VI
THE MANDARIN'S PEARL
Mr. Brodribb stretched out his toes on the kerb before the blazing firewith the air of a man who is by no means insensible to physical comfort.
"You are really an extraordinarily polite fellow, Thorndyke," said he.
He was an elderly man, rosy-gilled, portly, and convivial, to whom amass of bushy, white hair, an expansive double chin, and a certain primsumptuousness of dress imparted an air of old-world distinction. Indeed,as he dipped an amethystine nose into his wine-glass, and gazedthoughtfully at the glowing end of his cigar, he looked the very type ofthe well-to-do lawyer of an older generation.
"You are really an extraordinarily polite fellow, Thorndyke," said Mr.Brodribb.
"I know," replied Thorndyke. "But why this reference to an admittedfact?"
"The truth has just dawned on me," said the solicitor. "Here am I,dropping in on you, uninvited and unannounced, sitting in your ownarmchair before your fire, smoking your cigars, drinking yourBurgundy--and deuced good Burgundy, too, let me add--and you have notdropped a single hint of curiosity as to what has brought me here."
"I take the gifts of the gods, you see, and ask no questions," saidThorndyke.
"Devilish handsome of you, Thorndyke--unsociable beggar like you, too,"rejoined Mr. Brodribb, a fan of wrinkles spreading out genially from thecorners of his eyes; "but the fact is I have come, in a sense, onbusiness--always glad of a pretext to look you up, as you know--but Iwant to take your opinion on a rather queer case. It is about youngCalverley. You remember Horace Calverley? Well, this is his son. Horaceand I were schoolmates, you know, and after his death the boy, Fred,hung on to me rather. We're near neighbours down at Weybridge, and verygood friends. I like Fred. He's a good fellow, though cranky, like allhis people."
"What has happened to Fred Calverley?" Thorndyke asked, as the solicitorpaused.
"Why, the fact is," said Mr. Brodribb, "just lately he seems to be goinga bit queer--not mad, mind you--at least, I think not--but undoubtedlyqueer. Now, there is a good deal of property, and a good many highlyinterested relatives, and, as a natural consequence, there is some talkof getting him certified. They're afraid he may do something involvingthe estate or develop homicidal tendencies, and they talk of possiblesuicide--you remember his father's death--but I say that's all bunkum.The fellow is just a bit cranky, and nothing more."
"What are his symptoms?" asked Thorndyke.
"Oh, he thinks he is being followed about and watched, and he hasdelusions; sees himself in the glass with the wrong face, and that sortof thing, you know."
"You are not highly circumstantial," Thorndyke remarked.
Mr. Brodribb looked at me with a genial smile.
"What a glutton for facts this fellow is, Jervis. But you're right,Thorndyke; I'm vague. However, Fred will be here presently. We traveldown together, and I took the liberty of asking him to call for me.We'll get him to tell you about his delusions, if you don't mind. He'snot shy about them. And meanwhile I'll give you a few preliminary facts.The trouble began about a year ago. He was in a railway accident, andthat knocked him all to pieces. Then he went for a voyage to recruit,and the ship broke her propeller-shaft in a storm and became helpless.That didn't improve the state of his nerves. Then he went down theMediterranean, and after a month or two, back he came, no better thanwhen he started. But here he is, I expect."
He went over to the door and admitted a tall, frail young man whomThorndyke welcomed with quiet geniality, and settled in a chair by thefire. I looked curiously at our visitor. He was a typicalneurotic--slender, fragile, eager. Wide-open blue eyes with broadpupils, in which I could plainly see the characteristic "hippus"--thatincessant change of size that marks the unstable nervousequilibrium--parted lips, and wandering taper fingers, were as thestigmata of his disorder. He was of the stuff out of which prophets anddevotees, martyrs, reformers, and third-rate poets are made.
"I have been telling Dr. Thorndyke about these nervous troubles ofyours," said Mr. Brodribb presently. "I hope you don't mind. He is anold friend, you know, and he is very much interested."
"It is very good of him," said Calverley. Then he flushed deeply, andadded: "But they are not really nervous, you know. They can't be merelysubjective."
"You think they can't be?" said Thorndyke.
"No, I am sure they are not." He flushed again like a girl, and lookedearnestly at Thorndyke with his big, dreamy eyes. "But you doctors," hesaid, "are so dreadfully sceptical of all spiritual phenomena. You aresuch materialists."
"Yes," said Mr. Brodribb; "the doctors are not hot on the supernatural,and that's the fact."
"Supposing you tell us about your experiences," said Thorndykepersuasively. "Give us a chance to believe, if we can't explain away."
Calverley reflected for a few moments; then, looking earnestly atThorndyke, he said:
"Very well; if it won't bore you, I will. It is a curious story."
"I have told Dr. Thorndyke about your voyage and your trip down theMediterranean," said Mr. Brodribb.
"Then," said Calverley, "I will begin with the events that are actuallyconnected with these strange visitations. The first of these occurred inMarseilles. I was in a curio-shop there, looking over some Algerian andMoorish tilings, when my attention was attracted by a sort of charm orpendant that hung in a glass case. It was not particularly beautiful,but its appearance was quaint and curious, and took my fancy. Itconsisted of an oblong block of ebony in which was set a singlepear-shaped pearl more than three-quarters of an inch long. The sides ofthe ebony block were lacquered--probably to conceal a joint--and bore anumber of Chinese characters, and at the top was a little gold imagewith a hole through it, presumably for a string to suspend it by.Excepting for the pearl, the whole thing was uncommonly like one ofthose ornamental tablets of Chinese ink.
"Now, I had taken a fancy to the thing, and I can afford to indulge myfancies in moderation. The man wanted five pounds for it; he assured methat the pearl was a genuine one of fine quality, and obviously did notbelieve it himself. To me, however, it looked like a real pearl, and Idetermined to take the risk; so I paid the money, and he bowed me outwith a smile--I may almost say a grin--of satisfaction. He would nothave been so well pleased if he had followed me to a jeweller's to whomI took it for an expert opinion; for the jeweller pronounced the pearlto be undoubtedly genuine, and worth anything up to a thousand pounds.
"A day or two later, I happened to show my new purchase to some men whomI knew, who had dropped in at Marseilles in their yacht. They werehighly amused at my having bought the thing, and when I told them what Ihad paid for it, they positively howled with derision.
