The Opal Serpent

by Fergus Hume

  CHAPTER XXI

  MISS QIAN'S PARTY

  Hurd's sister was a clever young woman who in her time had played manyparts. She began her career along with Hurd as a private detective, butwhen her brother joined the official service, Miss Hurd thought shewould better her position by appearing on the stage, and, therefore,took the rather queer name of Aurora Qian. In her detective capacity shehad often disguised herself when employed in obtaining evidence, and wasremarkably talented in changing her face and figure. This art she usedwith great success in her new profession, and speedily made her mark asan impersonator of various characters out of novels. As Becky Sharp, asLittle Dorrit, she was said to be inimitable, and after playing underseveral managements, she started, in the phrase of the profession, "ashow of her own," and rapidly made money.

  But her great faults amongst others were vanity and extravagance, so shewas always in need of money, and when chance offered, through herbrother, to make any, she was not averse to returning to the spybusiness. Thus it came about that she watched Mr. Grexon Hay for many along day and night, and he never suspected the pretty, fluffy, kittenishMiss Qian was in reality an emissary of the law. Consequently, whenAurora asked him to a card-party at her rooms, Hay accepted readilyenough, although he was not in need of money at the time.

  Miss Qian occupied a tiny flat on the top of a huge pile of buildings inKensington, and it was furnished in a gimcrack way, with more show thanreal value, and with more color than taste. Every room was of adifferent hue, with furniture and hangings to match. The drawing-roomwas pink, the dining-room green, her bedroom blue, the entrance hallyellow, and the extra sleeping apartment used by her companion, MissStably, was draped in purple. Some wit called the flat "the paint-box,"and indeed so varied were its hues that it was not a bad title to giveit.

  Like the Becky Sharp whom she impersonated with such success, Miss Qianpossessed a sheep-dog, not because she needed one, being very well ableto look after herself, but because it sounded and looked respectable.Miss Stably, who filled this necessary office, was a dull old lady whodressed excessively badly, and devoted her life to knitting shawls. Whatshe did with these when completed no one ever knew: but she was alwaysto be found with two large wooden pins rapidly weaving the fabric forsome unknown back. She talked very little, and when she did speak, itwas to agree with her sharp little mistress. To make up for speakinglittle, she ate a great deal, and after dinner with her eternal knittingin her bony hands and a novel on her lap, was entirely happy. She wasone of those neutral-tinted people, who seem not good enough for heavenand not sufficiently bad for the other place. Aurora often wondered whatwould become of Miss Stably when she departed this life, and left herknitting behind her. The old lady herself never gave the matter athought, but lived a respectable life of knitting and eating and novelreading, with a regular visit to church on Sunday where she worshippedwithout much idea of what the service was about.

  This sort of person exactly suited Miss Qian, who wanted a sheep-dog whocould neither bark nor bite, and who could be silent. Thesequalifications were possessed by the old lady, and for some years shehad trailed through a rather giddy world at Aurora's heels. In her owndull way she was fond of the young woman, but was far from suspectingthat Aurora was connected in an underhand manner with the law. Thatknowledge would indeed have shaken Miss Stably to the soul, as she had aholy dread of the law, and always avoided the police-court column whenshe read the newspapers.

  This was the old lady who sat in the pink drawing-room to play proprietyfor Miss Qian. Lord George Sandal was present, looking rather washedout, but as gentlemanly as ever. Hay, with his fixed eye-glass andeternally cold smile was there, and a third young man, who adored MissQian, thinking her to be merely an actress, simpered across thecard-table at his goddess. The four were playing a game which involvedthe gaining and losing of much money, and they had been engaged forabout an hour. Miss Stably having eaten a good dinner and commenced anew shawl was half dosing in the corner, and paying absolutely noattention to the players.

  "It's a good thing we're hanging on our own hooks in this game," saidMiss Qian, who smoked a dainty cigarette. "Were I your partner, Sandal,"she always addressed her friends in this free-and-easy fashion, "I'd belosing money. What luck you have!"

  "I never do seem to win," lamented Lord George. "Whenever I think I'vegot a good hand, the thing pans out wrong."

  "Hay has got all the money," said the simpering admirer who answered tothe name of Tempest. "He and you, Miss Qian, are the winners."

  "I've made very little," she replied. "Hay's raking in the dollars handover fist."

  "Lucky in love, unlucky at cards," said Hay, who did not like his goodfortune to be commented upon, for reasons which Miss Qian knew. "It'sthe reverse with me--I'm lucky at cards--"

  "And lucky in love, too," interrupted Aurora, with a grimace, "seeingyou're going to marry that Krill heiress--if she is an heiress."

