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AN AMIABLE CHARLATAN

BY

E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

(AUTHOR OF "MR. GREX OF MONTE CARLO," "THE DOUBLE TRAITOR", ETC.)

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY WILL GREF

[Illustration:"No one can be more glad than Mrs. Delaporte and myselfthat this little affair has been concluded so amicably."]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I THE MAN AT STEPHANO'S

II THE COUP IN THE GAMBLING DEN

III CULLEN GIVES ADVICE

IV THE WOOING OF EVE

V MR. SAMUELSON

VI THE PARTY AT THE MILAN

VII "ONE OF US"

VIII AT THE ALHAMBRA

IX THE EXPOSURE

X A BROKEN PARTNERSHIP

XI MR. BUNDERCOMBE'S WINK

XII THE EMANCIPATION OF LOUIS

XIII "THE SHORN LAMB"

XIV MR. BUNDERCOMBE'S LOVE AFFAIR

XV LORD PORTHONING'S LESSON

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"No one can be more glad than Mrs. Delaporte and myself that this littleaffair has been concluded so amicably"

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you please! Nothing has happened"

"I haven't interrupted anything, have I—any little celebration, oranything of that sort?"

"Eve was one of the first to congratulate me"

AN AMIABLE CHARLATAN

CHAPTER I—THE MAN AT STEPHANO's

The thing happened so suddenly that I really had very little time to makeup my mind what course to adopt under somewhat singular circumstances. Iwas seated at my favorite table against the wall on the right-hand side inStephano's restaurant, with a newspaper propped up before me, a glass ofhock by my side, and a portion of the plat du jour, which happened to bechicken en casserole, on the plate in front of me.

I was, in fact, halfway through dinner when, without a word of warning, aman who seemed to enter with a lightfooted speed that, considering hissize, was almost incredible, drew a chair toward him and took the vacantplace at my table. My glass of wine and my plate were moved with smoothand marvelous haste to his vicinity. Under cover of the tablecloth apacket—I could not tell what it contained—was thrust into my hand.

"Sir," he said, raising my glass of wine to his lips, "I am forced to takesomewhat of a liberty. You can render me the service of a lifetime! Kindlyaccept the situation."

I stared at him for a moment quite blankly. Then I recognized him; and,transferring at once the packet to my trousers pocket, I drew anotherglass toward me and poured out the remainder of my half-bottle of hock. Somuch, at any rate, I felt I had saved!

"I shall offer you presently," my self-invited guest continued, with hismouth full of my chicken, "the fullest explanation. I shall also ask youto do me the honor of dining with me. I think I am right in saying that weare not altogether strangers?"

"I know you very well by sight," I told him. "I have seen you here severaltimes before with a young lady."

"Exactly," he agreed. "My daughter, sir."...