CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
WHAT MANNER OF DEATH?
One of the three companions who stood curiously gazing at the newwitness as he came into full view of the court had seen him before.Lauriston, who, during his residence in Paddington, had wandered a gooddeal about Maida Vale and St. John's Wood, instantly recognized Dr.Mirandolet as a man whom he had often met or passed in those excursionsand about whom he had just as often wondered. He was a notable andsomewhat queer figure--a tall, spare man, of striking presence anddistinctive personality--the sort of man who would inevitably attractattention wherever he was, and at whom people would turn to look in themost crowded street. His aquiline features, almost cadaverouscomplexion, and flashing, deep-set eyes, were framed in a mass ofraven-black hair which fell in masses over a loosely fitting,unstarched collar, kept in its place by a voluminous black silk cravat;his thin figure, all the sparer in appearance because of his broadshoulders and big head, was wrapped from head to foot in a mightycloak, raven-black as his hair, from the neck of which depended ahood-like cape. Not a man in that court would have taken Dr. Mirandoletfor anything but a foreigner, and for a foreigner who knew next tonothing of England and the English, and John Purdie, whose interest wasnow thoroughly aroused, was surprised as he heard the witness's answerto the necessary preliminary questions.
Nicholas Mirandolet--British subject--born in Malta--educated inEngland--a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons and of the RoyalCollege of Physicians--in private practice at Portsdown Road, MaidaVale, for the last ten years.
"I believe you were called to the deceased by the last witness, Dr.Mirandolet?" asked the Coroner. "Just so! Will you tell us what youfound?"
"I found the deceased lying on the pavement, about a dozen yards frommy house," answered Dr. Mirandolet, in a sharp, staccato voice. "Apoliceman was bending over him. Mr. Gardiner hurriedly told us what hehad seen. My first thought was that the man was in what is commonlytermed a fit--some form of epileptic seizure, you know. I hastilyexamined him--and found that my first impression was utterly wrong."
"What did you think--then?" enquired the Coroner.
Dr. Mirandolet paused and began to drum the edge of the witness-boxwith the tips of his long, slender white fingers. He pursed hisclean-shaven lips and looked meditatively around him--leisurelysurveying the faces turned on him. Finally he glanced at the Coroner,and snapped out a reply.
"I do not know what I thought!"
The Coroner looked up from his notes--in surprise.
"You--don't know what you thought?" he asked.
"No!" said Dr. Mirandolet. "I don't. And I will tell you why. Because Irealized--more quickly than it takes me to tell it--that here wassomething that was utterly beyond my comprehension!"
"Do you mean--beyond your skill?" suggested the Coroner.
"Skill?" retorted the witness, with a queer, twisting grimace. "Beyondmy understanding! I am a quick observer--I saw within a few secondsthat here was a man who had literally been struck down in the veryflush of life as if--well, to put it plainly, as if some extraordinarypower had laid a blasting finger on the very life-centre within him. Iwas--dumfounded!"
The Coroner sat up and laid aside his pen.
"What did you do?" he asked quietly.
"Bade the policeman get help, and an ambulance, and hurry the man toSt. Mary's Hospital, all as quickly as possible," answered Dr.Mirandolet. "While the policeman was away, I examined the man moreclosely. He was dying then--and I knew very well that nothing known tomedical science could save him. By that time he had become perfectlyquiet; his body had relaxed into a normal position; his face, curiouslycoloured when I first saw it, had become placid and pale; he breathedregularly, though very faintly--and he was steadily dying. I knew quitewell what was happening, and I remarked to Mr. Gardiner that the manwould be dead within half-an-hour."
"I believe you got him to the hospital within that time?" asked theCoroner.
"Yes--within twenty-five minutes of my first seeing him," said thewitness. "I went with the ambulance. The man died very soon afteradmission, just as I knew he would. No medical power on earth couldhave saved him!"
The Coroner glanced at the little knot of professional men in the rearof the witness-box and seemed to be debating within himself as towhether he wanted to ask Dr. Mirandolet any more questions. Eventuallyhe turned again to him.
"What your evidence amounts to, Dr. Mirandolet, is this," he said. "Youwere called to the man and you saw at once that you yourself could donothing for him, so you got him away to the hospital as quickly as youpossibly could. Just so!--now, why did you think you could do nothingfor him?"
"I will tell you--in plain words," answered Dr. Mirandolet. "Because Idid not recognize or understand one single symptom that I saw! Because,frankly, I knew very well that I did not know what was the matter! Andso--I hurried him to people who ought to know more than I do and arereputedly cleverer than I am. In short--I recognized that I was in thepresence of something--something!--utterly beyond my skill andcomprehension!"
"Let me ask you one or two further questions," said the Coroner. "Haveyou formed any opinion of your own as to the cause of this man's death?"
