CHAPTER LI
HERITAGE IS WILLING
Bell's sanguine expectation that Van Sneck would be ready for animmediate operation was not quite correct. As the day wore on the manseemed more feverish and restless, which feverishness was followed by acertain want of strength. After due deliberation Dr. Cross suggested thatthe operation should be postponed for a day or two.
"The man is out of our hands," he said. "You have identified him, andyou desire that he should remain here. It is pretty irregularaltogether. And I hope I shan't get into trouble over it. Still, in suchcapable hands as yours--"
Bell acknowledged the compliment with a smile.
"Between Heritage and myself," he said, "we shall pull him through, eh,Heritage?"
The other doctor nodded brightly. For some little time he had beendirectly under Bell's influence, and that had meant a marvellous changefor the better, he had lost a deal of his hesitating manner, and waslooking forward to the operation with the keenest interest.
"However, I will put you all right," Bell said. "I fancy the time hascome when we can confide to a certain extent in Marley. And if the policeapprove of Van Sneck being here, I don't see that you can say any more."
Cross was emphatically of the same opinion. Later on, in the course of along interview with Marley, Bell and Steel opened the latter's eyes to aconsiderable extent.
"Well, I must congratulate you, sir," he said to Steel. "I'm bound toconfess that things looked pretty black against you at one time. Indeed,I should have been fully justified in arresting you for the attemptedmurder of Van Sneck."
"But you never deemed me guilty, Marley?"
"No, I didn't," Marley said, thoughtfully. "I argued in your favouragainst my better judgment. I gather even now that there is a great dealfor me to know."
"And which you are not going to learn," Bell said, drily. "When we haveVan Sneck all right again, and ready to swear to the author of themischief, you will have to be satisfied."
"That would satisfy me, sir. And I'm glad that cigar-case mystery issettled. You'll let me know how the operation goes on?"
Steel promised to do so, and the two returned to Downend Terracetogether. They found Heritage a little excited and disturbed.
"Do you know I have had a visitor?" he exclaimed.
Bell started slightly. He looked just a little anxious.
"I'm going to guess it at once," he said. "Reginald Henson hasbeen here."
"You are certainly a wonderful fellow," Heritage said, admiringly."Nobody else could possibly have guessed that. He came to see me,of course."
"Oh, of course," Bell said, drily. "Naturally, he would have noulterior motive. Did he happen to know that we had a kind of patientunder the roof?"
Heritage explained that Henson seemed to know something about it. Also,by singular coincidence, he had met Van Sneck abroad. He expressed adesire to see the patient, but Heritage's professional caution had gotthe better of his friendship for once. Henson had given way finally,saying that he hoped to call again later in the day.
"It's a good thing you were firm," Bell said, grimly. "Otherwise therewould have been no need for an operation on Van Sneck. My dear Heritage,it's quite time your eyes were opened to the true nature of your friend.Henson watched Steel and myself out of the house He wanted to see VanSneck; he has probably known from the first that the latter was here."
"Matter of philanthropy, perhaps," Heritage suggested.
"A matter of murder," Bell said, sternly. "My dear fellow, Van Sneck wasnearly done to death in yonder conservatory, and his would-be assassinwas Reginald Henson."
"I was never more astounded in my life," gasped Heritage. "I have alwayslooked upon Henson as the soul of honour and integrity. And he has alwaysbeen so kind to me."
"For his own purposes, no doubt. You say that he found you a home afteryour misfortunes came upon you. He came to see you frequently. And yet healways harped upon that wretched hallucination of yours. Why? Because youwere the Carfax family doctor for a time, and at any moment you mighthave given valuable information concerning the suicide of Claire Carfax.Tell Heritage the story of Prince Rupert's ring, Steel."
David proceeded to do so at some length. Heritage appeared to be deeplyinterested. And gradually many long-forgotten things came back to him.
"I recollect it all perfectly well," he said. "Miss Carfax and myselfwere friends. Like most people with badly balanced intellects, she hadher brilliant moments. Why, she showed me that ring with a great deal ofpride, but she did not tell me its history. She was very strange in hermanner that morning; indeed, I warned her father that she wanted to bemost carefully looked after."
"Did she say how she got the ring?" Steel asked.
Heritage did not answer for a moment.
"Oh, yes," he said, presently, "She said it was a present from a goodboy, and that Reginald Henson had given it her in an envelope. I metHenson close by, but I didn't mention the ring."
