XXVIII
THE OPIUM AGENT
Into the Palm Court of the Hotel Astoria, Mr. Gianapolis came, radiantand bowing. M. Gaston rose to greet his visitor. M. Gaston was arrayedin a light gray suit and wore a violet tie of very chaste design; hiscomplexion had assumed a quality of sallowness, and the pupils of hiseyes had acquired (as on the occasion of his visit to the chambers ofSir Brian Malpas) a chatoyant quality; they alternately dilated andcontracted in a most remarkable manner--in a manner which attracted theimmediate attention of Mr. Gianapolis.
"My dear sir," he said, speaking in French, "you suffer. I perceivehow grievously you suffer; and you have been denied that panaceawhich beneficent nature designed for the service of mankind. A certaingentleman known to both of us (we brethren of the poppy are allnameless) has advised me of your requirements--and here I am."
"You are welcome," declared M. Gaston.
He rose and grasped eagerly the hand of the Greek, at the sametime looking about the Palm Court suspiciously. "You can relieve mysufferings?"
Mr. Gianapolis seated himself beside the Frenchman.
"I perceive," he said, "that you are of those who abjure the heresies ofDe Quincey. How little he knew, that De Quincey, of the true ritual ofthe poppy! He regarded it as the German regards his lager, whereaswe know--you and I--that it is an Eleusinian mystery; that truecommunicants must retreat to the temple of the goddess if they wouldpartake of Paradise with her."
"It is perhaps a question of temperament," said M. Gaston, speaking in asingularly tremulous voice. "De Quincey apparently possessed the typeof constitution which is cerebrally stimulated by opium. To such a beingthe golden gates are closed; and the Easterners, whom he despised forwhat he termed their beastly lethargies, have taught me the real secretof the poppy. I do not employ opium as an aid to my social activities; Iregard it as nepenthe from them and as a key to a brighter realm. Ithas been my custom, M. Gianapolis, for many years, periodically tovisit that fairyland. In Paris I regularly arranged my affairs in such amanner that I found myself occasionally at liberty to spend two or threedays, as the case might be, in the company of my bright friends whohaunted the Boulevard Beaumarchais."
"Ah! Our acquaintance has mentioned something of this to me, Monsieur.You knew Madame Jean?"
"The dear Madame Jean! Name of a name! She was the hierophant of myParis Temple"...
"And Sen?"
"Our excellent Sen! Splendid man! It was from the hands of the worthySen, the incomparable Sen, that I received the key to the gate! Ah! howI have suffered since the accursed business has exiled me from the"...
"I feel for you," declared Gianapolis, warmly; "I, too, haveworshiped at the shrine; and although I cannot promise that the Londonestablishment to which I shall introduce you is comparable with thatover which Madame Jean formerly presided"...
"Formerly?" exclaimed M. Gaston, with lifted eyebrows. "You do not tellme"...
"My friend," said Gianapolis, "in Europe we are less enlightenedupon certain matters than in Smyrna, in Constantinople--in Cairo. Theimpertinent police have closed the establishment in the Rue St. Claude!"
"Ah!" exclaimed M. Gaston, striking his brow, "misery! I shall return toParis, then, only to die?"
"I would suggest, monsieur," said Gianapolis, tapping him confidentiallyupon the breast, "that you periodically visit London in future. Thejourney is a short one, and already, I am happy to say, the Londonestablishment (conducted by Mr. Ho-Pin of Canton--a most accomplishedgentleman, and a graduate of London)--enjoys the patronage of severaldistinguished citizens of Paris, of Brussels, of Vienna, and elsewhere."
"You offer me life!" declared M. Gaston, gratefully. "The commonerestablishments, for the convenience of sailors and others of that class,at Dieppe, Calais,"--he shrugged his shoulders, comprehensively--"areimpossible as resorts. In catering for the true devotees--for thosewho, unlike De Quincey, plunge and do not dabble--for those who seek toexplore the ultimate regions of poppyland, for those who have learnt themystery from the real masters in Asia and not in Europe--the enterpriseconducted by Madame Jean supplied a want long and bitterly experienced.I rejoice to know that London has not been neglected"...
"My dear friend!" cried Gianapolis enthusiastically, "no important cityhas been neglected! A high priest of the cult has arisen, and from aparent lodge in Pekin he has extended his offices to kindred lodges inmost of the capitals of Europe and Asia; he has not neglected the NearEast, and America owes him a national debt of gratitude."
"Ah! the great man!" murmured M. Gaston, with closed eyes. "As an oldhabitue of the Rue St. Claude, I divine that you refer to Mr. King?"
"Beyond doubt," whispered Gianapolis, imparting a quality of awe to hisvoice. "From you, my friend, I will have no secrets; but"--heglanced about him crookedly, and lowered his voice to an impressivewhisper--"the police, as you are aware"...
