May 16, 2025 • 16 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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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter sixteen 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 red Light, Sir Frank and I both sprang to
our feet to go to the chiffonier, but it was
(00:21):
useless to turn over the rubbish it contained. The bottle
of upssine was not there, and either the sister of
the explorer was a very perfect actress, or she was
as much surprised as I was by its disappearance. Whoever
can have taken it? She cried, gazing at us, as
if not quite certain that we were beyond suspicion of
the theft. Both my maids have been with me for years,
and I have never missed anything before. It was at
(00:43):
moments like these that I most admired my chief. The
encounter with a new perplexity seemed to afford him the
keenest pleasure. He was like an angler who finds that
he has hooked a trout where he only expected a chub.
I could see from the knitting of his brows that
he was already readjusting his ideas to this new factory
in the case and working out a different solution. His
first step was to soothe the mistress of the house.
(01:06):
If you will allow me to help you, I think
we may be able to get on the track of
the thief. Shall we sit down and talk it over quietly.
Missus Baker, still rather distrustful, let herself be led back
to her couch, But this time she did not attempt
a statuesque pose. She sat bolt upright, turning her head
from one to the other of us like a nervous robin.
You haven't missed anything else, you say, Tarleton began, so
(01:28):
that it looks as though the thief must have been
some one who knew what he was taking. The question
is how many of your friends knew about this poison?
Not one of them, was the positive answer. I have
never mentioned it to a soul. Think The doctor persisted courteously.
Remember that Captain Armstrong mentions the discovery of it in
his book Across Sumatra. Surely some of your acquaintances must
(01:49):
have read the book and talked to you about it.
The little woman began to show signs of misgiving. I
can't remember, she confessed. She had shown us both already
that memory was not her strong point. The consultant prompted
her gently. The person most likely to be interested in
such a thing as a new poison would be a
scientist or a medical man. Missus Baker's eyes sought the floor.
(02:10):
I am positive that my doctor knew nothing about it. Besides,
I haven't seen him for the last six months, not
since my brother's death. The disclaimer was made in a
rather shaken voice. However, but a lady like you must
have some acquaintances in the scientific world, the examiner insinuated.
I was under the impression that I had heard of
you as a patroness of science. The flattery did its work.
(02:31):
Missus Baker lifted her head again and repeated it with
a gracious smile. I am interested in science, she admitted.
When my poor brother was alive, I used to give
at homes for him to show his curiosities to people.
I have had as many as six fellows of the
Royal Geographical Society at one time. Before now I felt
sure of it. And you see, your brother may easily
(02:51):
have mentioned this bottle or shown it to some one
without your knowledge. The birdlike head wavered, but I am
certain that it hadn't been taken when he died. I
had to make a list of everything he left for probate,
and I should have missed it if it hadn't been there,
and I have had no at home since. It struck
me that this was said rather unwillingly under the stress
of conscience. Tarleton seemed to think the same. The look
(03:13):
he gave to the little woman showed me that he
believed she was keeping something back. His next question was
a bombshell. May I ask if you have taken any
interest in the science of psychoanalysis? Missus Baker's collapse was pitiful.
If the specialist had suddenly changed into a cobra before
her eyes, she could not have looked at him with
greater terror. What do you mean, Sir Roderick, she faltered.
(03:34):
Tarleton slowly shook his head. My dear madam, it is
time for us to leave off fencing with one another.
Doctor Castlas and I are both incapable of betraying your confidence,
and neither of us has the slightest desire to injure you.
This dangerous poison has been stolen from you, and you
cannot feel easy in your mind till you know that
it has been recovered and is in safe hands. All
we ask is your help in tracing it. And that help,
(03:56):
I am sure you feel that you ought to give.
He had struck the right note this time. The poor
little woman took out her handkerchief and dabbed her forehead
in a distracted manner as she nerved herself to speak.
You're quite right, sir Robert. I know I ought to
tell you everything, but it isn't at all pleasant. Have
you ever heard of a doctor Wykerley? The situation was
too grave for these erratic names to provoke a smile.
