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  1. <!DOCTYPE html>
  2. <div><p class="subtitle">By <a class="reference external" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3587"><span class="caps">GUY</span>&nbsp;<span class="caps">BOOTHBY</span></a></p>
  3. <p>Author of &#8220;Dr. Nikola,&#8221; &#8220;The Beautiful White Devil,&#8221; etc.,&nbsp;etc.</p>
  4. <figure>
  5. <img alt="/images/frontispiece.jpg" class="bookfig" src="/images/frontispiece.jpg">
  6. </figure>
  7. <aside class="topic">
  8. <p class="topic-title">The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Bid for Fortune, by Guy&nbsp;Boothby</p>
  9. <p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
  10. almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
  11. re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
  12. with this eBook or online at&nbsp;www.gutenberg.org</p>
  13. <p>Title: A Bid for Fortune
  14. or Dr. Nikola&#8217;s&nbsp;Vendetta</p>
  15. <p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3587">Guy&nbsp;Boothby</a></p>
  16. <p>Release Date: May 29, 2007 [EBook&nbsp;#21640]</p>
  17. <p>Language:&nbsp;English</p>
  18. <p>Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Mary Meehan and the
  19. Online Distributed Proofreading Team at <a class="reference external" href="https://www.pgdp.net">https://www.pgdp.net</a></p>
  20. <p>Originally published&nbsp;by:</p>
  21. <p><span class="caps">WARD</span>, <span class="caps">LOCK</span> <span class="amp">&amp;</span> <span class="caps">CO</span>., <span class="caps">LIMITED</span>
  22. <span class="caps">LONDON</span>, <span class="caps">MELBOURNE</span> <span class="caps">AND</span> <span class="caps">TORONTO</span>&nbsp;1918</p>
  23. </aside>
  24. <figure>
  25. <img alt="/images/illus_001.jpg" class="bookfig" src="/images/illus_001.jpg">
  26. </figure>
  27. <section id="part-i">
  28. <h1><span class="caps">PART</span>&nbsp;I</h1>
  29. <section id="prologue">
  30. <h2><span class="caps">PROLOGUE</span></h2>
  31. <p><span class="smallcaps">The</span> manager of the new Imperial Restaurant on the Thames Embankment went
  32. into his luxurious private office and shut the door. Having done so, he
  33. first scratched his chin reflectively, and then took a letter from the
  34. drawer in which it had reposed for more than two months and perused it
  35. carefully. Though he was not aware of it, this was the thirtieth time he
  36. had read it since breakfast that morning. And yet he was not a whit
  37. nearer understanding it than he had been at the beginning. He turned it
  38. over and scrutinized the back, where not a sign of writing was to be
  39. seen; he held it up to the window, as if he might hope to discover
  40. something from the water-mark; but there was nothing in either of these
  41. places of a nature calculated to set his troubled mind at rest. Then he
  42. took a magnificent repeater watch from his waistcoat pocket and glanced
  43. at the dial; the hands stood at half-past seven. He immediately threw
  44. the letter on the table, and as he did so his anxiety found relief in&nbsp;words.</p>
  45. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>It&#8217;s really the most extraordinary affair I ever had to do with,&#8221; he
  46. remarked. &#8220;And as I&#8217;ve been in the business just three-and-thirty years
  47. at eleven a.m. next Monday morning, I ought to know something about it.
  48. I only hope I&#8217;ve done right, that&#8217;s&nbsp;all.&#8221;</p>
  49. <p>As he spoke, the chief bookkeeper, who had the treble advantage of being
  50. tall, pretty, and just eight-and-twenty years of age, entered the room.
