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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Mystery Queen - -Author: Fergus Hume - -Release Date: July 17, 2017 [EBook #55137] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY QUEEN *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (The New York Public Library) - - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - 1. Page scan source: https://books.google.com/books?id=KF4gAAAAMAAJ - (The New York Public Library) - - - - - - -[Front cover] - - - - - - -[Illustration: "TAKE ME AWAY; TAKE ME AWAY!" SHE CRIED PITEOUSLY. -_Frontispiece_, p. 2] - - - - - - -THE MYSTERY -QUEEN - - -BY -FERGUS HUME -_Author of "The Mystery of a Hanson Cab," "The Yellow Holly," -"The Red Window," "The Solitary Farm," "The Opal Serpent," etc., etc., -etc_. - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS BY -HOWARD SOMERVILLE - - -G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY -PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - - - - - -COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY -G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY - - -_The Mystery Queen_ - - - - - - -CONTENTS - -CHAPTER -I. A STRANGE VISITOR -II. A COMPLETE MYSTERY -III. DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE -IV. AN AMATEUR DETECTIVE -V. MUDDY WATER -VI. THE INVENTOR -VII. THE HERMIT LADIES -VIII. AVIATION -IX. MAHOMET'S COFFIN -X. ANOTHER MYSTERY -XI. ON THE TRAIL -XII. AN AMAZING ADVENTURE -XIII. A BOLD DETERMINATION -XIV. A BUSY AFTERNOON -XV. ABSOLUTE PROOF -XVI. DAN'S DIPLOMACY -XVII. AT BAY -XVIII. THE FLIGHT -XIX. TREACHERY -XX. QUEEN BEELZEBUB'S END -XXI. SUNSHINE - - - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -"Take me away; take me away!" she cried piteously - -"Why, even your cards are scented." - - - - - - -The Mystery Queen - - - - -CHAPTER I - -A STRANGE VISITOR - - -"A penny for your thoughts, dad," cried Lillian, suppressing a -school-girl desire to throw one of the nuts on her plate at her father -and rouse him from his brown study. - -Sir Charles Moon looked up with a start, and drew his bushy gray -eye-brows together. "Some people would give more than that to know -them, my dear." - -"What sort of people?" asked the young man who sat beside Lillian, -industriously cracking nuts for her consumption. - -"Dangerous people," replied Sir Charles grimly, "very dangerous, Dan." - -Mrs. Bolstreath, fat, fair, and fifty, Lillian's paid companion and -chaperon, leaned back complacently. She had enjoyed an excellent -dinner: she was beautifully dressed: and shortly she would witness the -newest musical comedy; three very good reasons for her amiable -expression. "All people are dangerous to millionaires," she remarked, -pointing the compliment at her employer, "since all people enjoy life -with wealth, and wish to get the millionaire's money honestly or -dishonestly." - -"The people you mention have failed to get mine, Mrs. Bolstreath," was -the millionaire's dry response. - -"Of course I speak generally and not of any particular person, Sir -Charles." - -"I am aware of it," he answered, nodding and showed a tendency to -relapse into his meditation, but that his daughter raised her price -for confession. - -"A sixpence for your thoughts, dad, a shilling--ten shillings--then -one pound, you insatiable person." - -"My kingdom for an explicit statement," murmured Dan, laying aside the -crackers. "Lillian, my child, you must not eat any more nuts or you -will be having indigestion." - -"I believe dad has indigestion already." - -"Some people will have it very badly before I am done with them," said -Sir Charles, not echoing his daughter's laughter; then, to prevent -further questions being asked, he addressed himself to the young man. -"How are things going with you, Halliday?" - -When Sir Charles asked questions thus stiffly, Dan knew that he was -not too well pleased, and guessed the reason, which had to do with -Lillian, and with Lillian's friendly attitude towards a swain not -overburdened with money--to wit, his very own self--who replied -diplomatically. "Things are going up with me, sir, if you mean -aeroplanes." - -"Frivolous! Frivolous!" muttered the big man seriously, "as a -well-educated young man who wants money, you should aim at higher -things." - -"He aims at the sun," said Lillian gaily, "how much higher do you -expect him to aim, dad?" - -"Aiming at the sun is he?" said Moon heavily, "h'm! he'll be like that -classical chap who flew too high and came to smash." - -"Do you mean Icarus or Phaeton, Sir Charles?" asked Mrs. Bolstreath, -who, having been a governess, prided herself upon exceptional -knowledge. - -"I don't know which of the two, perhaps one, perhaps both. But he flew -in an aeroplane like Dan here, and came to grief." - -"Oh!" Lillian turned distinctly pale. "I hope, Dan, you won't come to -grief." - -Before the guest could reply, Sir Charles reassured his daughter. -"Naught was never in danger," he said, still grim and unsmiling, -"don't trouble, Lillian, my dear. Dan won't come to grief in that way, -although he may in another." - -Lillian opened her blue eyes and stared while young Halliday grew -crimson and fiddled with the nut-shells. "I don't know what you mean, -dad?" said the girl after a puzzled pause. - -"I think Dan does," rejoined her father, rising and pushing back his -chair slowly. He looked at his watch, "Seven-thirty; you have plenty -of time to see your play, which does not begin until nine," he added, -walking towards the door. "Mrs. Bolstreath, I should like to speak -with you." - -"But, dad----" - -"My dear Lillian, I have no time to wait. There is an important -appointment at nine o'clock here, and afterwards I must go to the -House. Go and enjoy yourself, but don't"--here his stern gray eyes -rested on Dan's bent head in a significant way--"don't be foolish. -Mrs. Bolstreath," he beckoned, and left the room. - -"Oh!" sighed the chaperon-governess-companion, for she was all three, -a kind of modern Cerebus, guarding the millionaire's child. "I thought -it would come to this!" and she also looked significantly at Halliday -before she vanished to join her employer. - -Lillian stared at the closed door through which both her father and -Mrs. Bolstreath had passed, and then looked at Dan, sitting somewhat -disconsolately at the disordered dinner-table. She was a delicately -pretty girl of a fair, fragile type, not yet twenty years of age, and -resembled a shepherdess of Dresden china in her dainty perfection. -With her pale golden hair, and rose-leaf complexion, arrayed in a -simple white silk frock with snowy pearls round her slender neck, she -looked like a wraith of faint mist. At least Dan fancifully thought -so, as he stole a glance at her frail beauty, or perhaps she was more -like a silver-point drawing, exquisitely fine. But whatever image love -might find to express her loveliness, Dan knew in his hot passion that -she was the one girl in the world for him. Lillian Halliday was a much -better name for her than Lillian Moon. - -Dan himself was tall and slim, dark and virile, with a clear-cut, -clean-shaven face suggestive of strength and activity. His bronzed -complexion showed an open-air life, while the eagle look in his dark -eyes was that new vast-distance expression rapidly being acquired by -those who devote themselves to aviation. No one could deny Dan's good -looks or clean life, or daring nature, and he was all that a girl -could desire in the way of a fairy prince. But fathers do not approve -of fairy princes unless they come laden with jewels and gold. To bring -such to Lillian was rather like taking coals to Newcastle since her -father was so wealthy; but much desires more, and Sir Charles wanted a -rich son-in-law. Dan could not supply this particular adjective, and -therefore--as he would have put it in the newest slang of the newest -profession--was out of the fly. Not that he intended to be, in spite -of Sir Charles, since love can laugh at stern fathers as easily as at -bolts and bars. - -And all this time Lillian stared at the door, and then at Dan, and -then at her plate, putting two and two together. But in spite of her -feminine intuition, she could not make four, and turned to her -lover--for that Dan was, and a declared lover too--for an explanation. -"What does dad mean?" Dan raised his handsome head and laughed as -grimly as Sir Charles had done earlier. "He means that I shan't be -asked to dinner any more." - -"Why? You have done nothing." - -"No; but I intend to do something." - -"What's that?" - -Dan glanced at the closed door and seeing that there was no immediate -chance of butler or footmen entering took her in his arms. "Marry -you," he whispered between two kisses. - -"There's no intention about that," pouted the girl; "we have settled -that ever so long ago." - -"So your father suspects, and for that reason he is warning Mrs. -Bolstreath." - -"Warning the dragon," said Miss Moon, who used the term quite in an -affectionate way, "why, the dragon is on our side." - -"I daresay your father guesses as much. For that reason I'll stake my -life that he is telling her at this moment she must never let us be -together alone after this evening. After all, my dear, I don't see why -you should look at me in such a puzzled way. You know well enough that -Sir Charles wants you to marry Curberry." - -"Marry Lord Curberry," cried Lillian, her pale skin coloring to a deep -rose hue; "why I told dad I wouldn't do that." - -"Did you tell dad that you loved me?" - -"No. There's no need to," said the girl promptly. - -Dan coughed drily. "I quite agree with you," he said rising, "there's -no need to, since every time I look at you, I give myself away. But -you surely understand, darling, that as I haven't a title and I -haven't money, I can't have you. Hothouse grapes are for the rich and -not for a poor devil like me." - -"You might find a prettier simile," laughed Lillian, not at all -discomposed, although she now thoroughly understood the meaning of her -father's abrupt departure with Mrs. Bolstreath. Then she rose and took -Dan by the lapels of his coat, upon which he promptly linked her to -himself by placing both arms round her waist. "Dearest," she said -earnestly, "I shall marry you and you only. We have been brought up -more or less together, and we have always loved one another. Dad was -your guardian: you have three hundred a year of your own, and if we -marry dad can give us plenty, and----" - -"I know all that," interrupted Halliday, placing her arms round his -neck, "and it is just because Sir Charles knows also, that he will -never consent to our marriage. I knew what was in the wind weeks ago, -darling heart, and every day I have been expecting what has occurred -to-night. For that reason, I have come here as often as possible and -have arranged for you and the dragon to go to the theatre to-night. -But, believe me, Lillian, it will be for the last time. To-morrow I -shall receive a note saying that I am to stay away from Lord -Curberry's bride." - -"I'm not his bride and I never shall be," stamped Lillian, and the -tears came into her pretty eyes, whereupon Dan, as a loyal lover, -wiped them away with his pocket-handkerchief tenderly, "and--and--" -she faltered. - -"And--and--" he mocked, knowing her requirements, which led him to -console her with a long and lingering kiss. "Oh!" he sighed and -Lillian, nestling in his arms, echoed the sigh. The moment of perfect -understanding and perfect love held them until the sudden opening of -the door placed Dan on one side of the table and Lillian on the other. - -"It won't do, my dears," said the new-comer, who was none other than -Mrs. Bolstreath, flaming with wrath, but not, as the lovers found -later, at them. "I know quite well that Dan hasn't wasted his time in -this league-divided wooing." - -"We thought that one of the servants----" began the young man, when -Mrs. Bolstreath interrupted. - -"Well, and am I not one of the servants? Sir Charles has reminded me -of the fact three times with the information that I am not worth my -salt, much less the good table he keeps." - -"Oh! Bolly dear," and Lillian ran to the stout chaperon to embrace her -with many kisses, "was dad nasty?" - -"He wasn't agreeable," assented Mrs. Bolstreath, fanning herself with -her handkerchief, for the interview had heated her. "You can't expect -him to be, my sweet, when his daughter loves a pauper." - -"Thank you," murmured Dan bowing, "but don't you think it is time we -went to the theatre, Bolly dear." - -"You must not be so familiar, young man," said the chaperon, broadly -smiling at the dark handsome face. "Sir Charles wants Lillian to -marry----" - -"Then I shan't!" Lillian stamped again, "I hate Lord Curberry." - -"And you love Dan!" - -"Don't be so familiar, young woman," said Halliday, in a joking way, -"unless you are on our side, that is." - -"If I were not on your side," rejoined Mrs. Bolstreath, majestically, -"I should be the very dragon Lillian calls me. After all, Dan, you -_are_ poor." - -"Poor, but honest." - -"Worse and worse. Honest people never grow rich. And then you have -such a dangerous profession, taking people flying trips in those -aeroplanes. One never can be sure if you will be home to supper. I'm -sure Lillian would not care to marry a husband who was uncertain about -being home for supper." - -"I'll marry Dan," said Lillian, and embraced Dan, who returned the -embrace. - -"Children! Children!" Mrs. Bolstreath raised her hands in horror, -"think of what you are doing. The servants may be in at any moment. -Come to the drawing-room and have coffee. The motor-car is waiting and ---hush, separate, separate," cried the chaperon, "someone is coming!" - -She spoke truly, for the lovers had just time to fly asunder when -Sir Charles's secretary entered swiftly. He was a lean, tall, -haggard-looking young fellow of thirty with a pallid complexion and scanty -light hair. A thin moustache half concealed a weak mouth, and he -blinked his eyes in a nervous manner when he bowed to the ladies -and excused his presence. "Sir Charles left his spectacles here," he -said in a soft and rather unsteady voice, "he sent me for them -and----" he had glided to the other side of the table by this -time--"oh, here they are. The motor-car waits, Miss Moon." - -"Where is my father?" asked Lillian irrelevantly. "Tell me, Mr. Penn." - -"In the library, Miss Moon," said the secretary glibly, "but he cannot -see any one just now--not even you, Miss Moon." - -"Why not?" - -"He is waiting to interview an official from Scotland Yard--a Mr. -Durwin on important business." - -"You see," murmured Dan to Lillian in an undertone, "your father -intends to lock me up for daring to love you." - -Miss Moon took no notice. "What is the business?" she asked sharply. - -"Indeed, I don't know, Miss Moon. It is strictly private. Sir Charles -has related nothing to me. And if you will excuse me--if you don't -mind--these spectacles are wanted and----" he babbled himself out of -the room, while Mrs. Bolstreath turned on her charge. - -"You don't mean to say, you foolish child, that you were going to see -your father about 'this'!" she indicated Halliday. - -"I don't care about being called a 'this'!" said Dan, stiffly. - -Neither lady noticed the protest. "I want to make it clear to my -father as soon as possible, that I shall marry Dan and no one else," -declared Lillian, pursing up her pretty mouth obstinately. - -"Then take him at the right moment," retorted Mrs. Bolstreath crossly, -for the late interview had tried even her amiable temper. "Just now he -is seething with indignation that an aviator should dare to raise his -eyes to you." - -"Aviators generally look down," said Dan flippantly; "am I to be -allowed to take you and Lillian to the theatre this evening?" - -"Yes. Although Sir Charles mentioned that you would do better to spend -your money on other things than mere frivolity." - -"Oh!" said Halliday with a shrug, "as to that, this particular -frivolity is costing me nothing. I got the box from Freddy Laurance, -who is on that very up-to-date newspaper _The Moment_ as a reporter. I -have dined at my future father-in-law's expense, and now I go in his -motor-car without paying for the trip. I don't see that my pleasures -could cost me less. Even Sir Charles must be satisfied with such -strict economy." - -"Sir Charles will be satisfied with nothing save a promise for you to -go away and leave Lillian alone," said Mrs. Bolstreath, sadly, "he has -no feeling of romance such as makes me foolish enough to encourage a -pauper." - -"You called me that before," said Dan, coolly, "well, there's no -getting over facts. I am a pauper, but I love Lillian." - -"And I--" began Lillian, advancing, only to be waved back and -prevented from speaking further by Mrs. Bolstreath. - -"Don't make love before my very eyes," she said crossly, "after all I -am paid to keep you two apart, and--and--well, there's no time for -coffee, so we had better finish the discussion in the car. There is -plenty of time between Hampstead and the Strand to allow of a long -argument. And remember, Dan," Mrs. Bolstreath turned at the door to -shake her finger, "this is your last chance of uninterrupted -conversation with Lillian." - -"Let us make honey while the flowers bloom," whispered Halliday, -poetically, and stole a final and hasty kiss before he led the girl -after the amiable dragon, who had already left the room. - -The lovers found her talking to a poorly-dressed and rather stout -female clothed in rusty mourning, who looked the picture of decent but -respectable poverty. The entrance door stood open, and the waiting -motor-car could be seen at the steps, while the footman stood near -Mrs. Bolstreath, watching her chatting to the stranger and wearing an -injured expression. It seemed that the decent woman wished to see Sir -Charles, and the footman had refused her admission since his master -was not to be disturbed. The woman--she called herself Mrs. Brown and -was extremely tearful--had therefore appealed to the dragon, who was -explaining that she could do nothing. - -"Oh, but I am sure you can get Sir Charles Moon to see me, my lady," -wailed Mrs. Brown with a dingy handkerchief to her red eyes, "my son -has been lost overboard off one of those steamers Sir Charles owns, -and I want to ask him to give me some money. My son was my only -support, and now I am starving." - -Lillian knew that her father owned a number of tramp steamers, which -picked up cargoes all over the world, and saw no reason why the woman -should not have the interview since her son had been drowned while in -Moon's service. The hour was certainly awkward, since Sir Charles had -an appointment before he went down to the House. But a starving woman -and a sorrowful woman required some consideration so she stepped -forward hastily and touched Mrs. Brown's rusty cloak. - -"I shall ask my father to see you," she said quickly, "wait here!" and -without consulting Mrs. Bolstreath she went impulsively to her -father's study, while Mrs. Brown dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief -and called down blessings on her young head. - -Dan believed the story of the lost son, but doubted the tale of -starvation as Mrs. Brown looked too stout to have been without food -for any length of time. He looked hard at her face, which was more -wrinkled than a fat woman's should be; although such lines might be -ascribed to grief. She wept profusely and was so overcome with sorrow -that she let down a ragged veil when she saw Dan's eager gaze. The -young gentleman, she observed, could not understand a mother's -feelings, or he would not make a show of her by inquisitorial glances. -The remark was somewhat irrelevant, and the action of letting down the -veil unnecessary, but much might be pardoned to a woman so obviously -afflicted. - -Dan was about to excuse his inquiring looks, when Lillian danced back -with the joyful information that her father would see Mrs. Brown for a -few minutes if she went in at once. "And I have asked him to help -you," said the girl, patting the tearful woman's shoulder, as she -passed to the motor-car. "Oh! it's past eight o'clock. Dan, we'll -never be in time." - -"The musical comedy doesn't begin until nine," Halliday assured her, -and in a few minutes the three of them were comfortably seated in the -luxurious car, which whirled at break-neck speed towards the Strand. - -Of course Lillian and Dan took every advantage of the opportunity, -seeing that Mrs. Bolstreath was sympathetic enough to close her eyes -to their philanderings. They talked all the way to the Curtain -Theatre; they talked all through the musical comedy; and talked all -the way back to the house at Hampstead. Mrs. Bolstreath, knowing that -the young couple would not have another opportunity for uninterrupted -love-making, and being entirely in favor of the match, attended to the -stage and left them to whisper unreproved. She did not see why Dan, -whom Lillian had loved since the pair had played together as children, -should be set aside in favor of a dry-as-dust barrister, even though -he had lately come into a fortune and a title. "But, of course," said -Mrs. Bolstreath between the facts, "if you could only invent a perfect -flying-machine, they would make you a duke or something and give you a -large income. Then you could marry." - -"What are you talking about, Bolly darling?" asked Lillian, much -puzzled, as she could not be supposed to know what was going on inside -her friend's head. - -"About you and Dan, dear. He has no money and----" - -"I shall make heaps and heaps of money," said Dan, sturdily; "aviation -is full of paying possibilities, and the nation that first obtains -command of the air will rule the world. I'm no fool!" - -"You're a commoner," snapped Mrs. Bolstreath quickly, "and unless, as -I said, you are made a duke for inventing a perfect aeroplane, Lord -Curberry is certainly a better match for Lillian." - -"He's as dull as tombs," said Miss Moon with her pretty nose in the -air. - -"You can't expect to have everything, my dear child." - -"I can expect to have Dan," retorted Lillian decidedly, whereat Dan -whispered sweet words and squeezed his darling's gloved hand. - -"Well," said Mrs. Bolstreath, as the curtain rose on the second act, -"I'll do my best to help you since I believe in young love and true -love. Hush, children, people are looking! Attend to the stage." - -Dan and Lillian did their best to follow her advice and sat demurely -in their stalls side by side, watching the heroine flirt in a duet -with the hero, both giving vent to their feelings in a lively musical -number. But they really took little interest in "The Happy Bachelor!" -as the piece was called, in spite of the pretty girls and the charming -music and the artistic dresses and the picturesque scenery. They were -together and that was all they cared about, and although a dark cloud -of parental opposition hovered over them, they were not yet enveloped -in its gloom. And after all, since Mrs. Bolstreath was strongly -prejudiced in their favor, Lillian hoped that she might induce Sir -Charles to change his mind as regards Lord Curberry. He loved his -daughter dearly and would not like to see her unhappy, as she -certainly would be if compelled to marry any one but Dan. Lillian said -this to Mrs. Bolstreath and to Dan several times on the way home, and -they entirely agreed with her. - -"Although I haven't much influence with Sir Charles," Mrs. Bolstreath -warned them, "and he is fond of having his own way." - -"He always does what I ask," said Lillian confidently. "Why, although -he was so busy this evening he saw Mrs. Brown when I pleaded for her." - -"He couldn't resist you," whispered Dan fondly, "no one could." - -Mrs. Bolstreath argued this point, saying that Lillian was Sir -Charles's daughter, and fathers could not be expected to feel like -lovers. She also mentioned that she was jeopardizing her situation by -advocating the match, which was certainly a bad one from a financial -point of view, and would be turned out of doors as an old romantic -fool. The lovers assured her she was the most sensible of women and -that if she was turned out of doors they would take her in to the -cottage where they proposed to reside like two turtle doves. Then came -laughter and kisses and the feeling that the world was not such a bad -place after all. It was a very merry trio that alighted at the door of -Moon's great Hampstead mansion. - -Then came a shock, the worse for being wholly unexpected. At the door -the three were met by Marcus Penn, who was Moon's secretary. He looked -leaner and more haggard than ever, and his general attitude was that -of the bearer of evil news. Dan and Lillian and Mrs. Bolstreath stared -at him in amazement. "You may as well know the worst at once, Miss -Moon," said Penn, his lips quivering with nervousness, "your father is -dead. He has been murdered." - - - - -CHAPTER II - -A COMPLETE MYSTERY - - -It was Mrs. Bolstreath who carried Lillian upstairs in her stout arms, -for when Penn made his brusque announcement the girl fainted straight -away, which was very natural considering the horror of the -information. Dan remained behind to tell the secretary that he was -several kinds of fool, since no one but a superfine ass would blurt -out so terrible a story to a delicate girl. Not that Penn had told his -story, for Lillian had become unconscious the moment her bewildered -brain grasped that the father she had left a few hours earlier in good -health and spirits was now a corpse. But he told it to Dan, and -mentioned that Mr. Durwin was in the library wherein the death had -taken place. - -"Mr. Durwin? Who is Mr. Durwin?" asked Dan trying to collect his -senses, which had been scattered by the dreadful news. - -"An official from Scotland Yard; I told you so after dinner," said -Penn in an injured tone, "he came to see Sir Charles by appointment at -nine o'clock and found him a corpse." - -"Sir Charles was alive when we left shortly after eight," remarked Dan -sharply; "at a quarter-past eight to be precise. What took place in -the meantime?" - -"Obviously the violent death of Sir Charles," faltered the secretary. - -"What evidence have you to show that he died by violence?" asked -Halliday. - -"Mr. Durwin called in a doctor, and he says that Sir Charles had been -poisoned," blurted out Penn uneasily. "I believe that woman--Mrs. -Brown she called herself--poisoned him. She left the house at a -quarter to nine, so the footman says, for he let her out, and----" - -"It is impossible that a complete stranger should poison Sir Charles," -interrupted Dan impatiently, "she would not have the chance." - -"She was alone with Sir Charles for thirty minutes, more or less," -said Penn tartly; "she had every chance and she took it." - -"But how could she induce Sir Charles to drink poison?" - -"She didn't induce him to drink anything. The doctor says that the -scratch at the back of the dead man's neck----" - -"Here!" Dan roughly pushed the secretary aside, becoming impatient of -the scrappy way in which he detailed what had happened. "Let me go to -the library for myself and see what has happened. Sir Charles can't be -dead." - -"It's twelve o'clock now," retorted Penn stepping aside, "and he's -been dead quite three hours, as the doctor will tell you." - -Before the man finished his sentence, Dan, scarcely grasping the -situation, so rapidly had it