CHAPTER XXXIV
THE PUZZLING OF HENSON
Chris smiled with the air of one who is perfectly satisfied with herwork.
"For the present I fancy we have done enough," she said. "I want to go tobed now, and I want you both to do the same. Also I shall be glad if youwill come down in the morning as if nothing had happened. Tell ReginaldHenson casually that you have been convinced that you have done Dr. Bella grave injustice, and give no kind of particulars. And please treat Mr.Henson in the same fashion as before. There is only one other thing."
"Name it, and it is yours," Littimer cried.
"Well, cut the margin off that print, or at any rate turn the margindown, fit it into the frame, and hang it up as if nothing had happened."
Littimer looked at Chris with a puzzled expression for a moment, and thenhis features relaxed into a satyr-like grin.
"Capital," he said, "I quite understand what you mean. And I must bethere to see it, eh?--yes, I must be there to see. I would not miss itfor strawberry leaves."
The thing was done and the picture restored to its place. Bell drew Chrisaside for a moment.
"Do you rise early in the morning?" he asked, meaningly.
"Always," Chris replied, demurely. "I find the terrace charming beforebreakfast. Good-night."
Bell was down betimes despite the fact that it had been daylight beforehe was in bed. Along the terrace, looking over the cliffs, Chris wasalready walking, a great cluster of red and yellow roses in her hand. Shelooked as fresh and bright as if she and excitement were strangers. Allthe same she seemed to avoid Bell's eyes.
"Isn't it lovely here?" she exclaimed. "And these roses with the dewstill upon them. Well, Dr. Bell, have you made fresh discoveries?"
"I have discovered that Henson is going to take his breakfast in bed,"Bell said gravely. "Also that he requires a valet at half-past ten. Atthat time I hope to be in the corridor with Lord Littimer and yourself.Also I have made a further discovery."
"And what is that, Dr. Bell?"
"That you and I have met before--once before when I attended you in akind of official capacity, and when I behaved in a distinctlydiscreditable professional manner. Dr. Walker was present. Dr. Walkerseems to have been singularly short-sighted."
The roses fell from Chris's hands on to the path. Her face had grown verypale indeed; there was a frightened, appealing look in her eyes.
"Dr. Bell," she gasped, "do you suppose that anybody else knows--Henson,for instance? And I imagined that I had utterly deceived him!"
Bell smiled meaningly.
"I don't think you need have the slightest anxiety on that score," hesaid. "You see, Henson is comfortably assured that you are dead andburied. Whereas I know all about it. Fortunately for me, I became mixedup in this strange business on behalf of my friend, David Steel;indeed, but for Steel, I should probably have given you away to ourfriend Walker."
"But surely you guessed that--"
"Not for the moment. You see, it was only a few minutes before that aflood of interesting light had been let in upon Henson's character byyour sister to me, and my first idea was that Henson was poisoning youfor some purpose of his own. Subsequently Steel told me all about thatside of the story on our way back to Brighton."
"How did you penetrate my disguise?"
"My dear young lady, I have not penetrated your disguise. Your disguiseis perfect--so quaint and daringly original--and would deceive evenHenson's eyes. I guessed who you were directly I found that you weretaking a philanthropic interest in our friend. It came to me by a kind ofintuition, the knack that stood me in such good stead in my professionaldays. When you said that you had been warned of Henson's coming bytelegram I was certain."
"Then perhaps you guessed that Enid sent me the telegram?"
"That was obvious. Also it was obvious that Henson brought FrankLittimer along."
"Oh, he did. It was Frank's mission to steal the picture. I confrontedhim with a revolver and locked him in one of the bedrooms. It took all mycourage and good resolutions to prevent me from betraying myself to thepoor fellow."
"Rather cruel of you, wasn't it?"
"Well, yes. But I wanted to make the exposure as complete as possible.When the time comes to strip Reginald Henson of his pretentions and floghim from the family, the more evidence we can pile up the better. ButFrank is not bad; he is merely weak and utterly in the power of thatman. If we can only break the bonds, Frank will be a powerful factor onour side."
"I daresay. But how was the Rembrandt stolen? Littimer's, I mean."
"It was worked through an accomplice," Chris explained. "It had to bedone before you arrived. And there was no better time than night for theoperation. I guessed that when Henson drew the fact from me that I likedthe terrace after dinner. By a bit of good luck I found the accompliceand himself together in the day; in fact, I forced Reginald's hand sothat he had to introduce me to the man."
"In which case you would know him again?"
"Of course. Presently I am going to show you a little more of the comedy.Well, I was on the terrace pretty late when I heard dear Reginald downthe cliff calling for assistance. He pretended that he had slipped downthe cliff and could not get up again. By the aid of a rope thatfortunately happened to be close at hand I saved our dear friend's life.I have learnt from one of the gardeners just now that Reginald placed therope there himself--a most effective touch, you must admit."
"Very," Bell said, drily. "But I quite fail to see why--"
"I am coming to that. Don't you see that if anything happened Reginaldcould prove that he was not near the house at the time? But just beforethat I saw his accomplice come up the cliff; indeed, he passed quiteclose to me on his way to the house. Reginald quite overlooked this factin his heed for his own safety. When I had effected my gallant rescue Iheard an owl hoot. Now, there are no owls about here.
"I guessed what that meant--it was a signal of success. Then I went backto the corridor and the Rembrandt was gone. The stays had been cut away.At first I was dreadfully upset, but the more I thought of it the moresure I was that it was all for the best."
"But you might have raised an alarm and caught the thief, who--"
"Who would have been promptly disclaimed by Reginald. Let me tell you,sir, that I have the thief and the lost Rembrandt in the hollow of myhands. Before the day is out I shall make good my boast. And there's thebreakfast bell."
It looked quite natural some time later for the three conspirators to belounging about the gallery when Henson emerged from his bedroom. Heappeared bright and smiling, and most of the bandages had been removedfrom his throat. All the same he was not pleased to see Bell there; hegazed uneasily at the doctor and from him to Littimer.
"You know Bell," the latter said, carelessly. "Fact is, there's been agreat mistake."
Bell offered him his hand heartily. It cost him a huge effort, but theslimy scoundrel had to be fought with his own weapons. Henson shook hishead with the air of a man extending a large and generous meed offorgiveness. He sought in vain to read Bell's eyes, but there was asteady, almost boyish, smile in them.
"I indeed rejoice," he said, unctuously. "I indeedrejoice--rejoice--rejoice!"
He repeated the last word helplessly; he seemed to have lost all hisbackbone, and lapsed into a flabby, jellified mass of quivering whitehumanity. His vacant, fishy eyes were fixed upon the Rembrandt in a kindof dull, sleepy terror.
"I'm not well," he gasped. "Not so strong as I imagined. I'll--I'll goand lie down again. Later on I shall want a dogcart to drive me toMoreton Wells. I--"
He paused again, glanced at the picture, and passed heavily to his room.Littimer smiled.
"Splendid," he said. "It was worth thousands just to see his face."
"All the same," Chris said, quietly; "all the same, that man is not toleave for Moreton Wells till I've had a clear hour's start of him. Dr.Bell will you accompany me?"