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What are you doing here, old fellow?" It was Percy Medhurst, a somewhat irresponsible, but very decent youngster, whom I had seen a good deal of in London, one way and another. He was a clerk in the British Foreign Office, but I hadn't the least idea that he had been sent to Berlin. He had dined at the Cayleys only a week or two back. "I'm feeding or going to feed. What are you doing here?"
Medhurst went in first, and inquired of the landlord whether our man was at home, at the same time informing him of the nature of our errand, and giving him to understand that if we effected the capture by his friendly aid, Sir Charles would see that the expenses incurred on the swindler's bill were met in full, as the price of his assistance.
What could have seemed more transparent than Medhurst, the detective, till he ran away with our notes in the very moment of triumph? What more innocent than White Heather and the little curate, till they landed us with a couple of Amelia's own gems as a splendid bargain?
Suppose we join the ladies. I want to tell Kate about it." While Archibald unfolded his literary scheme to Mrs. Medhurst, Diana mimicking his enthusiastic gestures at a safe distance, Morgan and Margaret sat apart in that region of the drawing-room which lay nearest the door.
The landlord bowed; he expressed his deep regret, as M. le Colonel so we heard him call him was a most amiable person, much liked by the household; but justice, of course, must have its way; and, with a regretful sigh, he undertook to assist us. The police remained below, but Charles and Medhurst were each provided with a pair of handcuffs.
"And how's this for high?" he asked again, producing another the photograph of a gay young dog in a Tyrolese costume. We murmured, "Von Lebenstein!" "And this?" he continued, showing us the portrait of a lady with a most fetching squint. We answered with one voice, "Little Mrs. Granton!" Medhurst was naturally proud of this excellent exploit.
She was a traitress certainly; perhaps a murderess. And yet I loved her, even now. I think even more bitter than my disillusion was the conviction that I must still love her, though I had lost her forever! I took a cab from the newspaper office to Von Eckhardt's address, a flat in the west end. I found him, as Medhurst had reported, considerably agitated.
"I thought I was at Medhurst, in the old library; oh, what a fool I am!" and there was almost a despairing look in his eyes. "You are weak, or you would not dream so, and yet it must be natural to dream about your own people. I am so glad you have someone belonging to you; last night we were afraid that you were quite friendless," then she stopped as she remembered Marcus's injunctions.
We afterwards discovered that several of the finest pieces we had taken had actually been sent to her on approval by Gilling, so, curiously enough, we had touched his property on a second occasion. "It was a difficult affair," Bindo declared. "I had to pretend to make love to Medhurst, or I should never have been able to get a cast of the safe-key.
He had abandoned himself to the charm of the evening it had been so wonderful to him! But now his vision seemed to have grown keener, to be piercing deeper. His memory of each moment was marvellously clear. How vivid still was the picture of Mrs. Medhurst bending down into the light, when he had noticed how the gold was fading out of the still beautiful hair.
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