evolved, ran through the hall, towards -the back of the spacious house, where the library was situated. He -dashed into the large and luxuriously furnished room and collided with -a police officer, who promptly took him by the shoulder. There were -three other men in the room, who turned from the corpse at which they -were looking, when they heard the noise of Halliday's abrupt entrance. -The foremost man, and the one who spoke first, was short and stout and -arrayed in uniform, with cold gray eyes, and a hard mouth. - -"What's this--what's this?" he demanded in a raucous voice. "Who are -you?" - -"My name is Halliday," said Dan hurriedly. "I am engaged to Miss Moon -and we have just returned from the theatre to hear--to hear----" He -caught sight of Moon's body seated in the desk-chair and drooping -limply over the table. "Oh, it is true, then! He is dead. Good -heavens! who murdered him?" - -"How do you know that Sir Charles has been murdered?" asked the -officer sternly. - -"Mr. Penn, the secretary, told me just now in the hall," said Dan, -shaking himself free of the policeman. "He blurted it out like a fool, -and Miss Moon has fainted. Mrs. Bolstreath has taken her upstairs. But -how did it come about? Who found the body, and----" - -"I found the body," interrupted one of the other men, who was tall and -calm-faced, with a bald head and a heavy iron-gray moustache, -perfectly clothed in fashionable evening-dress, and somewhat imperious -in his manner of speaking. "I had an appointment with Sir Charles at -nine o'clock and came here to find him, as you now see him"--he waved -his hand toward the desk--"the doctor will tell you how he died." - -"By poison," said the third man, who was dark, young, unobtrusive and -retiring in manner. "You see this deep scratch on the back of the -neck. In that way the poison was administered. I take it that Sir -Charles was bending over his desk and the person who committed the -crime scratched him with some very sharp instrument impregnated with -poison." - -"Mrs. Brown!" gasped Dan, staring at the heavy, swollen body of his -late guardian, whom he had dined with in perfect health. - -The three men glanced at one another as he said the name, and even the -policeman on guard at the door looked interested. The individual in -uniform spoke with his cold eyes on Dan's agitated face. "What do you -know of Mrs. Brown, Mr. Halliday?" he demanded abruptly. - -"Don't you know that a woman of that name called here?" - -"Yes. The secretary, Mr. Penn, told us that Miss Moon induced her -father to see a certain Mrs. Brown, who claimed that her son had been -drowned while working on one of the steamers owned by Sir Charles. You -saw her also, I believe?" - -"I was in the hall when Miss Moon went to induce her father to see the -poor woman. That was about a quarter-past eight o'clock." - -"And Mrs. Brown--as we have found from inquiry--left the house at a -quarter to nine. Do you think she is guilty?" - -"I can't say. Didn't the footman see the body--that is if Mrs. Brown -committed the crime--when he came to show her out? Sir Charles would -naturally ring his bell when the interview was over, and the footman -would come to conduct her to the door." - -"Sir Charles never rang his bell!" said the officer, drily. "Mrs. -Brown passed through the entrance hall at a quarter to nine o'clock, -and mentioned to the footman--quite unnecessarily, I think--that Sir -Charles had given her money. He let her out of the house. Naturally, -the footman not hearing any bell did not enter this room, nor--so far -as any one else is concerned--did a single person. Only when Mr. -Durwin----" - -"I came at nine o'clock," interrupted the baldheaded man imperiously, -"to keep my appointment. The footman told Mr. Penn, who took me to Sir -Charles. He knocked but there was no answer, so he opened the door and -we saw this." He again waved his hands towards the body. - -"Does Mr. Penn know nothing?" asked Halliday, doubtfully. - -"No," answered the other. "Inspector Tenson has questioned him -carefully in my presence. Mr. Penn says that he brought Sir Charles -his spectacles from the dining-room before you left for the theatre -with the two ladies, and then was sent to his own room by his employer -to write the usual letters. He remained there until nine o'clock when -he was called out to receive me, and we know that Mr. Penn speaks -truly, for the typewriting girl who was typing Sir Charles's letters -to Mr. Penn's dictation, says that he did not leave the room all the -time. - -"May I look at the body?" asked Dan approaching the desk, and, on -receiving an affirmative reply from Durwin, bent over the dead. - -The corpse was much swollen, the face indeed being greatly bloated, -while the deep scratch on the nape of the neck looked venomous and -angry. Yet it was a slight wound to bring about so great a -catastrophe, and the poison must have been very deadly and swift; -deadly because apparently Sir Charles had no time to move before it -did its work, and swift because he could not even have called for -assistance, which he surely would have done had he been able to keep -his senses. Dan mentioned this to the watchful doctor, who nodded. - -"I can't say for certain," he remarked cautiously, "but I fancy that -snake-poison has been used. That will be seen to, when the post-mortem -is made." - -"And this fly?" Halliday pointed to an insect which was just behind -the left ear of the dead man. - -"Fly!" echoed Inspector Tenson in surprise, and hastily advancing to -look. "A fly in November. Impossible! Yet it is a fly, and dead. If -not," he swept the neck of the corpse with his curved hand, "it would -get away. H'm! Now I wonder what this means? Get me a magnifying -glass." - -There was not much difficulty in procuring one, as such an article lay -on the desk itself, being used, no doubt, by Sir Charles to aid his -failing sight when he examined important documents. Tenson inspected -the fly and removed it--took it to a near electric light and examined -it. Then he came back and examined the place behind the left ear -whence he had removed it. - -"It's been gummed on," he declared in surprise--a surprise which was -also visible in the faces of the other men; "you can see the -glistening spot on the skin, and the fly's legs are sticky." He -balanced the fly on his little finger as he spoke. "I am sure they are -sticky, although it is hard to say with such a small insect. However," -he carefully put away the fly in a silver matchbox, "we'll have this -examined under a more powerful glass. You are all witnesses, -gentlemen, that a fly was found near the wound which caused Sir -Charles Moon's death." - -"And the scent? What about the scent?" Dan sniffed as he spoke and -then bent his nose to the dead man. "It seems to come from his -clothes." - -"Scent!" echoed Durwin sharply and sniffed. "Yes, I observed that -scent. But I did not take any notice of it." - -"Nor did I," said the doctor. "I noticed it also." - -"And I," followed on the Inspector, "and why should we take notice of -it, Mr. Halliday? Many men use scent." - -"Sir Charles never did," said Dan emphatically, "he hated scents of -all kinds even when women used them. He certainly would never have -used them himself. I'll swear to that." - -"Then this scent assumes importance." Durwin sniffed again, and held -his aquiline nose high. "It is fainter now. But I smelt it very -strongly when I first came in and looked at the body. A strange -perfume it is." - -The three men tried to realize the peculiar odor of the scent, and -became aware that it was rich and heavy and sickly, and somewhat -drowsy in its suggestion. - -"A kind of thing to render a man sleepy," said Dan, musingly. - -"Or insensible," said Inspector Tenson hastily, and put his nose to -the dead man's chin and mouth. He shook his head as he straightened -himself. "I fancied from your observation, Mr. Halliday, that the -scent might have been used as a kind of chloroform, but there's no -smell about the face. It comes from the clothes," he sniffed again, -"yes, it certainly comes from the clothes. Did you smell this scent on -Mrs. Brown?" he demanded suddenly. - -"No, I did not," admitted Halliday promptly, "otherwise I should -certainly have noted it. I have a keen sense of smell. Mrs. Bolstreath -and Lil--I mean Miss Moon--might have noticed it, however." - -At that moment, as if in answer to her name, the door opened suddenly -and Lillian brushed past the policeman in a headlong entrance into the -library. Her fair hair was in disorder, her face was bloodless, and -her eyes were staring and wild. Behind her came Mrs. Bolstreath -hurriedly, evidently trying to restrain her. But the girl would not be -restrained, and rushed forward scattering the small group round the -dead, to fling herself on the body. - -"Oh, father, father!" she sobbed, burying her face on the shoulder of -her dearly-loved parent. "How awful it is. Oh, my heart will break. -How shall I ever get over it. Father! father! father!" - -She wept and wailed so violently that the four men were touched by her -great grief. Both Mr. Durwin and Inspector Tenson had daughters of -their own, while the young doctor was engaged. They could feel for her -thoroughly, and no one made any attempt to remove her from the body -until Mrs. Bolstreath stepped forward. "Lillian, darling. Lillian, my -child," she said soothingly, and tried to lead the poor girl away. - -But Lillian only clung closer to her beloved dead. "No! No! Let me -alone. I can't leave him. Poor, dear father--oh, I shall die!" - -"Dear," said Mrs. Bolstreath, raising her firmly but kindly, "your -father is not there but in Heaven! Only the clay remains." - -"It is all I have. And father was so good, so kind,--oh, who can have -killed him in this cruel way?" She looked round with streaming eyes. - -"We think that a Mrs. Brown--" began the Inspector, only to be -answered by a loud cry from the distraught girl. - -"Mrs. Brown! Then I have killed father! I have killed him! I persuaded -him to see the woman, because she was in trouble. And she killed -him--oh, the wretch--the--the--oh--oh! What had I done to her that she -should rob me of my dear, kind father?" and she cried bitterly in her -old friend's tender arms. - -"Had you ever seen Mrs. Brown before?" asked Durwin in his imperious -voice, although he lowered it in deference to her grief. - -Lillian winced at the harsh sound. "No, No! I never saw her before. -How could I have seen her before. She said that her son had been -drowned, and that she was poor. I asked father to help her, and he -told me he would. It's my fault that she saw my father and now"--her -voice leaped an octave--"he's dead. Oh--oh! my father--my father!" and -she tried to break from Mrs. Bolstreath's arms to fling herself on the -dead once more. - -"Lillian darling, don't cry," said Dan, placing his hand on her -shoulder. - -"You have not lost the dearest and best of fathers!" she sobbed -violently. - -"Your loss is my loss," said Halliday in a voice of pain, "but we must -be brave, both you and I." He associated himself with her so as to -calm her grief. "It's not your fault that your dear father is dead." - -"I persuaded him to see Mrs. Brown. And she--she--she----" - -"We can't say if this woman is guilty, as yet," said Durwin hastily, -"so do not blame yourself, Miss Moon. But did you smell any scent on -this Mrs. Brown?" - -Lillian looked at him vacantly and shook her head. Then she burst once -more into hard and painful sobbing, trying again to embrace the dead -man. - -"Don't ask her any questions, sir," said Halliday, in a low voice to -Mr. Durwin, "you see she is not in a fit state to reply. Lillian," he -raised her up from her knees and gently but firmly detached her arms -from the dead. "My darling, your father is past all earthly aid. We -can do nothing but avenge him. Go with Mrs. Bolstreath and lie down. -We must be firm." - -"Firm! Firm!--and father dead!" wailed Lillian. "Oh, what a wretch -that Mrs. Brown must be to kill him. Kill her, Dan--oh, make her -suffer. My good, kind father, who--who--oh"--she flung herself on -Dan's neck--"take me away; take me away!" and her lover promptly -carried her to the door. - -Mrs. Bolstreath, who had been talking hurriedly to Inspector Tenson, -came after the pair and took the girl from Dan. "She must lie down and -have a sleeping-draught," she said softly. "If the doctor will -come----" - -The doctor was only too glad to come. He was a young man beginning to -practise medicine in the neighborhood, and had been hurriedly summoned -in default of an older physician. The chance of gaining a new and -wealthy patient was too good to lose, so he quickly followed Mrs. -Bolstreath as she led the half-unconscious girl up the stairs. Dan -closed the door and returned to the Inspector and the official from -Scotland Yard. The former was speaking. - -"Mrs. Bolstreath did not smell any perfume on Mrs. Brown," he was -saying, "and ladies are very quick to notice such things. Miss Moon -also shook her head." - -"I don't think Miss Moon was in a state of mind to understand what you -were saying, Mr. Inspector," said Halliday, drily. "However, I am -quite sure from my own observation that Mrs. Brown did not use the -perfume. I would have noticed it at once, for I spotted it the moment -I examined the body." - -"So did I," said Durwin once more; "but I thought Sir Charles might -have used it. You say he did not, therefore the scent is a clue." - -"It does not lead to the indictment of Mrs. Brown, however, sir," said -Tenson thoughtfully, "since she had no perfume of that sort about her. -But she must have killed Sir Charles, for she was the last person who -saw him alive." - -"She may come forward and exonerate herself," suggested Dan after a -pause, "or she may have left her address with Sir Charles." - -"I have glanced through the papers on the desk and can find no -address," was the Inspector's reply; "yet, if she gave it to him, it -would be there." - -Durwin meditated, then looked up. "As she was the mother of the man in -Sir Charles's employment who was drowned," he said in his harsh voice, -and now very official in his manner, "in the offices of the company -who own the steamers--Sir Charles was a director and chief -shareholder, I understand from his secretary, Mr. Penn--will be found -the drowned man's address, which will be that of his mother." - -"But I can't see what motive Mrs. Brown had to murder Sir Charles," -remarked Dan in a puzzled tone. - -"We'll learn the motive when we find Mrs. Brown," said Tenson, who had -made a note of Durwin's suggestion. "Many people think they have -grievances against the rich, and we know that the late Sir Charles was -a millionaire. He doubtless had enemies--dangerous enemies." - -"Dangerous!" The word recalled to Dan what Moon had said at the -dinner-table when Lillian had playfully offered him a penny for his -thoughts. "Sir Charles at dinner said something about dangerous -people." - -"What did he say?" asked the Inspector and again opened his note-book. - -Dan reported the conversation, which was not very satisfactory as Moon -had only spoken generally. Tenson noted down the few remarks, but did -not appear to think them important. Durwin, however, was struck by -what had been said. - -"Sir Charles asked me here to explain about a certain gang he believed -was in existence," he remarked. - -"What's that, sir?" asked the Inspector alertly. "Did he tell you -anything?" - -"Of course he didn't. How could he when he was dead when I arrived," -retorted Durwin with a frown. "He simply said that he wished to see me -in my official capacity about some gang, but gave me no details. Those -were to be left until I called here. He preferred to see me here -instead of at my office for reasons which he declared he would state -when we met in this room." - -"Then you think that a gang----" - -"Mr. Inspector," interrupted Durwin, stiffly, "I have told you all -that was said by the deceased. Whether the gang is dangerous, or what -the members do, or where they are, I cannot say. Have you examined -those windows?" he asked suddenly, pointing to three French-windows at -the side of the room. - -"Yes," said Tenson promptly, "as soon as I entered the apartment I did -so. They are all locked." - -"And if they were not, no one would enter there," put in Dan quickly. -"Outside is a walled garden, and the wall is very high with broken -bottles on top. I suppose, Mr. Durwin, you are thinking that some one -may have come in to kill Sir Charles between the time of Mrs. Brown's -departure and your coming?" - -"Yes," assented the other sharply, "if the perfume is a clue, Mrs. -Brown must be innocent. Penn, as we know from the statement of the -typewriter girl, was in his room all the time, and the servants have -fully accounted for themselves. We examined them all--the Inspector -and I did, that is--when you were at the theatre," he waved his hand -with a shrug. "Who can say who is guilty?" - -"Well," said Tenson, snapping the elastic band round his note-book and -putting it into his pocket, "we have the evidence of the fly and of -the perfume." - -"What do you think about the fly?" asked Dan, staring. - -"I don't know what to think. It is an artificial fly, exquisitely made -and has been gummed on the dead man's neck behind the left ear. The -assassin must have placed it there, since a man would scarcely do such -a silly thing himself. Why, it was placed there I can't say, any more -than I can guess why Sir Charles was murdered, or who murdered him. -The affair is a complete mystery, as you must admit." - -Before the inquest and after the inquest, more people than the three -men who had held the discussion in the presence of the dead, admitted -that the affair was a mystery. In fact the evidence at the inquest -only plunged the matter into deeper gloom. Tenson, acting on Durwin's -advice, sought the office of the tramp-steamer company--The Universal -Carrier Line--in which the late Sir Charles was chief shareholder and -director, to learn without any difficulty the whereabouts of Mrs. -Brown, the mother of the drowned man. She proved to be an entirely -different person to the woman who had given the name on the fatal -night, being lean instead of stout, comparatively young instead of -old, and rather handsome in an elderly way in place of being wrinkled -and worn with grief. She declared that she had never been near Moon's -house on the night of the murder, or on any other night. Mrs. -Bolstreath, Lillian, the footman, and Dan all swore that she was not -the Mrs. Brown who had sought the interview with Sir Charles. -Therefore it was argued by every one that Mrs. Brown, taking a false -name and telling a false story, must have come to see Moon with the -deliberate intention of murdering him. Search was made for her, but -she could not be found. From the moment she passed out of the front -door she had vanished, and although a description was published of her -appearance, and a reward was offered for her apprehension no one came -forward to claim it. Guilty or innocent, she was invisible. - -Inspector Tenson did not speak at the inquest of the gang about which -Sir Charles had intended to converse with Mr. Durwin, as it did not -seem to have any bearing on the case. Also, as Durwin suggested, if it -had any bearing it was best to keep the matter quiet until more -evidence was forthcoming to show that such a gang--whatever its -business was--existed. Then the strange episode of the fly was -suppressed for the same reason. Privately, Tenson informed Dan that he -would not be surprised to learn that there was a gang of murderers in -existence whose sign-manual was a fly, real or artificial, and -instanced another gang, which had been broken up some years -previously, who always impressed the figure of a purple fern on their -victim. But the whole idea, said Tenson, was so vague that he thought -it best to suppress the fact of the artificial fly on the dead man's -neck. "If there's anything in it," finished the Inspector, "there's -sure to be other murders committed, and the fly placed on the victim. -We'll wait and see, and if a second case occurs we'll be sure that -such a gang exists and will collar the beasts. Best to say nothing, -Mr. Halliday." - -So he said nothing, and Dan said nothing, and Durwin, who approved of -the necessary secrecy, held his tongue. Of course there was a lot of -talk and many theories as to who had murdered the millionaire, and why -he had been murdered in so ingenious a manner. The postmortem -examination proved that Moon had died of snake-poison administered -through the scratch on the neck, and the circumstantial evidence at -the inquest went to show that he must have been taken unawares, while -bending over his desk. Some people thought that Mrs. Brown was -innocent because of the absence of the perfume; others declared she -must be guilty on account of her false name and false story, and the -fact that Moon was found dead a quarter of an hour after she left the -house. No doubt the circumstantial evidence was very strong, but it -could not be said positively that the woman was guilty, even though -she did not appear to defend her character. - -So the jury thought, for they brought in the only possible verdict -twelve good and lawful men could bring in: "Wilful murder against some -person or persons unknown," and there the matter ended for sheer want -of further evidence. The affair was a mystery and a mystery it -remained. - -"And will until the Day of Judgment!" said Tenson, finally. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE - - -The year ended sadly for Lillian, since she had lost her father, her -lover, and her home; gaining instead the doubtful companionship of a -paternal uncle, who stepped into the position of guardian. The girl, -although she did not know it at the time, was leaving a pleasant -flowery lane to turn into a flinty high road, arched by a dismal sky. -It is true that she still possessed Mrs. Bolstreath to comfort her, -but the loss of Dan could scarcely be compensated by the attentions of -the chaperon. Not that Halliday was altogether lost; but he had been -pushed out of her life by Sir John Moon, who approved as little of -this suitor as the late baronet had done. - -"You see, my dear child," he exclaimed to Lillian, immediately after -the New Year and when things were more restful, "as your guardian and -uncle, I have to see that you make a good match." - -"What is marriage without love?" queried Miss Moon scornfully. - -"Love!" Sir John shrugged his elegant shoulders and sneered. "Love is -all very well, but a title is better. I say nothing about money, as -you have any amount of that useful article. Now, Lord Curberry----" - -"I detest Lord Curberry, and I shan't marry Lord Curberry," -interrupted Lillian, frowning, and her mind held a picture of the -lean, ascetic peer with the cruel, grey eyes. As a barrister, Curberry -was no doubt admirable; as a nobleman, he filled his new position very -well; but she could not see him as a lover, try as she might. Not that -she did try, for under no conditions and under no pressure did she -intend to become his wife. - -"Your father wished you to marry Lord Curberry," hinted Uncle John -softly. - -"My father wished me to be happy," cried Lillian hotly, "and I can't -be happy unless I marry Dan." - -"That aviator man! Pooh! He has nothing to give you." - -"He gives himself, and that is all I want." - -"I see. Love in a cottage and----" - -Lillian interrupted again. "There's no need for love in a cottage. I -have plenty of money; you said as much yourself, Uncle John." - -"My dear," said the new baronet gravely, "from what I saw of young -Halliday he is too proud a man to live on his wife. And you would not -respect him if he did. I think better of you than that, my child." - -"Dan has his profession." - -"H'm! And a dangerous one at that. Besides, he doesn't make much -money." - -"He will though. Dan is a genius; he has all kinds of ideas about -flying machines, and some day he will conquer the air." - -"Meantime, you will be growing old waiting for him." - -"Not at all," Lillian assured him. "I shall be with him, helping all I -can." - -"You won't with my consent," cried her uncle, heatedly. - -"Then I shall do without your consent. I shan't give up Dan." - -"In that case," sighed Sir John, rising to show that the interview was -ended--and certainly it had ended in a clash of wills--"there is -nothing for me to do but to make young Halliday give you up." - -"He'll never do that," said Miss Moon, pausing at the door with a -fluttering heart, for her uncle spoke very decidedly. - -"Oh, I think so," replied Moon, with the air of a man sure of his -ground. "He has, I am sure, some notion of honor." - -"It isn't honorable to give up a woman." - -"It isn't honorable to live on a woman." - -The two antagonists glared at one another, and a silence ensued. -Neither would give way, and neither would compromise in any way. -Lillian wanted Dan as her husband, a post Sir John did not intend the -young man to fill. But he saw plainly enough that harsh measures would -drive Lillian to desperation, and he did not yet know sufficient of -Halliday to be sure that he would not grasp at a rich wife. Sir John -believed that men were like himself, and would do anything--honorable, -or, at a pinch, dishonorable--to secure a life of ease and comfort. -However, as he swiftly reflected, Halliday was young, and probably -would be wax in the hands of a clever man, such as Moon considered -himself to be. It would be best to see him and control the boy's mind -by appealing to his decency--so Sir John put it. - -"Very good, my dear," he said, when he reached this point, "matters -are at a dead-lock between us. I suggest that you let me interview -Halliday." - -"I don't mind, so long as I see him first," pouted the girl, -mutinously. - -Sir John smiled drily. "So as to arm him for the fray. Very well. I -consent, my dear. You can arrange your campaign, and then I can -discuss the matter with this very undesirable suitor. But you must -give me your promise that you will not run away with him meanwhile?" - -Lillian held herself very erect and replied stiffly. "Of course I -promise, Uncle John. I am not ashamed of loving Dan, and I shall marry -him in a proper manner. But I shan't marry Lord Curberry," she ended, -and fairly ran away, so as to prevent further objections. - -"Oh, my dear, I think you will," grinned Sir John at the closed door, -and he sat down to pen a diplomatic letter to Mr. Halliday, as he -wished to have the matter settled and done with. "These romantic young -nuisances," said the schemer crossly. - -The new baronet was a slim, well-preserved dandy of sixty, who looked -no older than forty-five owing to the means he took to keep himself -fit. He was the younger and only brother of Moon, and inherited the -title since there was no nephew to take it. He also inherited ten -thousand a year for life on condition that he acted as Lillian's -guardian. It was no mean task, for the girl had an income of £50,000 -coming in every twelve months. There would be plenty of hard-up flies -gathering round this honey-pot, and Sir John foresaw that it would not -be an easy business to settle the young lady's matrimonial future, -especially as the said young lady was obstinate beyond belief. Sir -John, being a loafer by nature, had never possessed sufficient money -to indulge to the full in his luxurious