Fergus Hume

“ Jermyn Street is not a particularly busy thoroughfare at any time, and after eleven o'clock it is comparatively deserted, therefore the assassin must have decoyed his victim there to accomplish his crime in safety. He might have had an appointment to meet her, and while talking to her in the doorway, had he embraced her, might doubtless have wounded her with the poisonous weapon. She would only feel a pin-prick, and then he could watch the poison do its work. She would become confused and then giddy, entertaining no idea that she carried death in her veins. ”

“ Calliston flushed and turned his face away.
"I'm not a saint," he said in a low voice, "and though my conduct may appear to you to have been wrong I could hardly help myself, it would have taken a stronger man than myself to withstand the temptation."
"And now?"
"Now," replied Calliston, turning towards the detective, "I have married the only woman I ever really cared about, and we are going a tour round the world as soon as she is well--that is, if she ever does get well." ”

“ He was not there, and she went out to her death, and then Amelia eloped with him, as you have told me. I was a fast man in my youth, and the sins of the father are being visited on the children."
"But this does not clear up the mystery of Lena Sarschine's death."
"Don't call her by that name," said Dicksfall angrily. "It is the name that shames her. No; you are right, it does not explain her death, but I do not know, from what you say, what motive Myles Desmond could have had in murdering her."
"I don't believe he did," said Dowker bluntly, "but I want to find out your daughter's past life. ”

“ Sir Rupert thought Calliston's visits were to his ward, but in reality she was merely used as a stalking-horse to conceal the designs of the young man on Lady Balscombe. When the blow came and the lady eloped, no one was surprised except the unsuspecting husband, who, having raised his wife from an obscure position to a brilliant one, and given her all she could wish for, never dreamt for a moment she would reward him in so base a manner.
Sir Rupert, however, had no idea of playing the complacent husband in this case, and at once proceeded to take steps for a divorce. ”

“ Lord Calliston sprang to his feet with a burst of laughter.
"Good Heavens!" he cried. "Surely you don't think I killed Lady Balscombe?"
Dowker said nothing, but looked discreetly on the ground, upon which Calliston frowned.
"Don't carry the joke too far," he said, harshly. "I am a very good-natured man, but there are limits to one's good-temper--in some cases I would decline to answer your very impertinent questions, but as I want to save my cousin's life, if possible, I will tell you what I know--be seated."
The detective bowed and took a seat, while Calliston turned to Mrs. Povy. ”

“ I knew Amelia had a twin sister, but understood she was dead."
"Dead as Helena Dicksfall, not as Lena Sarschine."
"Could Lady Balscombe have had any interest in her sister's death?" asked Norwood, in a puzzled tone.
"For heaven's sake don't make her out to be a murderess," said Sir Rupert vehemently, "she's bad enough as it is, but surely she would not go so far as--as---murder."
"I don't know," said Dowker brutally, "they both loved the same man, and when women are jealous, well there's the devil to pay." ”

“ Who are the new beauties?"
"Hey! oh! one was here to-night, Lady Balscombe."
"What! old Balscombe married," said Ellersby in a surprised tone. "I thought he loved no one but himself--so!--and who is my lady?"
"That's what everyone wants to know," replied Marton eagerly, "he picked her up down in the country somewhere, but she's got no pedigree--no money, no talents--nothing but personal beauty."
"Which is worth all the rest put together, to a woman," interrupted Ellersby cynically. "What is she like?"
The Town-crier reeled off an auctioneer-like description at once. ”

“ Dowker uttered an ejaculation of astonishment and summed up the whole thing in his own mind.
"Cock-and-bull story," he muttered to himself. "He has learned since it was Lady Balscombe whom he saw and wants to put the blame on to the husband--pish!"
"Well," said Calliston anxiously.
"It's a grave accusation to make," said Dowker.
"I'm not making any accusation," retorted Calliston, violently. "I only think it was Sir Rupert. I'm not accusing him of anything. Is that all you want to know? If so, you'll oblige me by leaving my rooms." ”

“ Dowker came at once promptly to the point.
"My name is Dowker. I am a detective."
Captain Dicksfall struck his hand angrily down on the pillow.
"Sent by Sir Rupert, I presume?" he said with a sneer. "He wants to get a divorce, and you have come to me for evidence. I know nothing--my daughter was always a good daughter to me, and if Sir Rupert had treated her well, this elopement with Lord Calliston would never have taken place. He is to blame--not she." ”

“ In the brilliant comedies of Wycherley, Moliere, Goldini, and Lope de Vega the betrayed husband is always made the scapegoat for the sins of the lovers, and all the sympathies of the dramatists are with the pretty wife and the gay deceiver. This was the case with poor Sir Rupert, for though his friends pitied him heartily for the manner in which his wife had behaved, yet they also laughed at him for the way in which he had allowed Calliston to carry on the intrigue under his very nose. ”

“ Desmond followed shortly afterwards, and that was the last seen of her alive, as far as I know."
"Why? Didn't Miss Sarschine return home when she discovered Calliston had gone off with Lady Balscombe?"
"I can't tell you, sir; nor what took her to Jermyn Street, unless she got lost in the fog, or there was another man in the case."
"Eh? Nonsense! what other man could there have been?"
"Well," said Dowker slowly, "there was Mr. Desmond."
"Pshaw!" said Ellersby, springing to his feet. "What rubbish! I've known Myles Desmond all my life, and he's not the fellow to commit such a crime!" ”