"'Why, you silly guffin,' said one of them, a man named Halliwell, 'Icould have had it ten days ago for half a sovereign, or probably fiveshillings. I wish now I had bought it; then I could have sold it toyou.'
"It seemed that a sailor had been hawking the pendant round the harbour,and had been on board the yacht with it.
"'Deuced anxious the beggar was to get rid of it, too,' said Halliwell,grinning at the recollection. 'Swore it was a genuine pearl of pricelessvalue, and was willing to deprive himself of it for the trifling sum ofhalf a jimmy. But we'd heard that sort of thing before. However, thecurio-man seems to have speculated on the chance of meeting with agreenhorn, and he seems to have pulled it off. Lucky curio man!'
"I listened patiently to their gibes, and when they had talkedthemselves out I told them about the jeweller. They were mostfrightfully sick; and when we had taken the pendant to a dealer in gemswho happened to be staying in the town, and he had offered me fivehundred pounds for it, their language wasn't fit for a divinitystudents' debating club. Naturally the story got noised abroad, and whenI left, it was the talk of the place. The general opinion was that thesailor, who was traced to a tea-ship that had put into the harbour, hadstolen it from some Chinese passenger; and no less than seventeendifferent Chinamen came forward to claim it as their stolen property.
"
Soon after this I returned to England, and, as my nerves were still ina very shaky state, I came to live with my cousin Alfred, who has alarge house at Weybridge. At this time he had a friend staying with him,a certain Captain Raggerton, and the two men appeared to be on veryintimate terms. I did not take to Raggerton at all. He was agood-looking man, pleasant in his manners, and remarkably plausible. Butthe fact is--I am speaking in strict confidence, of course--he was a badegg. He had been in the Guards, and I don't quite know why he left; butI do know that he played bridge and baccarat pretty heavily at severalclubs, and that he had a reputation for being a rather uncomfortablylucky player. He did a good deal at the race-meetings, too, and was ingeneral such an obvious undesirable that I could never understand mycousin's intimacy with him, though I must say that Alfred's habits hadchanged somewhat for the worse since I had left England.
"The fame of my purchase seems to have preceded me, for when, one day, Iproduced the pendant to show them, I found that they knew all about it.Raggerton had heard the story from a naval man, and I gathered vaguelythat he had heard something that I had not, and that he did not care totell me; for when my cousin and he talked about the pearl, which theydid pretty often, certain significant looks passed between them, andcertain veiled references were made which I could not fail to notice.
"One day I happened to be telling them of a curious incident thatoccurred on my way home. I had travelled to England on one of Holt's bigChina boats, not liking the crowd and bustle of the regularpassenger-lines. Now, one afternoon, when we had been at sea a couple ofdays, I took a book down to my berth, intending to have a quiet readtill tea-time. Soon, however, I dropped off into a doze, and must haveremained asleep for over an hour. I awoke suddenly, and as I opened myeyes, I perceived that the door of the state-room was half-open, and awell-dressed Chinaman, in native costume, was looking in at me. Heclosed the door immediately, and I remained for a few moments paralyzedby the start that he had given me. Then I leaped from my bunk, openedthe door, and looked out. But the alley-way was empty. The Chinaman hadvanished as if by magic.
"This little occurrence made me quite nervous for a day or two, whichwas very foolish of me; but my nerves were all on edge--and I am afraidthey are still."
"Yes," said Thorndyke. "There was nothing mysterious about the affair.These boats carry a Chinese crew, and the man you saw was probably aSerang, or whatever they call the gang-captains on these vessels. Or hemay have been a native passenger who had strayed into the wrong part ofthe ship."
"Exactly," agreed our client. "But to return to Raggerton. He listenedwith quite extraordinary interest as I was telling this story, and whenI had finished he looked very queerly at my cousin.
"'A deuced odd thing, this, Calverley,' said he. 'Of course, it may beonly a coincidence, but it really does look as if there was something,after all, in that--'
"'Shut up, Raggerton,' said my cousin. 'We don't want any of that rot.'
"'What is he talking about?" I asked.
"'Oh, it's only a rotten, silly yarn that he has picked up somewhere.You're not to tell him, Raggerton.'
"'I don't see why I am not to be told,' I said, rather sulkily. 'I'm nota baby.'
"'No,' said Alfred, 'but you're an invalid. You don't want any horrors.'
"In effect, he refused to go into the matter any further, and I was lefton tenter-hooks of curiosity.
"However, the very next day I got Raggerton alone in the smoking-room,and had a little talk with him. He had just dropped a hundred pounds ona double event that hadn't come off, and I expected to find him pliable.Nor was I disappointed, for, when we had negotiated a little loan, hewas entirely at my service, and willing to tell me everything, on mypromising not to give him away to Alfred.
"'Now, you understand,' he said, 'that this yarn about your pearl isnothing but a damn silly fable that's been going the round inMarseilles. I don't know where it came from, or what sort of dementedrotter invented it; I had it from a Johnnie in the MediterraneanSquadron, and you can have a copy of his letter if you want it.'
"I said that I did want it. Accordingly, that same evening he handed mea copy of the narrative extracted from his friend's letter, thesubstance of which was this:
"About four months ago there was lying in Canton Harbour a large Englishbarque. Her name is not mentioned, but that is not material to thestory. She had got her cargo stowed and her crew signed on, and was onlywaiting for certain official formalities to be completed before puttingto sea on her homeward voyage. Just ahead of her, at the same quay, wasa Danish ship that had been in collision outside, and was now laid uppending the decision of the Admiralty Court. She had been unloaded, andher crew paid off, with the exception of one elderly man, who remainedon board as ship-keeper. Now, a considerable part of the cargo of theEnglish barque was the property of a certain wealthy mandarin, and thisperson had been about the vessel a good deal while she was taking in herlading.
"One day, when the mandarin was on board the barque, it happened thatthree of the seamen were sitting in the galley smoking and chatting withthe cook--an elderly Chinaman named Wo-li--and the latter, pointing outthe mandarin to the sailors, expatiated on his enormous wealth, assuringthem that he was commonly believed to carry on his person articles ofsufficient value to buy up the entire lading of a ship.
"Now, unfortunately for the mandarin, it chanced that these threesailors were about the greatest rascals on board; which is saying a gooddeal when one considers the ordinary moral standard that prevails in theforecastle of a sailing-ship. Nor was Wo-li himself an angel; in fact,he was a consummate villain, and seems to have been the actualoriginator of the plot which was presently devised to rob the mandarin.
