"Well,letusgoinandseeifSidneyarriveswiththecase。"
Theypassedoutofthegardenandsaunteredroundtothefrontofthehouse。There,standingintheroadway,theybeheldaponderouslorrywitharough-lookingdriverstandingatthehorses’heads。Thefrontdoorofthehousewasopen,sothemummycasehad。apparentlyarrivedbeforeitstime,andhadbeentakentoBraddock’smuseumwhiletheywerechattinginthekitchengarden。
"DidMr。Boltoncomewiththecase?"askedLucy,leaningovertherailingsandaddressingthedriver。
"Noonecame,miss,exceptmyselfandmytwomates,whohavetakenthecaseindoor。"Thedriverjerkedacoarsethumboverhisshoulder。
"WasMr。Boltonatthehotel,wherethecaseremainedforthenight?"
"No,miss-thatis,IdunnowhoMr。Boltonis。ThelandlordoftheSailor’sResttoldmeandmymatestotakethecasetothisherehouse,andwedoneit。That’sallIknow,miss。"
"Strange,"murmuredLucy,walkingtothefrontdoor。"Whatdoyouthink,Archie?Isn’titstrange?"
Hopenodded。"ButIdaresayBoltonwillexplainhisabsence,"
saidhe,followingher。"HewillarriveintimetoopenthemummycasealongwiththeProfessor。"
"Ihopeso,"saidMissKendal,wholookedmuchperplexed。"I
can’tunderstandSidneyabandoningthecase,whenitmightsoeasilyhavebeenstolen。Comeinandseemyfather,Archie,"andshepassedintothehouse,followedbytheyoungman,whosecuriositywasnowaroused。Astheyenteredthedoor,thetwomenwhohadtakeninthecaseblunderedoutandshortlydroveawayonthelorrytowardsJessumrailwaystation。
InthemuseumtheyfoundBraddockpurplewithrageandswearingvigorously。Hewasstaringatalargepackingcase,whichhadbeensetuponendagainstthewall,whilebesidehimcrouchedCockatoo,holdingchiselsandhammersandwedgesnecessarytoopenthetreasuretrove。
"Sothepreciousmummyhasarrived,father,"saidLucy,whosawthattheProfessorwasfurious。"Areyounotpleased?"
"Pleased!pleased!"shoutedtheangrymanofscience。"HowcanIbepleasedwhenIseehowbadlythecasehasbeentreated?Seehowithasbeenbruisedandbatteredandshaken!I’llhaveanactionagainstCaptainHerveyofTheDiverifmymummyhasbeeninjured。Sidneyshouldhavetakenbettercareofsopreciousanobject。"
"Whatdoeshesay?"askedArchie,glancingroundthemuseumtoseeifthedelinquenthadarrived。
"Say!"shoutedBraddockagain,andsnatchingachiselfromCockatoo。"Oh,whatcanhesaywhenheisnothere?"
"Nothere?"saidLucy,moreandmoresurprisedattheunaccountableabsenceofBraddock’sassistant。"Whereishe,then?"
"Idon’tknow。IwishIdid;I’dhavehimarrestedforneglectingtowatchoverthiscase。Asitis,whenhecomesbackI’lldismisshimfrommyemployment。Hecangobacktohisinfernallaundryworkalongwithhisoldwitchofamother。"
"Butwhyhasn’tBoltoncomeback,sir?"askedHopesharply。
Braddockstruckafuriousblowattheheadofthechiselwhichhehadinsertedintothecase。
"Iwanttoknowthat。HebroughtthecasetotheSailor’sRest,andshouldhavecomeonwithitthismorning。Insteadofdoingso,hetellsthelandlord-amostunreliableman-tosenditon。Andmypreciousmummy-themummythathascostninehundredpounds,"criedBraddock,workingfuriously,andbatteringthechiselasthoughitwereBolton’sheadislefttobestolenbyanyscientificthiefthatcomesalong。"WhiletheProfessor,assistedbyCockatoo,loosenedthelidofthepackingcase,amildvoicewasheardatthedoor。Lucyturned,asdidArchie,toseeWidowAnnecurtseyingonthethresholdofthedoor。
Braddockhimselftooknonoticeofherentrance,beingoccupiedwithhistask,andevenwhiledoingitsworescientificallyunderhisbreath。HewasfuriousagainstBoltonforneglectofduty,andHoperathersympathizedwithhim。Itwasaseriousmattertohaveleftavaluableobjectlikethegreenmummytotheroughcareoflaborers。
"Ibegyourpardon,mylady,"whimperedWidowAnne,wholookedmoreleanandrustyanddismalthanever;"buthasmySidcome?
Isawthecartandthecoffin。Where’smyboy?"
"Coffin!coffin!"bellowedBraddockangrilybetweenthunderblows。"Whatdoyoumeanbycallingthiscaseacoffin?"
"Well,itdoholdoneofthemcamphoratedcorps,sir,"saidMrs。
Boltonwithanothercurtsey。"MyboySidtoldmeasmuch,aforehewenttothemfurrenparts。"
"Haveyouseenhimsincehereturned?"questionedLucy,whileBraddockandCockatoostrainedatthelid,nownearlyoff。
"Why,Iain’tseteyesonhim,"moanedthewidowdismally,"andsummattellsmeasIneverwill。"
"Don’ttalkrubbish,woman,"saidArchietartly,forhedidnotwishLucytobeupsetagainbythisancientghoul。
"Womanindeed,sir。I’dhaveyouknow,-oh!"thewidowjumpedandquaveredasthelidofthepackingcasefellonthefloorwithabang。"Ohlor,sir,thestartyoudidgiveme!"
ButBraddockhadnoeyesforher,andnoearsforanyone。Hepulledlustilyatthestrawpacking,andsoonthefloorwaslitteredwithrubbish。Butnogreencaseappeared,andnomummy。
SuddenlyWidowAnneshriekedagain"There’smySid-dead-oh,myson,dead!dead!"
Shespoketruly。ThebodyofSidneyBoltonwasbeforethem。
CHAPTERV
MYSTERY
AfterthatonecryofagonyfromWidowAnne,therewassilenceforquiteoneminute。Theterriblecontentsofthepackingcasestartledandterrifiedallpresent。Faintandwhite,Lucyclungtothearmofherlovertokeepherselffromsinkingtotheground,asMrs。Boltonhaddone。Archiestaredatthegrotesquerigidityofthebody,asthoughhehadbeenchangedintostone,whileProfessorBraddockstaredlikewise,scarcelyabletocredittheevidenceofhiseyes。OnlytheKanakawasunmovedandsquattedonhishams,indifferentlysurveyingthelivingandthedead。Asasavagehecouldnotbeexpectedtohavethenervesofcivilizedman。
Braddock,whohaddroppedchiselandhammerinthefirstmovementofsurprise,wasthequickesttorecoverhispowersofspeech。
Thesolequestionheasked,revealedthemarvelousegotismofascientist,nominatedbyoneidea。"WhereisthemummyofIncaCaxas?"hemurmuredwithabewilderedair。
WidowAnne,grovelingonthefloor,pulledhergraylocksintowildconfusion,andutteredacryofmingledrageandgrief。"Heasksthat?heasksthat?"shecried,stammeringandchoking,"whenhehasmurderedmypoorboySid。"
"What’s,that?"demandedBraddocksharply,andrecoveringfromaveritablestupor,whichthedisappearanceofthemummyandthesightofhisdeadassistanthadthrownhiminto。"Killyourson:
howcouldIkillyourson?WhatadvantagewouldithavebeentomehadIkilledyourson?"
