CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WHAT THE LAMPS SHONE ON
Zillah leaned suddenly back against the table by which she wasstanding, and Ayscough, who was narrowly watching the effect of hisnews, saw her turn very pale. She stood staring at him during amoment's silence; then she let a sharp exclamation escape her lips, andin the same instant her colour came back--heightened from surprise andindignation.
"Impossible!" she said. "I can't believe it; There may be marks insideour rings--that's likely enough. But how could those marks correspondwith the marks in his rings?"
"I tell you it is so!" answered Ayscough. "I've seen the marks inboth--with my own eyes. It occurred to one of our bosses this eveningto have all the rings carefully examined by an expert--he got a manfrom one of the jeweller's shops in Edgware Road. This chap very soonpointed out that inside the two rings which young Lauriston says arehis, and come to him from his mother, are certain privatemarks--jewellers' marks, this man called 'em--which are absolutelyidentical with similar marks which are inside some of the rings in thetray which was found on this table. That's a fact!--I tell you I'veseen 'em--all! And--you see the significance of it! Of course, ourpeople are now dead certain that young Lauriston's story is false, andthat he grabbed those two rings out of that tray. See?"
"Are you certain of it--yourself?" demanded Zillah.
Ayscough hesitated and finally shook his head.
"Well, between ourselves, I'm not!" he answered. "I've a feeling fromthe first, that the lad's innocent enough. But it's a queer thing--andit's terribly against him. And--what possible explanation can there be?"
"You say you've seen those marks," said Zillah. "Would you know themagain--on other goods?"
"I should!" replied Ayscough. "I can tell you what they are. There'sthe letter M. and then two crosses--one on each side of the letter.Very small, you know, and worn, too--this man I'm talking of used somesort of a magnifying glass."
Zillah turned away and went into the shop, which was all in darkness.Ayscough, waiting, heard the sound of a key being turned, then of ametallic tinkling; presently the girl came back, carrying avelvet-lined tray in one hand, and a jeweller's magnifying glass in theother.
"The rings in that tray you're talking about--the one you tookaway--are all very old stock," she remarked. "I've heard my grandfathersay he'd had some of them thirty years or more. Here are some similarones--we'll see if they're marked in the same fashion."
Five minutes later, Zillah had laid aside several rings marked in theway Ayscough had indicated, and she turned from them to him with a lookof alarm.
"I can't understand it!" she exclaimed. "I know that these rings, andthose in that tray at the police-station, are part of old stock that mygrandfather had when he came here. He used to have a shop, years ago,in the City--I'm not quite sure where, exactly--and this is part of thestock he brought from it. But, how could Mr. Lauriston's rings bearthose marks? Because, from what I know of the trade, those are privatemarks--my grandfather's private marks!"
"Well, just so--and you can imagine what our people are inclined to sayabout it," said the detective. "They say now that the two rings whichLauriston claims never were his nor his mother's, but that he stolethem out of your grandfather's tray. They're fixed on that, now."
"What will they do?" asked Zillah, anxiously. "Is he in danger?"
Ayscough gave her a knowing look.
"Between you and me," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "I camearound here privately--on my own hook, you know. I should be sorry ifthis really is fixed on the young fellow--there's a mystery, but it maybe cleared up. Now, he's gone off to find somebody who can prove thatthose rings really were his mother's. You, no doubt, know where he'sgone?"
"Yes--but I'm not going to tell," said Zillah firmly. "Don't ask me!"
"Quite right--I don't want to know myself," answered Ayscough. "Andyou'll probably have an idea when he's coming back? All right--take atip from me. Keep him out of the way a bit--stop him from coming intothis district. Let him know all about those marks--and if he can clearthat up, well and good. You understand?--and of course, all this isbetween you and me."
"You're very good, Mr. Ayscough," replied Zillah, warmly. "I won'tforget your kindness. And I'm certain this about the marks can becleared up--but I don't know how!"
"Well--do as I say," said the detective. "Just give the tip to yourcousin Melky, and to that young Scotch gentleman--let 'em keepLauriston out of the way for a few days. In the meantime--this is avery queer case!--something may happen that'll fix the guilt onsomebody else--conclusively. I've my own ideas and opinions--but weshall see. Maybe we shall see a lot--and everybody'll be moreastonished than they're thinking for."
With this dark and sinister hint, Ayscough went away, and Zillah tookthe rings back to the shop, and locked them up again. And then she satdown to wait for Mrs. Goldmark--and to think. She had never doubtedLauriston's story for one moment, and she did not doubt it now. But shewas quick to see the serious significance of what the detective hadjust told her and she realized that action must be taken on the lineshe had suggested. And so, having made herself ready for going out, sheexcused herself to Mrs. Goldmark when that good lady returned, andwithout saying anything to her as to the nature of her errand, hurriedround to Star Street, to find Melky Rubinstein and tell him of the newdevelopment.
