regarding this visitof mine, and your lover and your father shall know the truth!"
"They will know whatever lies you invent regarding me!" she said in avoice of intense bitterness.
He only shrugged his shoulders and smiled. She, a mere innocent girl,had no chance against his quick intellect, sharpened as it had been byyears of crafty cunning and double dealing. To the "crooks" andsilk-hatted adventurers of London the very name of Jim Jannaway wassynonymous of all that was perfection in kid-gloved blackguardism.
"Well," he said a moment later, "I haven't time for further argument,Miss Griffin. I'm sorry I can't stay longer. Perhaps the front doorwould be a less conspicuous exit for me."
And so saying he stepped out upon the balcony, untied the silken ropefrom the railing, rolled it up swiftly, and placed it in his pocket.
A moment later he was again standing before her.
She stood glaring at him with a look of bitter hatred, while herecognised that her lips were already effectually sealed.
She dare not risk the suspicions which he could with a word place uponher. Hence he, alas! held her in his power!
"Remember!" he said, "I shall say nothing until you dare to give meaway. It is a compact between us. Silence for silence!"
Then, without further word, he moved across to the door, unlocked it,and next second had disappeared noiselessly down the stairs.
And with him had gone the great secret of the hiding-place of thetreasure of Israel which her father believed to be his--and his alone!
The girl cast herself into a chair, and gave way to a paroxysm of tears.
Jim Jannaway and his friends had again triumphed.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.
SHOWS FURTHER COMPLICATIONS.
At nine o'clock next morning the hunch-backed Doctor, pale and eager,was closeted with the Professor, to whom he related what he hadwitnessed while watching outside the house in Berkeley Square on theprevious night.
In consequence of this, the good-looking Laura was summoned to thestudy, closely questioned, and returning impudent answers, was summarilydismissed and left the house.
"So it is Sir Felix Challas who is desirous of ascertaining our secret,"remarked Aminger Griffin, greatly surprised, "He is such a greatchurchman, and such a high-minded philanthropist, that I can hardlybelieve that he should employ such methods. Why, only this very week Isaw in the papers that he has made a fourth donation to Guy's Hospitalof two thousand pounds."
"He is a swindler, hiding himself beneath the cloak of religion,"declared Diamond emphatically. "I have seen Mullet this morning, and hehas promised to call and have a chat with you. He will come to-day, Iexpect."
"Well," exclaimed the Professor with some hesitation, and with a smileof triumph upon his lips, "we need have no further fear of our enemies,Doctor, for we have forestalled them. Yesterday I succeeded indeciphering the whole record in Ezekiel, and convincing myself of theexistence of a similar cipher in Deuteronomy. I have here the completetranslation in English." And he placed the document in the Doctor'strembling hands.
The ugly little man read it through eagerly, and then sat staringstraight into the Professor's face.
"Then the secret of the treasure of Israel is revealed!" he gasped in alow voice, as though fearing to be overheard. "But is it not probablethat your servant listened, and heard you tell Miss Gwen the manner inwhich the cipher could be read?"
"No doubt. But fearing that, in a matter of this magnitude I might bethe victim of treachery, I deviated slightly from the correct key, insuch a manner as to throw out the whole reading!" laughed the Professor."I told my daughter so afterwards."
"Mullet has told me a good deal. I stayed with him in his rooms lastnight," the Doctor said. "It appears that Sir Felix Challas's methodsare, on occasions, so unscrupulous as to be criminal. In his employ hehas a dangerous scoundrel named Jim Jannaway--a thief and gaol-bird,though his exterior is that of a gentleman. He has served several termsof imprisonment for burglary. To this man the philanthropist ofBerkeley Square, who received a Baronetcy for his good deeds, leaves hisdirty work. From what Mullet told me I should not be surprised that itwas he who arranged that your servant should spy upon you."
"Mullet is also an outsider, is he not?" remarked the Professor withsome suspicion.
