CHAPTER XII.
THE LIVERPOOL MYSTERY "A title--a foreign title, I mean--is always very useful for purposes of swindles and frauds," remarked the man in the corner to Polly one day.
"The cleverest robberies of modern times were perpetrated lately in Vienna by a man who dubbed himself Lord Seymour; whilst over here the same class of thief calls himself Count Something ending in 'o,' or Prince the other, ending in 'off.'" "Fortunately for our hotel and lodging-house keepers over here," she replied, "they are beginning to be more alive to the ways of foreign swindlers, and look upon all titled gentry who speak broken English as possible swindlers or thieves." "The result sometimes being exceedingly unpleasant to the real _grands seigneurs_ who honour this country at times with their visits," replied the man in the corner.

"Now, take the case of Prince Semionicz, a man whose sixteen quarterings are duly recorded in Gotha, who carried enough luggage with him to pay for the use of every room in an hotel for at least a week, whose gold cigarette case with diamond and turquoise ornament was actually stolen without his taking the slightest trouble to try and recover it; that same man was undoubtedly looked upon with suspicion by the manager of the Liverpool North-Western Hotel from the moment that his secretary--a dapper, somewhat vulgar little Frenchman--bespoke on behalf of his employer, with himself and a valet, the best suite of rooms the hotel contained.
"Obviously those suspicions were unfounded, for the little secretary, as soon as Prince Semionicz had arrived, deposited with the manager a pile of bank notes, also papers and bonds, the value of which would exceed tenfold the most outrageous bill that could possibly be placed before the noble visitor.

Moreover, M.Albert Lambert explained that the Prince, who only meant to stay in Liverpool a few days, was on his way to Chicago, where he wished to visit Princess Anna Semionicz, his sister, who was married to Mr.Girwan, the great copper king and multi-millionaire.
"Yet, as I told you before, in spite of all these undoubted securities, suspicion of the wealthy Russian Prince lurked in the minds of most Liverpudlians who came in business contact with him.

He had been at the North-Western two days when he sent his secretary to Window and Vassall, the jewellers of Bold Street, with a request that they would kindly send a representative round to the hotel with some nice pieces of jewellery, diamonds and pearls chiefly, which he was desirous of taking as a present to his sister in Chicago.
"Mr.Winslow took the order from M.Albert with a pleasant bow.

Then he went to his inner office and consulted with his partner, Mr.Vassall, as to the best course to adopt.