"That is a matter for later consideration," calmly replied the man who had devoted so much of his time and money to the investigation of mysteries of crime.
In one of the bare bedrooms upstairs Fetherston had, in examining one of the well made hand-presses set up there, found beside it a number of one-pound Treasury notes. In curiosity he took one up, and found it to be in an unfinished state. It was printed in green, without the brown colouring. Yet it was perfect as regards the paper and printing--even to its black serial number.
Next second the truth flashed upon him. The whole apparatus, presses and everything, had been set up there to print the war paper currency of Great Britain!
In the room adjoining he had seen bundles of slips of similar paper, all neatly packed in elastic bands, and waiting the final process of colouring and toning. One bundle had only the Houses of Parliament printed; the other side was blank. He saw in a flash that the placing in circulation of such a huge quant.i.ty of Treasury notes, amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds, must seriously damage the credit of the nation.
For a few seconds he held an unfinished note in his hand examining it, and deciding that the imitation was most perfect. It deceived him and would undoubtedly deceive any bank-teller.
In those rooms it was plain that various processes had been conducted, from the manipulation of the watermark, by a remarkably ingenious process, right down to the finished one-pound note, so well done that not even an expert could detect the forgery. There were many French one-hundred-franc notes as well.
The whole situation was truly astounding. Again the thought hammered home: such a quant.i.ty of paper in circulation must affect the national finances of Britain. And at the head of the band who were printing and circulating those spurious notes was the mysterious medical man who carried on his practice in Pimlico!
The scene within the spa.r.s.ely furnished house containing those telltale presses was indeed a weird one.
Somebody had found a cheap paraffin lamp and lit it in the sitting-room, where they were all a.s.sembled, the front door having been closed.
It was apparent that Pietro was no stranger to the doctor and his fair companion, but both men were highly resentful that they had been so entrapped.
"Doctor Weirmarsh," exclaimed Fetherston seriously, as he stood before him, "I have just examined this house and have ascertained what it contains."
"You"ve told him!" cried the man, turning fiercely upon Enid. "You have betrayed me! Ah! It will be the worse for you--and for your family," he added harshly. "You will see! I shall now reveal the truth concerning your stepfather, and you and your family will be held up to opprobrium throughout the whole length and breadth of your land."
Enid did not reply. She was pale as death, her face downcast, her lips white as marble. She knew, alas! that Weirmarsh, now that he was cornered, would not spare her.
There was a pause--a very painful pause.
Everyone next instant listened to a noise which sounded outside. As it grew nearer it grew more distinct--the whir of an approaching motor-car.
It pulled up suddenly before the door, and a moment later the old bell clanged loudly through the half-empty house.
Fetherston left the room, and going to the door, threw it open, when yet another surprise awaited him.
Upon the steps stood four men in thick overcoats, all of whom Walter instantly recognised.
With Trendall stood Sir Hugh Elcombe, while their companions were two detective-inspectors from Scotland Yard.
"Hallo!--Fetherston!" gasped Trendall. "I--I expected to find Weirmarsh here! What has happened?"
"The doctor is already here," was the other"s quick reply. "I have found some curious things in this place! Secret printing-presses for forged notes."
"We already know that," he said. "Sir Hugh Elcombe here has, unknown to us, obtained certain knowledge, and to-day he came to me and gave me a full statement of what has been in progress. What he has told me this afternoon is among the most valuable and reliable information that we ever received."
"I know something of the scoundrels," remarked the old general, "because--well, because, as I have confessed to Mr. Trendall, I yielded to temptation long ago and a.s.sisted them."
"Whatever you have done, Sir Hugh, you have at least revealed to us the whole plot. Only by pretending to render a.s.sistance to these scoundrels could you have gained the intensely valuable knowledge which you"ve imparted to me to-day," replied the keen-faced director from Scotland Yard.
Fetherston realised instantly that the fine old fellow, whom he had always held in such esteem, was making every effort to atone for his conduct in the past; but surely that was not the moment to refer to it--so he ushered the four men into the ill-lit dining-room wherein the others were standing, none knowing how next to act.
When the doctor and Sir Hugh faced each other there was a painful silence for a few seconds.
To Weirmarsh Trendall was known by sight, therefore the criminal saw that the game was up, and that Sir Hugh had risked his own reputation in betraying him.
