The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime - Michael Sims [15]
Following the success of his first novel at about the same time, he moved to London and devoted himself to writing. Between 1895 and 1901 he published five shamelessly melodramatic novels about Dr. Nikola, a sinister criminal mastermind in the Professor Moriarty mode, spiced with a dash of Fu Manchu. Boothby died of pneumonia at the young age of thirty-seven, leaving behind a wife and three children. During his brief life, he wrote more than fifty books.
The first Simon Carne story, “The Duchess of Wiltshire’s Diamonds,” appeared in the February 1897 issue of Pearson’s Magazine, under the series title “A Prince of Swindlers,” which the next year also became the title of the collected adventures.
THE DUCHESS OF WILTSHIRE’S DIAMONDS
To the reflective mind the rapidity with which the inhabitants of the world’s greatest city seize upon a new name or idea, and familiarize themselves with it, can scarecely prove otherwise than astonishing. As an illustraton of my meaning let me take the case of Klimo—the now famous private detective, who has won for himself the right to be considered as great as Lecocq, or even the late lamented Sherlock Holmes.
Up to a certain morning London had never even heard his name, nor had it the remotest notion as to who or what he might be. It was as sublimely ignorant and careless on the subject as the inhabitants of Kamtchatka or Peru. Within twenty-four hours, however, the whole aspect of the case was changed. The man, woman, or child who had not seen his posters, or heard his name, was counted an ignoramous unworthy of intercourse with human beings.
Princes became familiar with it as their trains bore them to Windsor to luncheon with the Queen; the nobility noticed and commented upon it as they drove about the town; merchants, and business men generally, read it as they made their ways by omnibus or underground, to their various shops and counting-houses; street boys called each other by it as a nickname; music hall artists introduced it into their patter, while it was even rumoured that the Stock Exchange itself had paused in the full flood tide of business to manufacture a riddle on the subject.
That Klimo made his profession pay him well was certain, first from the fact that his advertisements must have cost a good round sum, and, second, because he had taken a mansion in Belverton Street, Park Lane, next door to Porchester House, where, to the dismay of that aristocratic neighbourhood, he advertised that he was prepared to receive and be consulted by his clients. The invitation was responded to with alacrity, and from that day forward, between the hours of twelve and two, the pavement upon the north side of the street was lined with carriages, every one containing some person desirous of testing the great man’s skill.
I must here explain that I have narrated all this in order to show the state of affairs in Belverton Street and Park Lane when Simon Carne arrived, or was supposed to arrive, in England. If my memory serves me correctly, it was on Wednesday, the 3rd of May, that the Earl of Amberley drove to Victoria to meet and welcome the man whose acquaintance he had made in India under such peculiar circumstances, and under the spell of whose fascination he and his family had fallen so completely.
Reaching the station, his lordship descended from his carriage, and made his way to the platform set apart for the reception of the Continental express. He walked with a jaunty air, and seemed to be on the best of terms with himself and the world in general. How little he suspected the existence of the noose into which he was so innocently running his head!
As if out of compliment to his arrival, the train put in an appearance within a few moments of his reaching the platform. He immediately placed himself in such a position that he could make sure of seeing the man he wanted, and waited patiently until