An Eye for an Eye

by William Le Queux

rooms--a bathroomadjoining my bedroom--close down to the floor, and before it was fitteda sliding panel in the wainscoting. Afterwards she had a strong ironbar placed upon the door, and the whole re-painted and grained. Then,having furnished the place roughly as a living-room, there came secretlylate one night the wretched poisoner Hartmann, _alias_ Professor DouglasDawson, flying from the police for some previous offence, as Iafterwards discovered. Some German police-agents had got wind of hiswhereabouts. He entered that room, and when he was inside Madamefetched an apparatus I had never seen before, a kind of punch, and withit placed a leaden seal upon the door. Fresh servants were at onceengaged, and these were told that inside that room was a quantity ofantique furniture belonging to a friend who had gone abroad. MeanwhileMadame herself supplied the fugitive with food, cooked and uncooked,drink and books, and for a fortnight or so he lived there in secret. Iheld him in loathing and in hatred, yet I dared not utter a word or evenflee from that house of terror, knowing well that in such case I, too,would quickly fall a victim to the machinations of what seemed awidespread conspiracy. I was in possession of their secret, and mightturn informer. That was the reason those half-dozen bottles of portwine had been so generously given to me by my ingenious employer. Idared scarcely to eat or drink, and often slipped out secretly andbought cooked meat and bread to satisfy my hunger. One day, when Madamehad ventured up to London, I chanced to enter the bedroom I hadpreviously occupied. The panel was cautiously pushed back, and the manwithin asked for something to drink. I answered that I only had someport, all the rest being locked up. `Then give me that,' he said. Ihesitated, then in sudden desperation I went to the cupboard where thewine was and handed him an unopened bottle. He gave a grunt ofsatisfaction, and the panel closed. That wine, Frank," she added, adeathlike pallor on her cheeks, "was the same as that of which youpartook. Madame had prepared it with her little syringe as she had donethe Benedictine."

  She paused, placing her hand upon her panting breast.

  "When she returned," she continued at last, for the nervousness whichhad agitated her at first gave place to strength and confidence, "herfirst question was of Hartmann. I told her of his request, and how Ihad acceded to it, giving him a bottle of the wine she had so generouslyordered for me. She grew livid in an instant, and stood speechless,glaring at me as though she would strike me dead. Then rushing up tothe room she drew back the panel and called him by name. There was noresponse. In an instant she knew the truth. Without uttering a singleword to me, but ordering the servants to close the house as we weregoing away for a week or two, she made instant preparations fordeparture, and after seeing everything securely bolted and barred, sheleft with a trunk on a cab for Fulwell Station, while I, with my smalltrunk, took refuge with my friends the Blains, with whom I have sinceremained."

  "But the motive of that secret assassination at Phillimore Place?" Iasked, astounded at her story.

  "Only within the past few days have I discovered it," she answered."The crime was planned with extraordinary care and forethought. If itwere not for this confession which you have wrung from me, the policewould never, I believe, have elucidated the mystery. The reason brieflywas this. Coulter-Kerr was an Englishman living in Calcutta, who hadbeen left a great indigo estate in the North-West by his uncle, and hadreturned to England with a view of selling it to a company. The estate,one of the finest in the whole of India, realised a very handsomeincome, but both he and his wife preferred life in England. Blain,being a speculator and promoter of companies, besides an importer ofwines, having been introduced to him, conceived a plan of obtaining thismagnificent estate, and with that object had approached Hartmann who inhis turn had enlisted the services of Madame Damant, both of them beingvery desperate characters. Hartmann lived in London, and was supposedto be the most expert toxicologist in the whole world, while Madame wasa woman whose previous adventures had earned for her great renown incertain shady circles on the Continent.

