CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS - Complete Series (Thriller Classics). E. Phillips Oppenheim

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СКАЧАТЬ for instance, hasn’t been trying to make your acquaintance?”

      “No sign of it, sir,” the man answered. “I saw him pass through the hall yesterday afternoon, as I went off duty, and he was in riding clothes all splashed with mud. I think he has been hunting every day.”

      John Dory muttered something between his lips, and turned on his heel.

      “How many men have you here, Saunders?” he asked.

      “Only two, sir, beside myself,” the man replied.

      The detective went round the boarded windows, examining the work carefully until he reached the door.

      “I am going to see if I can have a word with his lordship,” he said.

      He caught Lord Clenarvon in the act of mounting his horse in the great courtyard.

      “What is it, Mr. Dory?” the Earl asked, stooping down.

      “There is one name, your lordship, among your list of guests, concerning which I wish to have a word with you,” the detective said—“the name of Mr. Peter Ruff.”

      “Don’t know anything about him,” Lord Clenarvon answered, cheerfully. “You must see my daughter, Lady Mary. It was she who sent him his invitation. Seems a decent little fellow, and rides as well as the best. You’ll find Lady Mary about somewhere, if you’d like to ask her.”

      Lord Clenarvon hurried off, with a little farewell wave of his crop, and John Dory returned into the house to make inquiries respecting Lady Mary. In a very few minutes he was shown into her presence. She smiled at him cheerfully.

      “Another detective!” she exclaimed. “I am sure I ought to feel quite safe now. What can I do for you, Mr. Dory?”

      “I have had a list of the guests sent to me,” Dory answered, “in which I notice the name of Mr. Peter Ruff.”

      Lady Mary nodded.

      “Well?” she asked.

      “I have just spoken to his lordship,” the detective continued, “and he referred me to you.”

      “Do you want to know all about Mr. Ruff?” Lady Mary asked, smiling.

      “If your ladyship will pardon my saying so, I think that neither you nor any one else could tell me that. What I wished to say was that I understood that we at Scotland Yard were placed in charge of your jewels until after the wedding. Mr. Peter Ruff is, as you may be aware, a private detective himself.”

      “I understand perfectly,” Lady Mary said. “I can assure you, Mr. Dory, that Mr. Ruff is here entirely as a personal and very valued friend of my own. On two occasions he has rendered very signal service to my family—services which I am quite unable to requite.”

      “In that case, your ladyship, there is nothing more to be said. I conceive it, however, to be my duty to tell you that in our opinion—the opinion of Scotland Yard—there are things about the career of Mr. Peter Ruff which need explanation. He is a person whom we seldom let altogether out of our sight.”

      Lady Mary laughed frankly.

      “My dear Mr. Dory,” she said, “this is one of the cases, then, in which I can assure you that I know more than Scotland Yard. There is no person in the world in whom I have more confidence, and with more reason, than Mr. Peter Ruff.”

      John Dory bowed.

      “I thank your ladyship,” he said. “I trust that your confidence will never be misplaced. May I ask one more question?”

      “Certainly,” Lady Mary replied, “so long as you make no insinuations whatever against my friend.”

      “I should be very sorry to do so,” John Dory declared. “I simply wish to know whether Mr. Ruff has any instructions from you with reference to the care of your jewels?”

      “Certainly not,” Lady Mary replied, decidedly. “Mr. Ruff is here entirely as my guest. He has been in the room with the rest of us, to look at them, and it was he, by the bye, who discovered a much more satisfactory way of boarding the windows. Anything else, Mr. Dory?”

      “I thank your ladyship, nothing!” the detective answered. “With your permission, I propose to remain here until after the ceremony.”

      “Just as you like, of course,” Lady Mary said. “I hope you will be comfortable.”

      John Dory bowed, and returned to confer with his sergeant. Afterwards, finding the morning still fine, he took his hat and went for a walk in the park.

      As a matter of fact, this, in some respects the most remarkable of the adventures which had ever befallen Mr. Peter Ruff, came to him by accident. Lady Mary had read the announcement of his marriage in the paper, had driven at once to his office with a magnificent present, and insisted upon his coming with his wife to the party which was assembling at Clenarvon Court in honor of her own approaching wedding. Peter Ruff had taken few holidays of late years, and for several days had thoroughly enjoyed himself. The matter of the Clenarvon jewels he considered, perhaps, with a slight professional interest; but so far as he could see, the precautions for guarding them were so adequate that the subject did not remain in his memory. He had, however, a very distinct and disagreeable shock when, on the night of John Dory’s appearance, he recognized among a few newly-arrived guests the Marquis de Sogrange. He took the opportunity, as soon as possible, of withdrawing his wife from a little circle among whom they had been talking, to a more retired corner of the room. She saw at once that something had happened to disturb him.

      “Violet,” he said, “don’t look behind now—”

      “I recognized him at once,” she interrupted. “It is the Marquis de Sogrange.”

      Peter Ruff nodded.

      “It will be best for you,” he said, “not to notice him. Of course, his presence here may be accidental. He has a perfect right to enter any society he chooses. At the same time, I am uneasy.”’

      She understood in a moment.

      “The Clenarvon diamonds!” she whispered. He nodded.

      “It is just the sort of affair which would appeal to the ‘Double-Four,’” he said. “They are worth anything up to a quarter of a million, and it is an enterprise which could scarcely be attempted except by some one in a peculiar position. Violet, if I were not sure that he had seen me, I should leave the house this minute.”

      “Why?” she asked, wonderingly.

      “Don’t you understand,” Peter Ruff continued, softly, “that I myself am still what they call a corresponding member of the ‘Double-Four,’ and they have a right to appeal to me for help in this country, as I have a right to appeal to them for help or information in France? We have both made use of one another, to some extent. No doubt, if the Marquis has any scheme in his mind, he would look upon me as a valuable ally.”

      She turned slowly pale.

      “Peter,” she said, “you wouldn’t dream—you wouldn’t dare to be so foolish?”

      He shook his head СКАЧАТЬ