(04:18):
I have heard of doctor Weatherid, the specialist said, gravely weathered.
Of course. How could I have forgotten it? But I
never can remember names, Sir Herbert. He isn't a friend
of yours. I hope he never was. Evidently she hadn't
heard of the death in the Domino Club, and my
chief didn't think the time had yet come to tell
her of it. Missus Baker gave a sigh of relief
before plunging into her tail. It all began with my
(04:40):
going to hear him give a lecture on psycho analysis
at the Caxton Hall. He looked quite a distinguished man,
and he lectured beautifully. I was fascinated by the things
he said. He told us that he could look inside
our minds and see things there that we had never
dreamt of in our subconscience. He called it subconsciousness. Yes,
Charlton put in with the least touch of impatient, I
(05:00):
dare say that was it. He said, we might have
murderous propensities without knowing it. Think of that I might
be secretly longing to kill my dear brother, and if
the propensity wasn't found out and removed in time, I
might end by doing it. I was horrified. I confess
I was horrified too, as I grasped the methods by
which whether it had drawn this harmless little creature into
his toils. I couldn't sleep for thinking of all the
(05:23):
dreadful things that my subconscious might be planning and plotting
behind my back. I felt I must know the worst
so as to be on my guard against it. I
went to consult doctor Weatheredd at his house, and it
was a dreadful experience. He found out that I had
a murderous propensity, and he told me that The only
way for me to rid myself of it was to
write letters to him, telling him every evil thought that
came into my mind. My Chief and I looked at
(05:45):
each other. There was no need of words to express
the ideal we had in common. There could be little
doubt as to whether it's line of action. He had
found himself dealing with the credulous, weak minded simpleton, and
he had proceeded to use the power of suggestion. He
had simply put into the poor woman's mind the thoughts
he pretended to be driving out. The only question that
remained was whether he had gone so far as to
(06:07):
instigate her to the commission of a crime. I wrote
him letter after letter, missus Baker continued. Every time I
felt angry with one of the maids, I had to
let him know. Sometimes he answered the letters, and sometimes
he didn't. When he did write, he generally asked me
questions about how I was tempted to commit the murder.
That was how he found out about the poison. Even
I had seen this coming, Tarleton, no doubt had seen
(06:28):
it some time before and worked up to it deliberately.
But he let no sign of satisfaction appear. Did he
ever ask you to let him have it, he asked.
The answer surprised me. No. Never, He told me to
be very careful, never to part with it. Ah, I
understand he told you to take the greatest care of it,
and you told him exactly where you kept it. Yes, yes,
(06:49):
the explorer's sister gazed at him in admiration. How did
you guess that? I think it is quite plain, ma'am.
He didn't want you or any one else to be
in a position to say that he had obtained the
poison from you. With the information you gave him, he
could walk into the house at any time and take
it secretly. This was a development I hadn't foreseen. Was
the mystery going to resolve itself into a case of suicide?
(07:11):
After all? After failing to put an end to himself
by means of opium? Had whether it finally resorted to
a more certain drug? But then, in that case, why
shouldn't he have demanded it openly from his deceived patient. Truly,
the riddle was becoming more insoluble as we advanced. Missus
Baker was rather indignant at the suggestion that her precautions
for the security of the dangerous bottle had not been sufficient,
(07:33):
but the consultant brushed aside her objections almost irritably. Nonsense,
my dear woman, that lock of yours could be picked
by a clever child of twelve. All that the thief
had to do was to come to the house when
he knew you were out, give a false name to
the servant, and asked to be allowed to wait. As
soon as he found himself alone in this room, he
could help himself to what he wanted, and then remember
an engagement and come away. Very likely, the maid who
(07:55):
would let him in wouldn't even trouble to tell you
a visitor had called. Misters of the house was reluctantly
obliged to admit this possibility. Tarleton folded his arms, a
sign that the interview was over as far as his
interest in it was concerned. But he was good enough
to give me a chance of satisfying my curiosity. What
do you say, castileas? Do you think we ought to
ask missus Baker to tell us anything more? I thought
(08:17):
our hostess looked as little willing as I was to
leave her story unfinished. Oh but you must hear the end,
she protested, And you mustn't go away without so much
as a cup of tea. She hopped lightly to the
electric bell. I want you to know that I'm not
a patient of doctor weather It any longer, and I
think I ought to tell you why when the maid
is gone. The saving clause was prompted by a rough
(08:38):
bang at the door, followed by the entrance of the
untidy servant. She had anticipated her mistress's orders and brought
in a huge tray laden with food sufficient to satisfy
a large party of hungry people. The variety of sandwiches
was amazing. Missus Baker's popularity with the local tradesman and
the success of her at homes seemed to be fully explained.
