The Great God Gold

by William Le Queux

was chicken-hearted where women were concerned. He musthave been in love once, I fancy, and hasn't got over the attack yet."

  "We must be very watchful, Jim."

  "That's why I didn't leave for Constantinople, as you suggested," wasthe other's reply, as he tossed the end of his cigar into the fire andlazily rose from his comfortable chair. "My own idea, Felix, is thatCharlie is growing far too scrupulous. One day we shall have him in afit of remorse making some nasty confession or other, taking theconsequences, and putting us both into a confounded hole. Think what itwould mean for you!"

  "By Jove, yes!" gasped the other, turning pale at the very suggestion ofexposure. "We can't afford to risk that."

  "I maintain that if Charlie lets the girl escape us and give us away, ashe has done, then he'll do something worse before long," exclaimed thecrafty man with a curious glance at the Baronet, whose back was at thatmoment turned to him.

  Challas was silent. He clearly saw the drift of the man's argument.

  "Well?" he asked at last, lowering his voice. "What do you suggest?"

  "Suggest? Why there's only one course open, my dear fellow," repliedthe other, glancing apprehensively at the door. "Get rid of him whilethere's yet time."

  "He might retaliate."

  "Not if he's arrested over in France," Jannaway exclaimed. "The Frenchpolice won't bother over any information that he may give concerning us.Your reputation stands too high. They'll only regard him as a type ofgentlemanly blackmailer such as every wealthy man has to contend with.If we don't do that, then good-bye to all our hopes concerning Holmboe'ssecret," he added.

  "I fear I must agree with you, Jim," said the other, very slowly. "Hewas a fool for not allowing you to force the truth from the girl. I hadintended that she should assist us, and--"

  "And by Heaven! she shall do so, even now, if you will only leavematters to me," interrupted the clever, good-looking adventurer, leaninghis back easily against the table.

  "I leave them entirely to you," the Baronet answered quickly. "Act justas you think fit, only remember there must be no exposure. I can'tafford that!"

  "The secret discovered by that fellow Holmboe shall be ours," declaredJim Jannaway, slowly and determinedly.

  "It might be, if only Erich could discover the key to that infernalcipher. He told me yesterday that he suspected Professor Griffin hadalready solved the problem."

  "If he has, then I'll compel the girl to obtain it for us. Youunderstand!" he exclaimed quickly.

  "Even though Charlie has become a weak fool, moved to penitence by sometub-thumping revivalist perhaps, I intend to carry through the scheme Idevised. The secret of the treasure of Israel shall be ours, my dearFelix. You shall be the great benefactor to the Jewish race, anddiscover the sacred relics so long concealed."

  "Benefactor!" echoed the red-faced man with a short dry laugh. "Oh yes,I'll show the Jews how I can repay them in their own coin. Only becareful--do, I beg of you. Charlie is not the man to take a blow lyingdown, you know."

  "You ought to know me well enough to be fully aware that I never actwithout consideration," the younger man protested. "Jim Jannaway is nofool at a game of checkmate, I think."

  "There was that affair in Bordeaux," remarked the Baronet in a ratherhard voice.

  "You believe that Red Mullet knows something of that!" laughed Jim,admiring the fine diamond ring upon his finger. "Bah, he is in entireignorance. It was an unfortunate incident, I admit. But under thecircumstances couldn't be helped. But there--why need we recall it?You're so fond of dwelling upon unpleasant themes," he laughed. "Yougave an extra five thousand to the Hospital Saturday Fund as aconscience-soother, didn't you?"

  The Baronet turned upon his heel, and walked to his writing-table,whereon stood an electric lamp shaded with green silk. Then, afterturning over some letters, he asked suddenly:

  "When does that girl meet Charlie?"

  "To-night."

  "At her request?"

  "Yes."

  "Very well. I leave everything to you," Sir Felix said with amysterious smile. "It would not be against our interests--if--well, ifwe had her in our hands again."

  Jim Jannaway nodded. He understood the suggestion perfectly.

