THE BLACK DIAMOND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 221, 23 October 1909, Page 3

THE BLACK DIAMOND.

~IIOW A I'EttT FKENCH JIAIO WAS ;| TIUIU'EI) BY'SEXTON BLAKE. . ( ''Your Excellency will wear til pearls?" 1 The Countess Doldorf gave a littl peuilant shrug of her very shapely ghoul ders, and looked from a table all a fcliiUT with jewels to the lovely visioj in the mirror opposite her, and then infci the nnxiuiifi, attentive faee of Justin' i "I am in-eii of pearls. Justine," slu slid. ■■<ipfti mv safe and get me ill. lilaek diamond pendant. 1 will wca | only that." "It will be ravishing!" eooed Justin:! "With the amber gown of madame, am with her corn-gold hair, and her throa ! more fair than the pallor of a field o I lilies, the black diamond will be of ai i exquisite, taste! Yet her Excellency wn remember that the clasp is not verj linn, and the jewel.is beyond price." "You are insulierable, Justine, witl your eternal prudence!" said the coim tess, with a merry laugh. "You an worse limn his Excellency! He, at least spares me sermons! G c t me the blacl diamond." "As madame wishes!" sighed Justin:; Flora Doldorf was the wife of one o; (he richest liussiau nobles, famous >: England, who took pleasure in lavisdiuf on lier the most costly and rare token: of his atl'ectioas that his wealth coup,' procure. It was her first season in London, and to-night was to be the ollicial consecration of her success. For the King would grace the ball she was giving, and slu knew that she would be the eynosuii of the most critical and sceptical an J vigilant eyes in Europe. In the wholi world Ulcre was nothing like the black diamond. "-Madame will perhaps only wear it.' Justine suggested, "till his Majesty has gone. The clasp is even mo.re loose thai: 1 thought. A touch—but a simple touch —and it come undone." "Oh. it i« safe enough!" said Countess Doldorf, as she moved to the door. Carelessly conscious of an exquisite toilet, Countess Doldorf descended til', stairs slowly. She hurried her pace ind in the same instant turned with n :ry of alarm as a statue which she had lust passed fell with a crash behind hePaul Doldorf, startled by the crash ttme racing up the stairs as Justine vith a terrified shriek, came racin« lown, and for a moment all was usion. "My dear Paul," cried the counte.-.s 'I do not know lion- it happened! I was mrrying to meet you, when I heard tit; hing crash down behind me. It is lucln saw you, or I sliould have been wo'k ng slowly, mid it would have fallen or

mg siowiy, ana it would have fallen on me." "It is the '.' began Justine, th°n paused, and stared terrified at her mistress's neck. "What 16 to do, Justine?" asked Countess Doldorf coldly. ~ "Hon Dicu! The diamond!" whispered Justine. "The black diamond!" | Countess Doldorf' s hand leapt to her I throat, then fell outwards in a gesture of dismay and annoyance. I "It ■ has gone!" she said blankly searching the floor with her eyes. |" Justine Hung herself on her ka«..-.. groping from stair to stair. "You were wearing the pendant?'' asked the count. "Yes, I had just put it on," replied (.minifies Doldorf. "Justine told me the <lasp was a little loose. It must have jerked free when I jumped round at the. | sound of the crasli." "Well, it can't have gone far," said Doldorf. with a reassuring smile. Hut at the end of a minute tile fount's assurance changed to a look of consternation. "It must have slipped into vour corsage.'' he said, in an anxious tone. , "Xo; I have tried. It is not on mo," replied his wife blankly. In.vain they called buck the servants bearing away the broken statue; in vaL-i examined the hall and gallery, fh' .stairs ' and corridor. The pendant'was not to i be found. 'This is very serious." said the count ■ quietly. "For your own sakes, as well < as for mine, you three men. and tou, i Justine, must be searched." Thev 'sub- < mittedj but the diamond had oi'vsteri- ' ously, inexplicably vanished.

