| Show r THE CHE Vj i I ITHE BEING EPISODES IN THE LIFE EIFE OF A MASTER ROGUE THE My f name is Seymour Semour Wilbraham Wentworth I am and secretary Fe to Sir Charles the South African millionaire and famous t noun financier Many years ago when Charlie was a small lawyer law In Cape ape Town I had the qualified good fortune to marry his sister Much la later later later ter when the estate and farm near Kimberley developed by degrees Into the Cloet dorp Limit Limited ed my offered me the not post of secretary In which capacity I have ever since been his constant and attached companion com companion companion panion He Is not a man whom any common I sharper can take in is Charles Char es Van Yan drift Middle height square build firm mouth keen eyes the very pic picture picture picture ture of o a sharp and successful business genius g I have only known one rogue Impose upon Sir Charles and that one rogue as the commissary of police a aNice at I Nice remarked would doubtless have imposed upon a syndicate of Robert and Cagliostro We e across to the Riviera for fora a few weeks in the season Our ob object object object being strictly rest and recreation front from the arduous duties of a financial combination we did not think it necessary s sary Eary to take our wives wiles out with us In Indeed Indeed Indeed deed Lady Is absolutely wedded to the joys of London and does not appreciate the rural delights of the Mediterranean littoral But Sir Charles and I J though immersed In af affairs affairs affairs fairs when at home both thoroughly enjoy the complete change from the city to the charming vegetation and pellucid air on the terrace at Monte MonteCarlo MonteCarlo Carlo We e are so fond of o scenery That delicious view over the rocks of o with the Maritime Alps in the rear and the glue blue lue sea in front not to mention the imposing Casino In the j foreground appeals to me as one of the most beautiful prospects in all Eu Europe Europe Europe rope Sir Charles has a sentimental attachment for the place He finds it restores and freshens him after the turmoil of o London to win a few tew hun hundreds hundreds hundreds at tit roulette in the course of an afternoon among the palms and cac mc cactuses cactuses and pure lUre of o Monte Carlo The country say I for a jaded in intellect Intellect intellect However we never on any ac account acc account count c actually stop in the Principality Itself Sir Charles thinks Monte Carlo Carlois is nota not a sound address for a financiers letters He prefers a comfortable hotel on the Promenade P des Anglais at Nice where he recovers health and renovates his nervous system s stem by taking daily dally ex excursions excursions excursions along the coast to the Ca Casino Casino Casine sino sine This particular season we were snugly snug ensconced at the Hotel des Anglais We Ve had capital quarters on the first floor salon study and bedrooms and found round on the spot a most agreeable cosmopolitan society All Nice Just then was rinsing ringing ng with talk about a curious impostor r known to his follow followers ers era as the Great Mexican Seer and supposed to be sifted gifted with second sight eight as well weIl as with Leith endless other su mu supernatural supernatural powers Now It Is a pe peculiarity peculiarity of ot my m able that when he meets with a quack he burns to expose him he is so keen a aman aman aman man of or business himself that it gives him so to speak a disinterested pleas pleasure pleaSure ure to unmask and detect imposture In others Many ladles ladies at the hotel some gome of whom had met and conversed with the Mexican Seer were constantly telling us strange stories of or his doings He had disclosed to one ono tho the present 9 whereabouts of or a runaway husband a he had pointed out to another the numbers that would win at roulette next evening he had shown a third the Image on a screen of the man she had for tor years adored without without his knowledge Of Ot course Sir Charles believe a word of It but his cu curiosity curiosity curiosity vas teas roused he wished to see ice and Judge for himself of o the wonderful thought reader J i What would be his terms do you think for tor a private he asked asle l lof of Mme the th lady to whom the seer hull had successfully predicted the winning numbers He does not work worl for or money Mme Ime answered but for the good of humanity Im sure he would gladly come and exhibit for nothing his miraculous faculties Nonsense Sir Charles answered The man must live Id pay pa hUn hint five guineas though to see him alone What hotel is he lIe stopping at atThe atThe atThe The Cosmopolitan I think the lady lad answered Oh no I remember now the Westminster Sir Charles turned to me quietly Look here Seymour he whispered GO round to this fellows place imme immediately immediately immediately after atter dinner and offer him five pounds to give a private at once in my rooms mentioning who I am to him keep the name quiet Bring him hint back with you OU too and tomb come om straight upstairs With him so that there may ma be no collusion Well Nell Wellsee Wellsee see just how much the fellow can tell tellus tellus tellus us usI I went as directed I found the seer seera seerI a very remarkable and Interesting per person person person I son He stood about Sir