CHAPTER XVIII
MURDER BY SUGGESTION
Two days later the Marmions left London for Copenhagen, whence theyintended to take a trip among the Baltic Islands, now looking theirbrightest and prettiest, then up along the Norwegian Fiords, just beforethe tourist rush began, and finally across from Trondjem to Iceland.They were both excellent sailors, and both disliked crowds, especiallywhen the said crowds were pleasure-hunting. Moreover, they had now aparticular reason for being alone that they might enjoy together--they,the only two mortals who could do so--the countless marvels of that newexistence which had now become possible for them. Where, too, could theydo this to more advantage than in the ancient Northland, whosemarvellous past would now be to them even as the present of their owntemporal lives?
The Van Huysmans, and, of course, Lord Lester Leighton, were to remainin London until the end of the Season. Uncle Ephraim had cabled warmcongratulations and large credits, and so Brenda, very naturally as anewly-engaged girl and a prospective Countess, wanted all that Londonand Ranelagh and Henley, Ascot and Goodwood and Cowes, could give herbefore her devoted lover's yacht carried them off to the Mediterranean.Later in the autumn they were all to go over to the States to spend thewinter in Washington and New York, whence they were to return to Londonfor the wedding in May: surely as pleasant a programme--I fear that MissBrenda spelt it "program"--as could be desired even by a fair maidenupon whom the kindly Fates had already showered their choicest gifts.The only bitter drop in the family cup of content was the fact thatProfessor van Huysman was as far away as ever from the exposure of thefallacy which, as he was immovably convinced, those abominabledemonstrations _must_ contain.
After due consultation between Nicol Hendry and his colleagues ofFrance, Germany, and Russia, it was decided to follow up the clues whichhe had so mysteriously received. The others would, of course, have beenvery glad to know where and how he got them, but at the outset he hadput them on their honour not to ask, and so professional etiquette madeit impossible for them to do anything but accept his assurance that hehad received them from a source which was quite beyond reproach. Oncethey accepted the situation, they got to work with a quiet thoroughnesswhich resulted in the spreading of an invisible but unbreakable netround the footsteps of every one of the suspects from the greatOscarovitch himself to the humble seller of curios in Candler's Court,and his still humbler friends Pent-Ah and Neb-Anat, who were known tothe few who knew them as Mr and Mrs Pentana, renovators, and, possiblymanufacturers, of ancient gems and relics.
But to one pair of eyes, at least, the police-net was as plainly visibleas a spider's web hanging in the sunlight.
Within three days Phadrig received a visit from a shabbily-dressed butwell-to-do Jew trader with whom he had done business before, who wantedto know if he could put him in the way of getting some really good oldEgyptian gems and jewellery to show on approval to a wealthy patron whowanted to give his daughter a set of rare and uncommon ornaments on herwedding day. It was by this means, by acting as an intermediary betweenthose who had something to sell and those who wished to buy, thatPhadrig was supposed to make his modest living. His knowledge of Easternantiquities was admittedly great, though, of course, no one knew howgreat, and he had often been asked why, instead of living in such awretched way, he did not start a little business for himself; to whichhe always replied that he had no capital, and that he preferredindependence, however poor, to the cares and ties of regular trading.
When the Jew had stated his business, Phadrig looked at him with sleepyeyes with a strange expression in them which, for some reason or other,held his visitor's usually shifty gaze fixed, and said in a slow, gentlevoice:
"It is very kind of you, Mr Josephus, to bring me all these nice littlecommissions. They are of much benefit to a poor student of antiquitieslike myself, although I do not like trading in things that I love.Still, one must live if one would study. Now, I had a gem sent to me theother day which I would dearly love to possess, but, alas! as well mightI long for the Koh-i-Noor itself. Moreover, it is already promised--nay,as good as sold. But what have the poor to do with such splendours saveto help the rich to buy them!"
The Jew's prominent eyes shone with an inward light at the mention ofthe gem, and he said in a coaxing voice:
"My dear Phadrig, we have always been friends for ever so long, and yousay I've been a good customer to you. Might I have a look at that gem?You know how fond I am of the pretty things. Have you got it here?"
"Yes, and you shall see it with pleasure, my good Josephus," repliedPhadrig, well knowing the thought that was in his mind when he asked ifhe had the gem there in that shabby, unprotected room.
He went to the old oak secretaire, unlocked a cupboard at the side, andthen a drawer within it, followed in every motion by the gleaming eyesof the Jew, and took from it a leather parcel. He undid this andproduced a box, about four inches long and three wide, of plain blackpolished wood. It looked solid, but Phadrig made a swift motion with hisfingers, and one half of it slid off the other. He held it towards hisvisitor, and said:
"What do you think of that as a specimen of ancient art, Mr Josephus?"
The Jew looked. The inside of the box seemed filled with green lighttinted with yellow. Out of the midst of it began to shine a deeper greenlight which crystallised into the most glorious emerald that he had evereven dreamt of. It was fully an inch square, flawless, and of perfectcolour. The yellow sheen came from a framework of heavy,exquisitely-wrought gold. Phadrig took it out and held it before him,and the green light seemed to radiate through the dull atmosphere of theroom. The Jew stared at it with bulging eyes and trembling under-lip,and his hands went out towards it with a gesture which seemed likeworship.
"God of Israel," he gasped, "was anything so splendid ever seen before!Mr Phadrig, is it--is it real?"
"Real?" echoed the Egyptian scornfully. "Did you ever see light likethat come out of a sham stone? You should know more about gems thanthat, Mr Josephus."