  51. She noticed the open letter and the look upon her chief&#8217;s face, and her
  52. curiosity was proportionately&nbsp;excited.</p>
  53. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>You seem worried, Mr. McPherson,&#8221; she said tenderly, as she put down
  54. the papers she had brought in for his&nbsp;signature.</p>
  55. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>You have just hit it, Miss O&#8217;Sullivan,&#8221; he answered, pushing them
  56. farther on to the table. &#8220;I am worried about many things, but
  57. particularly about this&nbsp;letter.&#8221;</p>
  58. <p>He handed the epistle to her, and she, being desirous of impressing him
  59. with her business capabilities, read it with ostentatious care. But it
  60. was noticeable that when she reached the signature she too turned back
  61. to the beginning, and then deliberately read it over again. The manager
  62. rose, crossed to the mantelpiece, and rang for the head waiter. Having
  63. relieved his feelings in this way, he seated himself again at his
  64. writing-table, put on his glasses, and stared at his companion, while
  65. waiting for her to&nbsp;speak.</p>
  66. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>It&#8217;s very funny,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Very funny&nbsp;indeed!&#8221;</p>
  67. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>It&#8217;s the most extraordinary communication I have ever received,&#8221; he
  68. replied with conviction. &#8220;You see it is written from Cuyaba, Brazil. The
  69. date is three months ago to a day. Now I have taken the trouble to find
  70. out where and what Cuyaba&nbsp;is.&#8221;</p>
  71. <p>He made this confession with an air of conscious pride, and having done
  72. so, laid himself back in his chair, stuck his thumbs into the armholes
  73. of his waistcoat, and looked at his fair subordinate for approval. Nor
  74. was he destined to be disappointed. He was a bachelor in possession of a
  75. snug income, and she, besides being pretty, was a lady with a keen eye
  76. to the main&nbsp;chance.</p>
  77. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>And where <em>is</em> Cuyaba?&#8221; she asked&nbsp;humbly.</p>
  78. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Cuyaba,&#8221; he replied, rolling his tongue with considerable relish round
  79. his unconscious mispronunciation of the name, &#8220;is a town almost on the
  80. western or Bolivian border of Brazil. It is of moderate size, is
  81. situated on the banks of the river Cuyaba, and is considerably connected
  82. with the famous Brazilian Diamond&nbsp;Fields.&#8221;</p>
  83. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>And does the writer of this letter live&nbsp;there?&#8221;</p>
  84. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I cannot say. He writes from there&#8212;that is enough for&nbsp;us.&#8221;</p>
  85. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>And he orders dinner for four&#8212;here, in a private room overlooking the
  86. river, three months ahead&#8212;punctually at eight o&#8217;clock, gives you a list
  87. of the things he wants, and even arranges the decoration of the table.
  88. Says he has never seen either of his three friends before; that one of
  89. them hails from (here she consulted the letter again) Hang-chow, another
  90. from Bloemfontein, while the third resides, at present, in England. Each
  91. one is to present an ordinary visiting card with a red dot on it to the
  92. porter in the hall, and to be shown to the room at once. I don&#8217;t
  93. understand it at&nbsp;all.&#8221;</p>
  94. <p>The manager paused for a moment, and then said deliberately,&#8212;&#8221;Hang-chow
  95. is in China, Bloemfontein is in South&nbsp;Africa.&#8221;</p>
  96. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>What a wonderful man you are, to be sure, Mr. McPherson! I never can
  97. <em>think</em> how you manage to carry so much in your&nbsp;head.&#8221;</p>
  98. <p>There spoke the true woman. And it was a move in the right direction,
  99. for the manager was susceptible to her gentle influence, as she had
  100. occasion to&nbsp;know.</p>
  101. <p>At this juncture the head waiter appeared upon the scene, and took up a
  102. position just inside the doorway, as if he were afraid of injuring the
  103. carpet by coming&nbsp;farther.</p>
  104. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Is No. 22 ready,&nbsp;Williams?&#8221;</p>
  105. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Quite ready, sir. The wine is on the ice, and cook tells me he&#8217;ll be
  106. ready to dish punctual to the&nbsp;moment.&#8221;</p>
  107. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>The letter says, &#8216;no electric light; candles with red shades.&#8217; Have you
  108. put on those shades I got this&nbsp;morning?&#8221;</p>
  109. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Just seen it done this very minute,&nbsp;sir.&#8221;</p>
  110. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>And let me see, there was one other thing.&#8221; He took the letter from the
  111. chief bookkeeper&#8217;s hand and glanced at it. &#8220;Ah, yes, a porcelain saucer,
  112. and a small jug of new milk upon the mantelpiece. An extraordinary
  113. request, but has it been attended&nbsp;to?&#8221;</p>
  114. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I put it there myself,&nbsp;sir.&#8221;</p>
  115. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Who&nbsp;wait?&#8221;</p>
  116. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Jones, Edmunds, Brooks, and&nbsp;Tomkins.&#8221;</p>
  117. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Very good. Then I think that will do. Stay! You had better tell the
  118. hall porter to look out for three gentlemen presenting plain visiting
  119. cards with a little red spot on them. Let Brooks wait in the hall, and
  120. when they arrive tell him to show them straight up to the&nbsp;room.&#8221;</p>
  121. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>It shall be done,&nbsp;sir.&#8221;</p>
  122. <p>The head waiter left the room, and the manager stretched himself in his
  123. chair, yawned by way of showing his importance, and then said&nbsp;solemnly,&#8212;</p>
  124. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I don&#8217;t believe they&#8217;ll any of them turn up; but if they do, this Dr.
