THE DEVIL IN LONDON.

NZ Truth, Issue 168, 5 September 1908, Page 8

THE DEVIL IN LONDON.

The Ladies' Paradise.

I jCBr jGKCX, R s SIMSyj

«laa Fairfax M 4 b6Mi:**:w^fcnt visitit io the $*. MMbeitJs Mission. The jjlans fpr Sifter Angela's Hostel for Women had been prepared and passed, andthe young man to whose generous irn^ julse the scheme was due, assured, tbe committee that they need have no ankJety as to any future funds that might be" required. ' .The other, members of. the committee had gone, and as ho took Sister Angela's hand and bade her good-bye they 'were alone m the Mission "parlor." 1 ''You understand \frliat 1 feean about rthe - moody for your " hostel," he said. ;"I am a rich man with no ties, and •whatever sum may be. wanted l will *v»sßlmgly find. It will give me, great pfeaSttre to do this tor .your' sake. ? ' ■ The 1 young man still held Sister Angela's hand m his as he spofce. < He^ had hot meamt to put his little speefih that way. >But the words had come from his heart to/ his lips, and lie could hot recall them, That 'Sister Angela understood all that Alley meant was quickly evident. i Her cheeks flushed .a little, her eyes dropped before his. earnest gaze. ' - "You must not say that, Mr Fairfax," she said, gently, but with a little 'quiver ta her Voice- "Whatt you are doing .is for, the sake' of a; cause that yott know* ,to be a good, . a 'usef|al,' and a noble : <me.". ■ ■■(' '; ■'• ■-■ "-. ; ' ■:; ' ';■■■ •-•■

.-■ 'fTes/' returned the • young man' eagerly, still clasping- the hand that' the blush- ! mg girl m b*r. confusion tried to with- i dtaw. . "-1 am : glad: to help a noble j fishse 1 , but it was. 'you who- first led me j to see how noble •it waSVv 1 . love you, (Angela." ■ ■. ■ •. . 1 say any more, Mr , Fairfax, please." ■, ■■■ ". '■'•' t. ■•■;■..••■■•. ■'• „'■' ii Sister Angela had. ; recovered iier Ml•fcossession,' aid theses fwbrds, were spoken Svith a tone of- quietv '^command. : ■ alan Fairfa£ lient/ : his head to token ,0} submission. : *-■•■■; • ; * **Fpxgive me;": he r said, "1 was . -wrong . to' speak to- you. ai !• baye done-*Jierer JloodAye, 1 ' """ "•.■ . ■ . "•The girl looked at him, a little sadly, then Jheta out he* bahtf. f Good-bye," she , 'iraid, ''but ,4oirt forgefc/yotfr prpmise.'' '"'■■** sLy promise;?"- . y -■ .. J ' : 'Tfesvj; the promise .you . made ihe this attedooon a*ou^ Ladfo Halcomtie. ■ I am to , interested) Jh tier., srory; It is such a ftrange one, but. I can hardly -believe • Jhat she is telling fts. -the?; tram.''* : ■ The mention .of 'Lady :HJalcomtye's namerecalled 1 .to • the., ypung^,man the earlier he had h#a/with Sister Angela. In the excitement and conluSKJn of the declarattpn into whichi he had .allowed his feelings .to betray) him everything else hail passed, from his mind.-. ./ "YSs," he said, eagerly; ■ *l will keep my promise. When /shall ■■■'i.. see you *gain to tell you ifoe restflt Of my investigation ?" /"•When you like," replied the Sister. r'Come on Saturday evening; JLt'is bur Hospitality night, you know.' Sister Emily is the hostess of the evfening, and Isssist her. You have never (been to one of our Hospitality evenings. \ It willi interest yon. Good-Slight ; yrji shall expect frou. lam most anxioupvto knpw f -if Lady Halcombe's story about her visits to the opium dens of the, East Enii are true, or 2 they exist onjy m the unfprjbunata woman's disordered imagination." ■■■•■''■■' ■ * -■■■■••.''. [*'■* '

