CHAPTER LIII
UNSEALED LIPS
Bell gave a gesture of relief as the door closed upon Henson. Heritagelooked like a man who does not quite understand.
"I haven't quite got the hang of it yet," he said. "Was that done formy benefit?"
"Of course it was," Bell replied. "Henson found out that Van Sneck washere, as he was certain to do sooner or later. He comes here to makeinquiries and finds you; also he comes to spy out the land. Now, withoutbeing much of a gambler, I'm willing to stake a large sum that heintroduced the subject of your old trouble?"
"He invariably did that," Heritage admitted.
"Naturally. That was part of the game. And you told him that you had gotover your illness and that you were going to do the operation. And youtold him how. Where were you when the little conversation between Hensonand yourself took place?"
"He was asked into the dining-room."
"And then you told him everything. Directly Henson's eyes fell upon thatwall-plug he knew how to act. He made up his mind that the electric lightshould fail at a critical moment. Hence the dramatic 'accident' with thecycle. Once Henson had got into the house the rest was easy. He had onlyto wet his fingers and press them hard against the two wires in thewallplug and out pops the light, in consequence of the fuses blowing out.I don't know where Henson learnt the trick, but I do know that I was afool not to think of it. You see, the hall light being dropped throughfrom the floor above was on another circuit. If it hadn't been we shouldhave had our trouble with Van Sneck for nothing."
"He would have died?" David asked.
The two doctors nodded significantly.
"What a poisonous scoundrel he is!" David cried. "Miss Chris Henson doesnot hesitate to say that he was more or less instrumental in removing twopeople who helped her and her sister to defeat Henson, and now he makestwo attacks on Van Sneck's life. Really, we ought to inform the policewhat has happened and have him arrested before he can do any furthermischief. Penal servitude for life would about fit the case."
Van Sneck was jealously guarded by Heritage and Bell for the next fewhours. He awoke the next morning little the worse for the operation. Hiseyes were clear now; the restless, eager look had gone from them.
"Where am I?" he demanded. "What has happened?"
Bell explained briefly. As he spoke his anxiety passed away. He saw thatVan Sneck was following quite intelligently and rationally.
"I remember coming here," the Dutchman said. "I can't recall the restjust now. I feel like a man who is trying to piece the fragments of adream together."
"You'll have it all right in an hour or two," Bell said, with anencouraging smile. "Meanwhile your breakfast is ready. Yes, you can smokeafterwards if you like. And then you shall tell me all about ReginaldHenson. As a matter of fact, we know all about it now."
"Oh," Van Sneck said, blankly. "You do, eh?"
"Yes, even to the history of the second Rembrandt, and the reason whyHenson stabbed you and gave you that crack over the head. If you tell methe truth you are safe; if you don't--why, you stand a chance of joiningHenson in the dock."
Bell went off, leaving Van Sneck to digest this speech at his leisure.Van Sneck lay back on his bed, propped up with pillows, and smoked manycigarettes before he expressed a desire to see Bell again. The lattercame in with Steel; Heritage had gone elsewhere.
"This gentleman is Mr. Steel?" Van Sneck suggested.
Bell responded somewhat drily that it was. "But I see you are going totell us everything," he went on. "That being so, suppose you begin at thebeginning. When you sold that copy of the 'Crimson Blind' to LordLittimer had you the other copy?"
"Ach, you have got to the bottom of things, it seems," Van Sneck gurgled.
"Yes, and I have saved your life, foolish as it might seem," Bellreplied. "You came very near to losing it the second attempt last nightat Henson's hands. Henson is done for, played out, burst up. We canarrest him on half-a-dozen charges when we please. We can have youarrested any time on a charge of conspiracy over those pictures--"
"Of which I am innocent; I swear it," Van Sneck said, solemnly. "Thosetwo Rembrandts--they fell into my hands by what you call a slice of goodluck. I am working hand in glove with Henson at the time, and show himthem. I suggest Lord Littimer as a purchaser. He would, perhaps, buy thetwo, which would be a little fortune for me. Then Henson, he says, 'Don'tyou be a fool, Van Sneck. Suppress the other; say nothing about it. Youget as much from Littimer for the one as you get for the two, becauseLord Littimer think it unique.'"
"That idea commended itself to a curio dealer?" Bell suggested, drily.
"But yes," Van Sneck said, eagerly. "Later on we disclose the other andget a second big price. And Lord Littimer he buy the first copy for along price."
"After which you discreetly disappear," said Steel. "Did you steal thosepictures?"
"No," Van Sneck said, indignantly. "They came to me in the way of honestbusiness--a poor workman who knows nothing of their value, and takesfifteen marks for them."
"Honest merchant," David murmured. "Pray go on."
