TALES AND SKETCHES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11980, 31 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

TALES AND SKETCHES.

THE PRINCESS'S JEWELS.

An Editor's Story.

(By FRANCIS GRIBBLE.) Author of " The Lower Life," " The Things That Matter," "Only an Angel," "The Princess and the Realities," Etc., etc.

It happened before I went to "Wolverhampton, My position, in those days, was that of chief reporter of the " Evening Rocket," and I don't mind telling you that I flattered myself that I was the smartest chief reporter in London. At any rate, I had a reputation for " scoops " ; and a "scoop," as you doubtless know, being a scholar, means an item of interesting news which appears in one newspaper only. Well, one day, when things were pretty quiet, considering that it was the season, the message was brought up that a lady, who would not give her name, wanted to see the editor on important business. "See her for me, Smith, if you don't mind," said the editor, who was in a hurry to go out to lunch. So I went down to the waiting-room, where I found a very neatly-dressed young woman, wearing a tailor-made costume and a straw hat, slightly tilted forward, who, upon the whole, impressed me favourably. "The editor, madam," I said, bowing, "is, unfortunately, on the Continent; but I represent him. What can- I do for you?"

The young woman spoke English fluently, but with a strong foreign accent. " How much you pay me," she asked, "if I tell you some news what you will put in ze paper?" I explained that the price which we would pay for the news would depend upon its value, and that I could form no opinion of its value unless I knew what it was. " However," I said, " you may put your "own price on your information, and I give you my word of honour not to use it unless I see my way to pay the price." "Very well," she said. "I see you are gentleman. So I tell you." I bowed, in recognition of the compliment, and she told me:— "Me, I am ze femme de chambre of ze Princesse Helene von Dusseldorf, who now stay, mit her chaperon, ze Baronne von Elberfield, at ze Haymarket Palace Hotel. I tell you zat, ze day before ze yesterday, ase Princess go to ze grand bal of "ze due de Bideford, in ze Park Lane, and when she come home, what you rink?" I said I had no time to think when I could be told. "Why, when she come home, she have hot got her jewels. Zey have been stolen." "Indeed! Has the Princess informed the police of her loss?" I asked. "Ach, no. Ze Princesse tell nobody. When I find out, because I am femme de chambre, she say I must not tell." "Nonsense," I said, incredulously. "Ach! but ifc is true. It wasze rope of black pearl mifc ze diamond clasp. It was in ze family since ze moyen age, and ze Princesse do not dare to tell because the baronne scold her. She sit and cry, and say no doubt ze jewel will come back. But how shall ze jewel come back if nobody know dat is stolen? Zat is why I tett you ze news for twenty pound, so zat you put in ze paper, and den perhaps ze Princesse get ze jewel back." It was a strange and not very probable story, but it seemed worth following up. So I asked a few more questions, bound mademoiselle to secrecy, though without much confidence that such a little chatter-box would observe it, and promised that she should have the £2O if the story stood investigation. Then I laid mv plans to investigate ifc. " There is nothing for it," I said to myself, " but to go and see her Royal Highness. It's a nervous business interviewing Royalty, but cheek will carry me through." So I borrowed a pair of gloves and put on a silk hat and a cut-away coat and a red tie, so as to look presentable, and drove down to the Haymarket Palace Hotel in a hansom, and gave the hall-porter half-a-sovereign to convey a note to the princess and ask if there was any answer. As I had expected, the answer was that I was to go up. I admit that I was nervous, not knowing what was the proper way to behave in the company of Royalty; but the appearance of her Royal Highness was not, after all, very formidable. If she had not been a princess I would have described her as a flaxen-haired, blue-eyed little doll of about I could" quite understand that she was afraid of her chaperon, for she almost seemed to be afraid of me. My note had contained a proof of a short article which I had set up, with sensational head-lines, about the loss of the

jewels. She was holding it in her hand • when I was shown in, and she began, without saving "Good morning," or anything of that sort.

" This is not true. You must not put it in your paper." Now -some reporters would have been frightened away by this remark; but I had screwed up my courage carefully with two whiskies and sodas, and I took the bull by the horns.