"Yes!" agreed the witness, unhesitatingly. "I have! I believe him tohave been poisoned--in a most subtle and cunning fashion. And"--hereDr. Mirandolet cast a side-glance at the knot of men behind him--"Ishall be intensely surprised if that opinion is not corroborated.But--I shall be ten thousand times more surprised if there is anyexpert in Europe who can say what that poison was!"
"You think it was a secret poison?" suggested the Coroner.
"Secret!" exclaimed Dr. Mirandolet. "Aye--secret is the word.Secret--yes! And--sure!"
"Is there anything else you can tell us?" asked the Coroner.
"Only this," replied the witness, after a pause. "It may be material.As I bent over this man as he lay there on the pavement I detected acertain curious aromatic odour about his clothes. It was strong atfirst; it gradually wore off. But I directed the attention of thepoliceman and Mr. Gardiner to it; it was still hanging about him, veryfaintly, when we got him to the hospital: I drew attention to it there."
"It evidently struck you--that curious odour?" said the Coroner.
"Yes," answered Dr. Mirandolet. "It did. It reminded me of the East--Ihave lived in the East--India, Burmah, China. It seemed to me that thisman had got hold of some Eastern scent, and possibly spilt some on hisclothes. The matter is worth noting. Because--I have heard--I cannotsay I have known--of men being poisoned in inhalation."
The Coroner made no remark--it was very evident from his manner that heconsidered Dr. Mirandolet's evidence somewhat mystifying. And Dr.Mirandolet stepped down--and in response to the official invitation Dr.John Sperling-Lawson walked into the vacated witness-box.
"One of the greatest authorities on poisons living," whisperedLauriston to Purdie, while Dr. Sperling-Lawson was taking the oath andanswering the formal questions. "He's principal pathologist at thathospital they're talking about, and he constantly figures in cases ofthis sort. He's employed by the Home Office too--it was he who gavesuch important evidence in that Barnsbury murder case not so longsince--don't you remember it?"
Purdie did remember, and he looked at the famous expert with greatinterest. There was, however, nothing at all remarkable about Dr.Sperling-Lawson's appearance--he was a quiet, self-possessed,plain-faced gentleman who might have been a barrister or a banker forall that any one could tell to the contrary. He gave his evidence in amatter-of-fact tone--strongly in contrast to Dr. Mirandolet's somewhatexcited answers--but Purdie noticed that the people in court listenedeagerly for every word.
He happened to be at the hospital, said Dr. Sperling-Lawson, when theman Parslett was brought in, and he saw him die. He fully agreed withDr. Mirandolet that it was impossible to do anything to save the man'slife when he was brought to the hospital, and he was quite prepared tosay that the impossibility had existed from the moment in whichGardiner had seen Parslett collap
se. In other words, when Parslett didcollapse, death was on him.
"And--the cause of death?" asked the Coroner.
"Heart failure," replied the witness.
"Resulting from--what?" continued the Coroner.
Dr. Sperling-Lawson hesitated a moment--amidst a deep silence.
"I cannot answer that question," he said at last. "I can only offer anopinion. I believe--in fact, I am sure!--the man was poisoned. I amconvinced he was poisoned. But I am forced to admit that I do not knowwhat poison was used, and that after a most careful search I have notyet been able to come across any trace or sign of any poison known tome. All the same, I am sure he died from the effects of poison, butwhat it was, or how administered, frankly, I do not know!"
"You made a post-mortem examination?" asked the Coroner.
"Yes," replied the specialist, "in company with Dr. Seracold. Thedeceased was a thoroughly healthy, well-nourished man. There was not atrace of disease in any of the organs--he was evidently a temperateman, and likely to live to over the seventy years' period. And, as Ihave said, there was not a trace of poison. That is, not a trace of anypoison known to me."
"I want to ask you a particularly important question," said theCoroner. "Are there poisons, the nature of which you are unacquaintedwith?"
"Yes!" answered the specialist frankly. "There are. But--I should notexpect to hear of their use in London."
"Is there any European expert who might throw some light on this case?"asked the Coroner.
"Yes," said Dr. Sperling-Lawson. "One man--Professor Gagnard, of Paris.As a matter of fact, I have already sent certain portions of certainorgans to him--by a special messenger. If he cannot trace this poison,then no European nor American specialist can. I am sure of this--thesecret is an Eastern one."
"Gentlemen," said the Coroner, "we will adjourn for a week. By thattime there may be a report from Paris."
The crowd surged out into the damp November morning, eagerly discussingthe evidence just given. Purdie, Lauriston, and Guyler, all equallymystified, followed, already beginning to speculate and to theorize.Suddenly Melky Rubinstein hurried up to them, waving a note.
"There was a fellow waiting outside with this from Zillah," said Melky."She'd heard you were all here, and she knew I was. We're to go thereat once--she's found some letters to her grandfather from that manPurvis! Come on!--it's another step forward!"