Part 30 (1/2)

”Good!” he said, ”that shows they've found footprints. That may be useful. Let's hear what else they've found.”

The man in charge of these operations was standing within the dining-room when Ayscough and Melky walked in, and he at once beckoned them into the room and closed the door.

”We've made two or three discoveries,” he said, glancing at Ayscough.

”To start with, there were footprints of a rather unusual sort round these bushes where the man was lying--so I've had it carefully fenced in around there--we'll have a better look at 'em, in daylight. Very small prints, you understand--more like a woman's than a man's.”

Ayscough's sharp eyes turned to the hearth--there were two or three pairs of slippers lying near the fender and he pointed to them.

”These Chinamen have very small feet, I believe,” he said. ”The footprints are probably theirs. Well--what else?”

”This,” answered the man in charge, producing a small parcel from the side-pocket of his coat, and proceeding to divest it of a temporary wrapping. ”Perhaps Mr. Rubinstein will recognize it. We found it thrown away in a fire-grate in one of the bedrooms upstairs--you see, it's half burnt.”

He produced a small, stoutly-made cardboard box, some three inches square, the outer surface of which was covered with a thick, glossy-surfaced dark-green paper, on which certain words were deeply impressed in gilt letters. The box was considerably charred and only fragments of the lettering on the lid remained intact--but it was not difficult to make out what the full wording had been.

... . _enius_, ..._nd jeweller_, . . _ed Street_.

”That's one of the late Mr. Multenius's boxes,” affirmed Melky at once.

”Daniel Multenius, p.a.w.nbroker and Jeweller, Praed Street--that's the full wording. Found in a fireplace, d'ye say, mister? Ah--and what had he taken out of it before he threw the box away, now, Mr.

Ayscough--whoever it was that did throw it away?”

”That blessed orange and yellow diamond, I should think!” said Ayscough. ”Of course! Well, anything else?”

The man in charge carefully wrapped up and put away the jeweller's box; then, with a significant glance at his fellow-detective, he slipped a couple of fingers into his waistcoat pocket and drew out what looked like a bit of crumpled paper.

”Aye!” he answered. ”This! Found it--just there! Lying on the floor, at the end of this table.”

He opened out the bit of crumpled paper as he spoke and held it towards the other two. Ayscough stared, almost incredulously, and Melky let out a sharp exclamation.

”S'elp us!” he said. ”A five-hundred-pound bank-note!”

”That's about it,” remarked the exhibitor. ”Bank of England note for five hundred of the best! And--a good 'un, too. Lying on the floor.”

”Take care of it,” said Ayscough laconically. ”Well--you haven't found any papers, doc.u.ments, or anything of that sort, that give any clue?”

”There's a lot of stuff there,” answered the man in charge, pointing to a pile of books and papers on the table, ”but it seems to be chiefly exercises and that sort of thing. I'll look through it myself, later.”

”See if you can find any letters, addresses, and so on,” counselled Ayscough. He turned over some of the books, all of them medical works and text-books, opening some of them at random. And suddenly he caught sight of the name which the house-surgeon had given him half-an-hour before, written on a fly-leaf: Mori Yada, 491, Gower Street--and an idea came into his mind. He bade the man in charge keep his eyes open and leave nothing unexamined, and tapping Melky's arm, led him outside.

”Look here!” he said, drawing out his watch, as they crossed the hall, ”it's scarcely ten o'clock, and I've got the address of that young j.a.p.

Come on--we'll go and ask him a question or two.”

So for the second time that evening, Melky, who was beginning to feel as if he were on a chase which pursued anything but a straight course, found himself in Gower Street again, and followed Ayscough along, wondering what was going to happen next, until the detective paused at the door of a tall house in the middle of the long thoroughfare and rang the bell. A smart maid answered that ring and looked dubiously at Ayscough as he proffered a request to see Mr. Mori Yada. Yes--Mr. Yada was at home, but he didn't like to see any one, of an evening when he was at his studies, and--in fact he'd given orders not to be disturbed at that time.

”I think he'll see me, all the same,” said Ayscough, drawing out one of his professional cards. ”Just give him that, will you, and tell him my business is very important.”

He turned to Melky when the girl, still looking unwilling, had gone away upstairs, and gave him a nudge of the elbow.