Edgar Wallace

“ There was a little window square, level with the ledge, which could be opened and closed as a casement, and against this she saw the shadow of a head, and, with her heart thumping wildly, walked across the room.
“Who is there?” she asked.
Then came a voice that chilled her to the marrow.
“Don’t you know me, beloved?”
“Mr. Dempsi!” she gasped. “You mustn’t come here, really you mustn’t! My—my Uncle Isaac isn’t at home, and I can’t receive you.” ”

“ He was looking haggard, Bobbie thought, and remarkably unattractive.
“Good morning, Mr. Selsbury—you have not seen Aunt Lizzie? I wished to condole with her. It is terrible when lovers are parted—but how terrible for you! Double Dan, you say? It makes my flesh creep. Yet”—his admiring eyes beamed upon his hostess—“yet our little Diana did not fear! Ah, that was most wonderful. But tell me—who is Aunt Lizzie?”
“A friend of mine,” said Diana shortly.
Dempsi shook his head in sorrow.
“I shall never forgive myself for shooting Superbus—in the toe,” he said in a tone of bitter regret. ”

“ It needs the gross mind of a materialist, a man like the husband of Heloise (Gordon’s expression was one of distaste as he thought of that man) to appreciate the lingering fragrance of long-baked and long-consumed pies, the everlasting aroma which the spluttering hot oven has sent forth from time to time through the years, to permeate the homely furniture, and through that medium to retain its delicate nidus for the joy of those lovers of good food to whom such smells were appetising. ”

“ Gordon Selsbury half rose from his knees, his mouth working, his face pale with fury.
“I’m inclined to agree with you,” said Bobbie regretfully. “And poor old Gordon has faults.”
“The faults of age,” said Diana. “He’s the sort of man who has been forty-five ever since he was born; but, thank God, he’s not flighty!” she added piously.
The sweeper nodded in agreement, but his faint smile was to vanish.
“Don’t put any man on a pedestal, my dear,” said Bobbie in the paternal manner.
“Sneak!” said Gordon fiercely but inaudibly.
“The best of men make mistakes,” the traitor brother continued. ”

“ Diana tried to cheer him.
“I’m sure she won’t make a fuss, Mr. Superbus. Women are very brave in such moments of trial. And a toe more or less isn’t essential to married happiness.”
Mr. Superbus wasn’t so sure, being at that moment in his most sentimental mood. His eyes were moist.
“It’s a dreadful thing to think, ma’am,” he said, his lip a-tremble, “that only yesterday that little toe of mine was alive and well; to-day—where is it?”
Mr. Dempsi covered his eyes with his long, thin hand. ”

“ Superbus was spellbound.
“Send for me,” repeated Dempsi deliberately. “I haven’t killed a man for years. But I will not speak of that. I am too sorry for his wife and family. I have a tender heart.” He gazed at Julius in admiration. “So you are a detective! One of that great and silent army of watchers, everlastingly on duty, standing between peaceable citizens like Guiseppi Dempsi and the vultures who prey upon society!”
Dempsi held out his hand. Mr. Superbus, his eyes modestly lowered, took it. ”

“ He had never seen anybody as scared as Heloise was; that was the one clear impression which Gordon carried away from the interview. She, the self-possessed woman of the world, a soul, one superior to the lesser grades of humanity, seemed to have cowered and shrunk under the domination of Diana’s baleful eye. Gordon sighed, tied his baize apron a little tighter round his waist, and wondered where Trenter kept his stock of plate powder. ”

“ Trenter blinked apprehensively. He was indeed married.
“I do not wish that sort of thing to happen again,” said Gordon, mildly scandalised. “You are a married man with responsibilities which cannot be ignored or set on one side. Eleanor, as I understand her name to be, is a young girl, possibly inflammable, certainly impressionable. To cloud a young girl’s life by awakening in her heart a passion which you cannot return is most reprehensible. ”

“ Heloise invariably smiled at Gordon that way when she wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about. Though, as to souls——
“The soul is certainly the finest thing we have around,” she said, in deep thought. “That’s where we’ve got most people skinned—I should say, at a disadvantage, you and I, Gordon. One doesn’t like to bare one’s heart; one shrinks instinctively even from self-revelation.” ”