  125. Nikola, whoever he may be, won&#8217;t be able to find fault with my&nbsp;arrangements.&#8221;</p>
  126. <p>Then, leaving the dusty high road of Business, he and his companion
  127. wandered in the shady bridle-paths of Love&#8212;to the end that when the
  128. chief bookkeeper returned to her own department she had forgotten the
  129. strange dinner party about to take place upstairs, and was busily
  130. engaged upon a calculation as to how she would look in white satin and
  131. orange blossoms, and, that settled, fell to wondering whether it was
  132. true, as Miss Joyce, a subordinate, had been heard to declare, that the
  133. manager had once shown himself partial to a certain widow with reputed
  134. savings and a share in an extensive egg and dairy&nbsp;business.</p>
  135. <p>At ten minutes to eight precisely a hansom drew up at the steps of the
  136. hotel. As soon as it stopped, an undersized gentleman, with a clean
  137. shaven countenance, a canonical corporation, and bow legs, dressed in a
  138. decidedly clerical garb, alighted. He paid and discharged his cabman,
  139. and then took from his ticket pocket an ordinary white visiting card,
  140. which he presented to the gold-laced individual who had opened the
  141. apron. The latter, having noted the red spot, called a waiter, and the
  142. reverend gentleman was immediately escorted&nbsp;upstairs.</p>
  143. <p>Hardly had the attendant time to return to his station in the hall,
  144. before a second cab made its appearance, closely followed by a third.
  145. Out of the second jumped a tall, active, well-built man of about thirty
  146. years of age. He was dressed in evening dress of the latest fashion, and
  147. to conceal it from the vulgar gaze, wore a large Inverness cape of heavy
  148. texture. He also in his turn handed a white card to the porter, and,
  149. having done so, proceeded into the hall, followed by the occupant of the
  150. last cab, who had closely copied his example. This individual was also
  151. in evening dress, but it was of a different stamp. It was old-fashioned
  152. and had seen much use. The wearer, too, was taller than the ordinary run
  153. of men, while it was noticeable that his hair was snow-white, and that
  154. his face was deeply pitted with smallpox. After disposing of their hats
  155. and coats in an ante-room, they reached room No. 22, where they found
  156. the gentleman in clerical costume pacing impatiently up and&nbsp;down.</p>
  157. <p>Left alone, the tallest of the trio, who for want of a better title we
  158. may call the Best Dressed Man, took out his watch, and having glanced at
  159. it, looked at his companions. &#8220;Gentlemen,&#8221; he said, with a slight
  160. American accent, &#8220;it is three minutes to eight o&#8217;clock. My name is&nbsp;Eastover!&#8221;</p>
  161. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I&#8217;m glad to hear it, for I&#8217;m most uncommonly hungry,&#8221; said the next
  162. tallest, whom I have already described as being so marked by disease.
  163. &#8220;My name is&nbsp;Prendergast!&#8221;</p>
  164. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>We only wait for our friend and host,&#8221; remarked the clerical gentleman,
  165. as if he felt he ought to take a share in the conversation, and then, as
  166. an afterthought, he continued, &#8220;My name is&nbsp;Baxter!&#8221;</p>
  167. <p>They shook hands all round with marked cordiality, seated themselves
  168. again, and took it in turns to examine the&nbsp;clock.</p>
  169. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting our host before?&#8221; asked Mr.
  170. Baxter of Mr.&nbsp;Prendergast.</p>
  171. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Never,&#8221; replied that gentleman, with a shake of his head. &#8220;Perhaps Mr.
