tradesmen's lych-gate, and going up to thekitchen door, rapped at it, whereupon a big buxom woman in an apronopened it, and recognising him, gasped,--
"Oh! 'Arry, I'm so glad you've come! They told you about it, Isuppose?"
"About what? I don't know anything," he replied, surprised at herwhite, scared face and the terrified look of one of the maids who stoodbehind her.
"Then go into the drawin'-room and look! It's awful. There's a curseon this 'ouse. Go and see for yourself."
Startled, he hurried quickly through the kitchen and along the big,well-furnished hall, I following closely behind him, eager andbewildered.
And what we saw was amazing.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
TELLS OF ANOTHER MYSTERY.
In the drawing-room a startling scene presented itself.
Lying in a heap across the blue silk-covered sofa lay the figure of thelady whom I had seen from without, seated at the piano, while beside herwere the gardener and a scared female servant bending over her, andtrying to restore her to consciousness.
A short distance away a second female figure was lying face downwardsupon the carpet near the window--a young woman in cap and apron whom Irecognised as the maid who had lowered the Venetian blinds. Around herface a long black scarf had been twisted tightly, and she lay theremotionless.
"Oh! Mr Taking!" gasped the woman, bending over her mistress, "I'm soglad you're here. There's been men in the house!"
"Men!" he cried, amazed. "What's happened to Mrs Parham?"
"We don't knew. We've sent for the doctor and the perlice."
"But look at Jane!" he exclaimed, crossing to her. "She'll besuffocated;" and falling on his knees he quickly untied the slip-knot bywhich the black scarf--a long narrow one with coloured stripes at theends like an Italian santuzza--had been secured around the girl's face.
As we turned her over we saw that her drawn countenance was white to thelips. There was no movement that either of us could discover.
I stood gazing at the startling scene, wondering what had occurred.
Mrs Parham was, I saw, a brown-haired, good-looking young lady of abouttwenty-six. Her black silk blouse was fastened at the throat by abeautiful diamond brooch--one from her husband's stock perhaps--but shewore no other ring except the badge of matrimony.
Her eyes were closed, and it appeared as though she had fainted, yetacross her left cheek from mouth to ear was a deep livid ridge. A scarfsomewhat similar to that used to stifle the cries of the maid had beenused upon her.
"Tell us what's happened?" inquired Laking, eagerly. "Who's done this?"
The housemaid, turning from her mistress, replied,--
"Jane went to pull down the blinds about three-quarters of an hour ago,and I heard the mistress playing the piano in here. Then she suddenlystopped, but knowing that Jane was here I thought she was talking toher. Then I didn't think any more about it till I found that the hotwater hadn't been put in the mistress's bedroom, and that the blindswere still up. I went down to the kitchen, but cook said that Jane wasstill with the mistress. I said she'd been there a long time, and cooksaid perhaps she was getting a blowing up. It was 'er night out lastnight, and she was a half-hour late, and Mrs Parham is very particular,as you know."
"And didn't you hear anything?" I asked, surprised.
"Not a sound. It was the quietness of the place that first aroused mysuspicion," said the girl. "I crept along the hall and listened at thedoor to hear what the mistress was saying to Jane. But there was nosound. Then I went back and told cook, and we thought that they'd bothgone upstairs perhaps. Presently I went back and tapped at the door,for it was nearly an hour since Jane had gone into the room. Nobodyanswered, so I pushed the door open, and there, to my horror, saw 'emboth lying on the floor with these black things round their faces."
"And you rushed out and gave the alarm?"
"I called in Lane, who'd just finished work and was going home. Then wehailed a telegraph boy who was passing and sent him for the doctor andthe police. At first we thought the poor mistress was dead, but, yousee, she's still breathing, although very slightly. Look!" she added,holding up the scarf, "there's a funny smell about it."
"Chloroform!" declared the gardener, Lane. "I 'ad it when I 'ad myoperation in the 'orspital. I know that smell well enough."
"But what was the motive?" I asked, puzzled, glancing around the roomand noticing that beyond a chair having been overturned and anantimacassar lying on the floor there was no sign of disorder.
The electric bell rang sharply, the cook went to answer the door, and afew moments later a constable in uniform entered.
To him I briefly explained the circumstances, without, however, tellinghim of the strange scene I had witnessed when I halted outside the gate.Then after the housemaid and gardener had told their stories, he bentover the prostrate lady, listening intently.
"She's still alive, that's quite certain," was his remark, then crossingover to the girl he knelt beside her.
He made a cursory examination and shook his head dubiously. Likeourselves, he had doubts whether she still breathed. I had placed myhand upon her heart, but could discover no palpitation. There was arigidity about the body, too, that caused me to suspect that the scarfhad been around her mouth too long, and that she had expired under theeffects of the drug.
We explained to the constable that a doctor in the vicinity had beencalled, and while we awaited his arrival I made a tour of the room withthe officer.
It was a beautifully furnished apartment in the Louis Quinze style, withmassive gold-framed mirrors and consoles, and furniture in gilt and paleblue, a room which betrayed everywhere the hand of a woman of cultureand artistic taste.
