Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-11

AT the Westminster Bank. Our whit
} rabbit can play the fox, you perceive
/, Force will avail us no more now W
must try the argument of persuasion."
Sastri laughed contemptuously.
"Will you persuade the vulture to rem
der back the failing his talons hav,
seized ?"
''He may be persuaded, il you hav,
the skill to make him see that unless h
yields his prize his own nest will be rent.
This extension OF his metaphor wa
clearly beyond the Indians comprehen
sion.
"How can that be done?" he demanded
curiosity getting the better of his dis
trust.
Dear Prince" replied the Count, con
descendingly, "the Englisnman is an ex
truordinary creature. | assure you hi
reputation is jewel of more price to hin
than many pearls. Their own great poe
says, who steals my purse steals trash
but he who flches from III,
my good name leaves me poo
indeed. The prize jewel of our It'll,
slgnor IS his nice white character to saw
that from being painted black all over
he may even consent to give up the Blacl
Pearl
But you cannot paint it black, dis
scented Sastri. sharply; che has done NJ
wrong p
Mon chcr," retortcd the Count, witt
his most cynical smile, che has seemed tc
| do it. And when man allows himself tc
be placed in an equivocal position, the
agreeable English law accepts it as evi
dence against him."
The master-stroke of duplicity limited
at in these words, and which had been all
along contemplated by the Count if all
other expedients failed, was necessarily
beyond Prince Sastri's comprehension.
In the East there is no elaborate legal
mechanism to disable or despatch mans
enemies at secondhand. His own arm
is the minister of his spite. SO it took
the degenerate son of Western civiliza-
ton some time and considerable pains to
make his meaning plain to his equally
interruptions but less instructed col
league.
He explained to him in detail how, with
one Interior end in view, he had put
Chesterton's book in his wife's hands
had taken her to his lectures had fan
ned the mutual fancy, which he was the
first to perceive, to flame by inviting
the young scholar to his house, and there
affordlng them an opportunity for un-
checked confidence; had irritated their
passion by every means in his power, till
at last he had performed the master coup
of sending Lucia to meet Cecil in the
carriage, and obligiug the young people
to spend long evening together in box
at the Lyceum.
Then he went on to say how, listening
that morning at his wifes door, he heard
bis diabolical plot had so far prospered
as to furnish him with evidence that
would incriminatc both Chesterton and
Lucia.
He told the Indian how nsxt he went
in the character of the unconscious suf-
ferers friend to ST. Georges Hospital,
and there obtained the proof that cor
respondence had gone on between him
and his wife which would form the basis
of his future action.
"Our good, clever gentleman reputa-
ton l hold him between my thumb and
finger = exclaimed the Count, with grin
of tiendish triumph. 81 open my mouth
and blow-pouf, pouf ! and he is gone -
"But the Pearl, how did you see that p
lnterposed Sastri, who had never lost
sight for moment of the object which
all these Vaccinations aimed at. "You
told me you saw it this morning"
"Precisely, Prince! After quitting the
hospital, / went--still in the character
of friend-to our little Punchinellos
lodgings. There l asked all sorts of ten
der questions-hi accident grieved me SO
much you understand-and in return the
gullible simpleton of a dame told me how
he went out early yesterday morning to
the bank, and stayed in the remainder of
the day, till the ill-starred evening. /
then went, still with the fiction of friend,
to the Bank of Westminster. TO the
smart, wide-awake clerk L smiled and
showed my card, and related the sad mis-
adventure of my dear friend his client.
| asked, Did he draw out much money
on his last visit for his purse was
stolen, and all particulars were wanted
for the police and did he deposit any
jewel in their care for otherwise that
also-his most valued one-was gone.
And the young clerk replied, One.
"The Black Pearl ~ cried Sastri, leap
ing up.
True the Black Pearl And because
[ was SO much concerned to see if it was
indeed the very treasure of my cherished
friend, the affublc clerk fetched it and
while | was looking at it with my own
eyes, he said, Only yesterday morning
Mr.. Csesterton placed it under oul
care.