May 16, 2025 • 20 mins
Dive into the mysterious world of the Domino Club, where a case of opium poisoning is anything but simple. Following the murder of Dr. Weathered, our protagonist is plunged into a twisted game with stakes running high - a stolen case book that threatens the entirety of London society. Guided by Zenobia Salome, the Leopardess, and a poison unknown even to renowned expert Sir Frank Tarleton, the narrative unfolds through the eyes of an unwilling participant in this deadly charade. Unravel the mystery as we delve into the darkest corners of the human heart, exposing the dreadful lengths one might go to protect their secrets. This gripping detective story, with its unique psychoanalytical perspective, will keep you on the edge of your seat, challenging even the most seasoned mystery enthusiasts.
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Chapter fifteen of the Club of Masques. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Read by Allison, The Club of Masques by Allan Upward,
The Lady of the Leopard Skin. I got little more
out of my chief during the rest of the journey
(00:22):
to town. The gold repeater came into action as soon
as we were seated in the train, and I could
only wonder what was the problem that was still baffling
that keen intelligence to me, I confess the solution of
the mystery seemed now to be well in sight. On
our return to town, I expected to find that Inspector
Charles had ascertained the present whereabouts of the Explorer of
(00:42):
Sumatra from him. It should not be difficult to learn
the identity of the Leopardess, as I called her in
my own mind, and I took it for granted that
she was a victim of Weatherid's who had delivered herself
out of his power by the use of the deadly
fungus of the Yupas. My one anxiety at present was
the thought of the missing letters. I wearied myself with
speculating as to whose hands they had passed into since
(01:05):
the murder, and by what means they could be recovered
and destroyed without their contents becoming known. I was as
far as ever from seeing my way clearly. When we
arrived at Montague Street that evening, a serious disappointment waited
for us. There an official envelope stamped with the seal
of New Scotland Yard, lay on the table in the hall.
Before I had closed the front door, Tarlton had pounced
(01:26):
upon it, torn it open, and scanned the note inside
with an impatient scowl. Fool he almost flung the inspector's
communication in my face. It stated briefly that Captain Armstrong
had met his death by malarial fever in Yucatan six
months ago, and that was all. I hardly know what
more Charles could have said, since he was quite ignorant
(01:47):
why the explorer's address was wanted. Tarleton sometimes failed to
allow for the fact that his assistants were not all
gifted with his own quickness of apprehension. However, I didn't
venture to defend the delinquent. My chief's eritation soon subsided,
and as soon as we were seated at a well
spread table. He acquitted the inspector handsomely. After all, I
(02:07):
didn't take Charles into my confidence as I have taken
you Castilus. But now we must set to work in
earnest What do you suggest as the next step? The
question was too much for me, as I had to
confess perhaps I was too much worried about the letters
to be able to give my mind to anything else.
The consultant smiled, good naturedly. Our only clue to captain
(02:27):
Armstrong's friend is his book. Books are produced by publishers,
and publishers pay royalties. By this time, the publisher of
Across Sumatra ought to have heard from Armstrong's executor, and
the executor should be able to put us on the
track of the person who has come into possession of
his effects. He paused to let this reasoning sink into
my mind, before he added, I think this greatly simplifies matters.
(02:50):
It is much more likely that Armstrong kept some of
the Eupossene himself among his trophies than that he gave
it away to a woman. Above all depend upon it.
We shall find that it passed on his death to
the lady of the leopard's clause. He seemed about to
say more, but broke off abruptly, as though a new
thought had struck him. She will have to be handled carefully,
was all he said, after a short silence. It was
(03:13):
impossible for me to listen any longer without reminding him
of the other task before us. Have you made any
plans yet for the recovery of the letters? I asked anxiously. Ah,
he gave me a shrewd look. You are quite right
to interest yourself in that business, my boy. It is
more important to protect a lady Violet than even to
detect whether it's murderer the living come before the dead. Eh.
(03:34):
I am inclined to trust that part of the work
to you. I suppose I must have shown some dismay.
My kindly chief proceeded to explain himself. We must begin
with the assumption that everything that Weather had left behind him,
including his correspondence, has become the property of his widow.
If he kept these letters in his house, they must
be now in her possession, unless her daughter has annexed them.
