the clue of the twisted candle-第24节

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Again　there　was　silence。

〃That　is　a　theory；〃　said　John　Lexman。　　with　his　curious　deliberation　of　speech；　〃but　as　I　say　I　refuse　to　be　definite　…　have　you　found　the　weapon？〃

T。　X。　shook　his　head。

〃Were　there　any　peculiar　features　about　the　room　which　astonished　you；　and　which　you　have　not　told　me？〃

T。　X。　hesitated。

〃There　were　two　candles；〃　he　said；　〃one　in　the　middle　of　the　room　and　one　under　the　bed。　　That　in　the　middle　of　the　room　was　a　small　Christmas　candle；　the　one　under　the　bed　was　the　ordinary　candle　of　commerce　evidently　roughly　cut　and　probably　cut　in　the　room。　　We　found　traces　of　candle　chips　on　the　floor　and　it　is　evident　to　me　that　the　portion　which　was　cut　off　was　thrown　into　the　fire；　for　here　again　we　have　a　trace　of　grease。〃

Lexman　nodded。

〃Anything　further？〃　he　asked。

〃The　smaller　candle　was　twisted　into　a　sort　of　corkscrew　shape。〃

〃The　Clue　of　the　Twisted　Candle；〃　mused　John　Lexman　〃that's　a　very　good　title　…　Kara　hated　candles。〃

〃Why？〃

Lexman　leant　back　in　his　chair；　selected　a　cigarette　from　a　silver　case。

〃In　my　wanderings；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　been　to　many　strange　places。　I　have　been　to　the　country　which　you　probably　do　not　know；　and　which　the　traveller　who　writes　books　about　countries　seldom　visits。　　There　are　queer　little　villages　perched　on　the　spurs　of　the　bleakest　hills　you　ever　saw。　　I　have　lived　with　communities　which　acknowledge　no　king　and　no　government。　　These　have　their　laws　handed　down　to　them　from　father　to　son　…　it　is　a　nation　without　a　written　language。　　They　administer　their　laws　rigidly　and　drastically。　　The　punishments　they　award　are　cruel　…　inhuman。　I　have　seen；　the　woman　taken　in　adultery　stoned　to　death　as　in　the　best　Biblical　traditions；　and　I　have　seen　the　thief　blinded。〃

T。　X。　shivered。

〃I　have　seen　the　false　witness　stand　up　in　a　barbaric　market　place　whilst　his　tongue　was　torn　from　him。　　Sometimes　the　Turks　or　the　piebald　governments　of　the　state　sent　down　a　few　gendarmes　and　tried　a　sort　of　sporadic　administration　of　the　country。　　It　usually　ended　in　the　representative　of　the　law　lapsing　into　barbarism；　or　else　disappearing　from　the　face　of　the　earth；　with　a　whole　community　of　murderers　eager　to　testify；　with　singular　unanimity；　to　the　fact　that　he　had　either　committed　suicide　or　had　gone　off　with　the　wife　of　one　of　the　townsmen。

〃In　some　of　these　communities　the　candle　plays　a　big　part。　　It　is　not　the　candle　of　commerce　as　you　know　it；　but　a　dip　made　from　mutton　fat。　　Strap　three　between　the　fingers　of　your　hands　and　keep　the　hand　rigid　with　two　flat　pieces　of　wood；　then　let　the　candles　burn　down　lower　and　lower　…　can　you　imagine？　　Or　set　a　candle　in　a　gunpowder　trail　and　lead　the　trail　to　a　well…oiled　heap　of　shavings　thoughtfully　heaped　about　your　naked　feet。　　Or　a　candle　fixed　to　the　shaved　head　of　a　man　…　there　are　hundreds　of　variations　and　the　candle　plays　a　part　in　all　of　them。　　I　don't　know　which　Kara　had　cause　to　hate　the　worst；　but　I　know　one　or　two　that　he　has　employed。〃