  "What do you mean?" asked Hay, who was dealing a new round.

  "Go on with the game and don't ask questions," said Miss Qian, in asaucy manner. "Sandal, don't stare round, but keep your eye on thecards," and she winked stealthily at the young lord, while Hay wasexchanging a word with Tempest. The young man, who had spoken privatelyto her immediately before the dinner, knew well what she meant. Had Haybeen likewise "in the know," he would scarcely have done what he did do,and which Sandal saw him do in a few minutes.

  Hay was rapidly dealing, and the cards were flying like leaves. A pileof gold stood beside Hay's elbow, and some silver near Tempest. The gamecommenced, and soon the players were engrossed, heedless of the patentsnoring of Miss Stably, who, poor old thing, had succumbed to thelateness of the hour. Suddenly Lord George, who had been very vigilant,felt his foot touched under the table by Miss Qian. He rose at once andsnatched up the gold standing near Hay.

  "What's that for?" demanded Hay, angrily.

  "You're cheating," said Sandal, "and I don't play with you any more."

  "That's a lie. I did not cheat."

  "Yes, you did," cried Miss Qian, bending forward and seizing the cards;"we've been watching you. Tempest--"

  "I saw it all right," said the other. "You took up that king--"

  "And it's marked," said Aurora. "I believe Hay's got cards up hissleeve. Examine the cards."

  Hay, very pale, but still keeping his countenance, tried to object, butthe two young men seized and held him, while Miss Qian, with a dexterityacquired in detective circles, rapidly searched his pockets.

  "Here's another pack," she cried, and shook an ace and two kings out ofthe detected swindler's sleeve, "and these cards--"

  Sandal took one and went to the lamp. "Marked, by Jove!" he cried, butwith a stronger oath; "here's a pin-prick."

  "You are mistaken," began Hay, quite pale.

  "No," said Tempest, coolly, "we're not. Miss Qian told us you cheated,and we laid a trap for you. You've been trying this double card andmarked card dodge several times this very evening."

  "And he's tried it lots of times before," said Aurora, quickly. "I havebeen at several places where Hay scooped the pool, and it was allcheating."

  "If it was," said Hay, with quivering lips, "why didn't you denounce methen and there?"

  "Because I denounce you now," she said; "you're cooked, my man. Theseboys will see that the matter is made public."

  "By Jove, yes!" cried Sandal, with a look of abhorrence at Hay, "andI'll prosecute you to get back those thousands you won off me."

  "I never did--"

  "You've been rooking this boy for months," cried Miss Qian. "Here,Tempest, get a constable. We'll give him in charge for swindling."

  "No! no!" cried Hay, his nerve giving way under the threatenedexposure; "you'll have your money back, Sandal, I swear."

  "Lord George to you now, you blackguard; and how can you pay me themoney when I know you haven't got a cent?"

  "He intends to get it from the heiress," sniggered Aurora.

  "Oh, dear me!" rose th
e plaintive voice of the sheep-dog, "what is it,Aurora? Anything wrong?"

  "We've caught Hay cheating, that's all, and the police--"

  "Oh, Aurora, don't bring up the police."

  "No, don't," said Hay, who was now trembling. "I'll do whatever youlike. Don't show me up--I'm--I'm going to be married soon."

  "No, you sha'n't marry," cried Tempest, sharply; "I'll see this girlmyself and save her from you."

  "You can't prove that I cheated," said Hay, desperately.

  "Yes, we can," said George. "I, and Miss Qian, and Tempest all saw youcheat, and Miss Qian has the marked cards."

  "But don't expose me. I--I--" Hay broke down and turned away with a lookof despair on his face. He cursed himself inwardly for having venturedto cheat when things, by the marriage with Maud Krill, would have soonbeen all right for him. "Miss Qian," he cried in a tone of agony, "giveme another chance."

  Aurora, playing her own game, of which the two young men were ignorant,appeared to repent. She beckoned to Miss Stably. "Take Mr. Hay into thedining-room," she said, "and I'll see what I can do. But you try andbolt, Hay, and the news will be all over the West End to-morrow."

  "I'll stop," said Hay, whose face was colorless, and, without anotherword, he followed the sheep-dog into the dining-room in an agony of mindbetter imagined than described. Then Miss Qian turned her attention toher guests:

  "See here, boys," she said frankly, "this is a dirty business, and Idon't want to be mixed up with it."

  "But Hay should be exposed," insisted Sandal; "he's been rooking me, Ido believe, for months."

  "Serve you jolly well right," said Aurora, heartlessly. "I warned youagain and again against him. But if there's a row, where do I come in?"