(03:57):
I think you should go round to Warwick Street tomorrow morning,
and asked to see missus Wetherred. I thought of the
rather commonplace widow who had appeared to be completely dominated
by her daughter, and I did not hope much from
the interview. I doubt if she will part with them
without miss Neilbard's consent, I said, with hesitation. Even if
she has them, try, The physician urged, I should not
(04:18):
be surprised if that woman, quiet as she looked, was
deeper in her husband's secrets than Sarah Niobard was. In
spite of her jealousy. Still waters run deep. Remember see
her alone if you can, and put the matter to her,
as a woman and a mother. Ask her how she
would feel if her own daughter had been enticed to
writing very confidential letters to a doctor, and those letters
(04:39):
were now in a stranger's hands. I fancy you will
get something out of missus Weatherreard. And if I fail,
Charleton compressed his lips rather grimly. In that case, one
of us may have to show her that her own
daughter is not yet out of the wood. We have
both heard a confession from Sarah Neobard, and it was
not made under any pledge of secrecy. There the matter
rested that night. The next day, soon after breakfast, my
(05:01):
chief set off to make inquiries at the publishers of
A Cross Sumatra, and I started on my difficult errand
to Warwick Street. Only my knowledge of the desperate position
in which Violet had placed herself could have nerved me
to the task in front of me. It was painful
enough to have to plead for mercy from a stranger.
The prospect of having to threaten the mother with her
daughter's prosecution for a crime of which I did not
(05:24):
believe her guilty was so repugnant to me that I
made up my mind beforehand not to act on Tarleton's hint.
My confidence in his sense of justice was very strong,
but I felt that I was too much in the
dark myself to accept such a responsibility. The blinds of
the house were down, a circumstance which I attributed to
the presence of a corpse inside. But there was a
(05:45):
long delay in answering my ring, and when the youthful
butler opened the door to me, his untidy dress and
rough hair suggested that he did not consider himself on duty. Missus,
whether it isn't here, he told me without ceremony, as
soon as I asked to see her. Funer Garl took
place yesterday and the ladies have gone out of town.
Where have they gone? I demanded, in dismay. The youth
(06:06):
put on a stolid look. My instructions are to say
that letters will be forwarded, he answered with a touch
of sullenness, and I could get no more out of him.
To all appearances, Sarah Nobard and her mother had fled.
As soon as I had got over my first surprise,
I felt more relief than disappointment. Tarleton himself would now
have to take the matter in hand, and I had
(06:27):
more confidence in his power to deal with it than
in my own. When we met again at lunch time,
I reported my failure to him, and he heard me
with the tightening of the jaws that boded no good
to the fugitives. Our friend Sarah has made a mistake,
he commented. She ought to have known that she could
not hide herself very long if the police really wanted her.
I think we can trust Captain Charles to let us
(06:48):
know where she is before many days have passed. I
wonder what she told her mother to persuade her to
run away like that. Again, some thought seemed to strike
him which he did not see fit to disclose to me.
He shook his said doubtfully, and then sprang to his
feet and hurried to the telephone. When he came back,
it was to tell me that the police had been
put on the trail of the two women. I have
told them nothing about the letters, he added, For my consolation,
(07:11):
we don't want them to get on the files of
Scotland Yard if we can help it. I have given
them a hint that I have something up my sleeve.
He poured himself out a glass of wine and sipped
it with a relish. I have been more fortunate than
you this morning, he resumed. It appears that Armstrong had
another book in the press when he died, so that
his publishers had been in active communication with his executor,
(07:32):
or rather his executricks. The correction startled me. Charleton had
laid some emphasis on the feminine termination. She is Armstrong's sister,
his only one. He had no other near relations, so
far as the publishers could tell me, and with his solitary,
wandering life, he is not likely to have had any
intimate friends at all events. He left everything he possessed
(07:53):
to his sister. I have made sure of that by
looking up the will at Somerset House. The atmosphere seemed
to become heavier as he spoke. At last, the quarry
was almost in sight. If the explorer had kept any
of the mysterious poison, it must have passed into his
sister's possession on his death. The publisher couldn't tell me
whether she was a married woman or a widow. The
specialist continued, but he gave me her name and address,
(08:16):
Missus Amelia Baker, Carlyle Square, Chelsea Carlyle Square. I ejaculated,
that is within a stone's throw of the Domino Club.
My chief gave me a look of mild disappointment. Is
that the only thing that strikes you? What about the
name Amelia Baker? I repeated the name to myself. Baker
surely one of the commonest of English surnames. There must
(08:38):
be hundreds of Bakers in the London directory. And yet
I had a dim consciousness of some association with it
that I couldn't quite fix. Tarleton's patience gave out before
my helplessness. Think where did you come across that name? Last,
he snatched out a slip of paper from his breast
pocket and passed it across the table. It was the
list of names he had given me to copy three
(08:58):
days before, the list of weather Yard's patients who had
given numbers under which, as we had learned since from Violet,
they could write to him. And at the bottom of
the list there stood Missus Baker thirty five. To me
it looked like proof conclusive. This was Ruthard's latest victim
to all appearance, and in making her his enemy, he
had at last met his match. I remembered the waiter's
(09:19):
description of her at the dance, in her savage dress
and savage ornaments, as though she meant by her attire
to signify that she was bent on vengeance. And now
we knew that she was in possession of a deadly
drug which could be given without fear of detection, as
she might well suppose if her brother had not told
her of his dealings with the great expert Gerard had
testified to her showing repugnance for weather It that looked
(09:41):
like hatred. The case appeared to be complete. Something like this,
I said to Charleton, carried away by my delight at
the thought that I had now no more to dread.