"Godknows!Godknows!"sobbedtheoldwoman,"butyou-"
"Mrs。Bolton,youareraving,"saidHopehastily,andstrovetoraiseherfromthefloor。"LetMissKendaltakeyouaway。Andyougo,Lucy:thissightistooterribleforyoureyes。"
Lucy,inarticulatewithnervousfear,noddedandtotteredtowardsthedoorofthemuseum;butWidowAnnerefusedtobeliftedtoherfeet。
"Myboyisdead,"shewailed;"myboySidisacorpasIsawhiminmydream。Inthecoffin,too,cuttopieces-"
"Rubbish!rubbish!"interruptedBraddock,peeringintothedepthsofthepackingcase。"Icanseenowound。"
Mrs。Boltonleapedtoherfeetwithanagilitysurprisinginsoagedawoman。"Letmefindthewound,"shescreamed,throwingherselfforward。
Hopecaughtherbackandforcedhertowards,thedoor。"No!"Thebodymustnotbedisturbeduntilthepoliceseeit,"hesaidfirmly。
"Thepolice-ah,yes,thepolice,"remarkedBraddockquickly,"wemustsendforthepolicetoPiersideandtellthemmymummyhasbeenstolen。"
"Thatmyboyhasbeenmurdered,"screechedWidowAnne,wavingherskinnyarms,andstrivingtobreak’fromArchie。"YouwickedolddeviltokillmydarlingSid。Ifhehadn’tgonetothemfurrenpartshewouldn’tbeacorpnow。ButI’llhavethelawr:you’llbehanged,you-you-"
BraddocklosthispatienceunderthistorrentofunjustaccusationsandrushedtowardsMrs。Bolton,draggingCockatoobythearm。Inlesstimethanittakestotell,hehadsweptbothArchieandthewidowoutintothehall,whereLucywastrembling,andCockatoo,byhismaster’sorder,waslockingthedoor。
"Notathingshallbetoucheduntilthepolicecome。Hope,youare,awitnessthatIhavenotmeddledwiththedead:youwerepresentwhenIopenedthepackingcase:youhaveseenthatauselessbodyhasbeensubstitutedforavaluablemummy。Andyetthisoldwitchdares-dares-"Braddockstampedandgrewincoherentfromsheerrage。
Archiesoothedhim,leavinggoofWidowAnne’sarmtodoso。
"Hush!hush!"saidtheyoungmanquietly,"thepoorwomandoesnotknowwhatsheissaying。I’llgoforthepoliceand-"
"No,"interruptedtheProfessorsharply;"CockatoocangofortheinspectorofPierside。Ishallcallinthevillageconstable。
Meanwhileyoukeepthekeyofthemuseum,"hedroppeditintoHope’sbreast-pocket,"sothatyouandthepolicemaybesurethebodyhasnotbeentouched。WidowAnne,gohome,"heturnedangrilyontheoldcreature,whowasnowtremblingafterherburstofrage,"anddon’tdaretocomehereagainuntilyouaskpardonforwhatyouhavesaid。"
"Iwanttobenearmypoorboy’scorp,"wailedWidowAnne,"andI’mverysorry,Perfesser。Ididn’tmeanto-"
"Butyouhave,youwitch。Goaway!"andhestamped。
ButbythistimeLucyhadrecoveredherself-possession,whichhadbeensorelyshakenbythesightofthedead。"Leavehertome,"sheobserved,takingMrs。Bolton’sarm,andleadinghertowardsthestairs。"Ishalltakehertomyroomandgivehersomebrandy。Father,youmustmakesomeallowanceforhernaturalgrief,and-"
Braddockstampedagain。"Takeheraway!takeheraway!"hecriedtestily,"andkeepheroutofmysight。Isitnotenoughtohavelostaninvaluableassistant,andacostlymummyofinfinitehistoricalandarchaeologicalvalue,withoutmybeingaccusedof-of-oh!"TheProfessorchokedwithrageandshookhishandintheair。
Seeingthathewasunabletospeak,Lucyseizedtheopportunityofthelullinthestorm,andhurriedtheoldwoman,sobbingandmoaning,upthestairs。BythistimetheshrieksofMrs。Bolton,andthewordywrathofBraddock,haddrawnthecookandherhusband,alongwiththehousemaid,fromthebasementtothegroundfloor。Thesightoftheirsurprisedfacesonlyaddedtotheirmaster’sanger,andheadvancedfuriously。
"Godownstairsagain:godown,Itellyou!"
"Butifthere’sanythingwrong,sir,"venturedthegardenertimidly。
"Everythingiswrong。Mymummyhasbeenlost:Mr。Boltonhasbeenmurdered。Thepolicearecoming,and-and-"Hechokedagain。
Buttheservantswaitedtohearnomore。Themerementionofthewords"murder"and"police"sentthem,pale-facedandstartled,downtothebasement,wheretheyhuddledlikeaflockofsheep。
BraddocklookedaroundforHope,butfoundthathehadopenedthefrontdoor,andhadvanished。ButhewastoodistractedtothinkwhyArchiehadgone,andtherewasmuchtodoinputtingthingsstraight。BeckoningtoCockatoo,hestalkedintoasideroom,andscribbledapencilnotetotheinspectorofpoliceatPierside,tellinghimofwhathadhappened,andaskinghimtocomeatoncetothePyramidswithhisunderlings。ThiscommunicationhedispatchedbyCockatoo,whoflewtogethisbicycle。InashorttimehewasridingattopspeedtoBrefort,whichwasonthissideoftheriver;facingPierside。Therehecouldferryacrosstothetownanddeliverhisterriblemessage。
Havingdoneallthathecoulduntilthepolicecame,BraddockwalkedoutofthefrontdoorandintotheroadwaytoseeifArchiewasinsight。Hecouldnotseetheyoungman,but,asluckwouldhaveit,andbyoneofthosecoincidenceswhicharemuchmorecommonthanissuspected,hesawtheGartleydoctorwalkingbrisklypast。
"Hi!"shoutedtheProfessor,whowaspurpleinthefaceandperspiringprofusely。"Hi,there,Dr。Robinson!Iwantyou。
Come!come!hurry,man,hurry!"heendedinatestyrage,andthedoctor,knowingBraddock’seccentricities,advancedwithasmile。
Hewasaslim,dark,youngmedicalpractitionerwithanamiablecountenance,whicharguedofnomightyintelligence。
"Well,Professor,"heremarkedquietly,"doyouwantmetoattendyouforapoplexy?Takeyourtime,mydearsir-takeyourtime。"
Hepattedthescientistontheshouldertosoothehisclamorousrage。"Youarealreadypurpleintheface。Don’tletyourbloodrushtoyourhead。"
"Robinson,you’rea-a-afool!"shoutedBraddock,glaringatthesuavelooksofthedoctor。"Iaminperfecthealth,damnyou,sir。"
"ThenMissKendal-?"
"Sheisquitewellalso。ButBolton-?"
"Oh!"Robinsonlookedinterested。"Hashereturnedwithyourmummy?"
"Mummy,"bellowedBraddock,stampinglikeaninsaneCupid-"themummyhasn’tarrived。"
"Really,Professor,yousurpriseme,"saidthedoctormildly。
"I’llsurpriseyoumore,"growledBraddock,draggingRobinsonintothegardenandupthesteps。
"Gently!gently!mydearsir,"saidthedoctor,whoreallybegantothinkthatmuchlearninghadmadetheProfessormad。"Didn’tBolton-?"
"Boltonisdead,youfool。"
"Dead!"Thedoctornearlytumbledbackwarddownthesteps。
"Murdered。AtleastIthinkheismurdered。Atalleventshearrivedhereto-dayinthepackingcase,whichshouldhavecontainedmygreenmummy。Comeinandexaminethebodyatonce。
No,"Braddockpushedbackthedoctorjustasfiercelyashehaddraggedhimforward,"waituntiltheconstablecomes。Iwanthimtoseethebodyfirst,andtoobservethatnothinghasbeentouched。IhavesentforthePiersideinspectortocome。Therewillbeallsortsoftrouble,"criedBraddockdespairingly,"andmywork-mostimportantwork-willbedelayed,justbecausethissillyyoungassSidneyBoltonchosetobemurdered,"andtheProfessorstormedupanddownthehall,shakingimpotentarmsintheair。
"Goodheavens!"stammeredRobinson,whowasyounginyearsandsomewhatnewtohisprofession,"you-youmustbemistaken。"
"Mistaken!mistaken!"shoutedBraddockwithanotherglare。"Comeandseethatpoorfellow’sbodythen。Heisdead,murdered。"
"Bywhom?"
"Hangyou,sir,howshouldIknow?"
"Inwhatwayhashebeenmurdered?Stabbed,shot,or-"
"Idon’tknow-Idon’tknow!SuchanuisancetoloseamanlikeBolton-aninvaluableassistant。WhatIshalldowithouthimI
reallydon’tknow。Andhismotherhasbeenhere,makingnoendofafuss。"
"Canyoublameher?"saidthedoctor,recoveringhisbreath。
"Sheishismother,afterall,andpoorBoltonwasheronlyson。"
"Iamnotdenyingtherelationship,confoundyou!"snappedtheProfessor,rufflinghishairuntilitstooduplikethecrestofaparrot。"Butsheneedn’t-ah!"Heglancedthroughtheopendoor,andthenrushedtothethreshold。"HereisHopeandPainter。Comein-comein。Ihavethedoctorhere。Hope,youhavethekey。Youobserve,constable,thatMr。Hopehasthekey。
Openthedoor:openthedoor,andletusseethemeaningofthisdreadfulcrime。"
"Crime,sir?"queriedtheconstable,whohadheardallthatwasknownfromHope,butnowwishedtohearwhatBraddockhadtosay。
"Yes,crime:crime,youidiot!Ihavelostmymummy。"
"ButIthought,sir,thatamurder-"
"Oh,ofcourse-ofcourse,"gabbledtheProfessor,asifthedeathwasquiteaminorconsideration。"Bolton’sdead-
murdered,Isuppose,ashecouldscarcelyhavenailedhimselfdowninapackingcase。Butit’smypreciousmummyIamthinkingof,Painter。Amummy-ifyouknowwhatamummyis-thatcostmeninehundredpounds。Goin,man。Goinanddon’tstandtheregaping。Don’tyouseethatMr。Hopehasopenedthedoor。IhavesentCockatootoPiersidetonotifythepolice。Theywillsoonbehere。Meanwhile,doctor,youcanexaminethebody,andPainterherecangivehisopinionastowhostolemymummy。"
"Theassassinstolethemummy,"saidArchie,asthefourmenenteredthemuseum,"andsubstitutedthebodyofthemurderedman。"
"ThatisallABC,"snappedBraddock,issuingintothevastroom,"butwewanttoknowthenameoftheassassin,ifwearetorevengeBoltonandgetbackmymummy。Oh,whataloss!-whataloss!Ihavelostninehundredpounds,orsayonethousand,consideringthecostofbringingIncaCaxastoEngland。"
ArchieforeboretoremindtheProfessorastowhohadreallylostthemoney,asthescientistwasnotinafitstatetobetalkedtoreasonably,andseemedmuchmoreconcernedbecausehisPeruvianrelicofhumanityhadbeenlostthanfortheterribledeathofSidneyBolton。ButbythistimePainter-afair-hairedyoungconstableofsmallintelligence-wasexaminingthepackingcaseandsurveyingthedead。Dr。Robinsonalsolookedwithaprofessionaleye,andBraddock,wipinghispurplefaceandgaspingwithexhaustion,satdownonastonesarcophagus。
Archie,foldinghisarms,leanedagainstthewallandwaitedquietlytohearwhattheexpertsincrimeandmedicinewouldsay。
Thepackingcasewasdeepandwideandlong,madeoftoughteakandbandedatintervalswithironbands。Withinthiswasacaseoftin,which,whenitheldthemummy,hadbeensolderedup;
impervioustoairandwater。Buttheunknownpersonwhohadextractedthemummy,toreplaceitbyamurderedman’sbody,hadcutopenthetincasingwithsomesharpinstrument。Therewasstrawroundthetincasingandstrawwithin,amongstwhichthebodyoftheunfortunateyoungmanwasplaced。Rigormortishadsetin,andthecorpse,withstraightlegsandhandsplacedstifflybyitsside,layagainstthebackofthetincasingsurroundedmoreorlessbythestrawpacking,oratleastbysomuchastheProfessorhadnottornaway。Thefacelookeddark,andtheeyeswerewideopenandstaring。Robinsonsteppedforwardandranhishandroundtheneck。Utteringanejaculation,heremovedthewoollenscarfwhichthedeadmanhadprobablyworntokeephimselffromcatchingcold,andthosewholookedonsawthatared-coloredwindowcordwastightlyboundaboutthethroatofthedead。
"Thepoordevilhasbeenstrangled,"saidthedoctorquietly。
"See:theassassinhasleftthebow-stringon,andhadthecouragetoplaceoveritthisscarf,whichbelongedtoBolton。"
"Howdoyouknowthat,sir?"askedPainterheavily。
"BecauseWidowAnneknittedthatscarfforBoltonbeforehewenttoMalta。Heshowedittome,laughingly,remarkingthathismotherevidentlythoughtthathewasgoingtoLapland。"
"Whendidheshowittoyou,sir?"