You will hardly believe it. She resumed as soon as
(08:59):
we had settled down to a serious attack on this prevender.
But doctor Willoughby ended by actually tempting me to commit
a crime. It was easier for us to believe than
she supposed, but I did my best to look incredulous. Yes,
Doctor Carstairs, he told me that the only way to
get rid of my murderer's propensities was to give way
to them. He advised me to kill Samuel. This really
(09:20):
was beyond my power to believe Samuel, I repeated, yes,
my beautiful black cat, the one that slept at the
foot of my bed every night. Tarleton raised his head quickly.
Did he suggest that you should give him the poison
from sa Matra he put in. The explorer's sister nodded.
The object of the advice she had received was plain enough.
The scoundrel wanted to test the effect of the poison.
(09:41):
Perhaps he felt some doubt if it was still active.
Beyond that his intentions were dark. Such a man was
quite capable of committing a murder by deputy, and he
might have designed to make an instrument of this deluded
patient of his. But if so, there was nothing to
tell us whose life he had been aiming at. He
had felt himself to be surrounded by enemies. According to
mattterle Bonell's statement, he may have wished to provide himself
(10:02):
with a weapon for use in case of need. The
worthy owner of Samuel told us that she had refused
to slay her pet. I send him away for fear
I should be tempted to kill him, she said, with
tears in her eyes. I found him a happy home
with the former maid of mine, who is married and
living in the country. She writes me about him once
a month. When I sent her up postal order, I
shall never dare to have him back again. My youthful
(10:24):
indignation became too much for me. There is not the
slightest reason why you shouldn't have your cat back tomorrow,
I said, bluntly. You are no more likely to kill
it than I am. The man was telling you a
pack of lies from the beginning, Sir Frank Tarleton will
tell you the same. We have been finding out a
good deal about this man during the last few days,
and you were not his only victim. Missus Baker opened
(10:45):
her eyes in a way that showed more offense than gratitude.
I had gone the wrong way to work to disabuse her.
I am much obliged to you, doctor Cassidy, she said stiffly,
but I much prefer to be on the safe side.
We none of us know the secrets of our own hearts.
It seems to me. I considered doctor Witheridge a cruel man,
and I have done with him. But he was extremely clever,
and I am satisfied that there is something in the
(11:07):
science of psychoanalysis. Charleton came to my rescue the more
there is in it, the more dangerous it may be
in the hands of a clever man without scruples. If
you'll allow me to say so, I think you acted
very wisely in deciding to have nothing more to do
with doctor Wutherid. The lady accepted this graciously and smoothed
down her bruffled feathers. I thought I might venture on
a fresh question. Did you know that he was the
(11:29):
real proprietor of the Domino Club? Never you don't say so.
I understood it was run by a frenchwoman, Madame Bonnette.
You have been there, I suppose only once. I heard
so much about it that I thought I must go
and see what it was like. I was there only
last Wednesday, but I didn't stay more than an hour.
Doctor Wheedel was there disguised as an inquisitor, and I
(11:49):
was so afraid of his recognizing me that I came away.