"This plot was as remarkable for its simplicity as for its cold-bloodedbarbarity. On the evening before the barque sailed, the three seamen,Nilsson, Foucault, and Parratt, proceeded to the Danish ship with asupply of whisky, made the ship-keeper royally drunk, and locked him upin an empty berth. Meanwhile Wo-li made a secret communication to themandarin to the effect that certain stolen property, believed to be his,had been secreted in the hold of the empty ship. Thereupon the mandarincame down hot-foot to the quay-side, and was received on board by thethree seamen, who had got the covers off the after-hatch in readiness.Parratt now ran down the iron ladder to show the way, and the mandarinfollowed; but when they reached the lower deck, and looked down thehatch into the black darkness of the lower hold, he seems to have takenfright, and begun to climb up again. Meanwhile Nilsson had made arunning bowline in the end of a loose halyard that was rove through ablock aloft, and had been used for hoisting out the cargo. As themandarin came up, he leaned over the coaming of the hatch, dropped thenoose over the Chinaman's head, jerked it tight, and then he andFoucault hove on the fall of the rope. The unfortunate Chinaman wasdragged from the ladder, and, as he swung clear, the two rascals let gothe rope, allowing him to drop through the hatches into the lower hold.Then they belayed the rope, and went down below. Parratt had alreadylighted a slush-lamp, by the glimmer of which they could see themandarin swinging to and fro like a pendulum within a few feet of theballast, and still quivering and twitching in his death-throes. Theywere now joined by Wo-li, who had watched the proceedings from the quay,and the four villains proceeded, without loss of time, to rifle the bodyas it hung. To their surprise and disgust, they found nothing of valueexcepting an ebony pendant set with a single large pearl; but Wo-li,though evidently disappointed at the nature of the booty, assured hiscomrades that this alone was well worth the hazard, pointing out thegreat size and exceptional beauty of the pearl. As to this, the seamenknow nothing about pearls, but the thing was done, and had to be madethe best of; so they made the rope fast to the lower deck-beams, cut offthe remainder and unrove it from the block, and went back to their ship.
"It was twenty-four hours before the ship-keeper was sufficiently soberto break out of the berth in which he had been locked, by which time thebarque was well out to sea; and it was another three days before thebody
of the mandarin was found. An active search was then made for themurderers, but as they were strangers to the ship-keeper, no clues totheir whereabouts could be discovered.
"Meanwhile, the four murderers were a good deal exercised as to thedisposal of the booty. Since it could not be divided, it was evidentthat it must be entrusted to the keeping of one of them. The choice inthe first place fell upon Wo-li, in whose chest the pendant wasdeposited as soon as the party came on board, it being arranged that theChinaman should produce the jewel for inspection by his confederateswhenever called upon.
"For six weeks nothing out of the common occurred; but then a verysingular event befell. The four conspirators were sitting outside thegalley one evening, when suddenly the cook uttered a cry of amazementand horror. The other three turned to see what it was that had sodisturbed their comrade, and then they, too, were struck dumb withconsternation; for, standing at the door of the companion-hatch--thebarque was a flush-decked vessel--was the mandarin whom they had leftfor dead. He stood quietly regarding them for fully a minute, while theystared at him transfixed with terror. Then he beckoned to them, and wentbelow.
"So petrified were they with astonishment and mortal fear that theyremained for a long time motionless and dumb. At last they plucked upcourage, and began to make furtive inquiries among the crew; but noone--not even the steward--knew anything of any passengers, or, indeed,of any Chinaman, on board the ship, excepting Wo-li.
"At day-break the next morning, when the cook's mate went to the galleyto fill the coppers, he found Wo-li hanging from a hook in the ceiling.The cook's body was stiff and cold, and had evidently been hangingseveral hours. The report of the tragedy quickly spread through theship, and the three conspirators hurried off to remove the pearl fromthe dead man's chest before the officers should come to examine it. Thecheap lock was easily picked with a bent wire, and the jewelabstracted; but now the question arose as to who should take charge ofit. The eagerness to be the actual custodian of the precious bauble,which had been at first displayed, now gave place to equally strongreluctance. But someone had to take charge of it, and after a long andangry discussion Nilsson was prevailed upon to stow it in his chest.
"A fortnight passed. The three conspirators went about their dutiessoberly, like men burdened with some secret anxiety, and in theirleisure moments they would sit and talk with bated breath of theapparition at the companion-hatch, and the mysterious death of theirlate comrade.
"At last the blow fell.
"It was at the end of the second dog-watch that the hands were gatheredon the forecastle, preparing to make sail after a spell of bad weather.Suddenly Nilsson gave a husky shout, and rushed at Parratt, holding outthe key of his chest.
"'Here you, Parratt,' he exclaimed, 'go below and take that accursedthing out of my chest.'
"'What for?' demanded Parratt; and then he and Foucault, who wasstanding close by, looked aft to see what Nilsson was staring at.
"Instantly they both turned white as ghosts, and fell trembling so thatthey could hardly stand; for there was the mandarin, standing calmly bythe companion, returning with a steady, impassive gaze their looks ofhorror. And even as they looked he beckoned and went below.
"'D'ye hear, Parratt?' gasped Nilsson; 'take my key and do what I say,or else--'
"But at this moment the order was given to go aloft and set all plainsail; the three men went off to their respective posts, Nilsson goingup the fore-topmast rigging, and the other two to the main-top. Havingfinished their work aloft, Foucault and Parratt who were both in theport watch, came down on deck, and then, it being their watch below,they went and turned in.
"When they turned out with their watch at midnight, they looked aboutfor Nilsson, who was in the starboard watch, but he was nowhere to beseen. Thinking he might have slipped below unobserved, they made noremark, though they were very uneasy about him; but when the starboardwatch came on deck at four o'clock, and Nilsson did not appear with hismates, the two men became alarmed, and made inquiries about him. It wasnow discovered that no one had seen him since eight o'clock on theprevious evening, and, this being reported to the officer of the watch,the latter ordered all hands to be called. But still Nilsson did notappear. A thorough search was now instituted, both below and aloft, andas there was still no sign of the missing man, it was concluded that hehad fallen overboard.
"But at eight o'clock two men were sent aloft to shake out thefore-royal. They reached the yard almost simultaneously, and were juststepping on to the foot-ropes when one of them gave a shout; then thepair came sliding down a backstay, with faces as white as tallow. Assoon as they reached the deck, they took the officer of the watchforward, and, standing on the heel of the bowsprit, pointed aloft.Several of the hands, including Foucault and Parratt, had followed, andall looked up; and there they saw the body of Nilsson, hanging on thefront of the fore-topgallant sail. He was dangling at the end of agasket, and bouncing up and down on the taut belly of the sail as theship rose and fell to the send of the sea.