Charles own height but was slimmer and straighter with an aquiline nose strangely pierc piercing piercIng piercing ing eyes very ery large black pupils and a finely chiseled close shaven face tace like the bust of in our hall in Mayfair What gave him his most characteristic touch however was his odd head of at hair curly and wavy like standing out in a halo round his high white forehead and his delicate profile I could see at a glance why he lIe succeeded so well in impressing Impressing impressing sing women he had the look of oC a poet poeta a singer a prophet I have come round I said to ask whether you ou will consent to 10 give a at once in a friends rooms and my principal wishes me to add that he heis heIs heis is prepared to pay five pounds as the price of the entertainment Senor Antonio Herrera that was was what he called himself bowed to 10 me with impressive Spanish politeness His dusky olive cheeks were wre wrinkled with witha a smile of gentle contempt as he an answered answered answered gravely ravely I do not sell seH my m gifts I bestow them freely If your our friend your anonymous friend desires to behold the cosmic wonders that are wrought through my hands I am glad to show them to him Fortunately as often happens when it Is necessary to con convince convince convince vince and confound a sceptic for that your our friend is a sceptic I feel instinctively Instinctively Instinctively I chance to have no engage engagements engagements ments at all this evening He ran his hand through his fine long hair hall reflectively reflectively Yes Yea Ill go he continued as if It addressing some Bome unknown pres presence presence presence ence that hovered about the ceiling I go come with w me Then ho he put on his broad sombrero with its crim crimson crimson son Ion ribbon wrapped a cloak round his shoulders lighted a cigarette and strode forth by my side toward the Hotel des Anglais He talked little by b the way and that little in curt sentences He seemed buried in deep thought indeed when we reached the door and I turned in he walked a step or two farther on onas onas onas as if it not noticing to what place I had brought him Then he drew himself up short and gazed around him for a moment Ha the Anglais he said sald and I may ma mention In passing that his English In spite of o a slight southern accent was Idiomatic and excellent It is here then It is here He was addressing once more the unseen pres presence presence presence ence I smiled to think that these childish devices were Intended to deceive Sir Charles Not quite the sort of man as the city of o London knows to b staken taken in by And all aH this I saw was the cheapest and most commonplace conjurors chatter I I We Ve went upstairs to our rooms Charles had gathered together a few friends to watch the performance The seer Beer entered in thought He was in evening dress but a red sash round his waist gave a touch of picturesque ness and a das of or color He paused for a m moment in the middle of ot the saloon without letting his eyes rest on anybody or anything Then he walked straight up to t Charles and held out his dark Good evening he said You are the host My Iy sight t te Good shot Sir Charles answered These fellows have hae to be quick witted you know Mrs Mackenzie or never neel get on at it The Seer gazed about him hint and smiled blankly at a person or two whose faces he seemed to recognize reO from a previous existence Then Then Charles 1 gan to ask him a 3 few sim simple pIe questions not about himself but bill bJ t about me just to test him He an answered answered answered most of o them with surprising correctness His name His Ills name begins with S I think you ou call him Seymour He paused long lon between en each clause as If the facts were wera re revealed revealed revealed to him slowly Seymour Wil Wilbraham braham brah Earl of Strafford No not Earl of o Strafford Seymour Wilbraham Wentworth There seems to be some ome connection in mind now present between Wentworth Vent worth and md Strafford Strafford ford I am am not English 1 I do 10 not riot know what it moans meals But Gut they are somehow the same name Wentworth entworth and Strafford He gazed around apparently for con confirmation l confirmation on A lady came to his res ics rescue cue Wentworth was the surname of If the great Earl of Strafford she mur murmured mur murmured murmured gently and I wag v wondering as you spoke whether Mr Wentworth might possibly be defended de ended from him He is the instantly with a flash of those dark eyes And T I thought this curious for or though thou h my father always maintained d the reality of the relationship there was one link wanting to complete he the pedigree ree He could not make malte sure that thaL hai the Hon lion Thomas Wilbraham was Wt s 3 the father of o Jonathan the Bristol horse dealer from whom we are descended Where was waa I born 7 Sir Charles Charl s in interrupted Interrupted interrupted coining coming suddenly ot of his own case The Seer clapped ibis two hands to his forehead and held it between them themas themas as if f to prevent it from bursting Africa he said slowly a as the facts I narrowed down so to to speak s eal South Africa Cape of Good Hope Jansen ville De Witt street 1840 18 O By Jove hes orret orre t ir it Charles Chat Je I