The Five Knots
Page 45
*CHAPTER XLV*
*ALADDIN'S CAVE*
"And so all these things come from your part of Borneo?" Russell asked."This, then, is the treasure which you have all been after?"
"I expect so," Uzali said with a smile. "Mind you, I don't want toaffect a knowledge superior to your own and I admit that I have only hadmy suspicions lately. But I have been looking for Flower for some timeand hardly expected to identify him with the prosperous ship-owner. Whenhe was in Borneo he bore another name. But all that does not matter now.The first suspicion of the truth I had was when Miss Galloway sat by meon the night of the party at the theatre. She was wearing a certainornament which you have heard of----"
"The diamond moth," Russell murmured, "oh, yes."
"Or a portion of it," Uzali went on. "The ornament attracted myattention immediately, because I knew there was only one spot in theworld it could have come from and that was the palace where I and myancestors were born. The jewel at one time had been a favourite ornamentof a sister, long since dead, and I remember how it was broken. Nobodyin our part of the island could mend it, and I promised that the nexttime I was in London I would see to the matter. That is how one part ofit was in my possession, but for the life of me I could not tell whathad become of the other half, till on the night of the party I began tofeel my way. Nobody but one of the infamous crew who destroyed mybirthplace could have the other half of my sister's jewel. I took thetrouble to find out afterwards who this Samuel Flower was and what hewas like. Then you came along and made things still plainer. I saw atonce that Flower had outwitted his confederates and had conveyed thetreasure of my people to England. Of course, all this was conjecture,but I had the solution of the problem pretty plainly before me. When Iknew that that scoundrel Jansen was coming down here and how he hadcontrived to misguide my unfortunate fellow-countrymen not a doubtremained in my mind. In point of fact I came here to-night, not so muchto catch Jansen red-handed as to denounce Flower as soon as he were wellenough to listen to my charge. I never dreamt for a moment but that mycountrymen were still in London, but when I knew they were here, I sawit was all over with Jansen. I would have tried to prevent thecatastrophe, but, unfortunately, I did not know where to begin.Directly I heard that cry I knew whose it was. But don't you think wehad better take your friend Mercer into our confidence. I am sorry in away the thing has ended like this because it puts an end to yourscheme----"
"For taking what belonged to somebody else," Russell laughed. "My dearsir, that is the fortune of war. I had intended to make a handsomething out of this business, and I meant to put a large sum of money intoMercer's pocket at the same time."
"I am not sure that you haven't," Uzali said drily.
"But all this belongs to you," Russell protested.
"That is why I am not speaking without book," Uzali replied. "One thingis certain--if it hadn't been for Mercer and you I should never havefound it. You will find that if anything happens to Flower and thatscoundrel Cotter learns that Jansen is dead, he will lose no time intrying to lay a hand on the plunder. That, at least, is my theory, butthe fact remains that, in the eye of the law, everything in this vaultis mine and, with your permission, I'll put the key in my pocket tillthe proper time comes to claim possession."
So saying Uzali took up the candle and followed Russell out of thevault. He locked the door and together they made their way back to thedining-room. Tranquillity reigned throughout the mansion. No soundcame from overhead until the closing of a window brought Mercerdownstairs.
"What on earth has happened?" he asked. "I began to wonder if you werecoming back."
"How is Flower getting on?" said Russell.
"He is in a very bad way," Wilfrid said gravely. "He has an exceedinglyrapid pulse and his temperature has gone up in the most alarmingfashion. It is extraordinary how that strange cry excited him. Itseemed to penetrate to the well-spring of life and restore him toconsciousness. One might have thought he was a man running away fromsome hideous doom. But now he is in a most critical state, and I shouldnot be surprised if he did not last till morning. Not that I amdisposed to waste sympathy on Samuel Flower. Goodness knows he has doneme harm enough and to spare. And now if you will tell me what has beengoing on the last hour I shall be glad. As for Russell, he looks as ifhe had been face to face with tragedy."
Russell murmured that he had been a witness to no fewer than three. Hetold his grim story first, the detail being filled in by Uzali. Thewhole combined narrative was so amazing that it took Wilfrid some timeto grasp it all.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"We shall do nothing," Uzali said calmly. "We shall notify the police inthe morning of the finding of Jansen's body, and they can put their ownconstruction on the rest. The authorities will regard the whole thingas a case of attempted burglary. Probably they will take no steps tohave those packages in the vault examined, for the idea of treasurelying there would be beyond ordinary police imagination. What I wish isto avoid scandal. When the sensation has blown over, I think I can showa way to settle matters without raising unpleasant questions. MeanwhileI should like to sleep for an hour or so. I suppose one could managethat."
Uzali proved to be a tolerably correct prophet. There was a greatcommotion in the neighbourhood next day when it became known thatburglars had made an attempt on Maldon Grange, and that the body of onehad been found in the vaults under the house. The body had beendiscovered by two gentlemen from London who had come to see Mr. Floweron important business, not being aware that he was suffering from asevere illness. They had arrived at the house early in the morning in amotor-car, just in time to see two of the assassins leave the basementhurriedly. One of these gentlemen was known to a large circle as PrinceUzali, the other was a more obscure individual whose name had not yetbeen ascertained.
Uzali gave evidence at the inquest first. He was calm and collected andgave his testimony in a plausible and ingratiating manner. He told howthe body had been discovered and confessed he thought the police theoryof a quarrel amongst the thieves was the correct one. He could notaccount for the presence of the thieves in the vaults, unless on thesupposition that they thought that to enter by the basement was thesafest way to reach that portion of the house which was more worthy oftheir attention. Asked if he saw any valuables in the vaults, Uzalimerely shrugged his shoulders and explained that the place was filledwith packages which appeared to possess no special value. They wereoverland trunks and things of that kind. In any case, he should notimagine that Mr. Flower would keep valuables in a cellar.
Uzali stepped down from the witness-box presently, having created afavourable impression, and Russell followed. He spoke frankly enough ofhis pursuit of the two men and related how the would-be burglars hadbeen smashed up by the express train. There was little more to say,save that the two men were mutilated out of all recognition and thepolice had only the faintest hopes of establishing their identity. Theyappeared to be Malay sailors or coolies and that was as far as theofficial theory could go. On the other hand, some one might comeforward and claim Jansen for a relation, but Uzali had not much fear ofthat. Jansen's landlord was not the kind of man who studied the papers.It was long odds that he would never know of the tragedy at MaldonGrange and would conclude that his lodger had vanished as secretly as hehad come.
As for the rest Uzali appeared to know exactly what to do. As he andRussell returned from the inquest after the verdict had been given, theymet Dr. Shelton coming along the road towards Maldon Grange.
"How is Mr. Flower?" Russell asked. "I am a stranger to you but I tookthe liberty of stopping you----"
"It is only a matter of a day or two," Shelton said curtly. "I cannottell you more than that."