tastes, since his brother had -not financed him as largely as he could have wished. But now that he -was safe for the rest of his life on an income which would enable him -to enjoy the world's goods, Sir John did not wish to be bothered. It -was his aim to get his niece married and settled as soon as possible, -so that she would be looked after by a husband. - -Under these circumstances, and since Lillian was anxious to marry Dan, -it was strange that the baronet did not allow her to indulge her -fancy. He did not for two reasons: one was that he really did not -think Halliday a good match; and, moreover, knew of his late brother's -opinion on the matter of the wooing. The second reason had to do with -the fact that he had borrowed a large sum of money from Lord Curberry, -and did not wish to pay it back again, even though he could do so -easily enough in his present flourishing circumstances. Curberry -offered to forego the payment if Sir John could persuade Lillian to -marry him. And as Moon wanted to be able to talk about the girl as a -peeress, and did not want to reduce his new income by frittering it -away in paying back debts, he was determined to bring about the very -desirable marriage, as he truly considered it to be. - -"Curberry is sure to go in for politics," thought the plotter, "and he -has enough brains to become Prime Minister if he likes. He's got a -decent income, too, and a very old title. With Lillian's money and -beauty she should have a titled husband. Besides," this was an -after-thought, "Curberry can make himself deuced disagreeable if he -likes." And perhaps it was this last idea which made Sir John so -anxious for the marriage to take place. - -The late Sir Charles had been a big, burly, broad-shouldered man, with -a powerful clean-shaven face--the kind of overbearing, pushing -personality which was bound to come up on top wherever men were -congregated. And Sir Charles had massively pushed his way from poverty -to affluence, from obscurity into notoriety, if not fame. Now his -honors and wealth were in the hands of two people infinitely weaker -than he had been. Lillian was but a delicate girl, solely bent upon -marriage with an undesirable suitor, while Sir John had no desire to -do anything with his new income and new title save to enjoy the goods -which the gods had sent him so unexpectedly. He was by no means a -strong man, being finical, self-indulgent, and quite feminine in his -love for dress and luxury. Much smaller and slighter than his -masterful brother, he was perfectly arrayed on all occasions in purple -and fine linen; very self-possessed, very polite, and invariably quiet -in his manner. He had several small talents, and indulged in painting, -poetry, and music, producing specimens of each as weak and neatly -finished as himself. He also collected china and stamps, old lace and -jewels, which he loved for their color and glitter. Such a man was too -fantastical to earn the respect of Lillian, who adored the strength, -which showed itself in Dan. Consequently, she felt certain that she -would be able to force him to consent to her desires. - -But in this, the girl, inexperienced in worldly matters and in human -nature, reckoned without knowledge of Sir John's obstinacy, which was -a singularly striking trait of the man's character. Like most weak -people the new baronet loved to domineer, and, moreover, when his ease -was at stake, he could be strong even to cruelty, since fear begets -that quality as much as it fosters cowardice. Moon had removed Lillian -and Mrs. Bolstreath to his new house in Mayfair, because it was not -wise that the girl should remain at Hampstead, where everything served -to remind her of the good father she had lost. Therefore, Sir John -wished for no trouble to take place under his roof, as such--as he put -it--would shatter his nerves. The mere fact that Lillian wished to -marry young Halliday, and that Curberry wished to marry her, was a -fruitful source of ills. It stands to Sir John's credit that he did -not take the easiest method of getting rid of his niece by allowing -her to become Mrs. Halliday. He had a conscience of some sort, and -wished to carry out his late brother's desire that Lillian should -become a peeress. So far as the girl's inclinations were concerned he -cared little, since he looked upon her as a child who required -guidance. And to guide her in the proper direction--that is, towards -the altar in Curberry's company--Sir John put himself to considerable -inconvenience, and acted honestly with the very best intentions. His -egotism--the powerful egotism of a weak man--prevented him from seeing -that Lillian was also a human being, and had her right to freedom of -choice. - -It must be said that, for a dilettante, Sir John acted with surprising -promptitude. He took the two women to his own house, and let the -mansion at Hampstead to an Australian millionaire, who paid an -excellent rent. Then he saw the lawyers, and went into details -concerning the property. Luckily, Sir Charles had gradually withdrawn -from business a few years before his death, since he had more or less -concentrated his mind on politics. Therefore, the income was mostly -well invested, and, with the exception of the line of steamers with -which Mrs. Brown's son had been concerned, there were few interests -which required personal supervision. Sir John, having power under the -will, sold the dead man's interest in the ships, withdrew from several -other speculations, and having seen that the securities, which meant -fifty thousand a year to Lillian, and ten thousand a year to himself, -were all in good order, he settled down to enjoy himself. The -lawyers--on whom he kept an eye--received the money and banked it, and -consulted with Sir John regarding reinvestments. They also, by the new -baronet's direction, offered a reward of £1,000 for the discovery of -the murderess. So, shortly after the New Year everything was more or -less settled, and Sir John found himself able to attend once more to -his lace and jewels, his music and poetry. Only Lillian's marriage -remained to be arranged, and after his conversation with the girl, Sir -John appointed a day for Dan to call. That young gentleman, who had -been hovering round, lost no time in obeying the summons, which was -worded amiably enough, and presented himself in due time. Sir John -received Halliday with great affability, offered him a chair and a -cigarette, and came to the point at once. - -"It's about Lillian I wish to see you, Mr. Halliday," he remarked, -placing the tips of his fingers delicately together. "You can go up to -the drawing-room afterwards and have tea with her and with Mrs. -Bolstreath. But we must have a chat first to adjust the situation." - -"What situation?" asked Dan, wilfully dense. - -"Oh, I think you understand," rejoined Sir John, drily. "Well?" - -"I love her," was all that Dan could find to say. - -"Naturally. Lillian is a charming girl, and you are a young man of -discernment. At least, I hope so, as I wish you to give Lillian up." - -Dan rose and pitched his cigarette into the fire. "Never," he cried, -looking pale and determined and singularly virile and handsome. "How -can you ask such a thing, Mr. Moon--I mean Sir John." - -"My new title doesn't come easily I see," said the baronet smoothly. -"Oh, I quite understand. My poor brother died so unexpectedly that -none of us have got used to the new order of things. You least of all, -Mr. Halliday." - -"Why not 'Dan'?" asked that young gentleman, leaning against the -mantelpiece since he felt that he could talk better standing than -sitting. - -"Because, as I say, there is a new order of things. I have known you -all your life, my dear boy, as your parents placed you in my late -brother's charge when you were only five years of age. But I say Mr. -Halliday instead of Dan as I wish you to understand that we are -talking as business men and not as old friends." - -"You take away your friendship----" - -"Not at all, Mr. Halliday. We shall be better friends than ever when -we have had our talk and you have done the right thing. Probably I -shall then call you Dan, as of yore." - -"You can call me what you please," said Dan obstinately, and rather -angrily, for the fiddling methods of Sir John annoyed him. "But I -won't give up the dearest girl in the world." - -"Her father wished her to marry Lord Curberry." - -"If her father had lived, bless him," retorted Halliday vehemently, -"he would have seen that Lillian loves me, and not Curberry, in which -case he would not have withheld his consent." - -"Oh, I think he would," said Sir John amiably. "Lillian is rich, and -my poor brother wished to obtain a title for her. Very natural, Mr. -Halliday, as you must see for yourself. Charles always aimed at high -things." - -"He loved Lillian and would not have seen her unhappy," said Dan -bluffly. - -"I don't see that Curberry would make her unhappy. He is devoted to -her." - -"But she does not love him," argued Halliday crossly, "and how can -there be happiness when love is lacking. Come, Sir John, you have, as -you said just now, known me all my life. I am honorable and -clean-living and wellborn, while Lillian loves me. What objection have -you to the match?" - -"The same objection as my brother had, Mr. Halliday. Lillian is -wealthy and you are poor." - -"I have only a few hundreds a year, it is true, but----" - -"No 'buts' if you please," Sir John flung up a delicate hand in -protest. "You can't argue away facts. If you marry Lillian, you will -live on her." - -Dan bit his lip and clenched his hands to prevent his temper from -showing itself too strongly. "If another man had said that to me, Sir -John, I should have knocked him down." - -"Brute force is no argument," rejoined Moon unruffled. "Consider, Mr. -Halliday, you have a few hundreds a year and Lillian has fifty -thousand coming in every twelve months. Being wealthy, she can -scarcely live on your income, so to keep up the position to which she -has been born, she must live on her own. Husband and wife are one, as -we are assured by the Church, therefore if she lives on the fifty -thousand per annum, you must live on it also." - -"I wouldn't take a single penny!" cried Dan hotly and boyishly. - -"Oh, I am not suggesting that you would," said Sir John easily, "but -Lillian cannot live in the cottage your few hundreds would run to, and -if she lives, as she must, being rich, in a large house, you must live -there also, and in a style which your income does not warrant. You -know what people will say under the circumstances. Either you must -take Lillian to live on your small income, which is not fair to her, -or you must live on her large one, which is not fair to you. I speak -to a man of honor, remember." - -"These arguments are sophistical." - -"Not at all. You can't escape from facts." - -"Then is this miserable money to stand between us?" asked Dan in -despair, for he could not deny that there was great truth in what Sir -John said. - -The baronet shrugged his shoulders. "It seems likely unless you can -make a fortune equal to Lillian's." - -"Why not? Aviation is yet in its infancy." - -"Quite so, and thus accidents are continually happening. If you marry -my niece, it is probable that you will shortly leave her a widow. No! -No! In whatever way you look at the matter, Mr. Halliday, the match is -most undesirable. Be a man--a man of honor--and give Lillian up." - -"To be miserable with Lord Curberry," said Dan fiercely, "never!" And -he meant what he said, as Sir John saw very plainly. - -This being the case the baronet used another argument to obtain what -he wanted. "I have been young myself, and I know how you feel," he -said quietly. "Very good. I suggest a compromise." - -"What is it?" muttered Dan dropping into his chair again and looking -very miserable, as was natural, seeing what he stood to lose. - -"My poor brother," went on Sir John smoothly, and crossing his legs, -"has been struck down when most enjoying life. The person who murdered -him--presumably the woman who called herself Mrs. Brown--has not yet -been discovered in spite of the efforts of the police backed by a -substantial reward. I propose, Mr. Halliday, that you search for this -person, the period of searching be limited to one year. If you find -her and she is punished, then you shall marry Lillian; if you fail, -then you must stand aside and allow her to marry Lord Curberry." - -"You forget," said Dan, not jumping at the chance as Sir John -expected, "if I do bring the woman to justice, your arguments -regarding my living on Lillian remain in full force." - -"Oh, as to that, Mr. Halliday, when the time comes, I can find -arguments equally strong on the other side. To use one now, if you -revenge my brother's death, no one will deny but what you have every -right to marry his daughter and enjoy her income. That would be only -fair. Well?" - -"Well," echoed Dan dully, and reflected with his sad eyes on the -carpet. Then he looked up anxiously. "Meanwhile, Lillian may marry -Lord Curberry." - -"Oh," said Sir John, coolly, "if you can't trust her----" - -"He can trust her," cried the voice of the girl, herself, and the -curtain of the folding doors was drawn quickly aside. - -"Lillian!" cried Dan, springing to his feet and opening his arms. - -Sir John saw his niece rush into those same arms and laughed. "H'm!" -said he whimsically, "I quite forgot that the folding-doors into the -next room were open. You have been listening." - -Lillian twisted herself in Dan's arms, but did not leave them, as she -felt safe within that warm embrace. "Of course I have been listening," -she cried scornfully; "as soon as I knew Dan was in the house, and in -the library, I listened. I told Bolly that I was coming down to -listen, and though she tried to prevent me, I came. Who has a better -right to listen when all the conversation was about me, and remember I -should have seen him first." - -"Well," said her uncle unmoved, "it's no use arguing with you. A man's -idea of honor and a woman's are quite opposed to one another. You -heard. What have you to say?" - -"I think you're horrid," snapped Lillian, in a schoolgirl manner, "as -if my money mattered. I am quite willing to give it to you and marry -Dan on what he has. It's better to love in a garret than to hate in a -drawing-room." - -"Quite epigrammatic," murmured Sir John cynically. "Well, my dear, I -am much obliged to you for your fifty thousand a year offer, but I -fancy what I have is enough for me. I never did care for millions, and -always wondered why my late brother should wear himself out in -obtaining them. I decline." - -"Whether you decline or not, I marry Dan," said Lillian hotly. - -"What does Dan say?" - -The young man disengaged himself. He had kept silent during the -passage of arms between uncle and niece. "I say that I can trust -Lillian to remain true to me for twelve months." - -"For ever, for ever, for ever!" cried the girl, her face flaming and -her eyes flashing; "but don't make any promise of letting our marriage -depend upon finding the woman who murdered my poor father." - -"Ah," said Sir John contemptuously, "you never loved your father, I -see." - -"How dare you say that?" flashed out the girl, panting with anger. - -"My dear, ask yourself," replied Moon patiently; "your father has been -basely murdered. Yet you do not wish to avenge his death and prefer -your own happiness to the fulfilment of a solemn duty. Of course," -added Sir John, with a shrug, for he now knew what line of argument to -take, "you can't trust yourself to be faithful for twelve months -and----" - -"I _can_ trust myself to be faithful, and for twelve centuries, if -necessary." - -"No, no, no!" smiled Moon, shaking his head, "you prefer pleasure to -duty. I see you love yourself more than you loved your father. Well," -he rose and waved his hands with a gesture of dismissal, "go your -ways, my dear, and marry Dan--you observe I call you 'Dan,' Mr. -Halliday, since you are to become my nephew straight away. When is the -wedding to be?" - -"You consent?" cried Lillian opening her eyes widely. - -"I can't stop you," said Moon, still continuing his crafty diplomacy. -"You will soon be of age and you can buy your husband at once, since -you dare not risk a probation of twelve months." - -"I can risk twelve years," retorted Lillian uneasily, for in a flash -she understood how selfishly she was behaving, seeing that her -father's assassin was still at large, "and to prove it----" she looked -at Dan. - -He understood and spoke, although he had already made up his mind as -to the best course to pursue. "To prove it," he said steadily, "we -accept your proposal, Sir John. Lillian will wait twelve months, and -during that time I shall search for the woman who murdered Sir -Charles. If I don't find her----" - -"Lillian marries Lord Curberry," said Moon quickly. - -"No," cried the girl defiantly; "that part of the agreement I decline -to assent to. Twelve months or twelve years it may take before the -truth comes to light, but I marry no one but Dan." - -Sir John reflected on the dangers of aviation and swiftly came to a -conclusion. "We'll see at the end of the year," he said cautiously, -"much may happen in that time." - -"So long as Lillian's wedding to Curberry doesn't happen," said Dan -obstinately, "I don't care. But it is understood that Lillian is not -to be worried about the matter?" - -"That depends upon what you and Lillian call worry," said Moon drily, -"so far as I am concerned I shall not coerce her in any way. All I -wish is the promise of you both that you will wait twelve months -before taking any steps to marry. Meantime, you must not see too much -of Lillian." - -"Oh," cried the girl, indignantly, "you would push Dan out of my -life." - -"It's a test," explained Sir John, blinking nervously. "You will be in -mourning for the next twelve months, and should see few people." - -"Of whom Dan will be one," she flashed out. - -"Occasionally--very occasionally, you can see him, but, of course, if -you can't trust yourself to be true without being continually reminded -that Mr. Halliday exists, there is no more to be said." - -"I can trust myself," muttered the girl uneasily. - -"And I can trust Lillian," said Dan, promptly and decisively. - -"It does not look like it since you always wish to see one another. -And remember, Lillian, you owe it to your father's memory to put all -thoughts of love, which is self, out of your heart until the mystery -of his death is entirely solved." - -"There is something in that," said Halliday thoughtfully and Lillian -nodded; "but of course I can write to Lillian." - -"Occasionally," said the baronet again, "you must both be tested by a -year's separation, with a meeting or a letter every now and then. Duty -must be the keynote of the twelve months and not pleasure. Well?" - -The lovers looked at one another and sighed. The terms were hard, but -not so hard as Sir John might have made them. Still both the boy and -the girl--they were little else--recognized that their duty was to the -dead. Afterwards pleasure would be theirs. Silently they accepted and -silently adjusted the situation. "We agree!" said the two almost -simultaneously. - -"Very good," said Moon, rubbing his hands, "how do you intend to begin -your search for the missing woman, Mr. Halliday?" - -"I don't know," murmured Dan, miserably. - -"Neither do I," rejoined Sir John with great amiability. "Come to -tea?" - -And to tea the lovers went as to a funeral feast. But Sir John -rejoiced. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -AN AMATEUR DETECTIVE - - -Dan left the Mayfair house very mournfully, feeling that Sir John was -indeed master of the situation. By a skilful appeal to the generous -emotions of youth, to the boy's honor and to the girl's affections, he -had procured a respite of twelve months, during which time the lovers -could do nothing, bound as they were by silken threads. This would -give Curberry time to push his suit, and there was always a chance -that Dan would come to grief in one of his aerial trips in which case -Lillian would certainly be driven to marry her titled swain. Halliday -knew nothing of Moon's reckoning on these points, or he would have -only accepted the situation on condition that Curberry was not to meet -the girl or write to the girl oftener than himself. Logically -speaking, the peer and the commoner should have been placed on the -same footing. But Dan's grief at the parting confused his -understanding, and he had not been clever enough to seize his -opportunity. Therefore Sir John, winning all along the line, had -cleared the path for Curberry, and had more or less blocked it for -Dan. But, as yet, the young man did not grasp the full extent of Sir -John's worldly wisdom. - -What Halliday had to do--and this dominated his mind immediately he -left the house--was to solve the mystery of Sir Charles's death. The -sooner he captured the false Mrs. Brown, who, presumably, had murdered -the old man, the sooner would he lead Lillian to the altar. Therefore -he was feverishly anxious to begin, but for the life of him he did not -see how to make a start. He had absolutely no experience of what -constituted the business of a detective, and was daunted at the outset -by the difficulties of the path. All the same he never thought of -halting, but pressed forward without a pause. And the first step he -took was to consult a friend, on the obvious assumption that two heads -are better than one. - -It was Freddy Laurance whom he decided to interview, since that very -up-to-date young journalist knew every one of any note, and almost -everything of interest, being, indeed, aware of much of which the -ordinary man in the street was ignorant. He and Dan had been to Oxford -together, and for many years had been the best of friends. Laurance -had been brought up in the expectation of being a rich man. But -over-speculation ruined his father, and on leaving the University he -was thrown unprepared on the world to make his money as best he could, -without any sort of training in particular. Hearty praise from an -expert for three or four newspaper articles suggested journalism, and -having an observant eye and a ready pen, the young man was successful -from the beginning. For a time he was a free-lance, writing -indiscriminately for this journal and for that, until the proprietor -of _The Moment_, a halfpenny daily, secured his exclusive services at -a salary which procured Freddy the luxuries of life. This was -something to have achieved at the age of five and twenty. - -_The Moment_ was a bright shoot-folly-as-it-flies sort of journal, -which detailed the news of the day in epigrammatic scraps. Its longest -articles did not exceed a quarter of a column, and important events -were usually restricted to paragraphs. It, indeed, skimmed the cream -of events, and ten minutes' study of its sheets gave a busy man all -the information he required concerning the doings of humanity. Also it -daily published an extra sheet concerned entirely with letters from -the public to the public, and many of these were prolix, as the -paragraph rule did not apply to this portion of the journal. People -wrote herein on this, that, and the other thing, ventilating their -ideas and suggesting schemes. And as many wrote many bought, so that -friends and relatives might read their letters, therefore vanity gave -_The Moment_ quite a large circulation independent of its orthodox -issue. The proprietor made money in two ways; by supplying gossip for -curious people, and by giving vain persons the chance of seeing -themselves in print. Seeing what human nature is, it is scarcely to be -wondered at that _The Moment_ was a great success, and sold largely in -town and country. - -Freddy's post was that of a roving correspondent. Whenever any event -of interest took place in any of the four quarters of the globe, -Laurance went to take notes on the spot, and his information was -boiled down into concise, illuminative paragraphs. Indeed, the older -journalists said that it was hardly worth while for him to make such -long journeys for the sake of condensed-milk news; but, as Freddy's -details were always amusing as well as abrupt, the editor and the -public and the proprietor were all satisfied. A man who can flash a -vivid picture into the dullest mind in few words is well worth money. -Therefore was Laurance greatly appreciated. - -Dan walked to a grimy lane leading from Fleet Street with some doubt -in his puzzled mind as to whether Freddy would be in his office. At a -moment's notice, the man would dart off to the ends of the earth, and -was more or less on the move throughout the three hundred and -sixty-five days of the year. But, of late, sensational events had -concentrated themselves in England, so Dan hoped that his friend would -be on the spot. An inquiry from the gorgeous individual who guarded -the entrance to the red brick building wherein _The Moment_ was -printed and published and composed revealed that Mr. Laurance was not -only in London, but in his office at the very second, so Dan sent up -his name, and rejoiced at the catching of this carrier-pigeon. And it -was a good omen also that Freddy saw him straight away, since he -generally refused himself to every one on the plea of business. - -"But I couldn't resist seeing you, Dan," remarked Mr. Laurance, when -he had shaken hands, before supplying his visitor with a cigarette and -a chair. "I was coming to see you, if the mountain hadn't come to -Mahommed!" - -Dan lighted up, and through the smoke of tobacco stared inquisitively -at his friend, wondering what this introductory remark meant. Laurance -was rather like Dan in personal appearance, being tall and slim and -clean-shaven, with Greek features and an aristocratic look. But he was -decidedly fair, as Halliday was decidedly dark, and his eyes were less -like those of an eagle than the eyes of the aviator. But then Laurance -was not accustomed to the boundless spaces of the air, although he had -twice ascended in an airship; therefore the new expression of the new -race was wanting. Nevertheless, he looked a capable, alert young man, -able to get the full value out of every minute. He was an admirable -type of the restless, present-day seeker. - -"Well, Mahommed," said Dan, leisurely, "here's the mountain. What have -you to say to it?" - -"That murder of Sir Charles Moon." - -Halliday quivered with surprise. It was so amazing that Laurance -should hit upon the very subject, which employed his own thoughts. -"Yes?" he inquired. - -"You are engaged to Miss Moon; you were in the house when the crime -was committed; you saw the body; you----" - -"Stop! Stop! I was not in the house when the crime was committed. I -returned there from the theatre some time later--in fact about -midnight. I certainly did see the body. As to being engaged to Miss -Moon--h'm! I came to see about that, Freddy." - -"The deuce you did. Great minds jump. What?" Laurance puffed a blue -cloud, sat down astride a chair and leaned his arms on the back. -"Strange!" - -"That you and I should be on the hunt. Well it is." - -"On the hunt!" echoed Laurance, staring. "What do you mean?" - -"I should rather ask that question of you," said Dan drily. "Sir -Charles is dead and buried these many weeks, and the woman who -assassinated him can't be found, in spite of the reward and the effort -of the police. Why, at this late hour, do you wish to rake