THE CRIME CLUB [Illustration: “_As for you, sir, leave my house at once_”] THE CRIME CLUB BY W. HOLT-WHITE _Illustrated by Hermann Heyer_ NEW YORK THE MACAULAY COMPANY 1910 COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY THE MACAULAY COMPANY THE PREMIER PRESS NEW YORK CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE BLACKMAILER 3 II. SIR PAUL WESTERHAM BUYS THE CRIME SYNDICATE 12 III. THE GIRL IN THE PARK 22 IV. THE RED-HAIRED WOMAN 33 V. THE CRIME CLUB 50 VI. DOWNING STREET 61 VII. LADY KATHLEEN'S DOUBTS 76 VIII. SCOTLAND YARD INTERVENES 89 IX. THE HIGHER BURGLARY 104 X. SIR PAUL IN PERIL 120 XI. MURDER MYSTERIOUS 137 XII. THE PRIME MINISTER IS COMPROMISED 153 XIII. THE GAMING HOUSE 168 XIV. LADY KATHLEEN'S MISSION 181 XV. BY ORDER OF THE CZAR 198 XVI. STRANGE HAPPENINGS 216 XVII. MELODRAMA AT TRANT HALL 231 XVIII. AT THE EMPIRE 243 XIX. THE CAPTURE OF LADY KATHLEEN 261 XX. THE FARM ON THE HILL 272 XXI. THE KIDNAPPING OF THE PRIME MINISTER 288 XXII. THE PREMIER'S STORY 301 XXIII. A GRISLY THREAT 310 XXIV. WESTERHAM'S WAY OUT 320 XXV. THE LAST FIGHT 335 THE CRIME CLUB THE CRIME CLUB CHAPTER I THE BLACKMAILER Hearing the sound of lightly-falling footsteps behind him, Captain Melun ceased his investigations of Sir Paul Westerham's kit-bag and cautiously turned his head. As he did so, the captain experienced a painful sensation. He felt a little cold ring of steel pressed against his right temple, and from past experience, both objective and subjective, he knew that a Colt cartridge was held, so to speak, in leash within five inches of his head. It was very still on board the _Gigantic_. The liner rose and fell easily on the long, oily Atlantic swell of the Bay of Biscay. Moreover, there was upon the entire vessel that peace which comes between the post-prandial exercises, such as deck quoits, of Atlantic passengers and the comparative bustle which arrives with tea-time. In short, the hour was half-past three o'clock. Captain Melun for several infinitely long seconds was offered an opportunity of enjoying the supreme calm of the liner. But he did not entirely revel in the moments so offered to him.