But he did not show himself altogether satisfied. There is
such a thing as having too complete a case, he remarked,
in a meditative voice. Even if we are right in
believing that we we have found the leopardess, as Gerard
(10:02):
called her, we have still to prove that she murdered
weather It. The waiter himself told us that she left
early hours before he showed any symptoms of being poisoned.
My instinct tells me that there is something in this
business that I don't yet know. There is no crime
so difficult to detect as one in which a woman
is concerned. In this case, I find myself surrounded by women,
(10:22):
and every woman is an enigma to the wisest man.
Now listen to this. He took out another paper from
his pocket and read aloud from it, this is the
report of the inspector. He has had men engaged in
looking up all the names on that list, And the
moment it struck me that Armstrong's executives might be the
missus Baker, who figures there I asked Charles to let
me know what this man had found out. Here is
(10:44):
what he writes. Widow with independent means perfectly, respectable, favorably
known to local tradesmen, keeps two servants. Interested in scientific movements.
Sister of well known traveler, visits freely in Chelsea, has
friends among literary men and artists, all so fond of animals,
cats and birds. Not known to suffer from any serious
(11:05):
form of illness, has been attended by local doctor for
small ailments. No connection can be traced with rether It.
That is the police report. It was a deeply disappointing
one to me. My vision of the enraged woman in
her leopard costume engaged in a murderous plot against a
sinister blackmailer faded as I listened. This harmless, middle aged woman,
(11:25):
living quietly on her income in a good neighborhood, and
amusing herself with animal pets and such artistic and intellectual
society as was within her reach, failed altogether to come
up to the portrait my imagination had drawn. Tarlton folded
up the report and replaced it in his pocket. You
and I will call on this lady presently and see
if we can find out something more. I wondered what
(11:47):
we should find. I was wondering still when the physician's
car drew up before a house in the pleasant little Square,
named after Chelsea's most famous resident since the time of
Sir Thomas Moore. The house was only distinguished from its
neighbors by an air of dinans inginess, which seemed due
to neglect. In spite of the two servants kept by
the owner or tenant, there was a lack of neatness
both outside and inside. The steps looked in need of scrubbing,
(12:10):
and the paint on the door was disfigured with blisters.
The door was opened to Tarleton's vigorous knock and ring
by a housemaid who had evidently not changed her dress
since her morning's work was done, and the hall into
which we passed was more like an ill kept lumber
room than the ordinary entrance to a lady's house. The
explorer had evidently left many treasures picked up on his travels,
(12:30):
which his sister had taken no great pains to arrange
to the best advantage. Savage weapons of various kinds were
nailed up, anyhow, on the walls, one hiding another. Horns
of different strange animals, either deer or oxen, surmounted such doors.
As we could see. Our feet were entangled in a
draggled buffalo skin spread on the floor. The maiden who
let us in took no notice of our trouble in
(12:52):
following her, and offered no apology for the untidiness of
the surroundings. She led the way upstairs to the first
landing and threw open the door of a front room,
which was no doubt dignified with the title of drawing room.
I'll tell the missus you're here with this ungracious promise,
and without suggesting that we should sit down, she shut
us in and left us talked and glanced round him
(13:13):
with a humorous expression. I am reminded of what someone
said of a famous explorer, Sir Blank is admirably qualified
to deal with savages, because he is just as savage
as they are. Captain Armstrong seems to have shared the
same qualification with his sister, judging from her household. The
drawing room resembled a museum, as ill arranged as the hall.
Cases of stuffed birds met the eye in every corner.
(13:36):
A badly preserved fish of enormous size, lacking an eye,
monopolized one wall. I inclined to think it was a tarpin.
The space was choked with rickety small tables and those
pieces of furniture dear to the past generation as chiffoniers
and what nots, every one laden with curiosities in the
way of shells, savage ornaments, beads, and rude knives, and
(13:56):
sheaves of colored leather. But what naturally drew our attentioned
mod moast were the skins that strewed the floor and
made all movement well nigh impossible, unless by way of
skips and jumps. Every known species of Africa I should
think was represented, except perhaps the elephant. Two of those
in sight were leopards, and my chief gave me a
quick look of triumph as he pointed them out, neither
(14:17):
of them. None of the skins, in fact, were mounted
on cloth in the common fashion. The owner of this
weird collection could have picked one up and fastened it
across her shoulders without the least difficulty. Missus Baker took
some time to appear, although we had postponed our call
till four o'clock. It is probable that her siesta had
been interrupted. Certainly she had the air of having only
(14:38):
been roused from sleep long enough to make a rather
imperfect toilet. Her hair could be best described as tousled,
but it was of that light straw color that lends
itself to a pleasing disorder. The face beneath was bright
and bird like, animated by an expression of lively interest
amounting to perkiness. The dress, I can only suppose was
intended to rank as a tea gown, although it was
(14:58):
strongly suggestive of a dressing gown. But whatever impressions of
slovenliness and neglect were produced by missus Baker's appearance and surroundings,
they were almost instantly dissipated by her manner, which was
the perfection of genuine cordiality and ease. I am ashamed
to have kept you waiting, Sir Frank, she exclaimed, grasping
me warmly by the hand. But dear me, she proceeded,
(15:19):
before I could speak. If I haven't mistaken the son
for the father, how are you, Sir Frank, I declared.