  172. Eastover has been more&nbsp;fortunate?&#8221;</p>
  173. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Not I,&#8221; was the brief rejoinder. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had to do with him off and on
  174. for longer than I care to reckon, but I&#8217;ve never set eyes on him up to&nbsp;date.&#8221;</p>
  175. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>And where may he have been the first time you heard from&nbsp;him?&#8221;</p>
  176. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>In Nashville, Tennessee,&#8221; said Eastover. &#8220;After that, Tahupapa, New
  177. Zealand; after that, Papeete, in the Society Islands; then Pekin, China.
  178. And&nbsp;you?&#8221;</p>
  179. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>First time, Brussels; second, Monte Video; third, Mandalay, and then
  180. the Gold Coast, Africa. It&#8217;s your turn, Mr.&nbsp;Baxter.&#8221;</p>
  181. <p>The clergyman glanced at the timepiece. It was exactly eight o&#8217;clock.
  182. &#8220;First time, Cabul, Afghanistan; second, Nijni Novgorod, Russia; third,
  183. Wilcannia, Darling River, Australia; fourth, Valparaiso, Chili; fifth,
  184. Nagasaki,&nbsp;Japan.&#8221;</p>
  185. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>He is evidently a great traveller and a most mysterious&nbsp;person.&#8221;</p>
  186. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>He is more than that,&#8221; said Eastover with conviction; &#8220;he is late for&nbsp;dinner!&#8221;</p>
  187. <p>Prendergast looked at his&nbsp;watch.</p>
  188. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>That clock is two minutes fast. Hark, there goes Big Ben! Eight&nbsp;exactly.&#8221;</p>
  189. <p>As he spoke the door was thrown open and a voice announced &#8220;Dr.&nbsp;Nikola.&#8221;</p>
  190. <p>The three men sprang to their feet simultaneously, with exclamations of
  191. astonishment, as the man they had been discussing made his&nbsp;appearance.</p>
  192. <p>It would take more time than I can spare the subject to give you an
  193. adequate and inclusive description of the person who entered the room at
  194. that moment. In stature he was slightly above the ordinary, his
  195. shoulders were broad, his limbs perfectly shaped and plainly muscular,
  196. but very slim. His head, which was magnificently set upon his shoulders,
  197. was adorned with a profusion of glossy black hair; his face was
  198. destitute of beard or moustache, and was of oval shape and handsome
  199. moulding; while his skin was of a dark olive hue, a colour which
  200. harmonized well with his piercing black eyes and pearly teeth. His hands
  201. and feet were small, and the greatest dandy must have admitted that he
  202. was irreproachably dressed, with a neatness that bordered on the
  203. puritanical. In age he might have been anything from eight-and-twenty to
  204. forty; in reality he was thirty-three. He advanced into the room and
  205. walked with out-stretched hand directly across to where Eastover was
  206. standing by the&nbsp;fireplace.</p>
  207. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Mr. Eastover, I feel certain,&#8221; he said, fixing his glittering eyes upon
  208. the man he addressed, and allowing a curious smile to play upon his&nbsp;face.</p>
  209. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>That is my name, Dr. Nikola,&#8221; the other answered with evident surprise.
  210. &#8220;But how on earth can you distinguish me from your other&nbsp;guests?&#8221;</p>
  211. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Ah! it would surprise you if you knew. And Mr. Prendergast, and Mr.
