Part 37 (2/2)
”Can you tell me why he, a perfect stranger, wore upon his finger the portrait of Lady Lolita?” I asked.
”For the same reason, I suppose, that a woman wears in a locket a portrait of a man.”
”You imply that he was Lolita's lover?”
”I imply nothing,” he said vaguely. ”I make no statement at all. I have indeed told you that the matter is one which it is wiser not to discuss.”
”But can't you see how, in my position, that terrible affair is of greatest moment to my happiness and peace of mind?” I pointed out.
”Who was he? What brought him to the park on that night?”
”I don't know.”
”Lolita went forth to meet him, that I know,” I said.
”Yes,” he remarked. ”That was proved by the marks of her heels at the spot where the body was found. She must therefore have met him.”
”If so, then she must know the truth, Mr Keene,” I said in a hard voice, watching his dark face. ”What I want to discover is the reason he came here in secret that night.”
He paused a moment his eyes fixed upon me, as though he were debating within himself whether he should betray my love's secret. Then at length he said--
”You mentioned, I think, to Lady Lolita that you had secured from the dead man's pocket a sc.r.a.p of paper bearing a message in cipher--did you not?”
”Yes,” I exclaimed eagerly. ”It is the checker-board cipher, I know, but I am unable to read it because I am ignorant of the keyword.”
”If you really desire to decipher it, and think it will help you to a knowledge of the real facts, why not try the single and very unusual word--her own name!”
”Lolita!” I gasped quickly in eagerness. ”Then the keyword is Lolita!”
To which he made no response, but nodded gravely in the affirmative.
Then, without further ado, I rushed back to my room took out the folded sc.r.a.p of paper that had brought Hugh Wingfield to his doom, and spread it before me together with the checker-board.
In a quarter of an hour I had reduced the numerals to letters, subtracted my love's name, and deciphered it--yes, the fatal message stood revealed.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
WESTON EXPRESSES CERTAIN FEARS.
On reference to the checker-board which my friend had sent me, I found that the word ”Lolita” read 31. 34. 31. 24. 44. 11.
These numbers I began to subtract from the first six numbers of the secret message, but the letters represented by the remaining numbers were a mere unintelligible jumble. At last, however, after considerable thought, I tried taking the numbers down the columns:--namely 63. 49.
46. 68. Subtracted by the keyword there remained 32. 15. 15. 44., which I found on reference to my checker-board was the word ”meet.”
At last the secret was mine! Very soon I had deciphered the numerals into this message:--
”_Meet me in the avenue on Monday. Fear nothing. Marie betrayed to police_.--Lol.”
Lolita herself had therefore enticed the unfortunate young man to his doom.
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