Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-09-05
XVIII.

CHAPTER xviii
"MR. AIRFAx, 1 BELIEVE"
The sun had sunk below the horizon; the
sky became darkened, and the lights of the
'Namovna'' more and more dim. Fairfax
reused himself from his reverie, gave one
last look at the yacht, with a silent prayer
for her safety, and was turning back to
the world and to work, when an iron hand
was LAID upon his shoulder, and a clear
voice, with a slightly foreign accent,
uttered the self-answered question::
'sMr. Fairfax, / believed"
Naturally somewhat startled, Fairfax
looked at the fac of his interiocutor. In
the darkness, he could distinguish a short,
stout man with q strong Napoleonic nose
and jaw. He knew it could be no other
than Louvait, of St Malo.
"Aht" said he, quickly, Monsieur ean
Louvait, I've been expecting you. I am
delighted to see you"
Louyait, in his turn, was surprised. How
did this man know him? Where had he
ever seen hint Again, supposing he had
seen him, how was he aware of the pres
ence in America of the detective, Jean
Louvait, who was supposed to be at his
post in st. Maloa His respect for the
wonderful cleverness of this Fairfax in
SACdoOa LLlAtoltAs aS oufk CIV
ruptly.
sWhere is the Princess Natalie2n
Fairfax made no reply, but pointed to the
scarcely visible lights of the "Namovna."
Louvait looked and understood. With an
oath he brought down his clenched fist
upon his thigh, and quickly turning to Fair
fax, he assumed his most pleasant smile and
held out his hand, saying:
"Mr. Fairfax, you are the most clever
mar I ever saw. You have spoiled the
making of the finest detective in all Europe.
I am beaten, but respect you with a respect
I give to no other How did you accom-
pfsh itan
A little fiattered by such praise from a
man himself SO able, Fairfax entered into a
more pleasant humor, n putting his arm
through Louvait's, said:
"Friend Louvait, you have not dined. You
must be hungry. Come with mt and We'll
talk it all over together over a bottle of wine
and cigars. Tomorrow morning I leave.
We may not meet again"
The two, detective and detected, the one
unsuccessful, the other successful, yet de-
feated, passed leisurely over the meadow
toward Glen Gore cottage.
As they neared the house a tall, muscu-
lar figure, with long, firm strides, came
swinging down the road hat woundup to
the cottage. Louvait d~isengaged his arm
from that Of Fairfax, with the remark:
"Stop! Think / see a friend coming"
Picking up the dead branch of o tree he
planted himself in the newcomers path,
%shouldered the limb as he would a musket,
and assuming a bombastic attitude, called
out in mocking tones:
"'Ah. who art thou that's crossed the sea,
That dark and stormy waterf
The bird has flown, fair Natalie,
'Tis all in vain we've sought her.
advance, friend, and give the counter
sign, or I'll shoot you on the spot. My very
dear, much respected and clever brother
detective, allow me to inform you that
although I have beaten you in every point,
here is a gentleman who has beatenm me, and
consequently both Of u.s."
"Mr. Fairfax, allow me to present my
greatest rival, Jean Leroi."
"Monsieur Leroi, you must come with Us
for a bite and a glass of wine," said Fair.
fax, shaking hands with the new conner.
Arm in arm the trio, Fairfax in the cen
ter, sauntered down the avenue and en-.
tered b cottage, where they were duly
| presented to Miss Strong.
There was a brilliant, il small party al
Glen Gore that evening.
Louvait and Leroi could assume at wiS
the role Of a gentleman or a peasant witt
such cleverness that the genuine members
| Of either class could with difficulty be per
suaded that they beheld only veneering
Each man of the company was seeking Il
| cover up his own neutrality-suspicious.
Each man had risked a great deal in this
affair of the abduction. Each recognized il
| the others men of unusual ability, o.
extraordinary courage and determination:
4 A~l 1oNI ,-a. hn~4 49,, oc- =. ~
| others q favorable opinion as regards him
self.
That little dining-room re-echoed will
such brilliant sallies of wit, such astonish
ing anecdotes, such maryellously keer
opinions of men and matters in general, tina
Miss Strong listened in pure delight ant
wonder. She afterward declared that, al
though it had been her good fortune t.
hear some of the brightest wits and table
takers Of the day, she had never befor'
listened to such a meteorically-brilliant dis
play of conversational ability.
After dinner the men fingered owe.
their wine and cigars. Fairfax took ad
vantage of a temporary lull in the conver
sation to say:
NJ Louvait, you are anxious to hea
my story. / will tell you with pleasure
but only on one condition. First, however
let me inform you that the Princess Natali
Radziwiu is now on her way back to Europ
under the protection of the LADY, Lvdi
Broadacres,
Louyait and Leroi both stared at this
aShe win prefer no charge whatsoeEe
against me. On the contrary, she and lad,
lydia both desire to keep the matter a
quiet and secret as POSSIBLE. 1 have tn
iatter's W word for it. Furthermore, n
effort win be made eyen to discover VIII
were nv coadiutors in the abduction. The
will endeayor, in every way. to protec
from the law the owner of the yacht tina
brought us hither-and you, gentlemen. O
course, know all about that--and also t
protect all others directly or Indirectly cor
nected with the afYair. You see It viii b
futile TO attempt ANYTHING farther.
avn You. gentlemen. give me your prou
Use that you win let the matter dropa"
For a moment there was silence, Iouva,
WAS the first to sneak,
81 will said he. s.but onlv unon one en-
dit;on. "a I consider n useless tn nnrsn
the business farther. And then. auaiI
Pm anxious to learn IL YOUR story coincide
with nv theory
az x,;It a,so NJ Ea;.s.w .,5 forthA .or