"BeforehewenttoMalta,ofcourse,"saidRobinsoninmildsurprise。"Youdon’tsupposeheshowedittomewhenhereturned。WhendidhereturntoEngland?"heaskedtheProfessor,withanafterthought。
"Yesterdayafternoon,aboutfouro’clock,"repliedBraddock。
"Then,fromtheconditionofthebody"-thedoctorfeltthedeadflesh-"hemusthavebeenmurderedlastnight。H’m!Withyourpermission,Painter,I’llexaminethecorpse。"
Theconstableshookhishead。"Betterwait,sir,untiltheinspectorcomes,"hesaidinhisunintelligentway。"PoorSid!
Why,Iknewhim。Hewasatschoolwithme,andnowhe’sdead。
Whokilledhim?"
Noneofhislistenerscouldanswerthisquestion。
CHAPTERVI
THEINQUEST
LikeageographicalLordByron,theisolatedvillageofGartleyawokeonemorningtofinditselffamous。Previouslyunknown,savetotheinhabitantsofBrefort,Jessum,andthesurroundingcountry,andtothesoldiersstationedintheFort,itbecameaninedays’centreofinterest。InspectorDateofPiersidearrivedwithhisconstablestoinquireintothereportedcrime,andthelocaljournalists,scentingsensation,cameflyingtoGartleyonbicyclesandintraps。NextmorningLondonwasdulyadvisedthatavaluablemummywasmissing,andthattheassistantofProfessorBraddock,whohadbeensenttofetchitfromMalta,wasmurderedbystrangulation。Inacoupleofdaysthethreekingdomswereringingwiththenewsofthemystery。
Andamysteryitproved,tobe,for,inspiteofInspectorDate’seffortsandtheenterpriseofScotlandYarddetectivessummonedbytheProfessor,nocluecouldbefoundtotheidentityoftheassassin。Briefly,thestorytoldbythenewspapersranasfollows:
ThetrampsteamerDiver-CaptainGeorgeHerveyincommand-hadberthedalongsidethePiersidejettyatfouro’clockonaWednesdayafternooninmid-September,andsometwohourslaterSidneyBoltonremovedthecase,containingthegreenmummy,ashore。
AsitwasimpossibletocarrythecasetothePyramidsonthatnight,BoltonhadplaceditinhisbedroomattheSailor’sRest,ameanlittlepublic-houseofnoverysavoryreputationnearthewater’sedge。Hewaslastseenalivebythelandlordandthebarmaid,when,afteradrinkofharmlessginger-beer,heretiredtobedateight,leavinginstructionstothelandlord-overheardbythebarmaid-thatthecasewastobesentonnextdaytoProfessorBraddockofGartley。Boltonhintedthathemightleavethehotelearlyandwouldprobablyprecedethecasetoitsdestination,soastoadviseProfessorBraddock-necessarilyanxious-ofitssafearrival。Beforeretiringhepaidhisbill,anddepositedinthelandlord’shandasmallsumofmoney,sothatthecasemightbesentacrossstreamtoBrefort,thencetobetakeninalorrytothePyramids。Therewasnosign,saidthebarmaidandthelandlord,thatBoltoncontemplatedsuicide,orthathefearedsuddendeath。Hiswholedemeanorwascheerful,andheexpressedhimselfexceedinglygladtobeinEnglandoncemore。
Atelevenontheensuingmorning,apersistentknockingandasubsequentopeningofthedoorofBolton’sbedroomprovedthathewasnotintheroom,althoughthetumbledconditionofthebed-clothesprovedthathehadtakensomerest。NooneinthehotelthoughtanythingofBolton’sabsence,sincehehadhintedatanearlydeparture,althoughthechamber-maidconsidereditstrangethatnoonehadseenhimleavethehotel。ThelandlordobeyedBolton’sinstructionsandsentthecase,inchargeofatrustworthyman,toBrefortacrosstheriver。Therealorrywasprocured,andthecasewastakentoGartley,whereitarrivedatthreeintheafternoon,。ItwasthenthatProfessorBraddock,inopeningthecase,discoveredthebodyofhisill-fatedassistant,rigidindeath,andwitharedwindowcordtightlyboundroundthethroatofthecorpse。Atonce,saidthenewspapers,theProfessorsentforthepolice,andlaterinsistedthatthesmartestScotlandYarddetectivesshouldcomedowntoelucidatethemystery。Atpresentbothpoliceanddetectiveswereengagedinsearchingforaneedleinahaystack,andsofarhadmetwithnosuccess。
SuchwasthetalesetforthinthelocalandLondonandprovincialjournals。Widelyasitwasdiscussed,andmanyaswerethetheoriesoffered,noonecouldfathomthemystery。Butallagreedthatthefailureofthepolicetofindacluewasinexplicable。ItwasdifficultenoughtounderstandhowtheassassincouldhavemurderedBoltonandopenedthepackingcase,andremovedthemummytoreplaceitbythebodyofhisvictiminahousefilledwithatleasthalfadozenpeople;butitwasyetmoredifficulttoguesshowthecriminalhadescapedwithsonoticeableanobjectasthemummy,bandagedwithemerald-huedwoollenstuffwovenfromthehairofPeruvianllamas。Iftheculpritwasonewhothievedandmurderedforgain,hecouldscarcelysellthemummywithoutbeingarrested,sinceallEnglandwasringingwiththenewsofitsdisappearance;ifascientist,impelledtorobberybyanarchaeologicalmania,hecouldnotpossiblykeeppossessionofthemummywithoutsomeonelearningthathepossessedit。Meanwhilethethiefandhisplunderhadvanishedascompletelyasiftheearthhadswallowedboth。Greatwasthewonderattheclevernessofthecriminal,andmanywerethesolutionsofferedtoaccountforthedisappearance。Oneenterprisingweeklypaper,improvingontheLimerickcraze,offeredafurnishedhouseandthreepoundsaweekforlifetothefortunatepersonwhocouldsolvethemystery。Asyetnoonehadwontheprize,butitwasearlydaysyet,andatleastfivethousandamateurdetectivestriedtoworkouttheproblem。
NaturallyHopewassorryfortheuntimelydeathofBolton,whomhehadknownasanamiableandcleveryoungman。ButhewasalsoannoyedthathisloanofthemoneytoBraddockshouldhavebeen,sotospeak,nullifiedbythelossofthemummy。TheProfessorwasperfectlyfuriousathisdoublelossofassistantandembalmedcorpse,andwasonlypreventedfromofferingarewardforthediscoveryofthethiefandassassinbythepainfulfactthathehadnomoney。HehintedtoArchiethatarewardshouldbeoffered,butthatyoungman,backedbyLucy,declinedtothrowawaygoodmoneyafterbad。Braddocktookthisrefusalsoill,thatHopefeltperfectlyconvincedhewouldtryandwriggleoutofhispromisetopermitthemarriageandpersuadeLucytoengageherselftoSirFrankRandom,shouldthebaronetbewillingtoofferareward。AndHopewasalsocertainthatBraddock,asingularlyobstinateman,wouldneverrestuntilheoncemorehadthemummyinhispossession。Thatthemurdererof!SidneyBoltonshouldbehangedwasquiteaminorconsiderationwiththeProfessor。
MeanwhileWidowAnnehadinsistedonthedeadbodybeingtakentohercottage,andBraddock,withtheconsentofInspectorDate,willinglyagreed,ashedidnotwishanewlydeadcorpsetoremainunderhisroof。Therefore,theremainsoftheunfortunateyoungmanweretakentohishumblehome,andherethebodywasinspectedbythejurywhentheinquesttookplaceinthecoffee-roomoftheWarriorInn,immediatelyoppositeMrs。
Bolton’sabode。Therewasalargecrowdroundtheinn,aspeoplehadcomefromfarandwidetoheartheverdictofthejury,andGartley,forthefirstandonlytimeinitsexistence,presentedtheaspectofanAugustBankHoliday。
TheCoroner-anelderlydoctorwithashorttemper;causedbytheunrealizedambitionofacountrypractitioner-openedtheproceedingsbyasnappyspeech,inwhichhesetforththedetailsofthecrimeinthesameboldfashioninwhichtheyhadbeenpublishedbythenewspapers。AplanoftheSailor’sRestwasthenplacedbeforethejury,andtheCoronerdrewtheattentionofthetwelvegoodandlawfulmentothefactthatthebedroomoccupiedbydeceasedwasonthegroundfloor,withawindowlookingoutontotheriver,merelyastone-throwaway。
"Soyouwillsee,gentlemen,"saidtheCoroner,"thatthedifficultyoftheassassininleavingthehotelwithhisplunderwasnotsogreatashasbeenimagined。Hehadmerelytoopenthewindowinthequiethoursofthenight,whennoonewasabout,andpassthemummythroughtohisaccomplice,whoprobablywaitedwithout。Itisalsoprobablethataboatwaswaitingbythebankoftheriver,andthemummyhavingbeenplacedinthis,theassassinandhisfriendcouldrowawayintotheunknownwithouttheslightestchanceofdiscovery。"
InspectorDate-atall,thin,uprightmanwithanironjawandasevereexpression-drewtheCoroner’sattentiontothefactthattherewasnoevidencetoshowthattheassassinhadanaccomplice。
"Whatyouhavestated,sir,mayhaveoccurred,"raspedDateinamilitaryvoice,"butwecannotprovethetruthofyourassumption,sincetheevidenceatourdisposalismerelycircumstantial。"
"Ineversuggestedthatitwasanythingelse,"snappedtheCoroner。"Youwastetimeintraversingmystatements。Saywhatyouhavetosay,Mr。Inspector,andproduceyourwitnesses-ifyouhaveany。"
Therearenowitnesseswhocansweartotheidentityofthemurderer,"saidInspectorDatecoldly,anddeterminednottoberuffledbytheapparentantagonismoftheCoroner。"Thecriminalhasvanished,andnoonecanguesshisnameoroccupation,oreventhereasonwhichledhimtoslaythedeceased。"
Coroner:"Thereasonisplain。Hewantedthemummy。"
Inspector:"Whyshouldhewantthemummy?"