〃Was　he　as　bad　as　that？〃　asked　T。　X。

John　Lexman　laughed。

〃You　don't　know　how　bad　he　was；〃　he　said。

Towards　the　end　of　the　luncheon　the　waiter　brought　a　note　in　to　T。　X。　which　had　been　sent　on　from　his　office。

〃Dear　Mr。　　Meredith；

〃In。　　answer　to　your　enquiry　I　believe　my　daughter　is　in　London；　but　I　did　not　know　it　until　this　morning。　　My　banker　informs　me　that　my　daughter　called　at　the　bank　this　morning　and　drew　a　considerable　sum　of　money　from　her　private　account；　but　where　she　has　gone　and　what　she　is　doing　with　the　money　I　do　not　know。　　I　need　hardly　tell　you　that　I　am　very　worried　about　this　matter　and　I　should　be　glad　if　you　could　explain　what　it　is　all　about。〃

It　was　signed　〃William　Bartholomew。〃

T。　X。　groaned。

〃If　I　had　only　had　the　sense　to　go　to　the　bank　this　morning；　I　should　have　seen　her；〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　going　to　lose　my　job　over　this。〃

The　other　looked　troubled。

〃You　don't　seriously　mean　that〃

〃Not　exactly；〃　smiled　T。　X。；　〃but　I　don't　think　the　Chief　is　very　pleased　with　me　just　now。　　You　see　I　have　butted　into　this　business　without　any　authority　…　it　isn't　exactly　in　my　department。　　But　you　have　not　given　me　your　theory　about　the　candles。〃

〃I　have　no　theory　to　offer；〃　said　the　other；　folding　up　his　serviette；　〃the　candles　suggest　a　typical　Albanian　murder。　　I　do　not　say　that　it　was　so；　I　merely　say　that　by　their　presence　they　suggest　a　crime　of　this　character。〃

With　this　T。　X。　had　to　be　content。

If　it　were　not　his　business　to　interest　himself　in　commonplace　murder　…　though　this　hardly　fitted　such　a　description　…　it　was　part　of　the　peculiar　function　which　his　department　exercised　to　restore　to　Lady　Bartholomew　a　certain　very　elaborate　snuff…box　which　he　discovered　in　the　safe。

Letters　had　been　found　amongst　his　papers　which　made　clear　the　part　which　Kara　had　played。　　Though　he　had　not　been　a　vulgar　blackmailer　he　had　retained　his　hold；　not　only　upon　this　particular　property　of　Lady　Bartholomew；　but　upon　certain　other　articles　which　were　discovered；　with　no　other　object；　apparently；　than　to　compel　influence　from　quarters　likely　to　be　of　assistance　to　him　in　his　schemes。

The　inquest　on　the　murdered　man　which　the　Assistant　Commissioner　attended　produced　nothing　in　the　shape　of　evidence　and　the　coroner's　verdict　of　〃murder　against　some　person　or　persons　unknown〃　was　only　to　be　expected。

T。　X。　spent　a　very　busy　and　a　very　tiring　week　tracing　elusive　clues　which　led　him　nowhere。　　He　had　a　letter　from　John　Lexman　announcing　the　fact　that　he　intended　leaving　for　the　United　States。　　He　had　received　a　very　good　offer　from　a　firm　of　magazine　publishers　in　New　York　and　was　going　out　to　take　up　the　appointment。

Meredith's　plans　were　now　in　fair　shape。　　He　had　decided　upon　the　line　of　action　he　would　take　and　in　the　pursuance　of　this　he　interviewed　his　Chief　and　the　Minister　of　Justice。

〃Yes；　I　have　heard　from　my　daughter；〃　said　that　great　man　uncomfortably；　〃and　really　she　has　placed　me　in　a　most　embarrassing　position。　　I　cannot　tell　you；　Mr。　Meredith；　exactly　in　what　manner　she　has　done　this；　but　I　can　assure　you　she　has。〃