  "It won't hurt you," said Tempest, eagerly.

  "Oh, won't it? Gambling in my flat, and all the rest of it. You boys maythink me free and easy but I'm straight. No one can say a word againstme. I'm not going to be made out an adventuress and a bad woman for thesake of that swindler, Hay. So you boys will just hold your tongues."

  "No," said Sandal, "my money--"

  "Oh, bother your money. One would think you were a Jew. I'll see thatHay pays it back. He's going to marry this Krill girl, and she's able tosupply the cash."

  "But the girl shouldn't be allowed to marry Hay," said Tempest.

  "Don't you burn your fingers with other people's fire," said Aurora,sharply. "This girl's in love with him and will marry him in spite ofeverything. But I don't care a cent for that. It's myself I'm thinkingof. If I get your money back, Sandal, will you hold your tongue?"

  Lord George, thinking of what his noble father would say were heinvolved in a card scandal connected with an actress, thought it just aswell to agree. "Yes," said he, hesitatingly, "I'll not say a word, ifyou get the money back. But don't you let Hay speak to me again inpublic or I'll kick him."

  "That's your affair and his," said Aurora, delighted at having gainedher point; "but you hold your tongue, and you, Tempest?"

  "I'll not say a word either," said the young man, with a shrug, "thoughI don't see why you should save this blackguard's reputation."

  "It's my own I'm thinking of, so don't you make any mistake. And now Ihave both your promises?"

  "Yes," said Sandal and Tempest, thinking it best to hush the matter up;"but Hay--"

  "I'll see to him. You two boys clear out and go home to bed."

  "But we can't leave you alone with Hay," said Tempest.

  "I'll not be alone with him," cried the little woman, imperiously; "mycompanion is with me. What do you mean?"

  "He might do you some harm."

  "Oh! might he? You take me for a considerable idiot, I suppose. You getalong, boys, and leave me to fix up things."

  Both young men protested again; but Aurora, anxious for her conversationwith Hay, bundled them out of the flat and banged the door to, when sheheard them whistling below for a hansom. Then she went to thedining-room.

  "You come along to the drawing-room," she said to Hay. "Miss Stably,stop here."

  "I haven't got my shawl," bleated the old lady.

  "Oh, bother," Aurora ran to the other room, snatched up the shawl andsaw Miss Stably sitting down to knit, while she led Hay back into thedrawing-room. He looked round when he entered.

  "Where are they?" he asked, sitting down.

  "Gone; but it's all right. I've made them promise not to say--"

  Grexon Hay didn't let her finish. He fell on his knees and kissed herhand. His face was perfectly white, but his eyes were full of gratitudeas he babbled his thanks. No one could have accused him of being coldthen. But Miss Qian did not approve of this emotion, natural though itwas.

  "Here, get up," she said, snatching her hand away. "I've got to speakstraight to you. I've done a heap for you, now you've got to do a heapfor me."

  "Anything--anything," said Hay, whose face was recovering its normalcolor. "You have saved me--you have."

  "And much of a thing you are to save. You'll be cheating again in a weekor so."

  "No," cried Hay, emphatically, "I swear I'll not touch a card again.I'll marry Maud and turn respectable. Oh, what a lesson I've had! Youare sure those fellows won't speak?"

  "No. That's all right. You can go on swindling as before, only," MissQian raised a finger, "you'll have to pay Sandal back some cash."

  "I'll do that. Maud will lend me the money. Does he want all?"

  "Oh, a couple of thousand will shut his mouth. I'll not see you left.It's all right, so sit up and don't shake there like a jelly."

  "You're very kind to me," said Hay, faintly.

  "Don't you make any mistake. So far as I am concerned you might stick inthe mud forever. I helped you, because I want you to help me. I'm inwant of money--"

  "I'll give you some."

  "Picked from that girl's pockets," said Aurora, dryly, "no, thank you.It might dirty my fingers. Listen--there's a reward offered for thediscovery of the murderer of Aaron Norman. I want to get that thousandpounds, and you can help me to."

  Hay started to his feet with amazement. Of all the requests she waslikely to make he never thought it would be such a one. "Aaron Norman'smurder," he said, "what do you know of that?"

  "Very little, but you know a lot."

  "I don't, I swear I don't."

  "Pish," said Miss Qian, imperiously, "remember I've got the whip-hand,my boy. Just you tell me how Mrs. Krill came to strangle the--"

  "Mrs. Krill?" Hay turned white again, and his eye-glass fell. "She hadnothing to do with the matter. I swear--"

  "Strikes me you swear too much, Mr. Hay. What about that opal brooch youstole from Beecot when he had the smash?"

