1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,440 Section 13 of the Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,280 This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,240 the public domain. For more information or to 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:15,040 volunteer, please visit librivox.org. 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,080 Recording by Tony Maxey. The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, 6 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,680 Volume 1. The case of the Dixon Torpedo by 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:28,160 Arthur Morrison, Part 1. Hewitt was very apartment in 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,880 conversation to dwell upon the many curious chances and 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,360 coincidences that he had observed not only in connection 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,000 with his own cases but also in matters dealt with by the 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,360 official police, with whom he was on terms of pretty regular 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,320 and indeed friendly acquaintanceship. 13 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,160 He has told me many an anecdote of similar happenings to 14 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:52,120 Scotland Yard officials with whom he has exchanged 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,200 experiences of Inspector Nettings, for instance, who 16 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,160 spent many weary months in search of a man wanted by the 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,120 American government, and in the end found by the merest accident 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,520 a misdirected call that the man had been lodging next door to 19 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,640 himself the whole of the time. Just as ignorant, of course, as 20 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,760 was the inspector himself. As to the enemy at the other 21 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,320 side of the party wall. Also of another inspector, whose 22 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:24,320 name I cannot recall, who, having given rather meager and 23 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:28,600 insufficient details of a man whom he anticipated having great 24 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,200 difficulty in finding, went straight down the stairs of the 25 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,960 office where he had received instructions, and actually fell 26 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:41,480 over the man near the door where he had stooped to tie shoelace. 27 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,520 There were cases, too, in which a great notorious crime had been 28 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,640 committed, and various persons had been arrested on suspicion. 29 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,200 Some were found among them who had long been badly wanted for 30 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,800 some other crime altogether. Many criminals admit they're 31 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,560 desserts by venturing out of their own particular line of 32 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,120 crime into another. Often a man who got into trouble 33 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,840 over something comparatively small found himself in for a 34 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:13,240 startlingly larger trouble, the result of some previous misdeed 35 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,760 that otherwise would have gone unpunished. 36 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,320 The ruble note Forger Merski might never have been handed 37 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,760 over to the Russian authorities had he confined his genius to 38 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,080 forgery alone. It was generally supposed at the 39 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,360 time of his extradition that he had communicated with the 40 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,560 Russian Embassy with a view to giving himself up. 41 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,640 A foolish proceeding on his part, it would seem, since his 42 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:42,120 whereabouts, indeed even his identity as the forger, had not 43 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,440 been suspected. He had communicated with the 44 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,400 Russian Embassy, it's true, but for a different purpose, as 45 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,720 Martin Hewitt well understood at the time. 46 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:56,160 What that purpose was, is now for the first time published. 47 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:02,000 The time was 1:30 in the afternoon, and Hewitt sat in his 48 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,440 interoffice examining and comparing the handwriting of 2 49 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,680 letters by the aid of a large lens. 50 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,000 He put down the lens and glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece 51 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,440 with a premonition of lunch, and as he did so his clerk quietly 52 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,280 entered the room with one of those printed slips which were 53 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,720 kept for the announcement of unknown visitors. 54 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,280 It was filled in in a hasty and almost illegible hand. 55 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:33,280 Thus Name of visitor. F Graham Dixon, address Chancery 56 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,240 Lane. Business private and urgent. 57 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,360 Show Mr. Dixon in, said Martin Hewitt. 58 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:47,360 Mr. Dixon was a gaunt, worn looking man of 50 or so well, 59 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,280 although rather carelessly dressed and carrying in a strong 60 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,440 though drawn face and dullish eyes the look that characterizes 61 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,840 the lifelong strenuous brain worker. 62 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,000 He leaned forward anxiously in the chair which Hewitt offered 63 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,920 him, and told his story with a great deal of very natural 64 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,640 agitation. You may have possibly heard, Mr. 65 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,800 Hewitt, I know there are rumors of the new locomotive torpedo 66 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,720 which the Government is about adopting. 67 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,480 It is, in fact, the Dixon torpedo, my own invention, and 68 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,720 in every respect, not merely in my own opinion, but in that of 69 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,760 the Government experts, by far the most efficient and certain 70 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,480 yet produced. It may travel at least 400 yards 71 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:36,000 farther than any torpedo now made, with perfect accuracy of 72 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,640 aim, a very great desideratum, let me tell you, and will carry 73 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:45,120 an unprecedentedly heavy charge. There are other advantages, 74 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,360 speed, simple discharge, and so forth, that I needn't bother you 75 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,760 about. The machine is the result of 76 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,280 many years of work and disappointment, and its design 77 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:58,600 has only been arrived at by careful balancing of principles 78 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:03,240 and means which are expressed on the only four existing sets of 79 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,760 drawing. The whole thing, I need hardly 80 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:11,560 tell you, is a profound secret, and you made judge of my present 81 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,080 state of mind when I tell you that one set of the drawings has 82 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:20,360 been stolen from your house. From my office in Chancery Lane 83 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,720 this morning the four sets of drawings were distributed. 84 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,680 Thus 2 were at the Admiralty Office, one being a finished set 85 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,400 on thick paper and the other a set of tracings therefrom. 86 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,440 And the other two were at my. Own office, one being a pencil 87 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:41,120 set, uncolored, sort of finished draft, you understand, and the 88 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,600 other a set of tracing similar to those at the Admiralty. 89 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,240 It is this last set that is gone. 90 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:50,920 The two sets were kept together in one drawer in my room. 91 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,280 Both were there at 10 this morning, of that I'm sure, for I 92 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:58,320 had to go to that very drawer for something else when I first 93 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,320 arrived. But at 12 the tracings had 94 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,080 vanished. You suspect somebody? 95 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,440 Probably I cannot. It is the most extraordinary 96 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,920 thing. Nobody has left the office 97 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,560 except myself. And then only to come to you 98 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,600 since 10:00 this morning, and there's been no visitor. 99 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,920 And yet the drawings are gone. But you have searched the place. 100 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,280 Of course I have. It was 12:00 when I first 101 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:28,600 discovered my loss, and I've been turning the place upside 102 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,320 down ever since. I and my assistants. 103 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,720 Every drawer has been emptied, every desk and every table 104 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,240 turned over, the very carpet and linoleum have been taken up, and 105 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:39,960 there is not a sign of the drawings. 106 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,760 My men even insisted on turning all their pockets inside out, 107 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,760 although I never for a moment suspected either of them, and it 108 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,240 would take a pretty big pocket to hold the drawings doubled up, 109 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,480 as small as they might be. You say your men? 110 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,400 There were two, I understand, and neither left the office? 111 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,280 Neither, and they are both staying in now. 112 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,080 Warsfold suggested that it would be more satisfactory if they did 113 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,280 not leave till something was done toward clearing up the 114 00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:11,240 mystery, and although, as I've said, I don't suspect either in 115 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:16,680 the least, I acquiesce. Just so now, I'm assuming that 116 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,440 you wish me to undertake the recovery of these drawings? 117 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,200 The engineer nodded hastily. Very good. 118 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,280 I will go around to your office. But perhaps. 119 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,280 You can tell me something about your assistance, something it 120 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,680 might be awkward to tell me in their presence, you know, Mr. 121 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,560 Warsfold, for instance. He is my draftsman, a very 122 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,680 excellent and intelligent man, a very smart man indeed and I feel 123 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,320 sure, quite beyond suspicion. He has prepared many important 124 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,880 drawings for me. He's been with me for nearly ten 125 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:49,600 years. Now. 126 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,120 And I've always found him trustworthy. 127 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,360 But of course the temptation in this case would be enormous. 128 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,320 Still, I cannot suspect Warsfold. 129 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,000 Indeed, how can I suspect anybody in the circumstances? 130 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,120 The other now, his name's Ritter. 131 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,560 He's merely A tracer, not a fully skilled draftsman. 132 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,000 He's quite a decent young fellow, and I've had him nearly 133 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,080 two years. I don't consider him 134 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,160 particularly smart or he would have learned a little more of 135 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,760 his business by this time, but I don't see the least reason to 136 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,960 suspect him. As I said before, I can't 137 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,800 reasonably suspect anybody. Very. 138 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,200 Well, we will get to Chancery Lane now, if you please, and you 139 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,240 can tell me more as we go. I have a cab waiting. 140 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,600 What else can I tell you? I understand the position to be 141 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,720 succinctly this. The drawings are in the office 142 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,159 when you arrive. Nobody came out and nobody went 143 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:46,800 in, and yet they vanished. Is that so? 144 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,920 That is so when I say that absolutely nobody came in, of 145 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,080 course I accept the postman. He brought a couple of letters 146 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,760 during the morning. I mean that absolutely nobody 147 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,080 came past the barrier in the outer office. 148 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,400 The usual thing, you know, like a counter with a frame of glass 149 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,560 over it. I quite understand that, but I 150 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:07,880 think he said that the. Drawings were in a drawer in 151 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,640 your own room, not the outer office where the draftsmen are. 152 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:16,040 I presume that is the case. It's an inner room, or rather a 153 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,200 room parallel with the other, communicating with it, just as 154 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,760 your own room is, which we have just left. 155 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,920 But then you say you never left your office, and yet the 156 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,640 drawings vanished, apparently by some unseen agency, while you 157 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,120 were there in the room. Let me explain more clearly. 158 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,640 The cab was bowling smoothly along the Strand and the 159 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:39,920 engineer took out a pocketbook and pencil. 160 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,920 I fear he proceeded, but I am a little confused in my 161 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,880 explanation. I am naturally rather agitated, 162 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:50,280 as you will see presently. My office consists of three 163 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:54,240 rooms, 2 at one side of a corridor and the other opposite. 164 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,880 Thus. He made a rapid pencil sketch. 165 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,640 In the outer office, my men usually work. 166 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:01,960 In the inner office I work myself. 167 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,960 These rooms communicate, as you can see, by door. 168 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,480 Our ordinary way in and out of the place is by the door of the 169 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,000 outer office leading into the corridor, and when we first pass 170 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,880 through the usual lifting flap in the barrier, the door leading 171 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,160 from the inner office to the corridor is always kept locked 172 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,840 on the inside. And I don't suppose I unlock it 173 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,080 once in three months. It has not been unlocked all 174 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,400 morning. The drawer in which the missing 175 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,520 drawings were kept, and in which I saw them at 10:00 this 176 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:35,160 morning, is at the place Mark D. It is a large chest of shallow 177 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,320 drawers in which the plans lie flat. 178 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:42,200 I quite understand. Then there is that private room 179 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:43,640 opposite. What of that? 180 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,840 That is a sort of private sitting room that I rarely use 181 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,960 except for business interviews of a very private nature. 182 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,200 When I said I never left my office, I did not mean that I 183 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,400 never stirred out of the inner office. 184 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,640 I was about in one room and another, both the outer and the 185 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,080 inner offices and once I went into the private room for 5 186 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,280 minutes but nobody came either in or out of any of the rooms at 187 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,040 that time, for the door of the private room was wide open and I 188 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,400 was standing at the bookcase and just gone to consult a book. 189 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,360 Just inside the door, with a full view of the doors opposite. 190 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,120 Indeed worst fold was at the door of the outer office. 191 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,040 Most of the short time he came to ask me a question. 192 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,080 Well, Hewitt replied, it all comes to the simple first 193 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,360 statement. You know that nobody left the 194 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,120 place or arrived except the postman, who couldn't get near 195 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,320 the drawings, and yet the drawings went. 196 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:42,760 This your office. The cab had stopped before a 197 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,680 large stone building. Mr. Dixon alighted and LED the 198 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:50,120 way to the first floor. Hewitt took a casual glance 199 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,760 around each of the three rooms. There was a sort of door in the 200 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:57,440 frame of ground glass over the barrier to admit a speech with 201 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:00,480 visitors. This door Hewitt pushed wide 202 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,800 open and left. So he and the engineer went into 203 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,320 the inner office. Would you like to ask Wurzfeld 204 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,960 and Ritter any questions? Mr. Dixon inquired presently. 205 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,800 Those are their coats, I take it, hanging just to the right of 206 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,200 the outer office door, over the umbrella stand. 207 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,840 Yes, those are all their things. Coats, hats, stick umbrella. 208 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:24,800 And those coats were searched, you say? 209 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:29,480 Yes, And this is the drawer. Thoroughly searched, of course. 210 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,640 Oh, certainly. Every drawer was taken out and 211 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,920 turned over. Well, of course, I must assume 212 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:37,680 that you made no mistake in your hunt. 213 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:42,440 Now tell me, did anybody know where these plans were beyond 214 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:47,360 yourself and your two men? As far as I can tell, not a 215 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,080 soul. You don't keep an office boy? 216 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,600 No, there would be nothing for him to do except to post a 217 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,440 letter now and again, which Ritter does quite well, for as 218 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,320 you were quite sure that the drawings were there at 10:00, 219 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:02,760 perhaps the thing scarcely matters. 220 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,120 But I may as well know if your men have keys of the office. 221 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,080 Neither. I have patent locks to each door 222 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,840 and I keep all the keys myself. If Wurzfeld or Ritter arrived 223 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,280 before me in the morning, they have to wait to be let in, and 224 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,120 I'm always present myself when the rooms are clean. 225 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,760 I have not neglected precautions, you see. 226 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,000 No, I suppose the object of the theft. 227 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,640 Assuming it is a theft, it's pretty plain the thief would 228 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,680 offer the drawings for sale to some foreign government. 229 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,400 Of course, that would probably come in a great sum. 230 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,200 I've been looking, as I need Harley tell you, to that 231 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,520 invention to secure me a very large fortune, and I shall be 232 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,040 ruined indeed if the design is taken abroad. 233 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,240 I'm under the strictest engagements to the secrecy with 234 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,040 the Admiralty, and not only should I lose all my labor, but 235 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,600 I should lose all the confident reposed at me at headquarters, 236 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,720 should in fact be subject to penalties for breach of 237 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,840 contract, and my career stopped forever. 238 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,520 I cannot tell you what serious business this is for me. 239 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,120 If you cannot help me, the consequences will be terrible. 240 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,080 Bad for the service of the country too, of course. 241 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,120 Of course. Now tell me this. 242 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:17,640 It would I take it be necessary for the thief to exhibit these 243 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,000 drawings to anybody anxious to buy the secret? 244 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,200 I mean, he couldn't describe the invention by word of mouth. 245 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,360 Oh no, that would be impossible. The drawings are of the most 246 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,760 complicated description and full of figures upon which the whole 247 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,560 thing depends. Indeed, one would have to be a 248 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,760 skilled expert to properly appreciate the design at all. 249 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,880 Various principles of hydrostatics, chemistry, and 250 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,480 electricity and pneumatics are most delicately manipulated and 251 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,400 adjusted, and the smallest error omission in any part would upset 252 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,080 the whole. No, the drawings are necessary 253 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:54,560 to the thing, and they're gone. At this moment the door of the 254 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,560 outer office was heard to open and somebody entered. 255 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,560 The door between the two offices was ajar and Hewitt could see 256 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,200 right through to the glass door left open over the barrier and 257 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,960 into the space beyond. A well dressed, dark, bushy 258 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,800 bearded man stood there carrying a handbag which he placed on the 259 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,440 ledge before him. Hewitt raised his hand to enjoin 260 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,200 silence. The man spoke in a rather high 261 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:21,240 pitched voice and with a slight accent. 262 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,080 Is Mr. Dixon now within? He asked. 263 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,880 He's engaged, Answered one of the draftsmen. 264 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,920 Very particularly engaged. I'm afraid you won't be able to 265 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,680 see him this afternoon. Can I give him any message? 266 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:39,080 This is 2 the second time I've come today, not two hours ago. 267 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,560 Mr. Dixon himself tells me to call again. 268 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,840 I have a very important, very excellent steam packing. 269 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,920 Show him it is very cheap and the best on the market. 270 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,640 The man tapped his bag. I have just taken orders from 271 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,400 the largest railway companies. Can I not see him for one second 272 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,160 only? I will not detain him. 273 00:15:58,080 --> 00:15:59,600 Really. I'm sure you can't. 274 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,560 This afternoon he isn't seeing anybody. 275 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,520 But if you'll leave your name? My name is Hunter. 276 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,600 But what good is that? He asks me to call a little 277 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,080 later and I come. And now he's engaged. 278 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,680 It's a very great pity. And the man? 279 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:16,120 Snatched up his bag and walking stick and stalked off 280 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,200 indignantly. Hewitt stood gazing through the 281 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,800 small aperture in the doorway. You'd scarcely expect a man with 282 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,600 such a name as Hunter to talk with that accent, would you? 283 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,200 He observed musingly. It isn't a French accent, nor a 284 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,600 German, but it seems foreign. You don't happen to know him, I 285 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,120 suppose. No, I don't. 286 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,680 He called here about 12:30 just while we were in the middle of 287 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,920 our search, and I was frantic over the loss of the drawings. 288 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,000 I was in the outer office myself and told him to call later. 289 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,640 I have lots of such agents here anxious to sell all sorts of 290 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,640 engineering appliances. But what will you do now? 291 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,320 Shall. You see my men, I think? 292 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,680 Said Hewitt, rising. I think I'll get you to question 293 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:02,000 them yourself, myself. Yes, I have a reason. 294 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,760 Will you trust me with the key of the private room opposite? 295 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,000 We'll go over there for a little while while you talk to your men 296 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,000 in this room. Bring them in here and shut the 297 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,960 door. I can look after the office from 298 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,000 across the corridor, you know, ask them each to detail his 299 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,240 exact movements about the office this morning and get them to 300 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,920 recall each visitor who's been here from the beginning of the 301 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,040 week. I'll let you know the reason for 302 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,280 this later. Come across to me in a few 303 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,280 minutes. Hewitt took the key and passed 304 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:32,160 through the outer office into the corridor. 10 minutes later, 305 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,400 Mr. Dixon, having questioned his draftsman, followed him. 306 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:39,960 He found Hewitt standing before the table in the private room on 307 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,400 which lay several drawings on tracing paper. 