  212. Baxter. This is delightful; I hope I am not late. We had a collision in
  213. the Channel this morning, and I was almost afraid I might not be up to
  214. time. Dinner seems ready; shall we sit down to it?&#8221; They seated
  215. themselves, and the meal commenced. The Imperial Restaurant has earned
  216. an enviable reputation for doing things well, and the dinner that night
  217. did not in any way detract from its lustre. But, delightful as it all
  218. was, it was noticeable that the three guests paid more attention to
  219. their host than to his excellent <em>menu</em>. As they had said before his
  220. arrival, they had all had dealings with him for several years, but what
  221. those dealings were they were careful not to describe. It was more than
  222. possible that they hardly liked to remember them&nbsp;themselves.</p>
  223. <p>When coffee had been served and the servants had withdrawn, Dr. Nikola
  224. rose from the table, and went across to the massive sideboard. On it
  225. stood a basket of very curious shape and workmanship. This he opened,
  226. and as he did so, to the astonishment of his guests, an enormous cat, as
  227. black as his master&#8217;s coat, leaped out on to the floor. The reason for
  228. the saucer and jug of milk became&nbsp;evident.</p>
  229. <p>Seating himself at the table again, the host followed the example of his
  230. guests and lit a cigar, blowing a cloud of smoke luxuriously through his
  231. delicately chiselled nostrils. His eyes wandered round the cornice of
  232. the room, took in the pictures and decorations, and then came down to
  233. meet the faces of his companions. As they did so, the black cat, having
  234. finished its meal, sprang on to his shoulder to crouch there, watching
  235. the three men through the curling smoke drift with its green blinking,
  236. fiendish eyes. Dr. Nikola smiled as he noticed the effect the animal had
  237. upon his&nbsp;guests.</p>
  238. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Now shall we get to business?&#8221; he said&nbsp;briskly.</p>
  239. <p>The others almost simultaneously knocked the ashes off their cigars and
  240. brought themselves to attention. Dr. Nikola&#8217;s dainty, languid manner
  241. seemed to drop from him like a cloak, his eyes brightened, and his
  242. voice, when he spoke, was clean cut as chiselled&nbsp;silver.</p>
  243. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>You are doubtless anxious to be informed why I summoned you from all
  244. parts of the globe to meet me here to-night? And it is very natural you
  245. should be. But then, from what you know of me, you should not be
  246. surprised at anything I&nbsp;do.&#8221;</p>
  247. <p>His voice dropped back into its old tone of gentle languor. He drew in a
  248. great breath of smoke and then sent it slowly out from his lips again.
  249. His eyes were half closed, and he drummed with one finger on the table
  250. edge. The cat looked through the smoke at the three men, and it seemed
  251. to them that he grew every moment larger and more ferocious. Presently
  252. his owner took him from his perch, and seating him on his knee fell to
  253. stroking his fur, from head to tail, with his long slim fingers. It was
  254. as if he were drawing inspiration for some deadly mischief from the
  255. uncanny&nbsp;beast.</p>
  256. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>To preface what I have to say to you, let me tell you that this is by
  257. far the most important business for which I have ever required your
  258. help. (Three slow strokes down the centre of the back, and one round
  259. each ear.) When it first came into my mind I was at a loss who to trust
  260. in the matter. I thought of Vendon, but I found Vendon was dead. I
  261. thought of Brownlow, but Brownlow was no longer faithful. (Two strokes
  262. down the back and two on the throat.) Then bit by bit I remembered you.
  263. I was in Brazil at the time. So I sent for you. You came. So far so&nbsp;good.&#8221;</p>
  264. <p>He rose, and crossed over to the fireplace. As he went the cat crawled
  265. back to its original position on his shoulder. Then his voice changed
  266. once more to its former business-like&nbsp;tone.</p>
  267. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I am not going to tell you very much about it. But from what I do tell
  268. you, you will be able to gather a great deal and imagine the rest. To
  269. begin with, there is a man living in this world to-day who has done me a
  270. great and lasting injury. What that injury is is no concern of yours.
  271. You would not understand if I told you. So we&#8217;ll leave that out of the
  272. question. He is immensely rich. His cheque for £300,000 would be
  273. honoured by his bank at any minute. Obviously he is a power. He has had
  274. reason to know that I am pitting my wits against his, and he flatters
  275. himself that so far he has got the better of me. That is because I am
  276. drawing him on. I am maturing a plan which will make him a poor and a
  277. very miserable man at one and the same time. If that scheme succeeds,
  278. and I am satisfied with the way you three men have performed the parts I
  279. shall call on you to play in it, I shall pay to each of you the sum of
  280. £10,000. If it doesn&#8217;t succeed, then you will each receive a thousand
  281. and your expenses. Do you follow&nbsp;me?&#8221;</p>
  282. <p>It was evident from their faces that they hung upon his every&nbsp;word.</p>
  283. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>But, remember, I demand from you your whole and entire labour. While
  284. you are serving me you are mine body and soul. I know you are
  285. trustworthy. I have had good proof that you are&#8212;pardon the
  286. expression&#8212;unscrupulous, and I flatter myself you are silent. What is
  287. more, I shall tell you nothing beyond what is necessary for the carrying
  288. out of my scheme, so that you could not betray me if you would. Now for
  289. my&nbsp;plans!&#8221;</p>
  290. <p>He sat down again and took a paper from his pocket. Having perused it,
  291. he turned to&nbsp;Eastover.</p>
  292. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>You will leave at once&#8212;that is to say, by the boat on Wednesday&#8212;for
  293. Sydney. You will book your passage to-morrow morning, first thing, and
  294. join her in Plymouth. You will meet me to-morrow evening at an address I
  295. will send you, and receive your final instructions.&nbsp;Good-night.&#8221;</p>
  296. <p>Seeing that he was expected to go, Eastover rose, shook hands, and left
  297. the room without a word. He was too astonished to hesitate or to say&nbsp;anything.</p>
  298. <p>Nikola took another letter from his pocket and turned to Prendergast.
