Those in Court stirred again uneasily. There had been breathless silence while the Coroner had been speaking save for the rustling of the paper and "flimsies" used by the reporters, and the departure of one or two uniformed messenger-lads carrying "copy" to the evening journals for use in their special editions.
The foreman of the jury turned to his fellow-jurymen and inquired whether they desired to consult in private. But all were of one opinion, and without leaving the room returned a verdict of "Found dead." At the club that night everybody read the evening papers, and in the smoking-room everybody propounded his own view of the mystery. Some were of opinion that their friend had fallen a victim of foul play, while others who, like myself, had noticed his recent depressed spirits and inert att.i.tude, were inclined to think that he had taken his own life in a fit of despondency. They declared that he had sent Ash out on a fool"s errand in order to be alone, and that the blank note was really nothing at all. The only argument against that theory was the fact that I had found the door leading to his chambers open. This was incompatible with the idea that he had deliberately taken his own life.
As the person who had made the startling discovery, I was, of course, questioned on every hand regarding all the minor details of the terrible scene. The men who held the opinion that he had been murdered desired to make out that the furniture had been disturbed, but having very carefully noted everything, I was able to flatly contradict them. Thus the evening pa.s.sed with that one single subject under discussion--the murder of the man who had been so popular amongst us, and whom we had all held in such high esteem.
Next morning, near noon, while reading the paper beside my own fire, Simes entered, saying--
"There"s Ash, sir, would like to see you."
"Show him in," I exclaimed at once, casting the paper aside, and an instant later the dead man"s valet made his appearance, pale and agitated.
"Well, Ash," I said, "what"s the matter?"
"I"m a bit upset, sir; that"s all." And he panted from the effort of ascending the stairs. Therefore, I motioned him to a seat.
"Well, have the police visited your master"s rooms again?"
"No, sir. They haven"t been again," he replied. "But I made a thorough examination last night, and I wish you"d come round with me, if you"d be so kind, sir. I know you were my master"s best friend, and I"m sure you won"t let this affair rest, will you?"
"Certainly not," I answered in surprise. "But why do you wish me to go with you?"
"I want to ask your opinion on something."
"What have you discovered?"
"Well, sir, I don"t know whether it is a discovery, or not. But I"d like you to see it," he said, full of nervous impatience.
Therefore, I called Simes to bring my hat and coat, and we went out together, taking a cab along to poor Roddy"s chambers. They seemed strangely silent and deserted now, as we let ourselves in with the latch-key. No cheery voice welcomed me from the sitting-room within, and there was no odour of Egyptian cigarettes or overnight cigars; no fire in the grate, for all was cheerless and rendered the more funereal because of the darkness of the rainy day.
"This morning," explained Ash, "when I thought I had made a thorough examination of the whole place last night, I chanced to be taking a turn around this room and made a discovery which seems to me very remarkable." Then, pointing, he went on: "You see in that cabinet there"s some old china."
"Yes," I answered, for some of the pieces were very choice, and I had often envied them.
"From where we stand here we can see a small casket of chased bra.s.s-- Indian work, I think he called it."
"Certainly."
"Well, now, I chanced to pa.s.s this, and a thought occurred to me that I"d look what was in that box. I did so, and when I saw, I closed it up again and came to you to get your opinion."
With that he opened the gla.s.s doors of the cabinet, took forth the little casket and opened it.
Inside there was nothing but ashes. They were white ashes, similar to those I had found in my own rooms after Aline had departed!
"Good G.o.d!" I gasped, scarcely believing my own eyes. "What was in this box before?"
"When I opened it last week, sir, there was a rosary, such as the Roman Catholics use. It belonged to my master"s grandmother, he once told me.
She was a Catholic."
I turned the ashes over in my hand. Yes, there was no doubt whatever that it had been a rosary, for although the beads were consumed yet the tiny lengths of wire which had run through them remained unmelted, but had been blackened and twisted by the heat. There was one small lump of metal about the size of a bean, apparently silver, and that I judged to have been the little crucifix appended.
"It"s extraordinary!" I said, bewildered, when I reflected that this fact lent additional colour to my vague theory that Aline might have visited Roddy before his death. "It"s most extraordinary!"
"Yes, sir, it is," Ash replied. "But what makes it the more peculiar is the fact that about a year ago I found a little pile of ashes very similar to these when I went one morning to dust the master"s dressing-table. He always kept a little pocket Testament there, but it had gone, and only the ashes remained in its place. I called him, and when he saw them he seemed very upset, and said--`Take them out of my sight, Ash! Take them away! It"s the Devil"s work!""
"Yes," I observed. "This is indeed the Devil"s work."
The mystery surrounding the tragic affair increased hourly.
I examined the bra.s.s box, and upon the lid saw a strange discolouration.
It was the mark of a finger--perhaps the mark of that mysterious hand, the touch of which had the potency to consume the object with which it came in contact. I placed the box back upon the table, and could not resist the strange chill which crept over me. The mystery was a more uncanny one than I had ever heard of.
"Now tell me, Ash," I said at last. "Did your master ever entertain any lady visitors here?"
"Very seldom, sir," the man answered. "His married sister, Lady Hilgay, used to come sometimes, and once or twice his aunt, the d.u.c.h.ess, called, but beyond those I don"t recollect any lady here for certainly twelve months past."
"Some might have called when you were absent, of course," I remarked.
"They might," he said; "but I don"t think they did."
"Have you ever seen any letters that you"ve posted addressed to a lady named Cloud?"
He reflected, then answered--
"No, sir. The name is an unusual one, and if I"d ever seen it before I certainly should have remembered it."
"Well," I said, after some minutes of silence, "I want you to come with me and try and find a lady. If we do meet her you"ll see whether you can identify her as a person you"ve seen before. You understand?"
"Yes," he replied, with a puzzled look. "But are we going to see the woman whom the police suspect visited my master while I was absent?"
"Be patient," I said, and together we went out, and re-entering the cab drove up to Hampstead.
The mystery of my friend"s death was becoming more inexplicable.
Therefore I had resolved to seek Aline, and at all costs demand some explanation of the extraordinary phenomena which had taken place in Roddy"s rooms as well as in my own.
CHAPTER NINE.
MRS POPEJOY"S STATEMENT.
"Is Miss Cloud at home?" I inquired of the maid, as Ash stood behind in wonder.
"She doesn"t live here, sir," replied the girl.
"Doesn"t live here?" I echoed dubiously. "Why, only a short time ago I saw her enter here!"
"Well, sir, I don"t know her. I"ve never heard the name."
"Is Mrs Popejoy in?" I inquired.