308 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,400 See here, Mr. Dixon, said Hewitt, I think these are the 309 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:50,240 drawings you're anxious about. The engineer sprang toward them 310 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,600 with a cry of delight. Why, yes, yes, He exclaimed, 311 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,560 turning them over. Every one of them. 312 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:56,920 But where? How? 313 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:58,840 They must have been in the place after all. 314 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,480 Then what a fool I have been. Hewett shook his head. 315 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,240 I'm afraid you're not quite so lucky as you think, Mr. Dixon, 316 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,360 he said. These drawings have most 317 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:10,520 certainly been out of the house for a little while. 318 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,720 Never mind how we'll talk of that after. 319 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:17,320 There is no time to lose. Tell me, how long would it take 320 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,440 a good draftsman to copy them? They couldn't possibly be traced 321 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,680 over properly in less than two or two and a half long days of 322 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,320 very hard work. Dixon replied with eagerness. 323 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:31,760 Ah, then it is as I feared. These tracings have been 324 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,960 photographed, Mr. Dixon, and our task is one of every possible 325 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,160 difficulty. If they have been copied in the 326 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,720 ordinary way, one might hope to get hold of the copy, but 327 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,520 photography upsets everything. Copies can be multiplied with 328 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:49,520 such amazing facility that once the thief gets a decent start it 329 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,600 is almost hopeless to check mayhem. 330 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,640 The only chance is to get at the negatives before the copies are 331 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,480 taken. I must act at once, and I fear 332 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,080 between ourselves it may be necessary for me to step very 333 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,960 distinctly over the line of the law in the matter. 334 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,000 You see, the get at those negatives may involve something 335 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,880 very like house breaking. There must be no delay, no 336 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,040 waiting for legal procedure or the mischief is done. 337 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,200 Indeed, I very much question whether you have any legal 338 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:24,040 remedy, strictly speaking. Mr. Hewitt, I implore you, do 339 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,800 what you can. I need not say that all I have 340 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,480 is at your disposal. I will guarantee to hold you 341 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,640 harmless for anything that may happen. 342 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,480 But do I treat you? Do everything possible, think of 343 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,600 what the consequences may be? Well yes, so I do. 344 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:43,320 Hewitt remarked with a smile. Consequences to me if I were 345 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,720 charged with house breaking might be something that no 346 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:47,480 amount of guarantee can mitigate. 347 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,680 However, I will do what I can, if only from patriotic motives. 348 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,320 Now I must see your tracer, Ritter. 349 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,280 He is the traitor in the camp, Ritter. 350 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,960 But how? Never mind that now you are 351 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,080 upset and agitated, and had better not know more than is 352 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:07,200 necessary for a little while. In case you say or do something 353 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,760 unguarded with Ritter, I must take a deep course. 354 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,320 What I don't know, I must appear to know, and that will seem more 355 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,600 likely to him if I disclaim acquaintance with what I do 356 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,120 know. But first put these tracing 357 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:22,760 safely away out of sight. Dixon slipped them behind his 358 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,760 bookcase. Now Hewitt pursued. 359 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,880 Call Mr. Warsfold and give him something to do that will keep 360 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,960 him in the inner office across the way, and tell him to send 361 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,360 Ritter in here. Mr. Dixon called his chief 362 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,920 draftsman and requested him to put in order the drawings in the 363 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,760 drawers of the inner room that had been disarranged by the 364 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,800 search and to send Ritter as Hewitt had suggested. 365 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,480 Ritter walked into the private room with an air of respectful 366 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,520 attention. He was a puffy faced, unhealthy 367 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,840 looking young man with very small eyes and a loose, mobile 368 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:58,000 mouth. Sit down, Mr. Ritter, Hewitt 369 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,280 said in a stern voice. Your recent transactions with 370 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:04,520 your friend, Mr. Hunter, are well known both to Mr. Dixon and 371 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,760 myself. Ritter, who had at first leaned 372 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,000 easily back in his chair, started forward at this and 373 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,280 paled. You are surprised? 374 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,520 I observe you should be more careful in your movements out of 375 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,240 door if you do not wish your acquaintances to be known. 376 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,800 Mr. Hunter, I believe, has the drawings Mr. Dixon has lost, and 377 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,560 if so, I'm certain that you have given them to him. 378 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,920 That, you know, is theft, for which the law provides a severe 379 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,760 penalty. Ritter broke down completely and 380 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,760 turned appealingly to Mr. Dixon. Oh, Sir, pleaded. 381 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,760 It isn't so bad, I assure you. I was tempted, I confess, and I 382 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:43,960 hid the drawings. But they are still in the office 383 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:45,520 and I can give them to you. Really. 384 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,280 I can indeed. Hewitt went on. 385 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,400 Then in that case, perhaps you'd better get them at once. 386 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,520 Just go fetch them in. We won't trouble to observe your 387 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,600 hiding place. I'll only keep this door open to 388 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,360 be sure you don't lose your way. You know, down the stairs, for 389 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:05,480 instance, the wretched Ritter with hanging heads slunk into 390 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,640 the office opposite. Presently he reappeared, 391 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,960 looking, if possible, ghastlier than before. 392 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,400 He looked irresolutely down the corridor, as if meditating a run 393 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,560 for it, but Hewitt stepped forward and motioned him back to 394 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,440 the private room. You mustn't try anymore. 395 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,680 That sort of humbug, Hewitt said with increased severity. 396 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,400 The drawings are gone and you have stolen them. 397 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,520 You know that well enough. Now attend to me. 398 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,520 If you received your desserts, Mr. Dixon would send for a 399 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,400 policeman this moment and have you hauled off to jail. 400 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,640 That is your proper place. But unfortunately your 401 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,520 accomplice, who calls himself Hunter, but who has other names 402 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,360 besides that, as I happen to know, has his drawings, and it's 403 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:51,240 absolutely necessary that these should be recovered. 404 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,920 I'm afraid that it will be necessary, therefore, to come to 405 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,880 some arrangement with this scoundrel, to square him, in 406 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,440 fact. Now, just take that pen and 407 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,360 paper and write to your Confederate as I dictate. 408 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,680 You know the alternative if you cause any difficulty. 409 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,000 Ritter reached tremblingly for the pen. 410 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,400 Address him in your usual way. Dixon proceeded. 411 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,320 Say this. There has been an alteration in 412 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:18,280 the plans. Have you got that? 413 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,080 There has been an alteration in the plans. 414 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,640 I shall be alone here at 6:00. Please come without fail. 415 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,440 Have you got it? Very well. 416 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,440 Sign it and address the envelope. 417 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,000 He must come here, and then we may arrange matters. 418 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,880 In the meantime you will remain in the inner office opposite. 419 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,960 The note was written, and Mr. Martin Hewitt, without glancing 420 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,280 at the address, thrusted into his pocket. 421 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,120 When Ritter was safely in the inner office, however, he drew 422 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:52,920 it out and read the address. I see he observed he uses the 423 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,360 same name. Hunter, 27, Little Carton St. 424 00:23:56,360 --> 00:24:00,320 Westminster, is the address. And there I shall go at once 425 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,600 with the note. If the man comes here, I think 426 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,360 you'd better lock him in with Ritter and send for a policeman. 427 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:11,400 It may at least frighten him. My object is of course to get 428 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:15,360 the man away, then if possible to invade his house in some way 429 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,640 or other and steal or smash his negatives if they are there and 430 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,400 to be found. Stay here in any case till I 431 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,760 return, and don't forget to lock up those. 432 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:29,360 Tracing End of the Case of the Dixon Torpedo by Arthur 433 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:35,080 Morrison, Part 1 Recording by Tony Maxey, Red Bluff, CA. 434 00:24:41,790 --> 00:24:45,350 Section 14 of the Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 435 00:24:45,710 --> 00:24:49,190 This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in 436 00:24:49,190 --> 00:24:51,830 the public domain. For more information or to 437 00:24:51,830 --> 00:24:55,000 volunteer, please visit librivox.org. 438 00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,680 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 439 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:06,720 The Case of the Dixon Torpedo by Arthur Morrison, Part 2 It was 440 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,760 about 6:00 when he would return, alone, but with a smiling face 441 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,520 that told a good fortune at first sight. 442 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,960 First, Mr. Dixon, he said as he dropped into the easy chair in 443 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,440 the private room, Let me ease your mind by the information 444 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,680 that I have been most extraordinarily lucky. 445 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,120 In fact, I think you have no further cause for anxiety. 446 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,720 Here are the negatives. They were not all quite dry when 447 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,600 I well, what stole them, I suppose I must say so that they 448 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,400 have stuck together a bit, and probably the films are damaged. 449 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,240 But you don't mind that, I suppose. 450 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,000 He laid a small parcel wrapped in a newspaper on the table. 451 00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:44,120 The engineer hastily tore away the paper and took up five or 452 00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:47,400 six class photographic negatives of 1/2 plate size, which were 453 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,360 damp and stuck together by the gelatin films and couples. 454 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,440 He held them one after the other up to the light of the window 455 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,720 and glanced through them. Then with a great sigh of 456 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,640 relief, he placed them on the heart and pounded them to dust 457 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,680 and fragments with the poker. For a few seconds neither spoke. 458 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:08,080 Then Dixon, flinging himself into a chair, said, Mr. Hewitt, 459 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:10,280 I can't express my obligation to you. 460 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,640 What would have happened if you had failed? 461 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,240 I preferred not to think of. But what shall we do with Rider 462 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,040 now? The other man hasn't been here 463 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:18,920 yet. Bye, bye. 464 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:22,680 No, the fact is I didn't deliver the letter. 465 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,520 The worthy gentleman saved me a world of trouble by taking 466 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:27,480 himself out of the way he would laughed. 467 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,080 I'm afraid he has rather got himself into a mess by trying 468 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,000 two kinds of theft at once. And you may not be sorry to hear 469 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,920 that his attempt on your torpedo plans is likely to bring him a 470 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,880 dose of penal servitude for something else. 471 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,480 I'll tell you what has happened. Little Carlton St., Westminster, 472 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,280 I found to be a city sort of place, one of those old streets 473 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:50,480 that have seen much better days. A good many people seem to live 474 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,720 in each house. They are fairly large houses by 475 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:55,560 the way, and there was quite a company of bell handles on each 476 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,200 doorpost, all down the side like organ stops. 477 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,800 A Barber had possession of the ground floor front at #27 for 478 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,600 trade purposes, so to him I went. 479 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,560 Can you tell me? I said, where in this house I 480 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,480 can find Mr. Hunter? He looked outful, so I went on. 481 00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:13,000 His friend Will, do you know I can't think of his name. 482 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,000 Foreign gentleman Dark, the bushy beard. 483 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,360 The Barber understood it once. Oh, that's Mersky, I expect, he 484 00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:21,880 said. Now I come to think of it, he 485 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,080 has had letters addressed to Hunter once or twice. 486 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:29,160 I took him in top floor back. This was good so far. 487 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:31,120 I had got it Mr. Hunter's utter alias. 488 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:35,080 So by way of possessing him with the idea that I knew all about 489 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,800 him, I determined to ask for him as Mersky before handing over 490 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:40,240 the letter addressed to him as Hunter. 491 00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:43,480 A little bluff of that sort is invaluable at the right time. 492 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,880 At the top floor back I stopped at the door and tried to open it 493 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,000 once, but it was locked. I could hear somebody scuttling 494 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,800 about within, as though carrying things about, and I knocked 495 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,200 again. In a little while the door 496 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,320 opened about a foot. And there's to Mr. Hunter, or 497 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,880 Mercy, as you like, the man who, in the character of a traveler 498 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,080 in steam packing, came here twice today. 499 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,520 He was in his shirtsleeves and cuddled something out of his arm 500 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,640 hastily covered with a spotted pocket handkerchief. 501 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,240 I have called to see Mr. Aminsky, said I with a 502 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,000 confidential letter. Oh, yes, yes, he answered. 503 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,200 Case delay. I know, I know, Excuse me one 504 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,120 minute. And he rushed off downstairs 505 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:24,240 with his parcel. Here was a noble chance. 506 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,280 For a moment I thought of following him in case there 507 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:28,800 might be something interesting in the parcel. 508 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:31,880 But I had to decide in a moment and I decided on trying the 509 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,200 room. I slipped inside the door and 510 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:35,680 finding the key on the inside, locked it. 511 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,280 It was a confused sort of room, with a little iron bed stayed in 512 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,320 one corner and a sort of rough board enclosure in another. 513 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,800 This I run the conjecture to be the photographic darkroom, and 514 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:48,520 made for it at once. There was plenty of light within 515 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,120 when the door was left open, and I made it once for the drying 516 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:52,480 rack that was fastened over the sink. 517 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,440 There were a number of negatives in it, and I began hastily 518 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:56,800 examining them one after another. 519 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,480 In the middle of this our friend Merski returned and tried the 520 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,400 door. He rattled violently at the 521 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,040 handle and pushed. Then he called. 522 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,440 At this moment I had come upon the first of the negatives you 523 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,680 have just smashed. The fixing and washing had 524 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,400 evidently only lately been completed, and the negative was 525 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,080 drying on the rack. I seized it, of course, and the 526 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,360 others which stood by it. Who are you there inside? 527 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:19,440 Mercy shouted indignantly from the landing. 528 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,440 Why, for you to go in my room like that? 529 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:23,600 Open the store once, or I'll call the police. 530 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,320 I took no notice. I had got the full number of 531 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,840 negatives, one for each drawing, but I was not by any means sure 532 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:32,360 that he had not taken an extra set. 533 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,160 So I went on hunting down the rack. 534 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,760 There were no more, so I set to work to turn out all the 535 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,360 undeveloped plates. It was quite possible, you see, 536 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,880 that the other set, if it existed, had not yet been 537 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,560 developed. Mercy changed his tune. 538 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:48,160 After a little more banging and shouting, I could hear him kneel 539 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,280 down and try the keyhole. I had left the key there so that 540 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,360 he could see nothing, but he began talking softly and rapidly 541 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,240 through the hole in a foreign language I did not know in the 542 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,200 least, but I believe it was Russian. 543 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:02,520 What had led him to believe I understood Russian I could not 544 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,240 at the time imagine, though I have a notion now. 545 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:07,680 I went on, ruining his stock of plates. 546 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,880 I found several boxes, apparently of new plates, but it 547 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,360 is there was no means of telling whether they were really unused 548 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,240 or merely undeveloped. But with the chemical impress of 549 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,960 your drawings on them, I dragged everyone ruthlessly from its 550 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,440 hiding place and laid it out in the full glare of the sunlight, 551 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,000 destroying it thereby, of course, whether it was unused or 552 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,880 not. Mercy left off talking, and I 553 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:29,960 heard him quietly sneaking off. Perhaps his conscience was not 554 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,720 sufficiently cleared warrant and appealed to the police, but it 555 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,640 seemed to me rather probable at the time that that was what he 556 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,160 was going for. So I hurried on with my work. 557 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,480 I found three dark slides, the parts that carried the plates in 558 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,240 the back of the camera, you know one of them, fixing the camera 559 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,520 itself. These I opened and exposed the 560 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:50,080 place to ruination as before. I suppose no one ever did so 561 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:51,800 much devastation in a photographic studio. 562 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,520 In 10 minutes as I managed, I had spoiled every plate I could 563 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,040 find and had to develop negative safely in my pocket. 564 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:00,600 When I happened to glance at the porcelain washing wall under the 565 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:02,640 sink. There was one negative in that, 566 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,120 and I took it up. It was not a negative of a 567 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,360 drawing like yours, but I have a Russian 20 ruble note. 568 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:12,800 This was a discovery. The only possible reason any man 569 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,800 could have for photographing a bank note was the manufacturer 570 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,200 of an edge plate for the production of forged copies. 571 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:21,320 I was almost as pleased as I had been at the discovery of your 572 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:23,440 negatives. He might bring the police now. 573 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,680 As soon as he liked. I could turn the tables on him 574 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,720 completely. I began to hunt about for 575 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,240 anything else related to this negative. 576 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,760 I found an inking roller, some old pieces of blanket used in 577 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,840 printing from plates, and in a corner on the floor heaped over 578 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,360 with newspapers and rubbish, a small copying press. 579 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,600 There was also a dish of acid, but not an edge plate or a 580 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,640 printed note to be seen. I was looking at the press with 581 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,360 the negative in one hand and the inking roller in the other when 582 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,520 I became conscious of a shadow across the window. 583 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,840 I looked up quickly and there was mercy hanging over from some 584 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,200 Ledger projection to the side of the window and staring straight 585 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,720 at me with the look of unmistakable terror and 586 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,560 apprehension. The face vanished immediately. 587 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,520 I had to move a table to get at the window, and by the time I 588 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,240 had opened it there was no sight or sound of the right tenant of 589 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,960 the room. I had no doubt now his reason 590 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,360 for carrying a parcel downstairs. 591 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,280 He probably mistook me for another visitor. 592 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,000 He was expecting, and knowing he must take this visitor into the 593 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,000 room through the papers and rubbish over the press, then put 594 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,240 off the plates and papers in a bundle and secreted them 595 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,160 somewhere downstairs, lest his occupation should be observed 596 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,360 plainly. My duty now is to communicate 597 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,200 with the police, so by the help of a friend, the Barber 598 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,960 downstairs, a messenger was found and a note sent over to 599 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,400 Scotland Yard. I awaited the course for the 600 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,360 arrival of the police and occupied the interval and 601 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,600 another look around, finding nothing important. 602 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,880 However, when the official detective arrived, he recognized 603 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,320 it. Once the importance of the case, 604 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,120 a large number of forged Russian notes have been put into 605 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,080 circulation on the continent lately, it seems, and it was 606 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:51,520 suspected that they came from London. 607 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,400 The Russian government have been sending urgent messages to the 608 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,760 police here on the subject. Of course, I said nothing about 609 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,640 your business, but while I was talking with the Scotland Yard 610 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:03,320 man, a letter was left by a messenger addressed to Mersky. 611 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:05,760 The letter will be examined, of course, by the proper 612 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,360 authorities, but I was not a little interested to proceed 613 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:10,800 that the envelope bore the Russian Imperial arms above the 614 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,480 words Russian Embassy. Now, why should Mersky 615 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:15,920 communicate with the Russian Embassy? 