"My dear young lady," I began, and then corrected myself. "I beg your pardon, miss, I should say your Royal Highness. What I mean to say, your Royal Highness, is that this story "is all over London, and even if, to oblige your Royal Highness, I keep it out of the 'Rocket,' it is almost certain to appear in all the other evening papers, which would be just the same as far as concerns causing your Royal Highness annoyance." "But surely you have law that prevents people to say things about me if I wish it not," said the Princess. "I never heard of any such law, miss—your Royal Highness, I mean," I answered. " But if I might speak to your Royal Highness as a friend—thank you, miss—well, in that case, I would suggest that, supposing the story did appear anywhere, I should contradict it in the 'Rocket,' adding that your Royal Highness had shown me the jewels in question." "Very well. Please to do that," she answered. "What do you wait for?" "I understood that your Royal Highness was about to show me the jewels in question." Her Royal Highness looked surprised, and answered in an embarrassed manner; " Oh, no. I'm afraid I can't do that. It is—my chaperon who takes care of them, and I must not disturb her." It was a ridiculous situation. TheTe was nothing for it but to stand on my dignity as the representative of the Press. "In that case, miss—your Royal Highness I should say," I answered, "I must consider my duty to my employers, and print the story as it stands." Her Royal Highness burst into tears, just like any common person. '" Oh, please don't; please don't," she sobbed. "Your story is not tree." "If your Royal Highness would confide in me," I suggested. '" Oh, I can't. I can't I" " Then I'm afraid I must take the risk of minor inaccuracies, which can be rectified later, and print the story as I heard it. You see, if I don't other people will." "But you can stop them. Oh, please try to stop them t" she pleaded. An idea, flashed across my mind. ?«o doubt I had to thank the whisky and soda for it. "Well, look here, miss—l mean to say. your Royal Highness," I said. "I don't mind trying." " It will be very good of you." "But, oE course, I must have some evidence to show that I am authorised tospeak on behalf of your Royal Highness. Now, if your Royal Highness would just write across some of my cards, 'introduced by Princess Helene of Dusseldorf—'" "And she did it. It was very foolish of her, no- doubt; but she was very young, and I didn't know any better. " Good morning. miss—your Royal

Highness," I said, and -walked out backwards, as I had heard was the custom, when, calling on Royalty, until I ran against the footman who was bringing in the lunch. Then I turned round, and went out in the ordinary manner. My next act may not have been the act of a gentleman—for I was not drawing six pounds a week as a gentleman, but as a reporter—but it had merits from the point of view of evening journalism. Instead of hurrying round to see editors—which would have been sheer waste of time, as none knew the story—l drove round to Park Lane, and sent up the card which the Princess had autographed, to the Duke of Bideford. And here, too, as I had expected, I was received. His Grace's manner, however, was abtrupfc. If I were not speaking of a duke, I would go so far as to say that his Grace's manner was ungentlemanly. He looked me up and down, more critically than I liked, and then asked curtly: "Well, what is it?" "I have the honour," I said, "to approach your Grace upon a matter of some delicacy. That is to say—"

"All right. Speak out, man, don't stand there looking frightened," said his Grace.

"Well, the fact is, your Grace, that the Princess Helen of Dusseldorf has lost her jewels." "I'm sorry to hear it. But what the devil's that got to do with me?" "Nothing, in a general way, your Grace," I answered. " Only it happens that her Royal Highness lost the jewels in question at your Grace's ball, so that—" "Why the dickens couldn't her Royal Highness let me know about ifc at once instead of waiting all this time?" "I—er—can't say, your Grace, unless it was—er —a natural feeling of delicacy that—" "Delicacy be d d," said his Grace. "Where's the delicacy of sending you round to poke your nose into the business?" This was a personal remark which it seemed polite to ignore. " My interest in the matter, your Grace," I replied, "is primarily that of a representative of the Press." "Press, eh! Do you mean to say you've come here to blackmail me?" "Your Grace," I replied, "I repudiate your Grace's unfounded insinuation with the utmost—" "Then if you don't want money, sir, what on earth do you want?" his Grace demanded impatiently. " Information," I replied with dignity. "I wish to guard myself against publishing any inaccurate version " "How can I help you, sir?" hfe Grace replied. "Do you suppose that any guest of mine !" He left the sentence unfinished, being almost inarticulate with rage. I answered that I ventured to. suppose nothing except that it would be the wish of his Grace, no less than of her Royal Highness, that the mystery should ibe cleared up without the intervention of either the police or the evening papers; and his Grace seemed struck with the lucidity of the remark. "Now if I might speak to your Grace as a friend," I proceeded. " What the devil do you mean by that, sir?" "I mean to say, if I might venture to give your Grace the benefit of my experience as a representative of the Press " "Go on, sir. Let's hear what you have to say." " Well, I wag going to say, your Grace, that, in my own mind, I argue the matter out like this: That her Royal Highness's jewels disappeared at your ball there is no kind of doubt; and if they had fallen into the hands of any honest person, your Grace would have heard of the matter before now. If they have fallen into the hands of any professional thief, who may have surreptitiously obtained access to your Graces house, there Ife nothing for it but to call in the police. On the other hand, supposing them to have been—we will say picked up—by some amateur, who was desperately in need of ready money, one has a chance of tracing them?' " I don't follow you," said the Duke. "What I mean, your Grace," I explain•d, " is that the places where jewels of that sort can be turned into ready money on the spur of the moment can be counted on the fingew, and the only one that the ordinary amateur is likely" to be acquainted with is Abraham's, in the Strand. Now if your Grace would be willing to accompany me to Mr Abraham's "