Coroner:"Thatiswhatwewishtofindout。"
Inspector:"Exactly,sir。Wewishtolearnthereasonwhythemurdererstrangledthedeceased。"
Coroner:"Weknowthatreason。Whatwewishtoknowiswhythemurdererstolethemummy。AndIwouldpointouttoyou,Mr。
Inspector,that,asyet,wedonotevenknowthesexoftheassassin。Itmightbeawomanwhomurderedthedeceased。"
ProfessorBraddock,whowasseatednearthedoorofthecoffee-room,beingevenmoreirasciblethanusual,rosetocontradict。
"Thereisn’tascrapofevidencetoshowthatthemurdererwasawoman。"
Coroner:"Youareoutoforder,sir。AndIwouldpointoutthat,asyet,InspectorDatehasproducednowitnesses。"
Dateglared。HeandtheCoronerwereoldenemies,andalwayssparredwhentheymet。Itseemedlikely,thatthepepperylittleProfessorwouldjoininthequarrelandthattherewouldbeaduelofthree;butDate,notwishingforanadversereportinthenewspapersastohisconductofthecase,contentedhimselfwiththeglareaforesaid,and,afterashortspeech,calledBraddock。
TheProfessor,lookingmorelikeacrosscherubthanever,gavehisevidencetartly。ItseemedridiculoustohisprejudicedmindthatallthisfussshouldbemadeoverBolton’sbody,whenthemummy;wasstillmissing。However,asthediscoveryofthecriminalwouldassuredlyleadtotheregainingofthatpreciousPeruvianrelic,hecurbedhiswrathandansweredtheCoroner’squestionsinafairlyamiablefashion。
And,afterall,Braddockhadverylittletotell。Hehad,sohestated,seenanadvertisementinanewspaperthatamummy,swathedingreenbandages,wastobesoldinMalta;andhadsenthisassistanttobuyitandbringithome。Thiswasdone,andwhathappenedafterthemummyleftthetrampsteamerwasknowntoeveryone,throughthemediumofthepress。
"Withwhich,"grumbledtheProfessor,"Idonotagree。"
"Whatdoyoumeanbythat?"askedtheCoronersharply。
"Imean,sir,"snappedBraddock,equallysharply,"thatthepublicitygivenbythenewspaperstothesedetailswillprobablyplacetheassassinonhisguard。"
"Whynotonherguard?"persistedtheCoronerwilfully。
"Rubbish!rubbish!rubbish!Mymummywasn’tstolenbyawoman。
Whatthedevilwouldawomanwantwithmymummy?"
"Bemorerespectful,Professor。"
"Thentalksense,doctor,"andthetwoglaredatoneanother。
Afteramomentortwothesituationwasadjustedinsilence,andtheCoroneraskedafewquestions,pertinenttothematterinhand。
"Hadthedeceasedanyenemies?"
"No,sir,hehadn’t,notbeingfamousenough,orrichenough,orcleverenoughtoexcitethehatredofmankind。Hewassimplyanintelligentyoungman,whoworkedexcellentlywhensupervisedbyme。Hismotherisawasherwomaninthisvillage,andtheladbroughtwashingtomyhouse。Notingthathewasintelligentandwasanxioustoriseabovehisstation,Iengagedhimasmyassistantandtrainedhimtodomywork。"
"Archaeologicalwork?"
"Yes。Idon’twash,whateverBolton’smothermay,do。Don’tasksillyquestions。"
"Bemorerespectful,"saidtheCoroneragain,andgrewred。
"Haveyouanyideaastothenameofanyonewhodesiredtoobtainpossessionofthismummy?"
"IdaresaydozensofscientistsinmylineofbusinesswouldhavelikedtogetthecorpseofIncaCaxas。Suchas-"andhereeledoutalistofcelebratedmen。
"Nonsense,"growledtheCoroner。"Famousmenlikethoseyoumentionwouldnotmurderevenforthesakeofobtainingthismummy。"
"Ineversaidthattheywould,"retortedBraddock,"butyouwantedtohearwhowouldliketohavethemummy;andIhavetoldyou。"
TheCoronerwaivedthequestion。
"Wasthereanyjewelryonthemummylikelytoattractathief?"
heasked。
"HowthedevilshouldIknow?"fumedtheProfessor。"Ineverunpackedthemummy;Ineverevensawit。AnyjewelryburiedwithIncaCaxaswouldbeboundupinthebandages。SofarasIknowthosebandageswereneverunwound。"
"Youcanthrownolightonthesubject?"
"No,Ican’t。Boltonwenttogetthemummyandbroughtithome。
Iunderstoodthathewouldpersonallybringhispreciouschargetomyhouse;buthedidn’t。Why,Idon’tknow。"
WhentheProfessorsteppeddown,stillfumingatwhatheconsideredweretheunnecessaryquestionsoftheCoroner,theyoungdoctorwhohadexaminedthecorpsewascalled。Robinsondeposedthatdeceasedhadbeenstrangledbymeansofaredwindowcord,andthat,fromtheconditionofthebody,hewouldjudgedeathhadtakenplacesometwelvehoursmoreorlessbeforetheopeningofthepackingcasebyBraddock。Thatwasatthreeo’clockonThursdayafternoon,soinwitness’sopinionthecrimewascommittedbetweentwoandthreeonthepreviousmorning。
"ButIcan’tbeabsolutelycertainastotheprecisehour,"addedwitness;"atanyratepoorBoltonwasstrangledaftermidnightandbeforethreeo’clock。"
"Thatisawidemargin,"grumbledtheCoroner,jealousofhisbrother-practitioner。"Werethereany,otherwoundsonthebody?"
"No。Youcanseeforyourself,ifyouhaveinspectedthecorpse。"
TheCoroner,thusreproved,glared,andWidowAnneappearedafterRobinsonretired。Shestated,withmanysobs,thathersonhadnoenemiesandwasagood,kindyoungman。Shealsorelatedherdream,butthiswasfloutedbytheCoroner,whodidnotbelieveintheoccult。However,thenarrationofherpremonitionwaslistenedtowithdeepinterestbythoseinthecourt。WidowAnneconcludedherevidencebyaskinghowshewastolivenowthatherboySidwasdead。TheCoronerprofessedhimselfunabletoanswerthisquestion,anddismissedher。
SamuelQuass,thelandlordoftheSailor’sRest,wasnextcalled。
Heprovedtobeabig,burly,red-haired,red-whiskeredman,wholookedlikeasailor。Andindeedafewquestionselicitedtheinformationthathewasaretiredsea-captain。Hegavehisevidencegrufflybuthonestly,andalthoughhekeptsoshadyapublic-house,seemedstraightforwardenough。Hetoldmuchthesametaleashadappearedinthenewspapers。Inthehotelonthatnighttherewasonlyhimself,hiswifeandtwochildren,andthestaffofservants。BoltonretiredtobedsayingthathemightstartearlyforGartley,andpaidonepoundtogetthecasetakenacrosstoriverandplacedonalorry。AsBoltonhadvanishednextmorning,Quassobeyedinstructions,withtheresultwhicheveryoneknew。Healsostatedthathedidnotknowthecasecontainedamummy。
"Whatdidyouthinkitcontained?"askedtheCoronerquickly。
"Clothesandcuriosfromforeignparts,"saidthewitnesscoolly。
"DidMr。Boltontellyouso?"
