The Prince's Diamond, etc

Front matter

THE PRINCE'S DIAMOND The Prince's Diamond The Adventures of George Travers, Esq., Gentleman BY EMERIC HULME-BEAMAN AUTHOR OF " OZMAR THE MYSTIC " LONDON HUTCHINSON & CO. PATERNOSTER ROW PRINTED AT N1MRU0EN (HOLLAND) n> It. C. A. THIE-ME OF N1MEOUEN (llOLI.AND ) AND 36, ESSEX STREET, STRAND, LONDON, WC. To BRfGHT-E YES CONTENTS CHAPTER PACE I. THE FINDING OF THE RING I II. VALUATION OF THE DIAMOND IO III. STRANGE BEHAVIOUR OF JACK 23 IV. THE RING CHANGES HANDS 35 V. THE BARONESS VON MAHLENDORFF 50 VI. A WARNING 64 VII. COLONEL STEINMETZ 73 VIII. AN INVITATION TO THE OPERA 87 IX. SINGULAR DEVELOPMENTS AT THE OPERA 99 X. THE BARONESS PROPOUNDS AN ENIGMA t 1 5 XI. MR. TRAVERS MEETS A CELEBRATED MYSTIC. ... I2S XII. A PASSAGE OF ARMS WITH THE MARQUIS I42 XIII. A SECRET OF STATE 158 XIV. THE BARONESS'S PROPOSAL 171 XV.

A ROYAL EXCHANGE CONTENTS CHAPTHR PAGE XVI. THE QUEEN OF HEARTS 1 98 2I5 XVII. BY COMMAND OF THE SECRET ORDER XVIII. COUNT ZOURAKOFF 24O XIX. A GAME OF CARDS AND A DESPERATE STAKE .... 248 XX. WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK 278 XXI. THE BENGALI BABOO 293 XXII. RESTORATION OF THE DIAMOND 309 XXIII. RUPTURE WITH THE BARONESS 33 1 XXIV. THE HISTORY OF THE RING THE PRINCE'S DIAMOND.

Chapter I. The Finding Of The Ring

On a certain sunny May morning in the year 189 — , I, George Travers, accounted myself a happy man. As I struck into the Park from the direction of Knightsbridge and turned into one of the smaller paths leading transversely to the Marble Arch, my step had a jauntiness, my expression an air of easy triumph, which in a man of twenty-six may be usually attributable to one of two causes: the co operation of both rendered my particular case per haps the more enviable. Success in love and success in ambition do not often happen to a man simul taneously — and though love is an emotion of mercurial definition, and ambition to be measured only by the aspirations of the individual, yet the character of Zbc prince's 2>tamono. each remains much the same both in the case of the millionaire and of the office clerk.

My ambition may have been a modest one — gauged by the standard of the financier or the politician : but my love was facile priticeps, incomparable, unprecedented, eternal. Love always is — at first. She was certainly a charming girl — a peculiarly charming girl, modest, accomplished, and fair to look upon ; and she had accepted me that very morning. No wonder there was incense in the air, prismatic radiance in the sun, new melody in the song of birds! These phenomena constantly occur under similar circumstances. The Park was transformed. It was to me a garden of Eden — for I had just left my Eve; therefore my step was jaunty with the jauntiness of the lover, my bearing confident with the confidence of success well earned — doubly success, for I had the day before received professional promotion and therein lay the operative stimulus of the second cause.

My ambition was in a fair way to be realised. I was now the Sub-Editor of an important weekly Journal — some day the Editorship itself would fall to my share — literary distinction was within my grasp, the future shone TTbe fftnofng os tbe 1Ring. 3 with dazzling potentialities — who knows? I might even live to write a novel ! Prevision shrank from further speculation after the indulgence of this daring and delirious dream. I fell back therefore, upon the more prosaical advantages of the present. I was now in a position to marry — not a position of extreme affluence, I grant you, but one of modest competence, sufficing for reasonable domestic needs. Three hundred a year from the office and two hundred a year of my own — that, in rough figures, was my income, and I ventured to regard it as a very good income for a man of twenty-six.