616 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,280 Certainly not to let the officials know that he was 617 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,520 carrying on a very extensive and lucrative business in the 618 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:22,400 manufacturer of spurious Russian notes. 619 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:25,400 I think it is rather more than possible. 620 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,480 He wrote, probably before he actually got your drawings, to 621 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:30,240 say that he could sell information of the highest 622 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,320 importance, and that this letter was a reply. 623 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:36,000 Further, I think it quite possible that when I asked for 624 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,880 him by his Russian name and spoke of a confidential letter, 625 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,600 he had once concluded that I had come from the Embassy in answer 626 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,480 to his letter. That would account for his 627 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:45,120 addressing me in Russian to the keyhole. 628 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,040 And of course, an official from the Russian Embassy would be the 629 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,880 very last person in the world whom he would like to observe 630 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,360 any indications in his little etching experiments. 631 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,800 But anyhow, be that as it may, you were concluded your drawings 632 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,920 are safe now and at once mercy is caught, and I think it 633 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,480 likely, for a man in his shirtsleeves with scarcely any 634 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,400 star and perhaps no money about him, hasn't a great chance to 635 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,040 get away. If he is caught, I say he will 636 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,280 probably get something handsome at Saint Petersburg in the way 637 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,360 of imprisonment, or Siberia or whatnot, so that you will be 638 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,880 amply avenged. Yes, but I don't at all 639 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,960 understand this business, the drawings even now. 640 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:22,920 How in the world will they take an out of the place, And how in 641 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,639 the world did you find it out? Nothing could be simpler, and 642 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:28,639 yet the plan itself was rather ingenious. 643 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,320 I'll tell you exactly how the thing reveals itself to me. 644 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:34,199 From your original description of the case, many people would 645 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:36,400 consider that an impossibility had been performed. 646 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:39,480 Nobody had gone out, and nobody had come in, and yet the 647 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,719 drawings have been taken away. But an impossibility is an 648 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,280 impossibility, after all, and his drawings don't run away on 649 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,800 themselves. Plainly somebody had taken them, 650 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:51,480 unaccountable as it may seem Now, as they were in your inner 651 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,000 office, the only people who could have gotten at them, 652 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,400 besides yourself, were your assistants. 653 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,320 So that was a pretty clear that one of them at least, has 654 00:34:58,320 --> 00:34:59,520 something to do with the business. 655 00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:02,440 You told me that Wurzfeld was an excellent and intelligent 656 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:04,360 draughtsman. Well, if such a man is that 657 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:06,680 attended treachery, he would probably have been able to carry 658 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,280 away the design in his head, at any rate a little bit of time, 659 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,120 and would be under no necessity to run the risk of stealing a 660 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:15,000 set of the drawings. But Ritter, you remarked, was an 661 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:18,040 inferior sort of man, not particularly smart, I think, 662 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:21,200 Were your words only a mechanical sort of tracer, he 663 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,080 would be unlikely to be able to carry in his head the 664 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,360 complicated details in such designs as yours. 665 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,280 And being in a subordinate position and continually 666 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,880 overlooked, he would find it impossible to make copies of the 667 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:34,120 plans in the office. So that to begin with, I thought 668 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,720 I saw the most probable path to start on when I looked around 669 00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:39,680 the rooms. I pushed open the glass door of 670 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,720 the barrier and left the door to the inner office ajar in order 671 00:35:42,720 --> 00:35:44,960 to be able to see anything that might happen in any part of the 672 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,040 place without actually expecting any definite development. 673 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:51,960 While we were talking. As it happened, our Fred, Mercy 674 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,840 or Hunter as you please, came into the outer office and my 675 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:57,040 attention was instantly called to him by the first thing he 676 00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:58,720 did. Did you notice anything? 677 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:02,600 Procure yourself? No, really, I can't say I did. 678 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,240 He seemed to behave much as any traveler agent might. 679 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,920 Well, what I noticed was the fact that as soon as he entered 680 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:11,080 the place, he put his walking stick into the umbrella. 681 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,720 Stand over there by the door, close by where he stood. 682 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:17,360 A most unusual thing for a casual caller to do before even 683 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,360 knowing whether you were in. This made me watch him closely, 684 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,680 I perceived with increased interest. 685 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:25,880 The stick was exactly the same kind and pattern as one already 686 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,840 standing there, Also a curious thing. 687 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:31,640 I kept my eyes carefully on those sticks, and was all the 688 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,400 more interested and edified to see, when he left, that he took 689 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,960 the other stick, not the one he came with, from the stand, and 690 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:39,960 carried it away, leaving his own behind. 691 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,240 I might have followed him, but I decided that more could be 692 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:46,200 learned by stay, as in fact proved to be the case. 693 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,120 This, by the by, is the stick he carried away with him. 694 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,520 I took the liberty of fetching it back from Westminster, 695 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:53,400 because I could see him to be Ritter's property. 696 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,080 Hewitt produced the stick. It was an ordinary thick malacca 697 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:59,680 cane, with a Buckhorn handle and a Silver Band. 698 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,440 Hewitt bent it across his knee and laid it on the table. 699 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:05,160 Yes. Dixon answered, That is Ritter's 700 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:06,960 stick. I think I have often seen it in 701 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:08,640 the stand. But what in the world? 702 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:10,880 One moment I'll just fetch the stick. 703 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,600 Mercy left behind and he would stepped across the corridor. 704 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:18,440 He returned with another stick, apparently an exact facsimile of 705 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,520 the other, and placed it by the side of the other. 706 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,840 When your assistants went into the inner room, I carried the 707 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,640 stick off for a minute or two. I knew it was not worse felt 708 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,800 because there was an umbrella there with his initial on the 709 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:30,160 handle. Look at this. 710 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,640 Martin Hewitt gave the handle A twist and rapidly unscrewed it 711 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,040 from the top. Then it was seen that the stick 712 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,960 was a mere tube of very thin metal, painted to appear like 713 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,880 Malacca cane. It was planned at once that this 714 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,640 was no Malacca cane. It wouldn't bend inside it. 715 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:46,480 I found your tracings rolled up tightly. 716 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:49,520 You can get a marvelous quantity of thin tracing paper into a 717 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:53,080 small compass by tight rolling. And this, this was the way they 718 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:54,960 were brought back. The engineer exclaimed. 719 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:57,840 I see that clearly. But how do they get away? 720 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:00,840 That's as mysterious as ever. Not a bit of it. 721 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:03,600 See here. Murphy gets hold of Ritter and 722 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:05,440 they agree to get your drawings and photograph them. 723 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,520 Ritter is to let its Confederate have the drawings, and Murphy is 724 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,600 to bring them back as soon as possible so that they shall be 725 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,320 missed for a moment. Ritter habitually carries this 726 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:16,520 block a Cade, and the cunning of Murphy at once suggested this 727 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,320 tube should be made in outward facsimile. 728 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,680 This morning Murphy keeps the actual stick, and Ritter comes 729 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,560 to the office with a tube. He seizes the first opportunity, 730 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,160 probably when you were in this private room and Wurzfeld was 731 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,120 talking to you from the corridor, to get at the 732 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:31,560 tracings, roll them up tightly and put them in the tube, 733 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,320 putting the tube back in the umbrella stand at 12:30 or 734 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:37,600 whenever it was. Mursky turns out for the first 735 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,120 time with the actual stick and exchanges them just as he 736 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:41,920 afterwards did when he brought the drawings back. 737 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,440 Yes, but Mursky came half an hour after they were. 738 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,400 Oh, Oh yes, I see. What a fool I was. 739 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:51,000 I was forgetting, of course, when I first missed the 740 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:52,880 tracings. They were in this walking stick, 741 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,240 safe enough, and I was tearing my hair out within an arm's 742 00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:57,240 reach of them. Precisely. 743 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:00,880 And mercy took them away before your very eyes, I expected. 744 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:02,960 Ritter was in a rare funk when he found that the drawings were 745 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:05,920 missed, He calculated. No doubt when you're not wanting 746 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:07,840 them for the hour or two they would be out of the office. 747 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:10,640 How lucky that it struck me to jot a pencil note on one of 748 00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:12,720 them. I might easily have made my note 749 00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:15,000 somewhere else, and then I should never have known that 750 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,680 they had been away. Yes, they didn't give you any 751 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,280 too much time to miss them. Well, I think they're best 752 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,800 pretty clear. I brought the tracings in here, 753 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:24,840 screwed up the sham stick and put it back. 754 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,040 You identified the tracings and found none missing, and then my 755 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,320 course was pretty clear, though it looked difficult. 756 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,240 I knew you would be very naturally indicted with Ritter, 757 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,440 so as I wanted to manage him myself, I told you nothing of 758 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,560 what he had actually done, for fear that in your agitated state 759 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:41,720 you might burst out with something that might spoil my 760 00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:44,200 game to Ritter. I pretended to know nothing of 761 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,720 the return of the drawing or how they had been stolen. 762 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,960 The only things I did know was certainty, but I did pretend to 763 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:53,600 know all about Murky or Hunter, when as a matter of fact I knew 764 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,040 nothing at all except that he probably went under more than 765 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,240 one name. That put Britter into my hands 766 00:39:58,240 --> 00:40:00,440 completely. When he found the game was up. 767 00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:03,880 He began with a lying confession, believing that the 768 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,320 tracings were still in the stick and that we knew nothing of 769 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,200 their return. He said that they had not been 770 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:11,680 away and that he would fetch them as I had expected he would. 771 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,560 I let him go for them alone, and when he returned, utterly broken 772 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,040 up by the discovery that they were not there, I had them all 773 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:21,320 together, had my Mercy. You see, if he had known the 774 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:23,760 drawings were all the time behind your bookcase, he might 775 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,320 have brazened it out, swore that the drawings had been there all 776 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,520 the time, and we could have done nothing with him. 777 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,120 We couldn't have sufficiently frightened him by the threat of 778 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:33,360 prosecution for theft, because those things were in your 779 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:36,360 possession to his knowledge. As it was, he answered the helm 780 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,360 capitally, gave us Mercy's address on the envelope, and 781 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:41,600 wrote the letter that was to have got him out of the way 782 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:44,680 while I committed burglary, if that disgrace expedient had not 783 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:47,880 been rendered unnecessary. On the whole the case has gone 784 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:51,080 very well. It has gone moral through well, 785 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,120 thanks to yourself. But what should I do with 786 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,280 Ritter? Here's a stick knocking 787 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:58,240 downstairs with it, if you like. I should keep the two, if I were 788 00:40:58,240 --> 00:41:00,920 you, as a memento. I don't suppose the respectable 789 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:02,520 Mercy will ever call to ask for it. 790 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,240 But I should certainly get Ritter out of the door, or out 791 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:06,960 of the window if you like, without delay. 792 00:41:08,240 --> 00:41:11,440 Mercy was caught and after 2 rans at the police court was 793 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:13,320 extradited. On the charge of forging Russian 794 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:15,240 notes. It came out that he had written 795 00:41:15,240 --> 00:41:18,280 to the embassy as he would have survived, stating that he had 796 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:21,160 certain valuable information offer and the letter which he 797 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:23,640 would have seen delivered was an acknowledgement and a request 798 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:26,480 for more definite particulars. This is what gave rise to the 799 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:28,560 impression that Mercy had himself informed the Russian 800 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,160 authorities of his forgeries. His real interest was very 801 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:32,760 different, but was never guessed. 802 00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:37,160 I wonder who it has once or twice observed whether, after 803 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,880 all, it would not have paid the Russian authority better on the 804 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,520 whole, if I had never investigated Murphy's little 805 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,080 note factory. The Dixon torpedo was worth a 806 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,920 good many 20 ruble notes. End of the Case of the Dixon 807 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:53,440 Torpedo by Arthur Morrison, recording by Todd. 808 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:04,720 Section 15 of the Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 809 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:08,240 This is a Librivox recording. All. 810 00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:11,000 Librivox recordings are in the public domain. 811 00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:15,400 For more information or to volunteer, please visit 812 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,680 librivox.org. Recording by Janet. 813 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:24,280 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 814 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:29,760 The Woman in the Big Hat by Baroness Emma Ozzie, Part 1. 815 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:36,360 Lady Molly always had the idea that if the finger of fate had 816 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:41,640 pointed to Mathis's in Regent Street, rather than to Lions, as 817 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:44,880 the most advisable place for us to have a cup of tea that 818 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,960 afternoon, Mr. Calden would be alive. 819 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:52,760 At the present moment. My dear lady is quite sure, and 820 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:56,880 Needless to say that I share her belief in herself that she would 821 00:42:56,880 --> 00:43:01,080 have anticipated the murderer's intentions, and thus prevented 822 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:05,040 one of the most cruel and callous of crimes which were 823 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:07,400 ever perpetrated in the heart of London. 824 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:12,960 She and I had been to a matinee of Trilby, and we're having tea 825 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:16,680 at Lions, which is exactly opposite Mathis's Vienna Cafe 826 00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:20,760 and Regent Street. From where we sat we commanded a 827 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:24,080 view of the street and of the cafe, which had been very 828 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:28,920 crowded during the last hour. We had lingered over our toasted 829 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:32,960 muffin until past 6:00, when our attention was drawn to the 830 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,760 unusual commotion which had arisen both outside and in the 831 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,360 brilliantly lighted place over the road. 832 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:46,120 We saw two men run out of the doorway and return a minute or 833 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,720 two later in company with a policeman. 834 00:43:49,720 --> 00:43:53,200 You know what is the inevitable result of such a proceeding in 835 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:56,600 London. Within 3 minutes a crowd had 836 00:43:56,600 --> 00:44:01,360 collected outside Mathis's. Two or three more constables had 837 00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:04,640 already assembled and had some difficulty in keeping the 838 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:11,200 entrance clear of intruders. But already my dear Lady, keen 839 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:15,560 as a pointer on the scent, had hastily paid her bill, and 840 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:19,360 without waiting to see if I followed her or not, had quickly 841 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:23,560 crossed the road, and the next moment her graceful form was 842 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:28,440 lost in the crowd. I went after her, impelled by 843 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:32,360 curiosity, and presently caught sight of her in close 844 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:34,920 conversation with one of our own men. 845 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,200 I have always thought that Lady Molly must have eyes at the back 846 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:44,200 of her head, otherwise how could she have known that I stood 847 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:48,640 behind her now? Anyway, she beckoned to me and 848 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:52,120 together we entered Mathis's, much to the astonishment and 849 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,640 anger of the less fortunate crowd. 850 00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:59,640 The usually gay little place was indeed sadly transformed. 851 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:05,440 In one corner the waitresses in dainty caps and aprons had put 852 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,680 their heads together and were eagerly whispering to one 853 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:12,520 another whilst casting furtive looks at the small group 854 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:15,920 assembled in front of one of those pretty alcoves which, as 855 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:19,880 you know, line the walls all around the big tea room at 856 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,560 Mathis's. Here two of our men were busy 857 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:27,680 with pencil and notebook whilst 1 fair haired waitress dissolved 858 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:31,480 in tears was apparently giving them a great deal of irrelevant 859 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:36,880 and confused information. Chief Inspector Saunders had, I 860 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:41,280 understood, been already sent for the constables. 861 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:44,960 Confronted with this extraordinary tragedy, we're 862 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:49,120 casting anxious glances towards the main entrance whilst putting 863 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:53,160 the conventional questions to the young waitress, and in the 864 00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:56,840 alcove itself, raised from the floor of the room by a couple of 865 00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,840 carpeted steps. The cause of all this commotion, 866 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:06,960 all this anxiety and all these tears, sat huddled up on a chair 867 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:11,520 with arms lying straight across the marble top table on which 868 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:15,280 the usual paraphernalia of afternoon tea still lay. 869 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:20,480 Scattered about the upper part of the body, limp back, boneless 870 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:24,120 and awry, half propped up against the wall, half falling 871 00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:28,760 back upon the outstretched arms, told quite plainly its weird 872 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:32,720 tale of death. Before my dear lady and I had 873 00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:37,000 time to ask any questions, Saunders arrived in a taxicab. 874 00:46:37,720 --> 00:46:40,560 He was accompanied by the medical officer, Doctor 875 00:46:40,560 --> 00:46:45,240 Townsend, who at once busied himself with the dead man, while 876 00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:47,840 Saunders went up quickly to Lady Molly. 877 00:46:49,720 --> 00:46:51,600 The chief suggested sending for you. 878 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,720 He said quickly he was phoning you when I left. 879 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:59,360 There's a woman in this case, and we shall rely on you a good 880 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:02,320 deal. What has happened? 881 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:05,840 Asked my dear lady, whose fine eyes were glowing with 882 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,640 excitement at the mere suggestion of work. 883 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:13,640 I have only a few stray particulars, replied Saunders. 884 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:17,440 But the chief witness is that yellow haired girl over there. 885 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:21,080 We'll find out what we can from her directly. 886 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:23,360 Doctor Townsend has given us his opinion. 887 00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:29,520 The medical officer who had been kneeling beside the dead man now 888 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:33,840 rose and turned to Saunders. His face was very grave. 889 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:38,880 The whole matter is simple enough so far as I'm concerned, 890 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:42,520 he said. The man has been killed by a 891 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:46,880 terrific dose of morphia, administered, no doubt, in this 892 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:50,720 cup of chocolate, he added, pointing to a cup in which there 893 00:47:50,720 --> 00:47:53,920 still lingered the cold dregs of the thick beverage. 894 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:59,160 But when did this occur? Asked Saunders, turning to the 895 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:03,400 waitress. I, I can't say, she replied, 896 00:48:03,400 --> 00:48:05,560 speaking with obvious nervousness. 897 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:09,960 The gentleman came in very early with the lady somewhere about 898 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:12,120 four. They made straight for this 899 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:14,680 alcove. The place was just beginning to 900 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:19,120 fill and the music had begun. And where is the lady now? 901 00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:24,840 She went off almost directly. She had ordered tea for herself 902 00:48:24,840 --> 00:48:27,760 and a cup of chocolate for the gentleman, also muffins and 903 00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:31,480 cakes. About 5 minutes afterwards, as I 904 00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:35,760 went past their table I heard her say to him, I'm afraid I 905 00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:39,160 must go now or Jay's will be closed, but I'll be back in less 906 00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:41,720 than half an hour. You'll wait for me, won't you? 907 00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:45,400 Did the gentleman seem all right then? 908 00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:50,320 Oh, yes, said the waitress, he had just begun to sip his 909 00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:54,520 chocolate, and merely said, so long as she gathered up her 910 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:59,000 gloves and muff, and then went out of the shop, and she has not 911 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:01,200 returned since. No. 912 00:49:02,640 --> 00:49:04,920 When did you first notice there was anything wrong with this 913 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,000 gentleman? Asked Lady Molly. 914 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:11,880 Well, said the girl, with some hesitation. 