A Queen's Error, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  THE SECOND VISIT AND ITS RESULT

  The first thing which caught my attention was the wax candle with itsglass shade standing on the raised flap which did duty for a hall table.

  I at once lit the candle from the box of matches by it, and then, whenit had burned up a little, proceeded at once to the kitchen staircase.The old lady had given me the latch-key with such a free hand that Ifelt myself fully justified in walking in; in fact, I rather wanted totake her by surprise if possible.

  Nevertheless I made a little noise going downstairs to give herknowledge of my approach, and it was then that I thought I heard awindow open somewhere at the back of the house.

  I walked towards the end of the passage, and there I saw the glow ofthe fire reflected through the open door of the handsome sitting-roomin which I had sat with the old lady on the previous day. It playedupon the opposite wall as I advanced with a great air of comfort.

  "Ten to one," I said to myself, "that I find the old lady asleep overthe fire."

  The room I found in darkness except for the firelight. I could seelittle within it. I paused on the threshold and made a polite inquiry.

  "May I come in?" I asked in a tone intended to be loud enough to wakethe old lady.

  No answer.

  I advanced into the room with my candle and set it on the table, then Istruck a match and lit two more of the candles in the sconces.

  The room was empty!

  This placed me rather in a dilemma. I had no further means ofannouncing my presence; I could only wait.

  I sat down by the fire and began to look around.

  Comfortable, even luxurious as the room was with its abundance ofvaluable knick-knacks and pictures, it had an eerie look about it. Theeyes of the figures in the pictures seemed following me about.

  I got up and lit two more of the candles in the sconces on the walls.Then I returned to my seat, made up the fire, and waited the course ofevents.

  I waited thus quite a quarter of an hour, during which nothingoccurred, and then I heard sounds which almost made me jump from mychair.

  The first was a long, gasping breath, followed after an interval by agroan, a long wailing groan as of one in the deepest suffering.

  I immediately rose from my chair, and caught a glimpse of my white faceas I did so in the looking-glass over the mantelpiece.

  I stood for some seconds on the hearthrug, and then the groan wasrepeated; it came from the direction of a heavy curtain which hung inone corner of the room, and which I had taken, on the previous day, tobe the covering of a cabinet or a recess in the wall perhaps for someof the old lady's out-door clothing.

  I tore it on one side now and found that it concealed a door. The knobturned in my hand and I entered the room beyond; it was in totaldarkness, and I at once returned to the sitting-room for candles.

  I took two in my hands and advanced once again, with an effort, intothe dark room.

  The sight that met my gaze there almost caused me to drop them. It wasa handsomely furnished bedroom, and in the farther corner was the bed.On it lay the old lady wrapped in a white quilted silk dressing-robe.

  The whole of the breast of this garment was saturated with blood!

  With the candles trembling in my hands I advanced to the side of thebed, and the poor soul's eyes looked up at me while she acknowledged mycoming with a groan.

  Looking down at her there could not be a doubt but that her throat hadbeen cut!

  I drew back from her horrified, and then I saw her lips moving; she wastrying to speak.

  I put my ear down close to her mouth and then I heard faintly but verydistinctly two words--

  "Safe--open."

  I answered her at once.

  "I will go for a doctor first, then I will return and open the safe."

  At once she moved her head, causing a fresh flow of blood from a greatgaping wound at the right side of her neck. She was eager to speakagain, and I bent my ear over her mouth.

  Two words came again very faintly--"Open--first."

  I nodded to show her that I understood what she meant, then giving oneglance at her I prepared to do what she asked. There was a look ofsatisfaction in her eyes as I turned away. I went quickly back intothe sitting-room and turned the carved rose on the left side of theframe of the looking-glass in the over-mantel. Then when the glass hadslid up I felt for the spring in the wall, touched it, and the doorflew open. Without any hesitation I fixed the key in the lock of thesteel safe, and, with a slight effort, turned it and pulled the dooropen.

  The first thing I saw was a slip of white paper with some writing on itlying on two packets. This I took up and read at once; the wordsscribbled on it were in a lady's hand.

