smile of mingledecstatic pleasure and bitterness. Her sightless eyes seemed fixed uponme, following me as I moved.
I drew back horrified, shuddering. Her gaze was ghastly.
"It certainly is a most mysterious affair," I ejaculated again, glancingaround the place. "You ought at once to report it."
"No," cried my companion quickly. "The discovery must be yours. Youmust report it, Mr. Urwin."
"Why?"
"Because, as I've already told you, I fear to do so on account of thesnake."
I smiled at his curious objection, but an instant later grew seriousbecause of the sharp and sudden ringing of an electric bell somewhere onthe ground floor. It was the bell my companion had heard when firstknocking at the door.
We both listened for a few moments while the ringing continued, untilwith sudden resolve I dashed downstairs to ascertain where the bell was.Without difficulty I found it, for there in the hall, revealed by thegas-lamp we had lit, was a telephone instrument with its bell agitatedviolently.
Without a second's delay I placed the receiver to my ear and gave theusual signal--
"Hulloa! Hulloa?"
The whirr and clicking stopped, and a voice, squeaky as that of anelderly person, said petulantly--
"I've been ringing up for an hour or more. What's wrong that youhaven't replied? You're at fifty-eight, aren't you?"
"Yes," I answered, recollecting that fifty-eight was the number of thathouse. "Nothing is wrong. Why? Can't you be patient?"
"I felt uneasy," answered the mysterious voice apologetically. "Ithought there might possibly have been some hitch as you haven't rungup."
"No," I responded. "None."
"Then of course it's all over?" inquired the voice. I started at thisstrange query. This unknown inquirer was evidently in possession of thetruth, and believed himself to be talking to an accomplice. He knew ofthe commission of the crime, therefore it occurred to me that by theexercise of due caution I might be able to discover his identity.
"Yes," I answered, breathless in excitement.
"Both?" asked the voice.
"Both," I responded.
"Good. Then I shall see you at the place we arranged--eh?"
"Of course," I answered. "But when? I've forgotten."
"Forgotten!" echoed the squeaky voice in a tone of undisguised disgust."Take care, or you'll blunder yet. You're a confounded idiot. Why,to-morrow at midday."
"I know I'm a fool," I replied. "But in the excitement it's quiteslipped my memory where you said I was to meet you."
Then, holding the receiver tremblingly to my ear, I listened with quickheart-beating for the response of that mysterious, far distant voicewhich squeaked so strangely, sounding thin and high-pitched, more likethat of a woman than of a man.
"You're a confounded fool to waste time like this if you're still atfifty-eight," said the voice.
"You've said so before," I responded. "But where shall I meet you?"
CHAPTER THREE.
AN APPOINTMENT.
The voice answered at last--
"I'll meet you beside the lake in St. James's Park, Buckingham Palaceend, at twelve to-morrow. Remember that."
"Very well," I responded eagerly. "Anything more?"
"No," was the reply. "Be careful how you get out, and where you go. Solong!"
Then, next instant, I knew by the sound that the connexion had beenswitched off.
"What's the matter?" asked Patterson, now beside me.
"Wait, and I'll tell you afterwards," I said, at the same time ringingup again.
In response I was answered by a feminine voice at the Exchange, whoinquired what number I desired.
"Tell me, miss, who has just been speaking to me. Kindly oblige me, asit's most important."
There was silence for a few moments, then the female voiceinquired--"Are you there?" to which I responded.
"You were on a moment ago with 14,982, the public call-office atPutney."
"How long was I on?"
"About ten minutes."
"Have I been on to the same place before this evening?" I asked.
"No. Several numbers have been ringing you up, but you haven'treplied."
"Who were they?"
"Oh, I really can't tell you now. It's quite impossible. I rememberthat the call-office at Piccadilly Circus was one, and I think the onein the Minories."
"They were all call-offices--no private persons?"
"I'm unable to say. I've been on duty for the past four hours, and haveconnected up thousands of numbers."
"Then you can't tell me anything else?" I asked disappointedly.
"No. I'm sorry I can't," replied the girl.
I was about to place the receiver on its hook when a sudden thoughtoccurred to me, and again I addressed her.
"This matter is a most urgent one," I said. "Can't you ask at thecall-office for a description of the man who has just been speaking?"
"There's no one there. It is merely an instrument placed in a passageleading to some offices," was the reply.
I hung up the receiver, and turning to Patterson repeated theconversation.
"Extraordinary," he ejaculated, when I had concluded. "We must keepthat appointment. The inquiry is plain proof that murder has beencommitted, and further, that more than one person is in the secret."
"But is it not strange that this person, whoever he is, should dare totelephone in that manner?"
"It certainly is a bold move," my companion answered, "but from hisconversation it is evident that the assassin promised to telephone tohim, and was either disturbed in his work and compelled to escapehurriedly, or else forgot it altogether. Again, it's plain that toavoid detection the unknown man went from one call-office to another,always ringing up to this house, and never obtaining a response untilyou answered."
"His inquiry was certainly a guarded one."
"And your answers were smart, too," he laughed. "You were careful notto commit yourself."
"Do you think he'll keep the appointment?" I asked eagerly.
"That remains to be seen," answered my friend, glancing at thebull's-eye to see if it were burning well. "If he's not a blunderer hewon't."
"Well, let's hope he does," I said. "You would arrest him, of course?"
"I don't know," he answered doubtfully. "We might learn more by keepingobservation upon him for a day or two."
"Well," I said, "we haven't yet searched the place thoroughly. Let'ssee what is above."
My companion followed me upstairs rather reluctantly, I thought, passingthe room where the mysterious tragedy had occurred and ascending to thefloor above. There were four bedrooms, each well-furnished, but findingthat they contained nothing of a suspicious character we continued tothe top floor, where there were several smaller low-ceilinged roomsopening from a narrow passage. Two of them were evidently the sleepingapartments of the servants, the third was filled with lumber, but thefourth, which overlooked the back premises, long and narrow, was fittedas a kind of workshop or laboratory. A curious smell greeted ournostrils as we opened the door--a smell very much like the perfume onthe dead woman's handkerchief.
We found a gas-jet and lit it, afterwards gazing round the place withsome surprise. Upon shelves around the walls were various bottlescontaining liquids; on the table stood two curious-looking globes ofbright steel, riveted like those of a steam-boiler, and connected by along tubular coil rolled into three consecutive spirals which ended witha kind of nozzle. From the fact that an electric battery and a lathealso stood in the room we at once came to the conclusion that the masterof that house had been engaged in some scientific investigations.
From place to place we went, searching every corner for any writtendocument or letter, until at last I found, crumpled and cast into theempty grate, an old envelope on which I read the address: "ProfessorDouglas Dawson."
"At any rate we've got the name of the occupant of this place," I said,handing my find to the police-officer.
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"Dawson?" he repeated, "Dawson? I fancy I've heard that name inconnexion with scientific discovery."
"I don't know," I said. "If he's a well-known man we shall soon findout all about him at the Royal Institution."
I was standing near the fireplace with the envelope still in my handwhen, of a sudden, I was startled by a strange scuttling noise near myfeet.
"Good