915 00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:16,120 I looked at him once or twice as I went up and down, for he 916 00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:18,400 certainly seemed to have fallen all of a heap. 917 00:49:19,320 --> 00:49:22,920 Of course I thought that he had gone to sleep and I spoke to the 918 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:27,000 man address about him, but she thought that I had to leave him 919 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:30,560 alone for a bit. Then we got very busy and I paid 920 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:35,040 no more attention to him until about 6:00, when most afternoon 921 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:38,640 tea customers had gone and we were beginning to get the tables 922 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:42,960 ready for dinners. Then I certainly did think there 923 00:49:42,960 --> 00:49:44,520 was something wrong with the man. 924 00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:50,720 I called to the man address and we sent for the police and the 925 00:49:50,720 --> 00:49:53,800 lady who was with him at first. What was she like? 926 00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,600 Would you know her again? Queried Saunders. 927 00:49:57,560 --> 00:50:03,560 I don't know, replied the girl. You see, I've to attend to such 928 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:07,080 crowds of people of an afternoon, I can't notice each 929 00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:09,440 one. And she had on one of those 930 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:13,760 enormous mushroom hats. No one could have seen her face, 931 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:17,360 not more than her chin, unless they looked right under the hat. 932 00:50:18,240 --> 00:50:21,080 Would you know the hat again? Asked Lady Molly. 933 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:24,800 Yes, I think I should, said the waitress. 934 00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:28,240 It was black velvet and had a lot of plumes. 935 00:50:28,760 --> 00:50:33,440 It was enormous, she added with a sigh of admiration and of 936 00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:36,000 longing for the monumental headgear. 937 00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:40,720 During the girls narrative, one of the constables had searched 938 00:50:40,720 --> 00:50:45,040 the dead man's pockets. Among other items, he had found 939 00:50:45,040 --> 00:50:50,400 several letters addressed to Mark Culloden, Esquire, some 940 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:54,720 with an address in Lombard St. others with one in Fitz Johns 941 00:50:54,720 --> 00:50:55,960 Ave. Hampstead. 942 00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:01,760 The initials MC, which appeared both in the hat and on the 943 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:04,760 silver mount of a letter case belonging to the unfortunate 944 00:51:04,760 --> 00:51:08,120 gentleman, proved his identity beyond a doubt. 945 00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:14,080 A house in Fitz Johns Ave. does not somehow suggest a bachelor 946 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:17,680 establishment. Even while Saunders and the 947 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:20,520 other men were looking through the belongings of the deceased 948 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:25,920 lady, Molly had already thought of his family, children, perhaps 949 00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:29,760 a wife, a mother. Who could tell what awful news 950 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:33,880 to bring to an unsuspecting happy family who might even now 951 00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:37,760 be expecting the return of father, husband or son at the 952 00:51:37,760 --> 00:51:41,480 very moment when he laid murdered in a public place the 953 00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:47,280 victim of some hideous plot or feminine revenge, as our amiable 954 00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:51,000 friends in Paris would say. It jumped to the eyes that there 955 00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:56,000 was a woman in the case, a woman who had worn A gargantuan hat 956 00:51:56,080 --> 00:52:00,000 for the obvious purpose of remaining unidentifiable, when 957 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:04,200 the question of the unfortunate victims companion that afternoon 958 00:52:04,480 --> 00:52:08,920 came up for solution. And all these facts to put 959 00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:11,960 before an expectant wife or an anxious mother. 960 00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:18,280 As no doubt you have already foreseen, Lady Molly took the 961 00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:20,920 difficult task on her own kind shoulders. 962 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:26,000 She and I drove together to Lorberry House, Fitz John's 963 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:30,440 Avenue, and on asking of the man servant who opened the door if 964 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:35,600 his mistress were at home, we were told that Lady Irene Cullen 965 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:40,760 was in the drawing room. Mine is not a story of 966 00:52:40,760 --> 00:52:44,400 sentiment, so I'm not going to dwell on that interview, which 967 00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:47,840 was one of the most painful moments I recollect having lived 968 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:52,400 through. Lady Irene was young, not 5 and 969 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:57,960 20 I should say, petite and frail looking, but with a quiet 970 00:52:57,960 --> 00:53:00,400 dignity of manner which was most impressive. 971 00:53:01,040 --> 00:53:05,040 She was Irish, as you know, the daughter of the Earl of 972 00:53:05,040 --> 00:53:09,680 Atheyville, and, it seems, had married Mr. Mark Culloden in the 973 00:53:09,680 --> 00:53:13,960 teeth of strenuous opposition on the part of her family, which 974 00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:18,040 was as penniless as it was aristocratic, whilst Mr. 975 00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:22,520 Culloden had great prospects and a splendid business, but 976 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:26,200 possessed neither ancestors nor high connections. 977 00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:31,400 She had only been married six months, poor little soul, and 978 00:53:31,400 --> 00:53:34,520 from all accounts must have idolized her husband. 979 00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:40,240 Lady Molly broke the news to her with infinite tact, but there it 980 00:53:40,240 --> 00:53:43,360 was. It was a terrific blow, wasn't 981 00:53:43,360 --> 00:53:47,840 it, to deal to a young wife, now a widow, and there was so little 982 00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:50,400 that a stranger could say in these circumstances. 983 00:53:51,160 --> 00:53:55,200 Even my dear lady's gentle voice, her persuasive eloquence, 984 00:53:55,280 --> 00:53:59,720 her kindly words, sounded empty and conventional in the face of 985 00:53:59,720 --> 00:54:05,720 such appalling grief. Two, Of course, everyone 986 00:54:05,720 --> 00:54:09,320 expected that the inquest would reveal something of the murdered 987 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:14,080 man's inner life, would in fact allow the over eager public to 988 00:54:14,080 --> 00:54:18,840 get a peep into Mr. Mark Calden's secret orchard, wherein 989 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:23,160 walked a lady who wore abnormally large velvet hats and 990 00:54:23,160 --> 00:54:26,400 who nourished in her heart one of those terrible grudges 991 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:30,320 against a man which can only find satisfaction in crime. 992 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:34,920 Equally, of course, the inquest revealed nothing that the public 993 00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:38,480 did not already know. The young widow was extremely 994 00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:42,400 reticent on the subject of her late husband's life, and the 995 00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:46,200 servants had all been fresh arrivals when the young couple, 996 00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:51,040 just home from their honeymoon, organized their new household at 997 00:54:51,040 --> 00:54:55,000 Lorberry House. There was an old aunt of the 998 00:54:55,000 --> 00:55:00,280 deceased, Missus Steinberg, who lived with the Caldings, but who 999 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:02,800 at the present moment was very ill. 1000 00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:08,200 Someone in the house, one of the younger servants, probably very 1001 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:13,160 foolishly, had told her every detail of the awful tragedy with 1002 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:18,120 positively amazing strength. The invalid thereupon insisted 1003 00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:22,560 on making a sworn statement which she desired should be 1004 00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:24,440 placed before the coroner's jury. 1005 00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:28,840 She wished to bear solemn testimony to the integrity of 1006 00:55:28,840 --> 00:55:33,520 her late nephew, Mark Calden, in case the personality of the 1007 00:55:33,520 --> 00:55:38,320 mysterious woman in the big hat suggested to evilly disposed 1008 00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:43,920 minds any thought of scandal. Mark Calden was the one nephew 1009 00:55:43,920 --> 00:55:47,000 whom I loved, she stated with solemn emphasis. 1010 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:52,160 I have shown my love for him by bequeathing to him the large 1011 00:55:52,160 --> 00:55:55,280 fortune which I inherited from the late Mr. Steinberg. 1012 00:55:55,800 --> 00:55:59,000 Mark was the soul of honor, or I should have cut him out of my 1013 00:55:59,000 --> 00:56:01,680 will as I did my other nephews and nieces. 1014 00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:06,320 I was brought up in the Scotch home, and I hate all this modern 1015 00:56:06,320 --> 00:56:10,680 fastness and smartness which are only other words for what I call 1016 00:56:10,680 --> 00:56:15,040 profligacy. Needless to say, the old lady's 1017 00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:19,120 statement, solemn though it was, was of no use whatsoever for the 1018 00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:23,240 elucidation of the mystery which surrounded the death of Mr. Mark 1019 00:56:23,240 --> 00:56:26,560 Calden. But as Missus Steinberg had 1020 00:56:26,560 --> 00:56:30,760 talked of other nephews whom she had cut out of her will in favor 1021 00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:34,520 of the murdered man, the police directed inquiries in those 1022 00:56:34,520 --> 00:56:39,200 various quarters. Mr. Mark Calden certainly had 1023 00:56:39,200 --> 00:56:43,000 several brothers and sisters, also cousins who had different 1024 00:56:43,000 --> 00:56:47,480 times usually for some peccadillo or other seem to have 1025 00:56:47,480 --> 00:56:50,200 incurred the wrath of the straight laced old lady. 1026 00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:53,880 But there did not appear to have been any ill feeling in the 1027 00:56:53,880 --> 00:56:58,240 family owing to this. Missus Steinberg was the sole 1028 00:56:58,240 --> 00:57:02,000 mistress of her fortune. She might just as well have 1029 00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:06,200 bequeathed it in Toto to some hospital as to one particular 1030 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:10,400 nephew whom she favored, and the various relations were glad, on 1031 00:57:10,400 --> 00:57:13,680 the whole, that the money was going to remain in the family 1032 00:57:13,760 --> 00:57:17,400 rather than be cast abroad. The mystery surrounding the 1033 00:57:17,400 --> 00:57:20,680 woman in the big hat deepened as the days went by. 1034 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:24,880 As you know, the longer the period of time which elapses 1035 00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:28,280 between a crime and the identification of the criminal, 1036 00:57:28,720 --> 00:57:31,560 the greater the chance the latter has of remaining at 1037 00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:35,960 large. In spite of strenuous efforts 1038 00:57:36,120 --> 00:57:39,080 and close questionings of every one of the employees at 1039 00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:44,120 Mathis's, no one could give a very accurate description of the 1040 00:57:44,120 --> 00:57:47,480 lady who had tea with the deceased on that fateful 1041 00:57:47,480 --> 00:57:51,440 afternoon. The first glimmer of light on 1042 00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:55,400 the mysterious occurrence was thrown about 3 weeks later by a 1043 00:57:55,400 --> 00:57:58,920 young woman named Catherine Harris, who had been parlour 1044 00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:03,080 maid at Lurberry House when first Mr. and Lady Irene 1045 00:58:03,080 --> 00:58:05,440 Culloden returned from their honeymoon. 1046 00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:10,280 I must tell you that Missus Steinberg had died a few days 1047 00:58:10,280 --> 00:58:13,880 after the inquest. The excitement had been too much 1048 00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:18,280 for her enfeebled heart. Just before her death she had 1049 00:58:18,280 --> 00:58:23,320 deposited 250 lbs with her banker, which sum was to be paid 1050 00:58:23,320 --> 00:58:26,720 over to any person giving information which would lead to 1051 00:58:26,720 --> 00:58:31,320 the apprehension and conviction of the murderer of Mr. Mark 1052 00:58:31,520 --> 00:58:35,160 Culloden. This offer had stimulated 1053 00:58:35,160 --> 00:58:40,000 everyone's zeal and, I presume, had aroused Catherine Harris to 1054 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:42,240 realization of what? All the while had been her 1055 00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:46,880 obvious duty. Lady Maui saw her in the chief's 1056 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:50,680 private office and had Much Ado to disentangle the threads of 1057 00:58:50,680 --> 00:58:55,400 the girls confused narrative. But the main point of Harris's 1058 00:58:55,400 --> 00:58:59,520 story was that a foreign lady had once called at Lorberry 1059 00:58:59,520 --> 00:59:03,920 House about a week after the master and mistress had returned 1060 00:59:03,920 --> 00:59:08,080 from their honeymoon. Lady Irene was out at the time 1061 00:59:08,560 --> 00:59:11,720 and Mr. Calden saw the lady in his smoking room. 1062 00:59:13,320 --> 00:59:17,560 She was a very handsome lady, explained Harris, and was 1063 00:59:17,560 --> 00:59:21,600 beautifully dressed. Did she wear a large hat? 1064 00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,360 Asked the chief. I don't remember if it were 1065 00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:28,160 particularly large, replied the girl. 1066 00:59:29,120 --> 00:59:33,040 But you remember what the lady was like, Suggested Lady Molly. 1067 00:59:33,920 --> 00:59:38,040 Yes, pretty well. She was very, very tall and very 1068 00:59:38,040 --> 00:59:41,080 good looking. Would you know her again if you 1069 00:59:41,080 --> 00:59:41,800 saw? Her. 1070 00:59:42,240 --> 00:59:46,480 Rejoined, my dear lady? Oh, yes, I think so, was 1071 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:51,480 Catherine Harris's reply. Unfortunately, beyond this 1072 00:59:51,480 --> 00:59:54,720 assurance, the girl could say nothing very definite. 1073 00:59:55,560 --> 00:59:59,680 The foreign lady seems to have been closeted with Mr. Caldon 1074 00:59:59,680 --> 01:00:04,240 for about an hour, at the end of which time Lady Irene came home. 1075 01:00:05,960 --> 01:00:09,800 The Butler being out that afternoon, it was Harris who let 1076 01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:12,840 her mistress in. And as the latter asked no 1077 01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:16,840 questions, the girl did not volunteer the information that 1078 01:00:16,840 --> 01:00:20,400 her Master had a visitor. She went back to the servants 1079 01:00:20,400 --> 01:00:24,880 hall, but 5 minutes later the smoking room bell rang and she 1080 01:00:24,880 --> 01:00:28,880 had to run up again. The foreign lady was then in the 1081 01:00:28,880 --> 01:00:32,320 hall alone and obviously waiting to be shown out. 1082 01:00:33,480 --> 01:00:38,120 This Harris did, after which Mr. Calden came out of his room, and 1083 01:00:38,120 --> 01:00:41,880 in the girl's own graphic words he went on dreadful. 1084 01:00:43,720 --> 01:00:47,000 I don't know if I'd done anything so very wrong, she 1085 01:00:47,000 --> 01:00:49,720 explained. But the master seemed quite 1086 01:00:49,720 --> 01:00:53,560 furious and said I wasn't a proper parlor maid, or I'd have 1087 01:00:53,560 --> 01:00:56,480 known that visitors must not be shown in straight away like 1088 01:00:56,480 --> 01:00:59,120 that. I ought to have said that I 1089 01:00:59,120 --> 01:01:02,960 didn't know if Mr. Calden was in that I would go and see. 1090 01:01:03,760 --> 01:01:06,840 Oh, he did go on at me, continued Catherine Harris 1091 01:01:06,920 --> 01:01:09,920 volubly. And I suppose he complained to 1092 01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:12,840 the mistress, for she gave me notice the next day. 1093 01:01:14,320 --> 01:01:17,600 And you have never seen the foreign lady since, concluded 1094 01:01:17,600 --> 01:01:20,880 Lady Molly. No, she never come while I was 1095 01:01:20,880 --> 01:01:24,840 there. By the way, how do you know she 1096 01:01:24,840 --> 01:01:27,680 was foreign? Did she speak like a foreigner? 1097 01:01:28,600 --> 01:01:33,400 Oh, no, replied the girl. She did not say much, only asked 1098 01:01:33,400 --> 01:01:36,360 for Mr. Calden, But she looked French like. 1099 01:01:37,640 --> 01:01:41,480 This unanswerable bit of logic concluded Catherine's statement. 1100 01:01:42,080 --> 01:01:45,680 She was very anxious to know whether, if the foreign lady was 1101 01:01:45,680 --> 01:01:50,160 hanged for murder, she herself would get the £250. 1102 01:01:50,680 --> 01:01:54,600 On Lady Molly's assurance that she certainly would, she 1103 01:01:54,600 --> 01:01:58,720 departed in apparent content. Three. 1104 01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:03,120 Well, we are no nearer than we were before. 1105 01:02:03,320 --> 01:02:07,760 Said the chief with an impatient sigh, when the door had closed 1106 01:02:07,760 --> 01:02:11,280 behind Catherine Harris. Don't you think so? 1107 01:02:11,880 --> 01:02:17,520 Rejoined Lady Molly blandly. Do you consider that what we 1108 01:02:17,520 --> 01:02:21,080 have heard just now has helped us to discover who was the woman 1109 01:02:21,080 --> 01:02:24,000 in the big hat? Retorted the chief somewhat 1110 01:02:24,000 --> 01:02:28,200 testily. Perhaps not, replied my dear 1111 01:02:28,200 --> 01:02:32,480 lady with her sweet smile, But it may help us discover who 1112 01:02:32,480 --> 01:02:36,880 murdered Mr. Calden. With which enigmatical statement 1113 01:02:36,880 --> 01:02:40,360 she effectively silenced his chief, and finally walked out of 1114 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:43,120 his office, followed by her faithful Mary. 1115 01:02:44,080 --> 01:02:47,760 Following Catherine Harris's indications, a description of 1116 01:02:47,760 --> 01:02:50,440 the lady who was wanted in connection with the murder of 1117 01:02:50,440 --> 01:02:55,080 Mr. Calden was very widely circulated, and within two days 1118 01:02:55,080 --> 01:02:58,560 of the interview with the ex parlor maid another very 1119 01:02:58,560 --> 01:03:01,480 momentous one took place in the same office. 1120 01:03:02,400 --> 01:03:06,360 Lady Molly was at work with the chief over some reports whilst I 1121 01:03:06,360 --> 01:03:10,280 was taking shorthand notes at a side desk, when a card was 1122 01:03:10,280 --> 01:03:14,480 brought in by one of the men. And the next moment, without 1123 01:03:14,480 --> 01:03:18,040 waiting either for permission to enter or to be more formally 1124 01:03:18,040 --> 01:03:21,960 announced, a magnificent apparition literally sailed into 1125 01:03:21,960 --> 01:03:25,680 the dust covered little back office, filling it with an 1126 01:03:25,680 --> 01:03:29,080 atmosphere of Parma violets and Russia leather. 1127 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:34,440 I don't think that I have ever seen a more beautiful woman in 1128 01:03:34,440 --> 01:03:38,520 my life. Tall, with a splendid figure and 1129 01:03:38,520 --> 01:03:43,160 perfect carriage, she vaguely reminded me of the portraits one 1130 01:03:43,160 --> 01:03:46,120 sees of the late Empress of Austria. 1131 01:03:46,680 --> 01:03:51,960 This lady was moreover dressed to perfection and wore a large 1132 01:03:51,960 --> 01:03:55,160 hat adorned with a quantity of plumes. 1133 01:03:56,080 --> 01:03:59,920 The chief had instinctively risen to greet her, whilst Lady 1134 01:03:59,920 --> 01:04:04,000 Molly, still and Placid, was eyeing her with a quizzical 1135 01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:08,160 smile. You know who I am, Sir, began 1136 01:04:08,160 --> 01:04:11,480 the visitor, as soon as she had sunk gracefully into a chair. 1137 01:04:11,960 --> 01:04:16,320 My name is on that card. My appearance, I understand, 1138 01:04:16,560 --> 01:04:19,960 tallies exactly with that of a woman who is supposed to have 1139 01:04:19,960 --> 01:04:25,640 murdered Mark Culloden. She said this so calmly, with 1140 01:04:25,640 --> 01:04:29,600 such perfect self possession, that I literally gasped. 1141 01:04:30,560 --> 01:04:34,200 The chief, too, seemed to have been metaphorically lifted off 1142 01:04:34,200 --> 01:04:37,400 his feet. He tried to mutter a reply. 1143 01:04:38,440 --> 01:04:42,320 Oh, don't trouble yourself, Sir. She interrupted him with a 1144 01:04:42,320 --> 01:04:45,840 smile. My landlady, my servant, my 1145 01:04:45,840 --> 01:04:48,880 friends have all read the description of the woman who 1146 01:04:48,880 --> 01:04:52,760 murdered Mr. Culloden. For the past 24 hours I've been 1147 01:04:52,760 --> 01:04:56,680 watched by your police. Therefore I have come to you of 1148 01:04:56,680 --> 01:05:00,120 my own accord before they came to arrest me in my flat. 1149 01:05:01,320 --> 01:05:04,720 I'm not too soon, am I? She asked with that same cool 1150 01:05:04,720 --> 01:05:08,160 indifference which was so startling considering the 1151 01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:12,840 subject of her conversation. She spoke English with a 1152 01:05:12,840 --> 01:05:16,800 scarcely perceptible foreign accent, but I quite understood 1153 01:05:16,800 --> 01:05:20,320 what Catherine Harris had meant when she said that the lady 1154 01:05:20,320 --> 01:05:23,880 looked French like. She certainly did not look 1155 01:05:23,880 --> 01:05:28,160 English, and when I caught sight of her name on the card which 1156 01:05:28,160 --> 01:05:32,240 the chief had handed to Lady Molly, I put her down at once as 1157 01:05:32,240 --> 01:05:36,680 Viennese. Miss Elizabeth Lone Thal had all 1158 01:05:36,680 --> 01:05:40,440 the charm, the grace, the elegance which one associates 1159 01:05:40,440 --> 01:05:44,400 with Austrian women more than with those of any other nation. 1160 01:05:45,120 --> 01:05:48,600 No wonder the chief found it difficult to tell her that, as a 1161 01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:52,280 matter of fact, the police were about to apply for a warrant 1162 01:05:52,280 --> 01:05:56,640 that very morning for her arrest on a charge of wilful murder. 1163 01:05:57,600 --> 01:06:01,360 I know, I know, she said, seeming to divine his thoughts. 1164 01:06:02,400 --> 01:06:06,400 But let me tell you at once, Sir, that I did not murder Mark 1165 01:06:06,400 --> 01:06:09,960 Culloden. He treated me shamefully and I 1166 01:06:09,960 --> 01:06:12,800 would willingly have made a scandal just to spite him. 1167 01:06:13,320 --> 01:06:16,240 He had become so respectable and straight laced. 1168 01:06:17,280 --> 01:06:20,840 But between scandal and murder there's a wide gulf. 1169 01:06:21,280 --> 01:06:25,160 Don't you think so, Madam? She added, turning for the first 1170 01:06:25,160 --> 01:06:30,040 time towards Lady Molly. Undoubtedly, replied my dear 1171 01:06:30,040 --> 01:06:34,920 lady, with the same quizzical smile, a wide golf, which no 1172 01:06:34,920 --> 01:06:38,920 doubt Miss Elizabeth Lowenthal will best be able to demonstrate 1173 01:06:38,920 --> 01:06:42,600 to the magistrate tomorrow, rejoined the chief with official 1174 01:06:42,600 --> 01:06:46,800 sternness of manner. I thought that for the space of 1175 01:06:46,800 --> 01:06:50,320 a few seconds the lady lost herself assurance. 1176 01:06:50,320 --> 01:06:53,640 At this obvious suggestion, the bloom on her cheeks seemed to 1177 01:06:53,640 --> 01:06:58,400 vanish, and two hard lines appeared between her fine eyes. 1178 01:06:59,200 --> 01:07:03,320 But frightened or not, she quickly recovered herself and 1179 01:07:03,320 --> 01:07:07,200 said quietly. Now, my dear Sir, let us 1180 01:07:07,200 --> 01:07:10,520 understand one another. I came here for that express 1181 01:07:10,520 --> 01:07:13,240 purpose. I take it that you don't want 1182 01:07:13,240 --> 01:07:16,960 your police to look ridiculous any more than I want a scandal. 1183 01:07:17,880 --> 01:07:21,120 I don't want detectives to hang around my flat questioning my 1184 01:07:21,120 --> 01:07:25,000 neighbors and my servants. They would soon find out that I 1185 01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:29,120 did not murder Mark Culloden, of course, but the atmosphere of 1186 01:07:29,120 --> 01:07:34,360 the police would hang round me and I I prefer parm of Violets, 1187 01:07:34,560 --> 01:07:38,360 she added, raising a daintily perfumed handkerchief to her 1188 01:07:38,360 --> 01:07:41,000 nose. Then you have come to make a 1189 01:07:41,000 --> 01:07:43,040 statement? Asked the chief. 1190 01:07:43,960 --> 01:07:47,760 Yes, she replied. I'll tell you all I know. 1191 01:07:49,040 --> 01:07:51,200 Mr. Calden was engaged to marry me. 1192 01:07:51,720 --> 01:07:54,720 Then he met the daughter of an Earl, and thought he would like 1193 01:07:54,720 --> 01:07:58,040 her better as a wife than a simple Miss Lowenthal. 1194 01:07:58,760 --> 01:08:02,360 I suppose I should be considered an undesirable match for a young 1195 01:08:02,360 --> 01:08:06,600 man who has a highly respectable and snobbish aunt, who would 1196 01:08:06,600 --> 01:08:09,760 leave him all her money only on the condition that he made a 1197 01:08:09,760 --> 01:08:14,080 suitable marriage. I have a voice, and I came over 1198 01:08:14,080 --> 01:08:18,120 to England two years ago to study English, so that I might 1199 01:08:18,120 --> 01:08:21,000 sing in oratory at the Albert Hall. 1200 01:08:22,000 --> 01:08:26,319 I met Mark on the Calais Dover boat when he was returning from 1201 01:08:26,319 --> 01:08:30,279 a holiday abroad. He fell in love with me, and 1202 01:08:30,279 --> 01:08:32,120 presently asked me to be his wife. 1203 01:08:32,920 --> 01:08:35,279 After some demure I accepted him. 1204 01:08:35,920 --> 01:08:40,399 We became engaged, but he told me that our engagement must 1205 01:08:40,399 --> 01:08:45,040 remain a secret, for he had an old aunt from whom he had Great 1206 01:08:45,040 --> 01:08:49,040 Expectations, and who might not approve of his marrying a 1207 01:08:49,040 --> 01:08:53,200 foreign girl who was without connections, and a professional 1208 01:08:53,200 --> 01:08:57,800 singer. From that moment I mistrusted 1209 01:08:57,800 --> 01:09:02,760 him, nor was I very astonished when gradually his affection for 1210 01:09:02,760 --> 01:09:06,960 me seemed to cool. Soon after he informed me quite 1211 01:09:06,960 --> 01:09:11,439 callously that he had changed his mind and was going to marry 1212 01:09:11,439 --> 01:09:16,960 some swell English lady. I didn't care much, but I wanted 1213 01:09:16,960 --> 01:09:19,600 to punish him by making a scandal, you understand? 1214 01:09:20,359 --> 01:09:24,399 I went to his house just to worry him and finally I decided 1215 01:09:24,399 --> 01:09:27,080 to bring in action for breach of promise against him. 1216 01:09:27,760 --> 01:09:31,040 It would have upset him, I know. No doubt his aunt would have cut 1217 01:09:31,040 --> 01:09:34,319 him out of her will. That is all I wanted. 1218 01:09:34,800 --> 01:09:37,279 But I did not care enough about him to murder him. 1219 01:09:37,920 --> 01:09:40,479 Somehow her tale carried conviction. 1220 01:09:41,120 --> 01:09:43,479 We were all of us obviously impressed. 1221 01:09:44,240 --> 01:09:47,840 The chief alone looked visibly disturbed, and I could read what 1222 01:09:47,840 --> 01:09:52,840 was going on in his mind. As you say, Miss Lowenthal, he 1223 01:09:52,840 --> 01:09:55,840 rejoined. The police would have found all 1224 01:09:55,840 --> 01:09:58,240 this out within the next few hours. 1225 01:09:58,880 --> 01:10:02,280 Once your connection with the murdered man was known to us, 1226 01:10:02,800 --> 01:10:07,440 the record of your past and his becomes an easy one to pursue. 1227 01:10:08,320 --> 01:10:11,520 No doubt, too, he added insinuatingly. 1228 01:10:12,080 --> 01:10:16,200 Our men would soon have been placed in possession of the one 1229 01:10:16,240 --> 01:10:20,520 undisputable proof of your complete innocence with regard 1230 01:10:20,520 --> 01:10:24,920 to that fateful afternoon spent at Mathis's Cafe. 1231 01:10:26,120 --> 01:10:28,480 What is that? She queried blandly. 1232 01:10:29,280 --> 01:10:32,680 An alibi? You mean where? 1233 01:10:32,680 --> 01:10:35,880 Was I during the time that Mark was being murdered in a tea 1234 01:10:35,880 --> 01:10:39,000 shop? Yes, said the chief. 1235 01:10:39,960 --> 01:10:43,080 I was out for a walk, she replied quietly. 1236 01:10:43,880 --> 01:10:46,440 Shopping, perhaps? No. 1237 01:10:47,760 --> 01:10:50,720 You met someone who would remember the circumstance, or 1238 01:10:50,720 --> 01:10:53,600 your servants could say at what time you came in. 1239 01:10:54,640 --> 01:10:59,960 No, she repeated drily. I met no one, for I took a brisk 1240 01:10:59,960 --> 01:11:04,120 walk on Primrose Hill. My 2 servants could only say 1241 01:11:04,520 --> 01:11:08,400 that I went out at 3:00 in the afternoon and returned after 1242 01:11:08,400 --> 01:11:11,680 five. There were silence in the little 1243 01:11:11,680 --> 01:11:15,920 office for a moment or two. I could hear the scraping of the 1244 01:11:15,920 --> 01:11:19,680 pen with which the chief was idly scribbling geometrical 1245 01:11:19,680 --> 01:11:24,480 figures on his blotting pad. Lady Molly was quite still. 1246 01:11:25,080 --> 01:11:28,920 Her large, luminous eyes were fixed on the beautiful woman who 1247 01:11:28,920 --> 01:11:32,840 had just told us her strange story, with its unaccountable 1248 01:11:32,840 --> 01:11:37,080 sequel, its mystery which had deepened with the last phrase 1249 01:11:37,080 --> 01:11:42,320 which she had uttered. Miss Lowenthal, I felt sure, was 1250 01:11:42,320 --> 01:11:45,800 conscious of her peril. I am not sufficiently A 1251 01:11:45,800 --> 01:11:49,960 psychologist to know whether it was guilt or merely fear which 1252 01:11:49,960 --> 01:11:53,800 was distorting the handsome features now hardening the face 1253 01:11:54,000 --> 01:11:59,160 and causing the lips to tremble. Lady Molly scribbled a few words 1254 01:11:59,160 --> 01:12:02,520 on a scrap of paper which she then passed over to the chief. 1255 01:12:02,960 --> 01:12:06,200 Miss Lowenthal was making visible efforts to steady her 1256 01:12:06,200 --> 01:12:10,120 nerves. That is all I have to tell you, 1257 01:12:10,400 --> 01:12:13,840 she said, in a voice which sounded dry and harsh. 1258 01:12:14,680 --> 01:12:18,680 I think I will go home now. But she did not rise from her 1259 01:12:18,680 --> 01:12:23,040 chair, and seemed to hesitate, as if fearful lest permission to 1260 01:12:23,040 --> 01:12:27,880 go were not granted her. To her obvious astonishment, and 1261 01:12:27,880 --> 01:12:33,000 I must add to my own, the chief immediately rose and said quite 1262 01:12:33,000 --> 01:12:36,080 urbanely. I thank you very much for the 1263 01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:38,320 helpful information which you have given me. 1264 01:12:38,800 --> 01:12:42,440 Of course, we may rely on your presence in town for the next 1265 01:12:42,440 --> 01:12:44,120 few days. May we not? 1266 01:12:45,560 --> 01:12:49,680 She seemed greatly relieved, and all at once resumed her former 1267 01:12:49,680 --> 01:12:52,160 charm of manner and elegance of attitude. 1268 01:12:52,720 --> 01:12:55,520 The beautiful face was lit up by a smile. 1269 01:12:56,800 --> 01:13:00,400 The chief was bowing to her in quite a foreign fashion, and in 1270 01:13:00,400 --> 01:13:03,920 spite of her visible reassurance, she eyed him very 1271 01:13:03,920 --> 01:13:07,000 intently. Then she went up to Lady Molly 1272 01:13:07,000 --> 01:13:10,520 and held out her hand. My dear lady took it without an 1273 01:13:10,520 --> 01:13:14,680 instant's hesitation. I who knew that it was the few 1274 01:13:14,680 --> 01:13:18,400 words hastily scribbled by Lady Molly which had dictated the 1275 01:13:18,400 --> 01:13:21,960 chief's conduct with regard to Miss Lowenthal, was left 1276 01:13:21,960 --> 01:13:24,120 wondering whether the. Woman I loved. 1277 01:13:24,120 --> 01:13:28,400 Best in all the world had been shaking hands with a murderous 1278 01:13:30,440 --> 01:13:35,920 end of The Woman in the Big Hat by Baroness Emma Ozzie. 1279 01:13:36,080 --> 01:13:52,070 Part 1 recording by Janet Marysville, WA Section 16 of The 1280 01:13:52,070 --> 01:13:54,870 Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 1281 01:13:55,950 --> 01:14:00,750 This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in 1282 01:14:00,750 --> 01:14:04,870 the public domain For more information or to volunteer. 