The Ripening Rubies | Page 7

glance, for no sooner had the serving-man
spoken to the woman, than she pushed the youth out upon the balcony,
and came hurriedly to the landing, closing the door behind her.
"Why, Mr. Sutton," she cried, when she saw me, "this is a surprise; I
was just going to bed."
"I was afraid you would have been already gone," said I with the
simplest smile possible, "but I found a diamond spray in Lady Faber's
hall--just after you had left. The footman said it must be yours, and as I
am going out of town to-morrow, I thought I would risk leaving it
to-night."
I handed to her as I spoke the spray of diamonds I had taken from my
own show-case in Bond Street; but while she examined it she shot up at
me a quick searching glance from her bright eyes, and her thick sensual
lips were closed hard upon each other. Yet, in the next instant, she
laughed again, and handed me back the jewel.
"I'm indeed very grateful to you," she exclaimed, "but I've just put my
spray in its case; you want to give me someone else's property."
"Then it isn't yours?" said I, affecting disappointment. "I'm really very
sorry for having troubled you."
"It is I that should be sorry for having brought you here," she cried.
"Won't you have a brandy and seltzer or something before you go?"
"Nothing whatever, thanks," said I. "Let me apologize again for having
disturbed you--and wish you 'Good-night.'"
She held out her hand to me, seemingly much reassured; and as I began
to descend the stairs, she re-entered the drawing-room for the purpose, I
did not doubt, of getting the man off the balcony. The substantial
lackey was then waiting in the hall to open the door for me; but I went
down very slowly, for in truth the whole of my plan appeared to have

failed; and at that moment I was without the veriest rag of an idea. My
object in coming to the house had been to trace, and if possible to lay
hands upon the woman's associates, taking her, as I hoped, somewhat
by surprise; yet though I had made my chain more complete, vital links
were missing; and I stood no nearer to the forging of them. That which
I had to ask myself, and to answer in the space of ten seconds, was the
question, "Now, or to-morrow?"--whether I should leave the house
without effort, and wait until the gang betrayed itself again; or make
some bold stroke which would end the matter there and then. The latter
course was the one I chose. The morrow, said I, may find these people
in Paris or in Belgium; there never may be such a clue again as that of
the ruby pendant--there never may be a similar opportunity of taking at
least three of those for whom we had so long hunted. And with this
thought a whole plan of action suddenly leaped up in my mind; and I
acted upon it, silently and swiftly, and with a readiness which to this
day I wonder at.
I now stood at the hall-door, which the lackey held open. One searching
look at the man convinced me that my design was a sound one. He was
obtuse, patronizing--but probably honest. As we faced each other I
suddenly took the door-handle from him, and banged the door loudly,
remaining in the hall. Then I clapped my pistol to his head (though for
this offence I surmize that a judge might have given me a month), and I
whispered fiercely to him:
"This house is surrounded by police; if you say a word I'll give you
seven years as an accomplice of the woman upstairs, whom we are
going to arrest. When she calls out, answer that I'm gone, and then
come back to me for instructions. If you do as I tell you, you shall not
be charged--otherwise, you go to jail."
At this speech the poor wretch paled before me, and shook so that I
could feel the tremor all down the arm of his which I held.
"I--I won't speak, sir," he gasped. "I won't, I do assure you--to think as I
should have served such folk."
"Then hide me, and be quick about it--in this room here, it seems dark.

Now run upstairs and say I'm gone."
I had stepped into a little breakfast-room at the back of the dining-room,
and there had gone unhesitatingly under a round table. The place was
absolutely dark, and was a vantage ground, since I could see therefrom
the whole of the staircase; but before the footman could mount the
stairs, the woman came half-way down them, and, looking over the hall,
she asked him:
"Is that gentleman