  "Charlie ought, I think, to be sent back to the Continent, don't youagree?" he asked. "A timely warning that the police had learned of hisreturn here, and he'd skip across by the next Channel service. Onceover there, matters would be quite easy. The Leleu affair has neverbeen cleared up, you know!" he added in a lower voice.

  "I leave it entirely in your hands," declared the plutocrat whom thepublic believed to be a high-minded philanthropist. "Whatever you domust be on your own responsibility, recollect."

  "But with your money. I want a couple of hundred."

  "Ah! hard up again, Jim," sighed the other. But unlocking the safeopposite, the safe that contained the typed copy of the dead man'sdocument, the Baronet took out some banknotes and handed them to hiscat's-paw.

  They were French notes. They were safer than English to give to personslike Jannaway, for the numbers could not be traced in cases ofinquiries, while they could always be at once exchanged at any of thetourist offices. Sir Felix Challas, though compelled to employ men ofthe racing-tout stamp like Jim Jannaway, and unscrupulousconcession-hunters like "Red Mullet," was ever upon his guard.

  He trusted his men, but in "Red Mullet" he had confessed himself sadlydisappointed.

  "Revivalists and missionaries have a lot to answer for," was one of hispet phrases.

  Jim Jannaway, slipping the notes into his pocket-book without troublingto count them, put on his smart overcoat and well-brushed silk hat, andwishing his employer an airy "good-evening," strolled out into the dampchilliness of Berkeley Square, where he hailed a hansom and drove away.

  He had given the man an address in Knightsbridge, but as the cab wasturning from the misty gloom of Berkeley Street into the brightness ofPiccadilly several persons were waiting at the left-hand kerb in orderto cross the road.

  Among them he apparently recognised somebody, for in an instant he drewback and turned his head the other way.

  Next second the cab had rounded the corner and was on its way alongPiccadilly. Yet he knew that he had sat there for several moments inthe full glare of the electric lights in front of the Ritz Hotel, and hefelt convinced that he had been recognised by the very last person inthe world that he desired to encounter.

  Jannaway sat there breathless, staring straight before him into theyellow mist, his eyes glaring as though an apparition had arisen beforehim.

  He tried to laugh away his fears. After all, it must be only fancy, hereflected. Somebody bearing a strange resemblance. It could not beshe! Impossible. Utterly impossible.

  But if it had been she in the flesh--if she had in that instant actuallyrecognised him! What then!

  He huddled himself in the corner of the cab, coward that he was, andshuddered at the recollections that crowded through his mind.

  Would he ever have entered that hansom if he had known that it wouldcarry him into such exposure--and worse?

  But from Jim Jannaway's lips there fell a short bitter laugh. Was nothis life made up by narrow "shaves?" Had not he been in hundreds oftight corners before, and with his wonderful tact and almost devilishcunning wriggled out of what would have meant ruin and imprisonment toany other man.

  He had been a born adventurer, ever since his day as a stable-lad downat Newmarket, and he had the habit of laughing lightly at his ownadventures, just as he was laughing now.

  Would he have laughed, however, if he had but known how that chanceencounter was to result?

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

  THE GIRL AND THE MAN.

  Gwen Griffin had appointed half-past eight as the hour to meet hermysterious friend "Red Mullet" outside the "Tube" station at the cornerof Queen's Road, Bayswater.

  Immediately after dinner she had slipped up to her room, exchanging hersilk blouse for a stuff one,
and putting on her hat and fur jacket, wentout, leaving her father alone in the study. He was--as now was hishabit every evening--busy making those bewildering calculations, as hetested the various numerical ciphers upon the original Hebrew text ofEzekiel.

  Through the damp misty night she hurried along the Bayswater Road, untilshe came within the zone of electricity around the station, where shesaw the tall figure of her friend, wearing a heavy overcoat and darkgreen felt hat, awaiting her.

  "This is really a most pleasant surprise, Miss Griffin," he criedcheerily, as he raised his hat, and took her little gloved hand.