the clue of the twisted candle-第11节

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〃M。　or　N。；〃　replied　Mansus；　laconically。

〃I　repeat　that　there　is　the　dawn　of　an　intellect　in　you；〃　said　T。　X。；　offensively。

He　became　more　serious　as　he　took　from　a　pocket　inside　his　waistcoat　a　long　blue　envelope　containing　the　paper　which　had　cost　him　so　much　to　secure。

〃Finding　the　revolver　was　a　master…stroke　of　yours；　Mansus；〃　he　said；　and　he　was　in　earnest　as　he　spoke。

The　man　coloured　with　pleasure　for　the　subordinates　of　T。　X。　loved　him；　and　a　word　of　praise　was　almost　equal　to　promotion。　　It　was　on　the　advice　of　Mansus　that　the　road　from　London　to　Lewes　had　been　carefully　covered　and　such　streams　as　passed　beneath　that　road　had　been　searched。

The　revolver　had　been　found　after　the　third　attempt　between　Gatwick　and　Horsley。　　Its　identification　was　made　easier　by　the　fact　that　Vassalaro's　name　was　engraved　on　the　butt。　　It　was　rather　an　ornate　affair　and　in　its　earlier　days　had　been　silver　plated；　the　handle　was　of　mother…o'…pearl；

〃Obviously　the　gift　of　one　brigand　to　another；〃　was　T。　X。's　comment。

Armed　with　this；　his　task　would　have　been　fairly　easy；　but　when　to　this　evidence　he　added　a　rough　draft　of　the　threatening　letter　which　he　had　found　amongst　Vassalaro's　belongings；　and　which　had　evidently　been　taken　down　at　dictation；　since　some　of　the　words　were　misspelt　and　had　been　corrected　by　another　hand；　the　case　was　complete。

But　what　clinched　the　matter　was　the　finding　of　a　wad　of　that　peculiar　chemical　paper；　a　number　of　sheets　of　which　T。　X。　had　ignited　for　the　information　of　the　Chief　Commissioner　and　the　Home　Secretary　by　simply　exposing　them　for　a　few　seconds　to　the　light　of　an　electric　lamp。

Instantly　it　had　filled　the　Home　Secretary's　office　with　a　pungent　and　most　disagreeable　smoke；　for　which　he　was　heartily　cursed　by　his　superiors。　　But　it　had　rounded　off　the　argument。

He　looked　at　his　watch。

〃I　wonder　if　it　is　too　late　to　see　Mrs。　Lexman；〃　he　said。

〃I　don't　think　any　hour　would　be　too　late；〃　suggested　Mansus。

〃You　shall　come　and　chaperon　me；〃　said　his　superior。

But　a　disappointment　awaited。　　Mrs。　Lexman　was　not　in　and　neither　the　ringing　at　her　electric　bell　nor　vigorous　applications　to　the　knocker　brought　any　response。　　The　hall　porter　of　the　flats　where　she　lived　was　under　the　impression　that　Mrs。　Lexman　had　gone　out　of　town。　　She　frequently　went　out　on　Saturdays　and　returned　on　the　Monday　and；　he　thought；　occasionally　on　Tuesdays。

It　happened　that　this　particular　night　was　a　Monday　night　and　T。　X。　was　faced　with　a　dilemma。　　The　night　porter；　who　had　only　the　vaguest　information　on　the　subject；　thought　that　the　day　porter　might　know　more；　and　aroused　him　from　his　sleep。

Yes；　Mrs。　Lexman　had　gone。　　She　went　on　the　Sunday；　an　unusual　day　to　pay　a　week…end　visit；　and　she　had　taken　with　her　two　bags。　　The　porter　ventured　the　opinion　that　she　was　rather　excited；　but　when　asked　to　define　the　symptoms　relapsed　into　a　chaos　of　incoherent　〃you…knows〃　and　〃what…I…means。〃

〃I　don't　like　this；〃　said　T。　X。；suddenly。　　〃Does　anybody　know　that　we　have　made　these　discoveries？〃