"I had to go away. Some youthful foolishness over some garnets raked upafter many years. The police came down upon me so suddenly that I gotaway with the skin of my teeth. I leave the other Rembrandt, everything,behind me. I do not know that Henson he give me away so that he can stealthe other Rembrandt."
"So you have found that out?" said Bell. "Who told you?"
"I learn that not so long ago. I learn it from a scoundrel calledMerritt, a tool of Henson. He tells me to go to Littimer Castle tosteal the Rembrandt for Henson, because Dr. Bell, he find _my_Rembrandt. Then I what you call pump Merritt, and he tells me all aboutthe supposed robbery at Amsterdam and what was found in the portmanteauof good Dr. Bell yonder. Then I go to Henson and tell him what I findout, and he laughs. Mind you, that was after I came here from Paris onbusiness for Henson."
"About the time you bought that diamond-mounted cigar-case?" Davidasked, quietly.
Van Sneck nodded. He was evidently impressed by the knowledge possessedby his questioners.
"That's it," he said. "I buy it because Henson ask me to. Henson say hemake it all right about the Rembrandt, and that if I do as I am told hegive me L500. His money is to come on a certain day, but I pump and Ipump, and I find that there is some game against Mr. Steel, who is agreat novelist."
"That is very kind of you," David said, modestly.
"One against Miss Enid Henson," Van Sneck went on. "I met that young ladyonce and I liked her; therefore, I say I will be no party to getting herinto trouble. And Henson says I am one big fool, and that he is onlygiving Mr. Steel a lesson in the art of minding his own business. So Iask no further questions, though I am a good bit puzzled. With the lastbank-notes I possess I go to a place called Walen's and buy thecigar-case that Henson says. I meet him and hand over the case and askhim for my money. Henson swears that he has no money at all, not evenenough to repay me the price of the cigar-case. He has been disappointed.And I have been drinking. So I swear I will write and ask Mr. Steel tosee me, and I do so."
"And you get an answer?" David asked.
"Sir, I do. You said you would see me the same night. It was a forgery?"
"It was. Henson had anticipated something like that. I know all about theforgery, how my notepaper was procured, and when the forgery was written.But that has very little to do with the story now. Please go on."
Van Sneck paused before he proceeded.
"I am not quite sober," he said. "I am hot with what I called mywrongs. I come here and ring the bell. The hall was in darkness. Therewas a light in the conservatory, but none in the study. I quitebelieved that it was Mr. Steel who opened the door and motioned metowards the study. Then the door of the study closed and locked behindme, and the electric light shot up. When I turned round I found myselfface to face with Henson."
Van Sneck paused again and shuddered at some hideous recollection.His eyes were dark and eager; there was a warm moisture lik
e varnishon his face.
"Even that discovery did not quite sober me," he went on. "I fancied itwas some joke, or that perhaps I had got into the wrong house. But no,it was the room of a literary gentleman. I--I expected to see Mr. Steelcome in or to try the door. Henson smiled at me. Such a smile! He askedme if I had the receipt for the cigar-case about me, and I said it wasin my pocket. Then he smiled again, and something told me my life wasin danger.
"I was getting pretty sober by that time. It came to me that I had beenlured there; that Henson had got into the house during the absence of theowner. It was late at night in a quiet house, and nobody had seen mecome. If that man liked to kill me he could do so and walk out of thehouse without the faintest chance of discovery. And he was twice my size,and a man without feeling. I looked round me furtively lor a weapon.
"He saw my glance and understood it, and smiled again. I was tremblingfrom head to foot now with a vague, nameless terror. From the very firstI knew that I had not the smallest chance. Henson approached me and laidhis hand on my shoulder. He wanted something, he gave that something aname. If I passed that something over to him I was free, if not--
"Well, gentlemen, I didn't believe him. He had made a discovery thatfrightened me. And I had what he wanted in my pocket. If I had handed itover to him he would not have spared me. As he approached me my footslipped and I stumbled into the conservatory. I fell backwards. And thenI recovered myself and defied Henson.
"'Fool,' he hissed, 'do you want to die?'
"But I knew that I should die in any case. Even then I could smile tomyself as I thought how I could baffle my foe. Once, twice, three timeshe repeated his demands, and each time I was obdurate. I knew that hewould kill me in any case.
"He came with a snarl of rage; there was a knife in his hand. I hurleda flower-pot at his head and missed him. The next instant and he had meby the throat. I felt his knife between my shoulders, then a stunningblow on the head, and till I woke here to-day I cannot recollect asingle thing."
Van Sneck paused and wiped his face, wet with the horror of therecollection. David Steel gave Bell a significant glance, and thelatter nodded.
"Was the thing that Henson wanted a ring?" Steel asked, quietly.