There could be no doubt, as far as I could see,
that this was the truth. And if it was the truth,
the lady of the Leopard Skin and Claws was now
ruled out of the cape. Her part in it had
been confined to supplying the poison, or rather innocently letting
it be known where it could be found. To clinch
the matter, I said, I wasn't there, but we heard
that a lady had been present who left early. She
(12:11):
wore the skin of a leopard and a necklace of
leopard's claws. Yes, that was me. I went as a leopardess.
Our amiable hostess responded with a frankness which put an
end to the last doubt. She added, in a tone
of quiet triumph, I can see now that that was
where my murderous propensities came out. Why else should I
have gone as a beast of prey? I had to
admit that she had scored off me anything less like
(12:33):
a beast of prey or a potential murderess than the
bright and birdlike little woman I have never seen. My
chief picked out one point that I had overlooked. Did
weather It mention the club to you, ma'am? Or did
you know this? Madame Vannelle Missus Baker drew herself up.
I didn't know her, she said, with emphasis. Such a
person a is not in my social circle. I knew
of her a friend of mine, and Chelsea gave me
(12:54):
her card when I went to buy a ticket for
the dance, but she was a friend of Madame Bunner's.
It was only a four. The answer was equally decisive.
It seemed clear to me that the only person who
could have known of the existence of the poison and
abstracted it was the man who had perished by it.
I saw Tarleton's watch come out of his pocket, and
its slow, steady motion told me that his brain was
(13:15):
already at work on the last winding of the mystery.
When we had done full justice to the refreshments put
before us, we came away, pledged to attend the first
at home given by our hostess, which she explained would
be as soon as she was out of mourning for
her brother. I think she had won both our hearts
in spite of her eccentricities, and we entertained no serious
dread that her murderous propensities would be indulged at our expense.
(13:37):
Tarleton was very silent till we were back at Montague Street.
Even when we were in his study again, he did
not seem much disposed to discuss the new situation with me.
For the first time since the beginning of the investigation,
I had the impression that I was not entirely in
his confidence. When I expressed my curiosity as to whether
it's motive for stealing the bottle of eupissine, he lifted
(13:58):
his bushy eyebrows and looked at me, almost as if
he were annoyed. We don't know that he did steal it,
he growled. Every one who read Armstrong's book knew of
his discovery, and would expect to find some of the
new poison among his belongings. And as for that little woman,
she has probably babbled about it to a dozen persons
whom she has forgotten. Her memory is like a sieve.
The judgment struck me as harsh. Missus Baker certainly had
(14:21):
a genius for forgetting names, but so have many people
whose memories are good enough in other respects. It seemed
to me that she had shown a pretty fair recollection
of her dealings with Retherett at all events. And I
said so, Tarleton hunched himself up in his favorite arm
chair and growled again. You ask me to believe that
a doctor who had stolen what he knew to be
a deadly drug, and who was actually taking precautions to
(14:43):
prevent himself from being poisoned at the time, was careless
enough to let it be taken from him? Well, I don't.
I had never known him to speak so irritably before.
I sat dumb asking myself what was in his mind,
And all at once the explanation flashed upon me. If
he didn't believe that it had taken the fatal bottle,
he must have been searching for the probable thief among
(15:03):
whether It's enemies. The last question he had put to
missus Baker showed that his thoughts had turned for a
moment in the direction of the frenchwoman, who, of all others,
had the best opportunity to administer the poison. Who else
was left? The one enemy of weather It's whom we
both knew of, The one person who had not only
a reason, but it might be said a moral right
to take his life in self defense, was Violet Bredwardine,
(15:27):
and she had confessed to having lent the disguise worn
on the night of the murder by one who must
have been her friend and probable champion. A dozen trifling
incidents rushed back into my mind, the specialist anxiety lest
his own bottle should have been tampered with the way
he had contrived it looked like contrivance to me. Now,
to give me a chance of meeting Violet alone. There
could be only one meaning in it all. My chief
(15:49):
suspected me, had suspected me from the very first, of
being the murderer. The red light was in my eyes
at last end of chapter sixteen.