"Before examining the staircase. I should like to ask a question of Jusline," said Sexton Blake, In answer to a telephone summons, he had hastened to the count's house, and bad lifard with unconcealed interest the tale.of the extraordinary disappearance. "Justine is quite above suspicion!" said Counttss Doldorf, "She has been with me for years, and had she wuut :d to be dishonest she could have decamped with all my jewels any day. "My suspicions do not point towards Justine," said Jilakc gravely: "hut it is possible that she may have observed -ome detail that, escaped vour notice. ( understand, count, that the maid was at your wife's side as *onn n= you yourself

"Aliipnt two seconds sooner. T sho-ild think." said Doldorf. "I stiniililed nvr a chair in.thi- hall as I dashed for the staircase when T heard my wife's pry and thai resounding crash.'' " "It is obvious, then, that Justine must have been on the staircase, and have possibly- seen how the statue came to fall." s:iid Hlnko. '-Willi your pennission. I would like to see her'alone." One glance, into the French maid's shrewd, secretive face (old Blake that if she had anything to conceal he would' labor in vain to discover it from her speech. "Your master will have told you who 1 am," he said, in his pleasantest manner, "and 1 may say at once that they have expressed the' highest confidence in you. I want you to tell me why you were on ("up grand staircase at a moment when your duties would naturally have detained you in your mistress's room putting awav'her jewels?" Justine's face took a sickly hue. then Hushed scarlet, and her black eyes glittered spitefully. ' "Is monsieur going to teach me my duties:'' she said. "I do not see it was anything very extraordinary that I should be on (he grand staircase. T am not ashamed of i(."

"Why should you be?" said Blake Soothingly. "Mon Dicu! It is simple enough.", said Justine. "I desired to see how my mistress looked as she went down. She was so radiant, T could not resist following her!" "Very natural," murmured Blake, "and very fortunate, for yon would thus ha.'c seen how i( was the'statue fell." "Ma foi. no!" she replied. "When 1 heard the crash I liad already turned to legain madame's room and put her jewels away. But at (he sound of th" breaking stone and madame's cry f turned again, to see. die statue fallen and madamp gazing at it bewildered. And I rushed down, afraid that she was hurt."

"Even (hough you saw (he count with her?" murmured Blake. "What will von?" retorted the maid, with a little shrug of her shapely shoulders. "One does no! question with such impulses. I saw (hat the count was a! her elbow—yes: fiuTMid not give him a thought. I thought onlv of niv mistress."

•'Thank von!" said Blake, a strange gleam in hU eyes. "That is all I want at present."

"Justine's replies are quite satisfactory." said Blake, rejoining Doldorf and his wife in the hall. "I. would ilkc now to examine the staircase. I shall be' glad, count, if you will stand where you were standing when you heard Countess Doldorf's cn\

He ran lightly up the stairs till lie reached the point Avliere they gave on to the flying gallery. From the balustrade opposite he could see all the hall, and tlie count standing almost beneath him, by a table littered with various books and papers. Ktcripinj back into the gallery, he saw that he was completely hidden-from anyone in the hall, but In full view of anyone above. }'ct It was obvious that, liad the statue that had fallen still occupied its niche on the right entrance to the gallery, be would nave been able to conceal himself from the view of anyone coming down th" stairs. "So you bad only eyes for madam '. my catty little Justine?" lie murmured, as, following Ihc gallery, he went on to hands and "knees and scrutinised the IJoor of the recess through a powerful i lens. Then he stepped through the'open window '.in to the balcony without, and gave a little laugh of satisfaction as he examined the leaded surface, moist with the heavy Jew.

¥e descended to the hall again, conMiltins his wtfeh. ' "Well ?"said Doldnrf anxiously. "What do you make of it, Mr. Blake? Have you solved the problem? Or does it baffle you as completely as it mystifies me?" "T think T have solved Hie problem," said Tllake coolly, "What? You know where the pendant has got to?" cried the count. 'Tan von recovc,. it?" asked (lie countess eagerly. , " "Tt to now half-past eight." slid Blake, evading ft direct reply, "I unto'-

stand that your reception does not take place till ten; If you would caro to spend an interesting half-hour, I would suggest that Y ou take a box at tie ' Frivolity." " I j "You are joking, Mr. Blake!" said the] count.

