The Orange-Yellow Diamond
Page 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MR. STUYVESANT GUYLER
Lauriston, surprised beyond a little at seeing Zillah, found hissurprise turned into amazement as she seized his arm and forced himalong the platform, careless of the groups of passengers and theporters, crowding about the baggage vans.
"What is it?" he demanded. "Has something happened? Where are we going?"
But Zillah held on determinedly, her eyes fixed ahead.
"Quick!" she said, pantingly. "A man I saw just now! He was there--he'sgone--while I looked for you. We must find him! He must have gone thisway. Andie!--look for him! A tall, clean-shaven man in a slouched hatand a heavy travelling coat--a foreigner of some sort. Oh, look!"
It was the first time she had called Lauriston by his name, and he gaveher arm an involuntary pressure as they hastened along.
"But why?" he asked. "Who is he--what do you want with him? What's itall about?"
"Oh, find him!" she exclaimed. "You don't know how important it is! IfI lose sight of him now, I'll very likely never see him again. And hemust be found--and stopped--for your sake!"
They had come to the end of the platform, by that time, and Lauristonlooked left and right in search of the man described. Suddenly hetwisted Zillah round.
"Is that he--that fellow talking to another man?" he asked. "Seehim--there?"
"Yes!" said Zillah. She saw the man of the platinum stud again, and onseeing him, stopped dead where she was, holding Lauriston back. Theman, leisurely smoking his cigar, was chatting to another man, who,from the fact that he was carrying a small suit-case in one hand and arug over the other arm, had evidently come in by the just-arrivedexpress. "Yes!" she continued. "That's the man! And--we've just got tofollow him wherever he goes!"
"What on earth for?" asked Lauriston. "What mystery's this? Who is he?"
At that moment the two men parted, with a cordial handshake; the man ofthe suit-case and the rug turned towards the stairs which led to theunderground railway; the other man walked slowly away through the frontof the station in the direction of the Great Northern Hotel. And Zillahimmediately dragged Lauriston after him, keeping a few yards' distance,but going persistently forward. The man in front crossed the road, andstrode towards the portico of the hotel--and Zillah suddenly made upher mind.
"We've got to speak to that man!" she said. "Don't ask why, now--you'llknow in a few minutes. Ask him if he'll speak to me?"
Lauriston caught up the stranger as he set foot on the steps leading tothe hotel door. He felt uncomfortable and foolish--but Zillah's toneleft him no option but to obey.
"I beg your pardon," said Lauriston, as politely as possible,"but--this lady is very anxious to speak to you."
The man turned, glanced at Zillah, who had hurried up, and lifted hisslouched hat with a touch of old-fashioned courtesy. There was a stronglight burning just above them: in its glare all three looked at eachother. The stranger smiled--a little wonderingly.
"Why, sure!" he said in accents that left no doubt of his Americanorigin. "I'd be most happy. You're not mistaking me for somebody else?"
Zillah was already flushed with embarrassment. Now that she had run herquarry to earth, and so easily, she scarcely knew what to do with it.
"You'll think this very strange," she said, stammeringly, "but if youdon't mind telling me something?--you see, I saw you just now in thestation, when you were feeling for your match-box, and I noticed thatyou wore a platinum stud--with an unusual device on it."
The American laughed--a good-natured, genial laugh--and threw open hiscoat. At the same moment he thrust his wrists forward.
"This stud!" he said. "That's so!--it is platinum, and the device iscurious. And the device is right there, too, see--on those solitairecuff-studs! But--"
He paused looking at Zillah, whose eyes were now fastened on thecuff-studs, and who was obviously so astonished as to have lost hertongue.
"You seemed mighty amazed at my studs!" said the stranger, with anotherlaugh. "Now, you'll just excuse me if I ask--why?"
Zillah regained her wits with an effort, and became as business-like asusual.
"Don't, please, think I'm asking idle and purposeless questions," shesaid. "Have you been long in London?"
"A few days only," answered the stranger, readily enough.
"Have you read of what's already called the Praed Street Murder in thepapers?" continued Zillah.
"Yes--I read that," the stranger said, his face growing serious. "Theaffair of the old man--the pawnbroker with the odd name. Yes!"
"I'm the old man's granddaughter," said Zillah, brusquely. "Now, I'lltell you why I was upset by seeing your platinum stud. A solitairestud, made of platinum, and ornamented with exactly the same device asyours, was found in our parlour after my grandfather's death--andanother, evidently the fellow to it, was found in an eating-house,close by. Now, do you understand why I wished to speak to you?"
While Zillah spoke, the American's face had been growing graver andgraver, and when she made an end, he glanced at Lauriston and shook hishead.
"Say!" he said. "That's a very serious matter! You're sure the devicewas the same, and the material platinum?"
"I've been reared in the jewellery trade," replied Zillah. "The thingsI'm talking of are of platinum--and the device is precisely the same asthat on your stud."