Chapter sixteen 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 red Light, Sir Frank and I both sprang to
our feet to go to the chiffonier, but it was
(00:21):
useless to turn over the rubbish it contained. The bottle
of upssine was not there, and either the sister of
the explorer was a very perfect actress, or she was
as much surprised as I was by its disappearance. Whoever
can have taken it? She cried, gazing at us, as
if not quite certain that we were beyond suspicion of
the theft. Both my maids have been with me for years,
and I have never missed anything before. It was at
(00:43):
moments like these that I most admired my chief. The
encounter with a new perplexity seemed to afford him the
keenest pleasure. He was like an angler who finds that
he has hooked a trout where he only expected a chub.
I could see from the knitting of his brows that
he was already readjusting his ideas to this new factory
in the case and working out a different solution. His
first step was to soothe the mistress of the house.
(01:06):
If you will allow me to help you, I think
we may be able to get on the track of
the thief. Shall we sit down and talk it over quietly.
Missus Baker, still rather distrustful, let herself be led back
to her couch, But this time she did not attempt
a statuesque pose. She sat bolt upright, turning her head
from one to the other of us like a nervous robin.
You haven't missed anything else, you say, Tarleton began, so
(01:28):
that it looks as though the thief must have been
some one who knew what he was taking. The question
is how many of your friends knew about this poison?
Not one of them, was the positive answer. I have
never mentioned it to a soul. Think The doctor persisted courteously.
Remember that Captain Armstrong mentions the discovery of it in
his book Across Sumatra. Surely some of your acquaintances must
(01:49):
have read the book and talked to you about it.
The little woman began to show signs of misgiving. I
can't remember, she confessed. She had shown us both already
that memory was not her strong point. The consultant prompted
her gently. The person most likely to be interested in
such a thing as a new poison would be a
scientist or a medical man. Missus Baker's eyes sought the floor.
(02:10):
I am positive that my doctor knew nothing about it. Besides,
I haven't seen him for the last six months, not
since my brother's death. The disclaimer was made in a
rather shaken voice. However, but a lady like you must
have some acquaintances in the scientific world, the examiner insinuated.
I was under the impression that I had heard of
you as a patroness of science. The flattery did its work.
(02:31):
Missus Baker lifted her head again and repeated it with
a gracious smile. I am interested in science, she admitted.
When my poor brother was alive, I used to give
at homes for him to show his curiosities to people.
I have had as many as six fellows of the
Royal Geographical Society at one time. Before now I felt
sure of it. And you see, your brother may easily
(02:51):
have mentioned this bottle or shown it to some one
without your knowledge. The birdlike head wavered, but I am
certain that it hadn't been taken when he died. I
had to make a list of everything he left for probate,
and I should have missed it if it hadn't been there,
and I have had no at home since. It struck
me that this was said rather unwillingly under the stress
of conscience. Tarleton seemed to think the same. The look
(03:13):
he gave to the little woman showed me that he
believed she was keeping something back. His next question was
a bombshell. May I ask if you have taken any
interest in the science of psychoanalysis? Missus Baker's collapse was pitiful.
If the specialist had suddenly changed into a cobra before
her eyes, she could not have looked at him with
greater terror. What do you mean, Sir Roderick, she faltered.
(03:34):
Tarleton slowly shook his head. My dear madam, it is
time for us to leave off fencing with one another.
Doctor Castlas and I are both incapable of betraying your confidence,
and neither of us has the slightest desire to injure you.
This dangerous poison has been stolen from you, and you
cannot feel easy in your mind till you know that
it has been recovered and is in safe hands. All
we ask is your help in tracing it. And that help,
(03:56):
I am sure you feel that you ought to give.
He had struck the right note this time. The poor
little woman took out her handkerchief and dabbed her forehead
in a distracted manner as she nerved herself to speak.
You're quite right, sir Robert. I know I ought to
tell you everything, but it isn't at all pleasant. Have
you ever heard of a doctor Wykerley? The situation was
too grave for these erratic names to provoke a smile.