"What the devil should I do that for?" asked his Grace.

"Well, Mr Abraham might be willing to give your Lordship information which he would withhold from me " " It's no part of my business to assist you in collecting information for your- confounded, paper, sir." I was indignant, but I spoke reasonably. "Of course, if your Grace would prefer me to state in the paper that, when a representative of his Royal Highness waited upon your Grace, your Grace expressed absolute indifference" to the loss which hei> Royal Highness had sustained " The suggestion produced the effect which I anticipated. His Grace changed' his mind. "It looks to me like a mad, wild goose chase '." he said, " but still " "It may nip a scandal in the bud, youi Grace," said I, completing the sentence for him.

_We drove to Abraham's, and his Grace did not encourage my attempts to engage him in conversation on the way. If I were not speaking of a duke, I should say that his Grace's behaviour was grumpy. But I did not mind, being cheered by the reflection that it was a great achievement to have secured the assistance of a "duke in conducting an investigation on behalf of a half-penny evening newspaper. Mr Abraham received us in the private office, which is entered from a side street. IHe was very polite, but very much disposed, as indeed was only natural, to speak of professional confidences and the duty which he owed to his clients. And that, of course, was where I reaped the advantage of having brought a duke with me. His Grace banged the table, as I should not have dared to, and intimidated Mr Abraham. " You can't take that line with me f sir," he eaid. "I'm not here questioning you out of idle curiosity; and if you don't answer my questions" you'll find that I can make things d d uncomfortable for you. You're compounding a felony, sir; and I, as a member of her Majesty's Privy Council " And much more to the same effect, with the result that the pawnbroker rose with trembling knees and opened a safe. " Is this the rope of pearls in which your Grace is interested?" he asked. His Grace didn't know ; but I did. " They answer in every particular," I said, " to the description that was given to me." " Then hand 'em over to me," eaid his Grace; but, of course, Mr Abraham would not do that. "Excuse me, your Grace," he said, "I can only do that if your Grace surrenders the pawn-ticket!" "Pawn-ticket? What the devil have I to do with pawn-tickets?" his Grace roared. We explained the law to him between us ; and then he imperiously demanded bv whom the pearls had been left in pledge. " Mr Abraham hummed and hawed, and once more spoke of his duty to his clients. The poor man was visibly embarrassed. He said that he naturally should not have accepted such an article in pledge, except from a client whom he knew and could trust, and that equally naturally, in the very delicate circumstances, etc.," etc. But the Duke insisted with more vehemence than ever, repeating hie previous threats and adding others. He had a right to know, he said ; he would not be thwarted. The pawnbroker was very much niistakf-n if he imagined that he could shield a distinguished scoundrel with impunity. And so one, till at last Mr Abraham could resist no longer. He wrote something in pencil on a scrap of paper, and handed it to the Duke. " There, your Grace," he said, " that is my client's name."

I tried to read the -writing over the Duke's shoulder, but could not succeed ; but

the impression which ifc made upon him was appalling. He turned white, clenched his fists, and raised one hand as if to strike, shouting:

" That's a lie—that's a confounded lie." " I can only say, your Grace, that I wish to God it were," replied the pawnbroker, with an emotion that seemed 1 genuine. Then the Duke mastered himself with a great effort.