Quite good enough, at any rate to commence the matrimonial career upon — assuming, of course, inexpensive tastes on both sides : and she was an angel of simplicity. She did not require a box at the Opera, a private brougham, and dresses from Worth, to make^her life a joy to herself and a source of endless anxiety to her husband. Moreover, I formed instinc tively a stern but conscientious resolution to curb the possible development of her tastes in any of these directions subsequently. Ethel Fenton was her name (I say was, because I write of a time antecedent to the date of to-day) Œbe prince's Diamonb. 4 and she lived alone with her widowed mother in a small house in Pimlico. Though Mrs. Fenton received but few visitors and resided now in the comparative seclusion and retirement of an obscure locality, it must not be supposed that this was due either to disabilities of social position or lack of experience in the manners and fashions of the great world.

On the contrary, the mode of life to which her earlier years had been habituated was of a very different character from that of her present existence. Her husband had been a merchant of distinction and wealth, and once the Fentons had been familiar enough figures in London Society. Unfortunately, however, subsequent speculations of a somewhat disastrous character succeeded in com pletely ruining Mr. Fenton and he died suddenly, a poor man, leaving his widow with the smallest of fortunes and the fairest of daughters for her portion. Now I had known little Ethel Fenton since she was fifteen — that was five years ago, and even then her gentle charms and budding promise of beauty had begun to exercise upon me a precocious fas cination. I think that during the years that followed, Ttfte jfinoing of tbe 1Ring. 5 Mrs. Fenton marked our growing intimacy with approving eyes, for she was a woman of some penetration, and no doubt discerned even at that early stage of our acquaintance the possibilities of my character in a spirit of calculating prophecy.

With the exception of myself and my old friend Jack, whom I had introduced to them a year previously and who was himself engaged to a girl he foolishly considered the most charming maiden in the world, the Fentons admitted no other young men to the privilege of their intimacy — a precaution which I secretly applauded. Jack would sometimes drop in with me in the evening at the little house in Pimlico and engage Mrs. Fenton in cheerful conversation, while I did my best to entertain Ethel. On such occasions I found Jack an invaluable acquisition to the party, and would point out to Ethel his excellent qualities as a friend — a fact which I merely advance to prove my complete freedom from that objectionable form of jealousy which would selfishly exclude everything in the shape of man from the presence of the beloved.

Besides, Jack was himself engaged, and though a good fellow, Obe prince's Diamonb. 6 an excellent fellow, was hardly — well ! without wishing to appear vain I may parenthetically state that I stand 6ft. in my stockings, or thereabouts — making due allowance for variation in tape measures. Jack Dawson was junior partner in a firm of stock-brokers. On the Stock Exchange he was popularly referred to as "Jackdaw" — a playful abbreviation that appealed to the delicate humour of Throgmorton Street. The nickname was rendered somewhat happily appro priate by a singular trick that Jack had of repeating the tail end of remarks before replying to them ; a coincidence which formed a striking analogy between himself and the intelligent fowl he was named after. Jack and I had been confidential friends for many years past, and it was therefore natural that I should hasten to impart to him the glad news of this propitious morning.

I was debating within myself whether I should bend my steps directly to his office or postpone my visit till after lunch, when, happening to glance at the ground before me, I uttered an involuntary exclamation and stopped short. There at my feet, and glittering in the sun with a thousand twinkling shafts of light, lay a diamond ring. Tibe jffnoing of tbe TRing. 7 I stooped quickly and picked it up, and for a moment stood closely examining it. The ring was of peculiar workmanship — a gold band roughly moulded into some quaint and meaningless design, and widening at each side to form a solid setting for the dazzling brilliant it enclosed, over the top of which two threads of gold filigree work crossed and recrossed as though to secure the diamond more firmly in its place. The gem was of medium size but of remarkable brilliance, seeming to catch the reflection of the sun at a hundred different points simultaneously.