"Curse their interference!" said M. Gaston.
"Curse it indeed; but the police persist in believing, or in pretendingto believe, that any establishment patronized by lovers of the magicresin must necessarily be a resort of criminals."
"Pah!"
"Whilst this absurd state of affairs prevails, it is advisable, it ismore than advisable, it is imperative, that all of us should be secret.The... raid--unpleasant word!--upon the establishment in Paris--was sounexpected that there was no time to advise patrons; but the admirabletact of the French authorities ensured the suppression of all names.Since--always as a protective measure--no business relationship existsbetween any two of Mr. King's establishments (each one being entirelyself-governed) some difficulty is being experienced, I believe, inobtaining the names of those who patronized Madame Jean. But I am doublyglad to have met you, M. Gaston, for not only can I put you in touchwith the London establishment, but I can impress upon you the necessityof preserving absolute silence"...
M. Gaston extended his palms eloquently.
"To me," he declared, "the name of Mr. King is a sacred symbol."
"It is to all of us!" responded the Greek, devoutly.
M. Gaston in turn became confidential, bending toward Gianapolisso that, as the shadow of the Greek fell upon his face, his pupilscontracted catlike.
"How often have I prayed," he whispered, "for a sight of that remarkableman!"
A look of horror, real or simulated, appeared upon the countenance ofGianapolis.
"To see--Mr. King!" he breathed. "My dear friend, I declare to you byall that I hold sacred that I--though one of the earliest patrons of thefirst establishment, that in Pekin--have never seen Mr. King!"
"He is so cautious and so clever as that?"
"Even as cautious and even as clever--yes! Though every branch of theenterprise in the world were destroyed, no man would ever see Mr. King;he would remain but a NAME!"
"You will arrange for me to visit the house of--Ho-Pin, did yousay?--immediately?"
"To-day, if you wish," said Gianapolis, brightly.
"My funds," continued M. Gaston, shrugging his shoulders, "are notlimitless at the moment; and until I receive a remittance from Paris"...
The brow of Mr. Gianapolis darkened slightly.
"Our clientele here," he replied, "is a very wealthy one, and the feesare slightly higher than in Paris. An entrance fee of fifty guineas ischarged, and an annual subscription of the same amount"...
"But," exclaimed M. Gaston, "I shall not be in London for so long asa year! In a week or a fortnight from now, I shall be on my way toAmerica!"
"You will receive an introduction to the New York representative,and your membership will be available for any of the United Statesestablishments."
"But I am going to South America."
"At Buenos Aires is one of the largest branches."
"But I am not going to Buenos Aires! I am going with a prospecting partyto Yucatan."
"You must be well aware, monsieur, that to go to Yucatan is to exileyourself from all that life holds for you."
"I can take a supply"...
/> "You will die, monsieur! Already you suffer abominably"...
"I do not suffer because of any lack of the specific," said M. Gastonwearily; "for if I were entirely unable to obtain possession of it,I should most certainly die. But I suffer because, living as I do atpresent in a public hotel, I am unable to embark upon a protractedvoyage into those realms which hold so much for me"...
"I offer you the means"...
"But to charge me one hundred guineas, since I cannot possibly availmyself of the full privileges, is to rob me--is to trade upon mycondition!" M. Gaston was feebly indignant.
"Let it be twenty-five guineas, monsieur," said the Greek, reflectively,"entitling you to two visits."
"Good! good!" cried M. Gaston. "Shall I write you a check?"
"You mistake me," said Gianapolis. "I am in no way connected with themanagement of the establishment. You will settle this business matterwith Mr. Ho-Pin"...
"Yes, yes!"
"To whom I will introduce you this evening. Checks, as you must beaware, are unacceptable. I will meet you at Piccadilly Circus, outsidethe entrance to the London Pavilion, at nine o'clock this evening,and you will bring with you the twenty-five guineas in cash. You willarrange to absent yourself during the following day?"
"Of course, of course! At nine o'clock at Piccadilly Circus?"
"Exactly."
M. Gaston, this business satisfactorily completed, made his way to hisown room by a somewhat devious route, not wishing to encounter anyone ofhis numerous acquaintances whilst in an apparent state of ill-health socalculated to excite compassion. He avoided the lift and ascended themany stairs to his small apartment.
Here he rectified the sallowness of his complexion, which was due, notto outraged nature, but to the arts of make-up. His dilated pupils (aphenomenon traceable to drops of belladonna) he was compelled to sufferfor the present; but since their condition tended temporarily to impairhis sight, he determined to remain in his room until the time for theappointment with Gianapolis.
"So!" he muttered--"we have branches in Europe, Asia, Africa andAmerica! Eh, bien! to find all those would occupy five hundreddetectives for a whole year. I have a better plan: crush the spider andthe winds of heaven will disperse his web!"