Upon the wall was a large velvet-lined frame, on which were a number ofbeautiful old miniatures, and behind the grand piano stood a huge palmthat reached nearly to the ceiling. Suddenly as I advanced to thewindow, close to where the maid had been lying--for the gardener and thecook's brother had now lifted her on to a small couch--I noticed thatthere was a little glass-topped table in which were displayed some finepieces of antique silver, and standing upon it was a cabinet portrait ina dark red leather frame.
The picture caught my eye and caused me to start. I stood glaring at itin utter bewilderment, scarce believing my own eyes.
Was I mistaken in those features? No. It was the same face--undoubtedly the same face!
The portrait was exactly similar, but somewhat larger, than that whichEric and I had discovered in Winsloe's kitbag--the picture of the deadunknown!
A sudden suggestion occurred to me to obtain possession of it. It mightbe of the greatest use to us in establishing the unfortunate man'sidentity. I therefore took it up, glanced at it, and in an abstractedmanner placed it upon a side table near a curtain, intending later on totransfer it to the pocket of my overcoat--even at the risk of committingthe offence of theft. In this I saw no harm. I was seeking to solve amystery; and surely every mode was fair, now that a man had been done todeath.
I recollected Eric's terrible accusation, and held my breath.
Yes, he was Sybil's secret lover without a doubt. Those letters weresufficient proof of that.
And yet was it not strange that Mrs Parham should place the portrait inher room in a position so conspicuous?
The constable was as much puzzled as myself regarding the motive of theattack.
My own theory was that there had been two men lurking in the house, andhearing Mrs Parham playing the piano, they managed to enter the roomunobserved, for there was a large Japanese screen before the door. Aninstant afterwards the maid entered, switched on the light, and let downthe blinds, but while doing so, the men so suddenly discovered made abold attack upon both, deftly twisting the scarves about their faces ereeither of them could call for assistance.
The maid had evidently been attacked from behind by one of the menconcealed at the back of the curtain at the moment when she had loweredthe last blind. From this
fact I suspected that the girl knew them andthey feared recognition.
Yet the reason of that bold, desperate attack was surely an entiremystery.
Subsequent examination showed that they must have entered the front doorwith a duplicate key, probably almost immediately before, otherwise thegardener or Mrs Parham herself must have seen them approaching thehouse.
But when they had so successfully silenced both mistress and maid, whathad been their next action? That was the mystery.
At first my impulse was to explain what I had seen from the pavement,yet I saw, on due reflection, that it was far better to keep thatknowledge to myself, more especially if I could manage to obtainpossession of that very valuable piece of evidence, the dead man'sphotograph.
Laking went into the other rooms on the ground floor, and switched onthe light in all of them, while the constable and myself made a carefulexamination in order to see whether any robbery had taken place. As faras we could ascertain, however, nothing had been disturbed. No drawerstood open, and although in both dining-room and library were largeglass cases filled with valuable antiques, china, enamels, miniaturesand old glass, nothing had apparently been touched.
"I wonder if the men are in the 'ouse now?" suggested the maid-servantsuddenly, the word "man" being always very expressive in the vocabularyof the kitchen.
"Not likely," declared the constable. "They've gone long ago. I wonderwho they were?"
"Perhaps they thought that only Mrs Parham and Jane were at home,"remarked the cook's brother. "And then, when they found Lane, my sisterand Emily they got frightened, and cleared out."
"Most probably," was the policeman's reply. "They were disturbed bysomething; that's very evident. They intended to have the silver,because it's easy got rid of. Perhaps it's the gang what worked Norwooda couple of months ago. Two of 'em got five years at the Old Baileylast week."
"They were a desperate pair, whoever they were," I said. "Men don'tcarry scarves like these and chloroform all ready if they don't mean todo some big piece of business. The affair, whatever it was, must havebeen well planned."
"They had their pals outside this house, no doubt. Men like those don'twork without spies watching the house to give alarm."
His words caused me to ponder.
If one of the gang had been outside, then I had certainly been noted,for I had stood before the gate for quite a minute. I had been noticed,without a doubt! They knew that I had seen that thin, tall figurecrossing the room so stealthily!
Perhaps I had quite unintentionally frightened them and prevented themfrom fully carrying out their object! When I had gone the spy outsidemight have given the signal which caused them to make their escape.
Now that I recollected, I remembered most distinctly that while I hadspoken to the lamplighter, somebody a little distance down the road waswhistling gaily a music-hall air.
There was a muffin-man, too, who had suddenly commenced to ring his bellas I had stopped to speak and was balancing his tray upon his head as hepassed by us, glancing into my face.
Was he the spy?
I was in the study, discussing the affair with the constable, when thedoctor was announced.
I followed him into the drawing-room and noted his surprise when he sawMrs Parham lying there.
Quickly he made his examination and relieved our minds by declaring thatshe would before long return to consciousness.
Then he crossed to the maid Jane, placed his hand upon her heart, openedher eyes, felt her hands, and bent the fingers.
For a long time he scrutinised her very carefully, taking up a smallmirror and holding it close to her mouth, while we stood anxiouslyawaiting his verdict.