“ Bobbie elected for peace.
“I don’t suppose I shall have to wire to you much,” he said. “Nothing is likely to turn up in your absence. What are you going to tell Diana?”
Mr. Selsbury closed his eyes wearily.
“Does it matter what I tell Diana?”
A brave question. In his heart he knew that a story must be invented, and a very plausible story.
“I’m not a particularly nimble liar,” he said. “Think out something for me.”
Bobbie sniffed.
“I am on my knees to you for the compliment,” he said, but irony was wasted on Gordon. “Why not tell her you are going north for the shooting?” ”

“ Selsbury wouldn’t understand,” Diana went on lightly. “Men are rather narrow. If you told him——”
“I should never dream of telling Mr. Selsbury, madam,” said Eleanor indignantly.
The girl came in dressed before she went.
“I beg your pardon, Miss Ford, but it has just occurred to me,” she said hesitantly. “If this foreign gentleman should kiss me, might I be bold enough to ask you not to mention it to Trenter?”
“You may rely on me, Eleanor,” said Diana firmly. “We women must stand together.” ”

“ You know he wouldn’t, Bobbie! I can’t think of his doing a thing like that. Why, Gordon is the very antithesis of vulgarity! Could you imagine him engaged in a clandestine friendship with a woman like Aunt Lizzie? It is absurd. Can you imagine him walking into this house with a strange female and pretending that he doesn’t know her when he is detected? I should imagine not!”
Still Bobbie had a duty to perform.
“I think you’re mad to trust any man absolutely,” he said firmly. “No man is worthy of that confidence.” ”

“ Go to Scotland: it is remote. You’re not likely to meet anybody you know because you won’t be there.”
Gordon thought the flippancy in bad taste.
“It is repugnant to me—this necessity for invention,” he said. “Why must I give an account of my comings and goings? It is preposterous! I had better make my objective Aberdeen, I suppose?”
Diana! Of all the absurd arguments that had been raised against the Ostend trip, this was the most futile. The very mention of her name was a spur. By the time he had reached Cheynel Gardens the trip was definitely and irrevocably settled. ”

“ Where’s Uncle Isaac? I haven’t seen him this morning.”
“But when you grappled, Mr. Superbus, you surely knew whether it was a man or a woman?” insisted Diana.{308}
Julius inclined his head.
“Speaking as a married man,” he said discreetly, “I ought to know.”
“But you ‘grappled’?”
“In a sense,” said Mr. Superbus, “only in a sense. When a man grapples with—with—a problem, does he catch it by the ear, or punch it under the jaw? No, ma’am. When I say grappled, I’m speaking in a general way.” ”

“ No, sir. As a woman the idea revolts me. I was brought up in a strict fifty-fifty school!”
Gordon was himself again.
“Now I warn you this matter has gone as far as it is going,” he said impressively. “There are fifty thousand dollars in The Study safe, and I’ve no doubt in my mind that that is his objective, though how he came to know this——”
“Fifty thousand!” she breathed. “That explains everything! You told me in one of your heart-to-heart talks that you always kept a thousand pounds, but not——”
“This money was drawn to pay an American,” said Gordon impatiently. ”

“ Superbus nodded.
“I should say so! She starts a hand-holding friendship, if I might describe it.”
“But surely not always?” interrupted Bobbie. “She didn’t catch old Mendlesohn that way? He must be sixty-five!”
Mr. Superbus was amused.
“Sixty-five! Why, of course she did! The sixty-fivers are the worst. They’re easy. Mind you, there’s nothing more than a high-class friendship in it, if I may use the word. The people she likes to get hold of are the thinkers—she’s got a classy line of language. You know the sort of stuff that highbrows talk.{125}”
“A soul, in fact?” smiled Diana. ”

“ A touch of sadness in Trenter’s voice had its origin in obscure sources.
Methodical as Gordon was, he never counted his cigars. Diana, on the other hand, had an eye for quantity. It was she who asked delicately whether he thought there were mice in the house, and, if so, did he think that they preferred Coronas to cheese.
“There’s a big change coming—a terrific change. I feel it in my bones,” he said. “And I know! I’ve always had second sight even as a boy.” ”