Of its value I could form no immediate estimate whatever. The diameter of the hoop was small, and on trying it on I discovered that the ring exactly fitted the little finger of my right hand. My first impulse was to look hurriedly round in search of its possible owner. But to my intense surprise, the entire Park for a radius of half a mile seemed at this moment to be almost deserted. I was walking down one of the smaller paths when I came upon the ring; at the extreme end of this path, where it effects a junction with the main thoroughfare, I suddenly descried the Zbt prince's Diamonb. 8 figure of a man in front of me. As he was the only individual in sight I determined to hurry on and overtake him. He might be the owner of the jewel. I accordingly broke into a run and in a few minutes came within hailing distance of the man.

Scarcely a hundred yards divided us, and now I could plainly see that the man was clothed in a dress of Oriental character and wore a turban. I shouted to him to stop. At the sound of my voice he turned round, and perceiving me hastening after him did a singularly idiotic thing. He broke into a run himself. I was so exasperated at the folly of the creature — for the sun was hot and I was already considerably inconvenienced by my haste to overtake him — that I quickened my pace, determined if possible to catch him up and abuse him roundly by way of relief to my feelings. Then a sudden thought flashed across me. A man does not run away from another without a reason. Why should this Oriental endeavour to elude my pursuit? To be chased by an Englishman may certainly be sufficient on occasion to inspire the Eastern bosom with imaginary terrors — but surely not when the roar of Oxford Street is within his ears and the trbe tfinbing of tbe 1Rfng. 9 publicity of daylight round him!

Unless, indeed, there be an additional impulse for his flight: and that additional impulse the impulse of a guilty conscience. None but a thief or a criminal flees from his fellow man at mid-day — natural diffidence of temperament unstimulated by motives of practical expediency is insufficient as a rule to supply the fugitive instinct. I formed therefore, a hasty and ingenious theory. The ring I had just picked up was stolen. And the thief, unaware that he had inadvertently dropped his ill-gotten gains, was before me — a considerable distance before me, for the Oriental marauder was fleet of foot. Wiping the perspiration from my forehead I made one more effort to overtake him ; but as I dodged round the corner I was only just in time to see his turban disappearing into a hansom in Park Lane. IO

Chapter II. Valuation Of The Diamond

Further pursuit was useless. I had lost sight of the thief: nor did it seem probable that I should, ever set eyes on the villain again. I placed the ring on my finger and sat down on a shady bench in order to try and get cool after my exertions. It seemed to me not unlikely that the owner of the jewel would advertise his loss through the medium of the Daily Press, and I had little hesitation in making up my mind to scan carefully the ' Personal' columns of the papers for the next day or two, in order to spare no efforts to discover the proprietor of the ring and restore it to him with a playful allusion to his reprehensible carelessness. Indeed, it seemed nothing short of providential that the gem should have thus escaped the original thief and fallen into the hands of one so exceptionally remarkable for his integrity and justice of principle as myself.

The owner had cause to congratulate himself on this fortunate chance. He had only to apply to me for the recovery of his rightful property and I should be the last to dispute his claim to its possession. I looked at the ring on my finger and could not fail to be struck by its becoming appearance — it set off to singular advan tage the delicate tapering of my little finger and even appeared to give an additional air of distinction to my hand. I knew enough of jewels to feel confident that this one was valuable, but how valuable I was not sufficiently an expert to determine. Possibly it might be worth a hundred pounds— I would not trouble myself to guess. Of this, how ever, I was quite aware that, failing all claim of ownership, a lost article became the property of the finder; so that unless the real owner bestirred him self to come forward in a convincing and unmistakable manner, the possession of the ring would in due course revert to me.

The childish expedient of consigning it to the care of the police pending enquiries, was one that a man of sense could not Œbe prince's Diamonb. 12 seriously be expected to entertain. I was under no obligation in the matter at all to waste my time and energies in hunting about after the owners of lost rings -it was enough for me to decide to take thorough care of the article and prevent it from being transferred to the keeping of a less scrupulous and conscientious person. Moreover the shape, character, and general suggestion of value about this particular ring seized my fancy. There could be no doubt that it was an admirable trinket and became my little finger amazingly. None the less I would keep my eye on the advertisements for the next few days. Then a thought struck me — a thought that will perhaps better serve to illustrate my extraordinary unselfishness than any verbal assurances of my own.