'' "The turn I particularly want you to see," pursued Blake, meeting the count's ! angry gaze with an enigmatic snii.'e, "begins at live minutes to nine. If yoa will be good enough to be in your box then, and to follow the instructions Ij shall send to you, I think I may safety 1 say that by ten o'clock you will have your diamond again in your possession.'! "And shall we not see you there'r | asked the countess. "Oh, certainly, as far as I i.n anticipate," said Blake. "1 have a few enquiries to make, but 1 shall be there." "We'll go at once, Paul," said the tounless, as Blake took a hurried leave, "That man inspires me with the utmost confidence. Besides, I'm dying to know what is going to happen! - ' "I don't know why Blake wanted to bring us here," said Doldorf, as lie gazed, ' half an hour later, from his box at Cue Frivolity at the antics of a quick-change I artist who was delighting his aiidien.o impersonating leading men in bunion. His wife's reply was interrupted by the entrance of an attendant with a I note. Doldorf read it, whispered a message to the attendant, and handed the note to his wife. "In two minutes," it ran, "the mani on the stage will impersonate you. Lcaii|' forward and draw his attention by.' clapping. Tell the attendant who brings I this to bring you the actor after his' '■ turn to receive your congratulations. Ij' will come with him. ! "SEXTON - BLAKE. - ' ; "Oh, it's killing!" cried the countess, j

as the man in front reappeared, mimicking to the life the appearance, mannerisms, and voice of her husband. "Applaud, Paul, quickly!" Doldorf, pink with vexation, leant forward and clapped, the countess joining him. A shout of delight went up from the house as thev were recognised, and for a moment, tile eyes of the actor rested on them with an expression of obvious stupefaction, and his hand fle.v to his heart. It was his last turn, and, after acknowledging the encore, he disappeared in the wings.

A few minutes later the door of the count's box opened again, and the\atI tendant introduced "Professor Julias Hake," still garbed in his last impcrsoo. atibn, and at the same moment Blake stepped in and softly bolted the door. The professor seemed anything but at his case as he listened to the count's congratulations, and, stammering hie acknowledgments, made to back out. He was interrupted by Sexton Blake, who, slipping an arm through his, he'd him in a grip of iron. I "You are forgetting something, Julius,! my friend," said the detective pleasantly. "When one impersonates so courteous a gentleman as the count, one should be complete in every detail."

"Sexton Blake!" stuttered liaise, blanching under his grease-paint. "Yes, your old acquaintance, Sexton Blake," said the detective, in a'gently ironic tone. "Come, Julius, play up to you,- part. Do you not sec that the countess is overwhelmed "with anxiety !esi you should lose her diamond. pendant."

"I don't know what you mean!" said Hake. And, with a sudden violent conlortion, he tried to wrench himself free. But Blake's grip hardened, and at a sign from him the attendant laid hands on Hake's other arm.

"Yes, you do, Julius!" said Blake, "But, as you are so stubborn, f must d.>

Jle dived his hand into the opening of Hake's shirt, and' drew out a little chamois-leather bag. "If you will open that." lie said to the count,' "you will find the pendant insid'. And now, Tony, you had better take Hake outside and accompany him U Bow Street."

"But how on earth did "Vou hit on it Mr. Blake?" said the delighted Russian, as Hake was conveyed away.

"It was really very simple," said Blake. "Thanks to your immediate search, it was at once evident that the diamond must have gone by way of the gallery arid the window—that is to say, someone must have been concealed there. An examination of the balcony assured me that no one would have dared to enter or escape that way inl) the street. He would have been im mediately caught. I picked up the marks of the man's feet on the balcony. He had evidently waited there for soire time, probably till you had finished dinner, before venturing to slip out and leave the house by the front door. Of course, the maid Justine was an accomplice. She gave herself away when she told me that she saw you at your wife's elbow at the moment when she turned as the statue fell. Hake, got upas yo.i, had been lying concealed in the gallery, l'robalily his intention was to raid your loom while you were at dinner, but. seeing the black diamond on your wife's neck, he was seized with the idea <f throwing down the statue, grabbing the. diamond, and fleeing hack to cover. What renders Justine's complicity bcjond a doubt is the fact that she left the imprint of her shoes on the dewdrenched balcony. She evidently went there to warn him of the madness o!' making any attempt on vour safe that night," "But how could lie get in and out? - ' asked the count. "There is always a footman on my door."

'The footman took him for you," replied Blake, "when he entered. And Justine got rid of him to let the scoundrel out. I elearad up that point when i left vou."

"And you spotted the fellow straight off as this impersonator of the halls?" asked Doldorf.

"All, Julius Hake is an old acquaintance of mine!" said Wake. "I knew he was impersonating you at (he Frivolity, and I knew his insatiable appetite for unique gems. The association of ideawas too strong no( to subject him (o suspicion. The chances were a hundred lo one against (he jewel lieing anywhere but on ill's person; ami lie betrayed its whereabouts by the instinctive gesture lie gave when he caught sight of you n the box."—Answers.