The likeness would deceive anybody. My chief extricated his hand
from her friendly clutch with a smile. You flatter me, madam.
Doctor castleas I regret to say, is no relation to me,
though he is good enough to assist me. Missus Baker
was not in the least embarrassed. Her smile at the
(15:39):
mistake was heartier than either of ours, just like me,
she avowed, good naturedly. If there's a chance for me
to put my foot in it, I'm sure to do it.
And I know you so well by name of course,
to think of all our diseases being due just to tiny,
weeny insects, I'm sure everybody ought to be grateful to you.
It was apparent that there was some slight confusion in
the mind of our host between Tarleton and some other
(16:02):
scientist of equal, if not greater eminence, possibly the immortal Pasture. Meanwhile,
one thought possessed my mind to an extent that made
me indifferent to everything else. This chatty, blundering, good natured
creature could, by no conceivable possibility be connected with the
tragedy in the Domino Club. Whatever part she had played,
and whether she had or had not been present on
(16:22):
the fateful night, it was no less than absurd to
credit her with any responsibility for whether it's death. With
an agility which I could only envy, she skipped lightly
over the many pitfalls that restrewed the floor and stage
managed us both into comfortable chairs while she took up
an attitude on a couch smothered in cushions. Which faintly
recalled Thornwaldsen's statue of Aradne. I hope you will accept
(16:45):
my condolences on Captain Armstrong's death, if it is not
too late, the consultant contrived to slip in. Presently, the
brief sister brightened up. Doubtless this was the clue she
had wanted to our reason for calling on her. To
be sure, She exclaimed, you knew my brother. Of course,
everybody knew him. What a man he was the greatest
explorer who ever lived. So I think he would have
(17:06):
discovered America and livingstone in the North Pole if only
those other people hadn't done it. First, her face fell
for a moment as she added, he was careless in
money matters. I know it was his open generous nature.
Did he borrow from either of you, gentlemen? The question
was put in a tone of resignation, which I understood
as soon as we had both disclaimed any such transaction
(17:27):
with the late Captain Armstrong. I am so thankful, the
loyal sister sighed. So many of his friends have come
to me since his death was announced in the papers,
and they all brought io us for money that he
owed them. I have paid them all, of course, but
I had to do it out of my own money.
Poor Edgar left nothing. I glanced at my chief in
some surprise. But he knew the world better than I did.
(17:48):
As his answer showed, I was afraid that his books
hadn't brought him in very much, valuable as they were
to science. Missus Baker shook her head. Not one of
them paid its expenses. I had to advance the money
to publish, and I don't suppose I shall ever get
it back. You have some things to remember him by
at all events, Charleton suggested, Those leopard skins are very fine. Ah. Yes,
(18:09):
The sister brightened up again. Everything he brought home he
gave to me. It's a wonderful collection, isn't it. People
tell me I ought to give it to the nation.
I think I shall leave this house and its contents
to trustees as a memorial, like Carlyle's house in shine Row.
You know, we could only express approval of this pious intention.
My chief now came to the object of our visit.
(18:29):
Captain Armstrong gave me the honor to come to me
some time ago after his return from Sumatra. He had
heard of me as a student of poisons, and he
brought me a sample of one he had discovered. I
know the one you mean, the told stool that grows
round the upas tree. Wasn't that a wonderful discovery, I
can tell you. She checked herself rather sharply and said
no more. I persuaded him to sell me all he
(18:51):
had brought to England. The specialist remarked, without appearing to
notice anything. But it has occurred to me since that
he might have kept a little as a specimen. And
if that is so, and you are disposed to part
with it, I shall be glad missus. Baker eyed us
with a touch of uneasiness. I thought, I know I
can trust you, Sir Frederick, and if doctor Castile is
your assistant, I suppose I can trust him too. Dear
(19:12):
Edgar did leave me a little bottleful, but he told
me not to part with it to any one, and
not even to let any one know I had it.
This was disconcerting news. I saw Tarleton's thick eyebrows go
up and down. That was very sound advice, he responded, quietly. However,
your brother trusted me as I have said, and I
hope you can do the same. I shall be very
greatly obliged if you will let me see the bottle.
