The Greatest Works of Fergus Hume - 22 Mystery Novels in One Edition. Fergus Hume

paper in the fireplace all that remained of the bitter story, he felt a weight lifted off his heart. The barrister, Chinston, and Kilsip, all promised to keep silent, and they kept the promise nobly, for nothing was ever known of the circumstances which led to the death of Oliver Whyte, and it was generally supposed that it must have been caused by some quarrel between the dead man and his friend Roger Moreland.

      Fitzgerald, however, did not forget the good service that Kilsip had done him, and gave him a sum of money which made him independent for life, though he still followed his old profession of a detective from sheer love of excitement, and was always looked upon with admiration as the man who had solved the mystery of the famous hansom cab murder. Brian, after several consultations with Calton, at last came to the conclusion that it would be useless to reveal to Sal Rawlins the fact that she was Mark Frettlby’s daughter, as by the will the money was clearly left to Madge, and such a revelation could bring her no pecuniary benefit, while her bringing up unfitted her for the position; so a yearly income, more than sufficient for her wants, was settled upon her, and she was allowed to remain in ignorance of her parentage. The influence of Sal Rawlins’ old life, however, was very strong on her, and she devoted herself to the task of saving her fallen sisters. Knowing as she did, all the intricacies of the slums, she was enabled to do an immense amount of good, and many an unhappy woman was saved from the squalor and hardship of a gutter life by the kind hand of Sal Rawlins.

      Felix Rolleston became a member of Parliament, where his speeches, if not very deep, were at least amusing; and while in the House he always behaved like a gentleman, which could not be said of all his Parliamentary colleagues.

      Madge slowly recovered from her illness, and as she had been explicitly named in the will as heiress to Mark Frettlby’s great wealth, she placed the management of her estates in the hands of Mr. Calton, who, with Thinton and Tarbit, acted as her agents in Australia. On her recovery she learned the story of her father’s early marriage, but both Calton and Fitzgerald were silent about the fact of Sal Rawlins being her half-sister, as such a relation could do no good, and would only create a scandal, as no explanation could be given except the true one. Shortly afterwards Madge married Fitzgerald, and both of them only too gladly left Australia, with all its sorrows and bitter memories.

      Standing with her husband on the deck of one of the P. and O. steamers, as it ploughed the blue waters of Hobson’s Bay into foam, they both watched Melbourne gradually fade from their view, under the glow of the sunset. They could see the two great domes of the Exhibition, and the Law Courts, and also Government House, with its tall tower rising from the midst of the green trees. In the background was a bright crimson sky, barred with masses of black clouds, and over all the great city hung a cloud of smoke like a pall. The flaring red light of the sinking sun glared angrily on the heavy waters, and the steamer seemed to be making its way through a sea of blood. Madge, clinging to her husband’s arm, felt her eyes fill with tears, as she saw the land of her birth receding slowly.

      “Good-bye,” she murmured, softly. “Good-bye for ever.”

      “You do not regret?” he said, bending his head.

      “Regret, no,” she answered, looking at him with loving eyes.

      “With you by my side, I fear nothing. Surely our hearts have been tried in the furnace of affliction, and our love has been chastened and purified.”

      “We are sure of nothing in this world,” replied Brian, with a sigh. “But after all the sorrow and grief of the past, let us hope that the future will be peace.”

      “Peace!”

      A white-winged sea-gull rose suddenly from the crimson waters, and circled rapidly in the air above them.

      “A happy omen,” she said, looking up fondly to the grave face of her husband, “for your life and for mine.”

      He bent down and kissed her.

      The great steamer moved slowly out to sea, and as they stood on the deck, hand clasped in hand, with the fresh salt breeze blowing keenly in their faces, it bore them away into the placid beauty of the coming night, towards the old world and the new life.

      Professor Brankel’s Secret

       Table of Contents

       I. Extracts From the Diary of Professor Brankel

       II. Extracts From the Diary of Professor Brankel (Continued)

       III. In the Library

       IV. In the Drawing-Room

       V. The Effect of the Elixir

       VI. The Last Ingredient of the Elixir

       VII. Wolfden

       VIII. In the Laboratory

      Chapter I.

       Extracts From the Diary of Professor Brankel

       Table of Contents

      “Of a truth, sir, this oyster may contain a most precious jewel.”

      Heidelberg, August 26th, 1876.—Last night, having to prepare my lecture on chemistry for my students, I left my house and went to the library of the University in order to verify some remarks relative to the chemical discoveries of the fourteenth century. I had no difficulty in finding the books I wanted, all of them being well-known. I had finished, and was about to roll up my notes, when on glancing over them I saw that I had omitted to verify a remark as to Giraldus von Breen.

      Giraldus von Breen was a famous but somewhat obscure alchemist of the middle ages, whose life was wholly spent in searching after the philosopher’s stone. As the point I wished to elucidate was rather important, I went back to find the “Giraldus.” I hunted for a long time, but was unable to discover anything of the book I wanted. In despair I consulted the librarian, and he told me that he had seen a copy of the “Giraldus in two volumes about a year ago, but had lost sight of it since. He also added that it was but little known, and that until myself no one had inquired for it, with the exception of a young Englishman, who had left Heidelberg about eight or nine months back. Under these circumstances nothing could be done, as the book was evidently not in the library; so, in despair, I took myself home in no very amiable frame of mind at my failure.

      August 27th.—I lectured to-day to my students, and during my discourse I mentioned how unfortunate I had been with regard to the “Giraldus.” At the end of my lecture Herr Buechler, one of my students, desired to speak with me, and said he thought he could tell me where to find the “Giraldus.” I asked him where, and he said he had lodged in the same house with a young Englishman called Black, who had left Heidelberg about eight months ago. Of course, I immediately guessed that this was the young Englishman mentioned by the librarian. Herr Buechler also said that the young Englishman was a great admirer of the works of Giraldus von Breen, and constantly studied them. He thought it likely that Herr Black had taken them from the library to read at his lodgings, and, as he had left a number of books behind him, the two volumes might be amongst them. I immediately accompanied Herr Buechler to the late lodgings of the young Englishman, and found there a great number of old books, principally works on chemistry. Both Herr Buechler and myself hunted for a long time without success, but at last