"The two survivors were now in some doubt about having anything furtherto do with the pearl. But the great value of the jewel, and theconsideration that it was now to be divided between two instead of four,tempted them. They abstracted it from Nilsson's chest, and then, as theycould not come to an agreement in any other way, they decided to settlewho should take charge of it by tossing a coin. The coin was accordinglyspun, and the pearl went to Foucault's chest.
"From this moment Foucault lived in a state of continual apprehension.When on deck, his eyes were for ever wandering towards the companionhatch, and during his watch below, when not asleep, he would sit moodilyon his chest, lost in gloomy reflection. But a fortnight passed, thenthree weeks, and still nothing happened. Land was sighted, the Straitsof Gibraltar passed, and the end of the voyage was but a matter of days.And still the dreaded mandarin made no sign.
"At length the ship was within twenty-four hours of Marseilles, to whichport a large part of the cargo was consigned. Active preparations werebeing made for entering the port, and among other things the shoretackle was being overhauled. A share in this latter work fell toFoucault and Parratt, and about the middle of the seconddog-watch--seven o'clock in the evening--they were sitting on the deckworking an eye-splice in the end of a large rope. Suddenly Foucault, whowas facing forward, saw his companion turn pale and stare aft with anexpression of terror. He immediately turned and looked over his shoulderto see what Parratt was staring at. It was the mandarin, standing bythe companion, gravely watching them; and as Foucault turned and met hisgaze, the Chinaman beckoned and went below.
"For the rest of that day Parratt kept close to his terrified comrade,and during their watch below he endeavoured to remain awake, that hemight keep his friend in view. Nothing happened through the night, andthe following morning, when they came on deck for the forenoon watch,their port was well in sight. The two men now separated for the firsttime, Parratt going aft to take his trick at the wheel, and Foucaultbeing set to help in getting ready the ground tackle.
"Half an hour later Parratt saw the mate stand on the rail and leanoutboard, holding on to the mizzen-shrouds while he stared along theship's side. Then he jumped on to the deck and shouted angrily:'Forward, there! What the deuce is that man up to under the starboardcat-head?'
"The men on the forecastle rushed to the side and looked over; two ofthem leaned over the rail with the bight of a rope between them, and athird came running aft to the mate. 'It's Foucault, sir,' Parratt heardhim say. 'He's hanged hisself from the cat-head.'
"As soon as he was off duty, Parratt made his way to his dead comrade'schest, and, opening it with his pick-lock, took out the pearl. It wasnow his sole property, and, as the ship was within an hour or two of herdestination, he thought he had little to fear from its murdered owner.As soon as the vessel was alongside the wharf, he would slip ashore andget rid of the jewel, even if he sold it at a comparatively low price.The thing looked perfectly simple.
"In actual practice, however, it t
urned out quite otherwise. He beganby accosting a well-dressed stranger and offering the pendant for fiftypounds; but the only reply that he got was a knowing smile and a shakeof the head. When this experience had been repeated a dozen times ormore, and he had been followed up and down the streets for nearly anhour by a suspicious gendarme, he began to grow anxious. He visitedquite a number of ships and yachts in the harbour, and at each refusalthe price of his treasure came down, until he was eager to sell it for afew francs. But still no one would have it. Everyone took it for grantedthat the pearl was a sham, and most of the persons whom he accostedassumed that it had been stolen. The position was getting desperate.Evening was approaching--the time of the dreaded dog-watches--and stillthe pearl was in his possession. Gladly would he now have given it awayfor nothing, but he dared not try, for this would lay him open to thestrongest suspicion.
"At last, in a by-street, he came upon the shop of a curio-dealer.Putting on a careless and cheerful manner, he entered and offered thependant for ten francs. The dealer looked at it, shook his head, andhanded it back.
"'What will you give me for it?' demanded Parratt, breaking out into acold sweat at the prospect of a final refusal.
"The dealer felt in his pocket, drew out a couple of francs, and heldthem out.
"'Very well,' said Parratt. He took the money as calmly as he could, andmarched out of the shop, with a gasp of relief, leaving the pendant inthe dealer's hand.
"The jewel was hung up in a glass case, and nothing more was thoughtabout it until some ten days later, when an English tourist, who cameinto the shop, noticed it and took a liking to it. Thereupon the dealeroffered it to him for five pounds, assuring him that it was a genuinepearl, a statement that, to his amazement, the stranger evidentlybelieved. He was then deeply afflicted at not having asked a higherprice, but the bargain had been struck, and the Englishman went off withhis purchase.
"This was the story told by Captain Raggerton's friend, and I have givenit to you in full detail, having read the manuscript over many timessince it was given to me. No doubt you will regard it as a meretraveller's tale, and consider me a superstitious idiot for giving anycredence to it."
"It certainly seems more remarkable for picturesqueness than forcredibility," Thorndyke agreed. "May I ask," he continued, "whetherCaptain Raggerton's friend gave any explanation as to how this singularstory came to his knowledge, or to that of anybody else?"
"Oh yes," replied Calverley; "I forgot to mention that the seaman,Parratt, very shortly after he had sold the pearl, fell down the hatchinto the hold as the ship was unloading, and was very badly injured. Hewas taken to the hospital, where he died on the following day; and itwas while he was lying there in a dying condition that he confessed tothe murder, and gave this circumstantial account of it."
"I see," said Thorndyke; "and I understand that you accept the story asliterally true?"
"Undoubtedly." Calverley flushed defiantly as he returned Thorndyke'slook, and continued: "You see, I am not a man of science: therefore mybeliefs are not limited to things that can be weighed and measured.There are things, Dr. Thorndyke, which are outside the range of our punyintellects; things that science, with its arrogant materialism, putsaside and ignores with close-shut eyes. I prefer to believe in thingswhich obviously exist, even though I cannot explain them. It is thehumbler and, I think, the wiser attitude."
"But, my dear Fred," protested Mr. Brodribb, "this is a rankfairy-tale."
Calverley turned upon the solicitor. "If you had seen what I have seen,you would not only believe: you would _know_."
"Tell us what you have seen, then," said Mr. Brodribb.