"You infernal scoundrel!" cried the doctor angrily. "You--to whom I have paid so many thousands of pounds--have given me away! But I"ll be even with you!"
"Say what you like," laughed the old general in defiance. "To me it is the same whatever you allege. I have already admitted my slip from the straight path. I do not deny receiving money from your hands, nor do I deny that, in a certain measure, I have committed serious offences--because, having taken one step, you forced me on to others, always holding over me the threat of exposure and ruin. But, fortunately, one day, in desperation, I took Enid yonder into my confidence. It was she who suggested that I might serve the ends of justice, and perhaps atone for what I had already done, by learning your secrets, and, when the time was ripe, revealing all the interesting details to our authorities. Enid became your friend and the friend of your friends. She risked everything--her honour, her happiness, her future--by a.s.sociating with you for the one and sole purpose of a.s.sisting me to learn all the dastardly plot in progress."
"It was you who supplied Paul Le Pontois with the false notes he pa.s.sed in France!" declared Weirmarsh. "The French police know that; and if ever you or your step-daughter put foot in France you will be arrested."
"Evidently you are unaware, Doctor, that my son-in-law, Paul Le Pontois, was released yesterday," laughed Sir Hugh in triumph. "Your treachery, which is now known by the Surete, defeated its own ends."
"Further," remarked Walter Fetherston, turning to Enid, "it was this man here"--and he indicated the grey-faced doctor of Pimlico--"this man who denounced you and Sir Hugh to the French authorities, and had you not heeded my warning you both would then have been arrested. He had evidently suspected the object of your friendliness with me--that you both intended to reveal the truth--and he adopted that course in order to secure your incarceration in a foreign prison, and so close your lips."
"I knew you suspected me all along, Walter," replied the girl, standing a little aside and suddenly clutching his hand. "But you will forgive me now--forgive me, won"t you?" she implored, looking up into his dark, determined face.
"Of course," he replied, "I have already forgiven you. I had no idea of the true reason of your a.s.sociation with this man."
And he raised her gloved hand and carried it gallantly to his eager lips.
"Though more than mere suspicion has rested upon you," he went on, "you and your stepfather deserve the heartiest thanks of the nation for risking everything in order to be in a position to reveal this dastardly financial plot. That man there"--and he indicated the doctor--"deserves all he"ll get!"
The doctor advanced threateningly, and, drawing a big automatic revolver from his pocket, would have fired at the man who had spoken his mind so freely had not Deacon, quick as lightning, sprung forward and wrenched the weapon so that the bullet went upward.
White with anger and chagrin, the doctor stood roundly abusing the man who had investigated that lonely house.
But Fetherston laughed, which only irritated him the more. He raved like a caged lion, until the veins in his brow stood out in great knots; but, finding all protests and allegations useless, he at last became quiet again, and apparently began to review the situation from a purely philosophical standpoint, until, some ten minutes later, another motor-car dashed up and in it were an inspector and four plain-clothes constables, who had been sent over from Maldon in response to Deacon"s message for a.s.sistance.
When they entered Pietro became voluble, but the narrow-eyed doctor of Pimlico remained sullen and silent, biting his lips. He saw that he had been entrapped by the very man whom he had believed to be as clay in his hands.
The scene was surely exciting as well as impressive. The half-furnished, ill-lit dining-room was full of excited men, all talking at once.
Unnoticed, Walter drew Enid into the shadow, and in a few brief, pa.s.sionate words rea.s.sured her of his great affection.
"Ah!" she cried, bursting into hot tears, "your words, Walter, have lifted a great load of sorrow and apprehension from my mind, for I feared that when you knew the truth you would never, never forgive."
"But I have forgiven," he whispered, pressing her hand.
"Then wait until we are alone, and I will tell you everything. Ah! you do not know, Walter, what I have suffered--what a terrible strain I have sustained in these days of terror!"
But scarcely had she uttered those words when the door reopened and a man was ushered in by Deacon, who had gone out in response to the violent ringing of the bell.
"This is Mr. Bailey, tenant of the house, gentlemen," said the sergeant, introducing him with mock politeness.
Fetherston glanced up, and to his surprise saw standing in the doorway a man he had known, and whose movements he had so closely followed--the man who had gone to Monte Carlo for instructions, and perhaps payment--the man who had pa.s.sed as Monsieur Granier!
CHAPTER x.x.x