〃Can　I　see　her　letter　or　telegram？〃　asked　T。　X。

〃I　am　afraid　that　is　impossible；〃　said　the　other　solemnly；　〃she　begged　me　to　keep　her　communication　very　secret。　　I　have　written　to　my　wife　and　asked　her　to　come　home。　　I　feel　the　constant　strain　to　which　I　am　being　subjected　is　more　than　human　man　can　endure。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　T。　X。　patiently；　〃it　is　impossible　for　you　to　tell　me　to　what　address　you　have　replied？〃

〃To　no　address；〃　answered　the　other　and　corrected　himself　hurriedly；　〃that　is　to　say　I　only　received　the　telegram　…　the　message　this　morning　and　there　is　no　address　…　to　reply　to。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　T。　X。

That　afternoon　he　instructed　his　secretary。

〃I　want　a　copy　of　all　the　agony　advertisements　in　to…morrow's　papers　and　in　the　last　editions　of　the　evening　papers　…　have　them　ready　for　me　tomorrow　morning　when　I　come。〃

They　were　waiting　for　him　when　he　reached　the　office　at　nine　o'clock　the　next　day　and　he　went　through　them　carefully。　Presently　he　found　the　message　he　was　seeking。

B。　M。　You　place　me　awkward　position。　　Very　thoughtless。　　Have　received　package　addressed　your　mother　which　have　placed　in　mother's　sitting…room。　　Cannot　understand　why　you　want　me　to　go　away　week…end　and　give　servants　holiday　but　have　done　so。　　Shall　require　very　full　explanation。　　Matter　gone　far　enough。　　Father。

〃This；〃　said　T。　X。　exultantly；　as　he　read　the　advertisement；　〃is　where　I　get　busy。〃




CHAPTER　XVI


February　as　a　rule　is　not　a　month　of　fogs；　but　rather　a　month　of　tempestuous　gales；　of　frosts　and　snowfalls；　but　the　night　of　February　17th；　19；　was　one　of　calm　and　mist。　　It　was　not　the　typical　London　fog　so　dreaded　by　the　foreigner；　but　one　of　those　little　patchy　mists　which　smoke　through　the　streets；　now　enshrouding　and　making　the　nearest　object　invisible；　now　clearing　away　to　the　finest　diaphanous　filament　of　pale　grey。

Sir　William　Bartholomew　had　a　house　in　Portman　Place；　which　is　a　wide　thoroughfare；　filled　with　solemn　edifices　of　unlovely　and　forbidding　exterior；　but　remarkably　comfortable　within。　　Shortly　before　eleven　on　the　night　of　February　17th；　a　taxi　drew　up　at　the　junction　of　Sussex　Street　and　Portman　Place；　and　a　girl　alighted。　The　fog　at　that　moment　was　denser　than　usual　and　she　hesitated　a　moment　before　she　left　the　shelter　which　the　cab　afforded。

She　gave　the　driver　a　few　instructions　and　walked　on　with　a　firm　step；　turning　abruptly　and　mounting　the　steps　of　Number　173。　　Very　quickly　she　inserted　her　key　in　the　lock；　pushed　the　door　open　and　closed　it　behind　her。　　She　switched　on　the　hall　light。　　The　house　sounded　hollow　and　deserted；　a　fact　which　afforded　her　considerable　satisfaction。　　She　turned　the　light　out　and　found　her　way　up　the　broad　stairs　to　the　first　floor；　paused　for　a　moment　to　switch　on　another　light　which　she　knew　would　not　be　observable　from　the　street　outside　and　mounted　the　second　flight。

Miss　Belinda　Mary　Bartholomew　congratulated　herself　upon　the　success　of　her　scheme；　and　the　only　doubt　that　was　in　her　mind　now　was　whether　the　boudoir　had　been　locked；　but　her　father　was　rather　careless　in　such　matters　and　Jacks　t