"Hetoldmenothingaboutthecase,"growledthewitness,"buthechattedalotaboutMalta,whichIknowwell,havingputintothatportfrequentwhenasailor。"
"DidhehintatanyrowstakingplaceatMalta?"
"No,hedidn’t。"
"Didhesaythathehadenemies?"
"No,hedidn’t。"
"Didhestrikeyouasamanwhowasinfearofheath?"
"No,hedidn’t,"saidthewitnessforthethirdtime。"Heseemedhappyenough。IneverthoughtforonemomentthathewasdeaduntilIheardhowhisbodyhadbeenfoundinthepackingcase。"
TheCoroneraskedallmannerofquestions,andsodidInspectorDate;butallattemptstoincriminateQuasswerevain。Hewasbluffandstraightforward,andtold-sofarascouldbejudged-
everythingheknew。Therewasnothingforitbuttodismisshim,andElizaFlightwascalledasthelastwitness。
Shealsoprovedtobethemostimportant,assheknewseveralthingswhichshehadnottoldtohermaster,ortothereporters,oreventothepolice。Onbeingaskedwhyshehadkeptsilence,shesaidthatherdesirewastoobtainanyrewardthatmightbeoffered;butasshehadheardthattherewouldbenoreward,shewaswillingtotellwhatsheknew。Itwasanimportantpieceofevidence。
ThegirlstatedthatBoltonhadretiredtobedateightonthegroundfloor,andthebedroomhadawindow-asmarkedintheplan-whichlookedontotheriverastone-throwdistant。Atnineoratriflelaterwitnesswentouttohaveafewwordswithherlover。InthedarknessshesawthatthewindowwasopenandthatBoltonwastalkingtoanoldwomanmuffledinashawl。Shecouldnotseethewoman’sface,norjudgeofherstature,asshewasstoopingdowntolistentoBolton。Witnessdidnottakemuchnotice,asshewasinahurrytoseeherlover。Whenshereturnedpastthewindowatteno’clockitwasclosedandthelightwasextinguished,soshethoughtthatMr。Boltonwasasleep。
"But,totellthetruth,"saidElizaFlight,"Ineverthoughtanythingofthematteratall。ItwasonlyafterthemurderthatIsawhowimportantitwasIshouldremembereverything。"
"Andyouhave?"
"Yes,sir,"saidthegirl,honestlyenough。"Ihavetoldyoueverythingthathappenedonthatnight。NextMorning-"Shehesitated。
"Well,whataboutnextmorning?"
"Mr。Boltonhadlockedhisdoor。Iknowthat,becauseafewminutesaftereightonthenightbefore,notknowinghehadretired。Itriedtoentertheroomandmakereadythebedforthenight。Hesangoutthroughthedoor-whichwaslocked,forItriedit-thathewasinbed。Thatwasaliealso,asafternineIsawhimtalkingtothewomanatthewindow。"
"Youpreviouslysaidanoldwoman,"saidtheCoroner,referringtohisnotes。"Howdoyouknowshewasold?"
"Ican’tsayifshewasoldoryoung,"saidthewitnesscandidly;
"it’sonlyamannerofspeaking。Shehadadarkshawloverherheadandadarkdress。Icouldn’tsayifshewasoldoryoung,fairordark,stoutorlean,tallorshort。Thenightwasdark。"
TheCoronerreferredtotheplan。
"Thereisagas-lampnearthewindowofthebedroom。Didyounotseeherinthatlight?"
"Oh,yes,sir;butjustforamoment。Itookverylittlenotice。
HadIknownthatthegentlemanwastobemurdered,Ishouldhavetakenagreatdealofnotice。"
"Well,aboutthislockeddoor?"
"Itwaslockedover-night,sir,butwhenIwentnextmorning,itwasnotlocked。Iknockedandknocked,butcouldgetnoanswer。
Asitwaseleven,Ithoughtthegentlemanwassleepingverylong,soItriedtoopenthedoor。Itwasnotlocked,asIsay-but,"
addedwitnesswithemphasis,"thewindowwassnibbedandtheblindwasdown。"
"Thatisnaturalenough,"saidtheCoroner。"Mr:Bolton,afterhisinterviewwiththewoman,wouldofcoursesnibthewindow,andpulldowntheblind。Whenhewentawaynextmorninghewouldunlockthedoor。"
"Beggingyourpardon,sir,but,asweknow,hedidn’tgoawaynextmorning,beinginthepackingcase,naileddown。"
TheCoronercouldhavekickedhimselffortheverynaturalmistakehehadmade,forhesawaderisivegrinonthefacesaroundhim,andparticularlyonthatofInspectorDate。
"Thentheassassinmusthavegoneoutbythedoor,"hesaidweakly。
"ThenIdon’tknowhowhegotout,"criedElizaFlight,"forI
wasupatsixandthefrontandbackdoorsofthehotelwerelocked。AndaftersixIwasaboutinpassagesandroomsdoingmywork,andmasterandmissusandotherswereallovertheplace。
Howcouldthemurdererwalkout,sir,withoutsomeofusseeinghim?"
"Perhapsyoudid,andtooknonotice?"
"Oh,sir,ifastrangerwasaroundweshouldallhavetakennotice。"
Thisconcludedtheevidence,whichwasmeagreenough。WidowAnnewasindeedrecalledtoseeifMissFlightcouldidentifyherasthewomanwho,hadbeentalkingtoBolton,butwitnessfailedtorecognizeher,andthewidowherselfproved,bymeansofthreefriends,thatshehadbeenimbibingginathomeonthenightandatthehourinquestion。Also,therewasnoevidencetoconnectthisunknownwomanwiththemurder,andnosound-accordingtotheunanimoustestimonyoftheinmatesoftheSailor’sRest-hadbeenheardinthebedroomofBolton。Yet,astheCoronerobserved,theremusthavebeensomeknockingandhammeringandrippinggoingon。Butofthisnothingcouldbeproved,andalthoughseveralwitnesseswereexaminedagain,notonecouldthrowlightonthemystery。Underthesecircumstancesthejurycouldonlybringinaverdictofwilfulmurderagainstsomepersonorpersonsunknown,whichwasdone。AnditmaybementionedthatthecordwithwhichBoltonhadbeenstrangledwasidentifiedbythelandlordandthechamber-maidasbelongingtotheblindofthebedroomwindow。
"Well,"saidHope,whentheinquestwasover,"sonothingcanbeprovedagainstanyone。Whatistobedonenext?"
"I’lltellyouafterIhaveseenRandom,"saidtheProfessorcurtly。
CHAPTERVII
THECAPTAINOFTHEDIVER
Thedayaftertheinquest,SidneyBolton’sbodywasburiedinGartleychurchyard。Owingtothenatureofthedeath,andthepublicitygiventothemurderbythepress,agreatconcourseofpeopleassembledtowitnesstheinterment,andtherewasanimpressivesilencewhenthecorpsewascommittedtothegrave。
Afterwards,aswasnatural,muchdiscussionfollowedontheverdictattheinquest。Itwasthecommonopinionthatthejurycouldhavebroughtinnootherverdict,consideringthenatureoftheevidencesupplied;butmanypeopledeclaredthatCaptainHerveyofTheDivershouldhavebeencalled。Ifthedeceasedhadenemies,saidthesewiseacres,itwasprobablethathewouldhavetalkedAboutthemtotheskipper。Buttheyforgotthatthewitnessescalledattheinquest,includingthemotherofthedeadman,hadinsistedthatBoltonhadnoenemies,soitisdifficulttoseewhattheyexpectedCaptainHerveytosay。
Afterthefuneral,thejournalsmadebutfewremarksaboutthemystery。Everynowandthenitwashintedthatacluehadbeenfound,andthatthepolicewouldsoonerorlatertrackdownthecriminal。Butallthisloosechattercametonothing,andasthedayswentby,thepublic-inLondon,atallevents-lostinterestinthecase。TheenterprisingweeklypaperthathadofferedthefurnishedhouseandthelifeincometothepersonwhofoundtheassassinreceivedanintimationfromtheGovernmentthatsuchalotterycouldnotbeallowed。Thepaper,therefore,returnedtoLimericks,andtheamateurdetectives,likesomanyOthellos,foundtheiroccupationgone。ThenapoliticalcrisistookplaceinthefarEast,andtheficklepublicrelegatedthemurderofBoltontothelistofundiscoveredcrimes。EventheScotlandYarddetectives,failingtofindaclue,lostinterestinthematter,anditseemedasthoughthemysteryofBolton’sdeathwouldnotbesolveduntiltheDayofJudgment。
Inthevillage,however,peoplestillcontinuedtobekeenlyinterested,sinceBoltonwasoneofthemselves,and,moreover,WidowAnnekeptupaperpetualoutcryabouthermurderedboy。
ShehadlostthesmallweeklysumwhichSidneyhadallowedheroutofhiswages,sotheneighbors,thegentryofthesurroundingcountry,andtheofficersattheFortsentheramplewashingtodo。WidowAnneinafewweekshadquitealargebusiness,consideringthesizeofthevillage,andphilosophicallyobservedtoaneighborthat"Itwasanillwindwhichblewnooneanygood,"addingalsothatSidneywasmoregoodtoherdeadthanalive。ButeveninGartleythevillagersgrewwearyofdiscussingamysterywhichcouldneverbesolved,andsothecasebecamerarelytalkedabout。Inthesedaysofbustleandworryandcompetition,itiswonderfulhowpeopleforgetevenimportantevents。Ifabluesunarosetolightentheworldinsteadofayellowone,afterninedaysofwonder,manwouldsettledownquitecomfortablytoaceruleanexistence。Suchisthewonderfuladaptabilityofhumanity。