  "If anything has happened to me take these two packets, hide them inyour pockets, and close the safe, cupboard, and looking-glass, andleave it all as it was at first."

  I did not delay a moment. I took the two packets, which were wrappedin white paper like chemists' parcels, and sealed with red wax. I sawthis before I crammed them into my trousers pockets.

  I hastily closed the safe, locked it, fastened the panel, and, byturning the rose on the right-hand side of the over-mantel, caused theglass to resume its place.

  Then I turned to leave the room, and--found myself standing face toface with Saumarez, the man with the glass eye, who held a revolverlevelled at me.

  He did not stay to speak, but fired immediately; I dodged my head toone side just in time and heard the bullet go crashing into thelooking-glass behind me.

  Before he could fire again I hit him with all my might under the ear,and he fell in the corner of the room like a log. Stopping only topossess myself of his revolver, which had dropped by his side, I rushedup the stairs and out into the street; there I inquired of the firstperson I met, a working man going home, for the nearest doctor, and hedirected me to a Dr. Redfern only about ten doors away.

  Within a few seconds I was pausing at this door, and endeavouring tomake an astonished parlour-maid understand that I wanted to see hermaster on a matter of life and death.

  A placid-looking gentleman made his appearance from a room at the endof the entrance hall while I was speaking to her, with an evening paperin his hand.

  "What's the matter?" he asked casually.

  "Murder is the matter," I answered between gasps of excitement, "murderat Number 190, and I want you to come at once."

  I gave him a brief account of the old lady with her throat cut. Hestood looking at me a moment or two, as if in doubt whether I was saneor not, then made up his mind.

  "All right," he said, "just wait a moment and I'll come with you."

  He reappeared in about a couple of minutes, wearing an overcoat and atall hat.

  "Now," he said, "just lead the way."

  We went together straight back to Number 190, and I think he had somemisgivings about entering the house with me alone, but I reassured himby reminding him that an old lady was dying within; as it was he mademe go first.

  "I had no idea any one lived here at all," he remarked, as I lightedhim along the passage to the stairs by means of wax vestas, of which Ifortunately had a supply, for there was no candle in the hall. "Ialways thought this house was shut up. But still I have only been herejust over twelve months."

  "I think you will find," I said, as we got firmly on the basementfloor, and saw the reflection of my candle which I had left on thetable in the sitting-room, "that there are a good many surprises inthis house."

  "Now," I continued as we entered the room, "the old lady is lying inthere. I will take this candle and show you the way." I led the wayinto the room, and held the candle aloft, with a shudder at what Iexpected to see there.

  _The bed was empty._

  I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

  No, there was nothing there; the bed looked rather rumpled, but therewas no sign whatever of the old lady.

  "Well," remarked the doctor sharply--he had followed closely at my
heels--"where is your murdered old lady?"

  I looked round the bedroom helplessly.

  "I would take the most solemn oath," I said steadfastly, "that I leftthe old lady lying on that bed with her throat cut, and her clothes andthe bed appeared soaked in blood."

  The doctor walked to the bed and examined it closely, turning back thebedclothes.

  "There is not a spot of blood on it," he remarked savagely, "you aredreaming."

  But my eyes were sharper than his.

  "Look here," I said, and pointed to a small red mark on the wall on thefarther side of the bed, "what do you call that?" He leaned over thebed and looked at the little stain through his glasses as I held thelight.

  "Yes," he said after a close scrutiny, "that _might_ be blood, and,strange to say, it seems wet."

  He looked at his finger which had just touched it, and it had a slightsmear of blood on it.

  I had told him on the staircase that I had been attacked by a man whohad fired at me, and indeed the smell of powder even on the landingabove was very apparent.

  "Now come back into the next room," I said, "and see the body of theman who assailed me and whom I knocked down."

  He followed me into the boudoir, and I went straight to the cornerwhere I had last seen Saumarez lying.

  _There was nothing there!_

  I gave a great gasp of astonishment.

  "I left the man lying there!" I exclaimed, pointing to the floor.

