The Albert Gate Mystery | Page 6

brother is an assistant Under-Secretary in the
Foreign Office?"
"Yes."
"Well, early in September, his chief placed him in charge of a special
undertaking. The Sultan had decided to have a large number of rough
diamonds cut and polished by the best European experts. They were all
magnificent gems, exceedingly valuable it seems, being rare both in
size and purity; but one of them was larger than any known diamond.
Jack told me it was quite as big as a good-sized hen's egg. Both it and
the others, he said, had the appearance of lumps of alum; but the
experts said that the smaller stones were worth more than a million
sterling, whilst the price of the large one could not be fixed. No one but
an Emperor or Sultan would buy it. His Excellency Mehemet Ali Pasha
was the especial envoy charged with this mission, and he brought
credentials to the Foreign Office asking for facilities to be given for its
execution. He and the two secretaries who accompanied him have been
killed."
"Yes?" said Brett, whose eyes were fixed intently on the hearthrug.
"Jack was given the special duty of looking after Mehemet Ali and his
companions during their residence in London. It was his business to
afford them every assistance in his power, to procure them police
protection, obtain for them the best advice attainable in the diamond
trade, and generally place at their disposal all the resources which the
British Government itself could command if it undertook such a
curious task. He had been with them about a month--not hourly
engaged, you understand, as once the preliminary arrangements were
made, he had little further trouble--but he used to call there every
morning and afternoon to see if he could render any assistance. Matters
had progressed so favourably until the day before yesterday, that in
another month he hoped to see the last of them. He was always saying
that he would be glad when the business was ended, as he did not like
to be officially connected with the fate of a few little bits of stone that

happened to be so immensely valuable."
"Did your brother call there as usual on Monday afternoon?" said Brett.
"Yes; he came straight here from Albert Gate, and had tea with uncle
and myself. He sat in the very chair and in the very position you now
occupy. I can remember him saying: 'By jove! the hen's egg'--that is
what he used to call the big diamond--'is turning out in fine style.' He
even discussed the possibility of bringing us to see the collection when
it was finished and before it left this country."
"Did your brother say why the diamonds were brought to this country
in the first instance?"
"Yes; the Sultan and his advisers seemed to think the work of cutting
them could be performed more safely and expeditiously here than
anywhere else. Even the Turk has a high regard for the manner in
which law and order are maintained in Britain. Yet the sequel has
shown that the diamonds and their guardians were perhaps in greater
danger here than they would have been in Constantinople."
"Was that the only reason?" said Brett, who had apparently made up his
mind with reference to the pattern of the carpet, and was now gazing
into the bright fire which danced merrily in the grate, for the day
though fine was chilly.
The girl wrinkled her brows in thought before she answered: "I think I
do remember Jack saying that he believed there was some State
business mixed up in the affair, but I am quite sure he did not know the
exact facts himself."
"Can you recollect any of the special precautions taken to protect the
gems? Your brother may have mentioned some details in conversation,
you know."
"Oh, I think I know all about them. In the first instance, the house at
Albert Gate had previously been tenanted by a rich banker, and it was
well defended by all ordinary means against the attacks of ordinary

burglars. But, in addition to this, before the diamonds left the safe at the
Bank of England, the building was practically torn to pieces inside by
workmen acting under the direction of the Commissioner of Police. It
was absolutely impossible for anyone to enter except through the front
door, unless they flew out of the second storey window. Servants and
workmen, like everybody else, had to use this door alone, as the
windows and doors in the basement had all been bricked up. Inside the
entrance-hall there were always twelve policemen, and an inspector in
charge.
"Every one who left the house was searched by the inspector on duty,
and Jack used to say that he was very glad he invariably insisted upon
this