Ethel — my charming Ethel ! delighted in curios. How could the accident of discovering this quaint and valuable jewel be more fittingly utilised than in procuring the gratification of the best and dearest of girls ! And would not such a ring — a ring of superlative value, mark you — form a graceful and generous present for a man's betrothed? Still, I would look carefully at the advertisements. Strong in this virtuous resolution I instantly hailed a paper-boy at the Marble Arch, and bought from him a 'late edition'. Settling myself down once more upon the most comfortable seat I could find, I leisurely unfolded the newspaper and commenced with laudable conscientiousness to scan the advertisement columns. Rewards were offered for the restoration of a diamond bracelet ; a scarf pin ; and a Newfoundland dog : but none of these articles answered in any way to the description of my ring.

I folded the paper with a sigh of relief — for the sense of having done one's duty carries with it always a cheerful and abiding glow of satis faction — and lighting a cigarette turned into Oxford Street. It was past my ordinary lunch time, and even a man as desperately in love as myself must eat — especially after sharp exercise and the pursuit of thieves. Moreover, he must drink. In pursuance of this natural and instinctive craving I entered a restaurant that I happened to be passing as the conviction of hunger smote upon me, and sat down. Not till I had taken off my hat, wiped my forehead and spread out comfortably, did I perceive that I had entered a tea-house by mistake. Gently £be prince's Diamonb. 14 anathematizing my absentmindedness (I had much to engross my thoughts, be it understood), I proceeded somewhat precipitately to depart when I found my egress barred by a pretty waitress, who regarded me with a determined yet affable look.

I sank back into my place with a gesture of annoyance. " What may I get you ? " she asked. " Get me away," I retorted feebly. "Beg pardon, sir — ?" she said, fixing her gaze upon me curiously. " A whiskey and soda," I murmured with in stinctive readiness, then, suddenly recollecting the temperance principles upon which these establish ments are conducted, I hastened to add — "What have you got ? * "Tea, sir — coffee — buns — " "Tea! coffee!" I ejaculated: "buns! — You mis take. I have already breakfasted — early, in fact. I am hungry. A chop or steak — " "Eggs," she suggested; " cold meat— lemonade," she urged almost appealingly. I looked at her — she was a remarkably pretty girl and though I rarely drink lemonade (it is a beverage that does not agree with me) I am always Daluation of tbe Diamonb. 15 loth to hurt the feelings of anyone by the refusal of a kindly-meant offer.

"Well," I said, "yes: thank you. Lemonade will do. Iced and not sweet. No buns. I will dine later." The girl was evidently impressed with my courteous and ingratiating manner, for as she turned away she cast at me over her shoulder a glance full of gentle intelligence. She came back speedily with the iniquitous con coction and appeared to derive a vicarious satis faction from watching me drink it — which I did at a gulp, much as one takes medicine on protest. This done I was on the point of rising, when, under pretext of dusting the slab table the girl bent over and whispered hurriedly, " Perhaps you may come in again — at 8 o'clock — this evening—" then she blushed and coughed. The words and tone were unmistakable, and cursing the imprudence which had led me to confront a weak-willed girl with the temptation of attending to me (for with all modesty I may explain that there is that about me which renders me irresistible to the fair sex) I schooled myself to rebuke the Zbc prince's Diamonb. 16 waitress.

I regarded her sternly. It was evident that she was an unprincipled coquette and I was the last to tolerate or encourage liberties on the part of waitresses towards their male customers. Such dereliction of duty merited, in my opinion, instant reproval, if not reporting to headquarters. "How dare you," I said — "how dare you pre sume to address me thus, young woman? Such an unwarrantable liberty " " Oh, sir — sh ! " she interrupted with the most visible embarrassment depicted on her countenance, for she had not anticipated this dignified and stern response to her impudent overtures : " Sh — please ! I beg of you to say nothing or I should get into great trouble, and I never did it before — I don't know what came over me so sudden to make me speak to you like that; but I didn't mean it, indeed, and please you will not report me! — " she implored in a low tone.