up stale -news? I thought that _The Moment_ was more up-to-date." - -"It will be very much up-to-date when the next murder is committed," -observed Laurance, grimly and significantly. - -The legs of Dan's chair grated, as he pushed back in sheer surprise. -"What do you mean by the next murder?" he demanded sharply. - -"Well, this gang----" - -"Gang! gang! Who says there is a gang?" and Dan's thoughts flew back -to Durwin's reason for visiting Sir Charles. - -"Humph!" growled Laurance, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "I'm -disappointed. I thought you knew more." - -"I know a good deal," retorted the other quickly, "but I don't intend -to talk to you about what I know until I learn your game." - -"What about your own?" - -"That comes later also," said Halliday promptly. "Go on! I want to -know why you rake up Moon's murder." - -"Naturally you do, seeing you are engaged to the daughter." - -"Am I? I am not quite sure. She loves me and I love her, but the new -baronet wants her to marry Lord Curberry. She refused, and I kicked up -a row some hours back. Result, we are on probation for one year, -during which time I am to discover the assassin of Sir Charles." - -"And if you don't?" - -"Time enough to talk about that when I fail," said Halliday coolly; -"at least I have twelve months to hunt round. I came for your help, -but it seems that you want mine. Why?" - -Freddy, through sheer absence of mind, flung away a half-smoked -cigarette and lighted another. Then he rose and strolled across the -room to lean his shoulders against the mantelpiece. "We can help one -another, I think," was his final observation. - -"I hope so. In any case I intend to marry Lillian. All the same, to -pacify Sir John, I am willing to become a detective. You know my game. -Yours?" - -"Listen," said Laurance vivaciously. "I forgot all about the murder, -since there seemed to be no chance of the truth coming to the light, -and so did every one else for the same reason. But a few nights ago I -was dining out, and met a chap called Durwin----" - -"Scotland Yard man," interrupted Dan, nodding several times. "He came -to see Sir Charles on business and found the corpse." - -"Just so. Well, after dinner we had a chat, and he told me that he was -anxious to learn who killed Moon, because he didn't want any more -murders of the kind to happen--as a police official, you understand." - -"Strange he should be confidential on that point," murmured Halliday -thoughtfully, "seeing that he wished his theory regarding a possible -gang kept quiet, in the hope of making discoveries." - -"He has changed his mind about secrecy, and so has Tenson," said -Freddy. - -"Oh!" Dan raised his eyebrows. "The Inspector. You have seen him -also?" - -Laurance nodded. "After I saw Durwin, and learned what he had to say I -saw Tenson, and interviewed him. They told me about the fly on the -neck, and remembering the case of the purple fern, and having regard -to the fact that the fly in question was artificial, both men are -inclined to believe in the existence of a gang, whose trade-mark the -said fly is." - -Dan nodded again. "Quite so; and then Durwin came to see Moon and hear -about the gang. He found him dead." - -"So you said; so Durwin said," rejoined Laurance quietly. "It seems -very certain, putting this and that together, that Sir Charles became -dangerous to this gang, whatever it is, and wherever it exists, so was -put to death by the false Mrs. Brown, who came expressly to kill him." - -"So far I am with you on all fours," said Halliday. "Well?" - -"Well, both Durwin and Tenson, dreading lest the gang may commit -another crime, wish me to make the matter as public as I can, so as to -frighten the beasts." - -"H'm!" said Dan, looking at his neat brown boots. "They have changed -their minds, it seems. Their first idea was to keep the matter quiet, -so as to catch these devils red-handed. However, publicity may be a -good thing. How do you intend to begin?" - -"I have got facts from Tenson and from Durwin," said Freddy promptly; -"and now, since you saw the body and found the fly, I want to get the -facts from you. On what I acquire I shall write a letter in that extra -sheet of ours, and you can be pretty certain from what you know of -human nature that any amount of people will reply to my letter." - -"They may reply to no purpose." - -"I'm not so sure of that, Dan. If I mention the fly as a trade-mark -and recall the strange case of the purple fern, some one may write -about matters known to themselves from positive knowledge. If this -gang exists, it has committed more murders than one, but the fly being -a small insect may not have been noticed as a trade-mark in the other -crimes. I wonder you spotted it anyhow." - -"It was easily seen, being on the back of the neck near the wound. -Besides, flies in November--the month of the murder--are rare. Finally -Tenson discovered the fly to be artificial, which shows that it was -purposely placed on the dead man's neck, near the wound. H'm!" he -reflected, "perhaps someone may know of some crime with the fly -trade-mark, and in that case we can be certain that such a gang does -exist." - -"So I think," cried Laurance quickly, "and for that reason I intend to -start a discussion by writing an open letter. Publicity may frighten -the beasts into dropping their trade; on the other hand, it may goad -the gang into asserting itself. In either case the subject will be -ventilated, and we may learn more or less of the truth." - -"Yes. I think it's a good idea, Freddy. And the perfume? Did Durwin or -the Inspector tell you anything about the perfume. No, I can see by -your blank stare that they didn't. Listen, Freddy, and store this -knowledge in your blessed brain, my son. It is a clue, I am sure," and -Halliday forthwith related to his attentive listener details -concerning the strange perfume which had impregnated the clothes of -the dead man. "And Sir Charles hated perfumes," he ended, -emphatically; "he didn't even like Lillian or Mrs. Bolstreath to use -them, and they obeyed him." - -"Curious," mused the journalist, and idly scribbling on his -blotting-paper; he was back at his desk by this time. "What sort of -scent is it?" - -"My dear chap, you ask me to describe the impossible," retorted Dan, -with uplifted eyebrows. "How the deuce can I get the kind of smell -into your head? It must be smelt to be understood. All I can say is -that the perfume was rich and heavy, suggestive of drowsiness. Indeed, -I used that word, and Tenson thought of some kind of chloroform used, -perhaps, to stupefy the victim before killing him. But there was an -odor about the mouth or nose." - -"On the handkerchief, perhaps?" suggested the reporter. - -"No. Tenson smelt the handkerchief." - -"Well, if this Mrs. Brown used this perfume, you and Miss Moon and -Mrs. Bolstreath must have smelt it on her in the hall. I understand -from Durwin that you all three saw the woman." - -"Yes. And Lillian, poor girl, persuaded her father to see the wretch. -But we did not smell the perfume on the woman. Tenson or Durwin--I -forget which--asked us the question." - -"Humph!" said Laurance, after a pause; "it may be a kind of -trade-mark, like the fly business." He took a note. "I shall use this -evidence in my letter to the public. I suppose, Dan, you would -recognize the scent again?" - -"Oh, yes! I have a keen sense of smell, you know. But I don't expect I -shall ever drop across this particular fragrance, Freddy." - -"There's always Monsieur Chance, you know," remarked Laurance, tapping -his white teeth with a pencil. "Perhaps the gang use this scent so as -to identify one another--in the dark it may be--like cats. How does -that strike you?" - -"As purely theoretical," said Dan, with a shrug, and reached for -another cigarette; "it's a case of perhaps, and perhaps not." - -Laurance assented. "But everything so far is theoretical in this -case," he argued; "you have told me all you know?" - -"Every bit, even to my year of probation. Do you know Curberry?" - -"Yes. He was a slap-up barrister. A pity he got title and money, as he -has left the Bar, and is a good man spoiled. Lucky chap all the same, -as his uncle and cousin both died unexpectedly, to give him his chance -of the House of Lords." - -"How did they die?" - -"Motor accident. Car went over a cliff. Only the chauffeur was saved, -and he broke both legs. Do you know the present Lord Curberry?" - -"I have seen him, and think he's a dried-up, cruel-looking beast," -said Dan, with considerable frankness. "I'd rather see Lillian dead -than his wife." - -"Hear, hear!" applauded Laurance, smiling. "The girl's too delightful -to be wasted on Curberry. You have my blessing on the match, Dan." - -"Thanks," said Halliday ruefully, "but I have to bring it off first. -Sir John's infernally clever, and managed to get both Lillian and me -to consent to let matters stand over for a year, during which time I -guess he'll push Curberry's suit. But I can trust Lillian to be true -to me, bless her, and Mrs. Bolstreath is quite on our side. After -all," murmured the young man disconsolately, "it's only fair that Sir -Charles should be avenged. Perhaps it would be selfish for Lillian and -me to marry and live happy ever afterwards, without making some -attempt to square things. The question is how to start. I'm hanged if -I know, and so I came to you." - -"Well," said Laurance thoughtfully, "there's a hope of Monsieur Chance -you know. In many ways you may stumble on clues even without looking -for them, since this gang--if it exists--must carry on an extensive -business. All you can do, Dan, is to keep your eyes and ears and nose -open--the last for that scent, you know. On my part I shall write the -letter, and publish it in the annex of The Moment. Then we shall see -what will happen." - -"Yes, I think that's about the best way to begin. Stir up the muddy -water, and we may find what is at the bottom of the pond. But there's -one thing to be considered, and that is money. If I'm going to hunt -for these scoundrels I need cash, and to own up, Freddy, I haven't -very much." - -"You're so beastly extravagant," said Laurance grinning, "and your -private income goes nowhere." - -"Huh! what's five hundred a year?" - -"Ten pounds a week, more or less. However, there's your aviation. I -hear that you take people flights for money?" - -Dan nodded. "It's the latest fashionable folly, which is a good thing -for me, old son. I get pretty well paid, and it means fun." - -"With some risk of death," said Laurance drily. - -"Well, yes. But that is a peculiarity of present-day fun. People love -to play with death--it thrills them. However, if I am to hunt for the -assassin of Sir Charles, I can't give much attention to aviation, and -I repeat that I want money. Oceans of it." - -"Would two thousand pounds suit you?" - -"Rather. Only I'm not going to borrow from you, old man, thank you." - -"I haven't that amount to lend," said Freddy, drily; "but you must -have seen, if you read our very interesting paper, that our proprietor -has offered a prize of two thousand pounds for a successful flight -from London to York." - -"A kind of up-to-date Dick Turpin, I suppose," laughed Dan, rising and -stretching his long limbs. "Good, I'll have a shot, I may win." - -"You will, if you use a Vincent machine." - -"Vincent, Vincent? Where have I heard that name?" - -"Everywhere if you know anything of the aviation world," snapped -Laurance rather crossly, for at times Dan's indolence in acquiring -necessary information annoyed him. "Solomon Vincent, who has been -inventing airships and new-fangled aeroplanes for ever so long." - -"Yes, yes! I remember now. He's a genius. Every one knows him." - -"Every one knows of him, except yourself; but no one knows him -personally. He lives a secluded life up in Hillshire, on the borders -of the moors, where he can find wide space for his experiments in -aerial craft. I interviewed him a year ago, and--and----" Laurance -blushed red. - -"Hullo, what's this?" asked Dan shrewdly. "Can it be that the inventor -has a daughter fair?" - -"A niece," retorted Laurance, recovering; "why shouldn't I be in love -as well as you, Halliday? However, that doesn't matter." - -"It matters a great deal to you." - -"Never mind. What you have to do is to secure one of Vincent's -machines and try for this race. If you win the prize you will have -heaps of money to search for the gang. But why doesn't Miss Moon----" - -"I don't take Lillian's money," said Dan curtly, and blushed in his -turn. "It is a good idea, Freddy. How can I get hold of the machine?" - -"I shall take you up to Hillshire next week, and you can see Vincent -for yourself. He can talk to you, and----" - -"And you can talk to the niece. What's her name?" - -"Oh, shut up and get out," said Laurance, turning away, "you're -interrupting my work." - -"Going to write a letter to the beloved," said Dan, leisurely making -for the door. "All right, old son, I'll go. You know my address, so -write me when you want me. I'd like to see Vincent's machines, as I -hear he has made several good improvements, and everything tells in a -race. Salaam!" - -"Keep your eyes open," Laurance called after him; "remember Monsieur -Chance may prove to be our best friend." - -Dan departed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't believe in heaven-sent -miracles," were his last words. But they were wasted on Freddy, for -that alert young man was already buried in his work. It was painful to -witness such industry, in Halliday's opinion. - -In an inquiring frame of mind, the amateur detective strolled along -Fleet Street, thinking of Lillian instead of keeping his wits about -him, as Freddy had requested. It seemed impossible that he should -strike on a clue without deliberately searching for it, which he did -not feel inclined to do at the moment. Monsieur Chance, indeed! He was -a mythical personage in whom this sceptical young man did not believe. -Besides love dominated his thoughts to the exclusion of minor matters, -and he dreamed about his darling all along the Strand. Thus he did not -look where he was going, and stumbled into the midst of a Charing -Cross crowd, where a motor had broken down after colliding with a -'bus. A policeman was conversing with the chauffeur and the 'bus -driver, who were conversing abusively with one another. The crowd -blocked the street and stopped the traffic in order to enjoy the -conversation, which left nothing to be desired in the way of free -language. Dan halted idly, as a spectator, not because he wished to be -one, but for the very simple reason that he could not get through the -crowd into Trafalgar Square. - -Thrust up against one man, and wedged in by two others, and surrounded -by hundreds, he grumbled at the delay, and peered over shoulders to -see when the incident would end. As he did so, he suddenly in his -mind's eye saw a vision of Sir Charles lying dead in the well-lighted -library. While wondering why he thought of the crime at this -particular moment, he became aware that a familiar scent assailed his -nostrils, the scent about which he had talked to Durwin and Tenson and -Laurance. Nosing like a hound, he tried to find the person from whom -it emanated, and almost immediately later the man turned, and Dan -found himself face to face with Marcus Penn. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -MUDDY WATER - - -The secretary of the late Sir Charles Moon smiled irresolutely when he -recognized Dan. That young gentleman, who thought Penn a weak-kneed -idiot, had never taken much notice of him, but for the fact that he -was perfumed with the unusual scent would not have spoken to him now. -But as he looked at the lank creature with his yellow face, and scanty -moustache, he guessed that he was exactly the effeminate sort of -person who would use perfume. What he wished to know was why he -affected this particular kind of fragrance, and whence he obtained it. -To gain the information he pretended a friendliness for the man he was -far from feeling. Dan, strong, virile, and self-confident, was not -altogether just to Penn, who was not responsible for his pallid looks -and weak character. But Halliday was not a perfect individual by any -means, and had yet to learn that the weak are meant to be protected -and helped instead of being despised. - -"You here, Mr. Penn?" said Dan, thus formal to mark the difference -between them. - -"Yes," replied the man in his faint hesitating voice, and, as they -moved out of the crowd, Halliday smelt the weird perfume more strongly -than ever shaken from Penn's clothes by his movements. "I stopped to -look at the accident." - -"A very ordinary one," rejoined Mr. Halliday, with a shrug. "By the -way, I have not seen you since the funeral of Sir Charles. What are -you doing now, if I may ask?" - -"I am secretary to Lord Curberry." - -"Oh!" The reply gave Dan something of a shock, for he did not expect -at the moment to hear his rival's name. But then the whole incident of -meeting Penn and smelling the incriminating perfume was strange. -Monsieur Chance had proved himself to be an actuality instead of the -mythical personage Dan had believed him to be. It was certainly odd -that the meeting had taken place, and odder still that Penn should -prove to be the servant of Curberry. - -As Halliday said nothing more than "Oh!" the other man stroked his -moustache and explained. "Sir John got me the post, Mr. Halliday," he -said, with his shifty eyes anywhere but on Dan's inquiring face. "I -was quite stranded after Sir Charles's unexpected death, and did not -know where to turn for employment. As I support a widowed mother, the -situation was rather serious, so I took my courage in my hands and -went to Sir John. He was good enough to recommend me to Lord Curberry, -and I have been with his lordship for a month, more or less." - -"I congratulate you, Mr. Penn, and Lord Curberry, also. Sir Charles -always said you were an excellent secretary," Dan stopped as Penn -bowed his acknowledgments to the compliment, and cast a keen side -glance at the man. They were walking through Trafalgar Square by this -time, passing under the shadow of Nelson's Column. "Do you know what I -was thinking of when behind you in the crowd yonder, Mr. Penn?" he -asked abruptly, and it must be confessed rather undiplomatically, if -he wished to get at the truth. - -"No," said the secretary, with simplicity and manifest surprise. "No, -Mr. Halliday, how can I guess your thoughts?" - -"I was thinking of the murder of your late employer," said Dan -straightly. - -Penn blinked and shivered. "It's a horrible subject to think about," -he remarked in a low voice. "I can scarcely get it out of my own -thoughts. I suppose the sight of me reminded you of the crime, Mr. -Halliday?" - -"Scarcely, since I was behind you, and did not recognize you until you -turned," replied Dan, calmly, and the other appeared to be surprised. - -"Then how----" he began, only to be cut short. - -"It's that scent." - -"Scent!" echoed Penn nervously, but manifestly still surprised. "I -don't understand exactly what you mean, Mr. Halliday. I like scent, -and use much of it." - -Dan's lip curled. "So I perceive. But where did you get the particular -scent you are using now, may I ask?" - -Something in his tone annoyed the secretary, for he drew himself up -and halted. "I don't know why you should criticize my tastes, Mr. -Halliday." - -"I'm not criticizing them, and don't jump down my throat. But you reek -of some strange perfume, which I last smelt----" He paused. - -"You cannot have smelt it anywhere," said Penn indifferently. - -"What do you mean by that exactly?" asked Dan with considerable -sharpness. - -Penn resumed his walk and drew his light eyebrows together. "I am -willing to explain as soon as you tell me why you speak of the scent." - -"Hang it, man," rejoined Halliday, dropping into step, "any one would -notice the scent and speak of it since it is so strong." - -"Oh"--Penn's brow cleared--"I understand now. You have taken a fancy -to the scent and wish me to get you some." - -Halliday was about to make an indignant denial, when he suddenly -changed his mind, seeing a chance of learning something. "Well, can -you get me some?" - -"No," said Penn coolly; "I cannot. This is a particular perfume which -comes from the Island of Sumatra. I have a cousin there who knows that -I like perfumes, and he sent me a single bottle." - -"Can't I buy it anywhere?" - -"No, it is not to be obtained in England," said Penn curtly. - -"In that case," said Halliday slowly, "it is strange that I should -have smelt the same perfume on the clothes of Sir Charles after his -death." - -"Did you?" Penn looked surprised. "That is impossible. Why, Sir -Charles detested scents, and I never dared to use this one until I -left him for the night." - -"You used it on the night of the murder?" - -"Of course. I used it every night when I left Sir Charles. On that -evening he sent me away with my usual batch of letters, and was going -down to the House later. I would not have seen him until the next -morning, so I took the opportunity to indulge in this taste." - -"Then how did Sir Charles's clothes become impregnated with it?" - -"I am unable to say. Why do you ask? Surely"--Penn turned an alarmed -face towards the speaker, and looked yellower than ever--"surely you -do not suspect me of keeping back anything from the police likely to -lead to the detection of the assassin." - -"Ask yourself, Mr. Penn," said Dan coldly. "I and Inspector Tenson and -Mr. Durwin smelt this particular perfume on the clothes of the dead -man, and I do not mind telling you that the police consider it -something of a clue." - -"A clue to what? To me? It must be, since I alone possess this scent. -I certainly came into the library when summoned by Mr. Durwin, and I -helped to look after Sir Charles. As I was strongly perfumed with the -scent it is not impossible that my employer's clothes took what, -doubtless, you will call the taint. I think," ended Penn in a -dignified manner, "that such is the proper explanation. You have found -a mare's nest, Mr. Halliday." - -"Upon my word, I believe I have," said Dan, quite good-humoredly, "but -you must forgive me, Mr. Penn. Inspector Tenson agreed with me that -the fly and the scent were clues." - -"About the fly I know nothing," said the secretary positively, "but -this scent is not to be had in England, and Sir Charles's clothes -could only have gathered the fragrance from mine. If Inspector Tenson -suspects me----" - -"No, no, no!" interrupted Halliday quickly. "I assure you that he does -not." - -"He would if you told him of our meeting," retorted Penn as they -passed into Piccadilly Circus, "and as I don't like even a suspicion -to rest on me, Mr. Halliday--for my good name is my fortune--I shall -go and see him and explain the whole circumstance. Indeed, if he -wishes it, I shall give him the bottle which my cousin sent me from -Sumatra, and never shall I use the scent again. I do not like these -injurious suspicions." - -"Don't make a mountain out of a mole-hill," said Dan, drily; "if I -have hurt your feelings, I apologize." - -"I accept your apology only on condition that you accept my -explanation." - -Dan inwardly chuckled at Penn's dignity, but replied, readily enough. -"Oh, yes, for if I did not accept your explanation I should not make -any apology. You are probably right since the scent must have got on -to Sir Charles's clothes from your own. The clue--as we took it to -be--has ended in smoke." - -"But don't you think that I should see Inspector Tenson and explain?" - -"There is no need," Dan assured him, soothingly. "If the Inspector -says anything about the scent, I shall explain; and, after all, it was -I who suggested the perfume as a clue." - -"Would you like what is left of the bottle?" asked Penn, pacified by -the very frank apology of the other. - -"No, thanks, I never use perfumes. I hate them." - -"So did Sir Charles," mused Penn, and eyeing Dan with a lack-lustre -gaze. "I wonder he did not suspect me of liking them. If he had come -upon me scented in this manner, he would have kicked me out." - -"It is to be hoped Lord Curberry has not the same dislike," said Dan, -who having learned all he wished, desired to escape from such boring -society. - -"No, he has not," said Penn with great simplicity; "he is very kind to -me. I suppose he will marry Miss Moon." - -"Then you suppose wrong. He will not," snapped Halliday roughly. - -"He loves her devotedly," insisted the secretary, and with a glint of -malice in his pale-colored eyes. - -"Good-day," rejoined Dan shortly, as he did not wish to argue the -matter. He turned into Regent Street--for by this time they had -crossed the Circus--when Penn ran after him and seized his arm. - -"Is there any chance of the woman who killed Sir Charles being found?" - -"No," replied Dan, halting for a moment. "Why?" - -"Because Sir Charles was good to me, and I should like his death to be -avenged. That is only natural. Surely the police will search." - -"They are searching, Mr. Penn, and can discover nothing." - -"Perhaps Lord Curberry may hunt for this woman. I shall ask him to, -and as he loves Miss Moon so devotedly, he will try to learn the -truth." - -Irritated by this speech--for Penn knew very well of the rivalry--Dan -became scarlet. "I shall discover the truth. Lord Curberry need not -trouble himself." - -"If you discover the truth----" began Penn, and hesitated. - -"Well?" asked Halliday sharply. - -"I think Lord Curberry will certainly marry Miss Moon." - -"What do you mean by that?" demanded Dan, but Penn gave no answer. -Shaking his head significantly, he stepped back, and in one moment was -lost in the midst of the crowd which thronged the corner. Halliday -would have followed, for the man's last observation seemed to hint -that he knew more about the truth than he was disposed to admit; but -many people came between him and the secretary, so it was impossible -to get hold of him again. Dan was forced to walk on alone and he -walked on pondering deeply. - -Did Penn know the truth? It seemed impossible that he should know it. -The evidence of the typewriting girl went to show that he had not left -his private room all the evening until summoned by Durwin when the -death was discovered. What Penn said about the perfume appeared to be -reasonable enough, as he certainly had handled the body, and if -reeking of the scent--as he was reeking on this very day--it was not -surprising that the odor should communicate itself to the dress -clothes of the dead man. Some odors cling very powerfully, and endure -for a considerable time. This Sumatra scent assuredly had done so, for -it was quite three hours after the death that Dan himself had seen the -corpse, and even then he had smelt the perfume. However, on the face -of it, Halliday saw no reason to doubt Penn's statement, and quite -understood how he became, through Sir John's mediation, the secretary -of Lord Curberry. Only the last speech of the secretary was strange. -Why should he say that, if the truth were discovered by Dan, Curberry -would marry the girl, when, on the discovery of the truth--so far as -Dan could see--the marriage of himself to Lillian depended? Dan could -find no answer to this question, and had half a mind to follow Penn to -his new employer's house, so as to force an explanation. But as he -knew Curberry did not like him, he decided to let matters stand as -they