  "Blain, it appeared, had already been out to India to visit the estate,and on his return had paid a couple of thousand pounds deposit, agreeingto purchase it privately of Kerr for two hundred thousand pounds--thevaluation made upon it by a valuer whom he had taken up with him fromBombay--and then to turn it into a company. A date was arranged whenthe money should be paid over at the house in Phillimore Place inexchange for the deeds duly executed, Hartmann, in whose experimentsKerr was so interested, to be present to witness any document necessary.In accordance with Blain's request the deeds were therefore preparedbeforehand and executed, and all the papers relating to the transactionplaced in order in the large deed-box in which they had been broughtfrom India. In accordance with the cunningly-devised plan, Blain calledupon the Kerrs on the afternoon arranged--the afternoon of the day ofthe tragedy--and found Kerr ready with all the legal papers and receiptsduly executed. Blain, however, was profuse in his apologies, statingthat, owing to some slight difficulty with his bank, he was unable todraw that day, but would do so on the day following, and would return atthe same hour. The Kerrs, on their part, expressed regret that theycould not ask him to remain to dinner, but explained that they had noservants."

  Again she paused. Her story held us all speechless.

  "I have already explained how the Kerrs afterwards visited me and tooktea, and the terrible tragedy which followed. Hartmann was, withoutdoubt, concealed in that house at the time, watching for the unfortunateman's end, and without delay secured the deed-box and all the receiptsand papers, carrying them next door, searching the body of the man, andplacing certain things in his pockets, namely, the forged banknotes andthe penny wrapped in paper, which would puzzle the police, while Blainhad caused that same evening to be posted from the _Grand Hotel_ inParis, a letter to the man now dead, addressed to Drummond's Bank,expressing satisfaction at the termination of the negotiations, andacknowledging the safe receipt of the deeds and transfers from themessenger he had sent. This was, of course, to carry out the fictionthat for several weeks he had been in Paris on business connected withthe floating of the company, and to enable him to prove an _alibi_ ifever required. Blain, when in India, took good care that it should bewidely known that he intended to purchase the estates, so that hissudden possession would not be considered strange. There was a man, itafterwards transpired, who was actually staying at the _Grand_ in Parisin the name of Blain, and he had posted the letter, while I furtherdiscovered that this ingenious swindler had actually borrowed the sum oftwo hundred thousand pounds for three days to pass through his bank, sothat he might show that he had paid for the property."

  "Then Blain is in actual possession of the deeds, which only require thestamp of the courts in India for the property to become his?" Boydobserved.

  "Yes," responded my beloved. "But the fear that you have discovered thedead man's identity has hitherto prevented him taking possession orraising money on the deeds. He has placed them somewhere in safety, Isuppose, and is now most likely out of the country."

  "Absolutely astounding!" I gasped. Then, on reflection, I inquired themeaning of the cards which had so puzzled us.

  "Horrible though it may seem," she said, "they were used to cast lots asto who should actually administer the poison, being shuffled and dealtface downwards. There were fifty, only two of which were marked. Itwas, I have learnt, the mode in which the Anarchists of Zurich castlots, the person receiving the one with the line to commit the crime,while whoever received the circle became the accomplice and protector.With grim disregard for consequences these very cards were afterwardsused by the assassins and their victims to decide upon partners forwhist, sometimes being placed beneath the plates at dinner when, onentering the room, the guests were allowed to choose their places,afterwards turning up their cards. This gave rise sometimes to greatamusement. What would the unfortunate pair have thought could they haveknown the truth? Alas! I did not know it until too late, or I wouldhave given them warning, regardless of the consequences."

  Boyd briefly expla
ined how he had seen Blain throw something into thelake in St. James's Park, whereupon Eva suggested that the object hethus got rid of was no doubt one of the poisoned coins with whichHartmann had supplied him at his request.

  I referred to the incident of the telephone, and Eva explained how shehad since discovered that Blain had made an inquiry by telephone, infull belief that it was Hartmann who had responded. When next day hediscovered his mistake he saw how narrowly he had escaped the police.Mary's letter to me had, no doubt, been a coincidence, but hersubsequent visit was at her mother's instigation, it having beendiscovered that I was aware of the terrible tragedy.

  "You received some type-written letters?" Boyd observed. "Who wrotethem?"

  "Blain," she replied, surprised that he should be aware of this.