  299. &#8220;<em>You</em> will go down to Dover to-night, cross to Paris to-morrow morning,
  300. and leave this letter personally at the address you will find written on
  301. it. On Thursday, at half-past two precisely, you will deliver me an
  302. answer in the porch at Charing Cross. You will find sufficient money in
  303. that envelope to pay all your expenses. Now&nbsp;go!&#8221;</p>
  304. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>At half-past two you shall have your answer.&nbsp;Good-night.&#8221;</p>
  305. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Good-night.&#8221;</p>
  306. <p>When Prendergast had left the room, Dr. Nikola lit another cigar and
  307. turned his attentions to Mr.&nbsp;Baxter.</p>
  308. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Six months ago, Mr. Baxter, I found for you a situation as tutor to the
  309. young Marquis of Beckenham. You still hold it, I&nbsp;suppose?&#8221;</p>
  310. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I&nbsp;do.&#8221;</p>
  311. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Is the father well disposed towards&nbsp;you?&#8221;</p>
  312. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>In every way. I have done my best to ingratiate myself with him. That
  313. was one of your&nbsp;instructions.&#8221;</p>
  314. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Yes, yes! But I was not certain that you would succeed. If the old man
  315. is anything like what he was when I last met him he must still be a
  316. difficult person to deal with. Does the boy like&nbsp;you?&#8221;</p>
  317. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I hope&nbsp;so.&#8221;</p>
  318. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Have you brought me his photograph as I&nbsp;directed?&#8221;</p>
  319. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I have. Here it&nbsp;is.&#8221;</p>
  320. <p>Baxter took a photograph from his pocket and handed it across the&nbsp;table.</p>
  321. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Good. You have done very well, Mr. Baxter. I am pleased with you.
  322. To-morrow morning you will go back to&nbsp;Yorkshire&#8212;&#8212;&#8221;</p>
  323. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>I beg your pardon, Bournemouth. His Grace owns a house near
  324. Bournemouth, which he occupies during the summer&nbsp;months.&#8221;</p>
  325. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>Very well&#8212;then to-morrow morning you will go back to Bournemouth and
  326. continue to ingratiate yourself with father and son. You will also begin
  327. to implant in the boy&#8217;s mind a desire for travel. Don&#8217;t let him become
  328. aware that his desire has its source in you&#8212;but do not fail to foster
  329. it all you can. I will communicate with you further in a day or two. Now&nbsp;go.&#8221;</p>
  330. <p>Baxter in his turn left the room. The door closed. Dr. Nikola picked up
  331. the photograph and studied&nbsp;it.</p>
  332. <p><span class="dquo">&#8220;</span>The likeness is unmistakable&#8212;or it ought to be. My friend, my very
  333. dear friend, Wetherell, my toils are closing on you. My arrangements are
  334. perfecting themselves admirably. Presently, when all is complete, I
  335. shall press the lever, the machinery will be set in motion, and you will
  336. find yourself being slowly but surely ground into powder. Then you will
  337. hand over what I want, and be sorry you thought fit to baulk Dr.&nbsp;Nikola!&#8221;</p>
  338. <p>He rang the bell and ordered his bill. This duty discharged, he placed
  339. the cat back in its prison, shut the lid, descended with the basket to
  340. the hall, and called a hansom. The porter inquired to what address he
  341. should order the cabman to drive. Dr. Nikola did not reply for a moment,
  342. then he said, as if he had been thinking something out: &#8220;The <em>Green
  343. Sailor</em> public-house, East India Dock&nbsp;Road.&#8221;</p>
  344. <hr class="docutils">
  345. <p>You can read the rest of &#8220;A Bid For Fortune; Or, Dr. Nikola&#8217;s Vendetta&#8221; at <a class="reference external" href="https://archive.org/stream/bidforfortunenov00bootiala#page/12/mode/2up">Open&nbsp;Library</a></p>
  346. </section>
  347. </section>
  348. </div>