Londons Underworld | Page 9

flaxen hair, burst
into my office. She was very excited, spoke good English with an
altogether exaggerated French accent, and her action was altogether
grotesque and stereotyped. She informed me that she had that morning
come from Paris to consult me. When I inquired what she knew about
me and how she got my address, she said that a well-known journalist
and a member of Parliament whom she had met in Paris had advised
her to consult with me about the future of a man shortly to be
discharged from prison. As during the whole of my life I had not met or
corresponded with the brilliant gentleman she referred to, I felt doubtful,
but kept silent. So on she went with her story, first, however, offering
me a sum of money for the benefit of as consummate a villain as ever
inhabited a prison cell.
I declined the money and refused to have anything to do with the
matter till I had had further information. Briefly her story was as
follows: The man in whom she and others were interested was serving
a term of three years for burglary. He was an educated man, married,
and father of two children. His wife loved him dearly, and his two
children were "pretty, oh, so pretty!" They were afraid that his wife
would receive him back again with open arms, and that other children

might result. They were anxious that this should be prevented, for they
felt, she was sorry to say, that he might again revert to crime, that other
imprisonments might ensue, and that "the poor, poor little thing,"
meaning the wife, might be exposed to more and worse suffering than
she had already undergone.
Would I receive a sum of money on his account and arrange for him to
leave England? They felt that to be the wisest course, for "he is so
clever, and can soon build up a home for her when he is away from his
companions." Of his ability I had subsequently plenty of proof, and I
have no reason to doubt her statement that he could soon "build up a
home." He could very quickly--and a luxurious home, too!
The wife was not to be considered at all in the matter, but money would
be sent to me from time to time to help the "poor little thing and her
children!" I was interested, but I said to myself, "This is much too
good," and the ready journey from Paris rather staggered me. I put a
few simple questions, she pledged me to secrecy. I told her that I would
ask the prison authorities to send him to me on his discharge.
"I so please, I now go back to Paris; I come again and I bring you
money," she said, as she shook her furs and took herself and her flaxen
hair to somewhere else than Paris, so I felt persuaded.
Two days before the prisoner's discharge she burst in again, huffy head,
furs and gesticulation as before. "I come from Paris this morning, I
bring you money." I was not present, but I had previously warned my
assistant not to receive any money. The gay Parisian was informed that
no money could be received, but she promptly put two sovereigns on
the desk and disappeared---but not to Paris!
He stood before me at last, a little fellow, smart looking, erect,
self-satisfied and self-reliant. I told him of the two sovereigns and the
fluffy hair, of the good intentions of his Parisian friend. I spoke
hopefully of a new life in a new country and of the future of his wife
and children; he never blanched. He was quite sure he knew no French
lady with fluffy hair; he had no friends, no accomplices; he wanted
work, honest work; he intended to make amends for the past; he "would

build up a home" for his wife and children.
I saw much of him; we lunched together and we smoked together, and
he talked a good deal. His wife fell ill owing to very hard work, and I
befriended her. He accepted the two pounds and asked for more! He
was a citizen of the world, and spoke more than one language. Our
companionship continued for some months, and then my friend and
myself had to sever our connection.
He was one of a gang of very clever thieves, who operated on a large
scale, and who for cool audacity and originality were, I think, almost
unequalled!
They engaged expensive suites of rooms or flats, furnished them most
expensively on credit or the hire system, insured the goods against
burglary, promptly burgled themselves, sold the goods, realised the
insurance, and then vanished to repeat their proceedings elsewhere.
So clever were they at the business that