*CHAPTER XXXVI*
*LEADING THE WAY*
To all outward appearances, the little bird-fancier's shop in Gray's InnRoad was innocent enough, and no doubt the police would have given thetenant of the shop a good character if they had been asked about hisantecedents. The proprietor was a born naturalist and was too muchdevoted to his studies to make his business a success. He was adried-up little man who lived behind the shop where he did entirely forhimself, for he had a morbid horror of everything in the shape of woman.He cared little or nothing for the litter and confusion which marked hissitting-room, and as long as he could pay his rent was satisfied to passa monotonous existence. It was, therefore, a stroke of luck for Mr.Giles when a somewhat obese foreigner walked into his shop one day andasked if he had a couple of rooms to spare. Giles had the rooms tospare, but there was no furniture in them, and he could not depart fromhis rule that no woman should ever set foot on the premises. Instead ofregarding these statements as drawbacks, the would-be lodger affected toreceive them with every demonstration of approval.
"Ah, my friend," he said, "this is just what I want. I am an oldtraveller. I have seen a great deal of the world and have always beenaccustomed to do for myself. If I pay ten shillings a week for theserooms and bring my own furniture, will that satisfy you, eh? I will notinterfere with you and you will not interfere with me. I will cook myown food and do my own cleaning and everything. What I want is quiet,for I am writing a book on my travels, and must not be interrupted."
There was only one reply to such an offer, and that was to close with itwith alacrity. Ten shillings a week would make all the differencebetween affluence and poverty to the naturalist. It would pay his rentand enable him to buy such books as his soul coveted. Within a weekJansen was established in his new quarters. It was no empty boast thathis landlord and he would see little of one another, for weeks passed ata time without their exchanging a word.
Meanwhile, Jansen was conquering a certain shyness with which he hadbeen afflicted during the earlier part of his tenancy. At first hehardly left the house except at night, but now he walked in and out,whistling blithely to himself as if he had no care or trouble in theworld.
So far as his sitting-room was concerned, there was no reason todisregard his statement that he was writing a book. One or two tableswere littered with papers, but maps and strange-looking plans whichcould have only been properly understood by an engineer were most inevidence.
One night, Jansen had cooked his frugal supper over a spirit-lamp, andthen put his cooking utensils on one side and lighted a big Dutch pipe.From time to time he glanced at the noisy little clock on themantel-piece as if anxious he should not forget some importantappointment. He drew from his pocket a bundle of letters which hespread out on his ample knee. The contents of the letters appeared togive him satisfaction, for he chuckled again and again as he read them.
"Strange what mistakes clever men make sometimes," he muttered. "Thereis Flower, who thinks he has deceived everybody. Well, he has nothoodwinked me. Ah, it is true that, as the philosopher says, everythingcomes to him who knows how to wait, and my three years have not beenwasted. Within a few weeks there will no longer be either Samuel Flowernor Cotter to stand in the way. And all I shall have to do is to godown to Maldon Grange and help myself, and spend the rest of my life inease and pleasure."
Jansen glanced at the clock again, which now indicated the half hourafter nine. He rose from his seat and walked on tip-toe towards thedoor. Despite his great weight he made no more noise than a cat. Hecould hear his landlord bustling about in the back of the shop as hecrept down the stairs and opened the front door. He stood there just amoment with the light of the gas behind him, looking up and down thestreet as if searching for some one. Then, presently, out of theshadows emerged a slight figure wearing a long overcoat and tall silkhat. As the figure passed Jansen the latter held out a detaining hand.
"All right, my friend," he said. "I am waiting for you. Come thisway."
The figure made no demur; no remark whatever crossed his lips. Hefollowed Jansen quietly upstairs into the sitting-room, the door ofwhich was then carefully closed. No word was spoken till Jansenproduced the materials for the filling and smoking of an opium pipewhich he handed to his companion. The latter had discarded his hat andovercoat. He looked out of place in his European costume as he squattedon the floor with the pipe between his lips.
"You know why you are here?" Jansen asked.
"I know very well," the Oriental said stolidly. "I come because you arewilling to help me. You will tell me how, and when it is all over youare going to show me that which I can take back to my country whenceyour countryman stole it. That is why I am here to-night."
"Quite right," Jansen said cheerfully. "But you are moving too fast.We don't do things so rapidly in this country. Do you know that yourman has gone again? Do you know that he left London to-night?"
The Eastern looked up and his beady eyes gleamed like stars.Cold-blooded man of the world as he was Jansen shuddered as he noticedthe glance.
"What I am telling you is the truth," he went on. "He has gone. Theyhave spirited him away, and no doubt they fancy he is out of harm'sreach."
"He is not," the Malay said unconcernedly. "Were he at the end of theworld he would not be safe from us. Have we not waited and watched andtravelled all these years, and did not the star of luck shine upon us atlast? You know whether it is true that that man is safe."
"Oh, we know," Jansen said cheerfully. "But the point is this, myfriend; you are in a civilized country where the police have peculiarideas. If they can lay hands upon you they won't care a rap about yourreligious scruples. You will find yourself within the walls of anEnglish gaol and the two of you will be hanged to a certainty. Whatabout your revenge then? Your prey will escape you, secure in theknowledge that he has no longer anybody to fear. He will be able toenjoy his ill-gotten gains with a light heart. You are taking thisthing too easily. Now suppose I can show you a way----"
Once more the Oriental's eyes glistened.
"You are bound to show us a way," he said. "You are pledged to it. Areyou not one of us? Have you not taken the sacred vows? And if youshould dare to play us false----"
"Come, come, don't talk like that," Jansen said in an injured tone. "Dobe reasonable. Didn't I ask you here to-night on purpose to show you away. But it will be useless unless I can see both of you together. Ifyou are not going to trust me, you had better go your own way and therewill be an end of it."
Jansen shrugged his shoulders as if he washed his hands of the wholetransaction. Out of the corners of his narrow eyes the man squatting onthe floor watched him intently. By and by he laid down his pipe with asigh and produced from his pocket a flimsy bit of paper on which heproceeded to scribble something with a charcoal pencil. Even then hehesitated before he handed it over to Jansen. The latter assumed anattitude of indifference which he was very far from feeling.
"There," the Malay said, "that is where you will find him at twelve ofthe clock to-night. I have trusted everything into your hands, and ifyou fail us--but you will not fail us. You must see him and bring himhere so that we may talk this matter over."
Jansen thrust the paper carelessly into his pocket as if it were of noimportance. He began to talk of other matters likely to interest theOriental. He spoke of the latter's country and people whilst the littleman nodded drowsily over the opium pipes which his host was preparingfor him. Finally his head fell back upon the carpet and he lay in thedeep sleep which the drug produces.
"Good," Jansen muttered. "It is better luck than I anticipated. I didnot expect to get two birds with one stone. And now to sweep the otherinto the net."