ProfessorBraddockwaslessforgetful,ashealwaysboreinmindthelossofhismummy,andconstantlythoughtofschemeswherebyhecouldtraptheassassinofhislatesecretary。Notthathecaredforthedeadinanyway,savefromastrictlybusinesspointofview,butthecaptureofthecriminalmeanttherestitutionofthemummy,and-asBraddocktoldeveryonewithwhomhecameincontact-hewasdeterminedtoregainpossessionofhistreasure。HewenthimselftotheSailor’sRest,anddrovethelandlordandhisservantswildbyaskingtartquestionsandstormingwhenasatisfactoryanswercouldnotbesupplied。Quasswasgladwhenhesawtheplumpbackofthecrosslittleman,whosopertinaciouslyfollowedwhateveryoneelsehadabandoned。
"Lifewastooshort,"grumbledQuass,"tobebotheredinthatway。"
ThewooingofArchieandLucywentonsmoothly,andtheProfessorshowednosignofwishingtobreaktheengagement。ButHope,asheconfidedtoLucy,wassomewhatworried,ashispauperuncle,onaninsufficientborrowedcapital,hadbeguntospeculateinSouthAfricanmines,anditwasprobablethathewouldloseallhismoney。InthatcaseHopefanciedhewouldbeoncemorecalledupontomakegoodtheavuncularloss,andsothemarriagewouldhavetobepostponed。Butitsohappenedthatthepauperunclemadesomeluckyspeculativeshotsandacquiredmoney,whichhepromptlyreinvestedinnewminesofthewildcatdescription。
Still,forthemomentallwaswell,andthelovershadafewhalcyondaysofpeaceandhappiness。
ThencameaboltfromtheblueinthepersonofCaptainHervey,whocalledafortnightafterthefuneraltoseetheProfessor。
Theskipperwasatall,slimman,leanasafastingfriar,andhardasnails,withcloselyclippedredhair,mustacheofthesameaggressivehue,andanAmericangoatee。HespokewithaYankeeaccent,andinatruculentmanner,sufficientlyannoyingtothefieryProfessor。WhenhemetBraddockinthemuseum,thetwobecameenemiesatthefirstglance,andbecausebothwerebad-temperedandobstinate,tookaninstantdisliketooneanother。Likedidnotdrawtolikeinthisinstance。
"Whatdoyouwanttoseemeabout?"askedBraddockcrossly。HehadbeensummonedbyCockatoofromtheperusalofanewpapyrustoseehisvisitor,andconsequentlywasnotinthebestoftempers。
"I’vejes’blewinfuratrifleofchin-music,"repliedHerveywithanemphaticU。S。A。accent。
"I’mbusy:getout,"wastheuncomplimentaryreply。
Herveytookachairand,stretchinghislengthylegs,producedablackcheroot,aslongandleanashimself。
"IfyouwereintheStates,Professor,I’ddrawabeadonyouforthatstyleoflingo。I’mnottakingany。See!"andhelightedup。
"You’rethecaptainof’TheDiver’?"
"That’sso;Iwas,thatis。Now,I’veshiftedtoadandywind-jammerofsortsthatcanrunringsroundtheoldbarky。I
surmiseI’mofffortheSouthSeas,pearl-fishing,inthreemonths。I’lltakethatKanakaalongwithme,ify’like,Professor,"andhecastasideglanceatCockatoo,whowassquattingonhishamsasusual,polishingablueenameledjarfromaThebantomb。
"Irequiretheservicesoftheman,"saidBraddockstiffly。"Astoyou,sir:you’vebeenpaidforyourbusinessinconnectionwithBolton’spassageandtheshipmentofmymummy,sothereisnomoretobesaid。"
"Heapsmore!heaps,youbet,"remarkedthemanoftheseaplacidly,andcontrollingatemperwhichinlesscivilizedpartswouldhaveledhimtowipethefloorwiththeplumpscientist。
"Myownerswerepaidfurthatracket:notme。No,sir。SoI’vepaddledintothisporttoseeifIcanrakeinafewdollarsonmyown。"
"I’venodollarstogiveyou-incharity,thatis。"
"Huh!An’whoaskedcharity,youbald-headedjelly-bag?"
Braddockgrewscarletwithfury。"Ifyouspeaktomelikethat,youruffian,I’llthrowyouout。"
"What?-you?"
"Yes,me,"andtheProfessorstoodontip-toe,likethebantamhewas。
"Youmakemesmile,andlikewisetired,"murmuredHervey,admiringthelittleman’spluck。"Seehere,Professor,touchingthatmummy?"
"Mymummy:mygreenmummy。Whataboutit?"Braddockrosetotheflythrownbythisskilfulangler。
"That’sso。WhatwillyoushelloutifIpassalongthatcorpse?"
"Ah!"TheProfessoragainstoodontip-toe,gaspingandpurpleintheface。Healmostsqueakedintheextremityofhisanger。
"Iknewit。"
"Knewwhat?"demandedtheskipper,genuinelysurprised。
"Iknewthatyouhadstolenmymummy。Yes,youneedn’tdenyit。
Bolton,likethesillyfoolhewas,toldyouhowvaluablethemummywas,andyoustrangledthepoordeviltogetmyproperty。"
"Goslow,"saidthecaptain,innowiseperturbedbythisaccusation。"Iwouldhaveyourememberthatattheinquestitwasstatedthatthewindowwaslockedandthedoorwasopen。HowthencouldIwaltzintothatblamedhotelandarrangeforafuneral?’Sides,Iguessshootingismor’nmylinethangarrotting。IleavethattotheEastCoastYellow-Stomachs。"
Braddocksatdownandwipedhisface。Hesawplainlyenoughthathehadnotalegtostandon,asHerveywasplainlyinnocent。
"’Sides,"wentontheskipper,chewinghischeroot,"IguessifI’dwantedthatoldcorpseofyours,I’dhaveyankedBoltonoverside,andsetdowntheaccidenttobadweather。Betterfurmetolootthecaseaboardthantomakeafoolofmyselfashore。
No,sir,H。H。don’trun’isownperticlerprivatecircusinthatblamedway。"
"H。H。WhothedevilisH。H。?"
"Me,youbet。HiramHervey,citizenoftheU。S。A。Nantucketneighborhoodforhomelife。Andsee,don’tyougetm’hairriz,orI’llscalp。"
"Youcan’tscalpme,"chuckledBraddock,passinghishandoveraverybaldhead。"Seehere,whatdoyouwant?"
"NameapriceandI’llfloatroundtogetbackyourverdantcorpse。"
"IthoughtyouweregoingtotheSouthSeas?"
"Inthreemonths,pearl-fishing。Lotsoftime,Ireckon,torunthisoldcircusIwantyoutofinance。"
"Haveyouanysuspicions?"
"No,’septIdon’tbelieveinthatwindowbusiness。"
"Whatdoyoumean?"Braddocksatupright。
"Well,"drawledtheYankee,"y’see,Iinterviewedthegalastoldthatperticlerlieincourt。"
"ElizaFlight。Wasitalieshetold?"
"Well,notexactly。Thewindowwassnibbed,butthatwasdoneafterthechapwhosentyourpaltoKingdomComehadgotout。"
Doyoumeantosaythatthewindowwaslockedfromtheoutside?"
askedBraddock,andthen,whenHerveynodded,heexclaimed"Impossible!"
"Narryanimpossibility,youbet。Thechapwhoengineeredthecircuswasall-firedsmart。Thesnibwasanoldone,andheyankedapieceofstringroundit,andpassedthestringthroughthecrackbetweentheupperandlowersashofthewindow。Whenoutsidehepulled,andthesnibslidintoplace。Butheleftthestringonthegroundoutside。Ipickeditupnex’dayandguessedtherackethe’dbeenon。Itriedthesamebusinessandbroughtoffthedeal。"
"Itsoundswonderfulandyetimpossible,"criedBraddock,rubbinghisbaldheadandwalkingexcitedlytoandfro。"Seehere,I’llcomealongwithyouandseehowit’sdone。"
"Youbetyou,won’t,unlessyoushellout。Seehere"-Herveyleanedforward-"fromthatwindowbusinessit’splainthatnooneinsidetheshantycorpsedyourpal。Thechapasdiditenteredandleftbythewindow,andmadetrackswiththatoldcorpyouwant。Nowyoupassalongfivehundredpounds-that’sEnglishcurrency,Ireckon-andI’llsmellroundfortherobber。"
"AndwheredoyouthinkIcanobtainfivehundredpounds?"askedtheProfessorverydryly。
"Well,Iguessifthatblamedcorpseisworthit,you’llbewillingtotrade。Y’don’tliveinthisshantyfornothing。"
"Mygoodfriend,Ihaveenoughtoliveon,andobtainthishouseatasmallrentonaccountofitsisolation。ButIcannomorefindthesumoffivehundredpoundsthanfly。"
Herveyroseandstraightenedhislegs。
"ThenIguessI’dbestbegettingbacktoPierside。"
"Onemoment,sir。Didanythinghappenonthevoyage?-didBoltonsayanythinglikelytoleadyoutosupposethathewasindangerofbeingrobbedandmurdered?"
"No,"saidtheskippermusingly,andpullinghisgoatee。"Hetoldmethathehadsecuredtheoldcorpse,andwasbringingithometoyou。Ididn’ttalkmuchtoBolton;hewasn’tmystyle。"
"Haveyouanyideawhokilledhim?"
