Part 10 (1/2)

”Instruct your servants, Mr. Rheinholdt, to lock and bar all the doors of the house,” the Professor suggested. ”No one must leave it until we have heard your mother's story.”

The young man obeyed almost mechanically. There was a general exodus of servants from the room. Some one had brought Mrs. Rheinholdt a gla.s.s of champagne. She sipped it and gradually recovered her voice.

”I had just taken the Professor into the little room my husband used to call the museum,” she explained, her voice still shaking with agitation.

”I left him there to examine some specimens of beetles. I thought that I would come back through the conservatory, which is the quickest way. I was about half-way across it when suddenly I heard the switch go behind me and all the electric lights were turned out. I couldn't imagine what had happened. While I hesitated, I saw--I saw--”

She broke down again. There was no doubt about the genuineness of her terror. She seemed somehow to have shrunken into the semblance of a smaller woman. The pupils of her eyes were distended, she was white almost to the lips. When she recommenced her story, her voice was fainter.

”I saw a pair of hands--just hands--no arms--nothing but hands--come out of the darkness! They gripped me by the throat. I suppose it was just for a second. I think--I lost consciousness for a moment, although I was still standing up. The next thing I remember is that I found myself shrieking and running here--and the jewels had gone!”

”You saw no one?” her son asked incredulously. ”You heard nothing?”

”I heard no footsteps. I saw no one,” Mrs. Rheinholdt repeated.

The Professor turned away.

”If you will allow me,” he begged, ”I am going to telephone to my friend Mr. Sanford Quest, the criminologist. An affair so unusual as this might attract him. You will excuse me.”

The Professor hurried from the room. They brought Mrs. Rheinholdt more champagne and she gradually struggled back to something like her normal self. The dancing had stopped. Every one was standing about in little groups, discussing the affair. The men had trooped towards the conservatory, but the Professor met them on the portals.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”CONFESS THY SINS, MY GOOD MAN.”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BLACK BOX IS INTRODUCED INTO THE STORY.]

”I suggest,” he said courteously, ”that we leave the conservatory exactly as it is until the arrival of Mr. Sanford Quest. It will doubtless aid him in his investigations if nothing is disturbed. All the remaining doors are locked, so that no one can escape if by any chance they should be hiding.”

They all agreed without dissent, and there was a general movement towards the buffet to pa.s.s the time until the coming of Mr. Sanford Quest. The Professor met the great criminologist and his a.s.sistant in the hall upon their arrival. He took the former at once by the arm.

”Mr. Quest,” he began, ”in a sense I must apologise for my peremptory message. I am well aware that an ordinary jewel robbery does not interest you, but in this case the circ.u.mstances are extraordinary. I ventured, therefore, to summon your aid.”

Sanford Quest nodded shortly.

”As a rule,” he said, ”I do not care to take up one affair until I have a clean slate. There's your skeleton still bothering me, Professor. However, where's the lady who was robbed?”

”I will take you to her,” the Professor replied. Mrs. Rheinholdt's story, by frequent repet.i.tion, had become a little more coherent, a trifle more circ.u.mstantial, the perfection of simplicity and utterly incomprehensible.

Quest listened to it without remark and finally made his way to the conservatory. He requested Mrs. Rheinholdt to walk with him through the door by which she had entered, and stop at the precise spot where the a.s.sault had been made upon her. There were one or two plants knocked down from the tiers on the right-hand side, and some disturbance in the mould where some large palms were growing. Quest and Lenora together made a close investigation of the spot. Afterwards, Quest walked several times to each of the doors leading into the gardens.

”There are four entrances altogether,” he remarked, as he lit a cigar and glanced around the place. ”Two lead into the gardens--one is locked and the other isn't--one connects with the back of the house--the one through which you came, Mrs. Rheinholdt, and the other leads into your reception room, into which you pa.s.sed after the a.s.sault. I shall now be glad if you will permit me to examine the gardens outside for a few minutes, alone with my a.s.sistant, if you please.”

For almost a quarter of an hour, Quest and Lenora disappeared. They all looked eagerly at the criminologist on his return, but his face was sphinxlike. He turned to Mrs. Rheinholdt, who with her son, the butler, and the Professor were the only occupants of the conservatory.

”It seems to me,” he remarked, ”that from the back part of the house the quickest way to reach Mayton Avenue would be through this conservatory and out of that door. There is a path leading from just outside straight to a gate in the wall. Does any one that you know of use this means of exit?”

Mrs. Rheinholdt shook her head.

”The servants might occasionally,” she remarked doubtfully, ”but not on nights when I am receiving.”

The butler stepped forward. He was looking a little grave.