the clue of the twisted candle-第9节

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In　a　score　of　other　ways　Kara　had　endeavoured　to　consolidate　the　friendship。　　He　gave　the　young　Commissioner　advice　about　a　railway　company　which　was　operating　in　Asia　Minor；　and　the　shares　of　which　stood　a　little　below　par。　　T。　X。　thanked　him　for　the　advice；　and　did　not　take　it；　nor　did　he　feel　any　regret　when　the　shares　rose　3　pounds　in　as　many　weeks。

T。　X。　had　superintended　the　disposal　of　Beston　Priory。　　He　had　the　furniture　removed　to　London；　and　had　taken　a　flat　for　Grace　Lexman。

She　had　a　small　income　of　her　own；　and　this；　added　to　the　large　royalties　which　came　to　her　（as　she　was　bitterly　conscious）　in　increasing　volume　as　the　result　of　the　publicity　of　the　trial；　placed　her　beyond　fear　of　want。

〃Fifteen　years；〃　murmured　T。　X。；as　he　worked　and　whistled。

There　had　been　no　hope　for　John　Lexman　from　the　start。　　He　was　in　debt　to　the　man　he　killed。　　His　story　of　threatening　letters　was　not　substantiated。　　The　revolver　which　he　said　had　been　flourished　at　him　had　never　been　found。　　Two　people　believed　implicitly　in　the　story；　and　a　sympathetic　Home　Secretary　had　assured　T。　X。　personally　that　if　he　could　find　the　revolver　and　associate　it　with　the　murder　beyond　any　doubt；　John　Lexman　would　be　pardoned。

Every　stream　in　the　neighbourhood　had　been　dragged。　　In　one　case　a　small　river　had　been　dammed；　and　the　bed　had　been　carefully　dried　and　sifted；　but　there　was　no　trace　of　the　weapon；　and　T。　X。　had　tried　methods　more　effective　and　certainly　less　legal。

A　mysterious　electrician　had　called　at　456　Cadogan　Square　in　Kara's　absence；　and　he　was　armed　with　such　indisputable　authority　that　he　was　permitted　to　penetrate　to　Kara's　private　room；　in　order　to　examine　certain　fitments。

Kara　returning　next　day　thought　no　more　of　the　matter　when　it　was　reported　to　him；　until　going　to　his　safe　that　night　he　discovered　that　it　had　been　opened　and　ransacked。

As　it　happened；　most　of　Kara's　valuable　and　confidential　possessions　were　at　the　bank。　　In　a　fret　of　panic　and　at　considerable　cost　he　had　the　safe　removed　and　another　put　in　its　place　of　such　potency　that　the　makers　offered　to　indemnify　him　against　any　loss　from　burglary。

T。　X。　finished　his　work；　washed　his　hands；　and　was　drying　them　when　Mansus　came　bursting　into　the　room。　　It　was　not　usual　for　Mansus　to　burst　into　anywhere。　　He　was　a　slow；　methodical；　painstaking　man；　with　a　deliberate　and　an　official；　manner。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　T。　X。　quickly。

〃We　didn't　search　Vassalaro's　lodgings；〃　cried　Mansus　breathlessly。　　〃It　just　occurred　to　me　as　I　was　coming　over　Westminster　Bridge。　　I　was　on　top　of　a　bus　…　〃

〃Wake　up！〃　said　T。　X。　〃You're　amongst　friends　and　cut　all　that　'bus'　stuff　out。　　Of　course　we　searched　Vassalaro's　lodgings！〃

〃No；　we　didn't；　sir；〃　said　the　other　triumphantly。　　〃He　lived　in　Great　James　Street。〃

〃He　lived　in　the　Adelphi；〃　corrected　T。　X。

〃There　were　two　places　where　he　lived；〃　said　Mansus。

〃When　did　you　learn　this？〃　asked　his　Chief；　dropping　his　flippancy。

〃This　morning。　　I　was　on　a　bus　coming　across　Westminster　Bridge；　and　there　were　two　men　in　front　of　me；　and　I　heard　the　word　'Vassalaro'　and　naturally　I　pricked　up　my　ears。〃

