The Sins of Séverac Bablon | Page 4

the reply. "But it would be a simple matter for a number of impostors to gain access to the house whilst dancing was in progress, provided they came in small parties and looked the part."
"Impostors!" growled Rohscheimer uneasily. "Don't you think they've been invited, then?"
"Well, who shut those doors?" muttered Haredale, leaning across the little table the better to observe what was going forward.
"You don't mean----" began Rohscheimer, and broke off, as the orchestra dashed through the coda of the waltz and ceased.
For stark amazement froze the words upon his tongue.
Coincident with the last pair of dancers performing their final gyration and the hum of voices assuming a louder tone, each of the men standing around the walls produced a brace of revolvers and covered the particular group nearest to him!
The conversational hum rose to a momentary roar, and ceased abruptly. The horns of taxi-cabs passing below could be plainly heard, and the drone and rattle of motor-buses. Men who had done good work in other emergencies looked down the gleaming barrels, back to the crowds of women--and had no inspiration, but merely wondered. Nobody moved. Nobody fainted.
"Held up!" came, in pronounced Kansas, from somewhere amongst the crush.
"Quick!" whispered Haredale. "We're overlooked! Through the conservatory, and----"
"Pardon me!"
Rohscheimer and Haredale turned, together, and each found himself looking directly into the little ring of a revolver's muzzle. A tall, slim figure in faultless evening dress stood behind them, half in the shadows. This mysterious stranger had jet black hair, and wore a black silk half-mask.
The melodramatic absurdity of the thing came home strongly to Haredale. But its harsh reality was equally obvious.
"Perhaps," continued the masked speaker, in a low, refined voice, and with a faint, elusive accent, "you will oblige me, Mr. Rohscheimer, by stepping forward so that your guests can see you? Sir Richard Haredale--may I trouble you?"
Rohscheimer, his heavy features slightly pale, rose unsteadily. Haredale, after a rapid glance about him, rose also, with tightened lips; and the trio moved forward into full view of the assembled company.
"The gentlemen surrounding you," said the man in the mask, slightly raising his voice, "are all sworn to the Cause which I represent. You would, perhaps, term them anarchists!"
An audible shudder passed through the assemblage.
"They are desperate men," he continued, "indifferent to death, and would, without compunction, shoot down everyone present--if I merely raised my hand! Each of them is a social pariah, with a price upon his head. Let no man think this is a jest! Any movement made without my permission will be instantly fatal."
Dzing! went the bell of a bus below. Grr-r-r! went the motor in re-starting. OO-oo! OO-oo! came from the horn of a taxi-cab. And around the wall stood the silent rank with the raised revolvers.
"I shall call upon those gentlemen whom I consider most philanthropic," resumed the musical voice, "to subscribe to my Cause! Mr. Rohscheimer, your host, will head the list with a diamond stud, valued at one thousand guineas, and two rings, representing, together, three thousand pounds! Place them on that pedestal, Mr. Rohscheimer!"
"I won't do it!" cried the financier, in rising cadence. "I defy you! I----"
"Cut it!" snapped Haredale roughly. "Don't be such a cad as to expose women----" He had caught sight of a pretty, pale face in the throng, that made the idea of these mysterious robbers opening fire doubly, trebly horrible. "It goes against the grain, but hand them over. We can do nothing--yet!"
"Thank you, Sir Richard!" said the masked spokesman, and waved aside the hand with which Haredale proffered his own signet ring. "I have not called upon you, sir! Mr. Hohsmann, your daughters would feel affronted did you not give them an opportunity of appearing upon the subscription list! The necklace and the aigrette will do! I shall post, of course, a formal receipt to Hamilton Place!"
And so the incredible comedy proceeded--until thousands of pounds' worth of jewellery lay upon the pedestal at the foot of a bronze statuette of Pandora!
"The list is closed!" called the spokesman. "Doors!"
Open came the doors at his command, and revealed to those who could see outside, a double rank of evening-dress bandits.
"The company," he resumed, "will pass out in single file to the white drawing-room. Mr. Rohscheimer--will you lead the way?"
In sullen submission out went Rohscheimer, and after him his guests--or, rather, his wife's guests--until that whole brilliant company was packed into the small white room. Someone had thoughtfully closed the shutters of the windows giving on Park Lane, and securely screwed them; so that, when the last straggler had entered, and the door was shut, they were in a trap!
"Listen, everybody!" came Haredale's voice. "Keep cool! You fellows by the door--get your shoulders to it!"
At his words, the men standing nearest to the door turned to execute these instructions, and were confronted