Free Sherlock Holmes and the Boulevard Assassin by John Hall

as if in very truth he did not care much whether he joined Constantine or not, and saw himself being dragged in against his will. I knew he was acting, of course, but for a moment even I could believe that his rejoinder was genuine.
    ‘Perhaps not,’ said Constantine. ‘But there are witnesses – for although some of those arrested last night will face the guillotine, some will not. They will go to prison, but they will still be able to testify against you. Remember that; and remember too that the police are the very least of the dangers you face if you let me down in any way.’
    ‘You have nothing to fear, Monsieur Constantine,’ said Holmes, his voice now betraying an almost pathetic desire to please. ‘We would not, I assure you, dream of betraying you.’
    ‘And especially not when the rewards of loyalty are so great,’ I added, looking round the room.
    Constantine laughed, becoming his old, urbane self again. ‘You are right, Monsieur,’ he told me. ‘It is best not to dwell on unpleasantness. But keep in mind always, that your allegiance from now on is to me alone.’ He stood up and rang the bell. ‘You will forgive the observation,’ said he, looking askance at our costumes, ‘but you are both in need of a change of linen. If you will tell Georges here – ’ he nodded at the footman, who had appeared in answer to the ring – ‘your size in clothes, he will provide what is necessary. I regret that you will not be able to visit the shops for yourselves just at the moment – it will be much better all round if you remain in the house – but you may have the utmost confidence in Georges’ taste.’ And he gave a taut smile, and made a little bow of dismissal.
    We followed Georges upstairs to the door of our room. ‘If Messieurs would be so kind as to let me have a note of their collar and shoe sizes, and the like?’ said Georges, taking out a tiny notebook and silver pencil. We did as we were asked, and Georges indicated the door. ‘And if Messieurs would now have the very great goodness to enter their room and remain there? I shall return in a very short time, I assure you.’
    We went inside, and Georges shut the door. We heard the key turn again, and Georges’ footsteps move discreetly away across the landing.
    Holmes threw himself into his armchair. ‘We must possess our souls in patience,’ said he, ‘and trust that Georges’ sartorial tastes are not too divergent from our own.’
    ‘Whatever he may choose, it must be better than those hideous brothel-creeper shoes of yours, Hol – er, Leblanc.’
    Holmes stretched out his legs, and regarded his feet critically. ‘I have rather grown to like them,’ said he.
    ‘You know,’ said I with a sort of embarrassed half-laugh, ‘this Constantine is a most persuasive fellow! Why, I half believed some of the nonsense that he was telling us, if you will credit that!’
    Holmes did not laugh at this. He said, very seriously, ‘He is undoubtedly an imposing personality; he has, I think, some of that curious “animal magnetism” of which Mesmer and his colleagues speak so highly.’
    ‘He could make a fortune on the stage as a hypnotist, that is certain.’
    Holmes did laugh at that. ‘But more to the point,’ he said, ‘he can impose his will on others; he can influence otherwise perfectly ordinary men to evil. That is not such a common trait, and it makes him very dangerous.’
    ‘Tell me, do you think that this is the man we seek? The head of the gang? He has surely the necessary attributes.’
    Holmes shook his head. ‘No. No, for all that he is a powerful, even an impressive, man, a strong personality. For one thing, he is quite unlike me in appearance – he could never have impersonated me at the Banque de France, as the man whom I know to be the head of the gang did. And then, with all due respect to ourselves, I scarcely think that the head of the gang would recruit new members from the gutter, as it were! Moreover, there was