THE GRAND BABYLON HOTEL MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20805, 23 February 1931, Page 16

THE GRAND BABYLON HOTEL MYSTERY.

By ARNOLD BENNETT.

( COPY M GUT.)

Author of/'Anna of the Five Towns,' v "Tefesa of Wntling Street, Mr. Prohack. ' % A THRILLING STORY OF CRIME, LOVE, MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE.

CHAPTER VIII. NEI.LA, DETECTIVE On (lie following morhing, just before lunch, a lady, accompanied by a maid and a considerable quantity of luggage, came to the Grand Babylon Hotel. She was a plump little old lady, with white hair and an old-fashioned bonnet, and she had a quaint, simple smile of surprise at everything in general. Nevertheless, she gave the impression of helonging to some aristocracy, though not tiie English aristocracy. Her tone to her maid, whom she addressed in broken English—the girl being apparently. English—was distinctly insolent, with the calm, unconscious insolence peculiar to a certain type of Continental nobility. The name on the lady's card ran thus: " Baroness Zerlinski." She desired rooms on the third floor. It happened that Nella was, in the bureau.

" On the third floor, madam ?" questioned Nella, in her best clerkly manner. I did say on do t'ird floor," said the plump little old lady. "We have accommodation on the second floor."

"I wish to be high up, out of do dust and in de explained the Baroness.

" We. have no suites on the third floor madam."

" Nevdr mind, no mattaire! Have you got two rooms that communicate?" " Nella consulted her books, rather awkwardly. " Numbers 122 and 123 communicate." " Or is it 121 and 122?" the little old lady remarked quickly, and then bit her lip."

" I beg your pardon. I should have said 121 and 122."

At/ the moment Nella regarded the Baroness' correction of her figures as a curious chance, but afterwards, when the Baroness had ascended in the lift, the thing struck her as somewhat strango. Perhaps the Baroness Zerlinski had stayed at the hotel before. ' For the sake of convenience an index of visitors to the hotel was kept, and the index extended back for thirty years. Nella-examined it, hut it did not contain the name- of Zerlinski. Then it was that Nella began to imagine what had swiftly crossed her mind when first, the Baroness presented herself at the bureau, that the features of the Baroness were remotely familiar to her. She thought, not that she had seen the old lady's face before, but that she had seen somewhere, some time, a face of a similar cast.

It occurred to Nella to look at the " Almanach de Gotlia," (hat record of all mazes of Continental blue blood; but the " Almanach de (lotha " made 110 reference to - any barony of Zerlinski. Nella inquired where the Baroness meant to take lunch, and was informed that table had been reserved for her in the dining room, and she at once decided to lunch in the dining room herself. Seated in a corner, half-hidden bv a pillar, she could survey all the. guests, and watch each group as it entered or left. Presently the Baroness appeared, dressed in black, with a tinv lace shawl, despite the .Tune warmth; vcrv stately, very quaint, and gently smiling. Nella observed her intently. The lady ate heartily, working without haste and without delay through the elaborate menu of the luncheon. "Nella noticed that she had beautiful white teeth. Then a remarkable thing happened. A cream puff was served to the Baroness by way of sweets, and Nella was astonished to see the little ladv remove the top, and with a spoon quietly, take something from the interior which looked like a piece of folded paper. No one who had not been watching with the eve of a lynx would have noticed anything extraordinary in the action: indeed, the chances were nine hundred arid ninety-nine to one that it would pass unheeded. But, unfortunately for the Baroness, it was the thousandth chance that happened. Nella jumped up. and walking over to the Baroness, said to her: " I'm afraid that the tart is not quite nice, your ladyship." " Thanks, il is delightful.'' said the Baroness coldly: her smile had vanished. " Who are you ? I thought you were de bureau clerk."

" My father is the owner of this hotel. I thought thero was something in the tart which ought not to have been there."

