by Sax Rohmer
CHAPTER V
A MYSTIC HAND
"It amounts," said J. J. Oppner, the lord of Wall Street, "to a panic.No man of money is safe. I ain't boilin' over with confidence inScotland Yard, and I've got some Agency boys here in London with me."
"A panic, eh?" grunted Baron Hague, Teutonically. "So you vear thisBablon, eh?"
"A bit we do," drawled Oppner, "and then some. After that a whole lot,and we're well scared. He held me up at my Canadian mills for a pile;but I've got wise to him, and if he crowds me again he's a full-blowngenius."
Mrs. Rohscheimer's dinner party murmured sympathetically.
"Of course you have heard, Baron," said the hostess, "that in hisoutrage here--here, in Park Lane!--he was assisted by no fewer thanthirty accomplices?"
"Dirty aggomblices, eh? Dirty?"
"Dirty's the word!" growled Mr. Oppner.
"The wonder is," said Sir Richard Haredale, "that a rogue with so manyassistants has not been betrayed."
To those present at the Rohscheimer board this subject, indeed, was oneof quite extraordinary interest, in view of the fact that it was only afew days since the affair of the dramatic ball. Sixteen diners therewere, and in order to appreciate the electric atmosphere which prevailedin the airy salon, let us survey the board. Reading from left to right,as in the case of society wedding groups, the diners were:
Mrs. Julius Rohscheimer.[1] Baron Hague.[1] Miss Zoe Oppner.[1] Sir Richard Haredale. Mrs. Maurice Hohsmann.[1] Mr. J. J. Oppner.[1] Mrs. Wellington Lacey. Mr. Sheard (Press). Miss Salome Hohsmann.[1] Sir Leopold Jesson.[1] Lady Vignoles.[1] Mr. Julius Rohscheimer.[1] Lady Mary Evershed. Lord Vignoles. Miss Charlotte Hohsmann.[1] Mr. Antony Elschild.[1]
[Footnote 1: Representatives of capital.]
"I understand that the man holds private keys to the British Museum!"cried Mrs. Hohsmann.
"Nobody would be surprised to hear," came the thick voice of JuliusRohscheimer, "that he'd got a private subway between his bedroom and theBank of England!"
Extravagant though this may appear, it would not indeed, at this time,have surprised the world at large to learn _anything_--however amazingin an ordinary man--respecting Severac Bablon. The real facts of hismost recent exploit were known only to a select few; but it wasuniversal property how, at about half-past eleven one morning shortlyafter the theft from the British Museum, and whilst all London, togetherwith a great part of the Empire, was discussing the incrediblymysterious robbery, a cab drove up to the main entrance of thatinstitution, containing a District Messenger and a large box.
The box was consigned to the trustees of the Museum, and the boy, beingquestioned, described the consigner as "a very old gentleman, with long,white hair."
It contained, carefully and scientifically packed, the Hamilton Vase andthe Head of Caesar!
Furthermore, it contained the following note:
"GENTLEMEN,--
"I beg to return, per messenger, the Head of Caesar and the Hamilton Vase. My reason for taking the liberty of borrowing them was that I desired to convince a wealthy friend that a rare curio is a powerful instrument for good, and that to allow of great wealth lying idle when thousands sicken and die in poverty is a misuse of a power conferred by Heaven.
"I trust that you will forgive my having unavoidably occasioned you so much anxiety.
"SEVERAC BABLON."
The contents of the note were made public with the appearance of the3.30 editions; nor was there a news-sheet of them all that failed toreprint, from the _Gleaner_, a paragraph announcing that Sir LeopoldJesson had made the magnificent donation of L10,000 to the SladenHospital. But the link that bound these items together was invisible tothe eyes of the world. Two persons at Rohscheimer's table, however, wereaware of all the facts; and although Sheard often glanced at Jesson, hestudiously avoided meeting his eyes.
Severac Bablon's activities had not failed to react upon the temperatureof the Stock Exchange. Loudly it was whispered that influential andhighly-placed persons were concerned with him. No capitalist felt safe.No man trusted his staff, his solicitor, his broker. It was felt thatminions of Severac Bablon were everywhere; that Severac Bablon wasomnipresent.
"You've gone pretty deep into the case, Sheard," said Rohscheimer. "Whatdo you know about these cards he sends to people he's goin' to rob?"
Sheard cleared his throat somewhat nervously. All eyes sought him.
"The authorities have established the fact," he replied, "that all thosewhom Severac Bablon has victimised have received--due warning."
Sir Leopold Jesson was watching him covertly.
"What do you mean by 'due warning'?" he snapped.
"They have been requested, anonymously," Sheard explained, "to subscribeto some worthy object. When they have failed voluntarily to comply theyhave been _compelled_, forcibly, to do so!"
Julius Rohscheimer began to turn purple. He spluttered furiously, eregaining command of speech.
"Is this a free country?" came in a hoarse roar. "If a man ain't outbuildin' hospitals for beggars does he have to be held up----"
He caught Mrs. Rohscheimer's glance, laden with entreaty.
"Good Lord!" he concluded, weakly. "Isn't it funny!"
Baron Hague was understood to growl that he should no longer feel safeuntil back to Berlin he had gone.
"I am told," said Mr. Antony Elschild, "that a new Severac Bablonoutrage is anticipated by the authorities."
That loosed the flood-gates. A dozen voices were asking at once: "Have_you_ received a card?"
