The Burglars' Club: A Romance in Twelve ChroniclesHering, Henry Augustus
General
The Burglars' Club: A Romance in Twelve Chronicles
Hering, Henry Augustus
Aristocracy (Social class) -- England -- Fiction; Burglars -- Fiction; Clubs -- Fiction; England -- Fiction
"Be silent, sare," he said, with a gesture of an emperor. "I am
speaking! Listen! I know what you will say: It is for sport dat you do
dis--sport dat eats up your race, and makes men like me your master. You
take your gun and kill. See," pointing through the window at a
problematical object. "Dat bird--dat beautiful white gull. It is
flying--seeking for food or its mate. You shoot it----"
"Never!" shouted Lucas indignantly.
"You do. I know you do. You take dat wonderful ding we call life--for
sport. You rob me. Dat is a smaller ding, but it is sport also. Mein
Gott! but you shall rob and kill no more."
He struck a bell. Lucas backed to the wall to be ready for emergencies.
A little sharp-featured man entered.
"Here he is, Mr. Marvell," said Meyer. "I have got him red-handed and
cold-souled."
"That's right, sir," said the little man briskly, producing a pair of
handcuffs. "I'll take him across to Bournemouth, and we'll have him up
at the police court in the morning."
Mr. Meyer did not appear to have heard him. "Strange, is it not?" he
resumed, "dat you and I and Mr. Marvell, de clever detective, should be
here, Mr. Lucas? No, I will call you by your broper name. Sir Rubert
Inkledree, I ask you to listen."
He took up a red volume from the table.
"Dis is a useful book," he said, as he opened it. "We are all entered up
here, all our public appearances, dat is--not our midnight
photokraphings. Ah, here it is:
"'Sir Rubert Inkledree, seventh baronet, born 1868, only son of sixth
baronet and Mary, daughter of Viscount Morecambe. Educated Eton and
Christ Church, Oxford. Owns twenty tousand acres. Address: Inkledree
Castle, Leicestershire; 57, Brook Street, W. Clubs: Bachelor's,
Boodle's, Turf.'
"Dat is fine--for a bekinning," continued Meyer; "but what an end, Sir
Rubert, in dis room wid Mr. Meyer whom you have robbed, and a detective,
and de Bournemouth Police Court in de morning. Dat is not very fine. Now
listen akain."
He turned over the leaves and read:--
"'Adolph Meyer, born 1864. Financier. Son of Jacob Meyer of Düsseldorf.
M.A. London University, Commander of de Victorian Order, Chevalier of de
Legion of Honour. Address: 16, Lombard Street, E.C., and St. George's
Island, Bournemouth.' Dat is all. Dere are no clubs and no acres. I have
de orders because I did service to England and France. I am M.A. of
London University because, when I was a young man behind de counter in
de bank all day, I worked for my dekree by night; and now I am here, and
you are where I like to put you, Sir Rubert Inkledree."
"Bournemouth Police Station," suggested Mr. Marvell, who was aching to
get to business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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