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Updated: June 23, 2025
Then, chancing to hear of a property in Surrey which was available, I leased it for a period of years, installing is it correct? my cousin, Madame de Staemer, as housekeeper. Madame, alas, is an invalid, but" he kissed his fingers "a genius. She has with her, as companion, a very charming English girl, Miss Val Beverley, the orphaned daughter of a distinguished surgeon of Edinburg.
"Has Colonel Menendez taken you into a little snuggery or smoke-room which faces his bedroom in the southeast corner of the house?" "No, but Miss Beverley has mentioned the room." "Ah. Well, there is a light in that room, Knox." "Possibly the Colonel has not retired?" "According to Madame de Staemer he went to bed several hours ago, you may remember."
Pending his arrival I am tied hand and foot." We had walked into the library, and, stopping, suddenly, Harley stared me very hard in the face. "You are bottling something up, Knox," he declared. "Out with it. Has Aylesbury distinguished himself again?" "No," I replied; "on the contrary. He interviewed Madame de Staemer, and came out with a flea in his ear." "Good," said Harley, smiling.
"But I have a dawning idea of a method by which we shall be enabled to narrow down this enquiry." It must be unnecessary for me to speak of the state of suppressed excitement in which we passed the remainder of that afternoon and evening. Dr. Rolleston called again to see Madame de Staemer, and reported that she was quite calm.
That she was not a professional "companion" was clear enough. I assumed that her father had left her suitably provided for, since she wore such expensively simple gowns. She had a delightful trick of blushing when attention was focussed upon her, and said Madame de Staemer: "To be able to blush like that I would give my string of pearls no, half of it."
Madame de Staemer shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, blankly. "It is mysterious, the state of his health," she replied. "An old trouble, which began years and years ago in Cuba." Harley nodded sympathetically, but I could see that he was not satisfied. Yet, although he might doubt her explanation, he had noted, and so had I, that Madame de Staemer's concern was very real.
Upon the sorrow of Madame de Staemer I naturally did not intrude, nor did I seek to learn if she had carried out her project of looking upon the dead man. About mid-day the body was removed, after which an oppressive and awesome stillness seemed to descend upon Cray's Folly.
"Within the last few moments I have become definitely convinced that his appeal to you was no idle one. Therefore, why should he not offer you every aid in his power?" "Why, indeed?" muttered Harley. "The same thing," I continued, "applies to Madame de Staemer. If ever I have seen love-light in a woman's eyes I have seen it in hers, to-day, whenever her glance has rested upon Colonel Menendez.
He was about to take his departure when the door opened and Inspector Aylesbury walked in. "Ah," said he, "I have two more witnesses to interview: Madame de Staemer and Miss Beverley. From these witnesses I hope to get particulars of the dead man's life which may throw some light upon the identity of his murderer." "It is impossible to see either of them at present," replied Dr. Rolleston briskly.
I was tempted to believe that his presence in the neighbourhood of this haunted Cuban was one of those strange coincidences which in criminal history have sometimes proved so tragic for their victims. Madame de Staemer, avoiding the Colonel's glances, which were pathetically apologetic, gradually recovered herself, and: "My dear," she said to Val Beverley, "you look perfectly sweet to- night.
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