Sax Rohmer

“ Mr. Haufmann"—he turned to the latter—"you will occupy your old room. Do not, I beg of you, go outside after dusk upon any consideration. If either of you shall hear it again—the evil whispering—come out by the front door, and keep in the shadow. Carry no light. Above all, do not come out upon the balcony!"
"Then you," I said, "will be unable to stay?"
"I shall be so unable," was the reply; "for I go to Brighton to secure the interview with Miss Greta which the poor Ottley so much required!"
"You don't suggest that she knows——"
"She knows no more than we do, Mr. Searles! ”

“ Greta didn't want to quit, but poor Lal was dead scared! Anyway, I got them off."
The uncanny business claimed entire possession of my mind, and further work was out of the question. I accordingly accompanied Haufmann to the hotel where the detective was lodged and made the acquaintance of Mr. J. Shorter Ottley. He was a typical New Yorker, clean-shaven and sallow complexioned with good gray eyes and an inflexible mouth.
"We don't deal in ghosts!" he said, smilingly; "I never met a ghost that couldn't stop a bullet if it came his way!" ”

“ Haufmann! In those silent watches, even so insensible an old fool as I can imagine almost anything, aided by such gruesome memories. Excepting the monk, who probably fell foul of a prowler thief, the tragedies are easily to be explained. The old antiquarian died of syncope, and the poor girl, in all probability, fell from the balcony in her sleep. She had a tremendously neurotic temperament."
"It's bad, now Greta knows," mused Haufmann. "Her nerves are all unstrung. ”

“ That Miss Greta she has the sympathetic mind"—he tapped his forehead—"the plate so sensitive, the photo film so delicate! For her it is dangerous to remain. There is such a thing, Mr. Searles, as sympathetic suicide! That girl she is mediumistic. From The Park she must be removed."
"There is no time to lose," I said. "We must decide what to do to-night. Suppose you come long to my place?"
Moris Klaw agreed, and we resumed our walk through the poplar grove.
Although the night was very still, an eerie whispering went on without pause or cessation along the whole length of the avenue. ”

“ I shall be unable odically to sterilize myself, but we must hope. From amid the phantasms which that sick brain will throw out upon the astral film—upon the surrounding ether—I must trust that I find the thought, the last thought before delirium came! ”

“ We rounded them up on the Mexican border and got two—Schwart Sam and one of the Costas; but the younger Costa—we call him Corpus Chris—broke away and found me in the elbow with a lump of lead!"
"So you've come for a holiday?"
"Mostly," replied Haufmann. "Greta hustled me here. She got real ill when I said I wouldn't come. So we came! I'm centring in London for six months. Brought the girls over for a look round. I'm not stopping at a hotel. We've rented a house a bit outside; it's Lal's idea. Settled yesterday. All fixed. Expect you to dinner to-night! You, too, Mr. Klaw! Is it a bet?" ”

“ At last, however, I glanced at my watch, and found it to be nearly six o'clock, whereupon I looked blankly at Moris Klaw. That eccentric shrugged his shoulders and took up the caped coat. Then the 'phone bell rang. It was Haufmann.
I was glad to hear his familiar accent as he laughingly apologized for his oversight. Rapidly he acquainted me with the whereabouts of The Grove—for so the house was called.
"Come now," he said. "Don't stop to dress; you've only just got time," and rang off. ”

“ I said. "I wish Moris Klaw were here."
"Where is he?"
"He is in Paris. He will be away over the week-end."
"I met a man curiously enough," continued Haufmann, "just outside the Charing Cross Tube, on my way here, who's coming down to have a look into the business—a hot man on mysteries." He mentioned the name of a celebrated American detective agency. ”

“ On the right of the poplars lay a shrubbery, and beyond that a garden stretching to the east wall. Just to the left, an outbuilding gleamed whitely. Some former occupant had built it for a coach house and it now housed Haufmann's car. ”

“ I depart. Sometime to-night will come Sir Bartram Vane from Half-Moon Street, the specialist, to confer with the physician who is attending here. Mr. Searles, remain concealed. Not even he must know of your being here; no one outside the house must know. Remember my warnings. I depart."
Behind the thick pebbles his eyes gleamed with some excitement repressed. By singular means, he would seem to have come upon a clue.
"Good-night, Mr. Haufmann," he said. "Good-night, Mr. Searles. ”