by Sax Rohmer
CHAPTER VII
CONTENTS OF THE SEALED ENVELOPE
Stuart personally admitted Dunbar, and once more the Inspector foundhimself in the armchair in the study. The fire was almost out and theroom seemed to be chilly. Stuart was labouring under the influence ofsuppressed excitement and was pacing restlessly up and down the floor.
"Inspector," he began, "I find it difficult to tell you the facts whichhave recently come to my knowledge bearing upon this most mysterious'Scorpion' case. I clearly perceive, now, that without being aware ofthe fact I have nevertheless been concerned in the case for at leasta week."
Dunbar stared surprisedly, but offered no comment.
"A fortnight ago," Stuart continued, "I found myself in theneighbourhood of the West India Docks. I had been spending the eveningwith a very old friend, chief officer of a liner in dock. I hadintended to leave the ship at about ten o'clock and to walk to therailway station, but, as it fell out, the party did not break up untilafter midnight. Declining the offer of a berth on board, I came ashoredetermined to make my way home by tram and afoot. I should probablyhave done so and have been spared--much; but rain began to fallsuddenly and I found myself, foolishly unprovided with a top-coat, inthose grey East End streets without hope of getting a lift.
"It was just as I was crossing Limehouse Causeway that I observed, tomy astonishment, the head-lamps of a cab or car shining out from a darkand forbidding thoroughfare which led down to the river. The sight wasso utterly unexpected that I paused, looking through the rainy mist inthe direction of the stationary vehicle. I was still unable to makeout if it were a cab or a car, and accordingly I walked along to whereit stood and found that it was a taxicab and apparently for hire.
"'Are you disengaged?' I said to the man."'Well, sir, I suppose I am,' was his curious reply. 'Where do youwant to go?'
"I gave him this address and he drove me home. On arriving, sograteful did I feel that I took pity upon the man, for it had settleddown into a brute of a night, and asked him to come in and take aglass of grog. He was only too glad to do so. He turned out to bequite an intelligent sort of fellow, and we chatted together for tenminutes or so.
"I had forgotten all about him when, I believe on the following night,he reappeared in the character of a patient. He had a badly damagedskull, and I gathered that he had had an accident with his cab and hadbeen pitched out into the road.
"When I had fixed him up, he asked me to do him a small favour. Frominside his tunic he pulled out a long stiff envelope, bearing noaddress but the number 30 in big red letters. It was secured at bothends with black wax bearing the imprint of a curious and complicatedseal.
"'A gentleman left this behind in the cab today, sir,' said theman--'perhaps the one who was with me when I had the spill, and I'vegot no means of tracing him; but he may be able to trace _me_ if hehappened to notice my number, or he may advertise. It evidentlycontains something valuable.'
"'Then why not take it to Scotland Yard?' I asked. 'Isn't that theproper course?'
"'It is,' he admitted; 'but here's the point: if the owner reclaims itfrom Scotland Yard he's less likely to dub up handsome than if he getsit direct from me!'
"I laughed at that, for the soundness of the argument was beyonddispute. 'But what on earth do you want to leave it with _me_ for?'I asked."
"'Self-protection,' was the reply. 'They can't say I meant to pinchit! Whereas, directly there's any inquiry I can come and collect itand get the reward; and your word will back me up if any questions areasked; that's if you don't mind, sir.'
"I told him I didn't mind in the least, and accordingly I sealed theenvelope in a yet larger one which I addressed to the Lost PropertyOffice and put into a private drawer of my bureau. 'You will have noobjection,' I said, 'to this being posted if it isn't reclaimed withina reasonable time?'
"He said that would be all right and departed--since which moment Ihave not set eyes upon him. I now come to the sequel, or what I havejust recognized to be the sequel."
Stuart's agitation grew more marked and it was only by dint of apalpable effort that he forced himself to resume.
"On the evening of the following day a lady called professionally.She was young, pretty, and dressed with extraordinary elegance. Myhousekeeper admitted her, as I was out at the time but momentarilyexpected. She awaited my return here, in this room. She came againtwo days later. The name she gave was an odd one: Mademoiselle Dorian.There is her card,"--Stuart opened a drawer and laid a visiting-cardbefore Dunbar--"no initials and no address. She travelled in a largeand handsome car. That is to say, according to my housekeeper'saccount it is a large and handsome car. I personally, have had but animperfect glimpse of it. It does not await her in front of the house,for some reason, but just around the corner in the side turning.Beyond wondering why Mademoiselle Dorian had selected me as hermedical advisor I had detected nothing suspicious in her behaviour upto the time of which I am about to speak.