were, and only reveal what he had heard to Laurance. - -For the next four or five days, young Halliday went about his business -in a quiet, determined manner, and thought as little as possible of -Lillian. He did not even write or call to see her, since he wished to -give up his whole attention to discovering the truth about Moon's -death. If he thought of love and Lillian, he certainly could not -concentrate his mind on the necessary search. And it was very -necessary, if he intended to marry the girl. He became certain that in -some way Sir John intended to trick him, but if he found out the false -Mrs. Brown, and solved the mystery, Sir John would be forced out of -sheer justice to sanction the marriage. It was heroical of Halliday to -turn his thoughts from his beloved and it was no easy task to one so -deeply in love as he. But he saw the need of it, and manfully set -himself to endure present pain for future joy. Whether Lillian saw -things in the same light, or resented his neglect, he did not know, as -he had no word from her, neither came there any letter from Mrs. -Bolstreath. Dan had, certainly been pushed out of the girl's life by -her astute uncle; but it was his own common sense that kept him out of -it--for the time being--be it understood. Love demands its martyrs, -and Halliday had become one for Love's sake. By doing so, although he -knew it not, he was displaying more real love towards her than he had -ever done in his life before. - -Meanwhile, Laurance lost no time in publishing his letter, which dealt -with the mystery of Moon's death. As _The Moment_, including its extra -letter-writing sheet, had a large circulation, and as it was a season -devoid of news, the letter caused great discussions. It was -sufficiently alarming to those who loved law and order, since it -boldly announced that a gang of criminals existed which coldly and -cautiously and deliberately employed its members to put people to -death. The letter called attention to the fly--and that an artificial -one--on Sir Charles's neck near the poisoned wound, and declared that -such was the sign-manual of the accursed society. No mention was made -of the scent, since Dan had explained what Penn had said to Laurance, -and Laurance had accepted the explanation as valid. But there was -quite enough in the letter to startle the most dull, especially when -the writer called attention to the happening of various mysterious -murders, and suggested that such were the work of this misguided set -of people who constituted the unknown gang; finally, Freddy ended his -letter by saying that Moon had knowledge of the gang, and had sent for -a Scotland Yard official--name not given--to explain the whole matter, -when he met with his death. It was a fact, therefore, that the false -Mrs. Brown was an emissary of the gang who had been sent to murder Sir -Charles, and had performed her vile errand only too well. A postscript -to the epistle invited discussion, and particularly called upon any -person who knew of an artificial fly being found on a corpse to give -evidence. - -In two days the sheet was filled with letters from various people, and -the matter was much discussed. Some of the writers laughed at the idea -of such a society existing in a civilized country such as England, -while others expressed alarm and asked what the police were doing not -to arrest the criminals. These last scribes evidently entirely forgot -that no one knew where the central quarters of the gang were, and that -the letter of Mr. Laurance was an attempt to root out the heart of the -mystery. Those who appeared in print and aided the circulation of _The -Moment_ by buying their own lucubrations certainly did not help much. -The generality of the letters were discursive and ornate, wandering -very much from the point, and giving no positive information such as -would assist Freddy's purpose. But three or four epistles drew -attention to certain mysterious crimes, the perpetrators of which had -never been brought to justice, and who were not even known. There was -the case of a young girl found dead on the Brighton railway line, near -Redhill, and who must have been thrown out of the train. Then some one -wrote about a miser in the East End who had been strangled, and -another person recalled the drowning of a well-known philanthropist in -the Serpentine. A verdict of suicide had been brought in as regards -this last victim, but the writer of the letter positively asserted -that the philanthropist had not the slightest intention of making away -with himself. Finally came a batch of letters concerning children who -had been murdered. - -But only in one case did it appear that any fly was seen on the -victim, and that was when a schoolmistress was stabbed to the heart -while in bed and asleep. The assassin had entered and escaped by the -window, and the victim's mother--who wrote the letter drawing -attention to this case--had found the fly on her daughter's cheek. She -had thought nothing of it at the time, and had brushed away the -insect. But after the mention of the fly on Sir Charles Moon's neck, -she remembered the incident. Also it turned out that the -schoolmistress, had she lived, would have inherited a large sum of -money. It was this last circumstance that suggested the intervention -of the gang to murder the girl, so that someone else might inherit. -But all the letters dealing with the various cases were vague, and no -enlightening details could be given. All that could be said was that -there were many unusual deaths, the mystery of which could not be -solved. Laurance, reading the letters during the week of their -appearance, felt sure that the gang existed, but he was more or less -alone in his opinion. Even Dan was doubtful. - -"It seems such a large order for a number of people to band themselves -together, to murder on this comprehensive scale," he objected; "and I -don't quite see the object. Many of the victims mentioned in these -letters are poor." - -"You seem to have changed your mind about the matter," said Laurance -drily, "for when my letter appeared you were assured that there was -such a gang." - -"Only because of Sir Charles's remarks to Durwin." - -"It was a pity Sir Charles was not more explicit," retorted Freddy -crossly. - -"He had no time to be explicit," said Dan patiently, "since he died -before he explained. But let us admit, for the sake of argument, that -such a gang exists. Why should the members murder poor people?" - -"Folks have been murdered by way of revenge, as well as for money. And -let me remind you, Dan, that four or five of these victims mentioned -in the letters had money, or were about to inherit money. I am quite -convinced," said Laurance, striking the table, "that there is such an -association." - -"An association for what?" - -"You are very dull. To get undesirable people out of the way. -Remember, in the reign of Louis XIV there were dozens of poisoners in -Paris who undertook to kill people when engaged to do so. The reason -was for revenge, or desire for money, or--or--or for other reasons," -ended Laurance vaguely. - -"Hum!" Dan stroked his chin, "it may be as you say. Certainly Sir -Charles was got rid of, because he knew too much." - -"About this gang," insisted Laurance, "since he was to see Durwin -about the same. I am certain that such an association exists." - -"You said that before," Halliday reminded him. - -"And I say it again. At all events there is one thing certain--that we -have learned from these letters of many mysterious crimes." - -"But only in one case was the fly discovered," objected Dan again. - -"That is not to be wondered at," replied the journalist; "the wonder -is that such a small insect should be noticed at all. No one would -ever think of connecting a fly, whether dead or alive, with the death. -The mother of this schoolmistress did not, until your experience with -regard to Moon was quoted in my letter. The fly business is quite -ridiculous." - -"And perhaps means nothing." - -"Oh, I think it does, seeing that in Moon's case, the fly was -artificial. Probably in the case of the schoolmistress it was -artificial also, only the mother who noticed it did not make an -examination. Why should she? I wonder the gang don't have a better -trade-mark." - -"Perhaps the gang may think it would be spotted if it did." - -"Then why have any trade-mark at all," answered Laurance, sensibly. -"If there is to be a sign, there should be some sensible one. If the -fly was stamped on the skin, as the purple fern was stamped, there -would be some sense in the matter. But a fly, artificial or real, -is----" Freddy spread out his hands, for words entirely failed him. - -"Well," said Dan after a pause, "I don't know what to say, since -everything is so vague. However, I shall assume that such a gang -exists, and shall do my best to aid you to bring about its -destruction, as that means my marriage to Lillian. To help, I must -have money, so the sooner we get North and engage one of Vincent's -machines with all the latest improvements, the better shall I be -pleased." He moved towards the door, as they were in Laurance's rooms -when this conversation took place, and there he halted. "I think, -Freddy, you will have a chance of proving in your own person, as to -the truth of your supposition regarding this gang!" - -"What do you mean?" asked Laurance somewhat startled. - -"Well," murmured Dan, "the gang knows you started the hunt for its -destruction, as I expect the members read the papers. If that is the -case you will be a source of danger, such as Sir Charles was and----" - -"I'll look after myself," interrupted Laurance grimly. - -"Well, if you don't, and the worst comes," said Dan agreeably, "I -shall carefully examine your corpse for the celebrated fly." - -"I'll look after myself," said Laurance again, "and if you think I am -going to give up doing business through fear of death, you are much -mistaken. If I can find the gang and exterminate the gang, I'll get a -much larger salary, and so will be able to marry Mildred." - -"Oh, that's her name, is it? Mildred Vincent! Is she pretty?" - -"You might not think so, since Miss Moon is your ideal," said Freddy, -with a blush. "Mildred is dark and tall, and well-proportioned--none -of your skimpy women, old man." - -"Lillian isn't skimpy," cried Halliday indignantly. - -"I never said she was. Let us call her fairy-like." - -"That's better. And your Mildred?" - -"You'll see her when we go North the day after tomorrow." - -"Good!" Dan nodded thankfully, "we go to Vincent the day after -to-morrow?" - -"Yes. Meet me at a quarter to twelve at St. Pancras Station; the train -leaves at mid-day and we change at Thawley for Beswick about four -o'clock. I expect we'll arrive--all going well--at Sheepeak about -six." - -"Good. But why shouldn't all go well?" inquired Dan, after a pause. - -Laurance chuckled. "According to you, the gang will hunt me down, and -as you are in my company--well!" he chuckled again. - -"Oh, I don't care a cent for the gang, no more than yourself," -retorted Dan with a shrug. "I'm not even going to think of the beasts. -We go North to get the machine which will enable me to win this two -thousand. And then----" - -"And then?" echoed Laurance with a grin. - -"Then I shall discover the truth, crush the gang, and marry Lillian." - -In this way, therefore, the muddy water was stirred up. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE INVENTOR - - -Freddy Laurance usually opened his mouth to ask questions, rarely to -talk about himself. In the newspaper world, confidences may mean copy, -given that such are worthy to appear in print. Therefore, as the young -man found, it is just as well to be sparing of personal details, and -having made this discovery, he was careful to keep his tongue between -his teeth in all matters dealing with his private life. This -reticence, useful in business, but wholly unnecessary in -friendship--particularly when the friendship had to do with Dan -Halliday--had grown upon Laurance to such an extent that he said -very little about his love affair. Dan, being a genial soul, and a -fellow-sufferer in the cause of Cupid, and having a heart-whole liking -for the journalist, resented being shut out in this way. He therefore -made it his business to extract Freddy's love story from him when the -two were in the train making for Sheepeak, _viâ_ Thawley and Beswick. - -"Where did you meet her?" asked Dan abruptly, as they had the -compartment to themselves, and he had exhausted not only the -newspapers but the magazines. - -"Her?" repeated Laurance, who was calmly smoking, with his feet on the -opposite seat, "what her?" - -"The her. The one girl in the world for you?" - -"Oh, bosh!" Freddy colored, and looked pleasantly embarrassed. - -"Is it? Perhaps you are right!" and Dan began to hum a simple little -American song, entitled, "I wonder who's kissing her now." - -Laurance took this personally. "No one is! I can trust her." - -"Trust who?" asked Dan innocently. - -"The person you mentioned now. Miss Vincent, Mildred." - -"Did I mention her? Well, now you recall her name, I did. Old man, we -are the best of friends, but this fourth estate habit of holding your -confounded tongue is getting on my nerves. Give yourself a treat by -letting yourself go. I am ready to listen," and he leaned back with a -seraphic smile. - -Freddy did not fence any longer, but came out with details. After all, -since he could trust Dan, he was beginning to think that it would be -delightful to talk his heart empty. "She's the dearest girl in the -world," was the preamble. - -Dan twiddled his thumbs. "We all say that. Now Lillian----" - -"Mildred! We are speaking of her." Freddy spoke very fast lest his -friend should interrupt. Since Dan wanted confidences, Dan should have -them given to him in a most thorough manner. "Mildred is an angel, and -her uncle is an old respectable, clever beast." - -"Yes!" said Halliday persuasively. "I thought in that way of Sir -Charles when he interrupted private conversations between Lillian and -myself. I am of the same opinion as regards Sir John Moon because----" - -"Yes, I know what you mean by because. But with regard to Mildred----" - -"Who is an angel. Yes?" - -"I met her a year ago in London--Regent Street, to be precise as to -locality. A snob spoke to her without an introduction, so she appealed -to me, and I punched his head. Then I escorted her home----" - -"To Hillshire? What a knight-errant," chuckled Dan. - -"Don't be an ass. I escorted her to the Guelph Hotel in Jermyn Street, -where she and her uncle were staying. The uncle appreciated the -service I did for his niece, and made me welcome, especially when he -found that, as a newspaper man, I was able to talk in print about his -machines. For an inventor the old man had an excellent idea of -business." - -"Inventors being generally fools. So you called the next day to see if -Miss Vincent's nerves were better." - -Freddy cast a look of surprise at Dan's dark face. "How did you guess -that, Halliday? Well, I did, and I got on better with Solomon Vincent -than ever." - -"Undoubtedly you got on better with the niece," murmured Dan, -mischievously. - -"Well," Laurance colored, "you might put it that way." - -"I do put it that way," said Dan firmly, "and from personal -experience." - -"Not with Mildred. Well, to make a long story short, I saw a great -deal of them in town, and took them to dinner and got them theatre -seats, and fell deeper in love every day. Then Vincent asked me to -Sheepeak to inspect his machines and I wrote several articles in _The -Moment_." - -"Ah! I thought I remembered Vincent's name. I read those articles. But -you didn't mention the niece." - -"Ass!" said the journalist scornfully, "is it likely! Well, that's the -whole yarn. I've been several times to Sheepeak and Vincent likes me." - -"To the extent of taking you as a nephew?" inquired Dan, thoughtfully. - -"No, hang him! That's why I call him a beast. He says that Mildred is -necessary to his comfort as a housekeeper, and won't allow her to -marry me. She is such a good girl that she obeys her uncle because he -brought her up when her parents died, and has been a father to her." - -"A dull romance and a league-long wooing, with the lady in Hillshire -and the swain in London. How long is this unsatisfactory state of -things going to last, my son?" - -"I don't know," rejoined Fred mournfully, "until her uncle dies, -perhaps." - -"Then let us hope he'll fly once too often," said Dan cheerfully; "but -do not be downhearted. I am sure it will be all right. I shall dance -at your wedding and you will dance at mine. By the way, there's no -necessity to talk to Vincent or his niece about our endeavors to spot -this gang." - -"Of course not. The matter won't be mentioned. All I am talking about -is private, and you come to Sheepeak with me to get a machine so as to -win the London to York race. It will be an advertisement for Vincent." - -"That's all right. And Mildred--talk about her, old man. I know you -are dying to explain the kind of angel she really is. Lull me to sleep -with lover's rhapsodies"--a request, with which Freddy, now having -broken the ice, was perfectly willing to comply. He described -Mildred's appearance with a lover's wealth of details, drew attention -to her many admirable qualities, quoted her speeches, praised her -talents, and thus entertained his friend--and incidentally -himself--all the way to Thawley. Dan closed his eyes and listened, -puffing comfortably at his pipe. Occasionally he threw in a word, but -for the greater part of the time held his peace, and let Laurance -babble on about his darling's perfections. Secretly, Dan did not think -these could match Lillian's in any way. - -At the great manufacturing town of Thawley, which was overshadowed by -a cloud of dun smoke, the travellers left the main line, and crossed -to another platform where they boarded the local train to Beswick. -This station was only six miles down the line, and they turned on -their tracks to reach it, since it branched off from the main artery -into the wilds. It nestled at the foot of a lofty hill covered from -top to bottom with trees, now more or less leafless. Laurance informed -his companion that there was a ruined abbey hidden in the wood, and -also pointed out several interesting places, for he was well -acquainted with the locality. At Beswick they piled their bags on a -ramshackle old trap, and proceeded in this to climb up a long, -winding, steep road, which mounted gradually to the moors. As the year -was yet wintry and the hour was late, the air became wonderfully keen, -and--as Freddy said--inspiriting. Dan, however, did not find it so, as -he felt quite sleepy, and yawned the whole way until the trap stopped -at the solitary hotel of Sheepeak, a rough stone house, with thick -walls and a slate roof. - -The landlady, raw-boned, sharp-eyed, and not at all beautiful, met -them at the door, smiling in what was meant for an amiable manner when -she saw Laurance. "Oh, you're here again?" she said defiantly, and Dan -noticed that beyond the Northern burr she did not reproduce the -country dialect. - -"Yes, Mrs. Pelgrin, and I have brought a friend to stay three or four -days. We want two bedrooms and a sitting-room, and supper straight -away." - -"You shall have them," said Mrs. Pelgrin, still defiantly. - -"And the price will be a pound each for the four days," ventured -Freddy. - -"With ten shillings extra for the sitting-room," said Mrs. Pelgrin, -fiercely. - -"Oh, come now." - -"I'll not take you in for less." - -"Well," put in Dan, shrugging, "sooner than stand here in the cold and -argue, I shall pay the extra ten shillings." - -"Cold, do you call it? Cold!" Mrs. Pelgrin's tone was one of scorn. -"Ha, cold!" and she led the way through a flagged stone passage to a -large and comfortable room at the back of the house. "Will this suit -you?" - -"That's all right, Mrs. Pelgrin," said Freddy, throwing himself down -on a slippery horse-hair sofa--"and supper?" - -"You'll have it when it's ready, no sooner and no later," barked the -ogress, leaving the room. "Cold is it?" and she laughed hoarsely. - -"I say, Freddy," observed Halliday in a lazy tone, "why is the good -lady so very savage?" - -"She isn't, Mrs. Pelgrin is quite fond of me. I've stayed here often." - -"Fond of you?" echoed Dan, with a chuckle. "Good Lord, how does she -speak to those she isn't fond of?" - -"It's Northern brusqueness. She's honest----" - -"But rude. The two seem to go together with many people. They think -they will be taken for rascals if they are decently polite." - -Laurance remonstrated. "Mrs. Pelgrin is a rough diamond." - -"I like my jewels polished. However, here we are and here we stay, and -here we eat, if that amiable lady will bring in supper. Then I shall -go to bed, as I shall certainly yawn my head off if I don't." - -"But it's just after six," cried Laurance. "I want to take you to see -Vincent to-night--this evening, that is." - -"Go yourself, and see the beautiful Mildred," muttered Dan drowsily. -"Two's company and three's a crowd. I'm going to bed"; and, in spite -of Laurance's arguments against such sloth, to bed he went, after a -brisk fight with Mrs. Pelgrin over a fire in his sleeping apartment. -He said that he wanted one, while the landlady declared that it was -unnecessary. Finally Dan got his own way, and when the fire was -blazing, Mrs. Pelgrin said good-night. - -"But you're no more nor a butterfly," she informed her guest, and went -out banging the door, with muttering remarks concerning people who -felt cold. - -"No doubt this weather is here regarded as tropical," murmured Dan, -getting into bed and referring to the weather, and he smiled over Mrs. -Pelgrin's manners until he fell asleep. - -Next morning Laurance woke him at eight, and Dan grumbled about -getting up, although he was assured that he had slept the clock round. -However, a cold bath soon brisked him up, and he came down to the -sitting-room with an excellent appetite for breakfast. Mrs. Pelgrin -brought it in, and again joked in her fierce way about the cold, which -the butterfly--as she again termed Dan--was supposed to feel so -keenly. Laurance talked about Mildred, who had been delighted to see -him, but mentioned regretfully that he did not think that Dan would -get the machine he was in search of. - -"Why not?" asked Mr. Halliday, lighting his pipe and finishing his -third cup of coffee. "Vincent wants his aeroplanes exploited, doesn't -he? And where will he find a better chance than for an experienced -man, such as I am, flying his latest invention in _The Moment's_ -London to York race?" - -"Vincent's a queer fish. That's all I can say," retorted Laurance. - -"Well, you can't say more and you can't say less, I suppose. We'll go -and have a look at the queer fish in his pond whenever you like." - -"At eleven o'clock then." - -"Right oh! I can talk to the uncle and you can talk to the niece. It's -a fair division of labor." - -This arrangement was willingly agreed to by Laurance, as Dan was -certain it would be since he saw that his friend was fathoms deep in -love. Afterwards, the two went out of doors and surveyed the -landscape. Sheepeak was situated on the top of a lofty tableland, the -village being a tolerably large collection of substantial stone -houses, whence the moors spread north and south, east and west. From -where they were, the friends could see the green squares of cultivated -fields, the purple bloom of the heather, and the azure hues which -distance gave to the distant mountains. Here and there the vast -country, which looked enormously large from the elevation whence they -surveyed it, dipped into verdant dales, snugly clothed with forests, -and sprinkled with manor-houses and villages, big and little. The -lands were so far-stretching and the prospect so extensive, that Dan -became mightily impressed with the magnitude of the sky. It covered -them like a huge inverted cup, and as there was nothing to break its -league-long sweep, Dan felt quite small in the immensity which -surrounded him above and below. - -"I feel like a pill in the Desert of Sahara," said Mr. Halliday, -sighing. - -"What is the sensation of feeling like a pill," rejoined Laurance -drily, for he was not an imaginative individual. - -"Only a poet can explain, Freddy, and you are very earthy." - -"I never knew you were a genius," snapped Laurance, with a shrug. - -"You have much to learn," replied Dan reprovingly; "and as it's near -eleven o'clock, suppose we light out for Vincent." - -Freddy agreed, and skirting the village for three-quarters of a mile, -they suddenly came upon a small cottage, with walls and roof of -yellowish stone covered with lichen, and standing in a small garden of -wind-tormented vegetation. A low stone wall divided this from the high -road, and the visitors entered through a small wooden gate to pass up -a cobble-stone walk to the modest door. But the cottage itself was -dwarfed wholly by huge sheds of wood covered with roofs of galvanized -tin, which loomed up suddenly behind it, on a vast scale more in -keeping with the character of the landscape. These were the workshops -of Vincent, where he built his machines and housed them from prying -eyes. The fields at the back cultivated into smooth lawns were where -the aeroplanes started to fly over hill and dale, to the wonderment of -the inhabitants. - -"Though they are pretty well used to Vincent's vagaries by this time," -said Freddy, ending his explanation. - -Mildred received them in the small parlor of the cottage which was -about the size of a doll's drawing-room, and expressed herself as -pleased to make the acquaintance of Mr. Halliday. Her uncle, she -mentioned, was busy as usual in his workshop, but would see the -visitors in half an hour. While she explained, Dan took stock of her, -and admitted that she was really a very amiable and pretty girl, -though not a patch on Lillian. But then Dan did not care for tall -ladies with olive complexions, blue eyes, dark hair, and the regal -melancholy look of discrowned queens. Mildred--the name suited -her--was too tall and stately for his taste, which approved more of -little golden-haired women, fairy-like and frolicsome. Miss Vincent -looked serious and thoughtful, and although her smile was delicious, -she smiled very seldom. It seemed to Dan that her solitary life in -these moorlands and in the company--when she enjoyed it--of her morose -uncle, made the girl sober beyond her years, which were not more than -two-and-twenty. However, many minds many tastes, and Dan could not -deny but what Freddy's fair Saxon looks went very well with the Celtic -mystic appearance of the inventor's niece. They were a handsome -couple, indeed, but much too solemn in looks and character for Dan, -whose liking leaned to the frivolous side of things. - -"Don't you find it dull here, Miss Vincent?" asked Halliday casually. - -"Dull!" she echoed, turning her somewhat sad eyes of dark blue in his -direction, "oh, not at all. Why I have a great deal to do. We have -only one servant and I assist in the housework. My uncle is not easy -to cater for, as he has many likes and dislikes with regard to food. -Then he employs a certain number of workmen, and I have to pay them -every Saturday. Indeed, I look after all the financial part of my -uncle's business." - -"Is it a business, or a whim--a hobby?" inquired Dan respectfully, -for, being frivolous, he was