“ Presently Gordon broke into her thoughts.
“You’ve landed me in a pretty fine mess,” he said without heat.
She looked up at him sideways, flicking the ash from her cigarette with a cute little snap of her forefinger.
“I’ve landed you!” she said ironically. “I like that—anyway, there’s no call to get mad, Man.”
A cold chill ran down his spine at that familiar form of address.
“I wish you wouldn’t call me Man. It belongs to bobbed hair and empress gowns and art serge ... and soul.” ”

“ Selsbury with a catch in his voice.
“If you’d gone to Ostend that couldn’t have happened,” said Heloise fiercely. “Does it occur to you that my husband has followed us and is at this moment sitting on the doorstep waiting to free your poor spirit from this earthly bondage?”
Gordon passed his hand wearily over his forehead. He was in the depths of despondency.
“I don’t care,” he said. “I don’t care about your husband. He’s probably a sensible man to whom one could explain things. Diana is so infernally sure of herself that you can’t argue with her.” ”

“ Gordon hesitated a little time before the mirror in his bedroom at the hotel, the razor poised in his hand, his cheeks crisp with lather. There is no more solemn act undertaken by man than destruction of such facial landmarks (if the term be allowed) as are represented by cultivated hair. There is something so irrevocable, so tremendous in self-destruction of whiskers, that it is amazing so few great poets have utilised the theme. ”

“ Diana, in the opening of the kitchen door, heard only this.
“Will you kindly reserve your love-making until you are out of my house?” she asked severely.
At the sound of her voice Gordon reeled. The final straw had dropped brutally upon a camel, already over-burdened.
“Why, I don’t know,” said Heloise, her insolent gaze turned on the intruder. “It seems to me that a cook’s got a right to a li’l bit of love, honey? I’ll admit that Uncle Isaac ain’t so cute as darling Wopsy. But he’s a real nice boy in Aunt Lizzie’s eyes.” ”

“ Diana saw him, but made no sign. He was one with the furniture.
“If he’d only stay away for another week!” she sighed.
It was the opportunity for which Bobbie had hoped.
“You know, old Gordon isn’t such a bad chap,” he said. “I know one’s first impression is that he is a terrible prig, and his manner is bad, I admit; and he’s a thought conceited. These intellectuals are. Though why, I’ve never understood.”
She shook her head. Evidently she had already found excuses for Gordon, and there was no need for his championship.
“Conceited? But most men are, don’t you think? ”

“ Whatever happened, Double Dan’s scheme should be brought to failure, he decided.
“Why, Dan sort of happens naturally,” she said lazily. “I lift my tile to him every time. He is certainly the most artistic guy in the business. I can’t let my feelings prejudice me. He a great artist. The Lord didn’t give him any ideas about simple division, but we’re not all born mathematicians. You’ll not know him when he comes. He doesn’t always pretend to be the sucker he’s robbing. Sometimes he’s a butler.”
Gordon started. Superbus! ”

“ Some magic that draws a man’s confidence and kills all sense of time and obligation.”
Bobbie nodded wisely.
“I know—a woman.”
Gordon stood erect.
“Bobbie,” he said awfully, “I tell you this is not an affair—at any rate, it is different from other kinds of affairs.”
“So are all other kinds of affairs,” said Bobbie. “That’s why the judges have been working overtime. I dare say I am cynical: I can afford to be, I’m a bachelor. The lady has a husband?”
“Heloise is married,” said Gordon gravely. ”

“ Happily the hotel is a house of call. Guests come overnight and leave in the morning. Nobody recognises anybody except under the urgent promptings of lawyers’ clerks, supported by the visitors’ book. Ten per cent of the staff was permanently giving evidence at the law courts.
“The valet,” said Gordon and, when that individual appeared, gave instructions regarding the grip containing his discarded suit and hat-box. It occurred to him at that moment that one does not journey to Scotland in a top hat, and he was rather glad that Diana had been out when he left. ”

“ An intellectual woman can have no possible community of interest with people who enthuse over bucket quoits.”
A chair was within reach of his hand and he sat down. Men like Gordon Selsbury seldom lose grip of a situation, however awkward it may be. The sheer weight of their wisdom and their personality has a tendency to roll flat obstacles of the most tremendous nature.
“Now I’m going to be a father and an uncle and a wise old cousin to you,” he said, good nature rigidly and obstinately imprinted in his smile. ”