The Pauper of Park Lane
sees absolutely nobody, for there's a mystery connectedwith the house. Nobody has ever been inside."
"What!" exclaimed the old hunchbacked mining engineer. "That'sinteresting! Tell me more about it. Is it like the haunted house inBerkeley Square about which people used to talk so much years ago?"
"I don't think it's ever been alleged to be haunted," responded Adams."Yet there are several weird and amazing stories told of it, and of thegrim shadows which overhang it both night and day."
"What stories have you heard?" asked his companion, taking a cigarettefrom the box, for he had suddenly become much interested.
"Well, it is said that the place is the most gorgeously furnished of anyhouse in that select quarter, and that it is full of art treasures, oldsilver, miniatures, and antique furniture, for old Statham is awell-known collector and is known to have purchased many very finespecimens of antiques during the past few years. They say that, havingfurnished the place from kitchen to garret in the most costly mannerpossible, he sought out the old love of his earlier days--a woman whoassisted him in the foundation of his fortune, and invited her toinspect the house. They went round it together, and after luncheon heproposed marriage to her. To his chagrin, she declined the honour ofbecoming the wife of a millionaire."
"She was a bit of a fool, I should suppose," remarked the hunchback.
"They were fond enough of each other. She was nearly twenty years hisjunior, and though they had been separated for a good many years, he wasstill devoted to her. When she refused to marry him, there was a scene.And at last she was compelled to admit the truth--she was the wife ofanother! A quarter of an hour later she left the house in tears, andfrom that moment the beautiful mansion, with the exception of two orthree rooms, has been closed. He will allow nobody to pass upstairs,and the place remains the same as on that day when all his hopes ofhappiness were shattered."
"But you said there were stories concerning the house," Lyle remarked,between the whiffs of his cigarette.
"So there are. Both yesterday and to-day I've been making inquiries andbeen told many curious things. A statement, for instance, made to me isto the effect that one night about a month ago the chauffeur of thegreat Lancashire cotton-spinner living a few doors away was seated onthe car at two o'clock in the morning, ready to take two of his master'sguests down to their home near Epsom, when he noticed Statham's windowsall brilliantly lit.
"From the drawing-room above came the sounds of waltz music--a pianoexcellently played. This struck the man as curious, well knowing thelocal belief that the upper portion of the house was kept rigorouslyclosed. Yet, from all appearances, the old millionaire was that nightentertaining guests, which was further proved when a quarter of an hourlater the door opened and old Levi, the man-servant, came forth. As hedid so, a four-wheeled cab, which had been waiting opposite, a littlefurther up the road, drew across, and a few moments later both Levi andStatham appeared, struggling with a long, narrow black box, which, withthe cabman's aid, was put on top of the vehicle. The box much resembleda coffin, and seemed unusually heavy.
"So hurried and excited were the men that they took no notice of themotor car, and the cab next moment drove away, the man no doubt havingpreviously received his orders. The music had ceased, and as soon asthe cab had departed the lights in the windows were extinguished, andthe weird home remained in darkness."
"Very curious. Looks about as though there had been some foul play,doesn't it?" Lyle suggested.
"That's what the chauffeur suspects. I've spoken with him myself, andhe tells me that the box was so like a coffin that the whole incidentheld him fascinated," Adams said. "And, of course, this story gettingabout, has set other people on the watch. Indeed, only last night avery curious affair occurred. It was witnessed by a man who earns hisliving washing carriages in the mews close by, and who has for yearstaken an interest in the mysterious home of Samuel Statham.
"He had been washing carriages till very late, and at about half-pasttwo in the morning was going up Park Lane towards Edgware Road, where helives, when his attention was drawn to the fact that as he passedStatham's house the front door was slightly ajar. Somebody was waitingthere for the expected arrival of a stranger, and, hearing the carriagewasher's footstep, had opened the door in readiness. There was no lightin the hall, and the man's first suspicion was that of burglars about toleave the place.
"Next instant, however, the reputation for mystery which the place hadearned, occurred to him, and he resolved to pass on and watch. This hedid, retiring into a doorway a little farther down, and standing in theshadow unobserved he waited.
"Half an hour passed, but nothing unusual occurred, until just after theclock had struck three, a rather tall, thin man passed quietly along.He was in evening-dress, and wore pumps, for his tread was noiseless.The man describes him as an aristocratic-looking person, and evidently aforeigner. At Statham's door he suddenly halted, looked up and downfurtively to satisfy himself that he was not being watched, and thenslipped inside."
"And what then?" inquired Lyle, much interested.
"A very queer circumstance followed," went on the cosmopolitan. "Therewas, an hour and a half later, an exact repetition of the scenewitnessed by the chauffeur."
"What! the black trunk?"
"Yes. A cab drove up near to the house, and, at signal from Levi, cameup to the kerb. Then the long, heavy box was brought out by the servantand his master, heaved up on to the cab, which drove away in thedirection of the Marble Arch."
"Infernally suspicious," remarked the hunchback, tossing his cigaretteend into the grate. "Didn't the washer take note of the number of thecab?"
"No. That's the unfortunate part of it. Apparently he didn't noticethe crawling four-wheeler until he saw Levi come forth and give thesignal."
"And the aristocratic-looking foreigner? Could he recognise him again?"
"He says he could."
"That was last night--eh?"
"Yes."
"There may be some police inquiries regarding a missing foreigner,"remarked Lyle, thoughtfully. "If so, his information may be valuable.How did you obtain it?"
"From his own lips."
"Then we had better wait, and watch to see if anybody is reportedmissing. Certainly that house is one of mystery."
"Sam Statham is unscrupulous. I know him to my cost," Adams remarked.
"And so do I," Lyle declared. "If what I suspect is true, then we shallmake an exposure that will startle and horrify the world."
"You mean regarding the foreigner of last night?"
"Yes. I have a suspicion that I can establish the identity of theforeigner in question--a man who has to-day been missing?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
REVEALS A CLEVER CONSPIRACY.
"And who was he?" asked Adams, quickly.
"For the present that is my own affair," the hunchback replied."Suffice it for you to know that we hold Samuel Statham in the hollow ofour hand."
"I don't know so much about that," remarked Adams, dubiously. "Ithought so until this morning."
"And why, pray, has your opinion changed?"
"Because when he came a second time to the window and looked out at me,there was a glance of defiance in his eye that I scarcely lie. He'swealthy and influential--we are not, remember."
"Knowledge is power. We shall be the victors."
"You are too sanguine, my dear fellow," declared the other. "We areangling for big game, and to my idea the bait is not sufficientlyattractive."
"Statham is unscrupulous--so are we. We can prove our story--prove itup to the hilt. Dare he face us? That's the question."
"I think he dare," Adams replied. "You don't know him as well as I do.His whole future now depends upon his bluff, and he knows it. We canruin both the house of Statham Brothers and its principal. In thecircumstances, it is only natural that he should assume an air ofdefiance."
"Which we must combat by firmness. We are associated in this affair,and my
advice is not to show any sign of weakness."
"Exactly. That's the reason I asked you here to-night, Lyle--to discussour next step."
The hunchback was silent and thoughtful for a few moments. Then hesaid:
"There is but one mode of procedure now, and that is to go to him andtell him our intentions. He'll be frightened, and the rest will beeasy."
"Sam Statham is not very easily frightened. You wouldn't be, if youwere worth a couple of million pounds." Adams remarked, with a dubiousshake of the head.
"I should be if