The Crooked House

The Crooked House, by Brandon
Fleming

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Fleming
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Title: The Crooked House
Author: Brandon Fleming

Release Date: September 30, 2007 [eBook #22820]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
CROOKED HOUSE***
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THE CROOKED HOUSE
by
BRANDON FLEMING

New York Edward J. Clode
Copyright, 1921, by Edward J. Clode Printed in the United States of
America

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I A STRANGE RIDDLE 9
II THE CROOKED HOUSE 19
III THE ENDLESS GARDEN 33
IV DESTRUCTION 45
V COPPLESTONE 53
VI THE TRAIL OF CORPSES 65
VII TRANTER 71

VIII MRS. ASTLEY-ROLFE 80
IX THE DANSEUSE 83
X MR. GLUCKSTEIN 85
XI THE CLERGYMAN 87
XII MR. BOLSOVER 89
XIII THE TRINITY OF DEATH 92
XIV WITHOUT TRACE 105
XV A BUILDER OF MEN 117
XVI A TRIPLE ALLIANCE 133
XVII MR. GLUCKSTEIN IN CONFIDENCE 142
XVIII THE WIT OF THE PINK LADY 151
XIX DETAINED ON SUSPICION 159
XX THE BIRTH OF THE KILLER 176
XXI A HASTY FLIGHT 187
XXII TRANTER ATTACKS THE CROOKED HOUSE 195
XXIII A DUEL 203
XXIV THE SECRET OF THE HOUSE 220
XXV TRUER COLORS 233
XXVI PROVIDING FOR THE WORST 241
XXVII THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TRANTER 250

XXVIII IN PURSUIT 259
XXIX ETHICS OF KILLING 262
XXX MONSIEUR DUPONT'S TASK 273
XXXI WHAT THEY HEARD 279
XXXII THE BEAUTY-KILLER 288
XXXIII LAST TRUTHS 291
XXXIV CONCLUSION 312

THE CROOKED HOUSE
CHAPTER I
A STRANGE RIDDLE
"Monsieur Tranter! A moment!"
The Right-Honorable John Tranter swung round, latch-key in hand.
Behind him, an enormous figure emerged, with surprisingly agile and
noiseless steps, from the shadow of the adjoining house--a figure
almost grotesque and monstrous in the dim light of the street lamp. The
very hugeness of the apparition was so disconcerting that John Tranter
drew back with a startled exclamation.
"Good Lord! Monsieur Dupont? You in London?"
Monsieur Dupont described circles with his country's largest silk hat.
"I in London! An event, my friend, in the history of your city!"
He laughed softly, and replaced the hat on his head. They shook hands
warmly.

"This is a delightful surprise," Tranter said, turning back to the door.
"Come in."
"It is late," Monsieur Dupont apologized--"but I entreat a moment. It is
three hours only since I arrived, and I have passed one of them on your
doorstep."
"An hour?" Tranter exclaimed. "But surely----"
Monsieur Dupont squeezed himself into the narrow hall with difficulty.
"I possess the gift of patience," he claimed modestly. "In London it is
of great value."
In the small library he looked about him with surprise. The plain,
almost scanty furniture of Tranter's house evidently did not accord with
his expectations of the residence of an English Privy Councillor.
Monsieur Dupont sat down on a well-worn leather couch, and stared,
somewhat blankly, at the rows of dull, monotonous bindings in the
simple mahogany bookcases.
He placed the drink Tranter mixed for him on a small table by his side,
accepted a cigar, and puffed at it serenely. And in that position,
Monsieur Victorien Dupont presented a pleasing picture of elephantine
geniality. He was so large that his presence seemed to fill half the room.
His great face was one tremendous smile. His eyes, though capable of a
disconcertingly direct gaze, were clear and even childlike. His English
was perfect, his evening-dress faultless, and, though obviously a
bon-viveur, he was also unmistakably a man with a purpose.
"And what has brought you to London?" Tranter asked, sitting opposite
to him.
"My friend," said Monsieur Dupont, "I am here with a remarkable
object. I have come to use the eyes the good God has given me. And to
do so I beg the assistance of the great position the good God has given
you."

"I hope," Tranter returned, "that what you require will enable me to
make some sort of return to the man who saved my life."
Monsieur Dupont waved his hands in a gigantic gesture.
"To restore to the world one of its great men--it was a privilege for
which I, myself, should pay! The service I ask of you is small."
"You have but to name it," said the Privy Councillor.
* * * * *
Suddenly there was no smile on Monsieur