1283 01:14:05,310 --> 01:14:12,270 Please visit librivox.org. Recording by Janet, The Rivals 1284 01:14:12,310 --> 01:14:17,240 of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. The Woman in the Big Hat, by 1285 01:14:17,240 --> 01:14:24,200 Baroness Emma Ozzie, Part 2. No doubt you will remember the 1286 01:14:24,200 --> 01:14:28,160 sensation which was caused by the arrest of Miss Lowenthal on 1287 01:14:28,160 --> 01:14:32,400 a charge of having murdered Mr. Mark Culloden by administering 1288 01:14:32,400 --> 01:14:37,000 morphia to him in a cup of chocolate at Mathis's Cafe in 1289 01:14:37,000 --> 01:14:40,840 Regent Street. The beauty of the accused, Her 1290 01:14:40,840 --> 01:14:45,440 undeniable charm of manner, the hitherto blameless character of 1291 01:14:45,440 --> 01:14:50,240 her life, all tended to make the public take violent sides either 1292 01:14:50,240 --> 01:14:54,200 for or against her, and the usual budget of amateur 1293 01:14:54,200 --> 01:14:58,960 correspondence, suggestions, recriminations, and advice 1294 01:14:59,320 --> 01:15:02,720 poured into the chief's office in Titanic proportions. 1295 01:15:03,560 --> 01:15:07,960 I must say that personally all my sympathies went out to Miss 1296 01:15:07,960 --> 01:15:11,440 Lowenthal. As I have said before, I am no 1297 01:15:11,440 --> 01:15:15,440 psychologist, but I had seen her in the original interview at the 1298 01:15:15,440 --> 01:15:20,120 office and I could not get rid of an absolutely unreasoning 1299 01:15:20,120 --> 01:15:24,120 certitude that the beautiful Viennese singer was innocent. 1300 01:15:24,760 --> 01:15:28,280 The Magistrates Court was packed, as you may well imagine, 1301 01:15:28,480 --> 01:15:32,200 on that first day of the inquiry, and of course sympathy 1302 01:15:32,200 --> 01:15:36,200 with the accused went up to fever pitch when she staggered 1303 01:15:36,200 --> 01:15:41,040 into the dock, beautiful still, despite the ravages caused by 1304 01:15:41,040 --> 01:15:46,480 horror, anxiety, fear in face of the deadly peril in which she 1305 01:15:46,480 --> 01:15:50,520 stood, the magistrate was most kind to her. 1306 01:15:51,160 --> 01:15:54,320 Her solicitor was unimpeachably assiduous. 1307 01:15:54,800 --> 01:16:00,120 Even our fellows who had to give evidence against her did no more 1308 01:16:00,120 --> 01:16:03,880 than their duty, and were as lenient in their statements as 1309 01:16:03,880 --> 01:16:08,160 possible. Miss Lowenthal had been arrested 1310 01:16:08,160 --> 01:16:11,960 in her flat by Danvers, accompanied by two constables. 1311 01:16:12,640 --> 01:16:16,880 She had loudly protested her innocence all along, and did so 1312 01:16:16,880 --> 01:16:21,360 still pleading not guilty in a firm voice. 1313 01:16:22,600 --> 01:16:27,240 The great points in favor of the arrest were, firstly, the 1314 01:16:27,240 --> 01:16:30,040 undoubted motive of disappointment and revenge 1315 01:16:30,040 --> 01:16:34,640 against a faithless sweetheart than the total inability to 1316 01:16:34,640 --> 01:16:38,920 prove any kind of alibi, which, under the circumstances, 1317 01:16:39,200 --> 01:16:41,800 certainly added to the appearance of guilt. 1318 01:16:43,280 --> 01:16:47,120 The question of where the fatal drug was obtained was more 1319 01:16:47,120 --> 01:16:51,440 difficult to prove. It was stated that Mister Mark 1320 01:16:51,440 --> 01:16:56,280 Culloden was director of several important companies, one of 1321 01:16:56,280 --> 01:16:59,920 which carried on business as wholesale druggists. 1322 01:17:01,080 --> 01:17:06,600 Therefore it was argued that the accused at different times and 1323 01:17:06,600 --> 01:17:11,320 under some pretext or other, had obtained drugs from Mr. Culloden 1324 01:17:11,320 --> 01:17:14,960 himself. She had admitted to having 1325 01:17:14,960 --> 01:17:19,480 visited the deceased at his office in the city both before 1326 01:17:19,720 --> 01:17:24,560 and after his marriage. Miss Lowenthal listened to all 1327 01:17:24,560 --> 01:17:29,960 this evidence against her with a hard set face, as she did also 1328 01:17:29,960 --> 01:17:33,280 to Catherine Harris's statement about her calling on Mr. 1329 01:17:33,280 --> 01:17:38,120 Culloden at Lorberry House, but she brightened up visibly when 1330 01:17:38,120 --> 01:17:41,920 the various attendants at Mathis's Cafe were placed in the 1331 01:17:41,920 --> 01:17:46,320 box. A very large hat belonging to 1332 01:17:46,320 --> 01:17:50,960 the accused was shown to the witnesses, but though the police 1333 01:17:50,960 --> 01:17:54,720 upheld the theory that that was the headgear worn by the 1334 01:17:54,720 --> 01:17:59,760 mysterious lady at the cafe on that fateful afternoon, the 1335 01:17:59,760 --> 01:18:03,800 waitresses made distinctly contradictory statements with 1336 01:18:03,800 --> 01:18:08,280 regard to it. Whilst one girl swore that she 1337 01:18:08,280 --> 01:18:13,680 recognized the very hat, another was equally positive that it was 1338 01:18:13,680 --> 01:18:17,880 distinctly smaller than the one she recollected, and when the 1339 01:18:17,880 --> 01:18:22,480 hat was placed on the head of Miss Lowenthal, 3 out of four 1340 01:18:22,480 --> 01:18:26,600 witnesses positively refused to identify her. 1341 01:18:28,280 --> 01:18:31,280 Most of these young women declared that though the 1342 01:18:31,280 --> 01:18:35,840 accused, when wearing the big hat, looked as if she might have 1343 01:18:35,840 --> 01:18:40,120 been the lady in question, yet there was a certain something 1344 01:18:40,120 --> 01:18:45,520 about her which was different. With that vagueness which is a 1345 01:18:45,520 --> 01:18:49,200 usual and highly irritating characteristic of their class, 1346 01:18:49,760 --> 01:18:53,960 the girls finally parried every question by refusing to swear 1347 01:18:53,960 --> 01:18:59,600 positively either for or against the identity of Miss Lowenthal. 1348 01:19:00,920 --> 01:19:03,680 There's something that's different about her somehow. 1349 01:19:04,400 --> 01:19:06,880 One of the waitresses asserted positively. 1350 01:19:07,840 --> 01:19:11,120 What is it that's different? Asked the solicitor for the 1351 01:19:11,120 --> 01:19:17,400 accused, pressing his point. I can't say, was the perpetual 1352 01:19:17,640 --> 01:19:22,080 madding reply. Of course the poor young widow 1353 01:19:22,240 --> 01:19:27,320 had to be dragged into the case, and here I think opinions and 1354 01:19:27,320 --> 01:19:31,040 even expressions of sympathy were quite unanimous. 1355 01:19:32,360 --> 01:19:36,480 The whole tragedy had been inexpressibly painful to her, of 1356 01:19:36,480 --> 01:19:39,960 course, and now it must have seemed doubly so. 1357 01:19:40,920 --> 01:19:43,440 The scandal which had accumulated round her late 1358 01:19:43,440 --> 01:19:48,160 husband's name must have added the poignancy of shame to that 1359 01:19:48,160 --> 01:19:52,000 of grief. Mark Calden had behaved as 1360 01:19:52,000 --> 01:19:55,240 callously to the girl whom clearly he had married from 1361 01:19:55,240 --> 01:19:59,320 interested family motives as he had to the one whom he had 1362 01:19:59,320 --> 01:20:05,680 heartlessly cast aside. Lady Irene, however, was most 1363 01:20:05,680 --> 01:20:10,000 moderate in her statements. There was no doubt that she had 1364 01:20:10,000 --> 01:20:13,000 known of her husband's previous entanglement with Miss 1365 01:20:13,000 --> 01:20:17,240 Lowenthal, but apparently had not thought fit to make him 1366 01:20:17,240 --> 01:20:21,880 accountable for the past. She did not know that Miss 1367 01:20:21,880 --> 01:20:24,920 Lowenthal had threatened a breach of promise against her 1368 01:20:24,920 --> 01:20:28,560 husband. Throughout her evidence, she 1369 01:20:28,560 --> 01:20:31,080 spoke with absolute calm and dignity. 1370 01:20:31,560 --> 01:20:35,560 And looked indeed a strange contrast in her closely fitting 1371 01:20:35,640 --> 01:20:40,720 tailor made costume of black Serge and tiny black toquet to 1372 01:20:40,720 --> 01:20:43,240 the more brilliant woman who stood in the dock. 1373 01:20:44,200 --> 01:20:49,440 The 2 great points in favor of the accused were firstly the 1374 01:20:49,440 --> 01:20:52,920 vagueness of the witnesses who were called to identify. 1375 01:20:52,920 --> 01:20:56,400 Her. And secondly, the fact that she 1376 01:20:56,400 --> 01:20:59,440 had undoubtedly begun proceedings for breach of 1377 01:20:59,440 --> 01:21:04,440 promise against the deceased. Judging by the latter's letters 1378 01:21:04,440 --> 01:21:08,920 to her, she would have had a splendid case against him, which 1379 01:21:08,920 --> 01:21:12,640 fact naturally dealt a severe blow to the theory. 1380 01:21:12,680 --> 01:21:17,600 As to motive for the murder, on the whole the Magistrate felt 1381 01:21:17,640 --> 01:21:21,240 that there was not a sufficiency of evidence against the accused 1382 01:21:21,680 --> 01:21:23,920 to warrant his committing her for trial. 1383 01:21:24,600 --> 01:21:28,680 He therefore discharged her, and amid loud applause from the 1384 01:21:28,680 --> 01:21:32,760 public, Miss Lowenthal left the court a free woman. 1385 01:21:33,880 --> 01:21:38,480 Now I know that the public did loudly and to my mind very 1386 01:21:38,480 --> 01:21:43,640 justly blame the police for that arrest, which was denounced as 1387 01:21:43,640 --> 01:21:46,520 being as cruel as it was unjustifiable. 1388 01:21:47,520 --> 01:21:52,400 I felt as strongly as anybody on the subject, for I knew that the 1389 01:21:52,400 --> 01:21:56,560 prosecution had been instituted in defiance of Lady Molly's 1390 01:21:56,560 --> 01:22:01,560 express advice and in distinct contradiction to the evidence 1391 01:22:01,560 --> 01:22:05,840 which she had collected. When, therefore, the Chief asked 1392 01:22:05,840 --> 01:22:09,400 my dear Lady to renew her efforts in that mysterious case, 1393 01:22:09,720 --> 01:22:13,320 it was Small wonder that her enthusiasm did not respond. 1394 01:22:13,320 --> 01:22:17,080 To his anxiety. That she would do her duty was 1395 01:22:17,080 --> 01:22:22,200 beyond a doubt, but she had very naturally lost her more fervent 1396 01:22:22,200 --> 01:22:26,560 interest in the case. The mysterious woman in the big 1397 01:22:26,560 --> 01:22:30,800 hat was still the chief subject of leading articles in the 1398 01:22:30,800 --> 01:22:35,440 papers, coupled with that of the ineptitude of the police, who 1399 01:22:35,440 --> 01:22:39,080 could not discover her. There were caricatures and 1400 01:22:39,080 --> 01:22:43,760 picture postcards in all the shop windows of a gigantic hat 1401 01:22:43,920 --> 01:22:47,800 covering the whole figure of its wearer, only the feet, and a 1402 01:22:47,800 --> 01:22:51,480 very long and pointed chin protruding from beneath the 1403 01:22:51,480 --> 01:22:55,760 enormous brim below was the device. 1404 01:22:56,480 --> 01:22:59,000 Who is she? Ask the police. 1405 01:23:00,760 --> 01:23:03,400 One day. It was the second since the 1406 01:23:03,400 --> 01:23:08,000 discharge of Miss Lowenthal. My dear lady came into my room 1407 01:23:08,000 --> 01:23:11,000 beaming. It was the first time I had seen 1408 01:23:11,000 --> 01:23:15,880 her smile for more than a week, and already I had guessed what 1409 01:23:15,880 --> 01:23:21,400 it was that had cheered her. Good news, Mary, she said gaily. 1410 01:23:21,840 --> 01:23:24,160 At last. I've got the chief to let me 1411 01:23:24,160 --> 01:23:28,480 have a free hand. Oh dear, what a lot of argument 1412 01:23:28,480 --> 01:23:32,840 it takes to extricate that man from the tangled meshes of red 1413 01:23:32,840 --> 01:23:35,480 tape. What are you going to do? 1414 01:23:35,840 --> 01:23:40,360 I asked. Prove that my theory is right as 1415 01:23:40,360 --> 01:23:44,560 to who murdered Mark Culloden. She replied seriously. 1416 01:23:45,280 --> 01:23:49,360 And as a preliminary, we'll go and ask his servants at Laura 1417 01:23:49,360 --> 01:23:54,640 Berry House a few questions. It was then 3:00 in the 1418 01:23:54,640 --> 01:23:58,040 afternoon at Lady Molly's bidding. 1419 01:23:58,480 --> 01:24:03,120 I dressed somewhat smartly and together we went off in a taxi 1420 01:24:03,480 --> 01:24:08,200 to Fitz John's Ave. Lady Molly had written a few 1421 01:24:08,200 --> 01:24:12,920 words on one of her cards, urgently requesting an interview 1422 01:24:13,000 --> 01:24:17,560 with Lady Irene Culloden. This she handed over to the 1423 01:24:17,560 --> 01:24:21,480 manservant who opened the door at Lorberry House. 1424 01:24:22,440 --> 01:24:26,280 A few moments later we were sitting in the cosy bourdois. 1425 01:24:27,320 --> 01:24:31,280 The young widow, high bred and dignified in her tight fitting 1426 01:24:31,280 --> 01:24:36,560 black gown, sat opposite to us, her white hands folded demurely 1427 01:24:36,560 --> 01:24:42,400 before her, her small head with its very close coffer bent in 1428 01:24:42,400 --> 01:24:45,080 closest attention towards Lady Molly. 1429 01:24:46,600 --> 01:24:51,320 I most sincerely hope, Lady Irene, began my dear Lady, in 1430 01:24:51,320 --> 01:24:56,000 her most gentle and persuasive voice, that you will look with 1431 01:24:56,000 --> 01:25:00,760 all possible indulgence on my growing desire, shared, I may 1432 01:25:00,760 --> 01:25:06,400 say, by all my superiors at Scotland Yard, to elucidate the 1433 01:25:06,400 --> 01:25:10,440 mystery which still surrounds your late husband's death. 1434 01:25:11,560 --> 01:25:15,920 Lady Molly paused, as if waiting for encouragement to proceed. 1435 01:25:16,720 --> 01:25:19,840 The subject must have been extremely painful to the young 1436 01:25:19,840 --> 01:25:23,120 widow. Nevertheless, she responded 1437 01:25:23,120 --> 01:25:27,800 quite gently. I can understand that the police 1438 01:25:27,800 --> 01:25:29,640 wish to do their duty in the matter. 1439 01:25:30,520 --> 01:25:35,560 As for me, I have done all I think that could be expected of 1440 01:25:35,560 --> 01:25:38,560 me. I am not made of iron. 1441 01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:43,640 And after that day in the police court, she checked herself as if 1442 01:25:43,640 --> 01:25:47,920 afraid of having betrayed more emotion than was consistent with 1443 01:25:47,920 --> 01:25:51,320 good breeding, and concluded more calmly. 1444 01:25:52,320 --> 01:25:57,280 I cannot do any more. I fully appreciate your feelings 1445 01:25:57,280 --> 01:26:01,680 in the matter, said Lady Molly. But you would not mind helping 1446 01:26:01,680 --> 01:26:04,760 us, would you? In a passive way, if you could 1447 01:26:05,120 --> 01:26:08,680 by some simple means further the cause of justice. 1448 01:26:10,040 --> 01:26:15,560 What is it you want me to do? Asked Lady Irene, only to allow 1449 01:26:15,560 --> 01:26:19,960 me to ring for two of your maids and ask them a few questions. 1450 01:26:20,480 --> 01:26:24,560 I promise you that they shall not be of such a nature as to 1451 01:26:24,560 --> 01:26:29,160 cause you the slightest pain. For a moment I thought that the 1452 01:26:29,160 --> 01:26:33,720 young widow hesitated. Then, without a word, she rose 1453 01:26:33,720 --> 01:26:37,360 and rang the bell. Which of my servants did you 1454 01:26:37,360 --> 01:26:40,760 wish to see? She asked, turning to my dear 1455 01:26:40,760 --> 01:26:44,960 lady as soon as the Butler entered in answer to the bell. 1456 01:26:46,200 --> 01:26:51,040 Your own maid and your parlour maid, if I may, replied Lady 1457 01:26:51,040 --> 01:26:54,640 Molly. Lady Irene gave the necessary 1458 01:26:54,640 --> 01:27:00,640 orders and we all sat expectant and silent until a minute or two 1459 01:27:00,640 --> 01:27:06,320 later 2 girls entered the room. 1 wore a cap and apron, the 1460 01:27:06,320 --> 01:27:11,600 other in neat black dress and dainty lace collar was obviously 1461 01:27:11,600 --> 01:27:16,000 the lady's maid. This lady said their mistress, 1462 01:27:16,160 --> 01:27:20,560 addressing the 2 girls, wishes to ask you a few questions. 1463 01:27:21,240 --> 01:27:25,240 She is a representative of the police, so you had better do 1464 01:27:25,240 --> 01:27:28,360 your best to satisfy her with your answers. 1465 01:27:29,320 --> 01:27:33,640 Oh, rejoined Lady Molly pleasantly, choosing not to 1466 01:27:33,640 --> 01:27:38,280 notice the tone of assurbidity with which the young widow had 1467 01:27:38,280 --> 01:27:42,760 spoken, nor the unmistakable. Barrier of hostility and 1468 01:27:42,760 --> 01:27:46,440 reserve, which her words had immediately raised between the 1469 01:27:46,440 --> 01:27:50,640 young servants and the representative of the police. 1470 01:27:52,120 --> 01:27:55,680 What I am going to ask these two young ladies is neither very 1471 01:27:55,680 --> 01:28:01,360 difficult nor very unpleasant. I merely want their kind help in 1472 01:28:01,360 --> 01:28:05,520 a little comedy which will have to be played this evening in 1473 01:28:05,520 --> 01:28:09,920 order to test the accuracy of certain statements made by one 1474 01:28:09,920 --> 01:28:14,320 of the waitresses at Mathis's tea shop with regard to the 1475 01:28:14,320 --> 01:28:17,280 terrible tragedy which has darkened this house. 1476 01:28:18,000 --> 01:28:20,360 You will do that much, will you not? 1477 01:28:20,960 --> 01:28:23,600 She added, speaking directly to the maid's. 1478 01:28:24,920 --> 01:28:30,200 No one can be so winning or so persuasive as my dear lady. 1479 01:28:30,880 --> 01:28:35,160 In a moment I saw the girl's hostility melting before the 1480 01:28:35,160 --> 01:28:40,080 sunshine of Lady Molly's smile. We'll do what we can, ma'am, 1481 01:28:40,320 --> 01:28:43,880 said the maid. That's a brave good girl, 1482 01:28:44,160 --> 01:28:47,720 replied My lady. You must know that the chief 1483 01:28:47,720 --> 01:28:52,360 waitress at Mathis's has this very morning identified the 1484 01:28:52,360 --> 01:28:57,160 woman in the big hat who we all believe murdered your late 1485 01:28:57,160 --> 01:29:01,280 master. Yes, she continued, in response 1486 01:29:01,280 --> 01:29:05,440 to a gasp of astonishment which seemed to go round the room like 1487 01:29:05,440 --> 01:29:09,080 a wave. The girl seems quite positive, 1488 01:29:09,520 --> 01:29:13,040 both as regards the hat and the woman who wore it. 1489 01:29:13,920 --> 01:29:18,480 But of course 1 cannot allow a human life to be sworn away 1490 01:29:18,680 --> 01:29:22,720 without bringing every possible proof to bear on such a 1491 01:29:22,720 --> 01:29:26,720 statement. And I am sure that everyone in 1492 01:29:26,720 --> 01:29:30,560 this House will understand that we don't want to introduce 1493 01:29:30,560 --> 01:29:34,120 strangers more than we can help into the sad affair which 1494 01:29:34,120 --> 01:29:37,000 already has been brooded abroad too much. 1495 01:29:38,200 --> 01:29:43,440 She paused a moment then, as neither Lady Irene nor the maids 1496 01:29:43,520 --> 01:29:49,360 made any comment, she continued. My superiors at Scotland Yard 1497 01:29:49,720 --> 01:29:53,400 think it their duty to try and confuse the witness as much as 1498 01:29:53,400 --> 01:29:56,360 possible in her act of identification. 1499 01:29:57,240 --> 01:30:00,440 They desire that a certain number of ladies wearing 1500 01:30:00,440 --> 01:30:04,600 abnormally large hats should parade before the waitress. 1501 01:30:05,080 --> 01:30:09,280 Among them will be, of course, the one whom the girl has 1502 01:30:09,280 --> 01:30:12,720 already identified as being the mysterious person who had tea 1503 01:30:12,720 --> 01:30:15,840 with Mr. Culloden at Mathis's that afternoon. 1504 01:30:16,840 --> 01:30:19,960 My superiors. Can then satisfy themselves 1505 01:30:20,240 --> 01:30:24,720 whether the waitress is or is not so sure of her statement 1506 01:30:25,000 --> 01:30:28,960 that she invariably picks out again and again one particular 1507 01:30:28,960 --> 01:30:34,960 individual amongst a number of others or not surely interrupted 1508 01:30:34,960 --> 01:30:37,400 lady. Irene, Dryly, you and your 1509 01:30:37,400 --> 01:30:41,000 superiors do not expect my servants to help in such a 1510 01:30:41,000 --> 01:30:43,960 farce. We don't look upon such 1511 01:30:43,960 --> 01:30:48,320 proceedings as a farce. Lady Irene rejoined Lady Molly 1512 01:30:48,320 --> 01:30:52,040 gently. It is often resorted to in the 1513 01:30:52,040 --> 01:30:55,960 interest of an accused person, and we certainly would ask the 1514 01:30:55,960 --> 01:31:00,760 cooperation of your household. I don't see what they can do. 1515 01:31:01,720 --> 01:31:04,560 But the two girls did not seem unwilling. 1516 01:31:05,320 --> 01:31:09,280 The idea appealed to them. I felt sure it suggested an 1517 01:31:09,280 --> 01:31:13,520 exciting episode and gave promise of variety in their 1518 01:31:13,520 --> 01:31:17,120 monotonous lives. I am sure both these young 1519 01:31:17,120 --> 01:31:21,960 ladies possess fine big hats, continued Lady Molly with an 1520 01:31:21,960 --> 01:31:25,760 encouraging smile. I should not allow them to wear 1521 01:31:25,760 --> 01:31:30,200 ridiculous headgear, retorted Lady Irene sternly. 1522 01:31:31,480 --> 01:31:34,480 I have the one year ladyship wouldn't wear and threw away, 1523 01:31:35,000 --> 01:31:36,960 interposed the young parlour maid. 1524 01:31:37,480 --> 01:31:41,120 I put it together again with the scraps I found in the dust hole. 1525 01:31:42,120 --> 01:31:47,000 There was just one instant of absolute silence, one of those 1526 01:31:47,000 --> 01:31:50,400 magnetic moments when fate seems to have dropped the spool on 1527 01:31:50,400 --> 01:31:54,080 which she was spinning the threads of a life and is just 1528 01:31:54,080 --> 01:31:59,440 stooping in order to pick it up. Lady Irene raised a black 1529 01:31:59,600 --> 01:32:03,040 bordered handkerchief to her lips and then said quietly. 1530 01:32:04,000 --> 01:32:06,080 I don't know what you mean, Mary. 1531 01:32:06,280 --> 01:32:12,520 I never wear big hats. No, my lady here, interposed the 1532 01:32:12,520 --> 01:32:15,640 lady's maid. But Mary means the one you 1533 01:32:15,640 --> 01:32:19,800 ordered at Sanchea's, and only were the once the day you went 1534 01:32:19,800 --> 01:32:23,440 to that concert. Which day was that? 1535 01:32:23,960 --> 01:32:28,720 Asked Lady Molly blandly. Oh I couldn't forget that day, 1536 01:32:29,000 --> 01:32:32,720 ejaculated the maid. Her ladyship came home from the 1537 01:32:32,720 --> 01:32:35,680 concert. I had undressed her and she told 1538 01:32:35,680 --> 01:32:39,720 me that she would never wear her big hat again, it was too heavy. 1539 01:32:40,360 --> 01:32:43,240 That same day Mr. Culloden was murdered. 1540 01:32:44,320 --> 01:32:48,200 That hat would answer our purpose very well, said Lady 1541 01:32:48,200 --> 01:32:52,080 Molly quite calmly. Perhaps Mary will go and fetch 1542 01:32:52,080 --> 01:32:55,320 it and you had better go and help her put it on. 1543 01:32:56,480 --> 01:33:01,000 The 2 girls went out of the room without another word and there 1544 01:33:01,000 --> 01:33:05,600 were we three women left facing one another with that awful 1545 01:33:05,600 --> 01:33:10,000 secret only half revealed, hovering in the air like an 1546 01:33:10,000 --> 01:33:14,080 intangible spectre. What are you going to do? 1547 01:33:14,480 --> 01:33:19,880 Lady Irene Asked Lady Molly after a moment's pause during 1548 01:33:19,880 --> 01:33:23,920 which I literally could hear my own heart beating whilst I 1549 01:33:23,920 --> 01:33:28,240 watched the rigid figure of the widow in deep black crepe, her 1550 01:33:28,240 --> 01:33:33,040 face set and white, her eyes fixed steadily on Lady Molly. 1551 01:33:34,160 --> 01:33:37,160 You can't prove it, she said defiantly. 1552 01:33:37,760 --> 01:33:41,040 I think we can rejoined Lady Molly simply. 1553 01:33:41,360 --> 01:33:45,600 At any rate, I mean to try. I have two of the waitresses 1554 01:33:45,600 --> 01:33:49,720 from Mathis's outside in a cab, and I've already spoken to the 1555 01:33:49,720 --> 01:33:53,960 attendant who served you at Sanchia's, an obscure maligner 1556 01:33:54,040 --> 01:33:56,200 in a back street near Portland Rd. 1557 01:33:57,080 --> 01:34:00,840 We know that you were at great pains there to order a hat of 1558 01:34:00,840 --> 01:34:04,520 certain dimensions and to your own minute description. 1559 01:34:05,160 --> 01:34:10,000 It was a copy of 1 you had once seen Miss Lowenthal wear when 1560 01:34:10,000 --> 01:34:12,200 you met her at your late husband's office. 1561 01:34:12,720 --> 01:34:16,720 We can prove that meeting, too. Then we have your maid's 1562 01:34:16,720 --> 01:34:21,880 testimony that you wore the same hat once and once only the day, 1563 01:34:22,200 --> 01:34:26,560 presumably, that you went out to a concert, a statement which you 1564 01:34:26,560 --> 01:34:30,920 will find it difficult to substantiate, and also the day 1565 01:34:30,920 --> 01:34:33,040 on which your husband was murdered. 1566 01:34:34,320 --> 01:34:38,800 Bah, the public will laugh at you, retorted Lady Irene, still 1567 01:34:38,800 --> 01:34:42,200 defiantly. You would not dare to formulate 1568 01:34:42,200 --> 01:34:46,920 so monstrous a charge. It will not seem monstrous when 1569 01:34:46,920 --> 01:34:51,080 justice has weighed in the balance the facts which we can 1570 01:34:51,080 --> 01:34:54,680 prove. Let me tell you a few of these. 1571 01:34:55,360 --> 01:35:00,200 The result of careful investigation there is the fact 1572 01:35:00,320 --> 01:35:04,000 that you knew of Mr. Culloden's entanglement with Miss Elizabeth 1573 01:35:04,000 --> 01:35:08,080 Lowenthal and did your best to keep it from old Missus 1574 01:35:08,080 --> 01:35:11,800 Steinberg's knowledge. Realizing that any scandal round 1575 01:35:11,800 --> 01:35:15,680 her favorite nephew would result in the old lady cutting him, and 1576 01:35:15,680 --> 01:35:21,120 therefore you, out of her will, you dismissed A parlour maid for 1577 01:35:21,120 --> 01:35:25,000 the sole reason that she had been present when Miss Lowenthal 1578 01:35:25,000 --> 01:35:27,040 was shown into Mr. Cullet in study. 1579 01:35:28,520 --> 01:35:32,840 There is the fact that Missus Steinberg had so worded her will 1580 01:35:32,840 --> 01:35:35,240 that. In the event of her nephew dying 1581 01:35:35,240 --> 01:35:38,240 before. Her her fortune would devolve on 1582 01:35:38,240 --> 01:35:40,960 you. The fact that with Miss 1583 01:35:40,960 --> 01:35:44,520 Lowenthal's action for breach of promise against your husband, 1584 01:35:44,920 --> 01:35:48,960 your last hope of keeping the scandal from the old lady's ears 1585 01:35:49,360 --> 01:35:53,920 had effectually vanished. You saw the fortune eluding your 1586 01:35:53,920 --> 01:35:56,800 grasp. You feared Missus Steinberg 1587 01:35:56,800 --> 01:36:01,080 would alter her will. Had you found the means, and had 1588 01:36:01,080 --> 01:36:04,920 you dared, would you not rather have killed the old lady? 1589 01:36:05,920 --> 01:36:07,800 But discovery would have been certain. 1590 01:36:08,160 --> 01:36:13,160 The other crime was bolder and. Shorter, you have inherited the 1591 01:36:13,160 --> 01:36:17,080 old lady's millions, for she never knew of her nephew's 1592 01:36:17,080 --> 01:36:21,920 earlier peccadilloes. All of this we can state and 1593 01:36:21,920 --> 01:36:26,080 prove, and the history of the hat bought and worn one day 1594 01:36:26,080 --> 01:36:30,680 only, that same memorable day, and then thrown away. 1595 01:36:31,160 --> 01:36:36,280 A loud laugh interrupted her, a laugh that froze my very marrow. 1596 01:36:37,400 --> 01:36:39,480 There is one fact you have forgotten. 1597 01:36:39,480 --> 01:36:44,560 My Lady of Scotland Yard came in sharp, strident accents from the 1598 01:36:44,560 --> 01:36:48,840 black robed figure, which seemed to have been strangely spectral 1599 01:36:49,120 --> 01:36:52,680 in the fast gathering gloom which had been enveloping the 1600 01:36:52,680 --> 01:36:56,880 luxurious little Bardois. Don't omit to mention the fact 1601 01:36:56,880 --> 01:37:01,560 that the accused took the law into her own hands, and before 1602 01:37:01,560 --> 01:37:06,440 my dear lady and I could rush to prevent her, Lady Irene Culloden 1603 01:37:06,680 --> 01:37:10,400 had conveyed something. We dare not think what to her 1604 01:37:10,400 --> 01:37:12,800 mouth. Find Danvers. 1605 01:37:12,800 --> 01:37:15,840 Quickly, Mary, said Lady Molly calmly. 1606 01:37:16,200 --> 01:37:19,280 You'll find him outside. Bring her doctor back with you. 1607 01:37:20,600 --> 01:37:25,160 Even as she spoke, Lady Irene, with a cry of agony, fell 1608 01:37:25,160 --> 01:37:27,440 senseless in my dear lady's arms. 1609 01:37:28,920 --> 01:37:31,480 The doctor, I may tell you, came too late. 1610 01:37:31,960 --> 01:37:35,840 The unfortunate woman evidently had a good knowledge of poisons. 1611 01:37:36,320 --> 01:37:40,280 She had been determined not to fail in case of discovery. 1612 01:37:40,560 --> 01:37:44,520 She was ready and able to meet out justice to herself. 1613 01:37:45,920 --> 01:37:49,360 I don't think the public ever knew the real truth about the 1614 01:37:49,360 --> 01:37:53,880 woman in the big hat. Interest in her went the way of 1615 01:37:53,880 --> 01:37:58,000 all things. Yet my dear lady had been right 1616 01:37:58,000 --> 01:38:02,640 from beginning to end. With unerring precision she had 1617 01:38:02,640 --> 01:38:06,520 placed her dainty finger on the real motive and the real 1618 01:38:06,520 --> 01:38:10,960 perpetrator of the crime, the ambitious woman who had married 1619 01:38:10,960 --> 01:38:15,840 solely for money and meant to have that money even at the cost 1620 01:38:15,840 --> 01:38:19,120 of one of the most dastardly murderers that have ever 1621 01:38:19,120 --> 01:38:21,840 darkened the criminal annals of this country. 1622 01:38:23,080 --> 01:38:26,920 I asked Lady Molly what it was that first made her think of 1623 01:38:26,920 --> 01:38:29,760 Lady Irene as the possible murderess. 1624 01:38:30,440 --> 01:38:33,120 No one else for a moment had thought her guilty. 1625 01:38:33,920 --> 01:38:37,360 The big hat, replied my dear lady with a smile. 1626 01:38:38,200 --> 01:38:42,480 Had the mysterious woman at Mathis's been tall, the 1627 01:38:42,480 --> 01:38:46,840 waitresses would not one and all have been struck by the abnormal 1628 01:38:46,840 --> 01:38:50,200 size of the hat. The wearer must have been 1629 01:38:50,200 --> 01:38:55,360 petite, hence the reason that under a wide brim only the chin 1630 01:38:55,480 --> 01:38:59,760 would be visible. I at once sought for a small 1631 01:38:59,760 --> 01:39:02,400 woman. Our fellows did not think of 1632 01:39:02,400 --> 01:39:07,360 that because they are men. You see how simple it all was? 1633 01:39:09,960 --> 01:39:16,160 End of the Woman in the Big Hat by Baroness Emma Ozzie, Part 2 1634 01:39:17,160 --> 01:39:21,360 recording by Janet Marysville, WA. 1635 01:39:27,380 --> 01:39:30,980 Section 17 of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. 1636 01:39:31,580 --> 01:39:35,180 This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in 1637 01:39:35,180 --> 01:39:37,800 the public domain. For more information or to 1638 01:39:37,800 --> 01:39:41,080 volunteer, please visit librivox.org. 1639 01:39:41,800 --> 01:39:45,520 Recording by St. Mcduff, The Rivals of Sherlock 1640 01:39:45,520 --> 01:39:49,080 Holmes, Volume 1. The Affair of the Tortoise by 1641 01:39:49,080 --> 01:39:53,880 Arthur Morrison. Very often Hewitt was tempted by 1642 01:39:53,880 --> 01:39:56,960 the fascination of some particularly odd case to neglect 1643 01:39:56,960 --> 01:40:00,280 his other affairs to follow up a matter that from a business 1644 01:40:00,280 --> 01:40:02,680 point of view, was of little or no value to him. 1645 01:40:03,200 --> 01:40:05,880 As a rule, he had a sufficient regard for his own interests to 1646 01:40:05,880 --> 01:40:09,880 resist such temptations, but in one curious case at least, I 1647 01:40:09,880 --> 01:40:12,120 believe he allowed it largely to influence him. 1648 01:40:12,720 --> 01:40:15,880 It was certainly an extremely odd case, one of those affairs 1649 01:40:15,880 --> 01:40:18,760 that, coming to light at intervals but more often 1650 01:40:18,760 --> 01:40:20,880 remaining unheard of by the general public. 1651 01:40:21,200 --> 01:40:23,280 Convince one that, after all, there is very little 1652 01:40:23,280 --> 01:40:26,880 extravagance about Mr. RL Stevenson's bizarre imaginings 1653 01:40:26,880 --> 01:40:29,840 of doings in London in his new Arabian Nights. 1654 01:40:30,480 --> 01:40:32,720 There's nothing in this world that is at all possible. 1655 01:40:33,480 --> 01:40:36,000 I have often heard Martin Hughitt say that has not 1656 01:40:36,000 --> 01:40:38,000 happened or is not happening in London. 1657 01:40:38,400 --> 01:40:41,960 Certainly he had opportunities of knowing the case I have 1658 01:40:41,960 --> 01:40:44,400 referred to occurred some time before my own acquaintance with 1659 01:40:44,400 --> 01:40:48,280 him began in 1878. In fact, he had called one 1660 01:40:48,280 --> 01:40:50,840 Monday morning at an office in regard to something connected 1661 01:40:50,840 --> 01:40:53,800 with one of those uninteresting, though often difficult cases 1662 01:40:53,800 --> 01:40:56,760 which formed perhaps the bulk of his practice, when he was 1663 01:40:56,760 --> 01:41:00,280 informed of a most mysterious murder that had taken place in 1664 01:41:00,280 --> 01:41:02,960 another part of the same building on the previous 1665 01:41:02,960 --> 01:41:06,080 Saturday afternoon. Owing to the circumstances of 1666 01:41:06,080 --> 01:41:08,840 the case, only the vaguest account had appeared in the 1667 01:41:08,840 --> 01:41:12,320 morning papers, and even this, as it chanced, Hewett had not 1668 01:41:12,320 --> 01:41:15,120 read. The building was one of the new 1669 01:41:15,120 --> 01:41:17,840 row in a partly rebuilt street near the National Gallery. 1670 01:41:18,240 --> 01:41:21,200 The whole row had been built by a speculator for the purpose of 1671 01:41:21,200 --> 01:41:24,400 letting out in flats suites of chambers, and in one or two 1672 01:41:24,400 --> 01:41:26,480 cases on the ground floors, offices. 1673 01:41:27,000 --> 01:41:29,720 The rooms had let very well and two desirable tenants, as a 1674 01:41:29,720 --> 01:41:32,600 rule, Police satisfactory tenant, the proprietor 1675 01:41:32,600 --> 01:41:37,040 reluctantly admitted, was a Mr. Ramo, A Negro gentleman single, 1676 01:41:37,320 --> 01:41:40,920 who had three rooms on the top floor but one of the particular 1677 01:41:40,920 --> 01:41:42,280 building that Hewitt was visiting. 1678 01:41:43,000 --> 01:41:46,280 His rent was paid regularly, but his behaviour had produced 1679 01:41:46,280 --> 01:41:49,560 complaints from other tenants. He got uproariously drunk and 1680 01:41:49,560 --> 01:41:51,720 screamed and howled in unknown tongues. 