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"Later on we disclose the other and get a second big price. And Lord Littimer he buy the first copy for a long price." "After which you discreetly disappear," said Steel. "Did you steal those pictures?" "No," Van Sneck said, indignantly. "They came to me in the way of honest business a poor workman who knows nothing of their value, and takes fifteen marks for them."
Just for an instant Enid felt inclined to despair. "Williams," she cried, "Mr. Henson is here. On no account must he see our unfortunate visitor. He cannot possibly know that Van Sneck is here; the whole thing is an accident. I am going down into the hall. I shall contrive to get Mr. Henson into the drawing-room. Without delay you must smuggle Mr. Van Sneck into your apartments over the stable.
David gave up the matter as hopeless. This was emphatically a case for Bell. Once let him get Van Sneck back to Brighton and Bell could do the rest. "We'd better go," he said to Enid. "We are merely wasting time here." "I suppose so," Enid said, thoughtfully. "All the same, I should greatly like to know what it is that our friend Van Sneck dropped."
But I pumped the doctor. Then he told me that Chris was dead, and I risked it all to see the last of her." "Yes, yes," Henson said, testily; "but what has this to do with Van Sneck?" "I was looking for Van Sneck. I found that he had been here. I discovered that he had left his rooms and had not returned to them. Then it occurred to me to try the hospital.
"I know that on the day of the attempted murder Van Sneck quarrelled with Reginald Henson, who he said had treated him badly. Van Sneck had in some way found out that Reginald Henson meant mischief to Mr. Steel. Also he couldn't get the money he wanted. Probably he had purchased that cigar-case at Walen's, and Henson could not repay him for the purchase of it. Then he went off and wrote to Mr.
Van Sneck seemed to be greatly pleased with it. He said he was going to make an evening call late that night that would cook Henson's goose. And he was what you call gassy about it: said he had told Henson plump and plain what he was going to do, and that he was not afraid of Henson or any man breathing." Chris asked no further questions for the moment. The track was getting clearer.
Van Sneck had eaten a fairly good meal, so Williams said, and had fallen into a heavy sleep. There was nothing for it but to wait and watch. Dinner came in due course, with Mrs. Henson, ragged and unkempt as usual, taking no notice of Henson, who watched her furtively during the meal. Enid escaped to her own room directly afterwards, and Henson followed his hostess to the drawing-room.
The throbbing and breaking of the old priest's voice had compelled me to drop my head, and it was not until I heard the sneck of the lock of the outer door that I realised that, overcome by his emotion, he had fled from the house. "And now I guess you can follow your friend," said Daniel O'Neill. "Not yet, sir," I answered; "I have something to say first."
Van Sneck got in with the agent under pretence of viewing the house, and he saw the picture there." "Why didn't he take it with him?" Henson asked, with amused scorn. He was master of himself again and had his nerves well under control. "Well, that was hardly like Van Sneck. Our friend is nothing if not diplomatic. But when he did manage to get into the house again the picture was gone."
When you sold that copy of the 'Crimson Blind' to Lord Littimer had you the other copy?" "Ach, you have got to the bottom of things, it seems," Van Sneck gurgled. "Yes, and I have saved your life, foolish as it might seem," Bell replied. "You came very near to losing it the second attempt last night at Henson's hands. Henson is done for, played out, burst up.
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