struck with awe at the multitude of Miss -Vincent's employments. - -"Well, more of the last than the first perhaps," said Mildred smiling -at his respectful expression. "Uncle Solomon really doesn't care for -publicity. All his aim is to construct a perfect machine, and he is -always inventing, and improving, and thinking of new ways in which to -obtain the mastery of the air." - -"His machines have been tried by other people, though," remarked -Freddy. - -"Oh, yes, and with great success. But uncle doesn't even read the -papers to see what is said about his aeroplanes, although he is always -anxious to read what other inventors are doing, and takes a great -interest in races across Channel and over the Alps, and from city to -city. But he is wrapt up in his own schemes, and works for twelve and -more hours out of the twenty-four in perfecting his machines. Public -applause or public rewards don't appeal to him, you see, Mr. Halliday; -it's the work itself." - -"Ah, that is the true spirit of genius," said Dan approvingly, "a man -like that is sure to arrive." - -"He will never arrive," said Miss Vincent quietly, "for as soon as he -arrives at one point, he only regards it as a resting-place to start -for a further goal. He doesn't care for food or drink, or clothes, or -politics, or amusements, or anything for which the ordinary man -strives. His machine takes up all his attention." - -"Happy man. To have one strong aim and to be allowed to work at that -aim, is the true happiness of any man. I shall be glad to have a talk -with him." - -"He doesn't talk much, Mr. Halliday." - -"A man obsessed with one idea seldom does," retorted the young fellow. -"I hope, however, he will let me have a machine for this race. I can -handle any aeroplane, once it is explained to me, and Freddy here, -says that your uncle's machines have many improvements likely to tell -against competitors." - -"I am not sure if he will let you have a machine," said Mildred, her -face clouding; "he is very jealous and whimsical you know." - -"Like all inventors," murmured Laurance rising; "let us go and see -him." - -"Yes," added Dan, also getting on his feet, "and then you take Freddy -away, Miss Vincent, and let me talk to your uncle. I shall get what I -want, somehow." - -Mildred laughed and led the way out of the cottage by the back door. -"It is not an easy task you have set yourself to do," she said, -doubtfully; "here are the workshops and the buildings where the -machines are housed, and yonder is Uncle Solomon." - -The buildings looked plebeian and gimcrack with their flimsy wooden -walls and tin roofs, impressive only in their magnitude. They must -have cost a deal to erect in this neighborhood where all the houses, -great and small, were of stone; and wood was comparatively scarce. -Vincent, as Dan considered, must be well-off to indulge in so -expensive a hobby. To be sure by racing he could gain prizes, and if -successful could also sell machines at a good figure; but from what -Mildred said, it seemed to Dan that her uncle had the true jealous -spirit of an inventor, and did not let his darlings go out of his -hands if he could help it. To live on this vast moorland, working at -his inventions and experimenting with his ideas, was enough for -Solomon Vincent, without the applause and rewards of the world. -Undoubtedly to carry out his plans he must have a private income, and -not an inconsiderable one at that. - -"Uncle, this is Mr. Laurance and Mr. Halliday," said Mildred, -introducing the two young men, though the first did not require -mention. - -But Vincent, like most inventors, was absent-minded, and it took him -quite a minute to recognize Laurance, whom he had not seen on the -previous night. - -"Mr. Laurance and Mr. Halliday," he said casually, and turning from -the workman to whom he had been speaking--"yes, of course. You -understand about the propeller, Quinton," he added, again taking up -his conversation with the workman, "it must be seen to at once," and -quite oblivious of the company he went on giving instructions, until -the man went away to do his task, and Mildred touched her uncle's arm. - -"This is Mr. Laurance and Mr.----" - -"Of course I know it is Mr. Laurance," said Vincent testily, "do you -think I am blind? How do you do, Laurance? Good-by, I am busy." - -"And this is Mr. Halliday who wants a machine," went on Mildred -persuasively. - -"Indeed. Then Mr. Halliday shan't get one," retorted Vincent, and -sauntered into the nearest shed with a scowl on his lean face. He was -an acrid-looking man of fifty, with untidy gray hair and an untrimmed -beard. - -"Follow him, and he will talk," said Mildred hastily, "I shall remain -here with Freddy, as uncle doesn't like many people to be about him." - -"He is not easy to get on with," sighed Dan, "I can see that." -However, he took the girl's advice and went into the shed after the -ungracious inventor, leaving the lovers to return to the cottage -parlor, which they did forthwith. Laurance was quite astute enough to -lose no time, since the moments spent with Mildred were all golden and -not easily obtainable. - -Dan marched into the shed with a fine air of possession, and again -surveyed Vincent, who was examining some specifications near a window. -The man was carelessly dressed in a shabby suit of blue serge, and -seemed to care little about his personal appearance. Marking once more -his shaggy hair and beard, and yellow skin considerably wrinkled, the -young man went up to him. As if waking from a dream, Vincent looked -up, and Dan met the gaze of two very keen dark eyes, whose expression -was anything but amiable. - -"Who are you, and what do you want?" demanded the owner of the eyes -crossly. - -"My name is Halliday. I want a machine to race between London and -York. I have just been introduced to you by your niece." - -"My niece should have more sense than to have brought you here," cried -the inventor fiercely; "you come to spy out my ideas and to steal -them." - -"I assure you I don't," said Dan drily. "I am not a genius as you -are." - -"All the more reason you should pick my brains," snapped Vincent in no -way mollified by the compliment as Dan intended he should be. - -Halliday laughed. "If I did, I could make no use of my pickings, Mr. -Vincent, as you may guess. I can handle a machine, but I can't put one -together." - -"Who told you about me?" demanded the man suspiciously. - -"Laurance." - -"He's a meddlesome fool." - -"Well," said Dan cheerfully, "there may be two opinions about that you -know." - -"I don't want him, and I don't want you, and I don't want any one. Why -do you come and bother me when I don't want you?" - -"Because my wants are to be considered. See here, Mr. Vincent," added -Halliday in a coaxing voice, for he saw that it was necessary to humor -this clever man like a child, "there is to be a race between London -and York for a big prize given by _The Moment_, the paper Mr. Laurance -works for. I wish to compete, but my machine isn't so good as I should -like it to be. I hear that you have made several improvements which -make for speed and easier handling of aeroplanes. Let me have one of -your latest, and I'll share the prize with you. It's two thousand, you -know." - -"I don't want money," snapped Vincent abruptly. - -"I congratulate you," said Dan coolly; "and yet large sums must be -needed to help you to build machines. You must be rich. Are you rich?" - -Vincent grew a dusky red, and glanced in an odd way over his shoulder, -as if he expected to find some one at his elbow. "Mind your own -business," he said in a harsh voice, and with suppressed fury; -"whether I'm rich or not is my business. You shan't have an aeroplane -of mine. Clear out." - -Dan did clear out, but as he went, wondered why the man was so angry -and confused. He seemed quite afraid of the simple question that had -been put to him. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE HERMIT LADIES - - -Dan was not naturally of a suspicious nature, but since taking up the -profession of a detective, he had become so. Slight matters that -formerly he would not have noticed, now attracted his attention, and, -as the saying goes, he saw a bird in every bush. For this reason while -returning slowly to the cottage, he considered Vincent's backward -glance, which hinted at nervousness, and his unnecessarily angry reply -to the question as to whether he was rich. Usually dreamy and -absent-minded, the turn taken by the conversation had awakened -the tiger in the man, and apparently he regarded Halliday as -over-inquisitive. Yet why the inventor should take this view, Dan -could not conjecture. But after musing for a few minutes, the young -man began to think he was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. And -whatever secret Vincent had in his life, as his suddenly aggressive -attitude showed, it could have nothing to do with the particular quest -upon which Dan was bent. Halliday, therefore, dismissed the matter -from his mind with a shrug, and went into the cottage to disturb the -lovers. - -"Well, Mr. Halliday," remarked Mildred, whose cheeks were flushed and -whose eyes were bright, "what did my uncle say?" - -"Very little, but what he did say was to the point. He refuses to let -me have a machine." - -"How like him," ejaculated Laurance quickly; "but upon what grounds?" - -Dan scratched his chin. "Really, I don't know. He seems to think that -I am a spy desirous of learning his trade secrets. He called you a -meddlesome fool, Freddy." - -"Ah, that is because I wish to marry Mildred," replied Freddy drily; -"it is very natural that Mr. Vincent should object to a man who comes -to rob him of his treasure, so I don't mind his abuse." - -"I am not a treasure," cried Mildred, becoming pink. - -"You are. Who knows that better than I, my darling." - -"You think too well of me." - -"Impossible. You are the best and dearest----" - -"Stop! Stop!" Mildred covered her face. "Remember we are not alone." - -"Oh, don't mind me," said Dan phlegmatically, "I'm in love myself, -Miss Vincent." - -She nodded comprehendingly. "With Miss Moon. Freddy has told me." - -"Has he told you that my marriage depends upon my finding out who -murdered her father?" questioned the young man dismally. - -"Yes, and that you need money for the search." - -"Which money," continued Laurance determinedly, "must be obtained by -Dan winning this London to York race. That can be done, I am certain, -with one of your uncle's aeroplanes, Mildred, as he has made wonderful -improvements in their structure, and----" - -"But he declines to furnish me with a machine," interrupted Halliday -in a vexed tone, "not even my offer to share the £2,000 prize tempts -him. He is too rich, I suppose?" He cast an inquiring glance at the -girl. - -Mildred shook her head. "Uncle Solomon is not rich," she replied -quietly. - -"He must be," insisted Dan sharply; "he could not indulge in such an -expensive hobby otherwise." - -"Mrs. Jarsell helps him with money, though, to be sure, he has a -little of his own. Still, unless she supplied money, Uncle Solomon -could not go on building aeroplanes, especially as he rarely sells -one, and wishes to keep all his inventions to himself. His idea is to -invent a perfect machine and then sell it to the Government, and he -fancies that if he allows any one else to handle his aeroplanes, his -secrets may be prematurely discovered." - -"Well, I can see his objection in that way," assented Dan, "since more -ideas are stolen than pocket handkerchiefs, as Balzac says. But Mrs. -Jarsell?" - -"She is a rich and rather eccentric lady, who lives at The Grange," -said Mr. Laurance, before Mildred could reply. - -"I am as wise as I was before, Freddy. It's an odd thing for a lady to -finance an inventor of flying-machines. She must be large-minded and -have a very great deal of money." - -"She is large-minded and she has plenty of money," admitted Mildred -vivaciously; "her influence with my uncle is extraordinary." - -"Not at all if she supplies the cash," said Dan cynically, "but I have -an idea, Miss Vincent. Suppose we enlist Mrs. Jarsell's sympathies." - -"About the murder?" - -"No," said Halliday, after thinking for a moment or so. "I don't see -the use of talking too much about that. The more secret Freddy and I -keep our hunt, the better prospect have we of success, since the gang -will not be on guard, as it were. No, Miss Vincent, introduce me to -Mrs. Jarsell as a young and ardent lover who wishes to make money in -order to marry the girl of his heart. If she is romantic--and nine old -ladies out of ten are romantic--she will induce your uncle to, give me -his newest aeroplane." - -"If she decides to help you, Uncle Solomon certainly will give you -what you want," Mildred assured him, "since Mrs. Jarsell has supplied -him with so much money for his experiments." She thought for a second, -then raised her head cheerfully. "We shall see Mrs. Jarsell and Miss -Armour this afternoon." - -"Who is Miss Armour?" - -"Mrs. Jarsell's companion and relative and confidential friend. She's -a dear old thing, and is sure to sympathize with your romance." - -"All the better, so long as she can influence Mrs. Jarsell." - -"She can influence her, as Mrs. Jarsell swears by her," put in Freddy. -"Oh, I think you'll pull it off, Dan. It's a good idea to work old -Vincent through the hermit ladies." - -"The hermit ladies," echoed Dan wonderingly, "an odd reputation. -Hermits are usually masculine." - -"Mrs. Jarsell and Miss Armour are an exception," said Laurance -laughing, "in fact they are modern representatives of that eccentric -couple of ladies who lived at Llangollen. You remember them." - -"I have heard the names," murmured Dan reflectively. "The old ladies -of Llangollen, who eloped together and lived in Wales. I should rather -like to see this pair that follow so strange an example. When are we -to go?" - -"This afternoon," repeated Mildred, nodding brightly, "I really think -something may come of the visit, Mr. Halliday. You and Freddy go back -to 'The Peacock' for dinner and then call for me later--say at three -o'clock. I am a favorite with the hermit ladies and have leave to -bring any one to afternoon tea. Especially nice young men. Mrs. -Jarsell and Miss Armour are fond of young men." - -"Giddy old things," said Dan gaily. "I hope they will take a fancy to -me, as I shall do my best to charm them. Well?" - -"You must go now, Mr. Halliday, as I have much to do before taking an -hour off." - -"Vincent works you too hard, Mildred," said Laurance impatiently, as -he took up his cap, "you can't call a moment your own." - -"I shall call two hours or so my own this afternoon," replied Mildred -amiably, and sent the young men away quite happy, since there was a -promising chance that Dan would gain his ends. - -"That's a delightful girl," said Dan, when the two were seated at -dinner. "I should like to marry her if Lillian were not in existence." - -"I'm glad that Lillian is, Dan, since I want to marry Mildred myself. -Don't poach, you animal." - -"I won't," promised Halliday generously, "I don't like dark hair. But -it's no use arguing. Let us eat and drink, for I have to fascinate -Mrs. Jarsell and her bosom friend. I'll get hold of that aeroplane, -somehow." - -"We are here for that purpose," said Laurance, determined to have the -last word, and as Dan was hungry he let him have it. - -The Grange--at which they arrived late in the afternoon, the two men -escorting the one girl--was a large, rambling mansion built of -yellowish stone, its original color more or less washed out by rain -and burnt out by sunshine. The surface of the massive walls was grimy -with black and rough with lichens, while the broad, flat stones of the -roof were covered with damp green moss. The house, although in two -stories, was of no great height, and stood on the uttermost verge of -the hill, which sloped abruptly down into the valley. The view should -have been very fine, but sundry tall houses had been built round The -Grange, which prevented the owner from enjoying the magnificent -prospect. This shutting-in--according to the legend--was due to the -malice of a disinherited brother in Jacobean times, who had created -quite a village round about the estate so as to block out the view. -But the present inhabitants did not mind much, for, as Mildred -explained, both Miss Armour and Mrs. Jarsell stayed within doors a -great deal. - -"In fact, Miss Armour is more or less paralyzed, and sits in a big -chair all day, reading and knitting, and talking and playing -Patience," said Mildred, as the trio turned into a small courtyard, -and found themselves facing a squat door, set in a porch sufficiently -massive to serve for the entrance to a mausoleum. - -An elderly maid, in an incongruous dress of brilliant scarlet, -admitted them into a darkish hall, whose atmosphere, suggestive of a -Turkish bath in a mild way, hinted that the house was heated by steam -pipes, as indeed was the case. There were some carved boxes of black -oak in the hall and three or four uncomfortable high-backed chairs, -but the walls and floor were bare, and the general aspect was somewhat -bleak. However, when the visitors were conducted along a narrow -passage, ill-lighted and dismal, they were introduced to a large -low-ceilinged room, richly and luxuriously and picturesquely -furnished. The brilliant garb of the maidservant suited this room much -better than it did hall or passage, and there was a suggestion of -tropical splendor about the woman and the sitting-room, which revealed -in Mrs. Jarsell a strong love of color, warmth, and light. Indeed, -although there were three large windows looking out on to a garden, -and immediately facing the door by which they had entered, yet the -light which was admitted being insufficient--perhaps because of the -wintry gloom--the apartment was brilliantly illuminated by six lamps. -Three of these stood at one end of the room, and three at the other, -on tall brass stands, and the light, radiating through opaque globes, -filled the place with mellow splendor. The vivid scene it revealed was -a strange and unexpected one to find in these barren wilds. - -What impressed Dan straight away, was the prevalence of scarlet. The -walls were covered with brightly toned paper, the floor with a carpet -of violently brilliant hue, and even the ceiling was splashed with -arabesque designs, blood-red against the white background. The -furniture was of black oak upholstered in satin of the same fiery -tint, while the draperies were of a dense black, funereal in aspect. A -large fire glowed on a wide hearth in a vermilion-tiled alcove, and -the poker, tongs, shovels, and pincers were of brass. Also there were -brass candlesticks, a tripod of the same alloy in which incense slowly -smoldered and even brazen warming-pans of antique pattern were ranged -on either side of the fireplace. Thus, the general color-scheme was of -black, scarlet, and yellow. What with the barbaric hues, the warm -atmosphere, and the faint scent of incense, Dan felt as though he had -stumbled on the den of a magician, malicious and dangerous. But this -may have only been an impression caused by coming suddenly into this -tropical room out of the chill air and neutral-tinted landscape. - -Neither Mrs. Jarsell nor Miss Armour, however, carried their -love of violent color into their personal attire, as both were -arrayed--somewhat incongruously, considering the season--in unrelieved -white. The former lady was tall and bulky and somewhat assertive in -manner, with a masculine cast of countenance and watchful dark eyes. -From the smooth olive texture of her skin, she had probably possessed -jet-black hair, before age turned her still plentiful locks completely -white. She was not, as Dan concluded, more than fifty, as she -possessed great vitality, and gripped his hand in a vigorous, manly -way, quite in keeping with her commanding looks. Her white gown was -made perfectly plain; she did not display even a ribbon, and wore no -jewellery whatsoever, yet her whole appearance was distinguished and -dignified. Indeed, when she welcomed the young people she assumed -something of a motherly air, but if the hint conveyed by the -barbarically decorated room was to be taken, she was anything but -maternal. Mrs. Jarsell, as Dan mentally confessed, was something of a -puzzle; he could not place her, as the saying goes. - -Miss Armour had also an unusual personality, being the antithesis of -her friend in looks and manner. To Mrs. Jarsell's massive -assertiveness, she opposed a fragile timidity, and was as small of -body as the other was large. Her oval, many-wrinkled face was the hue -of old ivory, her features were delicate, and her small head drooped -in a rather pensive manner. Her white hair, not so plentiful as that -of Mrs. Jarsell, was smoothly arranged under a dainty cap of white -lace, decorated, oddly enough, with diamond ornaments. And, indeed, -she wore enough jewellery for both ladies; rings on her slender -fingers, and chains round her neck, and bracelets on her wrists, with -a belt of turquoise stones, a ruby brooch, and earrings of pearls. On -a less refined person, this overloading of ornaments would have looked -vulgar, but Miss Armour, although she glittered at all points like a -heathen idol, preserved a calm dignity, which caused her sumptuous -display to appear perfectly natural. It was very strange that such a -mild-looking woman should deck herself out in this manner, so she, -also, was a puzzle to Halliday's intelligence. Indeed, the two ladies, -in their splendid room, suggested to Dan dreams of the Arabian -Nights, and gave him the impression of being concerned in some -gorgeous romance. - -Miss Armour, seated in the big chair which Mildred had mentioned, -looked over Dan with mild, brown eyes, and evidently approved of his -good looks. - -"I am glad to see you, Mr. Halliday," she said in a soft and musical -voice, quite silvery in its sound. "To an old person, such as I am, -the young are always welcome." - -Dan felt called upon to pay a compliment. "You don't look old," he -said bluntly. - -"Well, now-a-days, sixty cannot be called old," said Miss Armour with -a pretty laugh, "as I am assured that women of that age actually dance -in London." - -"The age-limit has been extended since Victorian times," laughed -Laurance, who had seated himself near one of the windows beside -Mildred. - -"Yes," assented Mrs. Jarsell, in deep tones suggestive of a -mellow-sounding bell. "In those times, women went on the shelf at -thirty-five, and lived again in their children. Now-a-days, there are -no old people." - -"Certainly not in this room," said Dan courteously. - -"You are Irish, I should say, Mr. Halliday," remarked Miss Armour, -smiling, as she resumed her knitting of a red and white striped shawl; -"only an Irishman could pay such a pretty compliment." - -"My mother was Irish," admitted Dan amiably, "and I made a special -journey to kiss the Blarney stone in the hope that it might oil my -tongue." - -Mrs. Jarsell in her heavy way seemed amused. "You have certainly -accomplished your purpose, Mr. Halliday. But what does a gay young -man, as I see you are, do in this solitary neighborhood?" and her keen -black eyes swept over him from head to foot inquiringly. - -"Ah," put in Freddy quickly, "that question brings out the reason of -our visit to you, Mrs. Jarsell. Behold in my friend a lover." - -"Delightful," cried Miss Armour with great animation, "and the lady?" - -"Miss Moon, the daughter of Sir Charles Moon." - -"Moon? Moon?" murmured Miss Armour, as though she were invoking the -planet. "I seem to have heard that name somewhere. Eliza?" she glanced -at her friend. - -"Don't you remember the murder we read about some months ago?" replied -Mrs. Jarsell heavily. "It was much talked about." - -"It would need to be to reach my ears, Eliza; you know that I don't -like hearing about crime. In this neighborhood," she addressed herself -to Dan, "we live a quiet and uneventful life, and although we take one -London newspaper daily, we know little of what is going on in the -world. My friend reads to me about the theatres and dresses, and -sometimes politics, but rarely does she inflict murder cases on me. I -don't like to hear of crime." - -"I read that particular case because it caused so great a sensation," -said Mrs. Jarsell, in a deprecating tone. "You remember Sir Charles -was poisoned by some unknown woman. And now I recall the case, Mr. -Halliday, your name was mentioned in connection with it." - -"Probably," said Dan lightly, "I am engaged to Miss Moon." - -"Have the police discovered who murdered Sir Charles?" - -"No. Nor is there any chance that the police will make the discovery. -The woman came and the woman went after doing her work, but she has -vanished into thin air, like Macbeth's witches." - -"I wonder why she murdered Sir Charles?" asked Mrs. Jarsell, after a -pause. - -Halliday glanced at Laurance, and it was the latter who replied in a -most cautious manner, wishing to say as little as possible about the -quest. "The reason is not known, Mrs. Jarsell." - -"But, why--" began Mildred, only to be cut short somewhat impatiently -by Miss Armour, who had been moving uneasily. - -"Don't talk any more about the horrid thing," she broke out -impetuously, "I don't want to hear. Tell me of your love affair, Mr. -Halliday." - -"There is little to tell," said Dan, relieved that the conversation -was changed in this manner, since he did not desire to say too much of -his business in connection with the crime, "and I would not tell you -that little, but that I wish to enlist your sympathies and those of -Mrs. Jarsell." - -"You have mine already," declared the old lady vivaciously, "but why -Eliza's?" - -"Mrs. Jarsell can help me." - -"Indeed," said that lady, looking at him hard, "in what way?" - -"Let me explain," chimed in Freddy, impatient of Dan's slower methods, -"Mr. Halliday wishes to marry Miss Moon and wants money." - -"But she has plenty, Mr. Laurance. The papers said that the late Sir -Charles was a millionaire." - -"So he was, and Miss Moon is his heiress," cried Dan quickly; "all the -same, I don't wish to live on my wife, and so desire to be in a -position to offer her a home however humble. Now I am an aviator, Miss -Armour, and there is to be a race for £2,000 between London and York. -I wish to compete and desire one of Mr. Vincent's machines, as they -are the most improved kind on the market." - -"They are not on the market," said Mrs. Jarsell frowning. "Mr. Vincent -will not part with his machines until he perfects a masterpiece, and -then hopes to sell it to the Government. I don't wonder you failed to -get an aeroplane from him." - -"I did not say that," said Dan swiftly. - -"Not in so many words," rejoined Mrs. Jarsell deliberately, "but I can -guess why you want my assistance, Mr. Vincent will give you a machine -if I ask him." - -"And you will?" said Halliday eagerly. - -"Oh, Eliza, you must," put in Miss Armour quickly. "Vincent will do -anything for you, since you have helped him so much with money." - -"I shall be delighted to help," said Mrs. Jarsell, in her quiet, slow -manner; "you shall have the machine, Mr. Halliday, and I hope you will -win the race and marry Miss Moon. But you are a bold man to offer to -wed an heiress on £2,000. Don't you want more money?" - -"I want heaps and heaps," said Dan laughing, "but I have no chance of -getting it. However, two thousand