〃It　was　very　unnatural；　but　proceed；〃　said　T。　X。

〃One　of　the　men　…　a　very　respectable　person　…　said；　'That　chap　Vassalaro　used　to　lodge　in　my　place；　and　I've　still　got　a　lot　of　his　things。　　What　do　you　think　I　ought　to　do？'〃

〃And　you　said；〃　suggested　the　other。

〃I　nearly　frightened　his　life　out　of　him；〃　said　Mansus。　　〃I　said；　'I　am　a　police　officer　and　I　want　you　to　come　along　with　me。'〃

〃And　of　course　he　shut　up　and　would　not　say　another　word；〃　said　T。　X。

〃That's　true；　sir；〃　said　Mansus；　〃but　after　awhile　I　got　him　to　talk。　　Vassalaro　lived　in　Great　James　Street；　604；　on　the　third　floor。　　In　fact；　some　of　his　furniture　is　there　still。　　He　had　a　good　reason　for　keeping　two　addresses　by　all　accounts。〃

T。　X。　nodded　wisely。

〃What　was　her　name？〃　he　asked。

〃He　had　a　wife；〃　said　the　other；　〃but　she　left　him　about　four　months　before　he　was　killed。　　He　used　the　Adelphi　address　for　business　purposes　and　apparently　he　slept　two　or　three　nights　of　the　week　at　Great　James　Street。　　I　have　told　the　man　to　leave　everything　as　it　is；　and　that　we　will　come　round。〃

Ten　minutes　later　the　two　officers　were　in　the　somewhat　gloomy　apartments　which　Vassalaro　had　occupied。

The　landlord　explained　that　most　of　the　furniture　was　his；　but　that　there　were　certain　articles　which　were　the　property　of　the　deceased　man。　　He　added；　somewhat　unnecessarily；　that　the　late　tenant　owed　him　six　months'　rent。

The　articles　which　had　been　the　property　of　Vassalaro　included　a　tin　trunk；　a　small　writing　bureau；　a　secretaire　bookcase　and　a　few　clothes。　　The　secretaire　was　locked；　as　was　the　writing　bureau。　The　tin　box；　which　had　little　or　nothing　of　interest；　was　unfastened。

The　other　locks　needed　very　little　attention。　　Without　any　difficulty　Mansus　opened　both。　　The　leaf　of　the　bureau；　when　let　down；　formed　the　desk；　and　piled　up　inside　was　a　whole　mass　of　letters　opened　and　unopened；　accounts；　note…books　and　all　the　paraphernalia　which　an　untidy　man　collects。

Letter　by　letter；　T。　X。　went　through　the　accumulation　without　finding　anything　to　help　him。　　Then　his　eye　was　attracted　by　a　small　tin　case　thrust　into　one　of　the　oblong　pigeon　holes　at　the　back　of　the　desk。　　This　he　pulled　out　and　opened　and　found　a　small　wad　of　paper　wrapped　in　tin　foil。

〃Hello；　hello！〃　said　T。　X。；and　he　was　pardonably　exhilarated。




CHAPTER　VI


A　Man　stood　in　the　speckless　courtyard　before　the　Governor's　house　at　Dartmoor　gaol。　　He　wore　the　ugly　livery　of　shame　which　marks　the　convict。　　His　head　was　clipped　short；　and　there　was　two　days'　growth　of　beard　upon　his　haggard　face。　　Standing　with　his　hands　behind　him；　he　waited　for　the　moment　when　he　would　be　ordered　to　his　work。

