Читать книгу The Robe of Lucifer - Fred M. White - Страница 9

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AT this moment the Purple Damask is in the possession of Prince Ayoub, presented to him by the Chevalier Beckton, whose concessions from Libania are unfortunately no longer valuable, a Morgan occupation being followed by the flight of Selim XII.

The strange death of Wallingford Hope is likely to remain a mystery; but as to the disaster which robbed Morgany of one of its brightest ornaments, the thing was perfectly clear. Like a great many other brilliant men, Admiral Mongolifor suffered from insomnia, and, as many clever men have done before, carelessness with narcotics had resulted in disaster. As to Hope, his letter to his wife was, to a certain extent, an explanation. A poor relation, a mauvais sujet, had suddenly become troublesome, and had to be got out of the way without delay. No doubt the door of the carriage had been carelessly closed by a sleepy porter, and the rest followed. Only one man could have told the story by conjecture, and he held his tongue; and that man was Chevalier Beckton, who, a few days later, was seated in a first-class carriage, alone on his way to Dover.

The chevalier smiled to himself as the train steamed out of the station. Before unfolding his Times, he took the ticket out of the leathern direction-tablet of his one portmanteau, and, tearing it up, replaced it with another. On the latter, written neatly on a visiting-card, was the legend—

DEATH,

PASSENGER TO DOVER