"Well!--that's mighty queer!" remarked the American. "I can't tell youwhy it's queer, all in a minute, but I do assure you it's just aboutthe queerest thing I ever heard of in my life--and I've known a lot ofqueerness. Look here!--I'm stopping at this hotel--will you come inwith me, and we'll just get a quiet corner and talk some? Come rightin, then."
He led the way into the hotel, through the hall, and down a corridorfrom which several reception rooms opened. Looking into one, a smallsmoking lounge, and finding it empty, he ushered them aside. But on thethreshold Zillah paused. Her business instincts were by this time fullyaroused. She felt certain that whoever this stranger might he, he hadnothing to do with the affair in Praed Street, and yet might be able tothrow extraordinary light on it, and she wanted to take a great steptowards clearing it up. She turned to the American.
"Look here!" she said. "I've told you what I'm after, and who I am.This gentleman is Mr. Andrew Lauriston. Did you read his name in thepaper's account of that inquest?"
The American glanced at Lauriston with some curiosity.
"Sure!" he answered. "The man that found the old gentleman dead."
"Just so," said Zillah. "There are two friends of ours making enquirieson Mr. Lauriston's behalf at this moment. One of them's my cousin, Mr.Rubinstein; the other's Mr. Purdie, an old friend of Mr. Lauriston's.I've an idea where'll they'll be, just now--do you mind if I telephonethem to come here, at once, so that they can hear what you have to tellus?"
"Not in the least!" assented the American heartily. "I'll be glad tohelp in any way I can--I'm interested. Here!--there's a telephone boxright there--you go in now, and call those fellows up and tell 'em tocome right along, quick!"
He and Lauriston waited while Zillah went into the telephone box: shefelt sure that Melky and Purdie would have returned to Praed Street bythat time, and she rang up Mrs. Goldmark at the Pawnshop to enquire.Within a minute or two she had rejoined Lauriston and theAmerican--during her absence the stranger had been speaking to awaiter, and he now led his two guests to a private sitting-room.
"We'll be more private in this apartment," he observed. "No fear ofinterruption or being overheard. I've told the waiter man there's twogentlemen coming along, and they're to be brought in here as soon asthey land. Will they be long?"
"They'll be here within twenty minutes," answered Zillah. "It's verykind of you to take so much trouble!"
The American drew an easy chair to the fire, and pointed Zillah to it.
"Well," he remarked, "I guess that in a fix of this sort, you can'ttake too much trouble! I'm interested in this case--and a good dealmore than interested now that you tell me about these platinum st
uds. Ireckon I can throw some light on that, anyway! But we'll keep it tillyour friends come. And I haven't introduced myself--my name'sStuyvesant Guyler. I'm a New York man--but I've knocked aroundsome--pretty considerable, in fact. Say!--have you got any idea thatthis mystery of yours is at all connected with South Africa?And--incidentally--with diamonds?"
Zillah started and glanced at Lauriston.
"What makes you think of South Africa--and of diamonds?" she asked.
"Oh, well--but that comes into my tale," answered Guyler. "You'll seein due course. But--had it?"
"I hadn't thought of diamonds, but I certainly had of South Africa,"admitted Zillah.
"Seems to be working in both directions," said Guyler, meditatively."But you'll see that when I tell you what I know."
Purdie and Melky Rubinstein entered the room within the twenty minuteswhich Zillah had predicted--full of wonder to find her and Lauriston incompany with a total stranger. But Zillah explained matters in a fewwords, and forbade any questioning until Mr. Stuyvesant Guyler had toldhis story.
"And before I get on to that," said Guyler, who had been quietlyscrutinizing his two new visitors while Zillah explained the situation,"I'd just like to see that platinum solitaire that Mr. Rubinsteinpicked up--if he's got it about him?"
Melky thrust a hand into a pocket.
"It ain't never been off me, mister, since I found it!" he said,producing a little packet wrapped in tissue paper. "There you are!"
Guyler took the stud which Melky handed to him and laid it on the tablearound which they were all sitting. After glancing at it for a moment,he withdrew the studs from his own wrist-bands and laid them by itsside.
"Yes, that's sure one of the lot!" he observed musingly. "I guessthere's no possible doubt at all on that point. Well!--this is indeedmighty queer! Now, I'll tell you straight out. These studs--all of'em--are parts of six sets of similar things, all made of that veryexpensive metal, platinum, in precisely the same fashion, andornamented with the same specially invented device, and given to sixmen who had been of assistance to him in a big deal, as a little markof his appreciation, by a man that some few years ago made a fortune inSouth Africa. That's so!"
Zillah turned on the American with a sharp look of enquiry.
"Who was he?" she demanded. "Tell us his name!"
"His name," replied Guyler, "was Spencer Levendale--dealer in diamonds."