Explore "Queen of Hearts" by Fred M. White on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
When, a day or so later, Parkhurst came to make enquiries of the famous firm of auctioneers in St James' Square, he was pleased to find that his suspicions were correct. One of the partners was quite ready to help him in his search, and equally obliging, when, asked to regard Parkhurst's visit as secret and confidential.
"I quite remember the circumstances you allude to, Mr. Parkhurst," the Whitestrand representative said. "Of course I can't tell you the name of the man who brought those cards to us for disposal. You see, we take a good deal on trust, and it is no business of ours to make enquiries as to the bona-fides of our clients. Every day people from all over the world, sailors and explorers and other wanderers, come here with valuable things for disposal. In a way we stand in the same relation to them as if we were pawnbrokers. I have no doubt, whatever, that the pack of cards we sold about the time we mention was brought us by some traveller. I think he must have got them honestly, because he hadn't this remotest idea of their value. I have no doubt that he was amazingly surprised when he got our cheque. Of course we could look up his name, but it might be an assumed one, for all we know to the contrary, still, if you want us to try and trace him, it may not be impossible."