A Maker of History by E. Phillips Oppenheim

Author:E. Phillips Oppenheim [Oppenheim, E. Phillips]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798635505977
Google: wop5zQEACAAJ
Published: 2006-09-20T00:00:00+00:00

Spencer looked a little disgusted.

“My dear fellow,” he said, “any one with the brains of a mouse must have discovered that. Why, Lord Runton, without any of the intimations which I have

received, is a little suspicious. That is merely a matter of A B C. There were difficulties, I admit, and I am sorry to say that I have never solved them. I cannot

tell you at this moment how it comes about that a young lady, brought up in the

country here, and from all I can learn an ordinary, unambitious, virtuous sort of

young person, should disappear from England in search of a missing brother, and

return in a few months the companion of one of the most dangerous and brilliant

members of the French secret service. This sort of thing is clean beyond me, I admit. I will be frank with you, Duncombe. I have met with difficulties in this case which I have never met with before—peculiar difficulties.”

“Go on!” Duncombe exclaimed eagerly.

“I have many sources of information in Paris,” Spencer continued slowly. “I have acquaintances amongst waiters, cabmen, café-proprietors, detectives, and many

such people. I have always found them most useful. I went amongst them,

making careful inquiries about Phyllis Poynton and her brother. They were like

men struck dumb. Their mouths were closed like rat-traps. The mention of either

the boy or the girl seemed to change them as though like magic from pleasant,

talkative men and women, very eager to make the best of their little bit of information, into surly idiots, incapable of understanding or answering the

slightest question. It was the most extraordinary experience I have ever come

across.”

Duncombe was breathlessly interested.

“What do you gather from it?” he asked eagerly.

“I can only surmise,” Spencer said slowly, “I can only surmise the existence of some power, some force or combination of forces behind all this, of the nature of

which I am entirely ignorant. I am bound to admit that there is a certain amount

of fascination to me in the contemplation of any such thing. The murder of that

poor girl, for instance, who was proposing to give you information, interests me

exceedingly.”

Duncombe shuddered at the recollection. The whole scene was before him once

more, the whole series of events which had made his stay in Paris so eventful.

He laid his hand upon Spencer’s arm.

“Spencer,” he said, “you speak as though your task were accomplished. It isn’t.

Phyllis Poynton may indeed be where you say, but if so it is Phyllis Poynton with the halter about her neck, with the fear of terrible things in her heart. It is

not you nor I who is the jailer of her captivity. It is some power which has yet to

be discovered. Our task is not finished yet. To-night I will try to question her about this network of intrigue into which she seems to have been drawn. If she

will see you, you too shall ask her about it. Don’t think of deserting us yet.”

“My dear Duncombe,” Spencer said, “I may as well confess at once that the sole interest I felt in Lord Runton’s offer was that it is closely connected with the matter we have been discussing.”

“You shall have my entire confidence, Spencer,” Duncombe declared. “The man who called himself Fielding was badly wounded, and he passed here almost

unconscious. He entrusted the paper or letter, or whatever it was, he stole from

Von Rothe’s messenger, to his so-called daughter, and she in her turn passed it on

to me. It is at this moment in my possession.”

Spencer looked very serious.

“My dear fellow,” he said, “I congratulate you upon your pluck, but not upon your discretion. You are interfering in what may turn out to be a very great matter—a matter in which a few lives are like the pawns which are swept from

the chess-board. Does any one know this?”

“She and I only! You heard her shriek?”

“Yes.”

“A man threw up her window and climbed in. He demanded the packet. He

searched the room. When he left her he declared that he should return at twelve

to-night, and if she did not hand it to him then he threatened her.”

Spencer smiled, and rubbed his hands softly together.

“Really,” he murmured, “this is most interesting. I am with you, Duncombe.

With you altogether! There is only one more question.”

“Well?”

“You did not know Phyllis Poynton. You took up this search for her out of your

friendship for Pelham. You are a rich man, young, strong, with every capacity for enjoyment. What induces you to risk your life in an adventure of this sort?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.