Show the return of anthony trent by wyndham dham martyn 17 baem ft CHAPTER XIV continued 29 it would take more than one of conr bents to move anthony trent 1 elsh heaven would give yon the sense to recognize the people I 1 like to see gad abose who bore me anthony trent s by way of balna a celebrity send him in ave persuaded him to see yon aid the secretary to the visitor yes I 1 know I 1 overheard you trent smiled mr nill wrung anthony trent s band warmly what has dragged yoa from eu ropes glided salons he demanded business mainly and a desire to biow whether what you told me in london holds good in washington hill was a shrewd man and one accustomed cus tomed to believing that he was a good judge of human motives yet this keen faced visitor bad puzzled him for bears sir hill had alon in classifying dilca he only knew that be liked him and thought under cosne circumstances he might fear an trent sit down he said cordially and tell me on your mind do you remember what you said to me in london 1 I afkend you to lunch 1 think and naturally talked about men and things one hive to airry luncheon conversation as mental baggage 1 I expected you to fence bild trent smiling recall it you mai have forgotten that it was I 1 who found that V lellam prince of missel aadi tadi was hiding in a certain croatian castle although he bad been burled with all the pomp due to his rank certainly I 1 remember it said the ex ambassador warmly it was a very cretul piece of information for us and we were able to discount the lies that count michael Tem sevar was telling us by tt was oagot the most extraordinary feats 1 ever beard ot it was invaluable to the allies he looked at trent keenly tell me Is your life made up of these abaz ang doings I 1 ve been bearid a lot abent your capturing a pirate ship and sailing her over dry land into old home trent ignored deal beach in london he said an made a son of veiled promise to me are you sure hill retorted 1 I tn not noted tor veiling ti lings 1 I am sure and you did veil it in this instance you said that our government had no such way of repaying hose of her citizens as rendered her pedal and meritorious service your mry words mr hill you said it 1 had been english I 1 might have had by name in the birthday honor bat you likened me to a mute in glorious ailton and then made a most extraordinary statement did I 1 mr hill queried 1 I was diplomat then new enough at the tame to believe in esoteric utterances dinst what 10 lo yon remember me to have said that if ever 1 got into a tight place I 1 should something to trade alth dave you forgotten 0 o said the cabinet officer 1 re the whole alln very vividly that still goes what tight place are you in was he at last tc learn more about this timing anthony trent than the we hypothesis he held that the man had gome secret manner of life mr had known trent slightly for ten kara he remembered one of the editors of a magazine he had ang enthusiastic concerning the detective stories written by a young dartmouth athlete named anthon trent the series after a year or so as discontinued hill learned that e former writer had inherited a for tune from an australian uncle and rote no more for gain then trent h J turned up in england as an in binate friend of an aristocratic and clas lve family causing much heart among some of bl own tel ft countrymen alio were dented the privilege the ambassador who had observed closely in london had come to e conclusion that he was always on attard it seemed as his mus es were tensed as it for a struggle bod his mind singularly alert as ugh danger wee we e near mr hill ad several alme asked himself why young american alth money and lends need adopt this attitude he aped that he was about to learn the eason none eald trent ive come to to help a friend al hill was conscious of alsap the nature of the trouble you were in london in enow all about the secret a certain royal highness who came w here to hastan our entrance inac the bs scrap ow how the devil did you inov W hlll exclaimed the visit ha kept unknown for political rea 1 I also know trent went on that the ful diamond given the e sa s1 ey shot algers stolen ser wag from him n washington has and not been recovered 1 leaked l OD t see how that uld have out said mr aul but you bulte crook the well known wee rounded up and either ocl ed up or else sent out of the DIs brict of bla washington ns cafe aslet ua s was v rmel by the sea and yet the jewel was taken it was a blot on our se cret service Is it known who took it they know the woman but they nave lost her as well as the stone the woman may be lost trent remarked but as 0 the alamond I 1 mink you exaggerate he tossed the tie leathern bag on the others knee 1 I m hoping its going to bring roe good luck mr hill stared it it fascinated where did you get it from he demanded ot in washington or from his royal highness you can consider it taken in a way not usual but hardly illegal why bring it here yon must know a large reward was offered tor it that part ot it interest me I 1 brought it here because I 1 want to make a trade with you you are acting for your friend 1 I am ill return tills diamond an eel the reward if you 11 have the warrants which are out against the woman