〃Nobody　outside　the　office；〃　said　Mansus；　〃unless；　unless　。　。　。　〃

〃Unless　what？〃　asked　the　other；　irritably。　　〃Don't　be　a　jimp；　Mansus。　　Get　it　off　your　mind。　　What　is　it？〃

〃I　am　wondering；〃　said　Mansus　slowly；　〃if　the　landlord　at　Great　James　Street　said　anything。　　He　knows　we　have　made　a　search。〃

〃We　can　easily　find　that　out；〃　said　T。　X。

They　hailed　a　taxi　and　drove　to　Great　James　Street。　　That　respectable　thoroughfare　was　wrapped　in　sleep　and　it　was　some　time　before　the　landlord　could　be　aroused。　　Recognizing　T。　X。　he　checked　his　sarcasm；　which　he　had　prepared　for　a　keyless　lodger；　and　led　the　way　into　the　drawing　room。

〃You　didn't　tell　me　not　to　speak　about　it；　Mr。　Meredith；〃　he　said；　in　an　aggrieved　tone；　〃and　as　a　matter　of　fact　I　have　spoken　to　nobody　except　the　gentleman　who　called　the　same　day。〃

〃What　did　he　want？〃　asked　T。　X。

〃He　said　he　had　only　just　discovered　that　Mr。　Vassalaro　had　stayed　with　me　and　he　wanted　to　pay　whatever　rent　was　due；〃　replied　the　other。

〃What　like　of　man　was　he？〃　asked　T。　X。

The　brief　description　the　man　gave　sent　a　cold　chill　to　the　Commissioner's　heart。

〃Kara　for　a　ducat！〃　he　said；　and　swore　long　and　variously。

〃Cadogan　Square；〃　he　ordered。

His　ring　was　answered　promptly。　　Mr。　Kara　was　out　of　town；　had　indeed　been　out　of　town　since　Saturday。　　This　much　the　man…servant　explained　with　a　suspicious　eye　upon　his　visitors；　remembering　that　his　predecessor　had　lost　his　job　from　a　too　confiding　friendliness　with　spurious　electric　fitters。　　He　did　not　know　when　Mr。　Kara　would　return；　perhaps　it　would　be　a　long　time　and　perhaps　a　short　time。　　He　might　come　back　that　night　or　he　might　not。

〃You　are　wasting　your　young　life；〃　said　T。　X。　bitterly。　　〃You　ought　to　be　a　fortune　teller。〃

〃This　settles　the　matter；〃　he　said；　in　the　cab　on　the　way　back。　〃Find　out　the　first　train　for　Tavistock　in　the　morning　and　wire　the　George　Hotel　to　have　a　car　waiting。〃

〃Why　not　go　to…night？〃　suggested　the　other。　　〃There　is　the　midnight　train。　　It　is　rather　slow；　but　it　will　get　you　there　by　six　or　seven　in　the　morning。〃

〃Too　late；〃　he　said；　〃unless　you　can　invent　a　method　of　getting　from　here　to　Paddington　in　about　fifty　seconds。〃

The　morning　journey　to　Devonshire　was　a　dispiriting　one　despite　the　fineness　of　the　day。　　T。　X。　had　an　uncomfortable　sense　that　something　distressing　had　happened。　　The　run　across　the　moor　in　the　fresh　spring　air　revived　him　a　little。

As　they　spun　down　to　the　valley　of　the　Dart；　Mansus　touched　his　arm。

〃Look　at　that；〃　he　said；　and　pointed　to　the　blue　heavens　where；　a　mile　above　their　heads；　a　white…winged　aeroplane；　looking　no　larger　than　a　very　distant　dragon　fly；　shimmered　in　the　sunlight。

〃By　Jove！〃　said　T。　X。　〃What　an　excellent　way　for　a　man　to　escape！〃

〃It's　about　the　only　way；〃　said　Mansus。

The　significance　of　the　aeroplane　was　borne　in　upon　T。　X。　a　few　minutes　later　when　he　was　held　up　by　an　armed　guard。　　A　glance　at　his　card　was　enough　to　pass　him。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　he　asked。

