The Green Mummy
may have found the manuscript packed up in the mummy, amongst the
graveclothes, in fact. If he read it--as he would and could, seeing
that he was an excellent Latin scholar, thanks to Professor Braddock's
training--he might have formed a design to steal the emeralds when he
was in the Sailor's Rest. Then someone saved him the trouble, and packed
him off to Gartley instead of the mummy.”
“But why should Widow Anne leave the manuscript in my room?” argued
Random.
“Can't you see? Bolton knew that you wanted the mummy for Don Pedro,
and was aware how you had--so to speak--used threats in the presence of
witnesses, since you spoke out aloud on the deck.”
“Only to warn Bolton against the Indians,” pleaded Random.
“Exactly; but your words were capable of being twisted as Hervey has
twisted them. Well, if Widow Anne really went to see her son--and from
the lie about the borrowed clothes it looks like it--he may have given
her the manuscript, so as to throw the blame on you.”
“The murder?”
“No, no,” said Archie testily. “Bolton did not expect to be murdered.
But I really believe that he intended to fly with the emeralds, and
hoped that when the manuscript was found in your room you would be
accused. The idea was suggested to him, I believe, by your visit to The
Diver.”
“What do you think, Miss Kendal?” asked Random nervously.
“I fancy that it is possible.”
Sir Frank turned to the Peruvian.
“Don Pedro,” he said proudly, “you have heard what Hervey says; do you
believe that I am guilty?”
For answer De Gayangos took his daughter's hand and placed it in that of
the young soldier.
“That will show you what I think,” he said gravely.
“Thank you, sir,” said Random, moved, and shook his future father-in-law
heartily by the hand, while Donna Inez, throwing all restraint to the
winds, kissed her lover exultingly on the check. In the midst of this
scene Professor Braddock returned, looking very pleased.
“I have induced Hervey to hold his tongue for a few days until we can
look into this matter,” he said, rubbing his hands “that is, if you
think it wise, all of you. Otherwise, I am quite willing to go myself
to-morrow and tell the police.”
“No,” said Archie rapidly, “let us thresh out the matter ourselves. We
will save Sir Frank's name from a police court slur at all events.”
“I do not think there is any chance of Sir Frank being arrested,” said
Don Pedro politely; “the evidence is insufficient. And at the worst he
can provide an alibi.”
“I am not so sure of that,” said Random anxiously. “I went to London
certainly, but I did not go to any place where I am known. However,” he
added cheerfully, “I daresay I'll be able to defend myself. Still, the
fact remains that we are no nearer to learning who killed Bolton than we
were.”
“I am sending Cockatoo to Pierside to-morrow to stop at the Sailor's
Rest for a time,” said Braddock quickly. “He will watch Hervey, and if
there is anything suspicious about his movements, we shall soon know.”
“And I turn amateur detective to-morrow and question Widow Anne,” said
Hope, after which remark he had to explain matters to Braddock, who
had been out of the room when Mrs. Bolton's strange request had been
discussed.
Meanwhile Donna Inez had been whispering to her lover and pointing to
the mummy. Don Pedro followed her thoughts and guessed what she was
saying. Random proved the truth of his guess by, turning to him.
“Do you really want to take back the mummy to Peru, sir?” he asked
quietly.
“Certainly. Inca Caxas was my forefather. I do not wish to leave him in
this place. His body must be restored to its tomb. All the Indians, who
look upon me as their present Inca expect me to bring the body back.
Although,” added De Gayangos gravely, “I did not come to Europe to look
for the mummy, as you know.”
“Then I shall buy the mummy,” said Random impetuously. “Professor, will
you sell it to me?”
“Now that I have examined it thoroughly I shall be delighted,” said the
little man, “say for two thousand pounds.”
“Not at all,” interposed Don Pedro; “you mean one thousand.”
“Of course he does,” said Lucy quickly; “and the check must be paid to
Archie, Sir Frank.”
“To me! to me!” cried Braddock indignantly. “I insist.”
“The money belongs to Archie,” said Lucy obstinately. “You have seen
what you desired to see, father and as Archie only lent you the money,
it is only fair that he should have it again.”
“Oh, let the Professor have it,” said Hope good-naturedly.
“No! no! no!”
Random laughed.
“I shall make the check payable to you, Miss Kendal, and you can give
it to whomsoever you choose,” he said; “and now, as everything has been
settled so far, I suggest that we should retire.”
“Come to my rooms at the inn,” said Don Pedro, opening the door. “I
have much to say to you. Good night, Professor; to-morrow let us go to
Pierside and see if we cannot get at the truth.”
“And to-morrow,” cried Random, “I shall send the check, sir.”
When the company departed, Lucy had another wrangle with her father
about the check. As Archie had gone away, she could speak freely, and
pointed out that he was enjoying her mother's income and was about to
marry Mrs. Jasher, who was rich.
“Therefore,” argued Lucy, “you certainly do not want to keep poor
Archie's money.”
“He paid me that sum on condition that I consented to the wedding.”
“He did nothing of the sort,” she cried indignantly. “I am not going
to be bought and sold in this manner. Archie lent you the money, and it
must be returned. Don't force me to think you selfish, father.”