* As Alax Fairfax walked Upme to the £i>lenoid bjs feelings -were of admixed; - ißSMiacter. ' ; : . ' ' • - Be felt that lie ha*;! taken a false step. -Outside m lie busy streets, away aroin gentle girl.W'ha bad taken such.comjiete' possession of Iris heart, he realised to* unwisdoni of his impulsive acv. .-' At first he jpnfy 'felt annoyed witlthimfteli, then again lie began to feel a^little asluuned ol himself. '-■ ■ ' - ' it seemed to hint that he had do;ne~a twattSy thing. Admitted as a worker a good causer' to friendly intimaicy ! with 3n Sisters i of a Mission of Social Sert%, pa .had presumed, upon its coatribu.--sien he had made to its funds to make % declaration of. lovo to a young and beautiful •girl who was .devoting hec.lfle to the work. ! 3ut, whether "he had acted indigently, ojc not, he was deeply m love with' Sis-, i ter Angela, and gradually all other cpnJidirations yanJ&hed before tbe most mi Qortant one of all. > ■ vßad she at' parting reminded^ him that : be "had miaae a- promise- which she hoped be would 1 m order to Act him know that she forgave him for making .love to ter,. not only at an inopportune moment, but m a giace where the last .thing expected of the workers J'was^ that they should occupy .their -Iminds. .with their own affairs? : The more , he thought «over bis "mis? Jake" the more the yourfe. millionaire regretted it. After ail, bjej %as , a comparative \stranger, noly only to the Bisters, but tovthe pastor' who 'was at the head of the Mission, and who had' so cordially JTOlcomed him to St. /K&eltiert's. *' 'And, fox all he kne%, tester Angela mi^f ( oe ; engaged. She was young and "^Thft last thought -made/ him, perhaps,; mpfe ill at easeriihan tWB thought tbat lie bad taken a taftse step; m- his wooing. But, whatever/the situation mignt .be, jie had made .Sister- Angela a promise, and he would." keep it faithfully. had ,tp3d, , him tha* ;tjbe previous Saturday eTFening, v wbffliVtne ball of $ks 'mission' was open to all. who Watild enr ter, and- one of the . Itei concerts which jfcp "Mission was m the habit of was ' drawing to, a clos&, a woroaji . of about Iprty hau wandered, m, a*d attracted general^ attention by- her /strange appearance. \ .A gbodribolsfiflg. woman still, 'twere was a look im her eyes that madei Sister Angela, who w«»t to speak a fc(w words of, Welcome, think , that ; she Was 'not quite : right m her mind. „ V .: ;. 'She spoke at first a little *Incoii€|rently, but, like ' a woman of reffawanentu . and jier dress, which was shabby, had a cerr sain neatness .that is never found m a drunken woman. . l ' When the poncgrt was pVer .the. woman did not rise .to/leave. SW told the Sisters she had ny where to go, and- she said $bat «he was fpenriiless..; -, • ./:'-. A lodging fot the ni#ht was secured" for her m the borne of one of the women .'workers of /the" mission who lived near. But the head .of the. mission, who had; spoken to; the stranger, hail the^ same idea as Angela, tha* she was. not right -m her mind, arid as it was- not wise to let one of their staff of workers haVe a possible lunatic /m : their home, Sister i^ngela sent the "next morning for a doctor. ■ / The doctor $aw the wtoman, talked to 1 her, and aX ctoce came to the conclusion that she was* a victim of the drug, habit, and had come to the Mission Hail and accepted ai»ju because "she had no /longer the money/fo purchase the particular drug to ybich she was addicted* ; The doiAtfr having given it /as his opinion that tfie woman was nort dangtrous, was, allowed to remain, > and the care fehe received sbon,*had a good effect upon her. ■■ ' ■■■.•■ ■ ' . . ! Sister .Angela had obtained from her a coherent story, "The wo'niari who ha* wandiered into 'the Concent Hall of St;" Ethelh^rt's ljSte' on Saturday night confessed that .she was tfhe widow of a baronet, that she had/ a* right to call herself Lady/ Halcombe^ and that she had for the past two or Uiree; years 'oeen an opium smoKer. She, said that sfie ; had "practised /ihe habit /'first m New York, boo» afteft: her husti&nd died there ; that she had been introduced to an opium den In that city which/ was frequented m the 'daytimfe 'avtirely ly^ womfen, and that on her returWro Lo/idon she had gone to ;6 pjjivate estabfisUment m the East Knd, and had heen w the habit of spending days m a houfe, every room pi which was let to wo/ixen opium smokers. - : Under the influence of the drug she bad become entirely careless ol jrorytttjtof 4