"Your conduct is most reprehensible," I replied judicially, for her feigned penitence was admirably assumed : " fortunate that you did not attempt your blandishments on a less good-tempered man " " But you ! " she murmured involuntarily. Daluation of tbe Diamonb. 17 "Yes, true: it was, perhaps, pardonable," I returned : " none the less, let me advise you to be more cautious in future, madam. Were it not that there were redeeming features in the case," — redeeming features ! I looked at the girl again : she was positively lovely — "I should feel disposed to report you, I should, indeed " " Please ! " she interposed "Let me recommend lemonade," I suggested; " it is very cooling to the blood— and, don't distress yourself, I won't report you. I waive the demands of duty. If you were not so extremely pretty " "Oh, sir!" she expostulated, looking round hurriedly for fear of being overheard.

"If you were not so pleasant to look upon," I proceeded, "I should have felt the obligations of duty too heavy to be disregarded. As it is, my lips are sealed. And, by the way, eight o'clock is impossible. I have an engagement to-night — in fact every night, " I added hastily, recollecting Ethel. "Ah," she observed, fixing upon me another amorous glance, "you are an actor, then?" " An actor ! " I exclaimed indignantly. " Nothing of the sort. I'm an editor. Good-morning," and Zbc prince's Diamonb. without another word I rose and left the place. I had engaged to take Ethel and her mother to the theatre in the evening, and remembering suddenly that my entire afternoon would be occupied with the revision of some important copy at the office, I wired to Jack to dine with me at the Criterion at six o'clock and accompany us afterwards to the play.

He met me at the hour appointed, and after his usual boisterous greeting sank into a chair and smiled: "I see," he observed oracularly. "Do you," I said: "indeed. What do you see ? " " Ha, ha. White waistcoat — patent-leather boots — dress-coat in Dore's most superlative style — and, above all! an orchid in your buttonhole! — Oh, Georgie Porgie ! bent on conquest, eh ? Sly dog I The lovely Ethel " "Stop, you donkey," I interrupted, for I object to puerile chaff. " I was going to tell you " " Going to tell me ? Dear boy, tell on. By Jove— a diamond ring, too!" he exclaimed, suddenly catching sight of the jewel on my finger. "Yes,— one thing at a time, though. You will not of course be surprised to hear that Ethel Fenton has accepted me." "Surprised? Electrified! Accepted you, has she? The. deuce!"

"Really," I remarked, "I do not perceive much grounds for astonishment in that. She has accepted me. You surely would not have imagined it likely that she should refuse me ? " I enquired with sarcasm. " Refuse you ? Nothing more probable. She's a charming girl. I congratulate you — congratulate you most heartily, my boy. Let me suggest that the occasion is of a kind to demand fizz. We must drink her health. " "Certainly," I replied: "we will. And I don't mind confessing to you, Jack, that I consider myself a lucky fellow." " Lucky fellow — I should think so ! Some men are born lucky. Merit's nowhere, nowadays. When's the wedding to be? I'll be best man, if you like, and stand godfather afterwards." "Don't be premature," I rebuked him. "I have not fixed the date for the wedding yet; but I see no reason why it should be delayed.

Now, about this ring," I added, tapping the diamond on my finger : ■ you're a judge of jewels. I found it in a most singular manner. I picked it up, in fact, as Hbe prince's Diamonb. 20 I was walking across Hyde Park this morning. A mere bauble, I fancy, of no value," and I slipped it off and handed it to Jack as IJ spoke. He held it up to the light and examined it curiously. " Phew ! " he ejaculated ; " you picked it up, did you? Another instance of your luck. Call it a mere bauble, eh? Why, man, it's a stone of the first water, or I'm a Jew. Worth a thousand pounds if a penny." " Nonsense ! " I ejaculated, for the figure named certainly took my breath away, and I knew Jack Dawson to be a connoisseur in diamonds. "I may be wrong, of course," he remarked, "but I don't fancy I'm far out. The stone's a valuable one — and did you ever see such an extraordinary setting?