"I will, if you wish to hear it," said Calverley. "I will continue thestrange history of the Mandarin's Pearl."
He lit a fresh cigarette and continued:
"The night I came to Beech-hurst--that is my cousin's house, you know--arather absurd thing happened, which I mention on account of itsconnection with what has followed. I had gone to my room early, and satfor some time writing letters before getting ready for bed. When I hadfinished my letters, I started on a tour of inspection of my room. I wasthen, you must remember, in a very nervous state, and it had become myhabit to examine the room in which I was to sleep before undressing,looking under the bed, and in any cupboards and closets that therehappened to be. Now, on looking round my new room, I perceived thatthere was a second door, and I at once proceeded to open it to see whereit led to. As soon as I opened the door, I got a terrible start. Ifound myself looking into a narrow closet or passage, lined with pegs,on which the servant had hung some of my clothes; at the farther end wasanother door, and, as I stood looking into the closet, I observed, withstartled amazement, a man standing holding the door half-open, andsilently regarding me. I stood for a moment staring at him, with myheart thumping and my limbs all of a tremble; then I slammed the doorand ran off to look for my cousin.
"He was in the billiard-room with Raggerton, and the pair looked upsharply as I entered.
"'Alfred,' I said, 'where does that passage lead to out of my room?'
"'Lead to?' said he. 'Why, it doesn't lead anywhere. It used to openinto a cross corridor, but when the house was altered, the corridor wasdone away with, and this passage closed up. It is only a cupboard now.'
"'Well, there's a man in it--or there was just now.'
"'Nonsense!' he exclaimed; 'impossible! Let us go and look at theplace.'
"He and Raggerton rose, and we went together to my room. As we flungopen the door of the closet and looked in, we all three burst into alaugh. There were three men now looking at us from the open door at theother end, and the mystery was solved. A large mirror had been placed atthe end of the closet to cover the partition which cut it off from thecross corridor.
"This incident naturally exposed me to a good deal of chaff from mycousin and Captain Raggerton; but I often wished that the mirror had notbeen placed there, for it happened over and over again that, going tothe cupboard hurriedly, and not thinking of the mirror, I got quite abad shock on being confronted by a figure apparently coming straight atme through an open door. In fact, it annoyed me so much, in my nervousstate, that I even thought of asking my cousin to give me a differentroom; but, happening to refer to the matter when talking to Raggerton, Ifound the Captain so scornful of my cowardice that my pride was touched,and I let the affair drop.
THE APPARITION IN THE MIRROR]
"And now I come to a very strange occurrence, which I shall relate quitefrankly, although I know beforehand that you will set me down as a liaror a lunatic. I had been away from home for a fortnight, and as Ireturned rather late at night, I went straight to my room. Having partlyundressed, I took my clothes in one hand and a candle in the other, andopened the cupboard door. I stood for a moment looking nervously at mydouble, standing, candle in hand, looking at me through the open door atthe other end of the passage; then I entered, and, setting the candle ona shelf, proceeded to hang up my clothes. I had hung them up, and hadjust reached up for the candle, when my eye was caught by somethingstrange in the mirror. It no longer reflected the candle in my hand, butinstead of it, a large coloured paper lantern. I stood petrified withastonishment, and gazed into the mirror; and then I saw that my ownreflection was changed, too; that, in place of my own figure, was thatof an elderly Chinaman, who stood regarding me with stony calm.
"I must have stood for near upon a minute, unable to move and scarceable to breathe, face to face with that awful figure. At length I turnedto escape, and, as I turned, he turned also, and I could see him, overmy shoulder, hurrying away. As I reached the door, I halted for amoment, looking back with the door in my hand, holding the candle abovemy head; and even so _he_ halted, looking back at me, with his hand uponthe door and his lantern held above his head.
"I was so much upset that I could not go to bed for some hours, butcontinued to pace the room, in spite of my fatigue. Now and again I wasimpelled, irresistibly, to peer into the cupboard, but nothing was to beseen in the mirror
save my own figure, candle in hand, peeping in at methrough the half-open door. And each time that I looked into my ownwhite, horror-stricken face, I shut the door hastily and turned awaywith a shudder; for the pegs, with the clothes hanging on them, seemedto call to me. I went to bed at last, and before I fell asleep I formedthe resolution that, if I was spared until the next day, I would writeto the British Consul at Canton, and offer to restore the pearl to therelatives of the murdered mandarin.
"On the following day I wrote and despatched the letter, after which Ifelt more composed, though I was haunted continually by the recollectionof that stony, impassive figure; and from time to time I felt anirresistible impulse to go and look in at the door of the closet, at themirror and the pegs with the clothes hanging from them. I told my cousinof the visitation that I had received, but he merely laughed, and wasfrankly incredulous; while the Captain bluntly advised me not to be asuperstitious donkey.
"For some days after this I was left in peace, and began to hope that myletter had appeased the spirit of the murdered man; but on the fifthday, about six o'clock in the evening, happening to want some papersthat I had left in the pocket of a coat which was hanging in thecloset, I went in to get them. I took in no candle, as it was not yetdark, but left the door wide open to light me. The coat that I wantedwas near the end of the closet, not more than four paces from themirror, and as I went towards it I watched my reflection rathernervously as it advanced to meet me. I found my coat, and as I felt forthe papers, I still kept a suspicious eye on my double. And, even as Ilooked, a most strange phenomenon appeared: the mirror seemed for aninstant to darken or cloud over, and then, as it cleared again, I saw,standing dark against the light of the open door behind him, the figureof the mandarin. After a single glance, I ran out of the closet, shakingwith agitation; but as I turned to shut the door, I noticed that it wasmy own figure that was reflected in the glass. The Chinaman had vanishedin an instant.
"It now became evident that my letter had not served its purpose, and Iwas plunged in despair; the more so since, on this day, I felt again thedreadful impulse to go and look at the pegs on the walls of the closet.There was no mistaking the meaning of that impulse, and each time that Iwent, I dragged myself away reluctantly, though shivering with horror.One circumstance, indeed, encouraged me a little; the mandarin had not,on either occasion, beckoned to me as he had done to the sailors, sothat perhaps some way of escape yet lay open to me.
