put some of my letters into his pocket.Afterwards I replaced the one or two things that had been disordered inthe laboratory, switched off the light, and, leaving the dead spy in thecorner, closed both doors, which, as you will see, lock automatically."
"And then?" I asked, amazed at his story.
"Then I came in here, put a piece of plaster upon my finger, opened thesafe, and took the precious books containing the records of myexperiments, in order to make it appear that a robbery had beencommitted. After washing myself in my room, I strove to preserve anoutward calm, and asked Ethelwynn to telephone for a sleeping-berth forme. I had now decided, as there was no further danger of spies, not totake her with me. Just before I left, I came in here and wrote her aletter, telling her I should be absent some months, and instructing herto call Kirk and regard him as her protector during my absence. As Iwent out I left the note beneath the salver on the hall table, so thatit might be discovered by the maid when dusting in the morning. At11:30 I left King's Cross for Edinburgh, without, however, being able tocommunicate with Kirk or tell him what had actually occurred."
"I, on my part, naturally believed that the dead man was the Professor,"Kirk interrupted.
"And when were you aware of the truth?" I asked.
"The day after I had called you in consultation. I then saw that, inexposing an affair which, at all hazards, must be kept a secret, I hadacted most injudiciously. I did not dare to tell you the truth. I wentto Edinburgh and found the Professor, who was in hiding, fearful lestthe affair should be discovered. He told me exactly what had occurred,and invoked my aid. My agents watched every move you made. They werewith you in Edinburgh and in Glasgow. Therefore, I was well aware howstrenuously you were seeking a solution of the mystery."
I paused in sheer amazement. As I reflected, I saw that Kirk had beenshielding his friend the Professor all along.
In reply to my questions, he told me that the reason why he could notsatisfactorily prove an alibi if accused of the crime was because at thehour of the tragedy he was engaged upon a mission for the Government, asecret transaction with an agent of another foreign Power which wasgreatly to our advantage, and betrayal of which would create seriousinternational complications. His allegations of enmity towards theProfessor had been made to mystify me.
He added, also, that the reason why the Commissioner of Police had notlistened to my story was because I had made accusations against him.They knew him at "the Yard," he added with a laugh, and it was notlikely they would dare to make inquiry into his actions.
"But I saw Miss Ethelwynn lying dead!" I said, turning to theProfessor--for how could I now doubt that it was actually he?
"Let my daughter relate her own story," he said; and, going to the door,he recalled her.
"Just tell Mr. Holford, dear, what occurred to you on that evening whenyou returned from your aunt's," he said, as she entered the room. "Ihave confessed to him the truth."
"Well, dad," she said, "I believed that the man in the laboratory wasyou yourself. Besides, Mr. Kirk believed it to be you. The face was,of course, much disfigured, but the clothes were yours, and in thepockets were your watch and some of your letters. I was insane withgrief, and with Morgan, to whom Mr. Kirk told a fictitious story, I wentto Lady Mellor's. On the night in question something seemed to promptme to return home, enter with my latch-key, and go up to the laboratoryto make sure that it was really you. I somehow could not believe thatyou were dead. Remember, I was in the Red Room all night, and you wouldcertainly have awakened me if you had entered and unlocked the door. SoI went. I crept in softly, in order that Antonio should not hear me,and, ascending to the laboratory, switched on the light. I examined thebody closely. Ah! it was a gruesome sight--but I satisfied myself thatit was not you! I crept downstairs, back to the dining-room, but as Ientered something was suddenly flung over my head; I smelt a curiousodour--it may have been some anaesthetic. I tried to scream, but couldnot, and in a few moments I became unconscious. When I regained mysenses I found myself in a strange house, with Mr. Kirk bending over me.I believe I was delirious, for I remember shouting and raving, andcharging him with an attempt to kill me. It was impressed upon myunbalanced mind that he had killed my father. But, on the contrary, hewas all care and attention. On putting my hand to my face I found uponmy cheek a quantity of what seemed like wax, which peeled off in myhand."