" I beg your pardon," he said. " I mean to say—that there's some horrible mistake here—that I must clear up—without loss of time. You understand my feelings—Mr Abraham? I may rely—upon your silence?" "Your Grace," replied Mr Abraham with the solemnity of a family solicitor, " I will be as silent as the grave." Then the Duke went out, and I followed him, and stepped after him into the cab which he hailed'.

"Go away, man. What the devil do you want poking your nose into my affairs all the time?" said his Grace, angrily. My action, I admit, was not the action of a gentleman; but. as I have said, I was not paid my salary for behaving like a gentleman, and I felt that I owed it to my ; reputation as a reporter to probe this mystery to the bottom. Therefore I replied: "It is better, your Grace, not to have half-confidences with the representatives of the Press. I happened to see the name that Mr Abraham wrote on that piece of paper—" " You scoundrel!" "And ifc will entirely depend upon the result of your Grace's further investigations whether I feel compelled to publish it or not," Ifc was a bold stroke, and it served the purpose. His Grace did not doubt my word, but resigned himself to the inevitable. "Tell the man," he said, "to drive to 501, Jermyn Street." We drove there, and his Grace nipped my one attempt at conversation in the bud. "Hold your tongue, sir," he replied, when I ventured to express the hope that nothing worse than a mild attack of kleptomania was the matter. Then the cab pulled up, and he leapt out, and I heard the name for which I was eagerly listening. "Is the Marquis of Instow in?" It was, then, the Duke's own son and heir who had pledged the Princess's jewels! I could scarcely believe my ears. "I'll go up," said the Duke, when he heard that the Marquis was at home; and he ran up the stairs and burst into the room, while I followed close at his heels. How shall I describe the scene that followed? The Marquis, a weak-looking youth of about two-and-twenty, was hardly given a chance to speak. First he denied, then he tried to explain; but denials and explanations alike were drowned beneath the roaring torrent of his father's eloquence. It was : "Explanations, indeed! Confound your impudence. There are no explanations for this sort of thing, and if there were I haven't time to listen to them. What you've got to do is to restore these jewels to their rightful owner, and beg her pardon on your knees, before this scandal gets into the papers. It's only by dragging this man about London with me that I've kept it out of the papers as it is; amd that dirty little Jew who's got the jewels wouldn't give 'em up because I hadn't got a pawn ticket—as if I was likely to be going about. London with pawn tickets in my coat pocket. You've got it, I suppose? Hand it over to me, sir. Hand it over to me." A "All right, sir," Jpswered the young man. He pulled papers out of his pockets and began turning them over " with nervous fingers, and with an expression of anxiety that gradually deepened, until-at last he broke into the horrified cry: "Oh, my God!" "What? Lost 'em? Well, they wouldn't be much use to anybody who found 'em if you had," said the Duke, who was inexperienced in such matters; but his son gasped: "I only raised five hundred on them, and 1 they're worth twenty thousand, and I've lost the ticket. Oh! my God! my God!" He ran out of the door like an arrow shot from a bow. From the window we saw him jumping, hatless, into a hansom, and the horse whipped into a gallop. The Duke looked at me questioningly, and I tried to reassure him. It was very unlikely, I said, after what had happened, that Mr Abraham would part with the jewels to any suspicious person, even if the ticket were presented. We had only to wait patiently for his lordship's return. When his lordship did return, however, all our hopes were scattered. His face was bloodless, his hair dishevelled. " Too late, by God!" he gasped, as he rushed into the Toom. "Too late! What d'you mean, sir?" "Why, they're gone—redeemed—and they're worth twenty thousand pounds if they're worth a penny. And I—oh. give me a pistol and let me blow mv brains out!" The Duke stood looking at him like a man with a broken heart. But his speech was stem. "Presently, sir, presently you shall blow your worthless brains out if you will. But there is one thing that must be done first. You must come with me to her Royal Highness, and in my presence make full confession of vour crime." " But* father " " Come, sir. And don't speak to me as ' father.' You are no longeT any son of mine." They went down the stairs in silence, and proceeded towards the hotel, which was little more than fifty yards away. "Surely, sir, there is some limit to this intrusion on my privacy," said the Duke to me, when he perceived that I was still following. "I assure your Grace," I explained, "that it is only because of my Teluctance to publish in the ''Evening Rocket' a story of which there may even yet be some satisfactory explanation." He turned his back on me, and I continued to follow him without showing my resentment at his rudeness.