"No,Iain’t。"
"Thenhowdoyouproposetofindthecriminalwhohasthemummy?"
"Yougivemefivehundredpoundsandsee,"saidHerveycoolly。
"Ihaven’tgotthemoney。"
"ThenIreckonyoudon’tgetthecorpse。Solong,"andtheskipperstrolledtowardsthedoor。Braddockfollowedhim。
"Youhaveaclue?"
"No,I’vegotnothing;noteventhatfivehundredpoundsyoumakesuchafussover。It’sawasteddaywithH。H。,Isurmise。
Wait!"Hescribbledonacardandflungitacrosstheroom。
"That’smyPiersideaddressifyoushouldchangeyourblamedmind。"
TheProfessorpickedupthecard。"TheSailor’sRest!What,areyoustoppingthere?"Then,whenHerveynodded,hecriedviolently,"Why,Ibelieveyouhaveaclue,andstopatthehoteltofollowitup。"
"MaybeIdoandmaybeIdon’t,"retortedthecaptain,openingthedoorwithajerk;"anyhow,Idon’thuntforthatcorpsewithoutthedollars。"
WhenHiramHerveydeparted,theProfessorragedupanddowntheroomsoviolentlythatCockatoowascowedbyhisanger。
ApparentlythisAmericanskipperknewofsomethingwhichmightleadtothediscoveryoftheassassinandincidentallytotherestorationofthegreenmummytoitsrightfulowner。Buthewouldnotmakeamoveunlesshewaspaidfivehundredpounds,andBraddockdidnotknowwheretoprocurethatamount。HavinglongsincemadehimselfacquaintedwithHope’sfinancialcondition,heknewwellthattherewasnochanceofgettingasecondcheckinthatquarter。OfcoursetherewasRandom,whomhehadheardcasuallyhadreturnedfromhisyachtingcruise,andwasnowbackagainattheFort。ButRandomwasinlovewithLucy,andwouldprobablyonlygiveorlendthemoneyonconditionthattheProfessorhelpedhimwithhiswooing。Inthatcase,sinceLucywasengagedtoHope,therewouldbesomedifficultyinalteringpresentconditions。Buthavingarrivedatthispointofhissomewhatangrymeditations,BraddocksentCockatoowithamessagetohisstep-daughter,sayingthathewishedtoseeher。
"I’llseeifshereallylovesHope,"thoughttheProfessor,rubbinghisplumphands。"Ifshedoesn’t,theremaybeachanceofherthrowinghimovertobecomeLadyRandom。ThenIcangetthemoney。Andindeed,"soliloquizedtheProfessorvirtuously,"Imustpointouttoherthatitiswrongofhertomakeapoormarriage,whenshecangainawealthyhusband。Iwillonlybedoingmydutybymydeardeadwife,bypreventingherweddingpoverty。Butgirlsaresoobstinate,andLucyisathoroughgirl。"
HisamiableanxietyonbehalfofMissKendalwasonlycutshortbytheentranceoftheyoungladyherself。ProfessorBraddockthenshowedhishandtooplainlybyevincingastrongwishtoconciliateherineveryway。Heprocuredheraseat:heaskedafterherhealth:hetoldherthatshewasgrowingprettiereveryday,andinallwaysbehavedsounlikehisusualself,thatLucybecamealarmedandthoughtthathehadbeen"Whyhaveyousentforme?"sheasked,anxioustocometothepoint。
"Aha!"Braddockputhisvenerableheadononesidelikearoguishbirdandsmiledinaninfantinemanner。"Ihavegoodnewsforyou。"
"Aboutthemummy?"shedemandedinnocently。
"No,aboutfleshandblood,whichyouprefer。SirFrankRandomhasarrivedbackattheFort。There!"
"Iknowthat,"wasMissKendal’sunexpectedreply。"HisyachtcametoPiersideonthesameafternoonasTheDiverarrived。"
"Oh,indeed!"saidtheProfessor,struckbythecoincidence,andwithastare。"Howdoyouknow?"
"ArchiemetSirFranktheotherday,andlearnedasmuch。"
"What?"Braddockstruckatragicattitude。"Doyoumeantosaythatthosetwoyoungmenspeaktooneanother?"
"Yes。Whynot?Theyarefriends。"
"Oh!"Braddockbecameroguishagain。"Ifanciedtheywereloversofacertainyoungladywhoisinthisroom。"
BythistimeLucywasbeginningtoguesswhatherstepfatherwasaimingat,andgrewcorrespondinglyangry"Archieismysolelovernow,"sheremarkedstiffly。"SirFrankknowsthatweareengagedandisquitereadytobethefriendofusboth。"
"Andhecallsthatlove。Idiot!"criedtheProfessor,muchdisgusted。"ButIwouldpointouttoyou,Lucy-andIdosobecauseofmydeepaffectionforyou,dearchild-thatSirFrankiswealthy。"
"SoisArchie-inmylove。"
"Nonsense!nonsense!Thatismerefoolishromance,Hehasnomoney。"
"Youshouldnotsaythat。Archiehadmoneytotheextentofonethousandpounds,whichhegaveyou。"
"Onethousandpounds:amerenothing。Consider,Lucy,thatifyoumarryRandomyouwillhaveatitle。"
MissKendal,whosepatiencewasgettingexhausted,stampedaveryneatboot。
"Idon’tknowwhyyoutalkinthisway,father。"
"Iwishtoseeyouhappy。"
"Thenyourwishisgranted:youdoseemehappy。ButIwon’tbehappylongifyoukeepbotheringmetomarryamanIdon’tcaretwostrawsabout。IamgoingtobeMrs。Hope,sothere。"
"Mydearchild,"saidtheProfessor,whoalwaysbecamepaternalwhenmostobstinate,"IhavereasontobelievethatthegreenmummycanbediscoveredandpoorSidney’sdeathavengedifarewardoffivehundredpoundsisoffered。IfHopecangivemethatmoney-"
"Hewillnot:Ishallnotallowhimto。Hehaslosttoomuchalready。"
"InthatcaseImustapplytoSirFrankRandom。"
"Well,apply,"shesnapped,beingdecidedlyangry;"it’snoneofmybusiness。Idon’twanttohearanythingaboutit。"
"Itisyourbusiness,miss,"criedBraddock,growingangryinhisturnandbecomingverypink;"youknowthatonlybygettingyoutomarryRandomcanIprocurethemoney。"
"Oh!"saidLucycoldly。"Sothisiswhyyousentforme。Now,father,Ihavehadenoughofthis。YougaveyourconsenttoArchiebeingengagedtomeinexchangeforonethousandpounds。
AsIlovehimIshallabidebythewordyougave。IfIhadnotlovedhimIshouldhaverefusedtomarryhim。Youunderstand?"
"IunderstandthatIhaveaveryobstinategirltodealwith。
YoushallmarryasIchoose。"
"Ishalldonothingofthesort。Youhavenorighttodictatemychoiceofahusband。"
"Noright,whenIamyourfather?"
"Youarenotmyfather:merelymystep-father-merelyarelationbymarriage。Iamofage。IcandoasIlike,andintendto。"
"But,Lucy,"imploredBraddock,changinghistune,"think。"
"Ihavethought。ImarryArchie。"
"ButheispoorandRandomisrich。"
"Idon’tcare。IloveArchieandIdon’tloveFrank。"
"Wouldyouhavemelosethemummyforever?"
"Yes,Iwould,ifmymiseryistobethepriceofitsrestoration。WhyshouldIsellmyselftoamanIcarenothingabout,justbecauseyouwantamusty,fustyoldcorpse?NowIamgoing。"Lucywalkedtothedoor。"Ishan’tlistentoanotherword。Andifyoubothermeagain,IshallmarryArchieatonceandleavethehouse。"
"Icanmakeyouleaveitinanycase,youungratefulgirl,"
bellowedBraddock,whowaspurplewithrage,neverhavingaverygoodtemperatthebestoftimes。"LookwhatIhavedoneforyou!"