(04:18):
I have heard of doctor Weatherid, the specialist said, gravely weathered.
Of course. How could I have forgotten it? But I
never can remember names, Sir Herbert. He isn't a friend
of yours. I hope he never was. Evidently she hadn't
heard of the death in the Domino Club, and my
chief didn't think the time had yet come to tell
her of it. Missus Baker gave a sigh of relief
before plunging into her tail. It all began with my
(04:40):
going to hear him give a lecture on psycho analysis
at the Caxton Hall. He looked quite a distinguished man,
and he lectured beautifully. I was fascinated by the things
he said. He told us that he could look inside
our minds and see things there that we had never
dreamt of in our subconscience. He called it subconsciousness. Yes,
Charlton put in with the least touch of impatient, I
(05:00):
dare say that was it. He said, we might have
murderous propensities without knowing it. Think of that I might
be secretly longing to kill my dear brother, and if
the propensity wasn't found out and removed in time, I
might end by doing it. I was horrified. I confess
I was horrified too, as I grasped the methods by
which whether it had drawn this harmless little creature into
his toils. I couldn't sleep for thinking of all the
(05:23):
dreadful things that my subconscious might be planning and plotting
behind my back. I felt I must know the worst
so as to be on my guard against it. I
went to consult doctor Weatheredd at his house, and it
was a dreadful experience. He found out that I had
a murderous propensity, and he told me that The only
way for me to rid myself of it was to
write letters to him, telling him every evil thought that
came into my mind. My Chief and I looked at
(05:45):
each other. There was no need of words to express
the ideal we had in common. There could be little
doubt as to whether it's line of action. He had
found himself dealing with the credulous, weak minded simpleton, and
he had proceeded to use the power of suggestion. He
had simply put into the poor woman's mind the thoughts
he pretended to be driving out. The only question that
remained was whether he had gone so far as to
(06:07):
instigate her to the commission of a crime. I wrote
him letter after letter, missus Baker continued. Every time I
felt angry with one of the maids, I had to
let him know. Sometimes he answered the letters, and sometimes
he didn't. When he did write, he generally asked me
questions about how I was tempted to commit the murder.
That was how he found out about the poison. Even
I had seen this coming, Tarleton, no doubt had seen
(06:28):
it some time before and worked up to it deliberately.
But he let no sign of satisfaction appear. Did he
ever ask you to let him have it, he asked.
The answer surprised me. No. Never, He told me to
be very careful, never to part with it. Ah, I
understand he told you to take the greatest care of it,
and you told him exactly where you kept it. Yes, yes,
(06:49):
the explorer's sister gazed at him in admiration. How did
you guess that? I think it is quite plain, ma'am.
He didn't want you or any one else to be
in a position to say that he had obtained the
poison from you. With the information you gave him, he
could walk into the house at any time and take
it secretly. This was a development I hadn't foreseen. Was
the mystery going to resolve itself into a case of suicide?
(07:11):
After all? After failing to put an end to himself
by means of opium? Had whether it finally resorted to
a more certain drug? But then, in that case, why
shouldn't he have demanded it openly from his deceived patient. Truly,
the riddle was becoming more insoluble as we advanced. Missus
Baker was rather indignant at the suggestion that her precautions
for the security of the dangerous bottle had not been sufficient,
(07:33):
but the consultant brushed aside her objections almost irritably. Nonsense,
my dear woman, that lock of yours could be picked
by a clever child of twelve. All that the thief
had to do was to come to the house when
he knew you were out, give a false name to
the servant, and asked to be allowed to wait. As
soon as he found himself alone in this room, he
could help himself to what he wanted, and then remember
an engagement and come away. Very likely, the maid who
(07:55):
would let him in wouldn't even trouble to tell you
a visitor had called. Misters of the house was reluctantly
obliged to admit this possibility. Tarleton folded his arms, a
sign that the interview was over as far as his
interest in it was concerned. But he was good enough
to give me a chance of satisfying my curiosity. What
do you say, castileas? Do you think we ought to
ask missus Baker to tell us anything more? I thought
(08:17):
our hostess looked as little willing as I was to
leave her story unfinished. Oh but you must hear the end,
she protested, And you mustn't go away without so much
as a cup of tea. She hopped lightly to the
electric bell. I want you to know that I'm not
a patient of doctor weather It any longer, and I
think I ought to tell you why when the maid
is gone. The saving clause was prompted by a rough
(08:38):
bang at the door, followed by the entrance of the
untidy servant. She had anticipated her mistress's orders and brought
in a huge tray laden with food sufficient to satisfy
a large party of hungry people. The variety of sandwiches
was amazing. Missus Baker's popularity with the local tradesman and
the success of her at homes seemed to be fully explained.
