The Project Gutenberg EBook of An African Millionaire, by Grant Allen

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: An African Millionaire
Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Clay

Author: Grant Allen

Posting Date: September 11, 2009 [EBook #4715]
Release Date: December, 2003
First Posted: March 6, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE ***

Produced by Don Lainson and Andrew Sly. HTML version by Al Haines.

An African Millionaire

Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Clay

By Grant Allen

First published in 1897

CONTENTS

1. The Episode of the Mexican Seer

2. The Episode of the Diamond Links

3. The Episode of the Old Master

4. The Episode of the Tyrolean Castle

5. The Episode of the Drawn Game

6. The Episode of the German Professor

7. The Episode of the Arrest of the Colonel

8. The Episode of the Seldon Gold-Mine

9. The Episode of the Japanned Dispatch-Box

10. The Episode of the Game of Poker

11. The Episode of the Bertillon Method

12. The Episode of the Old Bailey

I

THE EPISODE OF THE MEXICAN SEER

My name is Seymour Wilbraham Wentworth. I am brother-in-law and
secretary to Sir Charles Vandrift, the South African millionaire and
famous financier. Many years ago, when Charlie Vandrift was a small
lawyer in Cape Town, I had the (qualified) good fortune to marry his
sister. Much later, when the Vandrift estate and farm near Kimberley
developed by degrees into the Cloetedorp Golcondas, Limited, my
brother-in-law offered me the not unremunerative post of secretary;
in which capacity I have ever since been his constant and attached
companion.

He is not a man whom any common sharper can take in, is Charles
Vandrift. Middle height, square build, firm mouth, keen eyes--the
very picture of a sharp and successful business genius. I have only
known one rogue impose upon Sir Charles, and that one rogue, as the
Commissary of Police at Nice remarked, would doubtless have imposed
upon a syndicate of Vidocq, Robert Houdin, and Cagliostro.

We had run across to the Riviera for a few weeks in the season. Our