On his way over to Folkestone, Major Alan Hawke mused over his
great coup, as he lay at ease, wrapped up in a traveling rug, and
now resplendent in a fur-trimmed top coat, befrogged and laced,
which indicated the officer en retraite.
"I will first do up Holland, Belgium, and Denmark, and take a
little preliminary look around Paris," mused the Major, studying
a list of the missing jewels which Captain Anstruther had artfully
arranged. Sundry deductions and additions, with an admirable
disorder in the items (judiciously divided and reclassified) served
to guard against any old confidences exchanged between Ram Lal and
his secret friend Hawke. The real list in the original was now in
the private pocket-book of the Viceroy.
"Each of our Consuls at the cities you are to visit has this list,"
said Anstruther to the Major, "and you can vary your travel as you
choose, but visit all these jewel marts, and report to the local
Consuls. If they have further orders for you, you will get them
there, at first hands. Should you find that any of the jewels have
been offered for sale, simply report the facts to the local Consul,
and write under seal to me at the Junior United Service, then go
on and examine further at once! You are to take no steps whatever
to recover them, or to alarm the thieves! All your expenses and
your pay will be advanced by me!" The acute schemer decided not to
risk any suspicions by marketing his own jewels.
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