You will hardly believe it. She resumed as soon as
(08:59):
we had settled down to a serious attack on this prevender.
But doctor Willoughby ended by actually tempting me to commit
a crime. It was easier for us to believe than
she supposed, but I did my best to look incredulous. Yes,
Doctor Carstairs, he told me that the only way to
get rid of my murderer's propensities was to give way
to them. He advised me to kill Samuel. This really
(09:20):
was beyond my power to believe Samuel, I repeated, yes,
my beautiful black cat, the one that slept at the
foot of my bed every night. Tarleton raised his head quickly.
Did he suggest that you should give him the poison
from sa Matra he put in. The explorer's sister nodded.
The object of the advice she had received was plain enough.
The scoundrel wanted to test the effect of the poison.
(09:41):
Perhaps he felt some doubt if it was still active.
Beyond that his intentions were dark. Such a man was
quite capable of committing a murder by deputy, and he
might have designed to make an instrument of this deluded
patient of his. But if so, there was nothing to
tell us whose life he had been aiming at. He
had felt himself to be surrounded by enemies. According to
mattterle Bonell's statement, he may have wished to provide himself
(10:02):
with a weapon for use in case of need. The
worthy owner of Samuel told us that she had refused
to slay her pet. I send him away for fear
I should be tempted to kill him, she said, with
tears in her eyes. I found him a happy home
with the former maid of mine, who is married and
living in the country. She writes me about him once
a month. When I sent her up postal order, I
shall never dare to have him back again. My youthful
(10:24):
indignation became too much for me. There is not the
slightest reason why you shouldn't have your cat back tomorrow,
I said, bluntly. You are no more likely to kill
it than I am. The man was telling you a
pack of lies from the beginning, Sir Frank Tarleton will
tell you the same. We have been finding out a
good deal about this man during the last few days,
and you were not his only victim. Missus Baker opened
(10:45):
her eyes in a way that showed more offense than gratitude.
I had gone the wrong way to work to disabuse her.
I am much obliged to you, doctor Cassidy, she said stiffly,
but I much prefer to be on the safe side.
We none of us know the secrets of our own hearts.
It seems to me. I considered doctor Witheridge a cruel man,
and I have done with him. But he was extremely clever,
and I am satisfied that there is something in the
(11:07):
science of psychoanalysis. Charleton came to my rescue the more
there is in it, the more dangerous it may be
in the hands of a clever man without scruples. If
you'll allow me to say so, I think you acted
very wisely in deciding to have nothing more to do
with doctor Wutherid. The lady accepted this graciously and smoothed
down her bruffled feathers. I thought I might venture on
a fresh question. Did you know that he was the
(11:29):
real proprietor of the Domino Club? Never you don't say so.
I understood it was run by a frenchwoman, Madame Bonnette.
You have been there, I suppose only once. I heard
so much about it that I thought I must go
and see what it was like. I was there only
last Wednesday, but I didn't stay more than an hour.
Doctor Wheedel was there disguised as an inquisitor, and I
(11:49):
was so afraid of his recognizing me that I came away.