"Of course, but of necessity. Though he may rob the rich, he prideshimself on never having done a mean action to a poor person, or awoman."
"Ah! Doctor," laughed Griffin. "I see you believe in degrees ofcrime--eh?"
"In this case, yes. `Red Mullet' has greatly assisted us. It was hewho telegraphed to me from his retreat in Kent to watch the house inBerkeley Square. And now he has explained to me many points which werehitherto mysteries."
"We need have no fear of our enemies now," remarked the Professor, as atthat moment Gwen, looking fresh in her white blouse and navy sergeskirt, entered the room brightly and greeted the ugly little hunchback."It only remains for us to call Farquhar into conference, and decide howwe shall act. Somebody should proceed at once to Jerusalem, decide theexact spot, and purchase the land. We can have time for furtheroperations when once the land on both sides of the hill is ours.Farquhar has promised that Sir George will find the necessary funds forthat, if we so desire."
Gwen, holding her breath, walked to the window and looked out upon thegloomy London street.
Her position was hideous. Her father believed that the great secret washis--and his alone. Frank would believe it--and by remaining silent shewould be misleading her lover into a false sense of security.
She knew, alas! that their enemies would hesitate at nothing--that theTreasure of Israel was already lost to them--lost to the Jews for ever!
With her back turned to her father and his visitor she stood listening,her clenched hands trembling. What could she do? How could she act?
Suppose she told the truth, and bore the inevitable blow?
"It's certainly fortunate that you did not explain to Miss Gwen theactual mode of deciphering the record," the Doctor was remarking, "forSir Felix and Haupt, at any rate, cannot gain the knowledge we havegained."
"Sir Felix--who--dad?" inquired the girl, turning quickly.
"Sir Felix Challas, my dear," was the Professor's reply. "The Doctorhas discovered that it is he who is our enemy. He poses as a greatphilanthropist as you well know. His portrait is in this week's_Tatler_--over yonder."
The girl crossed quickly, took up the paper, and searched the pageseagerly. Then when her gaze fell upon the picture, the journal nearlyfell from her nerveless fingers.
She recognised the brutal, red-faced man who had been her inquisitor,and who would have struck her had not Mullet interfered, and stood herchampion.
Beneath the portrait was a laudatory notice of the hypocrite's noblecontribution to the funds of charities of London.
"You see, Doctor," her father went on, not noticing the girl's blanchedface and horror-struck eyes, "Erich Haupt will only be entirely misledby the statement I made to Gwen. By using the cipher in that manner, hewill obtain a jumble of Hebrew letters which represent nothing. No. Weneed not fear Sir Felix and his anti-Semitic views in the least. Wealone know the place of concealment of the sacred treasure of Israel."
"I have already telegraphed to Farquhar at Horsford. He should be herebefore twelve."
"And when he comes, we shall decide what to do," remarked the Professor."I think he should go out at once to Palestine. Only one of us must goto purchase the land, otherwise suspicion might be excited. And if so,then good-bye to all our chances."
"Sir Felix, if he cannot obtain the secret, may endeavour to upset ourplans out there," remarked Gwen. "He is a man of wealth and power,dad."
"But he does not possess the information which we possess. ProfessorHolmboe's secret is now ours--and ours alone!" he declared triumphantly.
"Could we not get Mr Mullet to assist us, dad?" suggested the girlpuzzled to distraction as to how she should act. She was divid
edbetween her love and her duty.
"No. He will only help us in his own way," responded Doctor Diamond.
The girl walked back to the long window which led out upon the balcony--the window which Jim Jannaway had been prepared to use as an emergencyexit--and stood with her hands clasped behind her back, while the twomen further discussed what they believed to be a most satisfactorysituation.
The land on both sides of the mount must be purchased in secret, theyagreed, and not a word must leak out regarding the discovery untilactual operations had commenced. Then the Professor was to launch hisstartling statement upon the world in the form of an article in the_Contemporary_. After the purchase of the land, the Professor, theDoctor, and an