Mrs. Flitwick herself opened the door to Zillah and led her into thenarrow passage. But at the mention of Melky she shook her head.
"I ain't set eyes on Mr. Rubinstein not since this morning, miss," saidshe. "He went out with that young Scotch gentleman what come hereyesterday asking for Mr. Lauriston, and he's never been in again--noteven to put his nose inside the door. And at twelve o'clock there comea telegram for him--which it was the second that come this morning. Thefirst, of course, he got before he went out; the one that come atnoon's awaiting him. No--I ain't seen him all day!"
Zillah's quick wits were instantly at work as soon as she heard of thetelegram.
"Oh, I know all about that wire, Mrs. Flitwick!" she exclaimed. "It'sas much for me as for my cousin. Give it to me--and if Mr. Rubinsteincomes in soon--or when he comes--tell him I've got it, and ask him tocome round to me immediately--it's important."
Mrs. Flitwick produced the telegram at once, and Zillah, repeating hercommands about Melky, hurried away with it. But at the first streetlamp she paused, and tore open the envelope, and pulled out themessage. As she supposed, it was from Lauriston, and had been handed inat Peebles at eleven o'clock that morning.
"Got necessary information returning at once meet me at King's Cross atnine-twenty this evening. L."
Zillah looked at her watch. It was then ten minutes to nine. There wasjust half an hour before Lauriston's train was due. Without a moment'shesitation, she turned back along Star Street, hurried into EdgwareRoad and hailing the first taxi-cab she saw, bade its driver to get tothe Great Northern as fast as possible. Whatever else happened,Lauriston must be met and warned.
The taxi-cab made good headway along the Marylebone and Euston Roads,and the hands of the clock over the entrance to King's Cross had notyet indicated a quarter past nine when Zillah was set down close by.She hurried into the station, and to the arrival platform. All the wayalong in the cab she had been wondering what to do when she metLauriston--not as to what she should tell him, for that was alreadysettled, but as to what to advise him to do about following Ayscough'ssuggestion and keeping out of the way, for awhile. She had already seenenough of him to know that he was naturally of high spirit and courage,and that he would hate the very idea of hiding, or of seeming to runaway. Yet, what other course was open if he wished to avoid arrest?Zillah, during her short business experience had been brought incontact with the police authorities and their methods more than once,and she knew that there is nothing the professional detective likes somuch as to follow the obvious--as the easiest and safest. She had beenquick to appreciate all that Ayscough told her--she knew how the policemind would reason ab
out it: it would be quite enough for it to knowthat on the rings which Andy Lauriston said were his there were markswhich were certainly identical with those on her grandfather'sproperty: now that the police authorities were in possession of thatfact, they would go for Lauriston without demur or hesitation, leavingall the other mysteries and ramifications of the Multenius affair to besorted, or to sort themselves, at leisure. One thing was certain--AndieLauriston was in greater danger now than at any moment since Ayscoughfound him leaving the shop, and she must save him--against his owninclinations if need be.
But before the train from the North was due, Zillah was fated to haveyet another experience. She had taken up a position directly beneath apowerful lamp at the end of the arrival platform, so that Lauriston,who would be obliged to pass that way, could not fail to see her.Suddenly turning, to glance at the clock in the roof behind her, shewas aware of a man, young, tall, athletic, deeply bronzed, as from longcontact with the Southern sun, who stood just behind a knot ofloungers, his heavy overcoat and the jacket beneath it thrown open,feeling in his waistcoat pockets as if for his match-box--an unlightedcigar protruded from the corner of his rather grim, determined lips.But it was not at lips, nor at the cigar, nor at the searching fingersthat Zillah looked, after that first comprehensive glance--her eyeswent straight to an object which shone in the full glare of the lampabove her head. The man wore an old-fashioned, double-breasted fancywaistcoat, but so low as to reveal a good deal of his shirt-front. Andin that space, beneath his bird's-eye blue tie, loosely knotted in abow, Zillah saw a stud, which her experienced eyes knew to be ofplatinum, and on it was engraved the same curious device which she hadseen once before that day--on the solitaire exhibited by Melky.
The girl was instantly certain that here was the man who had visitedMrs. Goldmark's eating-house. Her first instinct was to challenge himwith the fact--but as she half moved towards him, he found hismatch-box, struck a match, and began to light his cigar. And just thencame the great engine of the express, panting its way to a halt besidethem, and with it the folk on the platform began to stir, and Zillahwas elbowed aside. Her situation was perplexing--was she to watch theman and perhaps lose Lauriston in the crowd already passing from thetrain, or--
The man was still leisurely busy with his cigar, and Zillah turned andwent a few steps up the platform. She suddenly caught sight ofLauriston, and running towards him gripped his arm, and drew him to thelamp. But in that moment of indecision, the man had vanished.