(19:35):
The little woman got nimbly off the couch. After all,
it will be a relief to me to get rid
of it, she murmured, I have always taken care to
keep it under lock and key. She produced a bunch
of about two dozen keys from her pocket, all of
them of that common design that will open each other's
locks with ease and advance to a chiffonier. It is
in here, she informed us, as she threw back the
(19:55):
flimsy door and thrust her head inside. The next moment
we heard a startled cry. The bottle is gone. End
of Chapter fifteen.
Chapter fifteen of the Club of Masques. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Read by Allison, The Club of Masques by Allan Upward,
The Lady of the Leopard Skin. I got little more
out of my chief during the rest of the journey
(00:22):
to town. The gold repeater came into action as soon
as we were seated in the train, and I could
only wonder what was the problem that was still baffling
that keen intelligence to me, I confess the solution of
the mystery seemed now to be well in sight. On
our return to town, I expected to find that Inspector
Charles had ascertained the present whereabouts of the Explorer of
(00:42):
Sumatra from him. It should not be difficult to learn
the identity of the Leopardess, as I called her in
my own mind, and I took it for granted that
she was a victim of Weatherid's who had delivered herself
out of his power by the use of the deadly
fungus of the Yupas. My one anxiety at present was
the thought of the missing letters. I wearied myself with
speculating as to whose hands they had passed into since
(01:05):
the murder, and by what means they could be recovered
and destroyed without their contents becoming known. I was as
far as ever from seeing my way clearly. When we
arrived at Montague Street that evening, a serious disappointment waited
for us. There an official envelope stamped with the seal
of New Scotland Yard, lay on the table in the hall.
Before I had closed the front door, Tarlton had pounced
(01:26):
upon it, torn it open, and scanned the note inside
with an impatient scowl. Fool he almost flung the inspector's
communication in my face. It stated briefly that Captain Armstrong
had met his death by malarial fever in Yucatan six
months ago, and that was all. I hardly know what
more Charles could have said, since he was quite ignorant
(01:47):
why the explorer's address was wanted. Tarleton sometimes failed to
allow for the fact that his assistants were not all
gifted with his own quickness of apprehension. However, I didn't
venture to defend the delinquent. My chief's eritation soon subsided,
and as soon as we were seated at a well
spread table. He acquitted the inspector handsomely. After all, I
(02:07):
didn't take Charles into my confidence as I have taken
you Castilus. But now we must set to work in
earnest What do you suggest as the next step? The
question was too much for me, as I had to
confess perhaps I was too much worried about the letters
to be able to give my mind to anything else.
The consultant smiled, good naturedly. Our only clue to captain
(02:27):
Armstrong's friend is his book. Books are produced by publishers,
and publishers pay royalties. By this time, the publisher of
Across Sumatra ought to have heard from Armstrong's executor, and
the executor should be able to put us on the
track of the person who has come into possession of
his effects. He paused to let this reasoning sink into
my mind, before he added, I think this greatly simplifies matters.
(02:50):
It is much more likely that Armstrong kept some of
the Eupossene himself among his trophies than that he gave
it away to a woman. Above all depend upon it.
We shall find that it passed on his death to
the lady of the leopard's clause. He seemed about to
say more, but broke off abruptly, as though a new
thought had struck him. She will have to be handled carefully,
was all he said, after a short silence. It was
(03:13):
impossible for me to listen any longer without reminding him
of the other task before us. Have you made any
plans yet for the recovery of the letters? I asked anxiously. Ah,
he gave me a shrewd look. You are quite right
to interest yourself in that business, my boy. It is
more important to protect a lady Violet than even to
detect whether it's murderer the living come before the dead. Eh.
(03:34):
I am inclined to trust that part of the work
to you. I suppose I must have shown some dismay.
My kindly chief proceeded to explain himself. We must begin
with the assumption that everything that Weather had left behind him,
including his correspondence, has become the property of his widow.
If he kept these letters in his house, they must
be now in her possession, unless her daughter has annexed them.
(03:57):
I think you should go round to Warwick Street tomorrow morning,
and asked to see missus Wetherred. I thought of the
rather commonplace widow who had appeared to be completely dominated
by her daughter, and I did not hope much from
the interview. I doubt if she will part with them
without miss Neilbard's consent, I said, with hesitation. Even if
she has them, try, The physician urged, I should not
(04:18):
be surprised if that woman, quiet as she looked, was
deeper in her husband's secrets than Sarah Niobard was. In
spite of her jealousy. Still waters run deep. Remember see
her alone if you can, and put the matter to her,
as a woman and a mother. Ask her how she
would feel if her own daughter had been enticed to
writing very confidential letters to a doctor, and those letters
(04:39):
were now in a stranger's hands. I fancy you will
get something out of missus Weatherreard. And if I fail,
Charleton compressed his lips rather grimly. In that case, one
of us may have to show her that her own
daughter is not yet out of the wood. We have
both heard a confession from Sarah Neobard, and it was
not made under any pledge of secrecy. There the matter
rested that night. The next day, soon after breakfast, my
(05:01):
chief set off to make inquiries at the publishers of
A Cross Sumatra, and I started on my difficult errand
to Warwick Street. Only my knowledge of the desperate position
in which Violet had placed herself could have nerved me
to the task in front of me. It was painful
enough to have to plead for mercy from a stranger.