1681 01:41:52,200 --> 01:41:55,320 He fell asleep on the staircase ladies were afraid to pass. 1682 01:41:55,960 --> 01:41:58,640 He bawled rough chaff down the stairs and along the quarters at 1683 01:41:58,680 --> 01:42:02,160 Butcher Boys and Messengers, and played on errand boy's brutal 1684 01:42:02,160 --> 01:42:05,520 practical jokes that ended in police court summonses. 1685 01:42:06,080 --> 01:42:08,400 He once had a way of sliding down the balusters, shouting 1686 01:42:08,400 --> 01:42:12,880 Hoy, Hoy, Hoy, yeah, as he went. But as he was a big heavy man 1687 01:42:12,880 --> 01:42:15,800 and the balusters had been built for different treatment, he had 1688 01:42:15,800 --> 01:42:19,200 very soon and very firmly been requested to stop it. 1689 01:42:19,760 --> 01:42:23,360 He had plenty of money and spent it freely, but it was generally 1690 01:42:23,360 --> 01:42:26,680 felt that there was too much of the light hearted savage about 1691 01:42:26,680 --> 01:42:29,640 him to fit him to live among quiet people. 1692 01:42:31,040 --> 01:42:33,400 How much longer the landlord would have stood for this sort 1693 01:42:33,400 --> 01:42:35,640 of thing, Hewitt's informant said, was a matter of 1694 01:42:35,640 --> 01:42:39,360 conjecture, for on the Saturday afternoon in question the 1695 01:42:39,360 --> 01:42:41,800 tenancy had come to a startling full stop. 1696 01:42:42,320 --> 01:42:45,440 Ramo had been murdered in his room, and the body had, in the 1697 01:42:45,440 --> 01:42:48,760 most unaccountable fashion, been secretly removed from the 1698 01:42:48,760 --> 01:42:51,760 premises. The strongest possible suspicion 1699 01:42:51,760 --> 01:42:54,760 pointed to a man who had been employed in shoveling and 1700 01:42:54,760 --> 01:42:57,880 carrying coals, cleaning windows and chopping wood for several of 1701 01:42:57,880 --> 01:43:00,760 the buildings, and who had left that very Saturday. 1702 01:43:01,040 --> 01:43:04,480 The crime had, in fact, been committed with this man's 1703 01:43:04,480 --> 01:43:08,120 chopper, and the man himself had been hurt again and again to 1704 01:43:08,120 --> 01:43:11,560 threaten Ramo, who in his brutal fashion had made a butt of him. 1705 01:43:12,240 --> 01:43:16,280 This man was a Frenchman, Victor Goujon by name, who had lost his 1706 01:43:16,280 --> 01:43:19,240 employment as a watchmaker by reason of an injury to his right 1707 01:43:19,240 --> 01:43:23,040 hand which destroyed its steadiness, and so he had fallen 1708 01:43:23,040 --> 01:43:27,440 upon evil days and odd jobs. He was a little man of no great 1709 01:43:27,440 --> 01:43:31,240 strength, but extraordinarily excitable, and the coarse gibes 1710 01:43:31,240 --> 01:43:34,440 and horseplay of the big Negro drove him almost to madness. 1711 01:43:35,080 --> 01:43:38,040 Ramo would often, after some more than ordinarily outrageous 1712 01:43:38,040 --> 01:43:41,680 attack, contemptuously fling Gujon a shilling, which the 1713 01:43:41,680 --> 01:43:44,440 little Frenchman, although wanting a shilling badly enough, 1714 01:43:44,800 --> 01:43:47,440 would hurl back in his face, almost weeping with impotent 1715 01:43:47,440 --> 01:43:49,320 rage. Pig, can I? 1716 01:43:49,520 --> 01:43:52,360 He would scream. Dirty pig of Africa, take your 1717 01:43:52,360 --> 01:43:54,840 shilling to value a stole it Volor. 1718 01:43:55,080 --> 01:43:58,360 Pig. There was a tortoise living in 1719 01:43:58,360 --> 01:44:02,880 the basement, of which Goujon had made rather a pet, and the 1720 01:44:02,880 --> 01:44:06,120 Negro would sometimes use this animal as a missile, flinging it 1721 01:44:06,120 --> 01:44:09,480 at the little Frenchman's head. On one such occasion the 1722 01:44:09,480 --> 01:44:12,720 tortoise struck the wall so forcibly as to break its shell, 1723 01:44:13,360 --> 01:44:16,520 and then Goujon seized a shovel and rushed at his tormentor with 1724 01:44:16,520 --> 01:44:19,360 such blind fury that the latter made a bolt of it. 1725 01:44:20,840 --> 01:44:23,520 These were but a few of the passages between Rameau and the 1726 01:44:23,520 --> 01:44:26,640 fuel Porter, but they illustrate the state of feeling between 1727 01:44:26,640 --> 01:44:29,760 them. Gougeon, after correspondence 1728 01:44:29,760 --> 01:44:32,840 with a relative in France who offered him work, gave notice to 1729 01:44:32,840 --> 01:44:34,840 leave, which expired on the day of the crime. 1730 01:44:35,560 --> 01:44:39,240 At about 3:00 that afternoon a housemaid, proceeding toward 1731 01:44:39,240 --> 01:44:42,240 Ramo's rooms, met Gougeon. I see was going away. 1732 01:44:42,880 --> 01:44:45,200 Gougeon bade her goodbye, and, pointing in the direction of 1733 01:44:45,200 --> 01:44:48,680 Ramo's room, said exultantly. There shall be no more of the 1734 01:44:48,680 --> 01:44:52,200 black pig for me. Victim have I done for Zoot. 1735 01:44:52,480 --> 01:44:56,440 I mock me of him even never tracase me no more. 1736 01:44:57,040 --> 01:45:00,320 And he went away. The girl went to the outer door 1737 01:45:00,320 --> 01:45:02,800 of Ramo's rooms, knocked, and got no reply. 1738 01:45:03,400 --> 01:45:06,680 Concluding that the tenant was out, she was about to use her 1739 01:45:06,680 --> 01:45:09,160 keys when she found that the door was unlocked. 1740 01:45:09,720 --> 01:45:12,800 She passed through the lobby and into the sitting room, and there 1741 01:45:12,800 --> 01:45:15,760 fell in a dead faint at the sight that met her eyes. 1742 01:45:16,880 --> 01:45:20,680 Ramo lay with his back across the sofa and his head drooping 1743 01:45:20,680 --> 01:45:24,520 within an inch of the ground. On the head was a fearful gash 1744 01:45:24,960 --> 01:45:27,720 and below it was a pool of blood. 1745 01:45:29,400 --> 01:45:31,320 The girl must have laid unconscious for about 10 1746 01:45:31,320 --> 01:45:33,600 minutes. When she came to her senses. 1747 01:45:33,680 --> 01:45:36,480 She dragged herself terrified from the room and up to the 1748 01:45:36,480 --> 01:45:39,840 housekeepers apartments where, being an excitable nervous 1749 01:45:39,840 --> 01:45:44,440 creature, she only screamed murder and immediately fell in a 1750 01:45:44,440 --> 01:45:46,920 fit of hysterics that lasted 3/4 of an hour. 1751 01:45:47,680 --> 01:45:50,760 When at last she came to herself she told her story, and the hall 1752 01:45:50,760 --> 01:45:53,760 Porter having been summoned, Romo's rooms were once again 1753 01:45:53,760 --> 01:45:56,120 approached. The blood still lay on the 1754 01:45:56,120 --> 01:45:59,440 floor, and the chopper with which the crime had evidently 1755 01:45:59,440 --> 01:46:03,200 been committed, rested against the Fender, but the body had 1756 01:46:03,200 --> 01:46:05,840 vanished. A search was at once made, but 1757 01:46:05,840 --> 01:46:07,600 no trace of it could be seen anywhere. 1758 01:46:08,240 --> 01:46:10,320 It seemed impossible that it could have been carried out of 1759 01:46:10,320 --> 01:46:12,640 the building, for the hall Porter must have once have 1760 01:46:12,640 --> 01:46:17,040 noticed anybody leaving with so bulky a burden still in the 1761 01:46:17,040 --> 01:46:19,000 building. It was not to be found. 1762 01:46:20,240 --> 01:46:22,880 When Hewitt was informed of these things on Monday, the 1763 01:46:22,880 --> 01:46:25,760 police were, of course, still in possession of Ramo's rooms. 1764 01:46:26,400 --> 01:46:29,120 Inspector Netting, Hewitt was told, was in charge of the case 1765 01:46:29,720 --> 01:46:32,800 and as the inspector was an acquaintance of his and was then 1766 01:46:32,800 --> 01:46:35,680 in the room upstairs, Hewitt went up to see him. 1767 01:46:36,760 --> 01:46:38,960 Nettings was pleased to see Hewitt and invited him to look 1768 01:46:38,960 --> 01:46:42,080 around the rooms. Well, perhaps you can spot 1769 01:46:42,080 --> 01:46:44,800 something we've overlooked, he said, Though it's not a case 1770 01:46:44,800 --> 01:46:49,040 there can be much doubt about. You think it's Goujon, don't you 1771 01:46:49,920 --> 01:46:51,480 think? Well, rather look here. 1772 01:46:52,000 --> 01:46:54,200 As soon as we got here on Saturday we found this piece of 1773 01:46:54,200 --> 01:46:57,440 paper and pin on the floor. We showed it to the house maid, 1774 01:46:57,440 --> 01:47:00,480 and then she remembered. She was too much upset to think 1775 01:47:00,480 --> 01:47:03,640 of it before that. When she was in the room, the 1776 01:47:03,640 --> 01:47:07,000 paper was laying on the dead man's chest, pinned there. 1777 01:47:07,000 --> 01:47:10,280 Evidently it must have dropped off when they removed the body. 1778 01:47:10,800 --> 01:47:13,800 It's a case of half mad revenge on Gujan's part. 1779 01:47:13,800 --> 01:47:15,000 Plainly. See it. 1780 01:47:15,560 --> 01:47:19,800 You were French, don't you? The paper was a plain, large 1781 01:47:19,800 --> 01:47:22,840 half sheet of note paper on which a sentence in French was 1782 01:47:22,840 --> 01:47:25,640 scrawled in red ink in a large, clumsy hand. 1783 01:47:25,760 --> 01:47:29,960 Thus puni param vonger de la tortue. 1784 01:47:31,560 --> 01:47:35,680 Puni param vonger de la tortue, Hewitt replied musingly. 1785 01:47:36,400 --> 01:47:38,680 Punished by an avenger of the tortoise. 1786 01:47:38,760 --> 01:47:43,240 That seems odd. Well, rather odd, but you 1787 01:47:43,240 --> 01:47:45,440 understand the reference, of course. 1788 01:47:46,160 --> 01:47:48,800 Have they told you about Remau's treatment of Gujon's pet 1789 01:47:48,800 --> 01:47:52,120 tortoise? I think it was mentioned among 1790 01:47:52,120 --> 01:47:54,280 his other pranks. But this is an extreme revenge 1791 01:47:54,280 --> 01:47:56,960 for a thing of that sort, and a queer way of announcing it. 1792 01:47:57,560 --> 01:48:00,120 Though he's mad. Mad with Remau's continual 1793 01:48:00,120 --> 01:48:02,400 ragging and baiting. Nettings answered. 1794 01:48:02,800 --> 01:48:04,880 Anyway, this is a plain indication. 1795 01:48:05,120 --> 01:48:06,920 Plain as though he'd left his own signature. 1796 01:48:07,200 --> 01:48:09,120 Besides, it's in his own language, French. 1797 01:48:09,400 --> 01:48:13,920 And there's his chopper, too. Speaking of signatures. 1798 01:48:13,960 --> 01:48:16,360 Hewitt remarked. Perhaps you have already 1799 01:48:16,360 --> 01:48:19,120 compared this with other specimens of Gujon's writing. 1800 01:48:20,280 --> 01:48:22,560 Well, I did think of it, but they don't seem to have a 1801 01:48:22,560 --> 01:48:25,560 specimen to hand, and anyway it doesn't seem very important. 1802 01:48:26,080 --> 01:48:29,120 There's avenger of the tortoise plain enough in the man's own 1803 01:48:29,120 --> 01:48:30,400 language, and that tells everything. 1804 01:48:30,840 --> 01:48:33,200 Besides, handwriting's are easily disguised. 1805 01:48:34,720 --> 01:48:38,600 Have you got Gujon? Well, no, we haven't. 1806 01:48:39,120 --> 01:48:42,160 There seems to be some little difficulty about that, but I 1807 01:48:42,160 --> 01:48:44,320 expect to have him by this time tomorrow. 1808 01:48:44,840 --> 01:48:46,680 Here comes Mr. Stiles, the landlord. 1809 01:48:48,000 --> 01:48:51,880 Mr. Stiles was a thin, querulous and withered looking little man 1810 01:48:52,320 --> 01:48:56,160 who twitched his eyebrows as he spoke and spoke in short, jerky 1811 01:48:56,160 --> 01:48:58,280 phrases. No news. 1812 01:48:58,280 --> 01:49:00,960 Ay, Inspector. Ay ay found out nothing else. 1813 01:49:00,960 --> 01:49:02,440 Ay, terrible thing for my property. 1814 01:49:02,440 --> 01:49:04,160 Terrible. Who's your friend? 1815 01:49:04,960 --> 01:49:08,040 Nettings introduced Hewitt. Shocking thing this. 1816 01:49:08,040 --> 01:49:11,000 A Mr. Hewitt Terrible comes of having anything to do with these 1817 01:49:11,000 --> 01:49:14,000 bloodthirsty foreigners, eh? New buildings and all. 1818 01:49:14,000 --> 01:49:16,440 Character ruined. No one to come live here now, 1819 01:49:16,440 --> 01:49:18,680 eh? Tenants, noisy *** murdered by 1820 01:49:18,680 --> 01:49:21,840 my own servant, Terrible. You formed any opinion, eh? 1821 01:49:23,080 --> 01:49:25,280 I dare say I might if I went into the case. 1822 01:49:25,800 --> 01:49:27,840 Yes, yes, same opinion as inspectors, eh? 1823 01:49:28,280 --> 01:49:32,240 I mean an opinion of your own. The old man scrutinized Hewitt's 1824 01:49:32,240 --> 01:49:35,000 face sharply. Oh, if you'd like me to look 1825 01:49:35,000 --> 01:49:36,400 into the matter. Hewitt began. 1826 01:49:36,640 --> 01:49:40,080 Eh, oh, look into it. Well, I can't Commission you, 1827 01:49:40,080 --> 01:49:42,000 you know. Matter for the police, Mr. 1828 01:49:42,000 --> 01:49:43,840 Stunn. Police doing very well, I think. 1829 01:49:44,080 --> 01:49:46,560 Must be Goujon. But look about the place 1830 01:49:46,560 --> 01:49:48,920 certainly, if you like. If you see anything likely to 1831 01:49:48,920 --> 01:49:52,120 serve my interest, tell me and, and perhaps I'll employ you, eh, 1832 01:49:52,360 --> 01:49:54,080 eh. Good afternoon. 1833 01:49:55,400 --> 01:49:57,320 The landlord vanished and the inspector laughed. 1834 01:49:58,280 --> 01:50:00,520 Likes to see what he's buying, does Mr. Styles. 1835 01:50:00,520 --> 01:50:04,640 He said Hewett's first impulse was to walk out of the place at 1836 01:50:04,640 --> 01:50:08,440 once, but his interest in the case had been roused and he 1837 01:50:08,440 --> 01:50:11,480 determined at any rate to examine the rooms, and this he 1838 01:50:11,480 --> 01:50:14,400 did very minutely. By the side of the lobby was a 1839 01:50:14,400 --> 01:50:18,320 bathroom, and in this was fitted a tip up wash basin, which he 1840 01:50:18,320 --> 01:50:20,240 would inspected with particular attention. 1841 01:50:20,840 --> 01:50:23,440 Then he called the housekeeper and made inquiries about Ramos 1842 01:50:23,440 --> 01:50:26,680 clothes and linen. The housekeeper could give no 1843 01:50:26,720 --> 01:50:30,400 idea of how many overcoats or how much lidden he had had. 1844 01:50:30,880 --> 01:50:34,800 He had all the negro's love of display, and was continually 1845 01:50:34,800 --> 01:50:38,080 buying new clothes, which indeed, were lying, hanging, 1846 01:50:38,080 --> 01:50:40,680 littering, and choking up the bedroom in all directions. 1847 01:50:41,440 --> 01:50:43,960 The housekeeper, however, on Hewitt's inquiring after such a 1848 01:50:43,960 --> 01:50:48,360 garment, in particular did remember 1 heavy black Ulster, 1849 01:50:48,520 --> 01:50:51,840 which Ramo had very rarely worn, only in the coldest weather. 1850 01:50:53,800 --> 01:50:57,000 After the body was discovered, Hewitt asked the housekeeper, 1851 01:50:57,320 --> 01:51:00,560 was any stranger observed about the place, whether carrying 1852 01:51:00,560 --> 01:51:03,760 anything or not? Oh, no, Sir, the housekeeper 1853 01:51:03,760 --> 01:51:05,720 replied. There's been particular 1854 01:51:05,720 --> 01:51:08,360 inquiries about that. Of course, after we knew what 1855 01:51:08,360 --> 01:51:12,080 was wrong and the body was gone, nobody was seen or he'd have 1856 01:51:12,080 --> 01:51:14,480 been stopped. But the hall Porter says he's 1857 01:51:14,480 --> 01:51:17,840 certain no stranger came or went for half an hour or more before 1858 01:51:17,840 --> 01:51:20,880 that, the time about when the housemaid saw the body and 1859 01:51:20,880 --> 01:51:24,160 fainted. At this moment a clerk from the 1860 01:51:24,160 --> 01:51:26,560 landlord's office arrived and handed Nettings a paper. 1861 01:51:27,680 --> 01:51:29,360 Here you are, said Nettings to Hewitt. 1862 01:51:29,600 --> 01:51:32,240 They found a specimen of Goujon's handwriting at last. 1863 01:51:32,240 --> 01:51:34,320 If you'd like to see it, I don't want it. 1864 01:51:34,320 --> 01:51:37,040 I'm not a graphologist, and the case is clear enough for me 1865 01:51:37,040 --> 01:51:39,560 anyway. Hewitt took the paper. 1866 01:51:40,360 --> 01:51:42,680 This, he said, is a different sort of handwriting from that on 1867 01:51:42,680 --> 01:51:44,840 the paper. The red ink note about the 1868 01:51:44,840 --> 01:51:48,200 avenger of the tortoises. In a crude, large, clumsy, 1869 01:51:48,200 --> 01:51:51,800 untaught style of writing. This is small, neat and well 1870 01:51:51,800 --> 01:51:55,640 formed, except that it is A trifle shaky, probably because 1871 01:51:55,640 --> 01:51:58,240 of the hand injury. That's nothing. 1872 01:51:58,240 --> 01:52:01,440 Contended nettings. Handwriting clues are worse than 1873 01:52:01,440 --> 01:52:04,080 useless as a rule. It's so easy to disguise and 1874 01:52:04,080 --> 01:52:07,280 imitate writing. And besides, if Gujan is such a 1875 01:52:07,280 --> 01:52:10,200 good penman, as you seem to say, why could all the easier alter 1876 01:52:10,200 --> 01:52:12,720 his style? Say now yourself, can any 1877 01:52:12,720 --> 01:52:15,560 fiddling question of handwriting get over this thing about 1878 01:52:15,560 --> 01:52:18,000 avenging the tortoise? Practically a written 1879 01:52:18,000 --> 01:52:21,080 confession, to say nothing of the chopper and what he said to 1880 01:52:21,080 --> 01:52:25,560 the housemaid as he left. Well, said Hewett, perhaps not, 1881 01:52:25,560 --> 01:52:28,360 but we'll see. Meantime, turning to the 1882 01:52:28,360 --> 01:52:31,680 landlord's clerk, possibly you will be good enough to tell me 1883 01:52:31,680 --> 01:52:34,720 one or two things. First, what was Goujon's 1884 01:52:34,720 --> 01:52:37,600 character? Oh, excellent, as far as we 1885 01:52:37,600 --> 01:52:39,720 know. Oh, we never had a complaint 1886 01:52:39,720 --> 01:52:43,040 about him, except for little matters of carelessness, leaving 1887 01:52:43,040 --> 01:52:46,560 coal scuttles on the staircases for people to fall over, losing 1888 01:52:46,560 --> 01:52:49,600 shovels, and so on. He he was certainly a bit 1889 01:52:49,600 --> 01:52:52,880 careless, but as far as we could see, quite a decent little 1890 01:52:52,880 --> 01:52:54,960 fellow. One would never have thought him 1891 01:52:54,960 --> 01:52:58,520 capable of committing murder for the sake of a tortoise, though 1892 01:52:58,520 --> 01:53:00,280 he was rather fond of the animal. 1893 01:53:01,320 --> 01:53:02,960 The tortoise is dead now, I understand. 1894 01:53:03,240 --> 01:53:05,840 Yes. Have you a lift in this 1895 01:53:05,840 --> 01:53:09,040 building? Only for coal and heavy parcels. 1896 01:53:09,440 --> 01:53:12,400 Gujon used to work it sometimes going up and down in it himself 1897 01:53:12,400 --> 01:53:15,120 with coals and so on. It goes into the basement. 1898 01:53:16,080 --> 01:53:18,040 And are the coals kept under this building? 1899 01:53:18,680 --> 01:53:21,320 No, no, the store for the whole row is under the next two 1900 01:53:21,320 --> 01:53:23,600 houses. The basements communicate. 1901 01:53:24,840 --> 01:53:28,280 Do you know Ramos, other name Cesar Ramos? 1902 01:53:28,280 --> 01:53:31,560 He signed in our agreement. Did he ever mention his 1903 01:53:31,560 --> 01:53:33,200 relations? No. 1904 01:53:33,480 --> 01:53:36,320 What that is to say. He did say something one day 1905 01:53:36,320 --> 01:53:38,680 when he was very drunk. But of course it was all 1906 01:53:38,680 --> 01:53:41,040 wrought. Someone told him not to make 1907 01:53:41,040 --> 01:53:44,360 such a row. He was a beastly tenant and he 1908 01:53:44,360 --> 01:53:47,840 said he was the best man in the place and his brother was Prime 1909 01:53:47,840 --> 01:53:49,640 Minister and all sorts of things. 1910 01:53:49,880 --> 01:53:52,720 Mere drunken rant. I never heard him say anything 1911 01:53:52,720 --> 01:53:55,640 sensible about relations. Oh, we know nothing of his 1912 01:53:55,640 --> 01:53:57,560 connections. He came here on a banker's 1913 01:53:57,560 --> 01:53:59,480 reference. Thanks. 1914 01:53:59,480 --> 01:54:02,200 I think that's all I want to ask you Notice. 1915 01:54:02,200 --> 01:54:03,760 Hewitt proceeded, turning to Nettings. 1916 01:54:04,200 --> 01:54:07,880 The only ink in this place is scented and Violet, and the only 1917 01:54:07,880 --> 01:54:10,520 paper is tinted and scented, too, with a monogram 1918 01:54:11,040 --> 01:54:12,600 characteristic of Negro with money. 1919 01:54:13,040 --> 01:54:15,600 The paper that was pinned on Rambo's breast is in red ink on 1920 01:54:15,600 --> 01:54:18,840 common and rather grubby paper. Therefore it was written 1921 01:54:18,840 --> 01:54:20,480 somewhere else, and brought here. 1922 01:54:20,920 --> 01:54:24,160 Inference, premeditation. Oh, yes, yes. 1923 01:54:24,680 --> 01:54:27,320 But are you an inch nearer with all these speculations? 1924 01:54:27,320 --> 01:54:29,280 Can you get nearer than I am now without them? 1925 01:54:30,480 --> 01:54:32,240 Well, perhaps not, Hewett replied. 1926 01:54:32,680 --> 01:54:34,840 I don't profess at this moment to know the criminal. 1927 01:54:35,000 --> 01:54:37,400 You do. I'll concede you that point for 1928 01:54:37,400 --> 01:54:39,880 the present. But you don't offer an opinion 1929 01:54:39,880 --> 01:54:43,400 as to who removed Ramo's body, which I think I know. 1930 01:54:44,920 --> 01:54:48,200 But who was it then? Come try and guess that 1931 01:54:48,200 --> 01:54:50,120 yourself. It wasn't. 1932 01:54:50,120 --> 01:54:52,880 Goujon, I don't mind letting you know that. 1933 01:54:53,600 --> 01:54:56,200 But it was a person quite within your knowledge of the case. 1934 01:54:56,640 --> 01:54:58,800 You've mentioned the person's name more than once. 1935 01:54:59,680 --> 01:55:02,400 Nettings stared blankly. I don't understand you the 1936 01:55:02,400 --> 01:55:04,320 least, he said. But of course. 1937 01:55:04,320 --> 01:55:06,880 You mean that this mysterious person you speak of is having 1938 01:55:06,880 --> 01:55:08,320 moved the body, committed the murder? 1939 01:55:09,320 --> 01:55:12,760 No, I don't, nobody could have been more innocent of that. 1940 01:55:13,680 --> 01:55:16,080 Well, Nettings concluded with the resignation. 1941 01:55:16,600 --> 01:55:19,320 I'm afraid one of us is rather thick headed. 1942 01:55:19,920 --> 01:55:23,240 What will you do, Interview the person who took away the body? 1943 01:55:23,240 --> 01:55:26,760 Hewitt replied with a smile. But men alive, why? 1944 01:55:26,760 --> 01:55:29,000 Why bother about the person if it isn't the criminal? 1945 01:55:29,840 --> 01:55:31,000 Never mind. Never mind. 1946 01:55:31,360 --> 01:55:33,720 Probably the person will be a most valuable witness. 1947 01:55:35,120 --> 01:55:38,280 You mean you think that this person, whoever it is, saw the 1948 01:55:38,280 --> 01:55:41,200 crime? I think it very probable indeed. 1949 01:55:42,320 --> 01:55:45,800 Well, I won't ask you any more. I shall get hold of Gougeon. 1950 01:55:45,920 --> 01:55:47,960 That's simple and direct enough for me. 1951 01:55:48,240 --> 01:55:51,800 I prefer to deal with the heart of the case, the murder itself, 1952 01:55:52,240 --> 01:55:54,520 when there's such clear evidence as I have. 1953 01:55:55,520 --> 01:55:58,600 I shall look a little into that, too, perhaps, Hewett said. 1954 01:55:58,840 --> 01:56:01,720 And if you like, I'll tell you the first thing I shall do. 1955 01:56:02,440 --> 01:56:05,160 What's that? I shall have a good look at the 1956 01:56:05,160 --> 01:56:08,360 map of the West Indies, and I advise you to do the same. 1957 01:56:08,920 --> 01:56:11,720 Good morning. That ING stirred down the 1958 01:56:11,720 --> 01:56:13,960 quarter after Hugh went and continued staring for nearly two 1959 01:56:13,960 --> 01:56:15,320 minutes after he had disappeared. 1960 01:56:15,960 --> 01:56:17,720 Then he said to the clerk who had remained. 1961 01:56:18,440 --> 01:56:22,240 What was he talking about? I don't know, replied the clerk. 1962 01:56:22,240 --> 01:56:23,600 Couldn't make head or tail of it. 1963 01:56:24,280 --> 01:56:26,320 I don't believe there is a head to it, declared Nettings. 1964 01:56:26,360 --> 01:56:28,920 Nor a tail, either. He's kidding us. 1965 01:56:29,920 --> 01:56:32,720 Nettings was better than his word, for within two hours of 1966 01:56:32,720 --> 01:56:36,280 his conversation with Hewitt, Goujon was captured and safe in 1967 01:56:36,280 --> 01:56:39,480 a cab bound for Bow Street. He had been stopped at New Haven 1968 01:56:39,480 --> 01:56:41,920 in the morning on his way to Dieppe and was brought back to 1969 01:56:41,920 --> 01:56:44,800 London. But now Nettings met a check. 1970 01:56:45,560 --> 01:56:48,040 Late that afternoon, he called on Hewitt to explain matters. 1971 01:56:48,840 --> 01:56:51,280 We've got Goujon, he said gloomily. 1972 01:56:51,680 --> 01:56:54,720 But there's a difficulty. He's got two friends who can 1973 01:56:54,720 --> 01:56:58,360 swear an alibi. Raimo was seen at 1:30 on 1974 01:56:58,360 --> 01:57:01,360 Saturday and the girl found him dead about 3. 1975 01:57:01,960 --> 01:57:05,200 Now Goujon's two friends, it seems, were with him from 1:00 1976 01:57:05,200 --> 01:57:08,280 till 4:00 in the afternoon, with the exception of 5 minutes when 1977 01:57:08,280 --> 01:57:11,240 the girl saw him, and then he left them to take a ghee or 1978 01:57:11,240 --> 01:57:13,240 something to the housekeeper before finally leaving. 1979 01:57:13,800 --> 01:57:16,160 They were waiting on the landing below when Gujon spoke to the 1980 01:57:16,160 --> 01:57:19,480 housemaid, heard him speaking, and seen him go all the way up 1981 01:57:19,480 --> 01:57:22,160 to the housekeeper's room and back, as they looked up the wide 1982 01:57:22,160 --> 01:57:25,000 well of the staircase. They are men employed near the 1983 01:57:25,000 --> 01:57:29,240 place, and seem to have good characters, but perhaps we shall 1984 01:57:29,240 --> 01:57:31,040 find something unfavorable about them. 1985 01:57:31,560 --> 01:57:35,080 They were drinking with Gujon. Seems by way of seeing him off. 1986 01:57:36,760 --> 01:57:39,680 Well, Hewitt said, I scarcely think you need trouble to damage 1987 01:57:39,680 --> 01:57:41,760 these men's characters. They're probably telling the 1988 01:57:41,760 --> 01:57:43,840 truth. Come now, be plain. 1989 01:57:44,360 --> 01:57:46,760 You've come here to get a hint as to whether my theory of the 1990 01:57:46,760 --> 01:57:50,480 case helps you, haven't you? Well, if you can give me a 1991 01:57:50,480 --> 01:57:52,400 friendly hint. Although, of course, I may be 1992 01:57:52,400 --> 01:57:55,400 right after all. Still, I wish you'd explain a 1993 01:57:55,400 --> 01:57:58,040 bit as to what you meant by looking at a map of all that 1994 01:57:58,040 --> 01:58:00,560 mystery. Nice thing for me to be taking a 1995 01:58:00,560 --> 01:58:03,920 lesson in my own business after all these years, but perhaps I 1996 01:58:03,920 --> 01:58:06,000 deserve it. See. 1997 01:58:06,000 --> 01:58:09,040 Now, Quoth Hewitt, you remember what map I told you to look at 1998 01:58:10,320 --> 01:58:13,280 The West Indies, right? Well, here you are. 1999 01:58:14,280 --> 01:58:16,080 Hewitt reached an Atlas from his bookshelf. 2000 01:58:16,760 --> 01:58:19,600 Now look here. The biggest island of the lot on 2001 01:58:19,600 --> 01:58:22,240 this map, barring Cuba, is Haiti. 2002 01:58:22,760 --> 01:58:25,120 You know as well as I do that the western part of that island 2003 01:58:25,120 --> 01:58:28,120 is peopled by the Black Republic of Haiti, and that the country 2004 01:58:28,120 --> 01:58:31,680 is in a degenerate state of almost unexampled savagery with 2005 01:58:31,720 --> 01:58:33,560 a ridiculous show of civilization. 2006 01:58:34,480 --> 01:58:36,560 There are revolutions all the time. 2007 01:58:36,880 --> 01:58:40,080 The South American republics are peaceful and prosperous compared 2008 01:58:40,080 --> 01:58:42,280 to Haiti. The state of the country is 2009 01:58:42,280 --> 01:58:44,640 simply awful. Read Sir Spencer St. 2010 01:58:44,640 --> 01:58:47,400 John's book on it. President after President of the 2011 01:58:47,400 --> 01:58:50,440 vile Assort forces his way to power and commits the most 2012 01:58:50,640 --> 01:58:53,760 horrible and bloodthirsty excesses, murdering his 2013 01:58:53,760 --> 01:58:57,120 opponents by the 100 and seizing their property for himself and 2014 01:58:57,120 --> 01:59:00,360 his satellites, who are usually as bad, if not worse than the 2015 01:59:00,360 --> 01:59:03,680 President himself. Whole families, men, women and 2016 01:59:03,680 --> 01:59:07,320 children, are murdered at the instance of these ruffians, and 2017 01:59:07,320 --> 01:59:10,520 as a consequence the most deadly feuds spring up, and the 2018 01:59:10,520 --> 01:59:14,040 presidents and their followers are always themselves in danger 2019 01:59:14,040 --> 01:59:17,760 of reprisals from others. Perhaps the very worst of these 2020 01:59:17,760 --> 01:59:21,920 presidents in recent times has been the notorious Domeng, who 2021 01:59:21,920 --> 01:59:23,600 was overthrown by an insurrection. 2022 01:59:23,600 --> 01:59:26,800 As they all are sooner or later and compelled to fly the 2023 01:59:26,800 --> 01:59:31,120 country, Domeng and his nephews, one of whom was chief minister 2024 01:59:31,120 --> 01:59:33,520 while in power, committed the cruelest bloodshed. 2025 01:59:34,040 --> 01:59:37,400 And many members of the opposite party sought refuge in a small 2026 01:59:37,400 --> 01:59:40,960 island lying just to the north of Haiti, but were sought out 2027 01:59:40,960 --> 01:59:45,840 there and almost exterminated. Now I will show you that island 2028 01:59:45,840 --> 01:59:47,840 on the map. What's its name? 2029 01:59:48,920 --> 01:59:51,240 Tortuga. It is. 2030 01:59:52,120 --> 01:59:55,280 Tortuga, however, is only the old Spanish name. 2031 01:59:55,760 --> 01:59:58,160 The Haitians speak French, Creole French. 2032 01:59:58,680 --> 02:00:02,360 Here is a French Atlas. Now see the name of that island? 2033 02:00:03,920 --> 02:00:08,040 La Tortu. La Tortu, it is the tortoise. 2034 02:00:08,600 --> 02:00:12,040 Tortuga means the same thing in Spanish, but that island is 2035 02:00:12,040 --> 02:00:14,440 always spoken of in Haiti as La Tortu. 2036 02:00:15,440 --> 02:00:18,040 Now, do you see the drift of that paper pinned to Ramos's 2037 02:00:18,040 --> 02:00:22,520 breast, punished by an avenger of or from the tortoise or la 2038 02:00:22,520 --> 02:00:24,840 Tortu? Clear enough, It would seem that 2039 02:00:24,840 --> 02:00:27,040 the dead men had something to do with the massacre there, and 2040 02:00:27,320 --> 02:00:28,800 somebody from the island is avenging it. 2041 02:00:29,120 --> 02:00:33,200 The thing's most extraordinary. And now listen, the name of 2042 02:00:33,200 --> 02:00:38,120 Domang's nephew, who was chief minister, was Septimus Ramo. 2043 02:00:39,560 --> 02:00:42,840 And this was Cesar Ramo, his brother, probably. 2044 02:00:42,960 --> 02:00:47,000 I see. Well, this is a case, I think 2045 02:00:47,000 --> 02:00:50,680 the relationship probable. Now, do you understand why I was 2046 02:00:50,680 --> 02:00:53,240 inclined to doubt that Gujon was the man you wanted? 2047 02:00:54,000 --> 02:00:57,760 Well, of course, of course. And now I suppose I must try to 2048 02:00:57,760 --> 02:01:00,520 get a *** the chap who wrote that paper. 2049 02:01:01,040 --> 02:01:03,640 I wish he hadn't been such an ignorant *** If he'd only put 2050 02:01:03,640 --> 02:01:06,320 the capitals to the words la tortu, I might have thought a 2051 02:01:06,320 --> 02:01:09,120 little more about them, instead of taking it for granted that 2052 02:01:09,120 --> 02:01:11,160 they meant that wretched tortoise in the basement of the 2053 02:01:11,160 --> 02:01:14,040 house. Well, I've made fool of a start, 2054 02:01:14,040 --> 02:01:18,320 but I'll be after that *** now, and I, as I said before, said 2055 02:01:18,320 --> 02:01:21,320 Hewett shall be after the person that carried off Remmo's body. 2056 02:01:21,800 --> 02:01:24,200 I've had something else to do this afternoon, or I should have 2057 02:01:24,200 --> 02:01:26,840 begun already. You said you thought he saw the. 2058 02:01:26,840 --> 02:01:29,000 Crime. How did you judge that? 2059 02:01:29,840 --> 02:01:33,280 Hewett smiled. I think I'll keep that little 2060 02:01:33,280 --> 02:01:35,240 secret to myself for present, he said. 2061 02:01:35,880 --> 02:01:39,520 You shall know soon. Very well, Nettings replied with 2062 02:01:39,520 --> 02:01:41,640 resignation. I suppose I mustn't grumble if 2063 02:01:41,640 --> 02:01:44,320 you don't tell me everything. I feel too great a fool all 2064 02:01:44,320 --> 02:01:47,000 together of this case to see any farther than you show me. 2065 02:01:48,160 --> 02:01:51,560 And Inspector Nettings left on the search, while Martin Hewitt 2066 02:01:51,640 --> 02:01:55,680 as soon as he was alone. Laughed joyously and slapped his 2067 02:01:55,680 --> 02:01:59,440 thigh. There was a cab rink and shelter 2068 02:01:59,440 --> 02:02:02,360 at the end of the street where Mr. Styles building stood, and 2069 02:02:02,360 --> 02:02:05,240 early that evening a man approached it and hailed the 2070 02:02:05,240 --> 02:02:08,040 cabman and the Waterman. Anyone would have known the 2071 02:02:08,040 --> 02:02:10,280 newcomer at once for a cabman taking a holiday. 2072 02:02:10,600 --> 02:02:14,040 The brim of the hat, the bird's eye neckerchief, the immense 2073 02:02:14,040 --> 02:02:17,520 coat buttons, and more than all, the rolling wok and the wrinkled 2074 02:02:17,520 --> 02:02:19,800 trousers marked him out distinctly. 2075 02:02:21,440 --> 02:02:23,840 Watcher. He exclaimed affably with the 2076 02:02:23,840 --> 02:02:26,560 self possessed nod only possible to cabbies and bustmen. 2077 02:02:27,360 --> 02:02:30,120 Why we looking for a Bilko? I'm told one of a blokes off 2078 02:02:30,120 --> 02:02:32,720 this rank carried him last Saturday and I want to know 2079 02:02:32,720 --> 02:02:34,840 where he went. I ain't had a chance of getting 2080 02:02:34,840 --> 02:02:37,760 his address yet. Took a cab just as it got dark, 2081 02:02:37,760 --> 02:02:40,800 I'm told. Tallish chap muffled up a lot in 2082 02:02:40,800 --> 02:02:44,120 a long black overcoat. Any of you seen him? 2083 02:02:45,200 --> 02:02:47,240 The cabbies looked at one another and shook their heads. 2084 02:02:47,560 --> 02:02:49,920 It chanced that none of them had been on that particular rank at 2085 02:02:49,920 --> 02:02:53,640 the time, but the water man said Oh Dawn, I bet he's the bloke 2086 02:02:53,640 --> 02:02:56,840 what old Bill Stammers took. Yorkie was first on the rank, 2087 02:02:56,840 --> 02:02:58,320 but the bloke wouldn't have had an ansum. 2088 02:02:58,800 --> 02:03:00,960 Wanted four Wheeler, so Bill took him. 2089 02:03:01,360 --> 02:03:04,080 Biggest chap in a long black coat, collar up and muffler. 