muttered Ho seems really to do it Still he may have found me ne out Ho Ito j I Ima I may ma have known tie lie was corn corning corning ing ingI I never gave a hint I answered I till he reached he lour door He even know to what hotel I was pilot pilotIng pilotIng piloting Ing him The Seer stroked his chin softly His eye appeared to me to 10 have a u furtive gleam in it Would you yo like liki me to tell fell 1 you the number of a J hank bank note In closed in an envelope he asked cas casually casually casually Go out of the time tam Sir Ch lles said while I pass it I 1 around the company Senor Herrera disappeared Sir Charles passed it around cautiously I holding it all the time in his own hand but letting his guests see th number Then he placed it In an envelope and gummed It down firmly The Seer returned His keen eye ye swept the company with a comprehensive sive glance He shook his Ills shaggy shaggymane shaggymane shaggymane mane Then he took the envelope in his hands and gazed at nt it fixedly AF he answered in a slow tone A Bank ot of o Ea note for tor 50 exchanged at the Casino Calno for gold goldwon goldwon goldwon won yesterday esterday at Monte Carlo HI I see gee how ho he di that said triumphantly He must have changed it there himself and then I changed it back again In point of fact I remember seeing a t fellow f with i long hair loafing about Still Its cap capital capItal capital ital conjuring He can see through matter one of the ladies ladles Interposed It was Mme J He can see e through a box She drew a little gold vinaigrette such sneha as ag a our grandmothers used from her dress pocket What is in this she Inquired holding it up to him Senor Herrera gazed through It Three gold coins he replied Knit Knitting knitting knitting ting his brows with the effect of o seeing feeing into the box one an American 15 5 1 one a French 10 franc piece me one 20 0 marks German of the old Emperor William She opened the time box and passed It round Sir Charles smiled a quiet smile Confederacy he muttered half to himself Confederacy The Seer turned to him with a sullen air You want a better sign he ire said In a very ver impressive voice yo Ice A sign that will convince you Very well you have a letter in your left waist waistcoat waistcoat coat pocket a crumpled up letter Do you Ou wish me to read it out I will if you ou desire It It may seem to those who know Sir Charles incredible butI am bound to admit my colored What that letter contained c I cannot say he only on answered very testily and evasively I No thank you I wont trouble you OU The exhibition you have already given us of your your yom skill in inthis inthis inthis this kind more than amply And his fingers strayed nervously to his waistcoat pocket as if he was half afraid even then Senor Herrera would read It ItI ItI itI I fancied too he glanced somewhat anxiously toward Mme The Seer bowed courteously courteous Your tour our will senor Is law he said I make It a principle though I can sec se through ugh all things Invariably to respect the FB re and sanctities If It were not so I might dissolve society For which of us Is there who could bear the whole wh le truth being told about him He gazed around the room Ai Ar unpleasant ant thrill supervened Most of us felt this uncanny Spanish American knew really too much And same of us were engaged in financial operations For example the t e Seer continued blandly I happened a few weeks ago to travel down clown here from Paris by ly train with a very intelligent man a company promoter He had In his bag bat some docu documents ments he glanced at nt Sir Charles You know the kind of thing my dear sir reports from experts mining engineers en You may have hay seen seEm some such marked strictly private They form an element elemont in high finance Sir Charles Charls admitted coldly Precisely the Seer murmured his accent for a moment less les Spanish thin then before And as they the were wore marked maria strictly private I respect of cf course the seal of confidence all I wish to say I hold it a luty duty being in trusted with such powers pow rs not to t use Sl them in Ina a manner which may annoy or incommode my fellow fello creatures Your feeling does you honor Sir Charles answered with some sonic acerbity Then he whispered in my ear cat Confounded Con Confounded founded clever scoundrel s o Sey ey rather wish we ha nt brought him here Senor Herrera seemed intuitively to wish for he interposed in a lighter and gayer tone I will now show you a different and more Interesting embodiment of occult oc power for tor which we shall shan need a some somewhat somewhat somewhat what subdued arrangement ot of o surrounding sur surrounding surrounding rounding lights Would WouW you mind senor host for I have purposely ab lIb abstained abstained stained from reading your name on the ther 5 I r I brain of any anyone one present would you mind my m turning down this lamp just TW That Th t will do doNow doI doNow I Now this one and this one Exactly I right He poured a few f w grains r of 1 powder out ut of or his hiss pocket into a sau saucer saucer ear Next a match If you please plea Thank you ou It burned with a green light He drew from his pocket pock t a card and produced a little ink bottle Have you a pen he asked I Instantly brought one He handed It to |
