against you upon your trial."
"Louise!" he gasped, staring straight before him. He recollected thatwoman's pale, pinched face at the corner of Berkeley Street that night--that face which he had tried to forget and believe to be a mere fancy."Louise alive--a living witness!" he cried, plainly terrified. "AndFelix always told me that he--he'd killed her with his own hand toprevent her giving the alarm! She came into the room and discovered meat the safe, and she paid for it, I always thought, with her life. Thenthe young woman found dead must have been the servant!"
"Come, you'd better say no more," urged the officer, who, turning to theman who had opened the door, said: "Just whistle a cab, Hall."
"No!" cried Jim Jannaway, hoarsely; "You--you shan't take me alive. I--I'll--I'll die game, too!" and before the inspector could prevent him hehad whipped out his revolver, placed the muzzle in his mouth and fired,falling lifeless next second at the officer's feet.
God's wrath had fallen upon the evil-doers.
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Next day--the very day when the great sensation of Sir Felix Challas'stragic end, which every one recollects, appeared in the papers--"RedMullet" ascended the stairs at Pembridge Gardens, and grasped the handwhich the Professor stretched forth.
At his side stood Frank Farquhar, to whom he was introduced by theProfessor.
"I'm most delighted, Mr Mullet, to have the opportunity of at lastknowing you," Frank exclaimed. "The Professor has to-day shown me yourletters and telegrams. In the circumstances, the situation is assatisfactory as it possibly can be. We can only hope that the Sultanwill, after all the eventualities have been fully considered, grant toyou the concession to search. It is fortunate, indeed, that you enjoythe friendship of the Grand Vizier."
"Yes," laughed the tall fellow, "his Excellency has been good enough togive me quite a lucrative appointment in the Department of Mines. I'mentering the Turkish service on the first of next month, when--well--Ihope I'll be able to lead an honest life in the future."
"Let's hope so," exclaimed the Professor. "These revelations concerningSir Felix Challas and your friend Jannaway, in the papers to-day, aremost astounding."
"Not so astounding, Professor, as the story which I could tell. Butboth men are dead; therefore, for me to speak is now unnecessary. Theywere as crafty a pair of scoundrels as there were in the whole ofEurope: and from them, your daughter Miss Gwen, had, indeed, a verynarrow escape."
"Ah!" cried Frank. "Tell us the whole truth--do!"
"Not without Miss Gwen's consent," he laughed. "My daughter is out,"Griffin said, "I expect her to return every moment. She has beenexpecting you daily."
"Red Mullet" smiled.
"Well, you know," he said, "your daughter, Professor, is my particularlittle friend."
"And you have been her good friend and protector, if what she tells meis correct," remarked her father. "But I want to hear the story fromyour lips. She refuses to say anything."
"Because I bound her to secrecy. It was imperative," he assured thegrey-haired man. "And to you, Mr Farquhar," he said, "I mustapologise. Some of my actions must have appeared mysterious--evensuspicious."
"Well," replied Frank, with some hesitation. "I saw Jim Jannaway and--and he told me a very strange story."
"He lied to you," said Mullet quickly. "Ah! I know! He told you thathe was her lover--eh? It was a lie--an infernal and cowardly lie! Lookhere, Mr Farquhar, I'm older than you, a good deal, and I'm a man whorespects a woman's honour--I've a daughter of my own in Diamond's care.You know my little Aggie, to whom I'm devoted. Well, I tell you upon myoath--if you will accept the oath of an outsider like myself--that MissGwen is innocent, and that she loves only you--has thought of only you--and is as devoted to you as I am to my own dear child."
Frank hesitated, his eyes fixed upon the speaker. He saw that the manbefore him spoke the truth: that the evil-tongued coward who, cornered,dare not face the music, had uttered foul lies.
At that moment the door suddenly opened, and Gwen in her warm furs stoodupon the threshold, her face full of surprise at seeing their visitor.
"Why!" she cried, "Mr Mullet!" and rushing forward, she grasped hishand eagerly.
"I have told them, Miss Gwen, I have just told them the truth," he saidsimply.
"Yes!" cried Frank Farquhar, stepping forward quickly, and taking thegirl's hand he kissed her upon the lips there, before both her fatherand Mullet. "I have misjudged you, my darling!" he said. "Forgive me.That man lied to me, and, alas, I believed him. But to-day I know thetruth. The death of that scoundrel Challas and his `cat's-paw' hasreleased Mr Mullet from his bondage. He has now no further fear oftheir reprisals, and has spoken--spoken the truth, and cleared you ofthat shameful scandal which Jannaway placed upon you."
"Did I not tell you, Frank, that Mr Mullet had been my very bestfriend?" said the girl simply, as, at that moment, the little Doctorentered, fussy and excited as usual.
"I did not believe it once," he replied, "but now I know it to be thetruth." And turning to the man who had staked his own liberty toprotect Gwen's honour, he grasped him warmly by the hand, uttering wordsof heartfelt thanks.
And so again, and for ever, two hearts became united, and the darkclouds of suspicion opened to give way to the sunshine of life and love.
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All these stirring events happened not quite a year ago.
Though the Ark and the sacred vessels still remain hidden beneath theMount of Offence till such time as his Majesty the Sultan thinks fit torescind his prohibition, one interesting circumstance has occurred,namely, the joyous marriage at St Margaret's, Westminster, of FrankFarquhar and Gwen Griffin, which was celebrated a couple of months ago.
The tragic and sensational end of Sir Felix Challas, followed by that ofhis friend Jim Jannaway, was a mere one day's wonder, as are all thesensations of our daily press nowadays. The whole facts were neverrevealed at the inquest, and the public quickly forgot the mysteryconnected with the affair.
They are in ignorance of that colossal and startling secret which led tothe final _denouement_, or of the remarkable discovery by ArmingerGriffin.
Frank and Gwen have just returned from their sunny honeymoon in Italyand Tunis to their pretty, semi-rural home at Chislehurst, whence everyday Farquhar comes to London to direct the fortunes of the Gavin groupof newspapers.
Only now, in these pages, is the truth revealed; a strange, astoundingtruth which one day, ere long--for diplomatic representations are atpresent being made by the Powers--must cause his Majesty the Sultan, andhis reformed Government, to reverse the former prohibition regarding it.And for that Professor Griffin and his friends are patiently waiting.
Then will the words of the prophet be fulfilled the secret place ofconcealment in the Mount of Offence be opened, and, after nearly twothousand five hundred years, to its just ownership, that of the Hebrewrace, will be given back the most sacred relics of that colossal andwonderful hoard, the Treasure of Israel.
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