Chapter 6 | A Vain Search | A Dash From Diamond City

West saw at once upon entering the presence of the principals that things appeared bad for Anson, who stood facing a table at which three of the directors of the great company were seated, all looking very stern. They signed to Ingleborough and West to stand upon their right—Anson was facing them to the left.

Then there was a brief colloquy in a low tone between the three directors, ending in one of them saying aloud: “You speak.”

The gentleman thus addressed turned to Ingleborough.

“Mr Anson has sought this interview with the directors, Mr Ingleborough, to inform us that you have made up a malicious tale about his having been engaged in illicit-diamond-buying. Of course, if you could prove such a charge, it was your duty to inform us.”

“Of course, sir,” replied Ingleborough; “but, though I have for some time suspected him, this affair only occurred during our tiffin-time this morning, and as soon as we returned to the office I felt bound to accuse him as my fellow-clerk, and tell him what I intended to do.”

“So as to give him, if guilty, a good chance to conceal the diamonds or escape?”

“Oh no, sir,” said Ingleborough quietly. “I took proper precautions against that.”

“Indeed?” said the director. “What did you do?”

“Mr Superintendent Norton is a friend of mine, sir, and I went to him at once. He and two of his keenest men have been carefully watching Anson ever since.”

“Humph! Quite right,” said the director, and he glanced at Anson, who was smiling contemptuously then; but West had seen him wince sharply when Ingleborough mentioned the superintendent’s name. “Well,” continued the director, “let us hear your version of this business.”

“Really, gentlemen,” cried Anson, “I ought to have the assistance of a law officer and—”

“Stop, Mr Anson,” said the director sharply; “we have heard you all through. Have the goodness to be silent now while Mr Ingleborough gives us his statement.”

“But legal assistance, sir.”

“You can have as much as you like, sir, as soon as the matter is brought before the magistrates. We must first of all hear what Mr Ingleborough has to say. Now, sir, have the goodness to tell us everything you know about this business.”

Ingleborough made his statement perfectly clearly, and it was listened to in silence, and the diamonds were produced.

Afterwards the three directors spoke together in a low tone of voice for a few minutes, ending by turning to Anson to tell him that he must consider himself for the present as suspended from all further duty in connection with the company’s business.

“We have no desire to proceed to extremities, Mr Anson,” he said in conclusion, “and every opportunity will be given you to clear yourself; but in the meantime you must consider yourself under supervision, and your lodgings will be searched.”

“I protest, sir,” cried the young man warmly. “You have no right to order such a thing to be done without magisterial authority.”

“Then we will assume the right, Mr Anson, as it is a question of our property being stolen by our black employés and finding a purchaser in one of our clerks. Mr West, as the superintendent is keeping an eye upon Anson, I presume he is here?”

“I passed him at the door as I came in, sir,” answered West.

“Have the goodness to call him in.”

Anson winced; but he faced the tall stern-looking officer of police as he entered and heard the reason for his being called in.

“Then you wish a search to be made, gentlemen?” said the superintendent.

“Certainly.”

“Look here,” cried Anson fiercely; “there’s law for everybody. I’m not your servant any longer, for I refuse to stay with such a pack of tyrannical dividend-making scoundrels.”

“That will do,” growled the superintendent, in a low, deep voice. “Keep a civil tongue in your head. You’ll do no good for yourself by this.”

“You mind your own business,” cried Anson, turning upon the officer so fiercely that West wondered at the change in his fellow-clerk’s manner.

“All right: I will,” said the officer, seizing him sharply.

“Here, what are you going to do?” cried Anson, in alarm.

“Search you, my lad,” was the reply.

“Then I call everyone present to witness that this is illegal. I’m not going to stand quietly by and be treated like a worm.”

“Leave off wriggling, then,” said the officer.

“I won’t. I refuse to be treated like one of the black labourers.”

“Look here, sir,” said the officer sternly; “I don’t want to treat you like a Kaffir unless you behave like one. You are charged with illicit buying, and your game’s up; so the best thing you can do is to produce everything you have on you and have done with the matter.”

“Search me if you dare,” cried Anson, still keeping up his defiant manner.

“Right: I dare,” said the officer. “Mr Ingleborough, be ready to lend a hand if I want it.”

“If John Ingleborough dares to lay a hand on me I’ll send a bullet through him.”

In an instant Ingleborough’s hand came down heavily upon Anson’s shoulder and gripped him fast.

“Never mind him, Norton. It’s all bluff. He is unarmed.”

“Armed or unarmed,” said the superintendent, “I’m going to search him,” and directly after a quick pair of hands were busy going through the suspect’s pockets.

“Urrr!” he growled, showing his white teeth between his thick red lips, as he cast off thoroughly the mask of servile humility he had previously worn; “it’s lucky for you that I am unarmed. But search away. Go on. I’ll have heavy damages for this dastardly assault and defamation of character, and the public shall know all about the games carried on by this beautiful diamond syndicate. Curse you all—masters and men! You shall pay for it, and, as for you, John Ingleborough, look out for yourself. Yes, and you too, Oliver West, you miserable sneak. I always hated you.”

“Hadn’t you better save your breath, Anson?” said West quietly. “You’re only making everybody believe you guilty.”

“Let ’em,” cried the suspect, whose plump round face was now distorted with impotent rage. “I’ll be even with all of you for this.”

“Humph! Nothing in his pockets; nothing sewn in the seams of his clothes, nor in the band of his trousers,” muttered the searcher. Then aloud: “Now then, hold up!”

Anson behaved like a horse, or, as West and Ingleborough afterwards laughingly said, like an ass, lifting to order each foot in turn for the bottoms of his trousers to be examined and the heels of his boots, which had not been bored nor plugged.

“He has nothing upon him, gentlemen,” said the officer, at last.

“But you have not thoroughly searched him,” said one of the directors, frowning.

“Oh yes, sir,” replied the officer; “a party like this wouldn’t carry diamonds about him same as a Kaffir would. He wouldn’t play any tricks with his person by slitting or swallowing: he knows too much about the risks. You can be perfectly satisfied that he has nothing about him. I was, as soon as I had turned out his pockets.”

“They’ll be satisfied before they’ve done,” sneered Anson.

“I should like to see his desk and stool in the office where he has worked, gentlemen,” continued the officer.

“Yah!” snarled Anson. “Yes: go on; search everywhere. Perhaps you’d like to search the place where I lodge?”

“Afterwards,” said the officer quietly.