The Mystery of Room 75 by Fred M. White — Read

It was a matter of weeks before Wendover succeeded in gaining the confidence of de Vince. There was something about the man that was both attractive and repulsive at the same time. He appeared to be generous and impulsive, but vain and selfish to a degree. He did not say much about the Brotherhood to which, Wendover gathered, he had at one time been loyal and enthusiastic. But those days apparently had long gone by, and now de Vince appeared to regard the Society more as a means of living than anything else. Apparently at one time the Brotherhood had consisted of over twenty, but in one way or another they had dropped away until only three or four remained. And, so far as Wendover could ascertain, only those he had met that fateful night at the Ambassadors' Hotel knew the secret of the time lock and the story of the treasure in the safe. It was nearly two months before Wendover was satisfied that this was the case.

Meanwhile de Vince had passed most of his time in his new house at Hampstead, painting fitfully and taking occasional journeys to town in the company of his man, without whom he never even went across the Heath. And in this time more than one attempt had been made upon his life. More than once Wendover had seen the man who called himself James Ogilvy hanging about in the neighbourhood. It was more than significant that the appearance of the man in clerical attire tallied with some attempted outrage in which de Vince was concerned. Then these futile attempts ceased and Wendover came to the conclusion that some deeper plot was on foot. Over three months had elapsed before the next sign came of Garcia's activity.