The Last! With Such Another Book As That, I Swear I Could
Hold Him Here Until Morning. There Would Be No Need Of Chloroform To
Keep Him From The House."
Part 3 Title 1 (Ranson's Folly) Pg 112The Eyes Of All Were Fastened Upon Sir Andrew, And Each Saw, With
Fascination, That, With His Forefinger, He Was Now Separating The
Last Two Pages Of The Book. The Member Of Parliament Struck The
Table, Softly, With His Open Palm.
"I Would Give A Hundred Pounds," He Whispered, "If I Could Place In
His Hands At This Moment A New Story Of Sherlock Holmes--A Thousand
Pounds," He Added, Wildly--"Five Thousand Pounds!"
The American Observed The Speaker Sharply, As Though The Words Bore
To Him Some Special Application, And Then, At An Idea Which
Apparently Had But Just Come To Him, Smiled, In Great Embarrassment.
Sir Andrew Ceased Reading, But, As Though Still Under The Influence
Of The Book, Sat Looking, Blankly, Into The Open Fire. For A Brief
Space, No One Moved Until The Baronet Withdrew His Eyes And, With A
Sudden Start Of Recollection, Felt, Anxiously, For His Watch. He
Scanned Its Face Eagerly, And Scrambled To His Feet.
The Voice Of The American Instantly Broke The Silence In A High,
Nervous Accent.
"And Yet Sherlock Holmes Himself," He Cried, "Could Not Decipher The
Mystery Which To-Night Baffles The Police Of London."
At These Unexpected Words, Which Carried In Them Something Of The
Tone Of A Challenge, The Gentlemen About The Table Started As
Suddenly As Though The American Had Fired A Pistol In The Air, And
Sir Andrew Halted, Abruptly, And Stood Observing Him With Grave
Surprise.
The Gentleman With The Black Pearl Was The First To Recover.
"Yes, Yes," He Said, Eagerly, Throwing Himself Across The Table. "A
Mystery That Baffles The Police Of London. I Have Heard Nothing Of
It. Tell Us At Once, Pray Do--Tell Us At Once."
The American Flushed Uncomfortably, And Picked, Uneasily, At The
Table-Cloth.
"No One But The Police Has Heard Of It," He Murmured, "And They Only
Through Me. It Is A Remarkable Crime, To Which, Unfortunately, I Am
The Only Person Who Can Bear Witness. Because I Am The Only Witness,
I Am, In Spite Of My Immunity As A Diplomat, Detained In London By
The Authorities Of Scotland Yard. My Name," He Said, Inclining His
Head, Politely, "Is Sears, Lieutenant Ripley Sears, Of The United
States Navy, At Present Naval Attache To The Court Of Russia. Had I
Not Been Detained To-Day By The Police, I Would Have Started This
Morning For Petersburg."
The Gentleman With The Black Pearl Interrupted With So Pronounced An
Exclamation Of Excitement And Delight That The American Stammered And
Ceased Speaking.
Part 3 Title 1 (Ranson's Folly) Pg 113
"Do You Hear, Sir Andrew?" Cried The Member Of Parliament,
Jubilantly. "An American Diplomat Halted By Our Police Because He Is
The Only Witness Of A Most Remarkable Crime--The Most Remarkable
Crime, I Believe You Said, Sir," He Added, Bending Eagerly Toward The
Naval Officer, "Which Has Occurred In London In Many Years."
The American Moved His Head In Assent, And Glanced At The Two Other
Members. They Were Looking, Doubtfully, At Him, And The Face Of Each
Showed That He Was Greatly Perplexed.
Sir Andrew Advanced To Within The Light Of The Candles And Drew A
Chair Toward Him.
"The Crime Must Be Exceptional, Indeed," He Said, "To Justify The
Police In Interfering With A Representative Of A Friendly Power. If I
Were Not Forced To Leave At Once, I Should Take The Liberty Of Asking
You To Tell Us The Details."
The Gentleman With The Pearl Pushed The Chair Toward Sir Andrew, And
Motioned Him To Be Seated.
"You Cannot Leave Us Now," He Exclaimed. "Mr. Sears Is Just About To
Tell Us Of This Remarkable Crime."
He Nodded, Vigorously, At The Naval Officer And The American, After
First Glancing, Doubtfully, Toward The Servants At The Far End Of The
Room, And Leaned Forward Across The Table. The Others Drew Their
Chairs Nearer And Bent Toward Him. The Baronet Glanced, Irresolutely,
At His Watch, And, With An Exclamation Of Annoyance, Snapped Down The
Lid. "They Can Wait," He Muttered. He Seated Himself Quickly, And
Nodded At Lieutenant Sears.
"If You Will Be So Kind As To Begin, Sir," He Said, Impatiently.
"Of Course," Said The American, "You Understand That I Understand
That I Am Speaking To Gentlemen. The Confidences Of This Club Are
Inviolate. Until The Police Give The Facts To The Public Press, I
Must Consider You My Confederates. You Have Heard Nothing, You Know
No One Connected With This Mystery. Even I Must Remain Anonymous."
The Gentlemen Seated Around Him Nodded Gravely.
"Of Course," The Baronet Assented, With Eagerness, "Of Course."
"We Will Refer To It," Said The Gentleman With The Black Pearl, "As
'The Story Of The Naval Attache.'"
"I Arrived In London Two Days Ago," Said The American, "And I Engaged
A Room At The Bath Hotel. I Know Very Few People In London, And Even
The Members Of Our Embassy Were Strangers To Me. But In Hong Kong I
Had Become Great Pals With An Officer In Your Navy, Who Has Since
Retired, And Who Is Now Living In A Small House In Rutland Gardens,
Opposite The Knightsbridge Barracks. I Telegraphed Him That I Was In
London, And Yesterday Morning I Received A Most Hearty Invitation To
Part 3 Title 1 (Ranson's Folly) Pg 114Dine With Him The Same Evening At His House. He Is A Bachelor, So We
Dined Alone And
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