The prospect of having to threaten the mother with her
daughter's prosecution for a crime of which I did not
(05:24):
believe her guilty was so repugnant to me that I
made up my mind beforehand not to act on Tarleton's hint.
My confidence in his sense of justice was very strong,
but I felt that I was too much in the
dark myself to accept such a responsibility. The blinds of
the house were down, a circumstance which I attributed to
the presence of a corpse inside. But there was a
(05:45):
long delay in answering my ring, and when the youthful
butler opened the door to me, his untidy dress and
rough hair suggested that he did not consider himself on duty. Missus,
whether it isn't here, he told me without ceremony, as
soon as I asked to see her. Funer Garl took
place yesterday and the ladies have gone out of town.
Where have they gone? I demanded, in dismay. The youth
(06:06):
put on a stolid look. My instructions are to say
that letters will be forwarded, he answered with a touch
of sullenness, and I could get no more out of him.
To all appearances, Sarah Nobard and her mother had fled.
As soon as I had got over my first surprise,
I felt more relief than disappointment. Tarleton himself would now
have to take the matter in hand, and I had
(06:27):
more confidence in his power to deal with it than
in my own. When we met again at lunch time,
I reported my failure to him, and he heard me
with the tightening of the jaws that boded no good
to the fugitives. Our friend Sarah has made a mistake,
he commented. She ought to have known that she could
not hide herself very long if the police really wanted her.
I think we can trust Captain Charles to let us
(06:48):
know where she is before many days have passed. I
wonder what she told her mother to persuade her to
run away like that. Again, some thought seemed to strike
him which he did not see fit to disclose to me.
He shook his said doubtfully, and then sprang to his
feet and hurried to the telephone. When he came back,
it was to tell me that the police had been
put on the trail of the two women. I have
told them nothing about the letters, he added, For my consolation,
(07:11):
we don't want them to get on the files of
Scotland Yard if we can help it. I have given
them a hint that I have something up my sleeve.
He poured himself out a glass of wine and sipped
it with a relish. I have been more fortunate than
you this morning, he resumed. It appears that Armstrong had
another book in the press when he died, so that
his publishers had been in active communication with his executor,
(07:32):
or rather his executricks. The correction startled me. Charleton had
laid some emphasis on the feminine termination. She is Armstrong's sister,
his only one. He had no other near relations, so
far as the publishers could tell me, and with his solitary,
wandering life, he is not likely to have had any
intimate friends at all events. He left everything he possessed
(07:53):
to his sister. I have made sure of that by
looking up the will at Somerset House. The atmosphere seemed
to become heavier as he spoke. At last, the quarry
was almost in sight. If the explorer had kept any
of the mysterious poison, it must have passed into his
sister's possession on his death. The publisher couldn't tell me
whether she was a married woman or a widow. The
specialist continued, but he gave me her name and address,
(08:16):
Missus Amelia Baker, Carlyle Square, Chelsea Carlyle Square. I ejaculated,
that is within a stone's throw of the Domino Club.
My chief gave me a look of mild disappointment. Is
that the only thing that strikes you? What about the
name Amelia Baker? I repeated the name to myself. Baker
surely one of the commonest of English surnames. There must
(08:38):
be hundreds of Bakers in the London directory. And yet
I had a dim consciousness of some association with it
that I couldn't quite fix. Tarleton's patience gave out before
my helplessness. Think where did you come across that name? Last,
he snatched out a slip of paper from his breast
pocket and passed it across the table. It was the
list of names he had given me to copy three
(08:58):
days before, the list of weather Yard's patients who had
given numbers under which, as we had learned since from Violet,
they could write to him. And at the bottom of
the list there stood Missus Baker thirty five. To me
it looked like proof conclusive. This was Ruthard's latest victim
to all appearance, and in making her his enemy, he
had at last met his match. I remembered the waiter's
(09:19):
description of her at the dance, in her savage dress
and savage ornaments, as though she meant by her attire
to signify that she was bent on vengeance. And now
we knew that she was in possession of a deadly
drug which could be given without fear of detection, as
she might well suppose if her brother had not told
her of his dealings with the great expert Gerard had
testified to her showing repugnance for weather It that looked
(09:41):
like hatred. The case appeared to be complete. Something like this,
I said to Charleton, carried away by my delight at
the thought that I had now no more to dread.
But he did not show himself altogether satisfied. There is
such a thing as having too complete a case, he remarked,
in a meditative voice. Even if we are right in
believing that we we have found the leopardess, as Gerard
(10:02):
called her, we have still to prove that she murdered
weather It. The waiter himself told us that she left
early hours before he showed any symptoms of being poisoned.
