CHAPTER XXIII
TheBaron was quite pleased at his encounter with Lady Ethel, for it was well to know that Gaunt and his wife were not on good terms, and it ought not to be a difficult matter to widen the breach. Upon arriving at the hotel several telegrams were handed to him, and a frown came to his face as he read the cipher message from Brussels which urged him to stop Gaunt’s campaign at all costs. But still he did not allow it to interfere with his enjoyment of a carefully selected lunch. The Burgundy was warmed to the exact temperature which suited his palate, and when the coffee was served he felt quite equal to the coming interview with Mr. Julian Weiss. He was dozing in an armchair before the fire when his visitor was announced, and he rose to greet the Jew with that suave pleasant manner for which he was famed.
“I am indeed pleased to see you. Of course you will smoke, and I can confidently recommend those Corona-Coronas.”
The Baron himself did not care for cigars, but he was an excellent judge of them, and knew their value as a gift to one whom he wished to place on good terms with himself.
“Sherren came to me and said that you wished to see me on most important business. As you know, I am always prepared to consider a scheme in which I can see a reasonable profit,” Weiss said, in his rather pompous manner, and then took a long draw at the cigar.
“It may disappoint you to hear that there is no money to be made out of our little talk.”
“My time is valuable, Baron, and if I had known——”
“But I think that there are other things that appeal to you as well as money. You are not the man to forget a bad turn, and I understand that Gaunt rather bested you in a recent deal.”
“Bested—he swindled me,” Weiss cried hotly.
The Baron smiled faintly, as he heard the Jew’s betrayal of his nationality, for in his anger the careful pronunciation had been forgotten.
“If your business concerns Gaunt, and there is a chance of getting level with him, then I am with you, money or no money.”
“I imagined that would be your attitude. You say that Gaunt swindled you, and I’ve the same complaint to make against him. Only, in my case, he has betrayed those who were his friends, and who had helped him to his wealth. Now, I want you to tell me the whole of the circumstances of that deal in Amanti shares,” the Baron said quickly.
There was a quick glance from Weiss that was full of suspicion.
“Of course, anything that you say I shall hold in the strictest confidence, and I shall take no step without consulting you,” the Baron added quickly.
“All right, Baron. I know that you aren’t over particular yourself, and you won’t be shocked at a little sharp practice,” Weiss said with a laugh, that grated on the Belgian’s nerves.
“I got hold of a man named Davis, and it was arrangedthat he should cable home a report in his manager’s name to the effect that they had struck gold of a high grade. I didn’t want my name to appear in the business, so I agreed with Gaunt to work the market. It came off, and Gaunt made his pile, but when I went to claim my share he practically told me to go to the devil,” Weiss wound up angrily, for he still smarted to think of the way he had been “done.”
“And to add insult to injury,” he continued, “the blackguard sent a check in my name to the King’s Hospital Fund for the amount I ought to have received.”
“Have you any idea why he did that? It was very strange, for it could not have been on account of the money that he refused to pay you,” the Baron remarked thoughtfully.
“I don’t care a damn about his reasons. I want my twenty odd thousand pounds, and I’ll have it, or Gaunt shall pay me in some other way,” the Jew cried furiously, and jumping to his feet commenced to pace rapidly to and fro.
“I can see that you are going for him in the papers, and I’ll give you as much information as you can want about various shady deals in which he has been concerned. And I’ll give you the evidence to prove ’em up to the hilt. I schwear I’ll make the city too hot for Mr. John Gaunt before I’ve done with him.”
“Didn’t it turn out that there really was a valuable find of gold?”
“So they reported, but I have just heard that the report was incorrect, although the manager out there evidently believed in it. When I left the office Amantis were selling at five shillings with no buyers. I boughtmyself when they were at two pounds, and so I got left again,” Weiss said savagely.
“Very unfortunate. I do not wonder that you were angry. By the bye, have you any evidence that Gaunt had knowledge that the cable sent by Davis was forged?” the Baron asked casually.
“Yes. Read through this letter.”
De Croiseuil rapidly scanned the few lines but his face gave no sign of the satisfaction that he felt.
“That seems quite clear. I wonder if you would mind if I kept this letter?” He placed it carefully in his pocketbook without waiting for an answer, and then continued more quietly.
“I shall be glad if you will send me details of any other shady transactions by Gaunt, and I will see that they are made use of at once. Now I think we have finished, and I expect you will be glad to get back to the City. Take another cigar.”
“You will not allow my name to appear?” Weiss said uneasily.
“My dear sir, I am a gentleman, and—but you can trust me. Good-day, and thanks.”