2090 02:03:04,080 --> 02:03:07,720 Thick, soft, wide awake at pulled over his eyes and he was 2091 02:03:07,920 --> 02:03:10,160 hurry too. Jumped in sharp as a weasel. 2092 02:03:12,000 --> 02:03:14,720 Didn't see his face, did you? No, not an inch of it. 2093 02:03:14,720 --> 02:03:16,760 Too much muffled. Couldn't tell if he had a face. 2094 02:03:17,680 --> 02:03:20,640 Was his arm in a sling? Why, it looked so? 2095 02:03:21,120 --> 02:03:23,640 Had it stuffed through the breast of his coat like as 2096 02:03:23,640 --> 02:03:25,320 though there might be a sling inside? 2097 02:03:26,120 --> 02:03:28,320 That's him. Any of you tell me where I might 2098 02:03:28,320 --> 02:03:30,040 run? Across Old Bill Stammers you'd 2099 02:03:30,040 --> 02:03:31,960 tell me where my precious Bilka went to. 2100 02:03:33,080 --> 02:03:36,720 As to this there was plenty of information, and in 5 minutes 2101 02:03:36,720 --> 02:03:40,240 Martin Hewitt, who had become an unoccupied cabman for the 2102 02:03:40,240 --> 02:03:43,440 occasion, was on his way to find Old Bill Stammers. 2103 02:03:43,960 --> 02:03:46,840 That respectable old man gave him full particulars as to the 2104 02:03:46,840 --> 02:03:49,760 place in the East End where he had driven his muffled fare on 2105 02:03:49,760 --> 02:03:54,520 Saturday, and Hewitt then began an 18 or 20 hours search beyond 2106 02:03:54,520 --> 02:03:57,360 White Chapel. At about 3:00 on Tuesday 2107 02:03:57,360 --> 02:04:00,560 afternoon, as Nettings was in the act of leaving Bow Street 2108 02:04:00,560 --> 02:04:03,640 Police station, Hewitt drove up in a four Wheeler. 2109 02:04:04,080 --> 02:04:07,000 Some prisoner appeared to be crouching low in the vehicle, 2110 02:04:07,280 --> 02:04:09,200 but leaving him to take care of himself. 2111 02:04:09,520 --> 02:04:12,320 Hewitt hurried into the station and shook Nettings by the hand. 2112 02:04:13,080 --> 02:04:15,920 Well, he said, have you got the murder of Ramo yet? 2113 02:04:16,640 --> 02:04:21,160 No, Nettings growled. Unless, well, Cujon's under a 2114 02:04:21,160 --> 02:04:23,480 man still, and after all, I've been thinking that you know, he 2115 02:04:23,480 --> 02:04:26,720 may know something. Pooh, nonsense, Hewitt answered. 2116 02:04:26,960 --> 02:04:30,800 You'd better let him go now. I have got somebody. 2117 02:04:31,000 --> 02:04:33,320 Hewitt laughed and slapped the Inspector's shoulder. 2118 02:04:33,600 --> 02:04:36,280 I've got the man who carried Ramo's body away. 2119 02:04:37,000 --> 02:04:38,960 The deuce you have Where? Bring him in. 2120 02:04:38,960 --> 02:04:40,520 We must have him. All right. 2121 02:04:40,800 --> 02:04:42,320 Don't be in a hurry. He won't bolt. 2122 02:04:42,960 --> 02:04:45,560 And Hewett stepped out to the cab and produced his prisoner, 2123 02:04:45,760 --> 02:04:48,920 who, pulling his hat farther over his eyes, hurried furtively 2124 02:04:48,920 --> 02:04:51,400 into the station. One hand was stowed in the 2125 02:04:51,400 --> 02:04:54,840 breast of his long coat, and below the wide brim of his hat a 2126 02:04:54,840 --> 02:04:58,200 small piece of white bandage could be seen, and as he lifted 2127 02:04:58,200 --> 02:05:01,360 his face it was seen to be that of a Negro. 2128 02:05:02,560 --> 02:05:05,280 Inspector Nettings. Hewett said ceremoniously. 2129 02:05:05,640 --> 02:05:09,320 Allow me to introduce Mr. Cesar Ramho. 2130 02:05:10,000 --> 02:05:11,920 Nettings gasped. What? 2131 02:05:12,440 --> 02:05:15,640 He at length ejaculated. What, you, Your Remo? 2132 02:05:17,040 --> 02:05:19,440 The Negro looked around nervously and shrank farther 2133 02:05:19,440 --> 02:05:22,720 from the door. Yes, he said, but please not so 2134 02:05:22,720 --> 02:05:24,520 loud. Please not loud. 2135 02:05:24,520 --> 02:05:29,240 Say maybe near. And I'm afraid you will certify, 2136 02:05:29,280 --> 02:05:31,800 will you not, Asked Hewett with malicious Glee. 2137 02:05:32,240 --> 02:05:35,480 Not only that you were not murdered last Saturday by Victor 2138 02:05:35,480 --> 02:05:39,200 Guchon, but that in fact you were not murdered at all. 2139 02:05:39,840 --> 02:05:44,000 Also that you carried your own body away in the usual fashion 2140 02:05:44,000 --> 02:05:47,680 on your own legs. Yes, yes, responded Ramo, 2141 02:05:47,680 --> 02:05:51,560 looking haggardly about. But he's not this so swoop 2142 02:05:51,560 --> 02:05:56,360 oblique I should not be seen. Nonsense, replied Hewitt, rather 2143 02:05:56,360 --> 02:05:59,000 testily. You exaggerate your danger and 2144 02:05:59,000 --> 02:06:01,880 your own importance and your enemy's abilities as well. 2145 02:06:02,280 --> 02:06:07,960 You're safe enough, I suppose. Then Nettings remarked slowly, 2146 02:06:08,240 --> 02:06:11,040 like a man on whose mind something vast was beginning to 2147 02:06:11,040 --> 02:06:12,920 dawn. I suppose. 2148 02:06:13,680 --> 02:06:16,120 Why, hang it? You must have just got up while 2149 02:06:16,120 --> 02:06:19,080 that fool of of a girl was screaming and fainting upstairs 2150 02:06:19,080 --> 02:06:21,840 and walked out. I say there's nothing so hard as 2151 02:06:21,840 --> 02:06:24,480 a *** skull, and yours is certainly made a fool of me. 2152 02:06:24,920 --> 02:06:27,600 But then somebody must have chopped you over the head. 2153 02:06:27,600 --> 02:06:31,640 Who was it? My enemies, My great enemies. 2154 02:06:31,920 --> 02:06:36,160 Enemies, Politique. I am a great man, this, with the 2155 02:06:36,160 --> 02:06:38,200 faint revival of vanity amid his fear. 2156 02:06:38,640 --> 02:06:41,400 A great man. In my country they have great 2157 02:06:41,400 --> 02:06:46,400 secret clubs ciates to kill me, me and my friends, and one enemy 2158 02:06:46,400 --> 02:06:48,520 coming in my room does this one too. 2159 02:06:48,920 --> 02:06:50,880 He indicated wrist and head, viz. 2160 02:06:50,880 --> 02:06:55,880 A Chapa ramo made the case plain to netting, so far as the actual 2161 02:06:55,880 --> 02:06:58,360 circumstances of the assault on himself were concerned. 2162 02:06:58,960 --> 02:07:01,560 A Negro, whom he had noticed near the place more than once 2163 02:07:01,560 --> 02:07:04,600 during the previous day or two, had attacked him suddenly in his 2164 02:07:04,600 --> 02:07:07,680 rooms, dealing him 2 savage blows with a chopper. 2165 02:07:08,240 --> 02:07:10,480 The first he had caught on his wrist, which was seriously 2166 02:07:10,480 --> 02:07:13,840 damaged as well as excruciatingly painful, but the 2167 02:07:13,840 --> 02:07:15,560 second had taken effect on his head. 2168 02:07:16,000 --> 02:07:18,920 His assailant had evidently gone away then, leaving him for dead, 2169 02:07:19,360 --> 02:07:22,120 but as a matter of fact, he was only stunned by the shock, and 2170 02:07:22,120 --> 02:07:26,000 had, thanks to the adamantine thickness of the Negro skull and 2171 02:07:26,000 --> 02:07:29,440 the ill direction of the chopper, only a very bad scalp 2172 02:07:29,440 --> 02:07:32,080 wound, the bone being no more than grazed. 2173 02:07:32,640 --> 02:07:35,360 He had lain insensible for some time, and must have come to his 2174 02:07:35,360 --> 02:07:37,560 senses soon after the housemaid had left the room. 2175 02:07:38,160 --> 02:07:40,680 Terrified at the knowledge that his enemies had found him out, 2176 02:07:41,000 --> 02:07:43,480 his only thought was to get away and hide himself. 2177 02:07:44,120 --> 02:07:47,240 He hastily washed and tied up his head, and enveloped himself 2178 02:07:47,240 --> 02:07:49,840 in the biggest coat he could find, and let himself down into 2179 02:07:49,840 --> 02:07:52,520 the basement by the coal lift. For fear of observation. 2180 02:07:53,280 --> 02:07:56,040 He waited in the basement of one of the adjoining buildings till 2181 02:07:56,040 --> 02:08:00,360 dark, and then got away in a cab with the idea of hiding himself 2182 02:08:00,360 --> 02:08:03,160 in the East End. He had had very little money 2183 02:08:03,160 --> 02:08:05,640 with him on his flight, and it was by reason of this 2184 02:08:05,640 --> 02:08:08,840 circumstance that Hewitt, when he found him, had prevailed on 2185 02:08:08,840 --> 02:08:11,880 him to leave his hiding place, since it would be impossible for 2186 02:08:11,880 --> 02:08:15,240 him to touch any of the large sums of money in the keeping of 2187 02:08:15,240 --> 02:08:17,880 his bank so long as he was supposed to be dead. 2188 02:08:18,720 --> 02:08:21,320 With much difficulty and the promise of ample police 2189 02:08:21,320 --> 02:08:24,280 protection, he was at last convinced that it would be safe 2190 02:08:24,280 --> 02:08:28,120 to declare himself and get his property, and then run away and 2191 02:08:28,120 --> 02:08:31,800 hide wherever he pleased. Nettings and Hewitt strolled off 2192 02:08:31,800 --> 02:08:34,480 together for a few minutes and chatted, leaving the wretched 2193 02:08:34,480 --> 02:08:37,040 Remo to cower in a corner among several policemen. 2194 02:08:38,440 --> 02:08:41,680 Well, Mr. Hewitt, netting said, this case has certainly been a 2195 02:08:41,680 --> 02:08:45,200 shocking beating for me. I must have been as blind as I 2196 02:08:45,200 --> 02:08:48,360 bet when I started on it, And yet I don't see that you had a 2197 02:08:48,360 --> 02:08:50,640 deal to go on even now. What struck you first? 2198 02:08:51,960 --> 02:08:55,760 Well, in the beginning it seemed rather odd to me that the body 2199 02:08:55,760 --> 02:08:59,680 should have been taken away, as I had been told it was, after 2200 02:08:59,680 --> 02:09:01,520 the writing paper had been pinned on it. 2201 02:09:02,320 --> 02:09:04,960 Why should the murderer pin a label on the body of his victim 2202 02:09:05,280 --> 02:09:07,120 if he meant carrying that body away? 2203 02:09:07,720 --> 02:09:09,880 Who would read the label and learn of the nature of the 2204 02:09:09,880 --> 02:09:12,960 revenge gratified? Plainly that indicated that the 2205 02:09:12,960 --> 02:09:16,040 person who had carried away the body was not the person who had 2206 02:09:16,040 --> 02:09:18,640 committed the murder. But as soon as I began to 2207 02:09:18,680 --> 02:09:21,960 examine the place, I saw the probability that there was no 2208 02:09:21,960 --> 02:09:24,800 murder after all. There were any number of 2209 02:09:24,800 --> 02:09:28,360 indications of this fact, and I can't understand you're not 2210 02:09:28,360 --> 02:09:31,800 observing them. First, although there was a good 2211 02:09:31,800 --> 02:09:34,600 deal of blood on the floor just below where the housemaid had 2212 02:09:34,600 --> 02:09:39,080 seen REMA lying, there was none between that place and the door. 2213 02:09:39,440 --> 02:09:42,360 Now, if the body had been dragged or even carried to the 2214 02:09:42,360 --> 02:09:46,080 door, blood must have become smeared about the floor, or at 2215 02:09:46,080 --> 02:09:47,680 least there would have been drops. 2216 02:09:48,120 --> 02:09:51,040 But there were none, and this seemed to hint that the corpse 2217 02:09:51,040 --> 02:09:54,800 might have come to itself, sat up on the sofa, stanched the 2218 02:09:54,800 --> 02:09:58,280 wound, and walked out. I reflected at once that Ramo 2219 02:09:58,280 --> 02:10:01,680 was a full blooded Negro, and that a negro's head is very 2220 02:10:01,680 --> 02:10:04,040 nearly invulnerable to anything short of bullets. 2221 02:10:04,400 --> 02:10:07,480 Then if the body had been dragged out as such a heavy body 2222 02:10:07,480 --> 02:10:10,000 must have been almost of necessity. 2223 02:10:10,000 --> 02:10:12,560 The carpet and rugs would show signs of the fact. 2224 02:10:12,800 --> 02:10:16,680 But there were no such signs. But beyond these there was the 2225 02:10:16,680 --> 02:10:19,760 fact that no long black overcoat was left with the other clothes. 2226 02:10:20,000 --> 02:10:22,400 Although the housekeeper distinctly remembered Ramo's 2227 02:10:22,400 --> 02:10:26,280 possession of such a garment. I judged he would use some such 2228 02:10:26,280 --> 02:10:28,680 thing to assist his disguise, which is why I asked her. 2229 02:10:29,800 --> 02:10:32,440 Why he would want to disguise was plain, as you shall see. 2230 02:10:32,440 --> 02:10:36,400 Presently there were no towels left in the bathroom, inference 2231 02:10:36,720 --> 02:10:39,520 used for bandages. Everything seemed to show that 2232 02:10:39,520 --> 02:10:43,600 the only person responsible for Remo's removal was Remo himself. 2233 02:10:44,200 --> 02:10:47,400 Why then had he gone away, secretly and hurriedly, without 2234 02:10:47,400 --> 02:10:49,600 making complaint? And why had he stayed away? 2235 02:10:50,040 --> 02:10:53,200 What reason would he have for doing this if it had been Gujon 2236 02:10:53,480 --> 02:10:55,240 that had attacked him? None. 2237 02:10:55,880 --> 02:10:59,400 Gujon was going to France clearly remote, was afraid of 2238 02:10:59,400 --> 02:11:02,920 another attack from some implacable enemy whom he was 2239 02:11:02,920 --> 02:11:06,600 anxious to avoid, one against whom he feared legal complaint 2240 02:11:06,600 --> 02:11:09,640 or defence would be useless. And this brought me at once to 2241 02:11:09,640 --> 02:11:12,520 the paper found on the floor. If this were the work of Gujon, 2242 02:11:12,800 --> 02:11:16,320 and an open reference to his tortoise, why should he be at 2243 02:11:16,320 --> 02:11:18,480 such pains to disguise his handwriting? 2244 02:11:19,200 --> 02:11:21,720 He would have been already pointing himself out by the mere 2245 02:11:21,720 --> 02:11:24,880 mention of the tortoise, and if he could not avoid a shake in 2246 02:11:24,880 --> 02:11:28,720 his natural small handwriting, how could he have avoided it in 2247 02:11:28,840 --> 02:11:32,360 a large, clumsy, slowly drawn, assumed hand? 2248 02:11:32,560 --> 02:11:37,120 No, the paper was not Gujan's. As to the writing on the paper, 2249 02:11:37,120 --> 02:11:39,640 Nettings interposed. I've told you how I made that 2250 02:11:39,640 --> 02:11:42,080 mistake. I took the readiest explanation 2251 02:11:42,080 --> 02:11:45,080 of the words, since they seemed so pat, and I wouldn't let 2252 02:11:45,080 --> 02:11:49,040 anything else outweigh that. As to the other things, the 2253 02:11:49,040 --> 02:11:52,400 evidences of Ramos having gone off by himself, well, I don't 2254 02:11:52,400 --> 02:11:55,600 usually miss such obvious things, but I never thought of 2255 02:11:55,600 --> 02:11:58,600 the possibility of the victim going away on the quiet, not 2256 02:11:58,600 --> 02:12:00,720 coming back as though he'd done something wrong. 2257 02:12:01,240 --> 02:12:03,520 Comes of starting with a set of fixed notions. 2258 02:12:04,640 --> 02:12:07,000 Well, answered Hewitt, I fancy you must have been rather out of 2259 02:12:07,000 --> 02:12:09,240 form. As they say, everybody has his 2260 02:12:09,240 --> 02:12:12,720 stupid days and you can't keep up the concert pitch forever. 2261 02:12:13,080 --> 02:12:16,600 But to return to the case, the evidence of the chopper was very 2262 02:12:16,600 --> 02:12:19,680 untrustworthy, especially when I heard of Gougeon's careless 2263 02:12:19,680 --> 02:12:23,400 habits, losing shovels and leaving coal scuttles on stairs. 2264 02:12:23,920 --> 02:12:27,000 Nothing more likely than for the chopper to be left lying about 2265 02:12:27,280 --> 02:12:29,680 and a criminal who had calculated his chances would 2266 02:12:29,680 --> 02:12:33,080 know the advantage to himself of using a weapon that belonged to 2267 02:12:33,080 --> 02:12:36,040 the place and leaving it behind to divert suspicion. 2268 02:12:36,760 --> 02:12:39,360 It's quite possible, by the way, that the man who attacked Remau 2269 02:12:39,360 --> 02:12:42,840 got way down the coal lift and out by an adjoining basement, 2270 02:12:42,840 --> 02:12:45,800 just as Remau himself. This, however, is mere 2271 02:12:45,800 --> 02:12:48,480 conjecture. The would be murder had plainly 2272 02:12:48,480 --> 02:12:51,520 prepared for the crime. Witness the previous preparation 2273 02:12:51,520 --> 02:12:54,600 of the paper, declaring his revenge an indication of his 2274 02:12:54,600 --> 02:12:58,160 pride at having run his enemy to earth at such a distant place as 2275 02:12:58,160 --> 02:13:02,120 this, although I expect he was only in England by chance, for 2276 02:13:02,120 --> 02:13:04,480 Haitians are not persistently energetic race. 2277 02:13:05,160 --> 02:13:08,760 In regard to the use of small instead of capital letters in 2278 02:13:08,760 --> 02:13:11,760 the words La Tortue on the paper, I observed in the 2279 02:13:11,760 --> 02:13:15,320 beginning that the 1st letter of the whole sentence, the P in 2280 02:13:15,320 --> 02:13:18,640 Puny, was a small one. Clearly the writer was an 2281 02:13:18,640 --> 02:13:21,880 illiterate man, and it was at once plain that he may have made 2282 02:13:21,880 --> 02:13:23,960 the same mistake with ensuing words. 2283 02:13:25,120 --> 02:13:27,480 On the whole, it was plain that everyone had begun with the 2 2284 02:13:27,480 --> 02:13:29,840 ready disposition to assume that Goujon was guilty. 2285 02:13:30,360 --> 02:13:33,320 Everybody insisted, too, that the body had been carried away, 2286 02:13:33,840 --> 02:13:35,880 which was true, of course, although not in the sense 2287 02:13:35,880 --> 02:13:37,560 intended. So I didn't trouble to 2288 02:13:37,560 --> 02:13:40,880 contradict or to say more than that I guessed who had carried 2289 02:13:40,880 --> 02:13:44,080 the body off, and to tell you the truth, I was a little peaked 2290 02:13:44,080 --> 02:13:47,240 at Mr. Styles's manner, and indisposed interested in the 2291 02:13:47,240 --> 02:13:50,360 case, as I was to give away my theories too freely. 2292 02:13:51,440 --> 02:13:53,360 The rest of the job was not very difficult. 2293 02:13:53,880 --> 02:13:56,480 I found out the cat man who had taken Ramo away. 2294 02:13:57,120 --> 02:13:59,560 You can always get rid of your help from cabbies if you go as 2295 02:13:59,560 --> 02:14:02,320 one of themselves, especially if you're after a bilker. 2296 02:14:03,040 --> 02:14:06,280 And from him got a sufficiently near East End direction to find 2297 02:14:06,280 --> 02:14:07,520 Ramo. After inquiries. 2298 02:14:08,160 --> 02:14:10,040 We ventured, by the way, on a rather long shot. 2299 02:14:10,440 --> 02:14:13,320 I described my man to the cat man as having an injured arm or 2300 02:14:13,320 --> 02:14:15,560 wrist, and it turned out a correct guess. 2301 02:14:16,080 --> 02:14:20,080 You see, a man making an attack with a chopper is pretty certain 2302 02:14:20,080 --> 02:14:23,760 to make more than a single blow, and as there appeared to have 2303 02:14:23,760 --> 02:14:27,120 been only a single wound on the head, it seemed probable that 2304 02:14:27,120 --> 02:14:30,200 another had fallen somewhere else, almost certainly on the 2305 02:14:30,200 --> 02:14:32,880 arm, as it would be raised to defend the head. 2306 02:14:33,360 --> 02:14:36,240 At Lime House I found he had had his head and wrist attended to 2307 02:14:36,240 --> 02:14:40,160 at a local medicos, and a big *** in a fright, with a long 2308 02:14:40,160 --> 02:14:43,680 black coat, a broken head and a lame hand, is not so difficult 2309 02:14:43,680 --> 02:14:47,800 to find in a small area. How I persuaded him up here you 2310 02:14:47,800 --> 02:14:49,440 know already. I think I frightened him a 2311 02:14:49,440 --> 02:14:52,560 little too, by explaining how easily I had tracked him, and 2312 02:14:52,560 --> 02:14:55,040 giving him a hint that others might do the same. 2313 02:14:55,600 --> 02:14:59,240 He's in a great funk. He seems to have quite lost 2314 02:14:59,240 --> 02:15:01,080 faith in England as a safe asylum. 2315 02:15:02,880 --> 02:15:05,280 The police failed to catch Remau's assistant, chiefly 2316 02:15:05,280 --> 02:15:08,000 because Remau could not be got to give a proper description of 2317 02:15:08,000 --> 02:15:10,800 him, nor to do anything except get out of the country in a 2318 02:15:10,800 --> 02:15:13,840 hurry. In truth, he was glad to be quit 2319 02:15:13,840 --> 02:15:15,400 of the matter. With nothing worse than his 2320 02:15:15,400 --> 02:15:18,840 broken head. Little Goujon made a wild storm 2321 02:15:18,840 --> 02:15:22,520 about his arrest, and before he did go to France, managed to 2322 02:15:22,520 --> 02:15:26,880 extract 20 lbs from Remau by way of compensation, in spite of the 2323 02:15:26,880 --> 02:15:30,040 absence of any strictly legal claim against his old tormentor. 2324 02:15:31,160 --> 02:15:34,160 So that on the whole, Gujon was about the only person who 2325 02:15:34,160 --> 02:15:36,880 derived any particular profit from the tortoise. 2326 02:15:36,880 --> 02:15:40,600 Mystery. End of the Affair of the 2327 02:15:40,600 --> 02:15:55,700 Tortoise by Arthur Morrison. Section 18 of the Rivals of 2328 02:15:55,700 --> 02:15:59,980 Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1. This is a Librivox recording. 2329 02:16:00,420 --> 02:16:02,820 All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. 2330 02:16:03,260 --> 02:16:06,020 For more information or to volunteer, please visit 2331 02:16:06,180 --> 02:16:10,240 librivox.org. The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, 2332 02:16:10,240 --> 02:16:14,680 Volume 1 The Assyrian Rejuvenator by Clifford Ashton 2333 02:16:16,000 --> 02:16:19,280 At six O clock struck, the procession of the undined began 2334 02:16:19,280 --> 02:16:22,120 to stream beneath the electric arcade which graces the entrance 2335 02:16:22,120 --> 02:16:25,200 to Christianity's. The door swung unceasingly. 2336 02:16:25,440 --> 02:16:28,360 The mirrors no longer reflected a mere squadron of tables and a 2337 02:16:28,360 --> 02:16:31,720 Rex serviettes, a hum of conversation now mingled with a 2338 02:16:31,720 --> 02:16:34,799 clatter of knives and the popping of corks and the brisk 2339 02:16:34,799 --> 02:16:36,879 Curry of waiters. Slippers replaced the stillness 2340 02:16:36,879 --> 02:16:39,920 of the afternoon. Although the restaurant had been 2341 02:16:39,920 --> 02:16:43,280 crowded some time before he arrived, Mr. Rodney Pringle had 2342 02:16:43,280 --> 02:16:45,959 secured his favorite seat opposite the feminine print 2343 02:16:45,959 --> 02:16:49,240 after Gainsborough, and in the intervals of feeding listen to a 2344 02:16:49,240 --> 02:16:52,559 selection from Ascioni through a convenient electrophone price at 2345 02:16:52,559 --> 02:16:55,879 6 pence in the slot. It was a warm night for the time 2346 02:16:55,879 --> 02:16:59,840 of year, a muggy spell having succeeded a week of biting NE 2347 02:16:59,840 --> 02:17:02,840 wind, and as the evening wore on the atmosphere grew somewhat 2348 02:17:02,840 --> 02:17:06,120 oppressive, more particularly to those who had dined well. 2349 02:17:06,840 --> 02:17:09,360 Its effects were not very visible on Pringle, whose 2350 02:17:09,360 --> 02:17:12,639 complexion a small port wine mark on his right cheek. 2351 02:17:12,639 --> 02:17:15,959 It's only blemish was of that fairness which imparts to its 2352 02:17:15,959 --> 02:17:19,480 fortunate possessor the air of youth until long past 40, 2353 02:17:20,040 --> 02:17:23,719 especially in a man who shaves clean and habitually goes to bed 2354 02:17:23,719 --> 02:17:27,320 before 2:00 in the morning. As a smoke from Pringles Havana 2355 02:17:27,320 --> 02:17:30,719 reached upwards to an extractor, his eye fell, not for the first 2356 02:17:30,719 --> 02:17:32,920 time, upon a diner at the next table. 2357 02:17:33,840 --> 02:17:37,440 He was elderly, probably on the wrong side of 60, but with his 2358 02:17:37,440 --> 02:17:40,520 erect features might easily have claimed a few years grace. 2359 02:17:40,959 --> 02:17:44,200 While the retired soldier spoke in his scrupulous neatness and 2360 02:17:44,200 --> 02:17:46,160 in the trim of his carefully tended mustache. 2361 02:17:47,040 --> 02:17:49,680 He had finished his dinner some little time, but remained 2362 02:17:49,680 --> 02:17:53,000 seated, studying a letter with an intentness more due to its 2363 02:17:53,000 --> 02:17:56,520 subject then to its length, which Pringle could see was by 2364 02:17:56,520 --> 02:18:00,200 no means excessive. At last, with a gesture almost 2365 02:18:00,200 --> 02:18:03,520 equally compounded of weariness and disgust, he rose and was 2366 02:18:03,520 --> 02:18:06,400 helped into his overcoat by a waiter, who held the door for 2367 02:18:06,400 --> 02:18:08,600 him in the obsequious manner of his kind. 2368 02:18:09,400 --> 02:18:12,400 The languid attention which Pringle at first bestowed on his 2369 02:18:12,400 --> 02:18:15,680 neighbor had by this time given place to a deeper interest, and 2370 02:18:15,680 --> 02:18:18,879 as the swing doors closed behind the old gentleman, he scarcely 2371 02:18:18,879 --> 02:18:22,000 repressed a start when he saw a line beneath the vacant table, 2372 02:18:22,000 --> 02:18:24,920 the identical letter which had received such careful study. 2373 02:18:25,760 --> 02:18:28,080 His first impulse was to run after the old gentleman and 2374 02:18:28,080 --> 02:18:31,600 restore the paper, but by this time he had disappeared, and the 2375 02:18:31,600 --> 02:18:35,760 waiter being also invisible, Pringles sat down and read The 2376 02:18:35,760 --> 02:18:41,480 Assyrian Rejuvenator Company 82 Barbican E Central, April 5th. 2377 02:18:41,879 --> 02:18:45,160 Dear Sir, we regret to hear of the failure of the rejuvenator 2378 02:18:45,160 --> 02:18:48,160 in your hands. This is possibly due to your not 2379 02:18:48,160 --> 02:18:50,559 having followed the directions for its use sufficiently 2380 02:18:50,559 --> 02:18:52,639 closely. But I must point out that we do 2381 02:18:52,639 --> 02:18:54,920 not guarantee it's infallible success. 2382 02:18:55,799 --> 02:18:57,719 As it is an expensive preparation. 2383 02:18:57,719 --> 02:19:01,639 We do not admit the justice of your contention that our charges 2384 02:19:01,639 --> 02:19:04,879 are exorbitant. In any case, we cannot entertain 2385 02:19:04,879 --> 02:19:07,760 your request to return the whole or any part of the fees. 2386 02:19:08,320 --> 02:19:11,280 Should you act upon your threat to take proceedings for the 2387 02:19:11,280 --> 02:19:14,400 recovery of the same, we must hold your good self responsible 2388 02:19:14,400 --> 02:19:16,799 for any publicity which may follow your trial of the 2389 02:19:16,799 --> 02:19:20,920 preparation yours faithfully. Henry Jacobs, Secretary. 2390 02:19:21,680 --> 02:19:27,520 Lieutenant Colonel Sandstrom, 272 Piccadilly West To Pringle, 2391 02:19:27,600 --> 02:19:30,760 this business like communication hardly seemed to deserve so much 2392 02:19:30,760 --> 02:19:33,480 consideration as Colonel Sandstream had given it. 2393 02:19:33,959 --> 02:19:36,799 But having read and pondered over at Afresh, he walked back 2394 02:19:36,799 --> 02:19:41,559 to his chambers in Funerals Inn. He lived at #33 on the left as 2395 02:19:41,559 --> 02:19:45,040 you enter from Holborn. And anyone who scaling the stone 2396 02:19:45,040 --> 02:19:48,680 stairs reached the 2nd floor might observe on the entrance to 2397 02:19:48,680 --> 02:19:51,720 the front set of chambers the legend Mr. Romney Pringle 2398 02:19:51,800 --> 02:19:55,600 literary agent. According to high authority, the 2399 02:19:55,600 --> 02:19:58,720 reason of being of the literary agent is to act as a buffer 2400 02:19:58,720 --> 02:20:01,080 between the ravening publisher and his prey. 2401 02:20:01,480 --> 02:20:04,560 But although a very fine oak Bureau with capricious pigeon 2402 02:20:04,560 --> 02:20:07,840 holes stood conspicuously in Pringles sitting room, it was 2403 02:20:07,840 --> 02:20:10,600 tenanted by no rolls of manuscript or typewritten 2404 02:20:10,600 --> 02:20:13,640 sheets. Instead, little or no business 2405 02:20:13,640 --> 02:20:15,520 appeared to be transacted in the chambers. 2406 02:20:16,120 --> 02:20:19,480 The buffer was at present idle. If it could be said to have ever 2407 02:20:19,480 --> 02:20:23,200 had worked, it was resting to use a theatrical expression. 2408 02:20:24,600 --> 02:20:28,080 Mr. Pringle was an early riser, and it's 9 O clock time the next 2409 02:20:28,080 --> 02:20:30,560 morning from the brass Lantern clock which ticks sedately on a 2410 02:20:30,560 --> 02:20:33,560 mantle unencumbered by the usual litter of a bachelor's quarters. 2411 02:20:34,040 --> 02:20:36,840 He had already spent some time in consideration of last night's 2412 02:20:36,840 --> 02:20:40,200 incident, and a further study of the letter had only served 2413 02:20:40,200 --> 02:20:43,160 thoroughly to arouse his curiosity and decided him to 2414 02:20:43,160 --> 02:20:46,040 investigate the affair of the mysterious rejuvenator. 2415 02:20:47,200 --> 02:20:49,480 Unlocking a cupboard in the bottom of the Bureau, he 2416 02:20:49,480 --> 02:20:52,360 disclosed a regiment of bottles and jars from his cheek. 2417 02:20:52,800 --> 02:20:55,640 Then from another vial he saturated a sponge and rubbed it 2418 02:20:55,640 --> 02:20:58,720 into his eyebrows, which turned to the process from the original 2419 02:20:58,720 --> 02:21:02,360 yellow to a jetty black. From a box of several he 2420 02:21:02,360 --> 02:21:06,240 selected a waxed mustache, that most a seal item of a disguise, 2421 02:21:06,480 --> 02:21:09,400 and having attached it with a few drops of spirit gum, covered 2422 02:21:09,400 --> 02:21:12,880 his scalp with a black wig, which, as is commonly the case, 2423 02:21:13,280 --> 02:21:16,440 remains an aggressive fraud in spite of the most assiduous 2424 02:21:16,440 --> 02:21:19,280 adjustment. Satisfied with completeness of 2425 02:21:19,280 --> 02:21:22,520 his disguise, he sallied out in search of the offices of the 2426 02:21:22,520 --> 02:21:25,560 Assyrian rejuvenator. Affecting a military bearing, 2427 02:21:25,560 --> 02:21:28,200 which is slim, but tall and straight backed figure readily 2428 02:21:28,200 --> 02:21:32,080 enabled him to assume. My name is Parkins Major 2429 02:21:32,080 --> 02:21:35,240 Parkins, said Pringle as he opened the door of a mean 2430 02:21:35,240 --> 02:21:38,840 looking room on the second floor of #82 Barbican. 2431 02:21:39,960 --> 02:21:43,120 He addressed an oleogenous looking gentleman whose curly 2432 02:21:43,120 --> 02:21:45,800 locks and beard suggested the wings bowls of Nineveh. 2433 02:21:46,480 --> 02:21:48,360 And who appeared to? Be the sole representative of 2434 02:21:48,360 --> 02:21:51,240 the concern. The latter bowed politely and 2435 02:21:51,240 --> 02:21:54,400 handed him a chair. I have been asked, Pringle 2436 02:21:54,400 --> 02:21:58,400 continued by a friend who saw your advertisement to call upon 2437 02:21:58,400 --> 02:22:00,040 you for some further information. 2438 02:22:00,520 --> 02:22:03,760 Now the subject of rejuvenation being a delicate one, especially 2439 02:22:03,760 --> 02:22:06,680 where ladies are concerned, the business with the company was 2440 02:22:06,680 --> 02:22:08,400 mainly transacted through the post. 2441 02:22:08,840 --> 02:22:12,720 So seldom, indeed, did a client desire a personal interview that 2442 02:22:12,720 --> 02:22:15,680 the Assyrian looking gentleman jumped to the conclusion that 2443 02:22:15,680 --> 02:22:18,120 his visitor was interested in quite another manner. 2444 02:22:18,920 --> 02:22:22,360 Ah, yes, you refer to Pelosia, he said briskly. 2445 02:22:22,640 --> 02:22:25,040 Allow me to read you an extract from the prospectus. 2446 02:22:26,080 --> 02:22:28,760 And before Pringle could reply, he proceeded to read from a 2447 02:22:28,760 --> 02:22:31,240 small leaflet with unctuous elocution. 2448 02:22:31,640 --> 02:22:36,600 Pelosia, the sovereign remedy of mud, has long been used with the 2449 02:22:36,600 --> 02:22:39,600 greatest success in the celebrated baths of Schwabach 2450 02:22:39,600 --> 02:22:42,720 and Frazambad. The proprietors of Pelosia, 2451 02:22:42,720 --> 02:22:45,800 having noted the beneficial effect which many of the lower 2452 02:22:45,800 --> 02:22:48,200 animals derive from the consumption of earth with their 2453 02:22:48,200 --> 02:22:51,960 food, have been led to investigate the eternal uses of 2454 02:22:51,960 --> 02:22:54,800 mud. The success which has crowned 2455 02:22:54,800 --> 02:22:57,080 the treatment of some of the longest standing cases of 2456 02:22:57,080 --> 02:23:00,320 dyspepsia, the disease so characteristic of this neurotic 2457 02:23:00,320 --> 02:23:03,640 age, has induced them to admit the world at large to its 2458 02:23:03,640 --> 02:23:06,320 benefits. To thoroughly safeguard the 2459 02:23:06,320 --> 02:23:09,760 public, the proprietors have secured the sole right to the 2460 02:23:09,760 --> 02:23:13,400 alluvial deposits of a stream revoked from human habitation 2461 02:23:13,840 --> 02:23:16,880 and consequently above any suspicion of contamination. 2462 02:23:17,720 --> 02:23:21,240 Careful analysis has shown that the deposit in this particular 2463 02:23:21,240 --> 02:23:24,400 locality, consisting of finely divided mineral particles 2464 02:23:24,880 --> 02:23:28,600 practically free from organic admixture, is calculated to give 2465 02:23:28,600 --> 02:23:32,200 the most gratifying results. The proprietors are prepared to 2466 02:23:32,200 --> 02:23:34,920 quote special terms for public institutions. 2467 02:23:35,880 --> 02:23:39,160 Many thanks, said Pringle, as the other momentarily paused 2468 02:23:39,160 --> 02:23:41,480 breath. But I think you are under a 2469 02:23:41,480 --> 02:23:45,000 slight misapprehension. I called on you with reference 2470 02:23:45,000 --> 02:23:48,880 to the Assyrian Rejuvenator. Have I mistaken the offices? 2471 02:23:49,440 --> 02:23:53,200 Pray excuse my absurd mistake. I am secretary of the Assyrian 2472 02:23:53,200 --> 02:23:56,760 Rejuvenator Company, who are also the proprietors of Palosia. 2473 02:23:57,880 --> 02:24:00,400 And an evident concern. He regarded Pringle fixedly. 2474 02:24:00,920 --> 02:24:03,560 It was not the first time he had known a diffident person to 2475 02:24:03,560 --> 02:24:05,000 assume an. Interest in the senility. 2476 02:24:05,000 --> 02:24:08,080 Of an absent friend and he mentally decided that Pringle's 2477 02:24:08,080 --> 02:24:10,880 wax mustache. It's blue blackness, speaking 2478 02:24:10,880 --> 02:24:14,600 loudly a hair dye together with the unmistakable wig were 2479 02:24:14,600 --> 02:24:17,440 evidence of the decrepitude for which his new customer 2480 02:24:17,480 --> 02:24:19,680 presumably sought the company's assistance. 2481 02:24:20,720 --> 02:24:23,880 Ours, my dear Sir. He resumed, leaning back in his 2482 02:24:23,880 --> 02:24:27,040 chair and placing the tips of his fingers in opposition. 2483 02:24:28,040 --> 02:24:30,760 Ours is a world renowned specific for removing the 2484 02:24:30,760 --> 02:24:33,200 ravages which time effects in the human frame. 