〃A　prisoner　has　escaped；〃　said　the　sentry。

〃Escaped　…　by　aeroplane？〃　asked　T。　X。

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　aeroplanes；　sir。　　All　I　know　is　that　one　of　the　working　party　got　away。〃

The　car　came　to　the　gates　of　the　prison　and　T。　X。　sprang　out；　followed　by　his　assistant。　　He　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　the　Governor；　a　greatly　perturbed　man；　for　an　escape　is　a　very　serious　matter。

The　official　was　inclined　to　be　brusque　in　his　manner；　but　again　the　magic　card　produced　a　soothing　effect。

〃I　am　rather　rattled；〃　said　the　Governor。　　〃One　of　my　men　has　got　away。　　I　suppose　you　know　that？〃

〃And　I　am　afraid　another　of　your　men　is　going　away；　sir；〃　said　T。　X。；　who　had　a　curious　reverence　for　military　authority。　　He　produced　his　paper　and　laid　it　on　the　governor's　table。

〃This　is　an　order　for　the　release　of　John　Lexman；　convicted　under　sentence　of　fifteen　years　penal　servitude。〃

The　Governor　looked　at　it。

〃Dated　last　night；〃　he　said；　and　breathed　a　long　sigh　of　relief。　〃Thank　the　Lord！　…　that　is　the　man　who　escaped！〃




CHAPTER　VIII


Two　years　after　the　events　just　described；　T。　X。　journeying　up　to　London　from　Bath　was　attracted　by　a　paragraph　in　the　Morning　Post。　It　told　him　briefly　that　Mr。　Remington　Kara；　the　influential　leader　of　the　Greek　Colony；　had　been　the　guest　of　honor　at　a　dinner　of　the　Hellenic　Society。

T。　X。　had　only　seen　Kara　for　a　brief　space　of　time　following　that　tragic　morning；　when　he　had　discovered　not　only　that　his　best　friend　had　escaped　from　Dartmoor　prison　and　disappeared；　as　it　were；　from　the　world　at　a　moment　when　his　pardon　had　been　signed；　but　that　that　friend's　wife　had　also　vanished　from　the　face　of　the　earth。

At　the　same　time　…　it　might；　as　even　T。　X。　admitted；　have　been　the　veriest　coincidence　that　Kara　had　also　cleared　out　of　London　to　reappear　at　the　end　of　six　months。　　Any　question　addressed　to　him；　concerning　the　whereabouts　of　the　two　unhappy　people；　was　met　with　a　bland　expression　of　ignorance　as　to　their　whereabouts。

John　Lexman　was　somewhere　in　the　world；　hiding　as　he　believed　from　justice；　and　with　him　was　his　wife。　　T。　X。　had　no　doubt　in　his　mind　as　to　this　solution　of　the　puzzle。　　He　had　caused　to　be　published　the　story　of　the　pardon　and　the　circumstances　under　which　that　pardon　had　been　secured；　and　he　had；　moreover；　arranged　for　an　advertisement　to　be　inserted　in　the　principal　papers　of　every　European　country。

It　was　a　moot　question　amongst　the　departmental　lawyers　as　to　whether　John　Lexman　was　not　guilty　of　a　technical　and　punishable　offence　for　prison　breaking；　but　this　possibility　did　not　keep　T。　X。　awake　at　nights。　　The　circumstances　of　the　escape　had　been　carefully　examined。　　The　warder　responsible　had　been　discharged　from　the　service；　and　had　almost　immediately　purchased　for　himself　a　beer　house　in　Falmouth；　for　a　sum　which　left　no　doubt　in　the　official　mind　that　he　had　been　the　recipient　of　a　heavy　bribe。

Who　had　been　the　guiding　spirit　in　that　escape　…　Mrs。　Lexman；　or　Karat？

It　was　impossible　to　connect　Kara　with　the　event。　　The　motor　car　had　been　traced　to　Exeter；　where　it　had　been　hired　by　a　〃foreign…looking　gentleman；〃　bu