At last he turned to us, shook his grey head, and said,--
"The poor girl is dead?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
RELATES WHAT WE DISCOVERED.
While the doctor occupied himself with restoring the mistress of thehouse to consciousness, I stood by watching, and then turned to thewindow abstractedly, and awaiting my opportunity, succeeded intransferring the photograph of the dead unknown to my overcoat pocket.
Suddenly the housemaid, on returning to the room with some water,pointed to a corner, exclaiming,--
"Why? Look there, sir!"
We all glanced in the direction she indicated, and noticed that from thecorner of the room the blue carpet had been torn up, and lay backdisclosing about a foot of flooring.
Quickly I bent down to examine it, and found to my surprise that one ofthe boards had been cut across about nine inches from the wainscoting,and was hinged, so that it could be pulled up. There had evidently beena strong fastening which had been forced, for the wood was newlysplintered.
After some little difficulty I pulled it up, revealing a small box-likecavity lined with sheet-iron, well designed in order to hide plate orvaluables secretly and securely. I placed my hand down, but could feelnothing. It was empty. The men, whoever they were, knew of that secrethiding-place, and had taken whatever it had contained.
I struck a vesta in order to examine the place more closely, and theothers grouped eagerly around me, when I distinguished at the bottom ofthe box a further flap, which I lifted, and saw something concealed inthe false bottom. It was a small red morocco jewel-case about fourinches square, which I opened very carefully.
Next instant those around me with one breath gave vent to exclamationsof surprise and horror. And well they might.
The object which the jewel-case contained was truly startling. I stoodstaring at it amazed. Since that moment when I had stood with Sybil inthe Long Gallery at Ryhall every hour seemed to bring with it some freshmystery, or some gruesome problem.
That jewel-case contained a most curious and uncommon object, a dark andsomewhat shrivelled, but yet well-preserved, human eye!
The doctor, leaving the unconscious woman's side, took it from me, andputting on his pince-nez examined it long and carefully beneath thelight.
It was a horrid thing, the white bloodshot, and the pupil a dark leadengrey.
"It's a man's eye," declared the doctor, after long and very carefulscrutiny. "It was removed by somebody unskilled in anatomy, and hasbeen treated with some preservative. There's mystery here," he added,looking round at the scared faces of those grouped around him.
"I wonder if the men wanted to get hold of that?" the constablesuggested, a theory which Lane and the housemaid at once declared to bea sound one. "At any rate," he added, "I think I'd better report theaffair at the station. They'll certainly want to make some inquiryabout that eye."
"For the present I'll take possession of it," said the doctor, replacingthe ghastly-looking little object in the velvet-lined case, and closingit with a snap.
Then he returned to Mrs Parham, who a few minutes afterwards stirredslightly, while her eyelids quivered. It was a good sign, as he pointedout, and ten minutes later the poor lady opened her eyes and lookedwonderingly around.
"Remain quiet, madam," the doctor urged in a gentle voice. "You are notvery well."
"No," she gasped faintly. "I--I don't think I--"
Then her jaws became fixed. She could not conclude the sentence, andlapsed again into unconsciousness.
The constable had sent Lane round to the police station, and aninspector, entering the room, was told what had occurred, and was shownthe human eye.
When he saw it he knit his brows. Like ourselves, he scented tragedy,especially as the poor girl Jane was lying dead.
The inspector was also shown the secret cavity beneath the carpet. Heexamined the windows of all the rooms on the ground floor, made a tourof the exterior of the house, and closely questioned all the servants.
The absence of the master of the house somewhat puzzled him, for thecook explained that Mr Parham returned from the country two days beforeand remained at home all the afternoon, packed another big travellingbag and left again about seven o'clock, telling his wife that he had togo to Birmingham.
W
hen, a little later, we returned to the drawing-room we found MrsParham propped up with pillows and attended by the doctor and thehousemaid. She was talking with them, and looked at me inquiringly as Ientered with the inspector. She probably took me for a police officerin plain clothes.
"I was sitting at the piano playing when Jane entered and drew down oneof the blinds," she said, in a low voice, speaking with some difficulty."Then she switched on the light and drew down the other blind. At thatinstant I heard a movement behind me, and turning I saw a man, but nextmoment something was slipped over my head and eyes. I struggled and atthe same time heard Jane cry out. While my assailant held me tightly Iheard Jane struggling, therefore there must have been two men in theroom at least. A few moments later I lost consciousness and knownothing else until I found you all here standing around me. What hashappened?" she inquired, in a refined voice, looking from the doctoracross to me.
"We don't quite know yet, mum," answered the police inspector. "Itseems as though the men were thieves who being disturbed slipped away."
"Thieves!" she gasped, open-mouthed. "Have they taken anything?"
"We can't make out. When you feel a little better you must come roundthe house with us."
"They've opened a place under the floor, across there," explained thedoctor, pointing to the corner where the carpet was still laid back fromthe boards.
She raised herself quickly upon her elbow and glanced in the directionindicated, staring straight at the spot with a look of terror in hereyes. No word escaped her