There could be no doubt, as far as I could see,
that this was the truth. And if it was the truth,
the lady of the Leopard Skin and Claws was now
ruled out of the cape. Her part in it had
been confined to supplying the poison, or rather innocently letting
it be known where it could be found. To clinch
the matter, I said, I wasn't there, but we heard
that a lady had been present who left early. She
(12:11):
wore the skin of a leopard and a necklace of
leopard's claws. Yes, that was me. I went as a leopardess.
Our amiable hostess responded with a frankness which put an
end to the last doubt. She added, in a tone
of quiet triumph, I can see now that that was
where my murderous propensities came out. Why else should I
have gone as a beast of prey? I had to
admit that she had scored off me anything less like
(12:33):
a beast of prey or a potential murderess than the
bright and birdlike little woman I have never seen. My
chief picked out one point that I had overlooked. Did
weather It mention the club to you, ma'am? Or did
you know this? Madame Vannelle Missus Baker drew herself up.
I didn't know her, she said, with emphasis. Such a
person a is not in my social circle. I knew
of her a friend of mine, and Chelsea gave me
(12:54):
her card when I went to buy a ticket for
the dance, but she was a friend of Madame Bunner's.
It was only a four. The answer was equally decisive.
It seemed clear to me that the only person who
could have known of the existence of the poison and
abstracted it was the man who had perished by it.
I saw Tarleton's watch come out of his pocket, and
its slow, steady motion told me that his brain was
(13:15):
already at work on the last winding of the mystery.
When we had done full justice to the refreshments put
before us, we came away, pledged to attend the first
at home given by our hostess, which she explained would
be as soon as she was out of mourning for
her brother. I think she had won both our hearts
in spite of her eccentricities, and we entertained no serious
dread that her murderous propensities would be indulged at our expense.
(13:37):
Tarleton was very silent till we were back at Montague Street.
Even when we were in his study again, he did
not seem much disposed to discuss the new situation with me.
For the first time since the beginning of the investigation,
I had the impression that I was not entirely in
his confidence. When I expressed my curiosity as to whether
it's motive for stealing the bottle of eupissine, he lifted
(13:58):
his bushy eyebrows and looked at me, almost as if
he were annoyed. We don't know that he did steal it,
he growled. Every one who read Armstrong's book knew of
his discovery, and would expect to find some of the
new poison among his belongings. And as for that little woman,
she has probably babbled about it to a dozen persons
whom she has forgotten. Her memory is like a sieve.
The judgment struck me as harsh. Missus Baker certainly had
(14:21):
a genius for forgetting names, but so have many people
whose memories are good enough in other respects. It seemed
to me that she had shown a pretty fair recollection
of her dealings with Retherett at all events. And I
said so, Tarleton hunched himself up in his favorite arm
chair and growled again. You ask me to believe that
a doctor who had stolen what he knew to be
a deadly drug, and who was actually taking precautions to
(14:43):
prevent himself from being poisoned at the time, was careless
enough to let it be taken from him? Well, I don't.
I had never known him to speak so irritably before.
I sat dumb asking myself what was in his mind,
And all at once the explanation flashed upon me. If
he didn't believe that it had taken the fatal bottle,
he must have been searching for the probable thief among
(15:03):
whether It's enemies. The last question he had put to
missus Baker showed that his thoughts had turned for a
moment in the direction of the frenchwoman, who, of all others,
had the best opportunity to administer the poison. Who else
was left? The one enemy of weather It's whom we
both knew of, The one person who had not only
a reason, but it might be said a moral right
to take his life in self defense, was Violet Bredwardine,
(15:27):
and she had confessed to having lent the disguise worn
on the night of the murder by one who must
have been her friend and probable champion. A dozen trifling
incidents rushed back into my mind, the specialist anxiety lest
his own bottle should have been tampered with the way
he had contrived it looked like contrivance to me. Now,
to give me a chance of meeting Violet alone. There
could be only one meaning in it all. My chief
(15:49):
suspected me, had suspected me from the very first, of
being the murderer. The red light was in my eyes
at last end of chapter sixteen.
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