The King of Diamonds: A Tale of Mystery and AdventureTracy, Louis
General
The King of Diamonds: A Tale of Mystery and Adventure
Tracy, Louis
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction
"Oh, that's nothing," cried Grenier, in momentary elation. "I took in
Mr. Abingdon, and sent a complete letter to the London bank."
"You did not take me in," growled Abingdon. "You made one fatal
mistake."
"And what was that, sir?"
"You alluded to the annual report of the 'Home.' Everyone connected with
that establishment, from the founder down to the latest office boy,
invariably calls it the 'Mary Anson Home.' Mr. Anson would never write
of it in other terms."
Grenier was again abashed.
"Have you any money in your pocket?" said Philip, when the forger had
accounted for every farthing.
For one appreciable instant Grenier hesitated. Then he flushed. He had
resisted temptation.
"Yes," he said, "plenty. Langdon supplied me with funds."
"How much?"
"Two hundred and fifty pounds. I have over seventy left."
"I will arrange matters with him. Come to my West End office next
Monday, and you will be given sufficient to keep you from poverty and
crime until you find your feet in Canada. Remember, you sail on
Wednesday."
"No fear of any failure on my part, sir. I can hardly credit my
good--or, what I want to say is, I can never thank you sufficiently."
"Pay Mason's fare to London. Better stay with him. His sons may have a
good influence on you, too."
Mason rose heavily.
"I'll find him a job, sir. He can pack your bag."
The words recalled to Philip the knowledge of his incongruous attire.
Soon he wore his own clothes. He refused to allow Grenier to divest
himself of the garments he wore, but he was glad to see his old watch
again.
Dr. Scarth bade them farewell and returned to Scarsdale by the last
train.
Philip and Abingdon arrived in London at 2.15 A.M. On the platform,
accompanied by her mother, was Evelyn.
She wept all the way to Mount Street, where Philip would be accommodated
for the night. She cried again when she saw his poor, wounded head; but
she laughed through her tears when she ran off to fetch a very small and
very sleepy dog, with long blue hair falling in shaggy masses over his
eyes and curling wonderfully over his tiny body.
* * * * *
Mr. James Crichton Langdon was imperatively summoned to London, and
given such a lecture by Mr. Abingdon that he so far abandoned the error
of his ways as to strive to forget that such a person as Evelyn Atherley
existed.
The ex-magistrate had seen him in Devonshire, and was so skeptical of
his statements concerning the whereabouts of Sir Philip and Lady Morland
that he traveled direct to York, via Gloucester and Birmingham, to clear
up with Philip in person a mystery rendered more dense by the curious
letter and telegram he received in London.
One day, in August, the _Sea Maiden_ dropped anchor off the Yorkshire
coast not far from the gaunt cliff on which stood Grange House.
Dr. Scarth entertained Mr. and Mrs. Anson in his house for the night,
and some of the men were allowed ashore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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