The upshot of the argument was that Lucy got her own way, and the
Professor rather unwillingly agreed to part with the mummy and restore
the thousand pounds. But he regretted doing so, as he wished to get all
the money he could to go towards his proposed Egyptian expedition, and
Mrs. Jasher's fortune, as he assured his step-daughter, was not so large
as might be thought. However, Lucy overruled him, and retired to bed,
congratulating herself that she would soon be able to marry Hope. She
was beginning to grow a trifle weary of the Professor's selfish nature,
and wondered how her mother had put up with it for so long.
Next day Braddock did not go with Don Pedro to Pierside, as he was
very busy in his museum. The Peruvian went alone, and Archie, after a
morning's work at his easel, sought out Widow Anne to ask questions.
Lucy and Donna Inez paid an afternoon visit to Mrs. Jasher and found
her in bed, as she had caught a mild sort of influenza. They expected to
find Sir Frank here, but it seemed that he had not called. Thinking that
he was detained by military business, the girls thought nothing more of
his absence, although Donna Inez was somewhat downcast.
But Random was detained in his quarters by a letter which had arrived by
the mid-day host, and which surprised him not a little. The postmark
was London, and the writing, evidently a disguised hand, was almost
illegible in its crudeness. The contents ran as follows, and it will be
noticed that there is neither date nor address, and that it is written
in the third person:
“If Sir Frank Random wants his character to be cleared and all suspicion
of murder to be removed from him, he can be completely exonerated by
the writer, if he will pay the same five thousand pounds. If Sir Frank
Random is willing to do this, let him appoint a meeting-place in London,
and the writer will send a messenger to receive the money and to hand
over the proofs which will clear Sir Frank Random. If Sir Frank Random
plays the writer false, or communicates with the police, proofs will be
forthcoming which will prove him to be guilty of Sidney Bolton's death,
and which will bring him to the scaffold without any chance of escape.
A couple of lines in the Agony Column of The Daily Telegraph, signed
`Artillery,' and appointing a meeting-place, will suffice; but beware of
treachery.”
CHAPTER XXI. A STORY OF THE PAST
Mrs. Jasher's influenza proved to be very mild indeed.
When Donna Inez de Gayangos and Lucy paid a visit to her on the
afternoon of the day succeeding the explanations in the museum, she
was certainly in bed, and explained that she had been there since the
Professor's visit on the previous day. Lucy was surprised at this, as
she had left Mrs. Jasher perfectly well, and Braddock had not mentioned
any ailment of the widow. But influenza, as Mrs. Jasher observed, was
very rapid in its action, and she was always susceptible to disease from
the fact that in Jamaica she had suffered from malaria. Still, she was
feeling better and intended to rise from her bed on that evening, if
only to lie on the couch in the pink drawing-room. Having thus detailed
her reasons for being ill, the widow asked for news.
As no prohibition had been placed upon Lucy with regard to Hervey's
visit and as Mrs. Jasher would be one of the family when she married the
Professor, Miss Kendal had no hesitation in reporting all that had taken
place. The narrative excited Mrs. Jasher, and she frequently interrupted
with expressions of wonder. Even Donna Inez grew eloquent, and told the
widow how she had defended Sir Frank against the American skipper.
“What a dreadfully wicked man!” said Mrs. Jasher, when in possession of
all the facts. “I really believe that he did kill poor Sidney.”
“No,” said Lucy decisively, “I don't think that. He would have murdered
him on board had he intended the crime, as he could have done so with
more safety. He is as innocent as Sir Frank.”
“And no one dare say a word against him,” cried Donna Inez with flashing
eyes.
“He has a good defender, my dear,” said the widow, patting the girl's
hand.
“I love him,” said Donna Inez, as if that explained everything, and
perhaps it did, so far as she was concerned.
Mrs. Jasher smiled indulgently, then turned for further information to
Lucy.
“Can it be possible,” she said, “that Widow Anne is guilty?”
“Oh, I don't think so. She would not murder her own son, especially when
she was so very fond of him. Archie told me, just before we came here,
that he had called to see her. She still insists that Sidney borrowed
the clothes, saying that Archie wanted them.”
“What do you make of that, my dear?”
“Well,” said Miss Kendal, pondering, “either Widow Anne herself was the
woman who talked to Sidney through the Sailor's Rest window, and has
invented this story to save herself, or Sidney did get the clothes and
intended to use them as a disguise when he fled with the emeralds.”
“In that case,” said Mrs. Jasher, “the woman who talked through the
window still remains a problem. Again, if Sidney Bolton intended to
steal the emeralds, he could have done so in Malta, or on board the
boat.”
“No,” said Lucy decisively. “The mummy was taken directly from the
seller's house to the boat, and perhaps Sidney did not find the
manuscript until he looked at the mummy. Then Captain Hervey kept an eye
on Sidney, so that he could not open the mummy to steal the emeralds.”
“Still, according to your own showing, Sidney looked at the actual
mummy--he opened the mummy case, that is, else he could not have got the
manuscript.”
Lucy nodded.
“I think so, but of course we cannot be sure. But the packing case in
which the mummy was stowed was placed in the hold of the steamer, and
if Sidney had wished to steal the emeralds, he could not have done so
without exciting Captain Hervey's suspicions.”
“Then let us say that Sidney robbed the mummy when in the Sailor's Rest,
and took the clothes he borrowed from his mother in order to fly in
disguise. But what of the woman?”
Lucy shook her head.
“I cannot tell. We may learn more later. Don Pedro has gone to Pierside
to search, and my father says that he will send Cockatoo there also to