  The doctor took the candle lamp from my hands and held it close to myface, scrutinising me earnestly meanwhile through his glasses; then heleant forward and sniffed suspiciously.

  "Do you drink?" he asked abruptly.

  Then, noticing my look of growing indignation, he altered his toneslightly.

  "Excuse my asking the question," he explained. "But it is the only wayin which I can account for your symptoms. Do you see things?"

  "Things be d----," I replied hotly. "I would answer with my life thatI left that poor old lady lying on her bed grievously wounded not halfan hour ago, and the villain who assaulted me insensible in thiscorner!"

  The doctor went to the corner and held the candle in such a way as toshed its light upon the floor.

  Then he stooped and picked up something.

  "What's this?" he exclaimed, holding it close to the candle. "A glasseye," he continued in astonishment, "a glass eye, as I live!"

  "There!" I said triumphantly, "the man who fired at me had a glass eye.Is it not a brown one, shot with blood?"

  "Right!" he answered after another glance at it, "a bloodshot brown eyeit undoubtedly is."

  He handed it to me, and I put it in my pocket.

  "You had better take care of it," he said. "But I really don't knowwhat to say about your story."

  "Perhaps you will deny the evidence of your eyes?" I asked; "look atthis."

  I pointed to where the bullet from the revolver had struck thelooking-glass over the mantelpiece and starred it.

  "No," he answered, "that certainly looks as if it had been smashed by abullet. There is the little round hole where the bullet entered. Andthere is another point too," he continued, "you say you left the oldlady lying on the bed bleeding, not half an hour ago?"

  "Certainly."

  "Then the bed ought to be warm; let us come and see."

  We walked back into the bedroom and examined the bed again.

  It was very evident to me that a fresh coverlet had been put on the bedand fresh sheets. How it could have been done in so short a time was amarvel to me.

  The doctor put his hand on the coverlet.

  "That is quite cold," he reported, "there can be no question of a doubtabout that."

  "Let me try inside the bed," I suggested; "that may tell a differenttale."

  I turned down the bedclothes, and put my hand into the bed. It wasdistinctly warm!

  "Now," I said, turning to the doctor, "do you believe me or not?"

  He put his hand into the bed.

  "Yes," he answered, "it is certainly warm. I don't know what to makeof it."

  I thrust my hand once more deep beneath the clothes, and this time itencountered something and closed on it. I glanced at it as I drew itout.

  It was a lady's handkerchief.

  I don't know what moved me to do it, but an impulse made me put it inmy pocket, without showing it to the doctor.

  "I don't know what to make of it at all," repeated Dr. Redfern,stroking his chin, "but one thing is certain, we must acquaint thepolice."

  "Certainly," I answered. "I think we ought to have done that long ago."

  "Well, will you promise me to remain here, Mr.--Mr.--?" he queried.

  "Anstruther," I suggested. People in the middle class of life alwaysassume that you are a "Mr." I might have been a Duke!

  "Will you promise me to remain here, Mr. Anstruther," he asked, "whileI go and telephone the police?"

  "Of course," I answered; "what should I want to run away for?"

  "Very well, then," he said with a nod and a smile. "I will take itthat you won't. I will be back inside a quarter of an hour."

  We lit more of the candles on the walls, and then I took the candlelamp to light him upstairs to the front door.

  I was standing there watching him going up Monmouth Street towards hishouse, when a sudden resolve took possession of me concerning the twopackets I had in my trousers pockets! I did not know what turn affairswere going to take, and I thought I should like to put those two littleparcels in a place of safety.

  I had noticed a small dismal post office at the end of the street notfifty yards off. I would go and post them, registered to my lawyers,in whom I had the greatest confidence.

  To the taking of this resolve and the carrying of it out, instead ofreturning to the downstairs room, I always attribute, in the light ofsubsequent events, the saving of my life. I left the door "on the jar"and ran quickly to the post office. There I demanded their largestsized registered envelope, and they fortunately had a big one.