and when «ie fe'fef' TiM blraugta back from America— the ptoceedS of sale of her effects there— was goioL_w ■ had found^yherself without means, wlEbx ; put shelter, and without friendd. The rent of the room m the opium den was a guinea a da.y. She bad paid her last guinea on the Wednesday 'before she came to St. Ethelberf's. On the Thursday and the Friday :she had been without shelter— she had passetf the night on a seat m Trafalgar-square, opposite the National (rettery. • On the Saturday she hacl gone to Re* gent's Park and lain down a'mbng the shrubs till? a park keeper found her at closing time and turned her out. Wandering back to the West, determined to go to the Embankment and throW; herself into the river, she has passed tbe.. "Mission Hall and had seen the announcement outside, "All are Welcome." The music had attracted, her, and state had entered. • ■ ■. Angela had ascertained that a portion of this story was true. Sir James Bal A combe was , the second baronet, , and . his .father was ! a city man, who had been made a baronet for his pithlic services. ;JThe only son, who inherited the title,. %ad beeh a' heavy drinkw and a gambler as Well. A bankrupt m this country, he, l had gone to America with ttjs, wile, who ; ted been. a. book-keeper ataai hotel when ;he married her. ' In America be had traded on bis title and- made enough, m ways not always ftdo reputable, to Uve m comfort. Bat' at his death he had left nothing' for his wife save a few Hundreds at the bank and' the household furniture. waSv the^stpry tady Halcpmbe had told Sistef Angela, Angela had tplp^ the story lit Confidence to and had asked' him if "he' could/ ascertain if it was. really true that there were ' opium dens m London whith werie' 'frequented by women." Smce his- experience of a Saturday night m the worst street m London Ji^surfax,^^had.i^nbt had recourse", to the Indlanrftaiah's .ring. , vii^jit he knew ttat wjthout.it it would .^e imppssiblß for him to penettate the;jSe6£ets bFithe bpinm dens . of the Eas.t r'EiM. ':. ;. .V . " . : •' •■■" ; He had : neyejr been m one m; his life, /and- baa" always looked upon them as •largely the Inventions of nctiomsts and sensational, writers. ".'' . / v.' Thajb night,' .after dining m the restau-. . rant'of >tije Splendid,, he retiied to. his.; own apartment; and, placing the Eajah'S ; ting on his finger, summoned his. euido to' his presence:. ' < • , Between 10 and 11 o'clock that night Fairfax and his companion stood at the., topfof " a narrow, ill-lighted JBtreetjtn the neighborhood: of Limebouse. . ./."Tliere ar^, a sdore .'. of opium 1 dens In this.' 'street aiiwl m the one . across the road,", said the Prince. VThey; are air kept by Chinese, and most of the Chinese are married to, English women." v "Are the" dens all of the same character 1" asked^Fairfax. . , "Oh, , no'; fiiey" cater for all classes ot Orientals. ■ Some are decent, well-ordered seamen's !Bodr>diiiig-'houses, scrupulously didan and 1 -^ well-managed. The managers., are -. petrty Officers, stewards, etc. Theses nave Rood rooms, furnished m the Eng--fliai stylfej. \ but opium smo'fing is gener-i -■alv >; ' '':.', ..'•"■' .'..;' ' ' 7

