The Illustrious PrinceOppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
General
The Illustrious Prince
Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
Detective and mystery stories; Princes -- Fiction
“You should have talked more to Lady Grace,” she answered. “I am sure
that she is quite ready to believe that you are perfection, and the
English army the one invincible institution in the world. You mustn’t
take me too seriously today, Charlie. I have a headache, and I think
that it has made me dull.”...
They trooped out into the foyer in irregular fashion to take their
coffee. The Prince and Penelope were side by side.
“What I like about your restaurant life,” the Prince said, “is the
strange mixture of classes which it everywhere reveals.”
“Those two, for instance,” Penelope said, and then stopped short.
The Prince followed her slight gesture. Inspector Jacks and Dr.
Spencer Whiles were certainly just a little out of accord with their
surroundings. The detective’s clothes were too new and his companion’s
too old. The doctor’s clothes indeed were as shabby as his waiting room,
and he sat where the sunlight was merciless.
“How singular,” the Prince remarked with a smile, “that you should have
pointed those two men out! One of them I know, and, if you will excuse
me for a moment, I should like to speak to him.”
Penelope was not capable of any immediate answer. The Prince, with a
kindly and yet gracious smile, walked over to Inspector Jacks, who rose
at once to his feet.
“I hope you have quite recovered, Mr. Inspector,” the Prince said,
holding out his hand in friendly fashion. “I have felt very guilty over
your indisposition. I am sure that I keep my rooms too close for English
people.”
“Thank you, Prince,” the Inspector answered, “I am perfectly well again.
In fact, I have not felt anything of my little attack since.”
The Prince smiled.
“I am glad,” he said. “Next time you are good enough to pay me a visit,
I will see that you do not suffer in the same way.”
He nodded kindly and rejoined his friends. The Inspector resumed his
seat and busied himself with relighting his cigar. He purposely did not
even glance at his companion.
“Who was that?” the doctor asked curiously. “Did you call him Prince?”
Inspector Jacks sighed. This was a disappointment to him!
“His name is Prince Maiyo,” he said slowly. “He is a Japanese.”
The doctor looked across the restaurant with puzzled face.
“It’s queer,” he said, “how all these Japanese seem to one to look so
much alike, and yet--”
He broke off in the middle of his sentence.
“You are thinking of your friend of the other night?” the Inspector
remarked.
“I was,” the doctor admitted. “For a moment it seemed to me like the
same man with a different manner.”
Inspector Jacks was silent. He puffed steadily at his cigar.
“You don’t suppose,” he asked quietly, “that it could have been the same
man?”
The doctor was still looking across the room.
“I could not tell,” he said. “I should like to see him again. I wasn’t
prepared, and there was something so altered in his tone and the way he
carried himself. And yet--”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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