It seemed that this was a matter which had lain at the back of eachmind; that each had feared to broach; that each, now, was glad todiscuss. An extraordinary and ominous circumstance, then, was nowbrought to light.
A note had been received by each of the capitalists present, statingthat L1,000,000 was urgently needed by the British Government for theestablishment of an aerial fleet. That was all. But the notes all bore acertain seal.
"How many of us"--Julius Rohscheimer's coarse voice rose above themall--"have got these notes?"
A moment's silence, wherein it became evident that five of the gentlemenpresent had received such communications. Mrs. Hohsmann stated that herhusband had been the recipient of a note also.
"With Hohsmann," resumed Rohscheimer, "six of us."
"It appears to me," the soft voice was Antony Elschild's, "that no timeshould be lost in ascertaining how many of these notes have beensent----"
"Why?" asked Rohscheimer.
"Because, from what we know of Severac Bablon, it is evident that heintends to raise this sum, or a great part of it, for this highlypatriotic purpose, amongst our particular set. One is naturally anxiousto learn the amount of one's share in the responsibility!"
Baron Hague inquired, in stentorian but complicated English, whether_he_ was to be expected to contribute towards the establishment of aBritish aerial fleet.
"You have British interests, Baron!" said Sheard, smiling.
"What about me?" said Mr. Oppner.
Replied his beautiful daughter, laughing:
"You've got Canadian interests, Pa!"
So the impending outrage--for all present felt that these notes presagedan outrage--was treated lightly enough, and the question, serious thoughit was felt to be, might well have given place to topics less exciting,when a buzz of conversation arose at the lower end of the table.
"Exactly the same," came Miss Salome Hohsmann's voice, "as the onefather received!"
She was observed to be passing something to her neighbour--Mr. Sheard.He examined it curiously, and passed it on to Mrs. Lacey. Thus, fromhand to hand it performed a circuit of the table and came to JuliusRohscheimer.
"That's one of 'em!" He threw it down upon the cloth--a small, squarecorrespondence card. It bore the words:
"L1,000,000 is required by His Majesty's Government, immediately, in order to found an aerial service commensurate wi
th Great Britain's urgent requirements. A fund for the purpose (under the patronage of the Marquess of Evershed and the Lord Mayor) has been opened by the _Gleaner_."
At the foot was a seal, designed in the form of two triangles crossed.
"Whose is this?" continued Rohscheimer, and turned the card over.
He read what was neatly type-written upon the other side, and his gross,empurpled face was seen to change, to assume a patchy greyness.
The superscription was:
"To Baron Hague, Sir Leopold Jesson, Messrs. Julius Rohscheimer, John Jacob Oppner, and Antony Elschild.
_"Second Notice"_
He clutched the arms of his chair, and stood up. A dead silence hadfallen.
"Where"--Rohscheimer moistened his lips--"did this come from?"
A moment more of silence, then:
"Sir Leopold passed it to me," came Salome Hohsmann's frightened voice.
Rohscheimer stared at Jesson. Jesson turned and stared at Miss Hohsmann.
"You are mistaken," he replied slowly. "I have not had the card in myhand!"
Miss Hohsmann's fine, dark eyes grew round in wonder.
"But, Sir Leopold!" she cried. "I _took_ it from your hand!"
Jesson's face was a study in perplexity.
"I can only say," contributed Sheard, who sat upon the other side of thegirl, "that I saw Miss Hohsmann looking at the card and I asked to beallowed to examine it. I then passed it on to Mrs. Lacey. I mayadd"--smiling--"that it does not emanate from the _Gleaner_ office, andis in no way official!"
"Mrs. Lacey passed it along to me," came Oppner's parched voice.
"But," Sir Leopold's incisive tones cut in upon the bewilderingconversation, "Miss Hohsmann is in error in supposing that she receivedthe card from me. I have not handled it--neither, I believe, has LadyVignoles?" He turned to the latter.
She shook her head.
"No, sir," she said transatlantically, "I saw Mr. Rohscheimer take itfrom Mary" (Lady Mary Evershed).
"I mean to say, Sheila"--Lord Vignoles leant forward in his chair andlooked along to his wife--"I mean to say, _I_ had it from Miss CharlotteHohsmann, on my left."
Rohscheimer's protruding eyes looked from face to face. Wonder waswritten upon every one.
"Where the----" Mrs. Rohscheimer coughed.
The great financier sat down. Let us conclude his sentence for him:
_Where had the ominous "second notice" come from?_
Amid a thrilling silence, the guests sought, each in his or her ownfashion, for the solution to this truly amazing conundrum. The order maybe seen from a glance at the foregoing list of guests. It has only to beremembered that they were seated around a large oval table and theirrelative positions become apparent.
"It appears to me," said Sir Leopold Jesson, "that the mystery has itsroot here. Miss Hohsmann is under the impression that I handed the cardto her. I did not do so. Miss Hohsmann, as well as myself, has beenvictimised by this common enemy, so that"--he smiled dryly--"we cannotsuspect her, and you cannot suspect me, of complicity. Was there anyservant in the room at the time?"
A brief inquiry served to show that there had been no servant on thatside of the room at the time.
"Did you pick it up from the table, dear," cried Mrs. Hohsmann, "oractually take it from--someone's hand?"
Amid a tense silence the girl replied:
"From--someone's hand!"