''And ."the coxomon class?" , t'Axt different, altoge*Ber. Chinese satt-,; vots and Lascars are the lodgers. Over 20 Twill be ■ acbbmmodated side by sWein, one ;'longibpm. Th^reis a'goott dealofgam--pl]%- tbese : houses, attd ,tliey«a^e opiumc -aens-ihali'^ha^ the wora means .to European ears!'' ■".'-.' „.',%£s us go into one." They made. ,I?heit way down: a gloom^ Strsef of ' Vold*fashi«med jumWed togetjherhouses,that v ldQked. as if they had- formed part of the London of two hundred years

ago. ■-..,.., TSie street was filled 'with Chinese, Lascars, and. dusky Orientals, and. there were a few Japanese lounging about. The Chinese sailors were dressed m the .'European, fashion;, wearing blue sergei suits, and' those' who stall kept the pigtail' had ifc, coiled up under, a dark cap. vThere 'were a numSber of English women and jirls;.ih this street, anid m of the,'Qbinese shops Fairfax noticed some cfaittiren Englisli features, " But al-mond-shaped'eyes. -.- Hall-way dO;Wn . th« gloomy street the Prince, stopped m. front of a black-look-ing ;dqtor,:. and pushed it open. Directing/Fairfax to follow Mm, he went along" a 'narrow, dark passage. At the end of it. was a long room,with a low ceiling. ' . /At ,first ; Fairfax could .hardly, make, put what ' it , contained. At the far end, on. a broken .table, was (an oil lamp. At ,the neaf end, 'just ;inside the doorway— to which there was no door— was . a dull red fire, m front of which a large hlack cat was seated. . ' "■•.■.. •.•'■'• * In fron.t pf the 'fire.was a gas stove, and on this was. an earthenware:: basin, which was filled -with, a thick; . sticky substance which looked, Jike a black, treacle. „'r, .'r ."This is the opiu.m m preparation," said the Prince ; "a good deal "that is consumed m these places is of bad xpality. The pTppri^rsonlake, a larger: profit on 'iU. ... .. - : . ■ ;,. , ■- ■ ....:. ....•■■'

When Fairfax, became accustomed to the .gloom he saw "tiiat all along the. wall there Were srqjall beds, standing not skle by.Tside, but ft?ad to head, and on each of these beds there lay two tneh. Beitween ;them was a tray, on'which was a small lamp, an opium pipe, some . opium m a httle bowf. and ttoe implepient with which the opiunj is "rolled up and placed m the I^bwl of the pipe. There Were about 20 men lying, on the beds. ; Some ■ were smoking, others had smoked; iand; were lying m a drowsy condition, with : half-open eyes.' . .. There was not a sound to be heard.. All the' men were more or less under the influence of • tire drug. ' The smokers were of varying shades of polor. Hiierewere tlfe ordinary yellow--cpmplexioned Ohinese, but v some of the sailors were as dark as negroes.. One or two of' the Mongolians were almost white ■ and the Prince explained t° Fairfax thati ffieV had' probably a European i)arent. • ! f There are* scores of such places for the-' ordinary sailor,'' said ;the Prince,;' "The 1 'proprietor finds the.crevirs for ships and lets - his lodgers know when m&i are- want' cd. 'In the 'supjsrior' estaToriishments the .phiuese proprietapr Js'in telephonic commui: •hication... with .the, :do:cks. „ , . ''..'.' ■ "But many .off. the places are opium dens, and very.' littte. else, lilany things, happen m these places .which,, would considerably astonish the good people of London if they 'cptald hear the plain truth." The scene was a curious one, and Fair.fax, looking it, for the first;., time, found an element of romance m the mystery and silence of this patch of the Orient m the" heart of London. Let us see one of the . 'superior' establishments," he said, presently. ; . ; They entered a house higher up the street and found the proprietor and hte wifej an Englishwoman, sittirig .m a cosy little parlor which was quite a Dickensy domestic interioi. There were English pi©: ,tures on the wall and English hooks m a little bookcase,; and old English china on the mantelshelf. ; -%■ But when they . went upstairs they , found the joss6n ; the : landing; and lights burning m front ot it. ;. • . "In one of the big houses," said the Prince,, "there is a properly fitted up temple .where the saviors go through a religious ceremony before they go to Sea, but the joss is m every opium den m London. Tou will have noticed on the walls the Chinese New Year's cards and inscriptions m Qhinese. Some of them are mottoes and proverbs; bit many of them are charms." . . In the upstair room of the "superior" hofuse they found only two beds m each room, and each bed was occupied by one guest only. But each guest had his tray and a lamp and opium pipe>"And now," said Fairfax, as they came' .out iato $n> street* want to see