"Ah yes, yes, of course. It is glorious; it is worthy to shine on thebreastplate of the High Priest--and what a price it must be! Is itallowed to ask the name of the great millionaire for whom it isdestined?"
"Yes. It will in a few hours be the property of Prince OscarOscarovitch."
As Phadrig spoke he hid the gem in his hand. His voice was so changedthat the Jew looked up at him. His eyes were wide open now, and glowingwith a fire that made them look almost dull red. They seemed to seeright through his eyeballs and look into his brain. Josephus started asthough he had been struck. He tried to turn his head away, but theterrible eyes held him. His fat, greasy, olive face grew grey and dry,and his head shook from side to side.
"What is the matter, my dear Mr Josephus?" asked Phadrig, in slow, sterntones. "The mention of the Prince seems to have affected your nerves.Are you acquainted with His Highness?"
"Me? I? Why, how should I know a great man like the noble Prince? No,no; of course I know him as a very grand and great gentleman, but thatis all, really all, my dear Phadrig."
"Yes, yes, of course," said the Egyptian, once more in his gentle voice;"would not be likely, would it? Now, if you would like to look at thegem more closely, go and sit down there by the light and take it in yourhand. You will see that it is engraved with hieroglyphics. They say thatthis jewel was once the property of Rameses the Great of Egypt, and wasgiven by him to his daughter Nitocris."
This information did not interest the Jew in the slightest, since he hadnever heard the names in his life; but the delight and honour of holdingsuch a glorious gem in his hand even for a few minutes was ecstasy tohim. He sat down, and held out his fat, trembling hand greedily. With asmile of contempt Phadrig placed the jewel in it, and said:
"Examine it closely, my friend. It is well worth it, and it may be longbefore you see another like it."
"Like--like _it_, like _this_! By the beard of FatherMoses, I should think not--I should think--I should--oh,beautiful--glor--glorious--splendid--did--splen--oh, wha
t alight--li--light--li--oh----!"
As each of the disjointed syllables came from his shaking lips hemumbled more and more, and his head sank lower towards the pricelessthing in his palm. As he gazed, the stone grew round and bigger andbrighter, till it seemed like a great green-blazing eye glaring into theutmost depths of his being. Then the light suddenly went out, his headfell on his breast, and as his hand sank, Phadrig caught it and tookaway the jewel. Then he put the Jew back in the chair, and standing infront of him began in a slow, penetrating voice:
"Isaac Josephus, thou hast gazed upon the Horus Stone, and he who doeththat may not answer the questions of an Adept with lies save at theprice of his life. Now answer me truly, or to-morrow morning those ofthine household shall find thee dead in thy bed."
Wide open the eyes of the hypnotised man stared at him, and the looselips quivered, but these were the only signs of life.
"Thou art not only a dealer in gems and curious things: thou art also aspy of the police; is not that so?"
"Yes."
"Believing that I am a very poor man, yet knowing that I dealt withobjects of value, they thought me to be one who receives such thingsfrom thieves to sell them again, since they could not. Is that so?"
"Yes."
"And, believing this, and knowing thee to have dealings with me, theybribed thee to come here as my friend and fellow-dealer and spy upon myactions, so that they might have evidence against me and cast me intoprison. Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Late on the last night but one thou didst go to the house of NicolHendry, who is no common catcher of thieves, but a spy of nations whosebusiness is with the great ones of the earth. Tell me: whom did thybusiness with him concern?"
"Prince Oscarovitch and yourself."
"What were his orders?"
"To watch you both, especially you, and find out when you went to him,and why you were sometimes a poor devil in a miserable hole like this,and sometimes a swell going to swagger places with him."
"How were you going to do this?"
"I know your servant or chum, Mr Pentana. I've lent him money: and PeterPetroff, the Prince's particular servant, gambles like a lord, and heowes me and a friend of mine a lot of money. We were going to workthrough them."
"It is enough; and well for you that you have answered truthfully. Nowtell me: do you know how to use a revolver?"
"Never fired a shot in my life."
Phadrig went to the secretaire and took a common, cheap revolver,identical with thousands of others which our criminally carelessGovernment allows to be bought every day without the production of alicence--just a hooligan's weapon, in fact--went back and put it intothe Jew's hand. He raised the hand several times, and pointed the muzzleto the temple, keeping the forefinger on the trigger. At length he letgo the wrist, and said in a gentle, persuading tone:
"That is the way to handle a revolver when you are going to shoot, mydear Josephus. Now, let me see if you can do it by yourself."
With mechanical precision the Jew's arm went up until the muzzle touchedhis temple. Again and again he did the same thing at Phadrig's bidding,till at length he said rather more peremptorily:
"Now pull the trigger!"
The finger tightened and the hammer clicked. Five times more was theoperation repeated, and then Phadrig gently took the revolver and laidthe hand down. He went to the secretaire and loaded the six chambers,cocked the weapon and put it into the right hand side-pocket of thelounge jacket which Josephus was wearing, and said deliberately:
"Now remember, my dear Josephus: you will go straight back to youroffice in Waterloo Road and let yourself in with your key. In yourprivate room you will see a man who wants to rob you of some valuablepapers. You will be ruined if he gets them, so you must take your pistolout of your pocket and shoot him. Do you quite understand me?"
"Yes; I am to shoot him."
"That is right. Now, if you do not go he will have them before you getthere. Get up and we will say good-night. You must not put your hand inyour pocket until you see the man who wants to rob you. Good-night.There is your hat."
"Good-night!"
Mr Isaac Josephus put on his hat and walked away to his death with themotions of a mechanical doll.