"During the next few days I considered very earnestly what measures Icould take to avert the doom that seemed to be hanging over me. Thesimplest plan, that of passing the pearl on to some other person, wasout of the question; it would be nothing short of murder. On the otherhand, I could not wait for an answer to my letter; for even if Iremained alive, I felt that my reason would have given way long beforethe reply reached me. But while I was debating what I should do, themandarin appeared to me again; and then, after an interval of only twodays, he came to me once more. That was last night. I remained gazing athim, fascinated, with my flesh creeping, as he stood, lantern in hand,looking steadily in my face. At last he held out his hand to me, as ifasking me to give him the pearl; then the mirror darkened, and hevanished in a flash; and in the place where he had stood there was myown reflection looking at me out of the glass.
"That last visitation decided me. When I left home this morning thepearl was in my pocket, and as I came over Waterloo Bridge, I leanedover the parapet and flung the thing into the water. After that I feltquite relieved for a time; I had shaken the accursed thing off withoutinvolving anyone in the curse that it carried. But presently I began tofeel fresh misgivings, and the conviction has been growing upon me allday that I have done the wrong thing. I have only placed it for everbeyond the reach of its owner, whereas I ought to have burnt it, afterthe Chinese fashion, so that its non-material essence could have joinedthe spiritual body of him to whom it had belonged when both were clothedwith material substance.
"But it can't be altered now. For good or for evil, the thing is done,and God alone knows what the end of it will be."
As he concluded, Calverley uttered a deep sigh, and covered his facewith his slender, delicate hands. For a space we were all silent and, Ithink, deeply moved; for, grotesquely unreal as the whole thing was,there was a pathos, and even a tragedy, in it that we all felt to bevery real indeed.
Suddenly Mr. Brodribb started and looked at his watch.
"Good gracious, Calverley, we shall lose our train."
The young man pulled himself together and stood up. "We shall just do itif we go at once," said he. "Good-bye," he added, shaking Thorndyke'shand and mine. "You have been very patient, and I have been ratherprosy, I am afraid. Come along, Mr. Brodribb."
Thorndyke and I followed them out on to the landing, and I heard mycolleague say to the solicitor in a low tone, but very earnestly: "Gethim away from that house, Brodribb, and don't let him out of your sightfor a moment."
I did not catch the solicitor's reply, if he made any, but when we wereback in our room I noticed that Thorndyke was more agitated than I hadever seen him.
"I ought not to have let them go," he exclaimed. "Confound me! If I hadhad a grain of wit, I should have made them lose their train."
He lit his pipe and fell to pacing the room with long strides, his eyesbent on the floor with an expression sternly reflective. At last,finding him hopelessly taciturn, I knocked out my pipe and went to bed.
* * * * *
As I was dressing on the following morning, Thorndyke entered my room.His face was grave even to sternness, and he held a telegram in hishand.
"I am going to Weybridge this morning," he said shortly, holding the"flimsy" out to me. "Shall you come?"
I took the paper from him, and read:
"Come, for God's sake! F. C. is dead. You will understand.--BRODRIBB."
I handed him back the telegram, too much shocked for a moment to speak.The whole dreadful tragedy summed up in that curt message rose before mein an instant, and a wave of deep pity swept over me at this miserableend to the sad, empty life.
"What an awful thing, Thorndyke!" I exclaimed at length. "To be killedby a mere grotesque delusion."
"Do you think so?" he asked dryly. "Well, we shall see; but you willcome?"
"Yes," I replied; and as he retired, I proceeded hurriedly to finishdressing.
Half an hour later, as we rose from a rapid breakfast, Polton came intothe room, carrying a small roll-up case of tools and a bunch of skeletonkeys.
"Will you have them in a bag, sir?" he asked.
"No," replied Thorndyke; "in my overcoat pocket. Oh, and here is a note,Polton, which I want you to take round to Scotland Yard. It is to theAssistant Commissioner, and you are to make sure that it is in the righthands before you leave. And here is a telegram to Mr. Brodribb."
He dropped the keys and the tool-case into his pocket, and we went downtogether to the waiting hansom.
At Weybridge Station we found Mr. Brodribb pacing the platform in astate of extreme dejection. He brightened up somewhat when he saw us,and wrung our hands with emotional heartiness.
"It was very good of you both to come at a moment's notice," he saidwarmly, "and I feel your kindness very much. You understood, of course,Thorndyke?"
"Yes," Thorndyke replied. "I suppose the mandarin beckoned to him."
Mr. Brodribb turned with a look of surprise. "How did you guess that?"he asked; and then, without waiting for a reply, he took from his pocketa note, which he handed to my colleague. "The poor old fellow left thisfor me," he said. "The servant found it on his dressing-table."
Thorndyke glanced through the note and passed it to me. It consisted ofbut a few words, hurriedly written in a tremulous hand.
"He has beckoned to me, and I must go. Good-bye, dear old friend."
"How does his cousin take the matter?" asked Thorndyke.
"He doesn't know of it yet," replied the lawyer. "Alfred and Raggertonwent out after an
early breakfast, to cycle over to Guildford on somebusiness or other, and they have not returned yet. The catastrophe wasdiscovered soon after they left. The maid went to his room with a cup oftea, and was astonished to find that his bed had not been slept in. Sheran down in alarm and reported to the butler, who went up at once andsearched the room; but he could find no trace of the missing one, exceptmy note, until it occurred to him to look in the cupboard. As he openedthe door he got rather a start from his own reflection in the mirror;and then he saw poor Fred hanging from one of the pegs near the end ofthe closet, close to the glass. It's a melancholy affair--but here isthe house, and here is the butler waiting for us. Mr. Alfred is not backyet, then, Stevens?"
"No, sir." The white-faced, frightened-looking man had evidently beenwaiting at the gate from distaste of the house, and he now walked backwith manifest relief at our arrival. When we entered the house, heushered us without remark up on to the first-floor, and, preceding usalong a corridor, halted near the end. "That's the room, sir," said he;and without another word he turned and went down the stairs.
We entered the room, and Mr. Brodribb followed on tiptoe, looking abouthim fearfully, and casting awe-struck glances at the shrouded form onthe bed. To the latter Thorndyke advanced, and gently drew back thesheet.
"You'd better not look, Brodribb," said he, as he bent over the corpse.He felt the limbs and examined the cord, which still remained round theneck, its raggedly-severed end testifying to the terror of the servantswho had cut down the body. Then he replaced the sheet and looked at hiswatch. "It happened at about three o'clock in the morning," said he. "Hemust have struggled with the impulse for some time, poor fellow! Now letus look at the cupboard."
We went together to a door in the corner of the room, and, as we openedit, we were confronted by three figures, apparently looking in at usthrough an open door at the other end.