  Into this I crammed the two packets--which I noticed were both directedto me in a very neat lady's hand--and then, as an afterthought, thehandkerchief which I had found in the bed. Finally I put the key ofthe safe in too. With my back to the ever curious clerk, I directed itto myself--

  c/o Messrs. BLACKETT & SNOWDON, Solicitors, Lincoln's Inn, London.

  Then, slapping it down before the astonished official, I demanded areceipt for it.

  This obtained, I hastened back to 190; the door was still as I had leftit, but in a few moments the doctor returned, and at his heels apoliceman.

  "The inspector will be here directly," announced Dr. Redfern. "We hadbetter wait outside until he arrives."

  We walked up and down for nearly a quarter of an hour while the doctorsmoked a cigarette, and meanwhile the policeman, a person of giganticstature and a bucolic expression of countenance, eyed me suspiciously.

  Presently the inspector arrived, and the doctor and I returned with himto the sitting-room downstairs. There the police official insistedupon my giving a full account of the whole matter, while he stoodcritically by with a notebook in his hand. I told him the whole truthfrom the time of my seeing the old lady at the door, to the time of mycalling in the doctor, but I suppressed all mention of the two packetsand the secret safe. These being confidential matters between me andthe old lady, I did not feel at liberty to disclose them.

  I saw very plainly from the looks the inspector gave me that he did notbelieve me; he even had doubts, it was very evident, whether I wasstaying at the Hotel Magnifique at all, as I had informed him at thecommencement of my statement.

  Having entered all the notes to his satisfaction, he thoroughlyinspected both rooms and made more notes. Then he went outside andbawled up the stairs--

  "Wilkins!"

  "Sir," came the answer from the bucolic constable on duty above.

  "Just step round to the 'Compasses,'" instructed his superior from thefoot of the
stairs, "and tell my brother I should be glad if he'd comeround here for a few minutes. We've got a rather curious case."

  "Very good, sir," came the reply, followed by the heavy tread of theman's boots as he went to carry out the orders.

  "My brother's down 'ere on a bit of a 'oliday, sir," explained theinspector to the doctor, entirely ignoring me, "and being one of thetip-top detectives up in London, I thought we'd take the benefit of hisopinion."

  The "Compasses," as it turned out, being only a couple of streets off,we had not long to wait for the coming of the detective luminary fromLondon. His heavy footsteps were soon heard on the stairs; preceded bythe constable, he descended the flight with evident forethought andconsideration. Emerging from the darkness into the light of the waxcandles, he presented the appearance of a prosperous butcher, tall,broad-shouldered, red-necked, and with moustache and whiskers of asandy hue. His face was very red, and the skin shining as if distendedwith good living.

  "This is my brother, Inspector Bull of the Z Metropolitan Division,"explained our inspector to the doctor, once more ignoring me, "down'ere on a little 'oliday."

  As I learned afterwards, this gentleman was one of the Guardian Angelswho watched over the safety of the inhabitants of the Mile End Road.

  The doctor having shaken hands with him, his brother put anotherquestion to him.

  "'Ow's Alf?" he inquired.

  The newcomer gently soothed the back of his red neck with a hand like asmall leg of mutton, and displayed a set of massive front teeth in agratified smile.

  "'E's all right," he answered, "we wos having fifty up when you sentfor me."

  "You see," explained our inspector, "my brother's got so many friendsin the licensed victuallers' line down here, through being a Mason,that it takes him 'arf his 'oliday to go round and see 'em all."

  The doctor smiled indulgently but made no answer; then our inspectorbriefly informed his brother of the state of the case before him,stating the facts as I related them, in such a different light, andwith so many evident aspersions on my veracity, that I hardly knew themagain.

  The two brothers made a further close inspection of the rooms, and thenheld a consultation on the hearthrug in whispers.

  Though the words were unintelligible, the fact that the officer of theZ Division had been partaking liberally of whisky soon became apparentfrom the all-pervading odour of that stimulant diffused throughout theapartment.

  They finished at last, and I heard the London man's final word ofadvice--

  "I should put me 'and on 'im at any rate."