will do to start with. Lillian--Miss -Moon, that is--loves me well enough to marry me at once, even on the -prize given by _The Moment_." - -"Well, Eliza, will get you the machine, that is certain, Mr. Halliday. -As to the rest, I have no doubt you will be successful and win the -money; but you must have much more in order to marry Miss Moon, since -I can see that you are much too honorable a man to live on her -millions. The cards"--Miss Armour hastily put away her knitting and -took a small box from a drawer in the tiny table which stood at her -elbow--"my patience cards, Mr. Halliday, for you know, having few -amusements, I am devoted to the game. Also I can tell fortunes. I -shall tell yours," and she opened the box to take out two packs of -cards. - -"Dan isn't superstitious," laughed Freddy, and approached with -Mildred. - -"I don't know," said Halliday gravely. "I have known cases----" - -"Well, have your fortune told now," broke in Mrs. Jarsell, going to -the door, "it will amuse Miss Armour to reveal your future while I see -about the tea. I am sure you young people must be hungry." - -"But I haven't thanked you for your promise to get me the machine." - -Mrs. Jarsell nodded in a friendly manner. "When you win the race and -marry the young lady, you can thank me," she said, with ponderous -playfulness. "Miss Armour will tell you if the Fates will be kind to -you in both respects," and she disappeared to get the tea, or rather -to instruct the red-robed servant to bring it in. - -Meanwhile, Miss Armour, her mild face quite flushed with excitement, -was spreading out the cards after Dan had shuffled them. She used only -one pack, and Freddy looked on at the disposition of the colored -oblongs with the deepest interest. Dan idly took up the unused pack, -and the moment he brought them near his eyes to examine them, he -became aware that there clung to them the same mysterious scent which -Penn had stated came from Sumatra. New as he was to the detective -business, he yet had enough sense to suppress his excitement at this -discovery. Seeing that the ex-secretary had stated very positively -that no one but himself in England possessed the perfume, it was -strange indeed, that Dan should come across it in these wilds, and -connected with the personal possessions of a harmless old lady, -confined to her chair by partial paralysis. In spite of his coolness, -he was so thunderstruck that he could scarcely stammer a reply to Miss -Armour, when she asked him if his colored-card was clubs or spades. -She saw his confusion immediately. - -"What is the matter?" she demanded sharply, and her face grew pale. - -"The heat of the room, the scents, make me feel rather faint," said -Dan haltingly. - -"Remove the incense burner to the end of the room, Mr. Laurance," said -Miss Armour, and when the young man did so, she turned to Halliday. -"Are you, then, so susceptible to scents?" - -"Yes. I don't like strong perfumes. You do apparently, Miss Armour. -Why, even your cards are scented," and he held out the odd pack. - -The lady took the cards and smelt them, but showed no sign of emotion. -"I expect it's some scent Eliza gave me a few weeks ago. I had it on -my handkerchief, and it must have got on to the cards. Have you ever -smelt a perfume like it before?" she asked suddenly. - -"No," said Dan, lying promptly, as he thought it best to be on the -safe side, "and I hope I shan't again. It's too rich for my taste." - -"And was for mine," said Miss Armour indifferently. "I only used it -once or twice. Strange that you should be so susceptible to scents. -However, you feel better now. That's right. And the cards? See! There -is great good fortune coming to you." - -"That's jolly," said Dan, now quite recovered. - -"In a few weeks," said Miss Armour impressively, "a wonderful chance -will be offered to you. If you take it, a large amount of money will -be yours within the year. You will marry Miss Moon if you seize this -chance. If you do not, she will marry another person," and the -fortune-teller gathered her pack. - -"In that case, I shall take the chance at once," said Dan promptly. - -Miss Armour looked at him hard. "I advise you to do so," she said -briefly. - -[Illustration: "Why Even your cards are scented!" _Page_ 107.] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -AVIATION - - -The tea that followed the fortune-telling was quite a success, as Miss -Armour was a most amusing talker, and the rest of the party proved -themselves to be good listeners. The old lady, being an invalid, had -ample time for reading, and concerned herself chiefly with French -Mémoires, the cynical light-hearted tone of which appealed to her. But -she was also well-posted in English literature of the best kind, and -could converse very ably--as she did--on leading authors and their -works. Dan complimented her on the knowledge she had attained. - -"Oh, but it is no credit to me, Mr. Halliday," Miss Armour protested. -"I have so much time unoccupied, and grow weary of playing patience -and of knitting. It would be strange if I did not know something, -after years and years of reading. Books are my best friends." - -"Then Mrs. Jarsell is also a book, or say a human document," said Dan -politely. - -"She is the best woman in the world," cried Miss Armour, while Mrs. -Jarsell bent her heavy white eyebrows in acknowledgment of the -compliment. "You can have no idea how kind she is to me." - -"And to whom should I be kind, but to my old governess," said Mrs. -Jarsell in a gruff way. "Why, you have taught me all I know." - -"And I should think Miss Armour could teach a lot," said Laurance in -his pleasant manner; "you know so much and have such tact, that you -should be out in the world governing people, Miss Armour." - -She sent a sharp glance in his direction, as if to inquire exactly -what he meant. Then she accepted the compliment with a charming laugh. -"But for this dreadful paralysis, I should, indeed, love to be out in -the world. I love to deal with human nature, and make people do what I -want." - -"Can you?" asked Mildred anxiously. - -"Yes, child," replied the ex-governess quietly, "because I base my -diplomacy on the knowledge that every one, with few exceptions, is -ruled by self. Harp on that string, and you can manage any one." - -"Miss Armour," put in Mrs. Jarsell, in her deep voice, "rather talks -of what she would do than what she does. Here, we see few people. I go -up to town on occasions, but very rarely." - -"You must find it dull," said Dan candidly. - -For some reason Miss Armour appeared to think this speech amusing. -"Oh, no; I don't find life dull at all, I assure you. There is always -a great deal to be done, when one knows how to set about the doing." - -"As how?" questioned the young man, somewhat puzzled. - -"Books and music, and card-games and knitting-work," said Mrs. Jarsell -quickly, as if she did not approve of Miss Armour's observations; -"nothing more." - -"Quite so nothing more," assented the governess, but with a sudden -flash of her brown eyes directed towards her friend. "Here we are out -of the world. Do you stay long, Mr. Halliday?" - -"Only for another couple of days, until I can get the machine." - -"You shall get it, I promise you," said Mrs. Jarsell graciously, when -the trio arose to depart. "Mr. Vincent owes me too much to disregard -my request." - -"Of course," chimed in Mildred. "Uncle Solomon would never be able to -build his aeroplanes if you didn't help him with money. Good-by, Miss -Armour." - -"Good-by, dear child. I shall say _au revoir_ to you, Mr. Halliday, as -I shall expect you to come and see me again, if only to let me know -that your fortune has come true." - -"Will it, do you think?" - -"Yes," said Miss Armour positively. "I am quite certain that the -chance foretold by the cards will be given you." - -Dan hoped it would, and thanked the lady for her happy prediction, -after which he and Freddy, with Mildred between them, left the weird -house, and walked up the darkened road toward the village. Halliday -went at once to the "Peacock," wishing to give Freddy and his beloved -chance of a _tête-à-tête_. They took it readily enough, as Laurance -escorted the girl home. It was an hour before he returned to an -overdue supper, which Mrs. Pelgrin served with fierce grumbling. After -supper, Dan spoke his mind to Laurance. - -"When I took up that extra pack of cards," he said abruptly, "I smelt -that same perfume that hung about Sir Charles's clothes when he was -dead." - -"What!" Freddy sat up aghast in his corner of the room, "the perfume -about which Penn explained?" - -"The same. But did he explain? It seems to me that he told a lie. If -he only had one bottle, and the perfume is not procurable in England, -seeing it is manufactured in Sumatra, how did Miss Armour become -possessed of it?" - -"It may not be the same scent," said Laurance, still aghast; "you see -a bird in every bush, Dan." - -"This is not a question for the eyes, but for the nose. I tell you, -Freddy, that the perfume is exactly the same." - -"Why did you not ask Miss Armour about it?" - -"I did; you heard me. She got it from Mrs. Jarsell, so she said. Now -where did Mrs. Jarsell get it? From Sumatra?" - -"Perhaps. Why not ask her straight out?" - -"No," said Dan decisively. "I shall not mention the subject to Mrs. -Jarsell until I have questioned Marcus Penn once more. He told me a -lie once, by saying that no one in this country possessed this -especial perfume. He shan't tell me another." - -"How do you mean to get him to tell you the truth?" asked Freddy -dubiously. - -"Never mind. I have some sort of a plan. I shan't explain until it -comes off. There is some connection between that perfume and the -crime, I am certain," concluded Dan, with a positive air. - -Laurance wriggled uneasily. "Oh, that is absurd. On such assumption, -you suggest that Miss Armour knows about the matter." - -"About what matter?" - -"You know--the gang." - -"Well," said Halliday, smoking thoughtfully, "we are not entirely -certain yet if such a gang exists. It's all theory anyhow, in spite of -the letters you drew from this person and the other. Penn certainly -explained the scent, but told an obvious lie, since Miss Armour has -it. I don't say that she knows anything, but it is strange that she -should possess the Sumatra perfume." - -"Other people can send the same perfume to England," retorted Freddy. -"Penn isn't the sole person who has friends in Sumatra. Mrs. Jarsell, -since she gave the scent to Miss Armour, may have friends in that -island. Ask her." - -"No," said Dan, very positively. "I shall ask no one until I make Penn -speak out. In any case, I want to know why he told a lie." - -"Perhaps he didn't." - -"I'm jolly well sure that he did." - -"Then, to put it plainly--you suspect Mrs. Jarsell?" - -"To answer plainly, I don't. There can be no connection between two -harmless old ladies living in these wilds and the murder of Sir -Charles. Yet this confounded scent forms a link between the dead man, -Mrs. Jarsell, and Penn." - -Laurance rubbed his chin reflectively. "It's odd, to say the least of -it. I suppose you are certain the perfume is the same?" - -"I'll swear to it." Dan rose and knocked the ashes out of his pipe. -"And I intend to learn how Mrs. Jarsell became possessed of it. I may -be on a wild goose chase. All the same, with the stake I have, I can't -afford to lose an opportunity." - -"So Miss Armour said, when she told your fortune," commented Freddy -thoughtfully. - -"Yes. I wonder what she meant?" Dan stretched himself. "I'm for bed. -Ring the bell, and ask Mrs. Pelgrin for the spirits." - -Laurance, not feeling called upon to resume the conversation, as he -was tired himself, did as he was told, and Mrs. Pelgrin, raw-boned and -grim, bounced aggressively into the room, to demand fiercely what they -required. She sniffed when whiskey was ordered, but as its consumption -would increase her bill, she brought in a bottle of "Johnny Walker" -and a siphon of soda, without argument. When she turned to depart, and -wished them good-night in tones suggestive of a jailer, a sudden -thought struck Dan. It would not be amiss, he thought, to question -Mrs. Pelgrin concerning the hermit ladies. Not that he expected a -great deal to result from his exanimation, as the worthy woman was a -she-cat, and what she knew would probably have to be clawed out of -her. - -"We had tea at The Grange to-day, Mrs. Pelgrin," said Dan casually. - -The landlady wrapped her hands in her apron and wheeled grimly at the -door to speak aggressively. "Ho!" she grunted. - -"What's that?" - -"I said 'Ho,' and 'Ho's' all I'm going to say." - -"Well," drawled Freddy with a shrug, "you can't say much less, you -know." - -"Less or much, I don't say anything," retorted Mrs. Pelgrin, screwing -up her hard mouth and nodding. - -"Nobody wants you to say anything," remarked Dan lazily, but on the -alert. - -Of course this speech opened the landlady's mouth. "People say as it's -queer two ladies should live like dormice in a haystack," she observed -significantly. - -"That's like people. They will meddle with what doesn't concern them." - -"Not me," snorted Mrs. Pelgrin violently and epigrammatically. "I -don't say what I could say, for what I could say wouldn't be what's -right to say." - -"Wouldn't it?" inquired Freddy innocently. - -"No, it wouldn't, sir; I'm not to be pumped," cried Mrs. Pelgrin, "try -you ever so hard. So there!" and she screwed up her mouth tighter than -ever. - -"Who is pumping?" asked Dan coolly; "I simply remarked that we had tea -with Mrs. Jarsell and Miss Armour to-day." - -"Friends of yours, no doubt?" snapped the landlady. - -"I never saw them before to-day, Mrs. Pelgrin." - -"Then don't see them again," advised the woman sharply. - -"Thank you for that advice. Anything wrong?" - -"Wrong! Wrong! What should be wrong?" Mrs. Pelgrin became more violent -than ever. "There's nothing wrong." - -"Then that's all right," said Halliday coolly. "Goodnight." - -Mrs. Pelgrin stared hard at him, evidently wondering why he did not -press his questions, seeing how significant a remark she had made. The -idea that her conversation was trivial in his eyes hurt her -self-esteem. She gave another hint that she knew something. "I wonder -how those ladies make their money," she observed casually to the -ceiling. - -"Ah, I wonder," agreed Dan, making a covert sign that Freddy should -restrain the question now on the tip of his tongue. - -"Three motor-cars," said Mrs. Pelgrin musingly, "four servants, women -all and sluts at that, I do say, with a house like a palace inside, -whatever it may be to look at from the road. All that needs money, Mr. -Halliday." - -"Quite so. Nothing for nothing in this greedy world." - -"Ten years have those ladies been here," continued the landlady, -exasperated by this indifference as Dan intended she should be, "and -dull they must find that old house. To be sure, Miss Armour is ill and -never moves from her chair--so they say," she ended emphatically and -stared at Halliday. - -"So who say?" he inquired phlegmatically. - -"Every one, sir. She's paralyzed--so they say." - -"And Mrs. Jarsell attends to her like an angel," remarked Dan suavely; -"they say that also, you know." - -"Why do you advise us not to see the ladies again?" asked Freddy, who -could no longer rein in his curiosity. - -Halliday was annoyed by the question, as he thought it would dry up -the stream of Mrs. Pelgrin's hinted information. But instead of this -happening, she became excessively frank. "Well, it's this way, Mr. -Laurance," she said, rubbing her nose in a vexed manner. "You are two -nice young gentlemen, and I don't want either of you to step in and -spoil George's chance." - -"George?" - -"My nephew, he being the son of my late husband's brother, and a -porter at the Thawley Railway Station. Mrs. Jarsell had taken quite a -fancy to him, he being a handsome lad in his way, and the chances are -she will leave him a lot of her money, if you two gentlemen don't take -her fancy. Now you know my reason for not wanting you to see her -again." - -"Oh, I don't think Mrs. Jarsell will leave either my friend or me -money," said Dan affably. "George Pelgrin is quite safe. I suppose one -good turn deserves another." - -"What do you mean?" said the landlady, sharper than ever. - -"Well, George Pelgrin must have done something for Mrs. Jarsell to -make her leave him money." - -"He's done nothing, and she don't say she'll leave him her money, but -George thinks she might, seeing she has taken a fancy to him. I don't -want you, or Mr. Laurance here, to spoil my nephew's chances." - -"Oh, we shan't do that," rejoined Halliday calmly. "I suppose George -finds it dull at the Thawley Station, when there are no Sheepeak -friends there with him. Working at the station, that is." - -"Oh, he doesn't find it dull," replied Mrs. Pelgrin innocently; "he -has made friends with plenty of Thawley folk. Are you going away -to-morrow?" - -"Perhaps, and perhaps the next day," said Dan, wondering at the direct -question. "You see I wish to get an aeroplane from Mr. Vincent, and as -soon as I do, I shall go back to London." - -"You'll be seeing Mrs. Jarsell again?" - -Halliday shook his head. "I shall be too busy to spare the time." - -Mrs. Pelgrin drew a breath of relief, and again became fierce. "I -ain't ashamed of what I've said," she declared, pulling open the door -violently; "you can tell the whole village if you like," and she -bounced out as she had bounced in, leaving Laurance overcome with -surprise. - -"Now what's the meaning of all that chatter?" he asked, staring at -Dan. - -"Oh, it's very plain. Mrs. Jarsell has taken a fancy to her nephew, -and Mrs. Pelgrin thinks our fascinations may spoil his chance of -getting money. What I want to know is what George has done for Mrs. -Jarsell to warrant the deep interest she apparently takes in him. -Evidently," mused Dan to himself, "there are not other Sheepeak people -employed at the Thawley Station." - -"What of that?" Laurance stared harder than ever. - -"Nothing. Only George Pelgrin would be the only person likely to know -Mrs. Jarsell at the Thawley Station. There are motor-cars also, -remember." - -"I really don't see what you are driving at, Dan." - -"I scarcely see myself, save that I want to learn the secret of that -perfume, and why it forms a link between Moon and Penn and Mrs. -Jarsell." - -"But how can this chatter of Mrs. Pelgrin's help?" asked Freddy, more -and more puzzled. - -Dan lighted his bedroom candle and walked slowly to the door before he -replied. "I shall have to sleep upon what I know before I can answer -that," he said, nodding. "Good-night, old chap." - -"But Dan, Dan, Dan!" called out Laurance, who had heard just enough to -make him wish to hear more, "tell me----"; he stopped speaking, as he -saw that Halliday was out of hearing. It was in a very dissatisfied -frame of mind that Laurance retired to his bed. - -Next morning Dan had evidently quite forgotten the conversation of the -landlady, for he made no remark, and although Freddy tried to start -the subject again he declined to revert to it. Halliday declared that -he did not know what to say, that he was putting two and two together, -but as yet could not make four, and that it would be just as well to -seek Mr. Solomon Vincent, to hear if he was disposed to supply an -aeroplane. "Only I wonder," he remarked irrelevantly, as he walked up -the road with his friend, "how it comes that Mrs. Pelgrin speaks more -like a Londoner than a Derbyshire woman." - -"I thought we discussed that question before," replied Laurance. -"School-boards are doing away largely with the local dialect. Also -Mrs. Pelgrin, as Mildred told me, was in service for some years at -Reading. Why do you ask?" - -"Oh, I ask nothing," said Dan easily; "it was only an idea I had." - -"Connected with the case?" - -"Yes, and with Mrs. Jarsell." - -"Pooh. You see a bird in every bush, Dan." - -"So you said before," rejoined Halliday drily; "why repeat yourself? -Hullo, there is our inventor!" he added, as they drew near to the -cottage, "and, by Jove! he's smiling. Mrs. Jarsell had evidently -spoken to him." - -It was as Dan said, for Vincent received the young men with a sour -smile, which sat uneasily on his face, since he was more accustomed to -frowning. However, as he was disposed to be amiable, Dan was thankful -for small mercies, and expressed his feeling loudly when the inventor -graciously placed at his disposal an aeroplane of the latest -construction. - -"I owe Mrs. Jarsell much," said Vincent, leading the way toward the -shed, "so her requests must be granted. Here is the machine, Mr. -Halliday." - -"It's very good of you----" - -"It isn't. Don't thank me, but Mrs. Jarsell. Speaking for myself, I -shouldn't allow you to have the aeroplane," said Vincent sourly. "I -want to keep all my improvements to myself until I make a perfect -machine." - -"Oh, I'll keep all your secrets," Dan assured him cheerfully as they -entered the vast shed, "and I'll share the prize money with you." - -"I don't want it. Win the race and prove that my machine is the best. -That is all I ask. By the way, where is Laurance?" - -"Don't you remember? We left him in the cottage with your niece." - -"I don't want him to marry her, and he shan't," said Vincent with a -frown, speaking on the subject unexpectedly, "and, what is more, since -he's a newspaper man, I don't want you to talk too freely to him about -my improvements." - -"Laurance can hold his tongue," rejoined Dan somewhat stiffly; "your -trade-secrets are safe with him. So this is the machine," he ended, to -avert further discussion on the inventor's part. - -"Yes," said Vincent, forgetting all else in the passion of his hobby, -and he began to explain matters. "A biplane, as you see, and it can -carry enough oil and essence for a twelve hours' flight. Wheel it -out," he added, turning to a quartette of workmen. "Mr. Halliday will -try a flight." - -Dan was only too ready, as the beauty of the machine appealed to him -immensely, especially when he beheld it in the pale light of the sun, -when it was brought into the open. The men wheeled it out of the -back part of the shed on to a level lawn, which could serve as a -starting-place. Vincent talked all the time in a great state of -excitement, and pointed out the various improvements and beauties of -the masterpiece. - -The planes were not exactly horizontal, since Vincent considered that -he gained more power by making them branch at a slight angle. The -wings were doubly covered with fine canvas, and a broad streak of -crimson ran through their white, which the inventor informed Dan was a -characteristic of all his machines. "A sort of distinguishing mark, as -it were," said Vincent. Another improvement was that the aviator could -steer with his knees on occasions, which gave freedom to the hands -when necessary. The engine was light and powerful, with tremendous -driving-power considering its size. Finally, the steering-seat--the -bridge of the airship, as it might be--was fenced in comfortably with -aluminium, and a broad expanse of mica protected the controller of the -aeroplane from the force of the winds. It was really an admirable -machine and Halliday was loud in his praises, to which, however, its -maker paid little attention. Genius does not require laudation, talent -does. - -Dan inspected the machine in every direction, tried the steering gear -which ran easily, saw that the engine was well supplied with fuel, and -tested, as well as he could, the various spars and ropes and bolts. -Then he took his seat in the pilot-box, and prepared for a trial -flight. - -"Not that she hasn't been out before," said Vincent, while Dan -gathered his energies to start. "Ready, Mr. Halliday. Let her go." - -The workman ran the machine along the lawn, Dan set the propeller -going, and after lightly spinning along the ground for some distance -the aeroplane rose into the gray sky like an immense bird. A side -glance showed Dan that Mildred and her lover were running out of the -shed, and had arrived just a moment too late to witness his start. -However, he had no time to pay attention to terrestrial matters, for -all his capabilities were given to handling the new craft. Up and up -he went to a considerable height, with the engine running true and -sweet, then dived nearly to earth in switch-back fashion, only to -tower again like a hawk. Shortly he was at a lofty elevation, -travelling along at top speed in the direction of the ten-mile-distant -Thawley. Vincent and his workmen, Laurance and the girl, became mere -black dots, and beneath him the earth slipped past at more than -railroad speed. Once in the vast spaces of the firmament Dan let his -engines travel at their fastest, and the vanes of the propeller spun, -as an American would say, like greased lightning. Halliday's pulses -raced almost as fast, as the joy of playing with death seized him. In -the delicate structure of the aeroplane--being its soul and -controlling power--he felt like a bird and swooped in mighty arcs in -proof of his mastership of the sky. - -In a few minutes he was over Thawley, and a downward glance showed him -innumerable black insects running with excitement here, there, and -everywhere, as the machine was sighted. Dan dipped nearly to the -weathercock of the parish church, then slid out toward the northern -portion of the town. Making his aerial way with the speed of the wind -Thawley was soon left behind and the aviator hovered over a wide -country dotted with villages, intersected with streams, and rough with -more or less high hills that divided the many vales of the country. -Ten minutes took him out of Hillshire, and he flew over the mild -Yorkshire moors. The air sang past him on either side of the mica -screen, which prevented his breath being taken away. Everything was -taut and fit and neat, and in its right place, and the engine sang a -song of triumph, which mingled with the droning hum of the screw. -Below was the painted earth, above the gray sky, faintly illuminated -by the wintry sunshine, and between the two Halliday flew with the -swiftness of a kestrel sighting its prey. Dan was used to this sublime -excitement, and could control his feelings--otherwise he would have -shouted for joy, which would have been from his point of view, a mere -waste of energy. - -He finally reached York, circled round the Minster, and then turned -his craft homeward in glee. The machine was certainly the best he had -yet handled, and he made sure that given moderately decent conditions -he would win the race and gain the £2,000 necessary to continue his -search for Moon's murderess. And the capture of her, as he reminded -himself, meant his marriage with Lillian. No wonder the young man's -heart beat high, for it was not easy to come by so magnificent an -aeroplane, and he felt as grateful to Vincent for building it as he -felt to Mrs. Jarsell for procuring him the mastership of the same. - -Those left behind on the lawn behind the Sheepeak shed stared steadily -into the gray distance, and shortly saw a dim spot moving toward them -with the swiftness of an eagle. Larger and larger it grew, until they -could distinguish the aeroplane's construction, like a delicate -tracery against the clouds. In a wide circle it moved gracefully and -then like a bird folding its wings, settled gently at the very feet of -its inventor. The trial was a complete success in every way. