the tangled skein of mysterious facts, it is hardly likelythat you'll succeed, do you think? Did I not tell you to remain silentand inactive? Instead of that, you've been chattering and trying to actthe part of amateur detective. It was fatal. Because of that--and forthat reason alone--the misfortune has been placed upon you."
"What misfortune?"
"The loss of your wife. It has occupied your mind in another way, justas it was intended by your enemies it should do."
"And yours is the master mind, Mr. Kirk, which has planned this subtlerevenge," I exclaimed, my eager hands clenched in frantic desperation."Because I disobeyed your extraordinary injunctions Mabel has been takenfrom me. You may as well admit the whole truth now at once."
"I admit nothing," he answered, drawing himself up defiantly.
"Then, by Heaven, I'll force you to speak--to tell me where she is!" Ishouted, as I raised my hands with a sudden movement. And then, beforehe could ward me off, my fingers closed upon his hard, bony throat.
I was desperate. Nay, in the presence of that sphinx-like, taciturnadventurer whom I now knew to be my enemy, I was mad.
Yes, mad, or surely I would never have dared to lay hands upon him.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
DEFIANCE PROVES DEFENCE.
I had, I confess, allowed my anger to rise above my gorge. That actionof mine in attacking Kirk was both ill-timed and very injudicious, forin an instant--before even those frantic words had left my lips--I foundmyself looking down the ugly black barrel of a big Browning revolver,that most effective and deadly of all man-killing weapons.
"Kindly release me, Holford," he said, rather hoarsely and with somedifficulty, as my muscular fingers had closed upon his scraggy throat."Come, this is all very foolish! Let me go! I have no desire to harmyou," he added, quite calmly.
"Then tell me where I can find my wife," I repeated.
"I would--if I could."
"Tell me who can!" I demanded fiercely, my fingers still closed uponhis throat, so that he breathed only with great difficulty.
"Give me time--time to make--inquiry!" he gasped. "I've only justreturned, and am in ignorance of a great deal of what has transpired."
"Upon your own admission, Mabel has fallen a victim of a plot merelybecause I became too active and too inquisitive. You feared lest Imight discover something."
"I have admitted nothing, my dear sir!" he cried. "One day you willwithdraw all these malicious words--mark me," he added, in a hard voice,lowering his weapon and replacing it in his hip-pocket as I released myconvulsive grip.
"I've lost my wife, Mr. Kirk, and you know where she is," I said.
"In that you are quite mistaken," he declared. "As I've alreadyexplained, I've not yet had opportunity for making inquiry. Ibelieved," he added in reproach, "that you would assist me in thisstrange affair concerning Professor Greer. Yet my confidence in you,Holford, has been sadly misplaced. Recall for one moment what I toldyou--of the seriousness of what was at stake, and of the absolutenecessity for complete secrecy. Yet to-night you threaten to bungle thewhole affair by going to the police."
"I've lost my wife!" I interrupted. "She's the victim of some plot orother, and it is to find her that I intend to invoke the aid of ScotlandYard."
"Well, by adopting that course, you would not find her--but you'd loseher," was the old fellow's brief response.
"Antonio told me the very same thing when we met in Rome!" I exclaimed."Your threat shows me that you are in league in this conspiracy ofsilence."
Kershaw Kirk burst out laughing, as though he considered my anger a hugejoke. It annoyed me that he did not take me seriously, and that heregarded the loss of Mabel so lightly.
"Look here, Mr. Holford," he said at last, looking straight into myface. "It's plain that you suspect me of being the assassin ofProfessor Greer. That being so, I've nothing more to say. Yet I wouldask you to regard the present situation both logically and calmly. Doyou for one moment suppose that were I guilty I would have taken you toSussex Place and explained the whole affair in detail? Is it, indeed,to be supposed that I would place myself so entirely and completely inthe hands of a stranger?"
I shook my head dubiously.
"Well," he went on, "I repeat to you now all that I told you that night,and assert that all I told you was the truth."
"But how do you account for Ethelwynn being still alive?" I interruptedquickly.
"There is an explanation of that," he declared; "one that you willprobably be told very shortly. Fortunately, the poor girl was not dead,though I confess I was entirely deceived by the symptoms. You willremember that the mirror remained unclouded by her breath?"
"I remember every incident, alas! only too vividly," was my slow,distinct reply. "But," I asked very pointedly, "pray tell me, Mr. Kirk,what was your object in calling upon me and inducing me to go to SussexPlace?"
He thrust his hands into his trousers pockets and smiled.
"An ulterior one--as you may imagine. But one which was as much in yourinterests as in ours."
"Ours!" I echoed. "You mean you and your accomplices?"
"Call them so, if you wish," he laughed. "I, unfortunately, am not in aposition to enlighten you upon the actual reason I invoked your aid."
"And your action has only brought upon me a great misfortune--bitterdespair, and the loss of the woman I loved!" I cried, dismayed.
"Ah!" he said. "You judge me a little too hastily, Mr. Holford. It isyour failing, Mr. Holford, that you are given to rushing to prematureconclusions. That is always fatal in any delicate negotiation. Whenyou've had my experience--that of a traveller and thorough-goingcosmopolitan--you will learn how to repress your own opinions until theyare fully and entirely corroborated."
I looked into the grey face of the clever adventurer, and there sawcraft, cunning, and an ingenuity that was superhuman. A look was in hiseyes such as I had never before seen in those of any human being.
"But I am in search of my wife!" I cried frantically. "I am in no moodto hear this philosophy of yours."
"Well--how do you know she is not here--in London?" he asked, waving histhin hand towards the window where showed the glimmering lights of theThames bank.
To the right, where I stood, I could see the gleam of electric lightfrom the summit of Big Ben, showing that the House, which had assembledonly a few days before, was sitting late after the Christmas recess.
"I suppose you wish to mislead me into the idea that she is back againin London, hiding from me, eh?" I exclaimed resentfully. "No, Mr.Kirk, I tell you plainly that I've had enough of this tragic comedy ofyours, I've watched you this evening with your precious friends, Flynnand Langton."
"And, pray, why should I not possess friends?" he asked, looking at mewith some surprise.
"To me Langton denied all knowledge of you."
"Well--and am I to be blamed for Langton's pretended ignorance?"
"No; but it shows me that you are not dealing with me in astraightforward manner!" I declared, without mincing words.
But the strange old fellow only laughed. "My dear sir," he said a fewmoments afterwards, "I can quite understand your distrust of me,therefore it is as well that I hesitated to place a further confidencein you. You might have betrayed it."
"Betrayed it!" I echoed angrily. "Have you not betrayed me? Is it notdue to you, and you alone, that my wife is missing?"
"That I emphatically deny, my dear sir," he replied, still quiteunperturbed. "But why let us discuss it? Any denial of mine you'llregard as false. It's a great pity that my judgment led me to seek youraid. Had you carried out my request and refrained from prying intomatters which did not concern you, you might have found it to yourdistinct advantage."
"You mean that I should have profited pecuniarily by concealing the factthat Professor Greer is dead and that an impostor has assumed hisidentity? You intended that I also should be an accomplice of theassassin!"
"No--not exactly," he replied with a
n evil, triumphant grin. "But,really, my dear sir," he added, "I've had a very long journey, and I'mtired. Is it any use prolonging this argument?"
"Not unless you wish!" I snapped. "I have given you full warning of myintention to reveal the whole affair to the police."
"Ah! Then that will be very unfortunate--for you," replied the queerold man; "and for your wife most of all."
"Yes, I know. You intend to bring disaster upon me and upon her if Idare to go to Scotland