{"product_id":"2940013741034","title":"The Dark Eyes of London","description":"Larry Holt sat before the Cafe de la Paix, watching the stream of life\u003cbr\u003eflow east and west along the Boulevard des ltaliens. The breath of spring\u003cbr\u003ewas in the air; the trees were bursting into buds of vivid green; the\u003cbr\u003ecloud-flecked skies were blue; and a flood of golden sunshine brought out\u003cbr\u003ethe colours of the kiosks, and gave an artistic value even to the flaring\u003cbr\u003eadvertisements. Crowded motor-buses rumbled by, little taxis dashed\u003cbr\u003ewildly in and out of the traffic, to the mortal peril of unsuspecting\u003cbr\u003epedestrians.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA gendarme, with cloak over his shoulder, stood in a conventional\u003cbr\u003eattitude on the kerb, his hand behind him, staring at nothing, and along\u003cbr\u003ethe sidewalk there were hurrying bareheaded girls, slow-moving old men,\u003cbr\u003eand marching poilus. Itinerant vendors of wares loafed past the tables of\u003cbr\u003ethe cafe, dusky-faced Arabs with their carpets on their arms,\u003cbr\u003eseedy-looking men who hawked bundles of picture post cards and would\u003cbr\u003eproduce, at the slightest encouragement, cards which were not for the\u003cbr\u003epublic gaze. All these things and people were a delight to Larry Holt,\u003cbr\u003ewho had just returned from Berlin after four years' strenuous work in\u003cbr\u003eFrance and Germany, and felt in that holiday spirit to which even the\u003cbr\u003emind of a detective will ascend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe position occupied by Larry Holt was something of a mystery to the\u003cbr\u003eofficials of Scotland Yard. His rank was Inspector, his work was the\u003cbr\u003eadministrative work of a Commissioner; and it was generally understood\u003cbr\u003ethat he was in the line for the first vacant assistant commissionership\u003cbr\u003ethat came along. The question of his rank, of his prospects, did not\u003cbr\u003etrouble Larry at that particular moment. He sat there, absorbing the\u003cbr\u003esweetness of spring with every breath he drew. His good-looking face was\u003cbr\u003elit up with the sheer joy of living, and there was in his heart a relief,\u003cbr\u003ea sense of rest, which he had not experienced for many a long day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe revealed himself a fairly tall man when he rose, after paying the\u003cbr\u003ewaiter, and strolled round the corner to his hotel. It was a slow\u003cbr\u003eprogress he made, his hands in his pockets, his soft felt hat at the back\u003cbr\u003eof his head, a half-smile on his parted lips as he gripped a long black\u003cbr\u003ecigarette holder between his white teeth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe came into the busy vestibule of the hotel, the one spot in Paris where\u003cbr\u003epeople hustle and rush, where bell-boys really run, and even the\u003cbr\u003ephlegmatic Briton seems in a frantic hurry, and he was walking towards\u003cbr\u003ethe elevator when, through the glass door leading to the palm court, he\u003cbr\u003esaw a man in an attitude of elegant repose, leaning back in a big chair\u003cbr\u003eand puffing at a cigar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLarry grinned and hesitated. He knew this lean-faced man, so radiantly\u003cbr\u003eattired, his fingers and cravat flashing with diamonds, and in a spirit\u003cbr\u003eof mischief he passed through the swing doors and came up to the lounger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If it isn't my dear old friend Fred!\" he said softly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlash Fred, Continental crook and gambler, leapt to his feet with a look\u003cbr\u003eof alarm at the sight of this unexpected visitation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hullo, Mr Holt!\" he stammered. \"You're the last person in the world I\u003cbr\u003eexpected to see--\"","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47070246109424,"sku":"2940013741034","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013741034_p0.jpg?v=1763589637","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013741034","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}