There's a design of some sort worked into the gold. That ring is of Eastern manufacture." " Precisely the conclusion to which I came my self, " I replied. " I pursued a native half across the Park this morning under the impression that he was the thief, for undoubtedly the ring must have been stolen." "Stolen— why?" "Why not? This man, I say, was the thief; for he was the only person in sight at the time, and on my calling to him he fled. Self convicted ! Ob viously he had stolen the ring and desired to avoid detection. He eluded me. His feelings when he has discovered that he has lost his treasure will not be enviable." Jack handed the ring back to me with rather an envious expression. "H'm. What are you going to do with it?" he asked abruptly. " That seems a particularly foolish question, " I retorted.

" I am going to leave no stone unturned to find the owner. If I discover him and am satisfied as to his identity I shall restore him the ring. Otherwise I shall keep it. You will admit that it is a particularly becoming ornament," I added turn ing my finger to the light. "Particularly," agreed Jack. " What immediate means do you propose to take to find the owner ? " " I shall make a point of glancing through the advertisements in the Daily Telegraph and other papers," I replied with dignity. Jack's flippant man ner jarred upon me. Tibe prince's Diamonb. 22 •Ah! the idea is good ; very good," he responded. " As an active method of discovering the proprietor of the lost jewel I can imagine none better. By all means consult the advertisements. Failing any practical result from your labours, what then?"

"I shall retain the ring," I repeated: "it will then become my property, in which case I may give it to Ethel," I added carelessly. Jack was evidently impressed. " What exemplary generosity ! " he exclaimed. I deprecated his eulogies with a shrug of tlie shoulders and proposed an adjournment to the table. During dinner we drank Ethel's health with a fervour not diminished in any way by the extreme warmth of the weather and the remarkable thirstiness it en gendered. I believe, in fact, that we drank it nine times before at length we rose from the table, re freshed and happy, and, summoning a hansom, drove off forthwith to Pimlico.

Chapter III. Strange Behaviour Of Jack

I WAS much gratified by Ethel's singularly flattering reception of me on our arrival at Mrs. Fenton's house. She was not ordinarily a girl of demonstrative manner, and I was naturally the more pleased at this sudden departure from her usual shy restraint, attributing it to the impulse of a very genuine devotion to myself: such a devotion, indeed, as it is not in the power of every man to kindle in the breast of a beautiful maiden. For some moments Ethel lingered in my embrace, regarding me the while with a look of such fixed and unconscious adoration, that a man less sensible of his own moral worth might have felt some con scientious qualms in having excited in so innocent a bosom. I felt compelled to remind her in a ?a TTbe prince's Diamonb. 24 playful whisper that we were not alone. Jack was at the other end of the room with Mrs. Fenton, and my strong sense of the ridiculous led me to hope that the fervour of our greeting had escaped his observation.

Ethel disengaged herself from me with a little guilty blush, and Jack hastened forward to offer her his congratulations. " I always envied George's good fortune, " he con cluded quizzingly : " but never so acutely as to-day ! What can one say of a man who in the same morning discovers a priceless pearl and an invaluable diamond ! " I elucidated Jack's figure of speech by explaining to them the incident of the ring, which I pro ceeded to show to mother and daughter. Both ladies gazed upon the jewel with extraordinary excitement, and I was not a little surprised when Mrs. Fenton presently took me aside and laying her hand upon my arm murmured, " Ah, my dear, dear boy ! Ethel is indeed a lucky girl to have won your love ! I do hope she may make you a worthy wife." "I sincerely hope so," I replied, with a good humoured smile: "I feel sure she will try.

She's a Strange Bebaviour of Jacft. 25 dear girl, and on the whole I really think it is I, my dear Mrs. Fenton, and not she, who should be considered the lucky one ! " She shook her head playfully: " Ah, you modest boy ! " she retorted smiling. " Well, well ! " I laughed, " I fear modesty was always rather my failing — you must forgive the weakness. " "Really clever men, George," replied Mrs. Fenton, pressing my hand, "always are modest!" "Very true," I answered, acknowledging the compliment with a careless shrug: " I must shelter myself behind the platitude," and then with that instinctive aversion to egotism, which is one of my most salient characteristics, I gracefully turned the conversation into less personal channels, till presently Jack called out that it was time to start for the theatre.