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Evidently, during his absence, Raggerton took down the original mirror, and substituted this swinging arrangement; and at the same time procured the Chinaman's dress and mask from the theatrical property dealers. No doubt he reckoned on being able quietly to remove the swinging glass and other properties and replace the original mirror before the inquest." "By God!" exclaimed Mr.
I asked. "'Oh, it's only a rotten, silly yarn that he has picked up somewhere. You're not to tell him, Raggerton. "'I don't see why I am not to be told, I said, rather sulkily. 'I'm not a baby. "'No, said Alfred, 'but you're an invalid. You don't want any horrors. "In effect, he refused to go into the matter any further, and I was left on tenter-hooks of curiosity.
I stood for a moment staring at him, with my heart thumping and my limbs all of a tremble; then I slammed the door and ran off to look for my cousin. "He was in the billiard-room with Raggerton, and the pair looked up sharply as I entered. "'Alfred, I said, 'where does that passage lead to out of my room? "'Lead to? said he. 'Why, it doesn't lead anywhere.
It consisted of but a few words, hurriedly written in a tremulous hand. "He has beckoned to me, and I must go. Good-bye, dear old friend." "How does his cousin take the matter?" asked Thorndyke. "He doesn't know of it yet," replied the lawyer. "Alfred and Raggerton went out after an early breakfast, to cycle over to Guildford on some business or other, and they have not returned yet.
"Let me ask you a question," said Thorndyke. "Is Alfred Calverley the next-of-kin?" "No; there is Fred's younger brother. But I may say that Fred has made a will quite recently very much in Alfred's favour." "There is the explanation, then," said Thorndyke. "These two scoundrels have conspired to drive the poor fellow to suicide, and Raggerton was clearly the leading spirit.
"Yes; you see, I am expecting a police-officer with a search warrant, so I wished to keep everything intact." Raggerton turned livid with mingled fear and rage. He stalked up to Thorndyke with a threatening air, but, suddenly altering his mind, exclaimed, "I must see to this!" and flung out of the room. Thorndyke took a key from his pocket, and, having locked the door, turned to the closet.
It used to open into a cross corridor, but when the house was altered, the corridor was done away with, and this passage closed up. It is only a cupboard now. "'Well, there's a man in it or there was just now. "'Nonsense! he exclaimed; 'impossible! Let us go and look at the place. "He and Raggerton rose, and we went together to my room.
A projecting closet occupied one side of it, and at the door of the closet stood Captain Raggerton, with his hand upon the key. He turned upon us fiercely, though with a look of alarm, and demanded: "What is the meaning of this intrusion? and who the deuce are you? Do you know that this is my private room?" "I suspected that it was," Thorndyke replied quietly.
"Soon after this I returned to England, and, as my nerves were still in a very shaky state, I came to live with my cousin Alfred, who has a large house at Weybridge. At this time he had a friend staying with him, a certain Captain Raggerton, and the two men appeared to be on very intimate terms. I did not take to Raggerton at all.
"Those will be your properties in the closet, then?" Raggerton turned pale, but continued to bluster. "Do I understand that you have dared to break into my private closet?" he demanded. "I have inspected it," replied Thorndyke, "and I may remark that it is useless to wrench at that key, because I have hampered the lock." "The devil you have!" shouted Raggerton.
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