  "I didn't steal it. I never saw it at the time of the accident."

  "Then you got that boy Tray to steal it."

  "I knew nothing about the boy. Besides, why should I steal that opalserpent brooch?"

  "You wanted to buy it from Beecot, anyhow?"

  Hay looked puzzled. "Yes, for a lady."

  "Mrs. Krill?"

  "I admit that Mrs. Krill wanted it. She had associations connected withthat brooch."

  "I know," interrupted Aurora, glancing at the clock, "don't waste timein talking of Lady Rachel Sandal's death--"

  "How do you know about that?" stammered Hay, completely nonplussed.

  "I know a mighty lot of things. I may as well tell you," added MissQian, coolly, "since you daren't split, that I've got a lot to do withthe secret detective service business. I'm helping another to hunt outevidence for this case, and I guess you know a lot."

  The man quailed. He knew that he did not stand well with the police anddreaded what this little fluffy woman should do. Aurora read histhoughts. "Yes," she said, "we know a heap about you at the ScotlandYard Office, and if you don't tell me all you know, I'll make things hotfor you. This cheating to-night is only one thing. I know you are 'aman on the market,' Mr. Hay."

  "What do you wish to hear?" asked Hay, collapsing.

  "All about Mrs. Krill
's connection with this murder."

  "She has nothing to do with it. Really, she hasn't. Aaron Norman was herhusband right enough--"

  "And he ran away from her over twenty years ago. But who told Mrs. Krillabout him?"

  "I did," confessed Hay, volubly and seeing it was best for him to make aclean breast of it. "I met the Krills three years ago when I was atBournemouth. They lived in Christchurch, you know."

  "Yes. Hotel-keepers. Well, what then?"

  "I fell in love with Maud and went to Christchurch to stop at 'The RedPig.' She loved me, and in a year we became engaged. But I had no moneyto marry her, and she had none either. Then Mrs. Krill told me of herhusband and of the death of Lady Rachel."

  "Murder or suicide?"

  "Suicide, Mrs. Krill said," replied Hay, frankly. "She told me alsoabout the opal brooch and described it. I met Beecot by chance andgreeted him as an old school-fellow. He took me to his attic and to mysurprise showed me the opal brooch. I wanted to buy it for Mrs. Krill,but Beecot would not sell it. When next I met him, he told me that AaronNorman had fainted when he saw the brooch. I thought this odd, andinformed Mrs. Krill. She described the man to me, and especially saidthat he had but one eye. I went with Beecot to the Gwynne Street shop,and a single glance told me that Aaron Norman was Lemuel Krill. I toldhis wife, and she wanted to come up at once. But I knew that Aaron wasreported rich--which I had heard through Pash--and as he was my lawyer,I suggested that the Krills should go and see him."

  "Which they did, before the murder?"

  "Yes. Pash was astonished, and when he heard that Mrs. Krill was thereal wife, he saw that Aaron Norman, as he called himself, had committedbigamy, and that Sylvia--"

  "Yes, you needn't say it," said Miss Qian, angrily, "she's worth a dozenof that girl you are going to marry. But why did you pretend to meetMrs. Krill and her daughter for the first time at Pash's?"

  "To blind Beecot. We were standing at the door when the two came out,and I pretended to see them for the first time. Then I told Beecot thatI had been introduced to Maud at Pash's office. He's a clever chap,Beecot, and, being engaged to Sylvia Norman, I thought he might find outtoo much."

  "About the murder?"

  Hay rose and looked solemn. "I swear I know nothing of that," he saiddecidedly, "and the Krills were as astonished as I, when they heard ofthe death. They were going to see him by Pash's advice, and Mrs. Krillwas going to prosecute him for bigamy unless he allowed her a goodincome. Death put an end to all that, so she made up the story of seeingthe hand-bills, and then of course the will gave the money to Maud, whowas engaged to me."

  "The will or what was called a will, gave the money to Sylvia," saidAurora, emphatically; "but this brooch--you didn't take it?"

  "No, I swear I didn't. Mrs. Krill wanted it, but I never knew it was ofany particular importance. Certainly, I would never have risked robbingBeecot, and I never told that boy Tray to rob either."

  "Then who took the brooch."

  "I can't say. I have told you all I know."

  "Hum," said Aurora, just like her brother, "that will do to-night; butif I ask any more questions you'll have to answer, so now you can go. Bythe way, I suppose the brooch made you stick to Beecot?"

  "Yes," said Hay, frankly; "he was of no use to me. But while he had thebrooch I stuck to him to get it for Mrs. Krill."

  "Queer," said Aurora. "I wonder why she wanted it so much!" but thisquestion Hay was unable to answer.