Nella looked the Baroness full in the face. The piece of folded paper, to which a little cream had attached itself, lay under the. edge of a plate. " No, thanks," the Baroness smiled her simple smile. Nella departed. She had noticed one thrilling thing besides the paper—namely, that the Baroness could pronounce the English "th " sound if she chose. _ , That afternoon, in her own room, Nella sat meditating at the. window for a long time, and then she suddenly sprang up, tier eves brightening. " 1 know." she exclaimed, clapping her hands. "It's Miss Spencer, disguised! Why didn't I think of that before?" Her thoughts ran instantly to Prince Aribert. 1 " Perhaps I can help him," she said to herself, and gave a littlesigh. She went down to the office and inquired whether the Baroness had given any instructions about dinner. She felt that some plan must be formulated. She wanted to get hofcl of Bocco, and put him 011 the rack. She knew now that Bocco, the unequalled, was also concerned in this mysterious affair.

" The Baroness Zerlinski has left, about a quarter of an hour ago," said the attendant

" But' she. only arrived this morning."

" The Baroness's maid said that her mistress had received a telegram, and must leave at once. The Baroness paid the bill and went away in ' a fourwheeler." " Where to?"

" The trunks were labelled for Ostend "

Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it was the mere spirit of adventure; but that evening Nella was to be seen of all men fiu the steamer for Ostend which leaves Dover at 11. p.m. She bad told 110 one of her intentions —noi even her father, who was not in I lie hotel when she left. She had scribbled a brief note to hint to expect her back in a day or two. and had posted ibis at Dover. The steamer was the M;irie Henriette, a large and luxurious boat, whose stale-rooms 011 deck vie with the glories of the Cunard and White Star liners. One of these state-rooms, the best, was evidently occupied, for every curtain of its windows was carefully drawn.

Sella did not hope that the Baroness was on board; it was quite possible for the Baroness to have caught the eight o'clock s(earner and it was also possible for the Baroness not. to liave gone to Ostein! *t all. but to soiiie other place in an entirely different direction. Nevertheless, Sella had a faint hope that the lady who called herself Zerlinski might be. in that curtained state-roam, and throughout the smooth moonlit voyage she never once relaxed her observation of its doors and its windows. The Marie Hennotte arrived in Osfend Harbour, punctually at twit in the morning. There was the usual heterogeneous, gesticulating crowd on the quay. Sella kept her post near the door of the stateroom, and at length she was rewarded by seeing it open. Four middle aged F.nglishii! >ti ssned from it.' From a glimpse of the interior Sella saw thai they had spent the voyage in card playing It would not be '.ou much to say that she was distinctly annoyed She pretended lo be annoyed with circumstances, but really she was annoyed with Sella Racksclo. At two in the morning, with-

out luggage, without any companionship, and without a plan of campaign, she found herself in a strange foreign port—a port of evil repute, possessing sonic of the worst-managed hotels in Europe. She strolled 011 the quay for a few minutes, and then she saw the smoke of another steamer in the offing. She inquired from an oflicial what that steamer might be, and was told that it was the eight o'clock from Dover, which had broken down, put into Calais for some slight, necessary repairs, and was arriving at ils destination nearly four hours late. Jler mercurial spirits rose again. The steamer seemed intermihably slow in coming into harbour. Nella walked on the Digue for a few moments to watch it the better. The town was silent and almost deserted. It had a false and sinister aspect. .When the second steamer arrived Nella stood at the end of,the gangway, close to the ticket-collector. The first person to step on shore was—not the Baroness Zerlinski, but Miss Spencer herself! Nella turned aside instantly, hiding her face, and Miss Spencer, carrying a small bag, hurried with assured footsteps to the custom house. It seemed as if she knew the port of Ostend fairly well. The moon shone like day, and Nella had full opportunity to observe her quarry. She co-iid see now quite plainly that the Baroness Zerlinski had been' only Miss Spencer in disguise. There was the same gait, the same movement of the head and of the hips; the white hair was easily to be accounted for by a wig, and the wrinkles by a paint-brush and some grease paints. Miss Spencer, whose hair was now its old accustomed yellow, got through the Custom House without difficulty, and Nella saw her call a closed carriage' and say something to the driver. The vehicle drove off. Nella jumped into the next carriage—an open one—that came up. " Follow that carriage, ' she said succinctly to the driver in French. " Bien, madame!" The driver whipped up his horse, and the animal shot forward with a terrific clatter over the cobbles. It appeared that this driver was quite accustomed to following other carriages. "Now I am fairly in for it!" said Nella to herself. She laughed unsteadily, but her heart was beating with an extraordinary thump. For some time the pursued vehicle kept well in front. Jt crossed the town nearly from end to end, and plunged into a maze of small streets far 011 the south side of the Kursaal. Then gradually Nolla's equipage began to overtake it. The first carriage stopped with a jerk before a tall dark house, and Miss Spencer emerged. Nella called to her driver to stop; but he, determined to be in at the death, was engaged in whipping his horse, and he completely ignored her commands. He drew up triumphantly at the tall dark house just at the moment when Miss Spencer disappeared into it. 'I he other carriage drove away. Nella, uncertain what to do, stepped down from her carriage and gave the driver some money. At the same moment a .man re-opened the door of the house, which had closed 011 Miss Spencer. " I want to see Miss Spencer," said Nella impulsively. She couldn't think of anything else to say. " Niiss Spencer?" " Yes: she's just arrived." " It's 0.K., 1 suppose," said the man. " 1 guess so." said Nella, and she walked past him into the house. She was astonished at her own audacity. Miss Spencer was just going into a room off the narrow hall. Nella followed her into the apartment, which was shabbily furnished in the Belgian lodginghouse style.