My instinct tells me that there is something in this
business that I don't yet know. There is no crime
so difficult to detect as one in which a woman
is concerned. In this case, I find myself surrounded by women,
(10:22):
and every woman is an enigma to the wisest man.
Now listen to this. He took out another paper from
his pocket and read aloud from it, this is the
report of the inspector. He has had men engaged in
looking up all the names on that list, And the
moment it struck me that Armstrong's executives might be the
missus Baker, who figures there I asked Charles to let
me know what this man had found out. Here is
(10:44):
what he writes. Widow with independent means perfectly, respectable, favorably
known to local tradesmen, keeps two servants. Interested in scientific movements.
Sister of well known traveler, visits freely in Chelsea, has
friends among literary men and artists, all so fond of animals,
cats and birds. Not known to suffer from any serious
(11:05):
form of illness, has been attended by local doctor for
small ailments. No connection can be traced with rether It.
That is the police report. It was a deeply disappointing
one to me. My vision of the enraged woman in
her leopard costume engaged in a murderous plot against a
sinister blackmailer faded as I listened. This harmless, middle aged woman,
(11:25):
living quietly on her income in a good neighborhood, and
amusing herself with animal pets and such artistic and intellectual
society as was within her reach, failed altogether to come
up to the portrait my imagination had drawn. Tarlton folded
up the report and replaced it in his pocket. You
and I will call on this lady presently and see
if we can find out something more. I wondered what
(11:47):
we should find. I was wondering still when the physician's
car drew up before a house in the pleasant little Square,
named after Chelsea's most famous resident since the time of
Sir Thomas Moore. The house was only distinguished from its
neighbors by an air of dinans inginess, which seemed due
to neglect. In spite of the two servants kept by
the owner or tenant, there was a lack of neatness
both outside and inside. The steps looked in need of scrubbing,
(12:10):
and the paint on the door was disfigured with blisters.
The door was opened to Tarleton's vigorous knock and ring
by a housemaid who had evidently not changed her dress
since her morning's work was done, and the hall into
which we passed was more like an ill kept lumber
room than the ordinary entrance to a lady's house. The
explorer had evidently left many treasures picked up on his travels,
(12:30):
which his sister had taken no great pains to arrange
to the best advantage. Savage weapons of various kinds were
nailed up, anyhow, on the walls, one hiding another. Horns
of different strange animals, either deer or oxen, surmounted such doors.
As we could see. Our feet were entangled in a
draggled buffalo skin spread on the floor. The maiden who
let us in took no notice of our trouble in
(12:52):
following her, and offered no apology for the untidiness of
the surroundings. She led the way upstairs to the first
landing and threw open the door of a front room,
which was no doubt dignified with the title of drawing room.
I'll tell the missus you're here with this ungracious promise,
and without suggesting that we should sit down, she shut
us in and left us talked and glanced round him
(13:13):
with a humorous expression. I am reminded of what someone
said of a famous explorer, Sir Blank is admirably qualified
to deal with savages, because he is just as savage
as they are. Captain Armstrong seems to have shared the
same qualification with his sister, judging from her household. The
drawing room resembled a museum, as ill arranged as the hall.
Cases of stuffed birds met the eye in every corner.
(13:36):
A badly preserved fish of enormous size, lacking an eye,
monopolized one wall. I inclined to think it was a tarpin.
The space was choked with rickety small tables and those
pieces of furniture dear to the past generation as chiffoniers
and what nots, every one laden with curiosities in the
way of shells, savage ornaments, beads, and rude knives, and
(13:56):
sheaves of colored leather. But what naturally drew our attentioned
mod moast were the skins that strewed the floor and
made all movement well nigh impossible, unless by way of
skips and jumps. Every known species of Africa I should
think was represented, except perhaps the elephant. Two of those
in sight were leopards, and my chief gave me a
quick look of triumph as he pointed them out, neither
(14:17):
of them. None of the skins, in fact, were mounted
on cloth in the common fashion. The owner of this
weird collection could have picked one up and fastened it
across her shoulders without the least difficulty. Missus Baker took
some time to appear, although we had postponed our call
till four o'clock. It is probable that her siesta had
been interrupted. Certainly she had the air of having only
(14:38):
been roused from sleep long enough to make a rather
imperfect toilet. Her hair could be best described as tousled,
but it was of that light straw color that lends
itself to a pleasing disorder. The face beneath was bright
and bird like, animated by an expression of lively interest
amounting to perkiness. The dress, I can only suppose was
intended to rank as a tea gown, although it was
(14:58):
strongly suggestive of a dressing gown. But whatever impressions of
slovenliness and neglect were produced by missus Baker's appearance and surroundings,
they were almost instantly dissipated by her manner, which was
the perfection of genuine cordiality and ease. I am ashamed
to have kept you waiting, Sir Frank, she exclaimed, grasping
me warmly by the hand. But dear me, she proceeded,
(15:19):
before I could speak. If I haven't mistaken the son
for the father, how are you, Sir Frank, I declared.