A few minutes later we were all three in the Princess's apartment; and there was the Princess herself, crying like a child, on a sofa; and there too was the Princess's chaperon, the Baronne von Elberfeld, standing erect, with a very ugly look in 'her eyes. I myself modestly stood a little in the background, and his "Grace began : " Pardon me, madam, my duty is a painful one. - My son has something to say to you. Now, sir, confess." The boy hung his !head. The Princess rose, and came forward with tears in her eyes and tried to speak. The Baronne stopped her and spoke instead, with a heavy German accent. "Dere is something here dat I do not understand. Half an hour ago de femme de chambre of my Princess come to me and show me a ting dat she call a pawn ticket. She say dat she get it from de valet de chambre of de Herr Marquis, who pick it up on de floor of de apartment of de Marquis. She also say dat de ticket represent de pearl rope dat my princess lose; and do not dare to tell me lest I scold. I do not believe de story, but I go to see. I find dat de story is true. I pay de money to de pawn man, I give him de ticket, and I bring de pearl rope home." Everyone in the room except the Baronne was heaving sighs of relief. She continued gloomily : " But dere is still something dat I do not understand. Who will explain? I ask, who will explain?" It was the Princess who first found words. She jerked out hastily :

"It was all my fault. I wanted some money in a hurry". I was afraid to ask the Baronne for it. (But I had my jewel, and I asked the Marquis if he would be so very kind "

Everyone but the Baionne was ready to accept the explanation; 'but she sternly stopped it. " Dat is not true," she said, severely. "My Princess has noting to want money for; and if she have had de monev, where is de money now?"

She paused for an answer, and as none was forthcoming she continued: " No, it is in.t true, and it is niv duly

Dat I write to de Hereditary Grand Duke i of Dusseldorf." I

The Princess was beginning to cry again ; but now the Marquis of Instow stepped forward.

"Let me speak," he said. " Yes, sir, it's high time we heard what you have to say," said his father; and the lad spoke out, shamefacedly but candidly.

" The Princess is trying to screen me," he said', " but I won't have it. It's all my fault, and I'm more ashamed of myself than I can say. The fact is I'd got into a mess through backing horses, and a man had threatened to post me at th<? clubs if I didn't pay up—before noon yesterday. I didn't dare to tell you, sir, because I know what your views about backing horses are. But her Royal Highness was chaffing me at the ball because I looked so jolly miserable, and I told her what was the matter, and her Royal Highness pressed me to borrow her jewels for a day or two till I could raise the money and —well, I know I behaved like a cad, but—"

I could see that the Duke's wrath was about to find expression in strong language ; but the Princess smiled through her tears and stopped the outburst. "No," she said, "you shall not be angry with him. He is a very nice boy. I like him very much; and if I ask him very prettily he promise me not to have to do with the racehorse any more." "Yes, by Jove! I promise that, and, what's more, I'll keep my promise," said the youth. At this the Duke showed signs of melting, and even the Baronne was disposed to be conciliatory. But before they had time to say anything, a servant entered, bringing a card. The Baronne handed it to the Duke, and the Duke handed it to one. I fear my language, when I recognised it, was somewhat unsuited to my company. "Great Scott!" I exclaimed. "It's the 'Evening Squib' man." "Eh? What!" "The story must have got round to him through that confounded lady's maid, who goes cackling all over the place. But you leave him to me, your Grace. I'll deal with him. I'll tell him there isn't a word of truth in the story, and that he'll be prosecuted for criminal libel if he so much as mentions it. Oh, yes, I'll keep_ it out of the papers for you." At last his Grace spoke to me politely, saying: " I shall be very sensible of your kindness if you are able to do that, Mr " "J. Halliday Smith—that's my name," I said, " and if your Grace should happen tc know of any new party organ about to b' started in the provinces that needs a jours alist of experience and discretion as edi tor " " You can come and see me on that subject in a> month's time," said his Grace. I did so, and that is how it comes about that I am now editor and part proprietor of the "Wolverhampton Daily Megaphone," as a reward for keeping a story out of the papers.