tm wofneit's Opiom den. I want to see wHat sort Ciifomen use such a place, it r seems mc*ced%v Wss fhere are enduga women onokfiSft a toflflofi to keep sucfi Tfte Prince nesitateC' WI yr&s a little ( KuquSsed Tfhfcii ypW wjy fee, as wjb cam^ j liere, thai y<jttto*B# of *yhe Ladieg' Par*- : dise,' as it S called, but if you want to know What kmdot womea pataronise it yc^ had better come here with me again fit we daytime and see them as they enter r tjh«. s.treet, ThsA Is the only way to get . 4 correct idea of $%c class" of women who ire regular opiiufi smokers.''' : *'When shall we corne!?,^ said Fairfax. "To-morrow 2" ' "Yes. Wait a toctment., I want to ask' a. ajiestion." The Prince reUtttned to one of -thefious-: they had previously visited.. Fairfai waited putside. -^.- t Presently an English woman came out. At» English woman accompanied hioir ,tothe door. "1 -have got what I wished to know,"" ; fee said to Fartfax. 'That is the English woman whp arranges with the ladies who jlove. 'the Black smokei' She has charge, of 'The Ladies' Paradise,' wMch is entirely reserved for women during' the day- • timet" ' • ,■"

"BUt there are women who atop v lor many days, I was told." ' "Not m the 'Paradise.'- They take; lodgings m a house, which is not in*. this- street, and where they are tbe"j € boarder?. > Th& 'Paradise' is the placeid see flrst. Afterwards yott shall, if you : wish, see the upper part of , a house .m« which there are women -opium smofiers, who remain & them lost to their friends j., and often tecftDhed for a time among the. mysterious disappearances."' , < „» '•To-morro^, then, at 12. I know the 1 street noflf:" ."'■'" x ' f Very good," replied the Prince. '■'! Will metst you here at noon tp-morrpw, , and if. we are fprtdnate' you will see 1 some.'of -Hie fair clients of 'The Para-, disc' a«iv«.." '

As Alan Fairfax, oh his wa^ to his; bojel, passed through the lighted streets, 1 and minglei with the thoroughly English ?!] crowd, he fotlid- ifr'difßculi; fopersuad*., himself that \be " hid not : th<f strange scenes of China-town- in LoituoTrT: they had just witnessed.. -■..-, ' '■, And*- m splse- of We Prince's admission, { he could not qioiite bring- himself' to .be* ;' Ueye. t,bat on. themofjow' he yrSL& to se&| welt-dressed woin^ft 6fgpod pdsitioft— wo" : men able-'tp ;pay. a gifih«a for the use:, of ia- room fpir^t-few bours^makiicg. theit Way to ai) pjjiiHto den pf which they werVf rei^ilar pairoiißsses. ■ ♦ '. I

•PThone 2275.