"And you afterwards went down to Broadstairs?" I said.
"Yes; I went with Morgan on the following day."
"But who had attacked you in the diningroom?"
"Ah! that remains to be proved," replied Kirk. "A desperate attemptwas, no doubt, made upon Miss Ethelwynn by somebody who had entered thehouse secretly for the same purpose as herself--by somebody whosuspected that Leftwich had come to an untimely end. The would-beassassin first administered an anaesthetic, and must afterwards haveinjected with a hypodermic syringe some curious poison, which gave toher all the appearance of death, though the dose was fortunatelyinefficient. With the remembrance of Leftwich's features--which he hadonly seen a few minutes before--being disfigured, it seems that herassailant tried to disfigure hers by pouring upon her face hot wax fromthe candles alight upon the dining-room table. It was, of course, theact of a person half demented by the desire for revenge."
"And you are unaware of who did this?"
"I have a suspicion--a slight suspicion. It is for me to prove itstruth."
"You will now see the terrible position in which I have been placed, Mr.Holford," exclaimed Ethelwynn. "I knew that my father had killed a man.Was it surprising, therefore, that I should endeavour to shield him?"
"Certainly not," I said. "You acted only quite naturally. My chiefcomplaint is that you have all kept my wife aloof from me."
"We will speak of that later," Kirk interrupted. "Let me continue.When I had been up to Edinburgh, and knew that the Professor lived andwas in hiding, I returned and set to work to remove all traces of theunfortunate affair. To allow the facts to leak out to the public mighthave provoked a serious quarrel with the German Government, and I couldnot afford to allow that. Therefore, on the night when Langton saw thelight in the drawing-room, Ethelwynn, who had come up from Broadstairs,Pietro, and myself had made up the furnace, and together we got rid ofthe gruesome remains, after which we ate a hasty meal.
"I had previously sent Antonio to Italy for a holiday, deeming it bestin the circumstances that he should be absent. Ethelwynn and Pietro hadleft the house, when, of a sudden, I heard the bell, and, peeping out,saw Langton at the door. It was an exciting moment. The young man had,I knew, had his suspicions aroused by meeting Antonio at Calais, forAntonio had wired me that he had been recognised. So I waited untilyou, very fortunately, came, and allowed me to escape."
For a moment I was silent. Then I said: "You'll remember when wereturned to Bath Road after my first visit to Sussex Place you were rungup on the telephone. The message caused you great alarm. What was it?"
"Antonio told me of his suspicions that the dead man was not theProfessor," was his reply.
"And on your second visit to this house you signalled by the blind ofthe drawing-room, as the Professor had done."
"I signalled to Pietro, who was out in the fog, that you were still withme. He had, of course, been with Ethelwynn to Foley Street, and I wasabout to go there."
"And, tell me, what connection had Doctor Flynn with the affair?" Idemanded, utterly astounded at the very remarkable story unfolded.
"Listen--and I'll tell you the whole truth," Kirk said; and, pausing, helooked at both father and daughter, as though to obtain their consent tomake further revelations, and thereby elucidate what was certainly themost extraordinary mystery of modern times.
What I had heard was startling enough, in all conscience, but what I wasyet to learn was still more astounding, as you will see.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
I AM AGAIN PERPLEXED.
As we spoke, Antonio entered, and handed his maste
r a note, which, onreading, he handed in turn to Kirk.
"You'll go, I suppose?" he asked the Professor.
"I think so," was Greer's reply. "I'll cross to-night. But if I go, Imust first run into the City to see Meyrick," and he glanced at hiswatch, exclaiming, "By Jove! I must be off!" Then, turning to Antonio,he ordered a taxi.
"I hope, Mr. Holford," he said, turning to me, "I hope that I've nowconvinced you that I'm no impostor, and that I am actually ProfessorErnest Greer in the flesh."
"You have," I admitted; "there are, however, several points which arenot yet clear to me."
"My good friend Kirk, here, will make them clear, I'm sure," he