"It is really rather startling," said the lawyer, in a subdued voice,looking almost apprehensively at the three figures that advanced to meetus. "The poor lad ought never to have been here."
It was certainly an eerie place, and I could not but feel, as we walkeddown the dark, narrow passage, with those other three dimly-seen figuressilently coming towards us, and mimicking our every gesture, that it wasno place for a nervous, superstitious man like poor Fred Calverley.Close to the end of the long row of pegs was one from which hung an endof stout box-cord, and to this Mr. Brodribb pointed with an awe-struckgesture. But Thorndyke gave it only a brief glance, and then walked upto the mirror, which he proceeded to examine minutely. It was a verylarge glass, nearly seven feet high, extending the full width of thecloset, and reaching to within a foot of the floor; and it seemed tohave been let into the partition from behind, for, both above and below,the woodwork was in front of it. While I was making these observations,I watched Thorndyke with no little curiosity. First he rapped hisknuckles on the glass; then he lighted a wax match, and, holding itclose to the mirror, carefully watched the reflection of the flame.Finally, laying his cheek on the glass, he held the match at arm'slength, still close to the mirror, and looked at the reflection alongthe surface. Then he blew out the match and walked back into the room,shutting the cupboard door as we emerged.
"I think," said he, "that as we shall all undoubtedly be subpoenaed bythe coroner, it would be well to put together a few notes of the facts.I see there is a writing-table by the window, and I would propose thatyou, Brodribb, just jot down a _precis_ of the statement that you heardlast night, while Jervis notes down the exact condition of the body.While you are doing this, I will take a look round."
"We might find a more cheerful place to write in," grumbled Mr.Brodribb; "however--"
Without finishing the sentence, he sat down at the table, and, havingfound some sermon paper, dipped a pen in the ink by way of encouraginghis thoughts. At this moment Thorndyke quietly slipped out of the room,and I proceeded to make a detailed examination of the body: in whichoccupation I was interrupted at intervals by requests from the lawyerthat I should refresh his memory.
We had been occupied thus for about a quarter of an hour, when a quickstep was heard outside, the door was opened abruptly, and a man burstinto the room. Brodribb rose and held out his hand.
"This is a sad home-coming for you, Alfred," said he.
"Yes, my God!" the newcomer exclaimed. "It's awful."
He looked askance at the corpse on the bed, and wiped his forehead withhis handkerchief. Alfred Calverley was not extremely prepossessing. Likehis cousin, he was obviously neurotic, but there were signs ofdissipation in his face, which, just now, was pale and ghastly, and worean expression of abject fear. Moreover, his entrance was accompanied bythat of a perceptible odour of brandy.
He had walked over, without noticing me, to the writing-table, and as hestood there, talking in subdued tones with the lawyer, I suddenly foundThorndyke at my side. He had stolen in noiselessly through the door thatCalverley had left open.
"Show him Brodribb's note," he whispered, "and then make him go in andlook at the peg."
With this mysterious request, he slipped out of the room as silently ashe had come, unperceived either by Calverley or the lawyer.
"Has Captain Raggerton returned with you?" Brodribb was inquiring.
"No, he has gone into the town," was the reply; "but he won't be long.This will be a frightful shock to him."
At this point I stepped forward. "Have you shown Mr. Calverley theextraordinary letter that the deceased left for you?" I asked.
"What letter was that?" demanded Calverley, with a start.
Mr. Brodribb drew forth the note and handed it to him. As he read itthrough, Calverley turned white to the lips, and the paper trembled inhis hand.
"'He has beckoned to me, and I must go,'" he read. Then, with a furtiveglance at the lawyer: "Who had beckoned? What did he mean?"
Mr. Brodribb briefly explained the meaning of the allusion, adding: "Ithought you knew all about it."
"Yes, yes," said Calverley, with some confusion; "I remember the matternow you mention it. But it's all so dreadful and bewildering."
At this point I again interposed. "There is a question," I said, "thatmay be of some importance. It refers to the cord with which the poorfellow hanged himself. Can you identify that cord, Mr. Calverley?"
"I!" he exclaimed, staring at me, and wiping the sweat from his whiteface; "how should I? Where is the cord?"
"Part of it is still hanging from the peg in the closet. Would you mindlooking at it?"
"If you would very kindly fetch it--you know I--er--naturally--have a--"
"It must not be disturbed before the inquest," said I; "but surely youare not afraid--"
"I didn't say I was afraid," he retorted angrily. "Why should I be?"
With a strange, tremulous swagger, he strode across to the closet, flungopen the door, and plunged in.
A moment later we heard a shout of horror, and he rushed out, livid andgasping.
"What is it, Calverley?" exclaimed Mr. Brodribb, starting up in alarm.
But Calverley was incapable of speech. Dropping limply into a chair, hegazed at us for a while in silent terror; then he fell back uttering awild shriek of laughter.
Mr. Brodribb looked at him in amazement. "What is it, Calverley?" heasked again.
As no answer was forthcoming, he stepped across to the open door of thecloset and entered, peering curiously before him. Then he, too, uttereda startled exclamation, and backed out hurriedly, looking pale andflurried.
"Bless my soul!" he ejaculated. "Is the place bewitched?"
He sat down heavily and stared at Calverley, who was still shaking withhysteric laughter; while I, now consumed with curiosity, walked over tothe closet to discover the cause of their singular behaviour. As I flungopen the door, which the lawyer had closed, I must confess to being veryconsiderably startled; for though the reflection of the open door wasplain enough in the mirror, my own reflection was replaced by that of aChinaman. After a momentary pause of astonis
hment, I entered the closetand walked towards the mirror; and simultaneously the figure of theChinaman entered and walked towards me. I had advanced more than halfwaydown the closet when suddenly the mirror darkened; there was a whirlingflash, the Chinaman vanished in an instant, and, as I reached the glass,my own reflection faced me.
I turned back into the room pretty completely enlightened, and looked atCalverley with a new-born distaste. He still sat facing the bewilderedlawyer, one moment sobbing convulsively, the next yelping with hystericlaughter. He was not an agreeable spectacle, and when, a few momentslater, Thorndyke entered the room, and halted by the door with a stareof disgust, I was moved to join him. But at this juncture a man pushedpast Thorndyke, and, striding up to Calverley, shook him roughly by thearm.
"Stop that row!" he exclaimed furiously. "Do you hear? Stop it!"
"I can't help it, Raggerton," gasped Calverley. "He gave me such aturn--the mandarin, you know."