The likeness would deceive anybody. My chief extricated his hand
from her friendly clutch with a smile. You flatter me, madam.
Doctor castleas I regret to say, is no relation to me,
though he is good enough to assist me. Missus Baker
was not in the least embarrassed. Her smile at the
(15:39):
mistake was heartier than either of ours, just like me,
she avowed, good naturedly. If there's a chance for me
to put my foot in it, I'm sure to do it.
And I know you so well by name of course,
to think of all our diseases being due just to tiny,
weeny insects, I'm sure everybody ought to be grateful to you.
It was apparent that there was some slight confusion in
the mind of our host between Tarleton and some other
(16:02):
scientist of equal, if not greater eminence, possibly the immortal Pasture. Meanwhile,
one thought possessed my mind to an extent that made
me indifferent to everything else. This chatty, blundering, good natured
creature could, by no conceivable possibility be connected with the
tragedy in the Domino Club. Whatever part she had played,
and whether she had or had not been present on
(16:22):
the fateful night, it was no less than absurd to
credit her with any responsibility for whether it's death. With
an agility which I could only envy, she skipped lightly
over the many pitfalls that restrewed the floor and stage
managed us both into comfortable chairs while she took up
an attitude on a couch smothered in cushions. Which faintly
recalled Thornwaldsen's statue of Aradne. I hope you will accept
(16:45):
my condolences on Captain Armstrong's death, if it is not
too late, the consultant contrived to slip in. Presently, the
brief sister brightened up. Doubtless this was the clue she
had wanted to our reason for calling on her. To
be sure, She exclaimed, you knew my brother. Of course,
everybody knew him. What a man he was the greatest
explorer who ever lived. So I think he would have
(17:06):
discovered America and livingstone in the North Pole if only
those other people hadn't done it. First, her face fell
for a moment as she added, he was careless in
money matters. I know it was his open generous nature.
Did he borrow from either of you, gentlemen? The question
was put in a tone of resignation, which I understood
as soon as we had both disclaimed any such transaction
(17:27):
with the late Captain Armstrong. I am so thankful, the
loyal sister sighed. So many of his friends have come
to me since his death was announced in the papers,
and they all brought io us for money that he
owed them. I have paid them all, of course, but
I had to do it out of my own money.
Poor Edgar left nothing. I glanced at my chief in
some surprise. But he knew the world better than I did.
(17:48):
As his answer showed, I was afraid that his books
hadn't brought him in very much, valuable as they were
to science. Missus Baker shook her head. Not one of
them paid its expenses. I had to advance the money
to publish, and I don't suppose I shall ever get
it back. You have some things to remember him by
at all events, Charleton suggested, Those leopard skins are very fine. Ah. Yes,
(18:09):
The sister brightened up again. Everything he brought home he
gave to me. It's a wonderful collection, isn't it. People
tell me I ought to give it to the nation.
I think I shall leave this house and its contents
to trustees as a memorial, like Carlyle's house in shine Row.
You know, we could only express approval of this pious intention.
My chief now came to the object of our visit.
(18:29):
Captain Armstrong gave me the honor to come to me
some time ago after his return from Sumatra. He had
heard of me as a student of poisons, and he
brought me a sample of one he had discovered. I
know the one you mean, the told stool that grows
round the upas tree. Wasn't that a wonderful discovery, I
can tell you. She checked herself rather sharply and said
no more. I persuaded him to sell me all he
(18:51):
had brought to England. The specialist remarked, without appearing to
notice anything. But it has occurred to me since that
he might have kept a little as a specimen. And
if that is so, and you are disposed to part
with it, I shall be glad missus. Baker eyed us
with a touch of uneasiness. I thought, I know I
can trust you, Sir Frederick, and if doctor Castile is
your assistant, I suppose I can trust him too. Dear
(19:12):
Edgar did leave me a little bottleful, but he told
me not to part with it to any one, and
not even to let any one know I had it.
This was disconcerting news. I saw Tarleton's thick eyebrows go
up and down. That was very sound advice, he responded, quietly. However,
your brother trusted me as I have said, and I
hope you can do the same. I shall be very
greatly obliged if you will let me see the bottle.
(19:35):
The little woman got nimbly off the couch. After all,
it will be a relief to me to get rid
of it, she murmured, I have always taken care to
keep it under lock and key. She produced a bunch
of about two dozen keys from her pocket, all of
them of that common design that will open each other's
locks with ease and advance to a chiffonier. It is
in here, she informed us, as she threw back the
(19:55):
flimsy door and thrust her head inside. The next moment
we heard a startled cry. The bottle is gone. End
of Chapter fifteen.
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