"And there you have the whole thing in a nutshell!" Bell exclaimed."Nothing of this came out at the inquest, because the ring story washushed up, and Heritage was not called because he had nothing to do withthe suicide. But Henson probably saw poor Claire Carfax show you thering, and he got a bit frightened, and he kept an eye upon youafterwards. When you broke down he looked after you, and he took preciousgood care to keep your hallucination always before your eyes. Whenever hecame to see you he always did that."
"You are quite right there," Heritage admitted. "He mentioned it thisafternoon when I said I was going to take part in the operation on VanSneck. He asked me if I thought it wise to try my nerves so soon againwith the electric light."
"And I hope you told him he was talking nonsense," Bell said, hastily."There, let us change the subject. The mere mention of that man's namestifles me."
Morning brought a long letter from Chris Henson to David, giving him indetail the result of her recent interview with John Rawlins. There was apostscript to the letter which David showed to Bell with a certainmalicious glee.
"A nasty one for our friend Henson," he said. "What a sweet surprise itwill be for that picturesque gentleman the next time he goes blackmailingto Longdean Grange."
Bell chuckled in his turn. The net was drawing very close about Henson.
"How is Van Sneck to-day?" David asked.
"Much better," Bell replied. "I propose to operate to-night. I'm glad tohear that your mother is going to be away a day or two longer."
Heritage appeared to be ready and eager for the work before him. Aspecially powerful electric light had been rigged up in connection withthe study lamp, and an operating table improvised from the kitchen. Morethan once Bell looked eagerly at Heritage, but the latter stood thescrutiny bravely. Once the operation was successfully through. Heritagewould never suffer from hallucinations again.
"I fancy everything is ready now," Bell said, at length. "After dinnerto-night and this thing will be done. Then the story will be told--"
"Mr. Reginald Henson to see you, sir."
A servant looked in with this information and a card on a tray. There wasa slight commotion outside, the vision of a partially-wrecked bicycle onthe path, and a dusty figure in the hall with his head in his hand.
"The gentleman has met with an accident, sir," the parlourmaid said.Henson seemed to be knocked about a great deal. He was riding down theterrace, he said, when suddenly he ran over a dog, and--
"What sort of a dog?" Bell snapped out. "What colour and size?"
Henson was utterly taken aback by the suddenness of the question. Hegasped and stammered. He could not have told Bell more plainly that the"accident" was an artistic fake.
"You must stay here till you feel all right again," David suggested.
"Stay here for the night," Bell growled, _sotto voce._ "Stay here tillto-morrow morning and hear something from Van Sneck's lips that willfinish his interesting career for some time. Medical treatment be hanged.A clothes-brush and some soap and water are all the physic that herequire
s."
Presently Henson professed himself to be better. His superficial injurieshe bore with a manly fortitude quite worthy of his high reputation. Hecould afford to smile at them. But he feared that there was somethinginternal of a sufficiently serious nature. Every time he moved hesuffered exquisite agony. He smiled in a faint kind of way. Bell watchedhim as a cat watches a mouse. And he could read a deeper purpose behindthat soft, caressing manner. What it was he did not know, but he meant tofind out before the day was passed.
"Hadn't we better send him to the hospital?" David suggested.
"What for?" was Bell's brutal response. "There's nothing whatever thematter with the man."
"But he has every appearance of great pain."
"To you, perhaps, but not to me. The man is shamming. He has come herefor some purpose, which will be pretty sure to transpire presently. Theknave never dreams that we are watching him, and he hugs himself with thedelusion that we take his story for gospel. Fancy a man in the state thathe pretends to be in sending his card to you! Let him stay where we cankeep an eye upon the chap. So long as he is under our observation hecan't do any mischief outside."
There was wisdom in what Bell suggested, and David agreed. Despite hisinjuries, Henson made a fair tea, and his dinner, partaken of on thedining-room sofa, was an excellent one.
"And now, do not let me detain you, as you have business," he smiled. "Ishall be quite comfortable here if you will place a glass of water by myside. The pain makes me thirsty. No, you need not have any furtherconsideration for me."
He smiled with patient resignation, the smile that he had found soeffective on platforms. He lay back with his eyes half closed. He seemedto be asleep.
"I fancy we can leave him now," Bell said, with deep sarcasm. "We needhave no further anxiety. Perfect rest is all that he requires."
Henson nodded in a sleepy fashion; his eyes were closed now till theothers had left the room. Once he was alone he was alert andvigorous again.
"Ten minutes," he muttered, "say, a quarter of an hour. A touch, a spotof water, and the thing is done. And I can never be found out."