" Well, Miss Spencer," she greeted the former Baroness Zerlinski, " 1. guess you didn't expect to see imp. You left our hotel very suddenly this afternoon, and you left it .very suddenly a few days ago; and so I've just called to make a few inquiries." To do 1 hat lady justice, Miss Spencer bore the surprising ordeal very well. She did not flinch; she betrayed 110 emotion. The solo sign of perturbation was in her hurried breathing. "You have ceased <0 be the Baroness Zerlinski," Nella continued. " May I sit down ?" " Certainly, sit down," said Miss Spencer, copying the girl's tone. " You are a. fairly smart young woman, that 1 will say. ' What do ' you want ? Weren't my books straight?" " Your books were all straight. 1 haven't come about your books. I have come about the murder of Reginald Dimmock. the disappearance of his corpse, and the disappearance of Prince Eugen, of Pose 11. I thought you might be able to help me in some investigations which 1 am making." Miss Spencer's eyes gleamed, and she stood up and moved swiftly to the mantelpiece. " You may be a Yankee, but you're a fool." she said. Slip took hold of the bell-rope. " Don't, ring that bell if you value your life," said Nella. "If what?" Miss Spencer remarked. " If you value your life," said Nella calmly, and with the words she pulled from her pocket a very neat and dainty little revolver. CHAPTER IX. NEM.A IS IN DIFFICULTY. " You—you're only doing that to frighten me." stammered Miss Spencer, in a low, quivering voice. Am 1?" Nella replied, as firmly as she could, though her hand shook violently with excitement, could Miss Spencer but have observed it. "Am I ? You said just now that I might lie. a Yankee girl, but I was a fool. Well. I am a Yankee girl, as you call it; and in my country, if they don't teach revolver shooting in boarding-schools, there are at least a lot of girls who can handle a revolver. I happen to be one of them. I tell you that if you ring that bell you will suffer." " Most of this was simple bluff 011 Nella's part, and she trembled lest Miss Spencer should perceive that it was simple bluff. Happily for her, Miss Spencer belonged to that order of women whip have every sort of courage except physical courage. Miss Spencer could have withstood successfully any moral trial, but. persuade her that her skin was in danger and she would succumb. Nella at once divined (bis useful fact, and proceeded accordingly, hiding (he strangeness of her own@sen.sations as well as she could. " You had better sit down now." said Nella. and I will ask vou a few questions." *

■And Miss Spencer obediently sat clbwn. miliar white, ami trying to screw lier lips into n formal smile. " Why 'did you. leave the Grand Babylon that night?" Xolla began her e.\amination, putting on a stern, barristerlike expression. " I had orders to, Miss Racksole." " Whose orders ?" " Well, I'm —I'm—the fact, is, I'm a married woman, and it was my husband's, orders." " Who is your husband ?" " Tom Jackson —Jules, you know, head waiter at the Grand Babylon." " So Jules' real name is Tom Jackson ? Why did he want you to leave without giving notice?" " I'm sure. I don't know, Miss Racksole. 1 swear I don't know. He's mv husband, and, of course, I do what hp tells me, as you will some day do what your husband lel Is you. Please, heaven you'll £el a boiler husband than mine!" Miss Spencer showed a sigr. of tears. Sella lingered ilie revolver, and put it at full cock. (To be continued.)