When Weiss had gone the Baron sent out for the evening papers, and once more settled himself in comfort before the fire, but as he read a frown came to his face, and he uttered an imprecation.
The same advertisement again stared him in the face, and it was natural that the public should take an interest in the spending of such large sums of money, even if the wrongs of the natives of the Congo failed to interest the “man in the street.” Moreover, it was becoming realized that Gaunt was deeply in earnest and had deliberatelystarted to fight the powerful clique in Brussels. The millionaire’s well-known character naturally increased the interest, and there could be no doubt that the agitation would soon extend so that its suppression would become an increasingly difficult task.
In great staring letters there was an announcement that Gaunt was to address a men’s meeting at the Royal Albert Hall.
“And the man will fill the building,” the Baron muttered uneasily.
It was no small thing for which he was fighting. It must be remembered that he and his friends received a large income, which would cease immediately, should the reform be forced upon them. Just as soon as the natives were given justice, the rubber would cease to come, at any rate until the country had had time to recover itself from years of merciless persecution. There were thousands of Belgians whose livelihood depended upon the continuation of the present régime, and in the event of its ceasing, Belgium would swarm with those men, most of them undesirables whose morals were utterly ruined by the lives they had led in the Congo.
And they had been going along so smoothly until the intervention of Gaunt. The death of King Leopold had promised to give them an indefinite prolongation of their reign, for his successor was a man of amiable character, who lived a clean life, and they could shelter themselves beneath his name. The great desire of Europe would be to give King Albert an opportunity of showing what he could do, for it was not realized that he possessed but titular power. The late King had been an absolute monarch, and his conduct had almost driven the peopleto seek a Republic; so that it was necessary for King Albert to tread warily, and become the most constitutional of sovereigns.
Of the Belgian Parliament the Baron had no fear; there was no party that desired to see reform in the Congo save a few members who really understood the conditions of affairs in the Free State.
For years King Leopold had understood that the only possible means by which he could be stopped from garnering his tainted gold was by the awakening of England and the United States to the truth. He had recognized that these free people were sound at heart, loathing all persecution, and that should they once realize the brutal truth, their righteous indignation would insist upon the immediate freeing of the natives from a diabolical tyranny.
And now the danger of a great awakening loomed ahead.
The mask fell from the Baron’s face, as these thoughts passed through his mind, and there was a malignant look in his eyes.
“I will break the man,” he muttered vindictively.
Gone was the suave man of the world and the brutal savage was revealed. But at the sound of a knock at the door, his face changed and a smile was forced to his lips.
“Oh, it’s you, Sherren. What news have you?” he asked pleasantly.
“I met Davis at Paddington, and I’ve got his address.”
“Good. Here’s a little document that you might like to read,” the Baron remarked and handed over the letter given to him by Weiss.
Sherren looked at him admiringly, when he had mastered its contents.
“I wonder that Weiss cared to part with it, but I suppose that he was blinded by his rage against Gaunt. This little document simplifies matters, and ought to be very useful.”
“Weiss is sending on further material against Gaunt, and I shall be glad if you will sift it thoroughly, for it’s important that we don’t make any mistakes.”
The Baron turned to the waiter who had entered, and took a telegram from the silver salver, which he tore open impatiently:
“Am forwarding Marillier documents. Advisethat you proceed without delay.”
“Am forwarding Marillier documents. Advisethat you proceed without delay.”
“Am forwarding Marillier documents. Advisethat you proceed without delay.”
“Am forwarding Marillier documents. Advise
that you proceed without delay.”
“There is no answer,” he said, and then lapsed into silence, for the message gave him food for thought.
Sherren was glancing through the evening papers, and now and then stopped to make a note, which he intended to use in an article which he was preparing for the next day.
“Eh bien.I think we have finished for the present, Sherren. I would suggest that you see your friend, the chairman of the Amanti Mining Company, and show him that letter. You know what to advise him to do,” the Baron said significantly.
“But what about Weiss? His name is compromised, and——”
“I fear that this is not the moment for delicate scruples. Of course, I should like to protect Mr. Weiss in every way that is possible, but——”
He shrugged his shoulders expressively.
“But if Weiss must suffer with Gaunt, it is unfortunate; but I shouldn’t consider the chief rabbi himself if it would interfere with my attack on Gaunt. I shall await your report with much interest. Good-afternoon.”
And the Baron took from a silver box on the table a cigarette which he carefully lighted. Then he drew a deep breath.
“Now I think we are coming to close quarters, and we shall see a pretty fight—but——”
The Baron’s face became moody.