2485 02:24:33,960 --> 02:24:37,320 It is a secret which has been handed down for many generations 2486 02:24:37,320 --> 02:24:39,120 in the family of the original proprietor. 2487 02:24:39,960 --> 02:24:43,080 Its success is frequently remarkable, and it's absolute 2488 02:24:43,080 --> 02:24:46,760 failure is impossible. It is not a drug, it is not a 2489 02:24:46,760 --> 02:24:49,400 cosmetic, yet it contains the properties of both. 2490 02:24:49,760 --> 02:24:53,280 It is agreeable and soothing to use, and being best administered 2491 02:24:53,280 --> 02:24:56,440 during the hours of sleep, does not interfere with the ordinary 2492 02:24:56,440 --> 02:25:00,440 avocations of everyday life. The price is so moderate, 10 and 2493 02:25:00,440 --> 02:25:03,440 sixpence including the government stamp, that it could 2494 02:25:03,440 --> 02:25:05,960 only prove remunerative with an enormous sale. 2495 02:25:06,400 --> 02:25:10,520 If you, on behalf of your friend, would care to purchase a 2496 02:25:10,520 --> 02:25:13,680 bottle, I shall be most happy to explain its operation. 2497 02:25:14,480 --> 02:25:17,760 Mr. Pringle laid 1/2 Sauber and a sixpence on the table, and the 2498 02:25:17,760 --> 02:25:20,760 secretary, diving into a large packing case which stood on one 2499 02:25:20,760 --> 02:25:24,960 side, extracted A parcel. This contained a cardboard box 2500 02:25:25,080 --> 02:25:27,680 adorned with a representation of Blake's preposterous 2501 02:25:27,680 --> 02:25:31,760 illustration to the grave, in which a centenarian on crutches 2502 02:25:32,120 --> 02:25:35,280 is hobbling into a species of bankers drawing room with a 2503 02:25:35,280 --> 02:25:39,600 Rocky Top, whereupon is seated a youth clothed in nothing and 2504 02:25:39,600 --> 02:25:43,480 with an ecstatic expression. This, said Mr. Jacobs 2505 02:25:43,480 --> 02:25:47,600 impressively, is the entire apparatus, and he opened the 2506 02:25:47,600 --> 02:25:51,800 box, displaying A moderately sized file and a spirit lamp 2507 02:25:51,800 --> 02:25:55,600 with a little tin dish attached. On retiring to rest, a 2508 02:25:55,640 --> 02:25:58,240 teaspoonful of the contents of the bottle is poured into 2509 02:25:58,240 --> 02:26:01,560 receptacle above the lamp, which is then lighted, and the 2510 02:26:01,560 --> 02:26:04,440 preparation, being vaporized, is inhaled by the patient. 2511 02:26:05,040 --> 02:26:07,800 It is best to concentrate the thoughts on some object of 2512 02:26:07,800 --> 02:26:11,160 beauty, whilst the delicious aroma soothes the patient to 2513 02:26:11,160 --> 02:26:13,880 sleep. But how does it act, Inquired 2514 02:26:13,880 --> 02:26:17,600 the major trifle impatiently. In this way, replied the 2515 02:26:17,600 --> 02:26:20,640 imperturbable secretary, remember that the appearance of 2516 02:26:20,640 --> 02:26:23,960 age is largely due to wrinkles, that is to say, to the skin 2517 02:26:23,960 --> 02:26:25,720 losing its elasticity and fullness. 2518 02:26:26,640 --> 02:26:28,880 So true is it that beauty is only skin deep. 2519 02:26:29,280 --> 02:26:32,880 Here he laughed gaily. The joints grow stiff from loss 2520 02:26:32,880 --> 02:26:35,960 of their natural tone, the figure Stoops, and the vital 2521 02:26:35,960 --> 02:26:38,480 organs decline their functions from the same cause. 2522 02:26:39,400 --> 02:26:43,400 In a word, old age is due to loss of elasticity and that is 2523 02:26:43,400 --> 02:26:45,800 the very property which the rejuvenator imparts to the. 2524 02:26:45,800 --> 02:26:47,880 System. If inhaled for a few hours 2525 02:26:47,880 --> 02:26:51,080 daily, Mr. Pringle diplomatically succeeded in 2526 02:26:51,080 --> 02:26:54,040 maintaining his gravity while the merits of the rejuvenated 2527 02:26:54,040 --> 02:26:57,280 were expounded, and it was not until he had bitten Mr. Jacobs a 2528 02:26:57,280 --> 02:27:00,880 courteous farewell and was safely outside the office that 2529 02:27:00,880 --> 02:27:03,400 he allowed the fastening of his mustache to be disturbed by an 2530 02:27:03,400 --> 02:27:07,080 expansive grin. About 9:00 the same evening, the 2531 02:27:07,080 --> 02:27:09,480 housekeeper of the Barbican offices was returning from 2532 02:27:09,480 --> 02:27:12,680 market, her thoughts centered on the savory piece of fried fish 2533 02:27:12,680 --> 02:27:13,840 she was carrying home for dinner. 2534 02:27:14,520 --> 02:27:18,200 Missus Smith, said a man's voice behind her as she produced her 2535 02:27:18,200 --> 02:27:21,480 latchkey. My name's August, she replied 2536 02:27:21,480 --> 02:27:23,640 unguardedly, dropping the key in her agitation. 2537 02:27:24,200 --> 02:27:25,520 You're the housekeeper, aren't you? 2538 02:27:25,880 --> 02:27:28,400 Said the stranger, picking up the key and handing it to her 2539 02:27:28,400 --> 02:27:31,360 politely. Lore, Sir, you did give me a 2540 02:27:31,360 --> 02:27:32,480 turn. She faltered. 2541 02:27:33,360 --> 02:27:36,240 Very sorry, I'm sure. I only want to know where I can 2542 02:27:36,240 --> 02:27:39,240 find Mr. Jacobs of the Assyrian Rejuvenator Company. 2543 02:27:40,320 --> 02:27:43,320 Well, Sir, he told me I wasn't to give his address to anyone. 2544 02:27:43,920 --> 02:27:46,760 Not that I know it either, Sir, for I always send the letters to 2545 02:27:46,760 --> 02:27:50,160 Miss for weeks. I see you're not found fault 2546 02:27:50,160 --> 02:27:52,040 with. I know he won't mind you telling 2547 02:27:52,040 --> 02:27:54,000 me. A sovereign clinked against the 2548 02:27:54,000 --> 02:27:57,120 latch key in her palm. For a second she hesitated. 2549 02:27:57,680 --> 02:27:59,960 Then her eye caught the glint of the gold and she fell. 2550 02:28:00,800 --> 02:28:04,080 All I know, Sir, is that when Mr. Jacobs is away I send the 2551 02:28:04,080 --> 02:28:07,880 letters, and a rare lot there are to Mr. Newton Weeks at the 2552 02:28:07,880 --> 02:28:09,480 Northumberland Ave. Hotel. 2553 02:28:10,200 --> 02:28:13,920 Is he one of the firm? I don't know, Sir, but there's 2554 02:28:13,920 --> 02:28:15,600 no one comes here but Mr. Jacobs. 2555 02:28:16,560 --> 02:28:20,040 Thank you very much and good night, said the stranger, and he 2556 02:28:20,040 --> 02:28:23,480 strode down Barbican, leaving Missus Odges staring at the coin 2557 02:28:23,480 --> 02:28:26,680 in her hand, as if doubting weather like fairy gold, it 2558 02:28:26,680 --> 02:28:28,440 might not disappear even as she gazed. 2559 02:28:30,200 --> 02:28:33,000 The next day Mr. Jacobs received a letter at his hotel. 2560 02:28:33,840 --> 02:28:37,360 April 7th. Sir, my friend. 2561 02:28:37,360 --> 02:28:40,560 Colonel Sandstream informs me he has communicated with the police 2562 02:28:40,800 --> 02:28:42,760 and has sworn an information. Against you in. 2563 02:28:42,760 --> 02:28:46,080 Respect of the money you have obtained from him, as he alleges 2564 02:28:46,080 --> 02:28:49,560 by false pretenses. Although I am convinced that his 2565 02:28:49,560 --> 02:28:52,720 statements are true, a fact which I can more readily grasp 2566 02:28:52,720 --> 02:28:55,920 after my interview with you today, I give you this warning 2567 02:28:56,120 --> 02:28:58,640 in order that you may make your escape before it is too late. 2568 02:28:59,680 --> 02:29:03,280 Do not misunderstand my motives. I have not the slightest desire 2569 02:29:03,280 --> 02:29:05,720 to save you from the punishment you so richly deserve. 2570 02:29:06,480 --> 02:29:10,120 I am simply anxious to rescue my old friend from the ridiculous 2571 02:29:10,120 --> 02:29:13,000 position he will occupy before the world should he prosecute 2572 02:29:13,000 --> 02:29:15,480 you. Your obedient servant. 2573 02:29:15,680 --> 02:29:18,880 Joseph Parkins. Major Newton Weeks, Esquire. 2574 02:29:19,160 --> 02:29:23,480 Northumberland Ave. Hotel Mr. Jacobs read this 2575 02:29:23,480 --> 02:29:25,600 declaration of war with very mixed feelings. 2576 02:29:26,880 --> 02:29:29,080 So his visitor of yesterday. Was the friend of Colonel. 2577 02:29:29,080 --> 02:29:32,480 Sandstream obviously come to get up evidence against him. 2578 02:29:33,320 --> 02:29:35,200 Knowing old. Dog that sandstream. 2579 02:29:35,880 --> 02:29:37,640 But then how had they run him to earth? 2580 02:29:38,200 --> 02:29:40,760 That looked as if the police had got their fingers in the pie. 2581 02:29:41,560 --> 02:29:44,520 Missus Hodges was discreet. She would never have given the 2582 02:29:44,520 --> 02:29:48,440 address to any but the police. It was annoying, though, after 2583 02:29:48,440 --> 02:29:51,880 all his precautions, seemed as if the game was really up at 2584 02:29:51,880 --> 02:29:54,880 last. Well, was found to come someday, 2585 02:29:55,120 --> 02:29:57,040 and he had been in tighter places before. 2586 02:29:57,640 --> 02:30:00,400 He could hardly complain. The Rejuvenator had been going 2587 02:30:00,400 --> 02:30:04,360 very well lately, but suppose the whole thing was a plant, a 2588 02:30:04,360 --> 02:30:07,800 dodge to intimidate him? He read the letter through 2589 02:30:07,800 --> 02:30:10,080 again. The writer had been careful to 2590 02:30:10,080 --> 02:30:12,880 admit his address, but it seemed plausible enough on the face of 2591 02:30:12,880 --> 02:30:15,640 it. Anyhow, whatever the Major's 2592 02:30:15,640 --> 02:30:18,280 real motive might be, he couldn't afford to neglect the 2593 02:30:18,280 --> 02:30:21,800 warning, and the one clear thing was that London was an unhealthy 2594 02:30:21,800 --> 02:30:24,240 place for him. Just at the present he would 2595 02:30:24,240 --> 02:30:27,800 pack up so as to be ready for all emergencies, and drive 2596 02:30:27,800 --> 02:30:29,480 around the Barbican and reconnoiter. 2597 02:30:29,920 --> 02:30:33,080 Then, if things look fishy, he could go to Cannon Street and 2598 02:30:33,080 --> 02:30:34,640 catch the 11:00 and 5:00 Continental. 2599 02:30:35,080 --> 02:30:37,760 He'd show them that Harry Jacobs wasn't the man to be bluffed out 2600 02:30:37,760 --> 02:30:41,400 of his claim. Mr. Jacobs stopped his cab some 2601 02:30:41,400 --> 02:30:44,280 doors from the Rejuvenator office and was in the act of a 2602 02:30:44,280 --> 02:30:47,000 lighting when he paused. Spellbound at the apparition. 2603 02:30:47,000 --> 02:30:49,720 Of Pringle. The latter was loitering outside 2604 02:30:49,720 --> 02:30:54,280 #82 and as the cab drew up he ostentatiously consulted a large 2605 02:30:54,280 --> 02:30:57,320 pocketbook, and glanced several times from its pages to the 2606 02:30:57,320 --> 02:31:01,240 countenance of his victim, as if comparing a description attired 2607 02:31:01,240 --> 02:31:04,680 in a long overcoat, a bowler hat, and wearing thick boots of 2608 02:31:04,680 --> 02:31:07,840 a Constabulary pattern, to the nervous imagination of Mr. 2609 02:31:07,840 --> 02:31:10,120 Jacobs. He afforded startling evidence 2610 02:31:10,120 --> 02:31:13,240 of the police interest in the establishment, and this idea was 2611 02:31:13,240 --> 02:31:16,160 confirmed when Pringle, as if satisfied with his scrutiny, 2612 02:31:16,480 --> 02:31:19,440 drew a paper from his pocketbook and made a movement in his 2613 02:31:19,440 --> 02:31:21,560 direction. Without waiting for further 2614 02:31:21,560 --> 02:31:24,320 developments, Mr. Jacob retreated into the cab, and 2615 02:31:24,320 --> 02:31:25,960 Horsley whispered through the trap door. 2616 02:31:26,160 --> 02:31:27,800 Cannon Street. As hard as you can go. 2617 02:31:28,560 --> 02:31:30,440 The cabman ranks the horse's head round. 2618 02:31:30,840 --> 02:31:33,480 He had been an interested spectator of the scene, and 2619 02:31:33,480 --> 02:31:36,240 sympathized with the evident desire of his fare to escape 2620 02:31:36,240 --> 02:31:38,120 what appeared to be the long arm of the law. 2621 02:31:38,960 --> 02:31:42,320 At this moment a crawling Hanson came up, and was promptly hailed 2622 02:31:42,320 --> 02:31:45,040 by Pringle. Follow that cab, and don't lose 2623 02:31:45,040 --> 02:31:47,920 it on any account. He cried as he stood on the step 2624 02:31:48,440 --> 02:31:52,360 and pointed vigorously after the receding hansom, while Mr. 2625 02:31:52,360 --> 02:31:55,720 Jacobs Careen Don Barbican, his cab man, looked back in time to 2626 02:31:55,720 --> 02:31:57,920 observe this expressive pantomime, and with. 2627 02:31:57,920 --> 02:32:00,640 The instinct of a true. Sportsman lashed the unfortunate 2628 02:32:00,640 --> 02:32:04,520 route into a hand gallop, but the observant eye of a policeman 2629 02:32:04,520 --> 02:32:06,920 checked this moderate exhibition of speed just as they were 2630 02:32:06,920 --> 02:32:10,560 rounding the sharp corner into Aldersgate St. and had not a 2631 02:32:10,560 --> 02:32:13,080 lumbering railway van intervened, Pringle would have 2632 02:32:13,080 --> 02:32:16,480 caught him up and brought the farce to an awkward finish, But 2633 02:32:16,480 --> 02:32:20,120 the van saved the situation. The moments for spite was all 2634 02:32:20,120 --> 02:32:22,760 that the chase needed, and in response to the promises of 2635 02:32:22,760 --> 02:32:25,760 largesse, frantically roared by Mr. Jacobs through the trap 2636 02:32:25,760 --> 02:32:27,880 door. He was soon bounding and bumping 2637 02:32:27,880 --> 02:32:30,480 over the wood pavement with Pringle well in the rear. 2638 02:32:31,680 --> 02:32:35,960 Then ensued a mad Stampede down Aldersgate St. in and out 2639 02:32:36,200 --> 02:32:37,880 between the crowded files of vans. 2640 02:32:37,880 --> 02:32:40,640 And buses the. Two cabs wound a zigzag course, 2641 02:32:40,920 --> 02:32:43,840 the horses slipping and skating over the greasy surface or 2642 02:32:43,840 --> 02:32:46,720 plowing up the mud as their bits skidded them within inches of a 2643 02:32:46,720 --> 02:32:49,320 collision. In vain did policemen roar to 2644 02:32:49,320 --> 02:32:51,880 them to stop. The order fell on heedless ears. 2645 02:32:52,400 --> 02:32:55,960 In vain did officious boys wave intimidating arms or make futile 2646 02:32:55,960 --> 02:32:58,040 grabs at the harness of the apparent runaways. 2647 02:32:58,600 --> 02:33:01,000 Did a cart dart unexpectedly out from a side street? 2648 02:33:01,120 --> 02:33:03,080 The inevitable disaster failed to come off. 2649 02:33:03,600 --> 02:33:06,520 Did an obstacle loom dead ahead? It melted into thin air as they 2650 02:33:06,520 --> 02:33:08,760 approached. Triumphantly they piloted the 2651 02:33:08,760 --> 02:33:11,560 narrowest of straights and dashed unscathed in Saint 2652 02:33:11,560 --> 02:33:15,560 Martin's Le Grand there was a block in Newgate St. and the 2653 02:33:15,560 --> 02:33:18,400 cross traffic was stopped. Mr. Jacobs, handsome, nipped 2654 02:33:18,400 --> 02:33:21,920 through a temporary gap, grazing the pole and omnibus and being 2655 02:33:21,920 --> 02:33:25,680 lustily anathemanized in the process, but Pringles cab man 2656 02:33:25,680 --> 02:33:28,280 attempting to follow, was imperiously waved back by a 2657 02:33:28,280 --> 02:33:31,640 policeman. No go, I'm afraid, Sir, was the 2658 02:33:31,640 --> 02:33:34,200 man's comment as they crossed into Saint Paul's churchyard 2659 02:33:34,200 --> 02:33:37,080 after a 3 minutes wait. I can't see him nowhere. 2660 02:33:37,840 --> 02:33:39,680 Never mind, said Pringle cheerfully. 2661 02:33:40,000 --> 02:33:41,720 Go to Charing Cross Telegraph office. 2662 02:33:42,480 --> 02:33:46,280 There he sent the following message to Missus Hodges. 82 2663 02:33:46,280 --> 02:33:50,080 Barbican called away to country. Mr. Weeks will take charge of 2664 02:33:50,080 --> 02:33:53,040 office. Jacobs About two the same 2665 02:33:53,040 --> 02:33:56,040 afternoon, Pringle, wearing the wig and mustache of Major 2666 02:33:56,040 --> 02:33:58,840 Parkins, rang the housekeeper's bell at 82. 2667 02:33:59,760 --> 02:34:03,600 I'm Mr. Weeks, he stated, as Missus Hodges emerged from the 2668 02:34:03,600 --> 02:34:06,720 bowels of the earth. Mr. Jacobs has had to leave town 2669 02:34:06,720 --> 02:34:08,600 and has asked me to take charge of the office. 2670 02:34:09,800 --> 02:34:12,360 Oh, yes, Sir. I've had a telegram for Mr. 2671 02:34:12,360 --> 02:34:15,120 Jacobs to say so. You know the way up, I suppose, 2672 02:34:15,560 --> 02:34:16,920 I think. So but. 2673 02:34:16,920 --> 02:34:19,200 Mr. Jacobs forgot to send me the office key. 2674 02:34:20,000 --> 02:34:23,160 I'd better lend you mine then, Sir, till you can hear from Mr. 2675 02:34:23,160 --> 02:34:25,200 Jacobs. She fumbled in her voluminous 2676 02:34:25,200 --> 02:34:27,360 pocket. I hope nothing's the matter with 2677 02:34:27,360 --> 02:34:29,240 him. Oh dear, no. 2678 02:34:29,520 --> 02:34:31,240 He found he needed a short holiday. 2679 02:34:31,280 --> 02:34:33,720 That's all. Pringle reassured her, and 2680 02:34:33,720 --> 02:34:36,080 taking the key from the confiding woman, he climbed to 2681 02:34:36,080 --> 02:34:38,840 the second floor. Sitting down at the secretarial 2682 02:34:38,840 --> 02:34:41,440 desk, he said a quick glance around the office. 2683 02:34:42,000 --> 02:34:45,320 A poor creature, that Jacobs, he reflected, for all his 2684 02:34:45,320 --> 02:34:48,800 rascality, or he wouldn't have been scared so easily, and he 2685 02:34:48,800 --> 02:34:50,960 drew a piece of wax from his pocket and took a careful 2686 02:34:50,960 --> 02:34:54,480 impression of the key. He had not been in possession of 2687 02:34:54,480 --> 02:34:57,720 the Rejuvenator offices for very long before he discovered that 2688 02:34:57,720 --> 02:35:00,360 Mister Jacobs desire to break. Out in a fresh place had. 2689 02:35:00,360 --> 02:35:03,240 Proved abortive. It will be remembered that on 2690 02:35:03,240 --> 02:35:06,200 the occasion of his interview with that gentleman, Mr. Jacobs 2691 02:35:06,200 --> 02:35:09,400 assumed that Pringles visit had reference to Palosia, whose 2692 02:35:09,400 --> 02:35:12,720 virtues he extolled in a leaflet composed in his own very 2693 02:35:12,720 --> 02:35:15,800 pronounced style, a large package in the office. 2694 02:35:15,800 --> 02:35:18,360 Pringle found to contain many thousands of these effusions, 2695 02:35:18,840 --> 02:35:21,120 which had apparently been laid aside for some considerable 2696 02:35:21,120 --> 02:35:23,640 time. From the absence and daily 2697 02:35:23,640 --> 02:35:27,160 correspondence of any inquiries thereafter, it was clear that 2698 02:35:27,160 --> 02:35:30,000 the public had failed to realize the advantages of the internal 2699 02:35:30,000 --> 02:35:33,080 administration of MUD, so that Mister Jacobs had been forced to 2700 02:35:33,080 --> 02:35:35,360 stick to the swindle that was already in existence. 2701 02:35:35,720 --> 02:35:38,200 After all, the latter was a paying concern. 2702 02:35:38,440 --> 02:35:41,320 Eminently so. Besides, the patent medicine 2703 02:35:41,320 --> 02:35:44,880 trade is rather overdone. The price of the Assyrian 2704 02:35:44,880 --> 02:35:47,720 rejuvenator was such as to render the early caching of 2705 02:35:47,720 --> 02:35:51,480 remittances an easy matter, 10 and 6 pence being a sum for 2706 02:35:51,480 --> 02:35:53,880 which the average banker demurs to honor a check. 2707 02:35:54,200 --> 02:35:57,280 The payments were usually made in postal orders, and Pringle 2708 02:35:57,280 --> 02:35:59,720 acquired a larger faith, in Carlyle's opinion, of the 2709 02:35:59,720 --> 02:36:02,320 majority of his fellow creatures, as he cashed the 2710 02:36:02,320 --> 02:36:05,040 previous day's takings at the General Post Office on his way 2711 02:36:05,040 --> 02:36:08,200 up to Barbican each morning. The business was indeed a 2712 02:36:08,200 --> 02:36:11,160 flourishing 1, and his satisfaction was only alloyed by 2713 02:36:11,160 --> 02:36:14,360 the probability of some legal interference at the assistance 2714 02:36:14,360 --> 02:36:17,040 of Colonel Sandstream with the further operations for the 2715 02:36:17,040 --> 02:36:19,560 company. But for the present, Fortune 2716 02:36:19,560 --> 02:36:22,440 smiled, and Frankel continued energetically to dispatch 2717 02:36:22,440 --> 02:36:25,680 parcels of the rejuvenator in response to the daily shower of 2718 02:36:25,680 --> 02:36:28,200 postal orders. And this, indeed, he had little 2719 02:36:28,200 --> 02:36:31,400 trouble, for he had found many gross of parcels duly packed and 2720 02:36:31,400 --> 02:36:34,960 ready for posting one day. While engaged in the process, 2721 02:36:35,280 --> 02:36:37,880 which had grown quite a mechanical one by that time, he 2722 02:36:37,880 --> 02:36:40,960 listened absently to a slow but determined step which ascended 2723 02:36:40,960 --> 02:36:43,040 the stairs and paused on the landing outside. 2724 02:36:43,680 --> 02:36:46,640 Above, on the 3rd floor, was an importer of cigars made in 2725 02:36:46,640 --> 02:36:49,320 Germany, and the visitor evidently delayed the further 2726 02:36:49,320 --> 02:36:51,200 climb until he had regained his wind. 2727 02:36:51,920 --> 02:36:55,200 Presently, after a preliminary pant or two, he got underway 2728 02:36:55,200 --> 02:36:58,920 again, but pursued it only as far as a rejuvenator door, to 2729 02:36:58,920 --> 02:37:02,160 which he gave a promptory thought, and opening it, walked 2730 02:37:02,160 --> 02:37:05,800 in without further ceremony. There was no need for him to 2731 02:37:05,800 --> 02:37:08,160 announce himself. Pringle recognized him at first 2732 02:37:08,160 --> 02:37:10,720 glance, although he had never seen him since the. 2733 02:37:10,720 --> 02:37:13,000 Eventful evening at. Christiana's Restaurant. 2734 02:37:13,840 --> 02:37:16,680 I'm Colonel Sandstream, he growled, looking around him 2735 02:37:16,680 --> 02:37:19,080 savagely. Delighted to see you, Sir, said 2736 02:37:19,080 --> 02:37:21,160 Pringle with assurance. Pray be seated, he added 2737 02:37:21,160 --> 02:37:23,560 politely. Who am I speaking to? 2738 02:37:24,120 --> 02:37:26,000 My name is Newton Weeks. I am. 2739 02:37:26,000 --> 02:37:28,880 I don't want to see you, interrupted the Colonel testily. 2740 02:37:29,320 --> 02:37:31,280 I want to see the secretary of this concern. 2741 02:37:31,360 --> 02:37:35,040 I've no time to waste either. I regret to say that, Mister 2742 02:37:35,040 --> 02:37:37,160 Jacobs. Ah, yes, that's the name. 2743 02:37:37,160 --> 02:37:39,400 Where is he again interrupted the old gentleman. 2744 02:37:39,960 --> 02:37:41,960 Mr. Jacobs is at present out of town. 2745 02:37:42,600 --> 02:37:44,000 Well, I'm not going to run after him. 2746 02:37:44,160 --> 02:37:47,720 When will he be here again? It is quite impossible for me to 2747 02:37:47,720 --> 02:37:51,200 tell, but I was just now going to say that as the managing 2748 02:37:51,200 --> 02:37:54,000 director of the company, I am also acting as secretary during 2749 02:37:54,000 --> 02:37:56,880 Mr. Jacob's absence. What do you say your name is? 2750 02:37:56,880 --> 02:37:58,880 Demanded the other still ignoring the chair which 2751 02:37:58,880 --> 02:38:00,840 criminal had offered him. Newton Weeks. 2752 02:38:01,560 --> 02:38:04,360 Newton Weeks repeated the Colonel making a note of the 2753 02:38:04,360 --> 02:38:07,560 name on the back of an envelope. Managing director, added 2754 02:38:07,560 --> 02:38:10,480 Pringles wovely. Well, Mr. Weeks, if you 2755 02:38:10,480 --> 02:38:13,920 represent the company. This with a contemptuous glance 2756 02:38:13,920 --> 02:38:15,600 from the middle of the room and his surroundings. 2757 02:38:16,200 --> 02:38:18,120 I've called with reference to a letter you've had the 2758 02:38:18,120 --> 02:38:21,200 impertinence to send me. What was the date of it? 2759 02:38:21,320 --> 02:38:24,600 Inquired Pringle innocently. I don't remember, snapped the 2760 02:38:24,600 --> 02:38:27,320 Colonel. May I ask what was the subject 2761 02:38:27,320 --> 02:38:30,560 of the correspondence? Why, this confounded rejuvenator 2762 02:38:30,560 --> 02:38:33,600 of yours, of course. You see, we have had a very 2763 02:38:33,600 --> 02:38:36,560 large amount of correspondence concerning the rejuvenator, and 2764 02:38:36,560 --> 02:38:39,560 I'm afraid, unless you have the letter with you, I've lost it or 2765 02:38:39,560 --> 02:38:42,240 mislaid it somewhere. That is unfortunate. 2766 02:38:42,440 --> 02:38:44,800 Unless you can remember the contents, I fear it will be 2767 02:38:44,800 --> 02:38:46,560 quite impossible for me to do so. 2768 02:38:47,240 --> 02:38:50,080 I remember them well enough. I'm not likely to forget them in 2769 02:38:50,080 --> 02:38:52,400 a hurry. I asked you to return me the 2770 02:38:52,400 --> 02:38:54,240 money. Your rejuvenator, as you call 2771 02:38:54,240 --> 02:38:57,000 it, has cost me because it's been quite useless. 2772 02:38:57,360 --> 02:39:00,600 And in your reply you not only refused absolutely, but hinted 2773 02:39:00,600 --> 02:39:04,480 that I dare not prosecute you. As Pringle made no reply, he 2774 02:39:04,480 --> 02:39:07,080 continued more savagely. Would you like to hear my candid 2775 02:39:07,080 --> 02:39:09,800 opinion of you? We are always pleased to hear 2776 02:39:09,800 --> 02:39:13,240 the opinion of our clients. Pringles calmness only appeared 2777 02:39:13,240 --> 02:39:15,000 to exasperate the Colonel the more. 2778 02:39:15,720 --> 02:39:19,080 Well, Sir, you shall have it. I consider that letter the most 2779 02:39:19,080 --> 02:39:21,640 impudent attempt at blackmail that I have ever heard of. 2780 02:39:22,080 --> 02:39:24,400 He ground out the words from between his clenched teeth in a 2781 02:39:24,400 --> 02:39:27,560 voice of concentrated passion. Blackmail. 2782 02:39:27,920 --> 02:39:31,200 Echoed Pringle, allowing an expression of horror to occupy 2783 02:39:31,200 --> 02:39:34,040 his countenance. Yes, Sir, blackmail. 2784 02:39:34,160 --> 02:39:36,640 I surveyed the Colonel, nodding his head vigorously. 2785 02:39:37,640 --> 02:39:40,280 Of course, said Pringle, with a depreciating gesture. 2786 02:39:40,520 --> 02:39:42,760 I am aware that some correspondence has passed 2787 02:39:42,760 --> 02:39:45,560 between us, but I could not attempt to remember every word 2788 02:39:45,560 --> 02:39:48,080 of it. At the same time, although you 2789 02:39:48,080 --> 02:39:50,240 are pleased to put such an unfortunate construction upon 2790 02:39:50,240 --> 02:39:53,120 it, I am sure there is some misunderstanding in the matter. 2791 02:39:53,560 --> 02:39:56,320 I must positively decline to admit that there has been any 2792 02:39:56,320 --> 02:39:58,680 attempt on the part of the company of such a nature as you 2793 02:39:58,680 --> 02:40:01,520 allege. Oh, so you don't admit it, don't 2794 02:40:01,520 --> 02:40:03,600 you? Perhaps you won't admit taking 2795 02:40:03,600 --> 02:40:06,320 pounds and pounds of my money for your absurd concoction. 2796 02:40:06,680 --> 02:40:09,200 Which hasn't done me the least bit of good in the world, nor 2797 02:40:09,200 --> 02:40:11,480 ever will. And perhaps you won't admit 2798 02:40:11,480 --> 02:40:15,400 refusing to return me my money. A Perhaps you won't admit daring 2799 02:40:15,400 --> 02:40:18,120 me to take proceedings because it would show up what it has 2800 02:40:18,120 --> 02:40:20,160 I've been. Don't talk to me, Sir. 2801 02:40:20,280 --> 02:40:24,800 Ha, I'm really very sorry that this unpleasant has arisen, 2802 02:40:24,840 --> 02:40:27,680 began Pringle. But pleasant or unpleasant, Sir, 2803 02:40:27,680 --> 02:40:29,040 I'm going to. Stop your little game. 2804 02:40:29,320 --> 02:40:31,840 I mislaid your letter or I'd have called upon you before 2805 02:40:31,840 --> 02:40:34,080 this. As you're the managing director. 2806 02:40:34,080 --> 02:40:36,680 I'm better pleased to see you than your precious secretary. 2807 02:40:37,240 --> 02:40:40,160 Anyhow, I've come to tell you that you're a set of swindlers. 2808 02:40:40,280 --> 02:40:43,800 Of swindlers, Sir. I can make every allowance for 2809 02:40:43,800 --> 02:40:46,880 your feelings, said Pringle, drawing himself up with an air 2810 02:40:46,880 --> 02:40:49,720 of pain dignity. But I regret to see a holder of 2811 02:40:49,720 --> 02:40:53,400 His Majesty's Commission so deficient in self-control, like 2812 02:40:53,400 --> 02:40:56,160 your impertinent Sir. Both separate the veteran. 2813 02:40:56,400 --> 02:40:59,200 I'll let the money go, and I'll prosecute the pair of you, no 2814 02:40:59,200 --> 02:41:02,040 matter what it cost me. Yes, you and your rascally 2815 02:41:02,040 --> 02:41:04,960 secretary, too. I'll go and swear on information 2816 02:41:04,960 --> 02:41:08,360 against you this very day. He bounced out of the room and 2817 02:41:08,360 --> 02:41:12,560 explosively snorted downstairs. Pringle followed in the rear and 2818 02:41:12,560 --> 02:41:15,400 reached the outer door in time to hear him exclaim Mansion 2819 02:41:15,400 --> 02:41:18,480 House Police Court to the driver of a motor cab in which he 2820 02:41:18,480 --> 02:41:20,360 appropriately clanked and rumble out of sight. 2821 02:41:20,960 --> 02:41:23,880 Returning upstairs, Pringle busied himself in making a 2822 02:41:23,880 --> 02:41:26,160 bonfire of the last few days correspondence. 2823 02:41:26,560 --> 02:41:29,760 Then, collecting the last batch of postal orders, he proceeded 2824 02:41:29,760 --> 02:41:32,440 to cash them at the General Post Office and walked back to 2825 02:41:32,440 --> 02:41:35,120 Fernibles IN. After all, the forest couldn't 2826 02:41:35,120 --> 02:41:38,840 have lasted much longer. Arrived at Fernibles IN, Pringle 2827 02:41:38,840 --> 02:41:42,120 rapidly divested himself with a wig and mustache and, assuming 2828 02:41:42,120 --> 02:41:45,400 his official port wine mark, became once more the unemployed 2829 02:41:45,400 --> 02:41:49,200 literary agent. It was now 1:30, and after 2830 02:41:49,200 --> 02:41:52,080 lunching lightly at a near restaurant, he lighted a cigar 2831 02:41:52,080 --> 02:41:55,720 and strolled leisurely eastward. By the time he reached Barbican, 2832 02:41:56,000 --> 02:41:58,240 3 O clock was reverberating from Saint Paul's. 2833 02:41:58,760 --> 02:42:02,280 He entered the private bar of a Tavern nearly opposite, and sat 2834 02:42:02,280 --> 02:42:04,880 down by a window which commanded a view of #82. 2835 02:42:06,080 --> 02:42:09,040 As time passed and the quarters continued to strike in rapid 2836 02:42:09,040 --> 02:42:11,760 succession, Pringle felt constrained order for the 2837 02:42:11,760 --> 02:42:15,160 refreshment, and he was lighting 1/3 cigar before his patience 2838 02:42:15,160 --> 02:42:17,920 was rewarded. Having to glance up at the 2nd 2839 02:42:17,960 --> 02:42:20,920 floor window, he caught a glimpse of a strange man engaged 2840 02:42:20,920 --> 02:42:23,120 in taking a momentary survey of the street below. 2841 02:42:24,160 --> 02:42:25,880 The March of edits had been rapid. 2842 02:42:26,520 --> 02:42:29,640 He had evidently resigned the secretary ship not a moment too 2843 02:42:29,640 --> 02:42:32,480 soon. Not long after the strange face 2844 02:42:32,480 --> 02:42:35,880 had disappeared from the window, A4 wheeled cab stopped outside 2845 02:42:35,880 --> 02:42:39,160 the Tavern, and an individual wearing a pair of large blue 2846 02:42:39,160 --> 02:42:41,960 spectacles and carrying a Gladstone bag, got out and 2847 02:42:41,960 --> 02:42:44,240 carefully scrutinized the office of the rejuvenator. 2848 02:42:44,640 --> 02:42:48,120 Mr. Jacobs, or was he, did not intend to be caught in having 2849 02:42:48,120 --> 02:42:51,680 this time. At length, being satisfied with 2850 02:42:51,680 --> 02:42:53,960 the normal appearance of the premises, he crossed the road, 2851 02:42:54,360 --> 02:42:56,960 and to Pringle his intense amusement, disappeared into the 2852 02:42:56,960 --> 02:42:59,920 house opposite. The spectator had not long to 2853 02:42:59,920 --> 02:43:01,720 wait for the next act of the drama. 2854 02:43:02,400 --> 02:43:05,880 About 10 minutes after Mr. Jacobs disappearance, the man 2855 02:43:05,880 --> 02:43:08,160 who had looked out of the window emerged from the house and 2856 02:43:08,160 --> 02:43:11,840 beckoned to the waiting cab. As it drew up at the door, a 2857 02:43:11,840 --> 02:43:15,200 second individual came down the steps fast, holding Mr. Jacobs 2858 02:43:15,200 --> 02:43:17,880 by the arm. The latter, in a very 2859 02:43:17,880 --> 02:43:21,480 crestfallen guise, re entered the vehicle being closely 2860 02:43:21,480 --> 02:43:24,480 followed by his captor, and the first man having has taken his 2861 02:43:24,480 --> 02:43:26,480 seat with them. The party adjourned to a 2862 02:43:26,480 --> 02:43:29,600 destination as to which Pringle had no difficulty in hazarding a 2863 02:43:29,600 --> 02:43:32,240 guess. Satisfying the barmaid, he 2864 02:43:32,240 --> 02:43:35,440 sallied into the street. The rejuvenator offices seemed 2865 02:43:35,440 --> 02:43:37,840 once more to be deserted, and the postman entered. 2866 02:43:37,840 --> 02:43:39,480 In the course of his afternoon round. 2867 02:43:39,920 --> 02:43:43,400 Pringle walked a few yards up the street and then, crossing as 2868 02:43:43,400 --> 02:43:45,760 a postman reappeared, turned back and entered the house. 2869 02:43:45,760 --> 02:43:48,800 Boldly, softly mounting the stairs, he knocked the door. 2870 02:43:49,240 --> 02:43:52,160 There was no response. He knocked again, more loudly, 2871 02:43:52,280 --> 02:43:55,320 and finally turned the handle. As he expected, it was locked 2872 02:43:55,320 --> 02:43:59,200 securely, and satisfied that the coast was clear, he inserted his 2873 02:43:59,200 --> 02:44:00,840 own replica of the key and entered. 2874 02:44:01,520 --> 02:44:03,600 The books tumbled on the floor in confused heaps. 2875 02:44:03,840 --> 02:44:07,120 The wide open and empty drawers and the overturned acting cases 2876 02:44:07,360 --> 02:44:09,960 showed how thoroughly the place had been ransacked in the search 2877 02:44:09,960 --> 02:44:13,160 for compromising evidence. But Pringle took no further 2878 02:44:13,160 --> 02:44:16,200 interest in these things. The letterbox was a sole object 2879 02:44:16,200 --> 02:44:18,720 of his attention. He tore open the batch of newly 2880 02:44:18,720 --> 02:44:21,400 delivered letters and, cramming the postal orders into his 2881 02:44:21,400 --> 02:44:24,480 pockets, then securing the correspondence behind a rifle 2882 02:44:24,480 --> 02:44:28,200 package case, he silently locked the door as he strolled down the 2883 02:44:28,200 --> 02:44:30,000 street. On a last visit to the General 2884 02:44:30,000 --> 02:44:33,120 Post Office, the two detectives passed him on their way back in 2885 02:44:33,120 --> 02:44:37,720 quest of the managing director. End of the Assyrian Rejuvenator 2886 02:44:37,800 --> 02:44:40,560 by Clifford Ashton, recorded by Todd.