“ But notwithstanding this unprepossessing exterior, there was no cleverer man in London, and the most dexterous criminal would rather have had any other detective after him than this apparently unpromising thief-catcher. The outward resemblance of a man is not invariably the index of his mind, and the Puritan physiognomy of Mr. Dowker was a very serviceable mask to the acuteness and brilliancy of his intellect. Consequently, when the Piccadilly Puzzle case promised to be such a difficult one to unravel, it was placed in the hands of Mr. Dowker and the whole affair left entirely to him. ”

“ Having had to fight his way in the world, Flip had developed a wonderful sharpness of intellect at a very early age, and Dowker turned this hunger-educated instinct to good account, for he often set the little urchin to follow cabs, run messages, and do other small matters which he required. Flip performed all these duties so well and promptly that Dowker began to take an interest in him, and set to work to cultivate this stunted flower which had sprung up amid the evil weeds of the slums. ”

“ The intelligence seemed to afford Sir Rupert the greatest pleasure, and he threw down the paper with a grim smile. He was a tall, fine-looking man of forty-nine, with a soldierly carriage and iron-grey hair.
"She won't find life with Calliston so happy as she did with me," he muttered, walking up and down the room. "He'll not marry her after she is free, and then she'll go from bad to worse. I was a fool to make her my wife; with the instincts she's got she would have been just as satisfied with being my mistress--come in," he said aloud, as a knock came to the door. ”

“ Turning into Primrose Crescent, he soon found the house he wanted, and curling himself up on the doorstep, waited patiently for chance to deliver Myles into his designing hands.
The rain continued to pour down steadily, and as it was now dark Flip could see the windows all along the street being lighted up. The gas-lamps also shone brightly through the rain, and were reflected in dull, blurred splashes on the pavements. Occasionally a gentleman would hurry past with his umbrella up, and a ragged tramp would slouch along singing a dismal ditty. ”

“ May Penfold stepped towards him.
"As you have sinned so deeply," she said, in a low tone, "you had better make reparation while you may and confess all, so as to release Myles from prison. Meanwhile, I will go for a doctor."
He signed her feebly to remain.
"No doctor can do me any good," he said faintly, "but I will tell all. Mr. Dowker will, perhaps, write it down, and if I'm not too far gone I'll--sign it."
"I will write your confession," said Norwood, and, sitting down at the desk, he took up a pen and waited. ”

“ As Marton had informed Ellersby, the Seamew had returned to England the previous day, and now the trio were going down to see if Lady Balscombe could give them any information likely to solve the mystery of the murder of Lena Sarschine. Of course Sir Rupert fully recognised the truth of the proverb "Every man for himself," but now the guilty passion of his wife appeared a secondary consideration to the desire of saving an innocent man from a shameful death.
On the way down, Norwood told Dowker the discovery he had made about the dagger, at which the detective was much astonished. ”

“ Suppose I did meet the woman who left my chambers, I would find not Lena Sarschine but Lady Balscombe, the very woman I wanted to meet."
Dowker rubbed his head, being for once in his life nonplussed by a man as clever as himself. ”

“ John's Wood. I stayed with him, because I loved him, and he promised to marry me--a promise he has since fulfilled. When my sister became known in London as Lady Balscombe I soon found it out from Calliston, and then implored him to make me his wife--he laughed, and said he would--then my sister fell in love with him--not he with her, I swear, for he loves no one but me, and in the end she persuaded him to elope with her. I discovered the fact from my maid, who learned it from Lady Balscombe's maid, Anne Lifford, and in despair I went to see Calliston, and implore him to give up the mad idea. ”

“ It was now about six o'clock and very dark, the sky being overcast with clouds. Soon it began to rain steadily, and the streets became sloppy and dismal. Flip drew his rags round him, shivered a little in a professional manner, and then, going off to a cook-shop he patronised in Drury Lane, had a hunch of bread and a steaming cup of coffee for a small sum.
Being thus prepared for his work, Flip wiped his mouth, and, sallying forth into the dirty Lane, took his way up to Bloomsbury, combining business with pleasure by begging on the road. ”

“ Dicksfall smiled faintly.
"You are not the first who has been deceived," he said with a sigh. "No! One is my daughter Helena, who, from your story, I believe to be Lena Sarschine, and the other is Amelia, Lady Balscombe--twins."
Dowker examined the photographs closely, and was astonished at the likeness, which was further aided by both of them being dressed exactly alike.
"It is wonderful," he said, and no longer marvelled at the way in which Lydia Fenny and Anne Lifford had confused the identity of the portrait found in Lena Sarschine's desk. ”

“ John's Wood, said Dowker, who had no hesitation in talking plainly to this woman, who knew as much about fast life as he did.
"So I hear--never saw his mistress, but hear she's a beautiful woman--there will be a row when she hears his latest escapade; but he'll get tired of Lady Balscombe and go back to the St. John's Wood establishment--they always do."
"Well, the whole affair will end as usual," said the detective with a sigh, "in a public scandal and divorce; but I want to see you about this," and taking the hat out of the parcel, he laid it before Madame. ”

“ Dowker did not go at once to Park Lane as he was anxious to know how Lena Sarschine, or rather Lady Calliston, was after her hysterical confession of guilt, so he drove down to Cleopatra Villa, and on being shown in to the drawing-room was confronted by Lord Calliston. That young nobleman looked haggard and worn out, so that in spite of his conduct, which had led to the murder of one woman and the self-accusation of another, the detective felt sorry for him. ”

“ This remark, coming from such a source, produced the profoundest impression in the mind of May Penfold, and Norwood himself seemed relieved, while the baronet stood on the hearthrug and looked stolidly on.
"Then we can work together?" said the lawyer.
"Yes; to prove the innocence of Mr. Desmond," replied Dowker. "And in doing so we will discover the real criminal." ”