MissKendalcouldhavepointedoutthatherStepfatherhaddonenothingsaveattendtohimself。Butshedisdainedsuchanargument,andwithoutanotherwordopenedthedoorandwalkedout。AlmostimmediatelyafterwardsCockatooentered,muchtothereliefoftheProfessor,whorelievedhisfeelingsbykickingtheunfortunateKanaka。Thenhesatdownagaintoconsiderwaysandmeansofobtainingthenecessarymummyandstillmorenecessarymoney。
CHAPTERVIII
THEBARONET
SirFrankRandomwasanamiableyounggentlemanwith-asthesayinggoes-allhisgoodsintheshopwindow。Fair-hairedandtall,withawell-knit,athleticfigure,apolishedmanner,andaman-of-the-worldair,hestrictlyresembledtheromanticofficerofBowBells,FamilyHerald,YoungLadies’Journalfiction。Buttheromancewasallinhiswell-groomedlooks,ashewasascommonplaceaSaxonascouldbemetwithinaday’smarch。Fondofsport,attentivetohisdutiesasartillerycaptain,anddevotedtowhatisromanticallyknownasthefairsex,hesaunteredeasilythroughlife,verywellcontentedwithhimselfandwithhisagreeablesurroundings。Hereadfictionwhenhedidread,andthoseweeklypapersdevotedtosport;troubledhisheadverylittleaboutpolitics,savewhentheyhadtodowithapossibleGermaninvasion,andwasalwaysreadytodoanyoneagoodturn。Hisbrother-officersdeclaredthathewasnothalfabadsort,whichwashighpraisefromtheusuallyreticentserviceman。Hiscapacitymaybeaccuratelygaugedbythefactthathedidnotpossessasingleenemy,andthateveryonespokewellofhim。Amortalwhopossessesnoqualitylikelytobeenviedbythosearoundhimiscertaintobelongtotherankandfileofhumanity。Buttheseunconsideredunitsofmankindcanalwaysconsolethemselveswiththeundoubtedfactthatmediocrityisinvariablyhappy。
SuchamanasRandomwouldneversettheThamesonfire,andcertainlyhehadnoambitiontoperformthatastoundingfeat。Hewasfondofhisprofessionandintendedtoremaininthearmyaslongashecould。Hedesiredtomarryandbegetafamily,andretire,whensetfreefromsoldiering,tohiscountryseat,andthereperformblamelesslythecongenialroleofavillagesquire,untilcalledupontojointherespectablecorpsesintheRandomvault。Notthathewasasaintorevercouldbeone。Neitherblacknorwhite,hewassimplygray,beinganordinarymixtureofgoodandbad。Astheologyhasprovidednohereafterforgraypeople,itishardtoimaginewherethebulkofhumanitywillgo。
ButdoubtsonthispointnevertroubledRandom。Hewenttochurch,kepthismouthshutandhisporesopenandvaguelybelievedthatitwouldbeallrightsomehow。Averycomfortableifsuperficialphilosophyindeed。
ItcaneasilybeguessedthatRandom’ssomewhatcolorlesspersonalitywouldneverattractLucyKendal,sincethehuesofherowncharacterweredeeper。ForthisreasonshewasdrawntoHope,whopossessedthataggressiveartistictemperament,wheregoodandbad,areinviolentcontrast。Randomtookopinionsfrombooks,orfromotherpeople,andhismind,likealooking-glass,reflectedwhatevercamealong;butHopepossessedopinionsofhisown,bothrightandwrong,andheldtotheseinthefaceofallverbalopposition。Hecouldargueanddidargue,whenRandomsimplyagreed。Lucyhadsimilaridiosyncrasies,inheritedfromacleverfather,soitwasjustaswellthatshepreferredArchietoFrank。Hadthelatteryounggentlemanmarriedher,hewouldhavedwindledtoLadyRandom’shusband,andwouldhavefoundtoolatethathehaddomesticatedakindofimitationGeorgeEliot。
WhenhecongratulatedArchieonhisengagementsomewhatruefully,helittlethoughtwhatanescapehehadhad。
ButProfessorBraddock,whodidnotbelongtothegraytribe,knewnothingofthis,ashisEgyptologicalstudiesdidnotpermithimtimetoargueonsuchcommonplacematters。HethereforefailedinadvancewhenhesetouttopersuadeRandomintorenewinghissuit。Asthefierylittlemanafterwardsexpressedhimself,"Imightaswellhavetalkedtoamollusc,"forRandompolitelydeclinedtobeusedasaninstrumenttoforwardtheProfessor’sambitionatthecostofMissKendal’sunhappiness。
TheinterviewtookplaceinSirFrank’squartersattheFortonthedayafterHerveyhadcalledtoproposeasearchforthecorpse。AnditwasduringthisinterviewthatBraddocklearnedsomethingwhichbothstartledandannoyedhim。
Random,atthreeo’clock,hadjustchangedintomufti,whentheProfessorwasannouncedbyhisservant。Braddock,determinedtogivehishostnochanceofdenyinghimself,followedcloseontheman’sheels,andwasintheroomalmostbeforeSirFrankhadreadthecard。Itwasabareroom,sparselyfurnished,accordingtotheWarOffice’sideaofcomfort,andalthoughthebaronethadaddedafewmorecivilizednecessities,itstilllookedsomewhatdismal。Braddock,wholikedcomfort,shookhandscarelesslywithhishostandcastadisapprovingeyeonhissurroundings。
"Dogkennel!dogkennel!"grumbledthepoliteProfessor。"Baredesolationlikeadamneddungeon。YoumightaswellliveintheSahara。"
"Itwouldcertainlybewarmer,"repliedRandom,whoknewthescientist’ssnappywaysverywell。"Takeachair,sir!"
"Hardasbricks,confoundit!"Handmeoveracushion。There,that’sbetter!No,Ineverdrinkbetweenmeals,thankyou。
Smoke?Hangit,Random,youshouldknowbythistimethatI
dislikemakingachimneyofmythroat!There!there!don’tfuss。
TakeaseatandlistentowhatIhavetosay。It’simportant。
Pokethefire,please:it’scold。"
Randomplacidlydidashewastold,andthenlightedacigar,ashesatdownquietly。
"Iamsorrytohearofyourtrouble,sir。’"
"Trouble!trouble!Whatparticulartrouble?"
"Thedeathofyourassistant。"
"Ohyes。Sillyyoungasstogetkilled。Lostmymummy,too:
there’stroubleifyoulike。"
"Thegreenmummy。"Randomlookedintothefire,"Yes。Ihaveheardofthegreenmummy。"
"Ishouldthinkyouhave,"snappedBraddock,warminghisplumphands。"Everypenny-a-linerhasbeentalkingaboutit。Whendidyoureturn?"
"Onthesamedaythatthatsteamerwiththemummyonboardarrived,"wasRandom’soddreply。
TheProfessorstaredsuspiciously。"Idon’tseewhyyoushoulddateyourmovementsbymymummy,"heretorted。
"Well,Ihadareasonindoingso。"
"Whatreason?"
"Themummy-"
"Whataboutit?-doyouknowwhereitis?"Braddockstartedtohisfeet,andlookedeagerlyatthecalmfaceofhishost。
"No,IwishIdid。Howmuchdidyoupayforit,Professor?"
"What’sthattoyou?"snappedtheother,resuminghisseat。
"Nothingatall。ButitisagreatdealtoDonPedrodeGayangos。"
"Andwhothedeuceishe?SomeSpanishEgyptologist?"
"Idon’tthinkheisanEgyptologist,sir。"
"Hemustbe,ifhewantsmymummy。"
"Youforget,Professor,thatthegreenmummycomesfromPeru。"
"Whodeniedthatitdid,sir?Youareillogical-infernallyso。"Thelittlemanroseandstraddledonthehearth-rug,withhisbacktothefireandhishandsunderhiscoat-tails。"Now,sir,"hesaid,glaringattheyoungmanlikeaschool-master-
"whatthedeuceareyoutalkingabout?Outwithit:noevasion,"
"Oh,hangit,Professor,don’tjumpdownmythroat,spursandall,"saidRandom,ratherannoyedbythisdictatorialtone。
"Ineverwearspurs:goon,sir,anddon’targue。"
SirFrankcouldnothelplaughing,althoughhtknewthatitwasuselesstoinduceBraddocktobecivil。NotthattheProfessor,meanttoberude,especiallyashedesiredtoconciliateRandom。
Butlongyearsoffightingwithotherscientistsandofhavinghisownscientificwayhadturnedhimintoakindofschool-master,andeveryoneknowsthattheyarethemostdomineeringofthehumanrace。
"It’salongstory,"saidthebaronet,withashrugandasmile。
"Story!story!Whatstory?"
"’ThatwhichIamabouttotellyou。"AndthenRandombeganhurriedly,soastopreventfurtherargumentsofanunprofitablekind。"IwasatGenoawithmyyacht,andtherestoppedonshoreattheCasaBianca。"
"Whatplaceisthat?"
"Anhotel。ItheremetwithacertainDonPedrodeGayangosandhisdaughter,DonnaInez,HewasagentlemanfromLima,andhadcometoEuropeinsearchofthegreenmummy。"
Braddockstared。
"AndwhatdidthisconfoundedSpaniardwantwithmygreenmummy?"
hedemandedindignantly。"Howdidheknowofitsexistence?-
whatreasonhadhetotryandobtainit?Answer,sir。"
"IshallletDonPedroanswerhimself,"saidRandomdryly。"Hearrivesinacoupleofdays,andintendstotakeroomsattheWarriorInnalongwithhisdaughter。Thenyoucanquestionhim,Professor。"
"Iquestionyou,"snappedBraddockangrily。
"AndIamansweringtothebestofmyability。DonPedrotoldmenothingbeyondthefactthathewantedthemummy,andhadcometoEuropetogetit。InsomewayhelearnedthatitwasinMaltaandwasforsale。"
"Quiteso:quiteso,"raspedtheProfessor。"Hesawtheadvertisementinthenewspapers,asIdid,andwantedtobuyitovermyhead。"
"Oh,hewantedtobuyitrightenough,andwiredtoMalta,"saidRandom,"butinreplyhereceivedaletterstatingthatithadbeensoldtoyouandwasbeingtakentoEnglandonTheDiver。I
followedTheDiverinmyyachtandarrivedatPiersideanhouraftershedid。"
"Ah!"Braddockglared。"Ibegintoseelight。ThisinfernalSpaniardwasonboard,andwantedmymummy。HeknewthatBoltonhadtakenittotheSailor’sRestandwenttheretokillthepoorladandgetmy-"
"Nothingofthesort,"interruptedSirFrankimpatiently。"DonPedroremainedbehindinGenoa,intendingtowriteandaskifyouwouldsellhimthemummy。Iwroteandtoldhimofthemurderofyourassistantandrelatedallthathadhappened。HewiredtomethathewascomingtoEnglandatonce,as-asItoldyou。HewillbeinGartleyinacoupleofdays。Thatisthewholestory。"
"Itisasufficientlystrangeone,"grumbledBraddock,frowning。
"Whatdoeshewantwithmymummy?"。
"Icannottellyou。Butifyouwillsell-"
"Sell!sell!sell!"vociferatedBraddockfuriously。