Year: 1873

amount the senior partners son had
pledged them, and TO recover them
for as little as | could, but
IN any case to recover them But
under no circumstances whatever was the
young man who had perpetrated the fraud
TO be followed to America, nor was his
name nor that of the firm to be brought
forward.


BY the very simple process of going to
Hayre and inqnIrlng at the American
steam-packet office | found out that the
absconding man had paid for his passage
in Bank of England notes. OF these
notes about half were traced as coming
from the money-iender of whom | have
spoken; the other half were traced as
coming from an individual in Paris who
followed a like occupation, and who, up
on inquiry, found bore very similar
reputation. | further succeeded in find-
ing out that between scoundrel number
one IN LOndOn-tO whom | shall give the
name of Mr.. Nual-and scoundrel num-
Der two in Paris-whom | shall call Mons.
Treves-there existed occasional business
relations. But whether the money fur
nished by these worthless had been given
for the bonds, in whose hands those docu-
ments now were, and how | was to re-
cover them, and yet keep the whole affair
quiet, was more than I could see my way
to; and in my difficulty, as a matter Of
course, | applied to Scotland yard, and
got one of the best officers of the detec-
tive force put under my orders


Ii was the irst-and hope it will be
the last-time that [ ever had anything
to do with conducting a criminal affair.
But Notwithstanding my inexperience, |
could see at once that the man sent me by
the London police, although recommend.
ed especially for the work. would never
carry out the business. He was an hon
est, upright fellow as ever breathed, and
would, ! have no doubt, have braved any
amouat of danger in order to carry out q
point of duty. Had | sent him on the
track of eny one who had absconded to
America, and had furnished him with


the name and photograph Of the indi-
vidual, | have no doubt that he would
have brought the culprit back with
him. But when asked for an opinion
as to where he thought the stolen bonds
were, or even, after having got a clue to
the person who probably had them, he
was asked what would be the best means
of recovering them, he seemed quite at a
loss what to do or what to advise. Then
again, like the rest of his brother detec-
lives from Scotland yard--at least all
those that | saw-he was the police
man ali over. Although dressed in plain
clothes, there could be no doubt whatever
as to what his calling was. His favorite
costume was black billycock hat, dark
cutaway coat, and drab trousers; but be
might just as well have worn helmet,
blue tuuiC, and q leather belt round his
waist. More than once as we went along
the streets | heard cabmen, roughs, and
Others say to each other "There goes
Sergeant Henry: who is he going to nab?"
And when, upon one occasion-having
previously procured him a suit of fash
ionable clotnes-I sent him with letter
OF introduction to the man we suspected,
stating that he was a Yorkshire gentle
man wishing to discount a bill, Mr.. Nual
knew him al once, and ordered him out
OF his office. In a word, it seemed i'm
possible to make use of him in the way |
required, owing to his appearance being
SO perfectly well know in London. Had
he been able to go to any one and say, 81
am Detective Henry, and | want you to
tell me so and So" he might have been of
considerable service to me; but to con-
duct a delicate inquiry of the kind had
IN hand he was of no use whatever, and


was, in fact, only a hinderance to me.
would have intrusted him with untold
gold; but as detective to find out what
wanted to know | would rather have paid
him to keep away.


CHAPTER III.-THE RIGHT SCENT.


After beating about the bush for some
ten days in London, it struck me that
might just as well try the other end of
the wood, and see whether | could not
find my game with less trouble in Paris.
Part Of the notes which the young man
had paid away at Havre had been paid to
NJ. Treves, the money lender in that city ;
and as it seemed hopeless to peTsevere on
this side of the Channel, | thought |
might as well see what could be done on
the other; and the morning after my ar
rival in the capital of France | went to
the Rue de Jerusalem, and sent up my
card, asking as a particular favor to be
\ allowed an interview with the Chief of
+ Police.


/ | was not kept waiting more than ten
minutes before | was ushered up to the
/ sanctum of the man who had such power
+ in Paris. | at once told him, although
! without giving names, that my business


was to recover certain bonds that had
/ been stolen He asked me if I suspected
I any one in particular. | said | did, and
i told him the name and address of NJ.
+ TreVes He asked me if | would like to
/ know the kind of character the man bore.
/ ] replied that ! would like very much to
i do so; although had heard already too
much of him. He then wrote the name
/ down on piece of paper, spoke through
/ a tube TO some one in a room below, and
( put the paper in sort of small lift which
+ was in the wall by his side We went on
/ talking upon various matters for about
+ five minutes, when a sound was heard
/ through the speaking pipe. The Chief
then opened the lift, took from it slip
! of paper, and read out the few words
which were written as the character of
+ NJ. -Treves:


"a money-lender."


''Has dealings with young men of good
family"


"Usurious in the extreme.


Suspected of receiving stolen bank
notes from England


"Neyer been brought TO justice"
"A character tarnished in many ways.
HAS been twice bankrupt


Now" continued the Chief of Police,


az know that you Enghshmen like to
take everything by storm. If you attempt
to do this in Paris you never will gain
your ends. You don't know in London
what the word detective (poltcs Secrete)
means, although none Of your novels or
PLAYS are complete without one or more
of that occupation among its characters,
You had better not be seen speaking to
any of nv people here; but give me your