"Last night there was a singular development, and to-night matterscame to a head."
Thereupon Stuart related as briefly as possible the mysterious episodeof the cowled man, and finally gave an account of the last visit ofMlle. Dorian. Inspector Dunbar did not interrupt him, but listenedattentively to the singular story.
"And there," concluded Stuart, "on the blotting-pad, lies the sealedenvelope!"
Dunbar took it up eagerly. A small hole had been burned in one end ofthe envelope and much of the surrounding paper was charred. The waxwith which Stuart had sealed it had lain uppermost, and although ithad been partly melted, the mark of his signet-ring was stilldiscernible upon it. Dunbar stood staring at it.
"In the circumstances, Inspector, I think you would be justified inopening both envelopes," said Stuart.
"I am inclined to agree. But let me just be clear on one or twopoints." He took out the bulging note-book and also a fountain-penwith which he prepared to make entries. "About this cabman, now. Youdidn't by any chance note the number of his cab?"
"I did not."
"What build of man was he?"
"Over medium height and muscular. Somewhat inclined to flesh and pasthis youth, but active all the same."
"Dark or fair?"
"Dark and streaked with grey. I noted this particularly in dressinghis skull. He wore his hair cropped close to the scalp. He had a shortbeard and moustache and heavily marked eyebrows. He seemed to be veryshort-sighted and kept his eyes so screwed up that it was impossibleto detect their colour, by night at any rate."
"What sort of wound had he on his skull?"
"A short ugly gash. He had caught his head on the footboard in falling.I may add that on the occasion of his professional visit his breathsmelled strongly of spirits, and I rather suspected that his accidentmight have been traceable to his condition."
"But he wasn't actually drunk?"
"By no means. He was perfectly sober, but he had recently beendrinking--possibly because his fall had shaken him, of course."
"His hands?"
"Small and very muscular. Quite steady. Also very dirty."
"What part of the country should you say he hailed from?"
"London. He had a marked cockney accent."
"What make of cab was it?"
"I couldn't say."
"An old cab?"
"Yes. The fittings were dilapidated, I remember, and the cab had avery musty smell."
"Ah," said Dunbar, making several notes. "And now--the lady: aboutwhat would be her age?"
"Difficult to say, Inspector. She had Eastern blood and may have beenmuch younger than she appeared to be. Judged from a European standpointand from her appearance and manner of dress, she might be abouttwenty-three or twenty-four."
"Complexion?"
"Wonderful. Fresh as a flower."
"Eyes?"
"Dark. They looked black at night."
"Hair?"
"Brown and 'fuzzy' with copper tints."
"Tall?"
"No; slight but beautifully sha
ped."
"Now--from her accent what should you judge her nationality to be?"
Stuart paced up and down the room, his head lowered in reflection,then:
"She pronounced both English and French words with an intonation whichsuggested familiarity with Arabic."
"Arabic? That still leaves a fairly wide field."
"It does, Inspector, but I had no means of learning more. She hadcertainly lived for a long time somewhere in the Near East."
"Her jewellery?"
"Some of it was European and some of it Oriental, but notcharacteristic of any particular country of the Orient."
"Did she use perfume?"
"Yes, but it was scarcely discernible. Jasmine--probably the Easternpreparation."
"Her ailment was imaginary?"
"I fear so."
"H'm--and now you say that Mrs. M'Gregor saw the car?"
"Yes, but she has retired."
"Her evidence will do to-morrow. We come to the man in the hood. Canyou give me any kind of a description of him?"
"He appeared to be tall, but a shadow is deceptive, and hisextraordinary costume would produce that effect, too. I can tell youabsolutely nothing further about him. Remember, I thought I wasdreaming. I could not credit my senses."
Inspector Dunbar glanced over the notes which he had made, thenreturning the note-book and pen to his pocket, he took up the longsmoke-discoloured envelope and with a paper-knife which lay upon thetable slit one end open. Inserting two fingers, he drew out the secondenvelope which the first enclosed. It was an ordinary commercialenvelope only notable by reason of the number, 30, appearing in largered figures upon it and because it was sealed with black wax bearinga weird-looking device:
Stuart bent over him intently as he slit this envelope in turn. Again,he inserted two fingers--and brought forth the sole contents... aplain piece of cardboard, roughly rectangular and obviously cut inhaste from the lid of a common cardboard box!