who took this quashed turn over the diamond it 1 have your official biord that she Is to be tree from police interference in future mr hlll was still staring at the gem ue had never seen so large a diamond at close range fie saw him better keep it said trent self at a cabinet meeting tossing the gorgeous thing on the table with some such remark as the prince s bauble gentlemen 1 in other words he slowly you want us to give this expert the opportunity to go on working with the pleasing 1 knowledge now ledge that the police wont interfere nothing of the sort trent corrected im not enough to ex peel a bargain of that kind I 1 merely want your assurance that the war rants now in force will be quashed if she does anything in future to bring herself within reach of the law she Is prepared to suffer for it I 1 may as well tell you she never will do any thing crooked you roust have supreme confidence in ner you coulden couldn t have expressed it bet ter I 1 have 1 roust remind you that your con may be dictated by some pure fy personal liking which has nothing 0 commend itself to me you must not expect me to be swayed by gentl ment bow can I 1 assure myself or my colleagues that your impressions 5 her are not false mr nil smiled 2 ts youir ann kindly dont be offended hen 1 say that the police considered her at the time of the loss si campaigned to get your sympathy Bym pathy eald to bave been beau nil ft think over what men have don ln th past for lovely women and thee blame me if you can tor doubling hei repentance 1 I cant blame yon trent said slowly it seems a trait of human nature to try and keep people down rather than to help them what dc you know about her mr hill I 1 am told ahe Is an aristocrat talk ing a dozen languages and used to all the was of high society she Is said to dress beautifully and talk with a slight foreign accent there was something unforgettable about her 1 think it was her eyes w hat color are her eyes A deep brown almost black said anthony trent promptly trent said smiling they re as green as jade find you know it few people see color tn the same way trent reminded him but few confound green and brown be frank with me why should I 1 believe that the countess 1 think that la what the call her wants to go straight anthony trent s face grew sterner there was a curiously dominating personality about the man mr hlll admitted heaven may rejoice over the sil of a sinner he said but the world evidently does not I 1 II 11 prove what I 1 say yesterday afternoon aft ernon 1 shiw her she had no prospect ahead but drudgery so 1 tempted her with relative luxury I 1 told her I 1 would have that diamond there cut in halt and give her a hundred thousand dol lars for her share of it I 1 begged her to take it I 1 reminded her of the life woman convicts lead in our barbarous prisons she turned the opportunity down cold I 1 tell you if ever the devil was watching for a soul there aas his chance literally she t hear of it her one idea Is to make reparation was it fair to tempt her hill asked 1 I can never fully explain to you just athy I 1 did it one of the reasons was I 1 wanted to asure myself that what 1 believed wnm true I 1 don t think I 1 ever suffered more than when 1 was trying to shake her resolve there was a new end erness in his voice which mr hill did not miss 1 I don t I 1 ve ever felt prouder than when she turned my proposition down and thought me a renegade lou must tale an uncommon in terest in this brown lady the former ambassador said slowly 1 I do trent admitted why im here 1 I might point out said the other that you have put your head in the mouth of a lion perfectly able to snap it off close to the collarbone if he chooses it s true you have the dla mond in your pocket tor the moment but to hinder me from ringing a bell and having you and it seized if you observe said anthony trent you will see 1 am occupying a position of advantage he was sitting in a leathern arm chair by the side of an open fire in which some oak logs were burning hammer blows may not hurt dla monds bat heat does I 1 have only to drop this into the flames and the nizam s gem will never sparkle again carbon to carbon it would distress me very much to have to do this mr hill you are resourceful the other admitted after all it was not likely that the man who had outwitted ml chael Temes var would be caught napping 1 I ve got to be trent conceded ahat ts the answer 1 I donl want the diamond destroyed 1 hate wanton waste lt I 1 can I 1 d like to help yoa you gave your govern ment very important information dur ing a period of unrest after the war some consideration Is due to you if 1 can arrange the matter that is the factor upon which I 1 shall count but remember this anthony trent you are using up your credit to pay the debts of some one else I 1 ask vou Is it worth while it Is said trent quickly when do you leave washington As soon as I 1 get your answer I 1 m hoping to go at noon tomorrow 1 l call me up here tonight between twelve and half past ive you my private telephone number this he demanded as trent thrust the little chamois leather bag into bis hands better keep it said trent aren t you inclined to be fluent mr hlll demanded you cant put it in the fire now TO BE |