"What!" ejaculated Raggerton.
He dashed across to the closet, looked in, and turned upon Calverleywith a snarl. Then he walked out of the room.
"Brodribb," said Thorndyke, "I should like to have a word with you andJervis outside." Then, as we followed him out on to the landing, hecontinued: "I have something rather interesting to show you. It is inhere."
He softly opened an adjoining door, and we looked into a smallunfurnished room. A projecting closet occupied one side of it, and atthe door of the closet stood Captain Raggerton, with his hand upon thekey. He turned upon us fiercely, though with a look of alarm, anddemanded:
"What is the meaning of this intrusion? and who the deuce are you? Doyou know that this is my private room?"
"I suspected that it was," Thorndyke replied quietly. "Those will beyour properties in the closet, then?"
Raggerton turned pale, but continued to bluster. "Do I understand thatyou have dared to break into my private closet?" he demanded.
"I have inspected it," replied Thorndyke, "and I may remark that it isuseless to wrench at that key, because I have hampered the lock."
"The devil you have!" shouted Raggerton.
"Yes; you see, I am expecting a police-officer with a search warrant, soI wished to keep everything intact."
Raggerton turned livid with mingled fear and rage. He stalked up toThorndyke with a threatening air, but, suddenly altering his mind,exclaimed, "I must see to this!" and flung out of the room.
Thorndyke took a key from his pocket, and, having locked the door,turned to the closet. Having taken out the key to unhamper the lock witha stout wire, he reinserted it and unlocked the door. As we entered, wefound ourselves in a narrow closet, similar to the one in the otherroom, but darker, owing to the absence of a mirror. A few clothes hungfrom the pegs, and when Thorndyke had lit a candle that stood on ashelf, we could see more of the details.
"Here are some of the properties," said Thorndyke. He pointed to a pegfrom which hung a long, blue silk gown of Chinese make, a mandarin'scap, with a pigtail attached to it, and a beautifully-made papier-machemask. "Observe," said Thorndyke, taking the latter down and exhibiting alabel on the inside, marked "Renouard a Paris," "no trouble has beenspared."
He took off his coat, slipped on the gown, the mask, and the cap, andwas, in a moment, in that dim light, transformed into the perfectsemblance of a Chinaman.
"By taking a little more time," he remarked, pointing to a pair ofChinese shoes and a large paper lantern, "the make-up could be renderedmore complete; but this seems to have answered for our friend Alfred."
"But," said Mr. Brodribb, as Thorndyke shed the disguise, "still, Idon't understand--"
"I will make it clear to you in a moment," said Thorndyke. He walked tothe end of the closet, and, tapping the right-hand wall, said: "This isthe back of the mirror. You see that it is hung on massive well-oiledhinges, and is supported on this large, rubber-tyred castor, whichevidently has ball bearings. You observe three black cords running alongthe wall, and passing through those pulleys above. Now, when I pull thiscord, notice what happens."
He pulled one cord firmly, and immediately the mirror swung noiselesslyinwards on its great castor, until it stood diagonally across thecloset, where it was stopped by a rubber buffer.
"Bless my soul!" exclaimed Mr. Brodribb. "What an extraordinary thing!"
The effect was certainly very strange, for, the mirror being now exactlydiagonal to the two closets they appeared to be a single, continuouspassage, with a door at either end. On going up to the mirror, we foundthat the opening which it had occupied was filled by a sheet of plainglass, evidently placed there as a precaution to prevent any person fromwalking through from one closet into the other, and so discovering thetrick.
"It's all very puzzling," said Mr. Brodribb; "I don't clearly understandit now."
"Let us finish here," replied Thorndyke, "and then I will explain.Notice this black curtain. When I pull the second cord, it slides acrossthe closet and cuts off the light. The mirror now reflects nothing intothe other closet; it simply appears dark. And now I pull the thirdcord."
He did so, and the mirror swung noiselessly back into its place.
"There is only one other thing to observe before we go out," saidThorndyke, "and that is this other mirror standing with its face to thewall. This, of course, is the one that Fred Calverley originally saw atthe end of the closet; it has since been removed, and the largerswinging glass put in its place. And now," he continued, when we cameout into the room, "let me explain the mechanism in detail. It wasobvious to me, when I heard poor Fred Calverley's story, that the mirrorwas 'faked,' and I drew a diagram of the probable arrangement, whichturns out to be correct. Here it is." He took a sheet of paper from hispocket and handed it to the lawyer. "There are two sketches. Sketch 1shows the mirror in its ordinary position, closing the end of thecloset. A person standing at A, of course, sees his reflection facinghim at, apparently, A 1. Sketch 2 shows the mirror swung across. Now aperson standing at A does not see his own reflection at all; but if someother person is standing in the other closet at B, A sees the reflectionof B apparently at B 1--that is, in the identical position that his ownreflection occupied when the mirror was straight across."
"I see now," said Brodribb; "but who set up this apparatus, and why wasit done?"
"Let me ask you a question," said Thorndyke. "Is Alfred Calverley thenext-of-kin?"
"No; there is Fred's younger brother. But I may say that Fred has madea will quite recently very much in Alfred's favour."
"There is the explanation, then," said Thorndyke. "These two scoundrelshave conspired to drive the poor fellow to suicide, and Raggerton wasclearly the leading spirit. He was evidently concocting some story withwhich to work on poor Fred's superstitions when the mention of theChinaman on the steamer gave him his cue. He then invented the verypicturesque story of the murdered mandarin and the stolen pearl. Youremember that these 'visitations' did not begin until after that storyhad been told, and Fred had been absent from the house on a visit.Evidently, during his absence, Raggerton took down the original mirror,and substituted this swinging arrangement; and at the same time procuredthe Chinaman's dress and mask from the theatrical property dealers. Nodoubt he reckoned on being able quietly to remove the swinging glass andother properties and replace the original mirror before the inquest."
"By God!" exclaimed Mr. Brodribb, "it's the most infamous, cowardly plotI have ever heard of. They shall go to gaol for it, the villains, assure as I am alive."
But in this Mr. Brodribb was mistaken; for immediately on findingthemselves detected, the two conspirators had left the house, and bynightfall were safely across the Channel; and the only satisfaction thatthe lawyer obtained was the setting aside of the will on facts disclosedat the inquest.
As to Thorndyke, he has never to this day forgiven himself for havingallowed Fred Calverley to go home to his death.