John　Lexman　…　A。　O。　43　…　looked　up　at　the　blue　sky　as　he　had　looked　so　many　times　from　the　exercise　yard；　and　wondered　what　the　day　would　bring　forth。　　A　day　to　him　was　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　an　eternity。　　He　dare　not　let　his　mind　dwell　upon　the　long　aching　years　ahead。　　He　dare　not　think　of　the　woman　he　left；　or　let　his　mind　dwell　upon　the　agony　which　she　was　enduring。　　He　had　disappeared　from　the　world；　the　world　he　loved；　and　the　world　that　knew　him；　and　all　that　there　was　in　life；　all　that　was　worth　while　had　been　crushed　and　obliterated　into　the　granite　of　the　Princetown　quarries；　and　its　wide　horizon　shrunken　by　the　gaunt　moorland　with　its　menacing　tors。

New　interests　made　up　his　existence。　　The　quality　of　the　food　was　one。　　The　character　of　the　book　he　would　receive　from　the　prison　library　another。　　The　future　meant　Sunday　chapel；　the　present　whatever　task　they　found　him。　　For　the　day　he　was　to　paint　some　doors　and　windows　of　an　outlying　cottage。　　A　cottage　occupied　by　a　warder　who；　for　some　reason；　on　the　day　previous；　had　spoken　to　him　with　a　certain　kindness　and　a　certain　respect　which　was　unusual。

〃Face　the　wall；〃　growled　a　voice；　and　mechanically　he　turned；　his　hands　still　behind　him；　and　stood　staring　at　the　grey　wall　of　the　prison　storehouse。

He　heard　the　shuffling　feet　of　the　quarry　gang；　his　ears　caught　the　clink　of　the　chains　which　bound　them　together。　　They　were　desperate　men；　peculiarly　interesting　to　him；　and　he　had　watched　their　faces　furtively　in　the　early　period　of　his　imprisonment。

He　had　been　sent　to　Dartmoor　after　spending　three　months　in　Wormwood　Scrubbs。　　Old　hands　had　told　him　variously　that　he　was　fortunate　or　unlucky。　　It　was　usual　to　have　twelve　months　at　the　Scrubbs　before　testing　the　life　of　a　convict　establishment。　　He　believed　there　was　some　talk　of　sending　him　to　Parkhurst；　and　here　he　traced　the　influence　which　T。　X。　would　exercise；　for　Parkhurst　was　a　prisoner's　paradise。

He　heard　his　warder's　voice　behind　him。

〃Right　turn；　43；　quick　march。〃

He　walked　ahead　of　the　armed　guard；　through　the　great　and　gloomy　gates　of　the　prison；　turned　sharply　to　the　right；　and　walked　up　the　village　street　toward　the　moors；　beyond　the　village　of　Princetown；　and　on　the　Tavistock　Road　where　were　two　or　three　cottages　which　had　been　lately　taken　by　the　prison　staff；　and　it　was　to　the　decoration　of　one　of　these　that　A。　O。　43　had　been　sent。

The　house　was　as　yet　without　a　tenant。

A　paper…hanger　under　the　charge　of　another　warder　was　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　the　painter。　　The　two　warders　exchanged　greetings；　and　the　first　went　off　leaving　the　other　in　charge　of　both　men。

For　an　hour　they　worked　in　silence　under　the　eyes　of　the　guard。　Presently　the　warder　went　outside；　and　John　Lexman　had　an　opportunity　of　examining　his　fellow　sufferer。

He　was　a　man　of　twenty…four　or　twenty…five；　lithe　and　alert。　　By　no　means　bad　looking；　he　lacked　that　indefinable　suggestion　of　animalism　which　distinguished　the　majority　of　the　inhabitants　at　Dartmoor。

They　waited　until　they　heard　the　warder's　step　clear　the　passage；　and　until　his　iron…shod　boots　were　tramping　over　the　cobbled　path　which　led　from　the　door；　through　the　tiny　garden　to　the　road；　before　the　second　man　spoke。

〃What　are　you　in　for？〃　he　asked；　in　a　low　voice。

〃Murder；〃　said　John　Lexman；　laconically。

He　had　answered　the　question　before；　and