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -MAHOMET'S COFFIN - - -The aeroplane acquired by Halliday could be dismounted in three parts, -so that it could easily have been taken to pieces and packed for -transfer to London. But the race for _The Moment_ prize was to take -place within seven days, and Dan wished to familiarize himself with -the machine as much as was possible in the interval. For this reason -he decided to go by air to the metropolis, taking the journey in easy -flights, with intervals of rest between. He therefore arranged to send -his baggage back to town with Freddy, and carried only a small black -bag containing absolutely necessary personal effects. Freddy did not -object to this plan, as he did not wish to leave Mildred sooner than -was necessary. Therefore Dan started and Laurance remained behind to -pass golden hours in the girl's society. However, he promised his -friend to be in London within two days. And as Halliday, besides -covering the hundred and sixty-odd miles in short flights, desired to -practise aviation in the open spaces of the country before getting to -the capital, it was not needful for Freddy to return to his business -until forty-eight hours had passed. This arrangement suited both the -young men very well. - -Vincent, who was now as hot in Dan's favor as he had been cold, -presided at the start, and again and again went over various details -in connection with the machine, which was much dearer to him than any -child could have been. Now that his objections had been set aside by -the intervention of Mrs. Jarsell, the inventor was desperately anxious -that Dan should win the race, as such a triumph would undoubtedly show -the value of the new-fangled biplane. Not that Vincent wished for the -money, or even for the glory, but he very greatly desired to show -other inventors that he was their master. His vanity, being purely -concerned with the result of nights and days of meditation, could only -be gratified by actual proof that he had conquered the air. Not -entirely that is, for Vincent was far too thorough in his genius to -believe that Rome could be built in a day; but, at all events, he -trusted that his machine would reveal itself as the best that any man -had yet constructed. So far as that was concerned, Halliday, -accustomed to aviation, believed that the sour old man had succeeded. - -"If I don't win the race, it won't be your fault, Mr. Vincent," Dan -assured him, as he stepped into the pilot's box, and, with this -farewell speech, the inventor expressed himself very well content. He -did not expect impossibilities, and he saw that the man to whom he had -entrusted his darling airship was both cool and enthusiastic, -qualities which go far toward complete success. - -It was a calm day, with scarcely any wind, when Dan began his flight, -and as the biplane could easily attain sixty miles an hour he would -have had no difficulty in reaching London early in the afternoon. But -he did not make straight for the south, but circled gradually down to -Rugby, where he proposed to remain for the night. Dawdling in the air, -it was five hours before he alighted outside the town, and feeling -weary with the strain on his nerves--for the machine required -dexterous handling--he determined to rest. Without much difficulty he -found a friendly farmer, who was willing that the airship should be -housed in an empty barn for the night. When all was safe and Halliday -had arranged that no one should enter the barn, he sought out a cheap -inn on the borders of the place to rest for the night, within -watching-distance of his craft. Next morning, after breakfast, he -concluded to start again, but after a visit to the barn to see that -all was well, he returned to the inn for an hour. - -It was necessary, he thought, to consider the situation and his future -plans, and he wished for solitude to do so. Owing to his fatigue, he -had not been able to think much on the previous night before sleep -overtook him. - -The plan, which Dan intended to carry into effect when he reached -Town, was to force Penn into confessing what he actually knew -concerning the perfume. He had obviously spoken falsely as to his -being its sole possessor in England, since Mrs. Jarsell had given the -like scent to her old governess. Yet, why should Penn lie in this -fashion, unless there was some secret connected with the perfume, -which he desired to keep concealed. And assuredly the scent had clung -round the clothes of the dead man. Dan determined to force Penn into -confession, and that could only be done by frightening him greatly. To -carry out this plan, Halliday wrote to the man asking him for an -interview, and when he came--as Dan was certain he would--intended, in -some way, to inveigle him into taking a flight. Once Penn was in the -air his fears could be played upon to some purpose. At least Dan -thought so, and was eager to make the experiment. - -Of course, the young man did not suspect Mrs. Jarsell of being -connected in any way with crime of any sort. Still it was strange that -the perfume from Sumatra should form a link between her and Sir -Charles Moon, with Penn intervening. It was also strange that Mrs. -Pelgrin should hint that Mrs. Jarsell had secrets. She had not said as -much in so many words, but the general trend of her cautious -conversation went to show that Mrs. Jarsell was not entirely open and -aboveboard. The landlady had wondered where the owner of the Grange -got her money. Now why should she so wonder, unless she had proofs -that the said money was not come by honestly? And why, also, should -she, in a quite unnecessary way, mention her nephew, who was the -Thawley station porter--friendly with Mrs. Jarsell to such an extent -that there was a chance of his getting a legacy? Ladies of wealth do -not make friends of railway porters without reason, and Dan wished to -learn the reason in this particular case. By a diplomatic question he -had ascertained from Mrs. Pelgrin that her nephew was the sole -Sheepeak person employed at the station. Consequently he would -naturally be the sole person who knew Mrs. Jarsell and all about her; -therefore it was not impossible that the lady befriended the man so -that he might not speak of her visits to town. Yet why should he not -do so, should Mrs. Jarsell's doings be entirely honest? Then there -were three motor cars, a quite unnecessary number for a lady to keep, -especially as, according to her own story, she went out little and -spent most of her time in attending to Miss Armour. On the whole, -although his suspicions were vague, Dan had an idea that Mrs. -Jarsell's doings would not bear the light of day. Still--and -especially since she had procured him the biplane--he would not have -troubled about her rustic affairs save for the fact of the perfume. It -might be--and this he hoped to discover--that Penn's confession would -show more plainly the link which connected Mrs. Jarsell with the -Hampstead crime. Yet, on the face of it, the very idea seemed -monstrous, and Dan scorned himself for his folly as he wrote the -letter to Penn. Nevertheless, something stronger than himself drove -him to post the letter. - -Afterwards, to get the unpleasant taste of conspiring out of his -mouth, the young man wrote a lover-like epistle to Lillian, telling -her about his capture of the aeroplane. "You and Mrs. Bolstreath must -come and see the start of the race at Blackheath," wrote Dan, "and -your mere presence will inspire me to do my very best to win. So much -hangs on my gaining this race, as I want the money to prosecute the -search for your father's assassin!" Then Halliday left business for -pleasure, and, telling Lillian that he adored her to distraction, -urged her not to see too much of Lord Curberry. Finally, he declared -that he was hungering for a glimpse of her angel face, and now that he -was returning to London intended to call and see her, despite the -prohibition of Sir John. There was much more passionate writing to the -same effect, and the letter ended with sentiments of lively and lofty -devotion. If another man had written the letter Dan would have smiled -at its vehemence, since the scribe cast himself under Miss Moon's -dainty feet to be trampled upon. But as Dan was the author of the -epistle, he only regretted that he could not say more ardent things -than he had set down. To such lengths does the passion of love carry -the most matter-of-fact of men; and Halliday certainly prided himself -upon being a very up-to-date child of this materialistic age, -believing in nothing he could not see, or touch, or feel. - -The letters having been posted, and the bill paid, and the black bag -packed, Dan took his way to the barn of the friendly farmer. He found -quite a number of people before the great doors, as the news that an -aviator was in the neighborhood had spread rapidly. The farmer did not -wish to take any rent for the night's lodging of the aeroplane, but as -it had been guarded so carefully and was housed so comfortably, -Halliday insisted on the man having some recompense for his kindness. -Then, with the assistance of three or four willing onlookers, the -machine was wheeled out into the meadow wherein the barn stood. It was -close upon mid-day when Dan started, and the spectators gasped with -awe and delighted surprise when the biplane, like a big dragon-fly, -soared into the cloudy sky. Willing to give them pleasure, since an -airship was not a common sight in the neighborhood, Halliday did some -fancy flying, and circled and dipped and towered directly over the -town before finally waving his hand in farewell. A thin cry of many -throats came to his ears as he sped southward, and he was delighted to -find how readily the machine answered to every motion of his hand. He -almost felt that he was riding on a live thing, all nerves and energy, -so obedient was the craft to his will. The machine was like a flying -beetle, the planes motionless to sustain the body like the front wings -of the insect, while the propeller, spinning vigorously, acted like -the back wings to drive ahead. Dan had a faint idea of seeing some -comparison of this sort in a magazine, and wondered if Vincent, having -seen it also, had constructed his aeroplane on insect lines. But he -soon dropped all conjecture to attend strictly to his business, which -was to reach London as speedily as possible; no very difficult task, -considering the swiftness of his vehicle. - -It was convenient that Dan should know a shed at Blackheath where he -could house his machine, as Lord Curberry's house was in that -neighborhood. Once on the spot it would be easy to have an interview -with Marcus Penn, and perhaps not difficult to induce him to take the -air in the loft spaces of the sky. The neighborhood was well known to -Halliday, for his occupation of aviation brought him often there, and -he had experimented with various inventions at various times, where -the land afforded room for the departure and arrival of the machines; -therefore, when he reached London's outskirts he made for Blackheath, -and without difficulty brought the aeroplane to earth, a stone-throw -from the shed in question. It said a great deal for the capabilities -of the biplane that her pilot was enabled to strike his destination so -exactly. Of course, the usual concourse of people gathered when the -great bird-like structure fluttered down from the sky, but Dan sent a -messenger to the man who looked after the shed, and soon had Vincent's -masterpiece safely put away under lock and key. As he had been -practising flying and strenuously testing the qualities of the -machine, it was quite five o'clock before he was free to do what he -would. As the distance from Rugby was just over eighty miles he could -have arrived much earlier had he wished. But there was no need to do -so, and every need to accustom himself to handling the biplane easily -in view of the great race. - -When Dan had given certain instructions to the man who looked after -the shed and was responsible for the safety of the machine, he walked -across the Heath to a comfortable inn, where he was well known, as he -had put up at it many times previously. It was here that he had -appointed the meeting with Marcus Penn, for the next morning, but so -eager was he to come face to face with the man and wring the truth out -of him, that he almost decided to walk to Lord Curberry's house, which -was two miles distant. But a swift reflection that he could do nothing -until the next morning--since Penn had to be coaxed on to the -aeroplane and certainly would decline a night-run--decided him to -wait. The "Black Bull" was a particularly comfortable hotel and the -landlady supplied tasty dinners; therefore Halliday took the good the -gods sent him and settled down for a quiet evening. After a stroll to -the shed to see that Vincent's creation was all right he returned to -the inn and went to bed. His nerves speedily relaxed, and he slept -deeply until nine o'clock in the morning. As he had invited Penn to -see him at eleven, he had just time to take his breakfast comfortably, -read the newspaper, and saunter; out to take the fresh air before his -visitor arrived. - -Marcus Penn had not improved in looks since Dan had last seen him. His -thin face was still yellow, his hair and moustache still scanty, and -he appeared to be as nervous as ever. When he sat down he looked -apprehensively at Halliday with his pale eyes, and passed his tongue -over his dry lips. It seemed to the aviator that Penn's conscience was -not quite at rest, else he would scarcely look so scared, when--on the -face of it--there was no need to do so. Dan, however, soon set him at -his ease, which was the first necessary step towards gaining his -confidence. For, unless that was gained he assuredly would not set -foot on the aeroplane. - -"How are you getting along, Mr. Penn?" said Halliday, genially. "Have -a cigarette and something wet? Oh, I forget you don't drink so early -in the day. I am glad you are up to time, as I am just starting out on -a fly." - -"Really," remarked the secretary eagerly. "I should like to see you -make a start. Is your flying-machine near at hand?" - -"In the shed over yonder, on the verge of the Heath," said Dan, -jerking his head over his left shoulder; "but I daresay you wonder why -I asked you to see me, Mr. Penn?" - -"Well, er--that is--er--I did wonder a trifle," hesitated the pale -man, and again looked anxious. - -"It has to do with your literary ambitions," said Halliday slowly. - -Penn flushed, looking both relieved on learning why he had been -summoned to the meeting and pleased that the subject should be of such -personal interest. "What do you know of my literary ambitions?" he -asked doubtfully. - -"All that Miss Moon could tell me," said Dan, promptly, and this was -absolutely correct, as Lillian had long ago asked him to aid the -secretary, although he had never troubled about the matter until now. - -"Yes, I certainly did tell Miss Moon that I wished to become a -novelist. I found her sympathetic." - -"Yes, she would be; she always is. I suppose," said Dan darting off at -a tangent, "that you are comfortable with Lord Curberry?" - -"Oh, yes," assented the man, cheerfully. "I have good pay and little -to do, and Lord Curberry is very kind. I have plenty of time to write -my stories." - -"Have you had any published?" - -"No," sighed Penn, sadly, "I have tried again and again to get some -short tales printed, but so far, without success. - -"Well, then, you know that I have a friend--Mr. Frederick -Laurance--who is on that newspaper _The Moment_. I suggest that you -should send me some of your manuscripts for him to read. If he -approves of them he will see what he can do, as he knows nearly every -one of any note in the literary world." - -"Oh, you are too good. I shall be delighted. All the same," Penn -hesitated, and writhed, "why should you do this for me?" - -"It is Miss Moon who is doing this for you," rejoined Halliday, saying -what was perfectly true; "she asked me to help you. I suppose she -comes sometimes to Lord Curberry's house?" - -"Oh, yes," said Penn, with a swift glance at him, "her uncle, Sir -John, and Miss Moon and Mrs. Bolstreath dined with Lord Curberry last -week. I am afraid, Mr. Halliday," added the secretary timidly, "that -you will lose Miss Moon." - -Dan laughed cheerfully. "I don't think so. Why should I?" - -"Her uncle is very anxious for her to marry Lord Curberry, who is also -very desirous to make Miss Moon his wife." - -"That shows Curberry's good taste," said Halliday rising, and putting -on his cap. "However, she is to be my wife, and Curberry and Sir John -can go hang." - -"I should not be so sure, Mr. Halliday," said Penn, in a mysterious -manner, "when Lord Curberry wants anything, he generally gets it." - -"He is crying for the moon just now," said the other man making a pun, -"and the moon is no man's property. However, I must go off to start -for my flying practise. I am going to compete in the London to York -race next week. Come with me and see me start. As to your stories, you -can send them to me at my old address, which you knew when you were -with Sir Charles. I shall see Mr. Laurance about them." - -"You are good," murmured Penn, drawing a long breath and following Dan -out of the inn. "I am obliged to you." - -"To Miss Moon, you mean. She is the one who takes an interest in your -literary efforts. But come along and see my machine. I got it from an -inventor called Vincent," and Dan turned suddenly to shoot an -inquiring glance at his companion. It occurred to him that Penn might -have heard the name since Penn had the perfume as well as Mrs. -Jarsell, who knew the inventor. But evidently Penn had not heard the -name, for he gave no sign of knowledge. - -"I hope it is a good machine," he said innocently and weakly. - -"Very good," said Halliday, as they halted near the great doors of the -shed, "a clipper. Why not try a fly with me?" - -"Oh!" Penn shrank back. "I should be afraid." - -"Nonsense, man!" joked the aviator while the aeroplane was wheeled -out, and the usual crowd of onlookers began to gather. "As a literary -man you ought to experience all sensation so as to write about it. -Coming stories will be full of flying-machines and airships." - -"Isn't it dangerous?" asked Penn, looking at the delicate structure -which appeared almost too fragile to sustain one person, let alone -two. - -"Not at all, especially if one doesn't do any fancy flying, which I -shall avoid if you come with me." - -"I should like to have the experience," hesitated the secretary, "that -is if you will not fly too high or too far." - -"I'll take you across the Heath and back again and will keep within a -tolerably safe distance from the ground." - -"It's tempting," quavered Penn, wistfully, while Dan busied himself in -getting things square. - -"Please yourself," rejoined Halliday carelessly, and satisfied that -the timid man was nibbling at the bait. "I can't stay here all day." -He slipped into the pilot's seat. "Well, well?" - -"I really think I should like--where am I to sit?" - -"In this place." Dan touched a spring and the pilot box of aluminium -lengthened out so that there was room for two people. This was one of -Vincent's improvements upon which he prided himself, as the vehicle -could, by adjusting the closed-in car, seat two people or one, as the -need arose. "But don't come, if you feel the least fear." - -Those of the idle spectators close at hand grinned at Penn's pale -face, and he was stung into accepting hastily what he would have -rejected in a cooler moment. "I am not afraid," he said, trying to -steady his voice, and with an air of bravado he stepped in beside the -aviator. "Oh, I say," he gasped. - -And no wonder. Dan did not give him a moment to change his mind. -Having captured his prey, he intended to keep him, so set the engine -going almost before Penn was comfortably seated. In less time than it -takes to tell the aeroplane whirled along the ground swiftly and -lifted herself gracefully upward. Penn gasped again, and glanced down -at the sinking ground, where the spectators were already beginning to -grow smaller. But the motion of the biplane was so easy, and the face -of her pilot was so composed, that after the first thrill of terror -Penn began to feel that flying was not such a very dangerous pastime -as he had imagined. - -"Wonderful, wonderful," he murmured, as the great artificial bird -glided smoothly through the air, "but don't--don't go too high, Mr. -Halliday." - -"I shall go high enough to smash you," said Dan, coolly. He was -circling in swallow flights round the Heath, now high now low, now -swift now slow, and had the machine so entirely under command that he -was enabled to give a certain amount of his attention, though not all, -to his companion. - -Penn gasped again, and his terror revived. "Smash me! Oh!!" he almost -shrieked. - -"Yes," said Dan, not looking, since he had to watch where he was -going, but speaking rapidly and clearly all the same. "I want to know -the truth about that perfume. About the Sumatra perfume you told me -was possessed alone by you. That was a lie, and you know it was a -lie." - -"I--I--I don't know anything more about it," whimpered the secretary. - -"Yes you do. Out with the truth," said Dan relentlessly, "if you don't -I shall drop you overboard to smash like an egg." - -Penn clung to his seat desperately. "That would be murder." - -"I daresay, but I shouldn't suffer. Accidents will happen in -aeroplanes you know. You are like Mahomet's coffin, slung between -heaven and earth, and overboard Mahomet's coffin will go in a few -minutes unless----" Dan swerved the machine which tilted slightly and -Penn went green with terror. - -"What--what--what do you want to know?" he wailed, as the biplane -dipped nearly to earth, to sweep upward in a graceful curve. - -"Who is Mrs. Jarsell?" - -"I--oh, Lord--I don't know." - -"You do. She has this perfume also. Has it anything to do with a -gang?" - -"Yes, yes." Penn's teeth were chattering, and the sinking motion made -him sick. - -"What has it to do with a gang?" - -"It's--it's a--a sign." - -"Was Sir Charles murdered by this gang?" - -"I don't know--I don't know. Oh!" Penn screamed and clutched again at -the side of the car. - -"You do. This false Mrs. Brown belonged to the gang." - -"I can't say. I daren't tell you. If I say anything I shall die." - -"You shall die if you don't say what I want you to say," said Dan -between his teeth, and again the machine dipped and towered. "I'll -tilt you out, I swear, if you don't tell me who murdered Sir Charles." - -"I don't know, I tell you," cried Penn desperately, "the perfume has -to do with a society of people, who--who--but I daren't speak. I -should be killed. I have said too much as it is. And if you reveal -what I have said, you will be killed also." - -"I don't care. Is Mrs. Jarsell connected with this gang?" - -"I don't know Mrs. Jarsell," said Penn sullenly, although his -terrified face showed that he was nearly frightened out of his wits. - -"Do you belong to this----" started Dan, when a sudden action of Penn -took him by surprise. In endeavoring to frighten the man he had flown -too low, and the aeroplane was only six feet off the ground, preparing -to swing skyward again. The secretary, in desperation, flung himself -sideways out of the machine, as it curved at the lowest and fell -heavily on the herbage of the Heath. Dan could not stop to see if he -was safe or hurt, but soared aloft again to a considerable height. -Circling widely he came sailing directly over the spot where the -secretary had tumbled out in his desperate endeavor to escape. Already -the man had picked himself up and was limping off toward the town as -quickly as he was able. - -"Now," said Dan grimly to himself, "he will have me arrested for -attempted murder. That's all right," and he chuckled, although not -entirely successful in his endeavor to make Penn confess. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ANOTHER MYSTERY - - -In his anxiety to learn the truth Dan was perfectly willing to be -arrested on whatever charge Penn might wish to bring against him. -After all, publicity was what he chiefly aimed at, and if he gave his -reasons for threatening the secretary, he felt confident that the man -would find it difficult to clear his character. Certainly Halliday had -not intended to take Penn's life, and had not the man been such a -coward he would have simply laughed at the idea of being tilted out of -the machine. But his nerves, shaken by the possible danger, had given -way, and he had said much which he would have preferred to keep locked -up in his heart. But that the aeroplane, by dipping so low, had -afforded Penn the chance of escape at the risk of a rough fall, he -would have spoken at greater length. And yet, after turning the matter -over in his own mind, Dan could not be sure of this. - -But this much Halliday had learned. A gang assuredly existed, and the -perfume was a sign of recognition amongst the members, who apparently -followed each other's trails by scent. Penn declined to say if his -late employer had been done to death by the fraternity, but the -perfume on the dead man's clothes answered this question very -positively. Also the secretary had denied that the false Mrs. Brown -belonged to the gang, a statement which was absurd, as undoubtedly she -was the emissary employed to bring about the death. Finally, the fact -that Mrs. Jarsell used the Sumatra scent brought her into connection -with the Hampstead crime; whatever Penn might say Dan felt that he had -struck a trail, which would end in the capture of Moon's assassin and -the breaking up of a dangerous organization. - -On reflection he concluded that Penn would have said very little more, -even though face to face with what he believed to be imminent death. -He had hinted sufficiently to show that revelation was dangerous not -only to himself but to Halliday, for if the gang learned that their -secret was betrayed, it was certain that death would be portioned out -to the man who heard, as well as to the man who spoke. On this -assumption Dan felt confident that Penn would take no action in the -matter, and would probably hold his tongue about the adventure. If he -told any of the gang to which he presumably belonged, he would have to -admit that he had betrayed the secret of the perfume, in which case he -would assuredly be killed by his unscrupulous associates. The death of -Dan, as the young man believed, would follow, but he also believed -that by taking care of his own skin Penn would remove any risk of -vengeance following himself; therefore he was not surprised when he -heard nothing from Penn, or of Penn during the days that passed before -the morning of the great race. Meanwhile he detailed the conversation -to Laurance. - -That young gentleman had returned to town with some regret since -Mildred Vincent was not by his side. But to assure himself of an early -marriage by securing a steady income, he flung himself into -journalistic work with redoubled energy, working night and day to gain -an increased salary. He was in his office employed on a political -article when Dan presented himself, and was not overpleased to give up -even a moment of his precious time. In fact, he grumbled. - -"I wish you would come after business hours, Halliday," he said -testily. - -"Oh, fudge," retorted Dan lightly. "A journalist hasn't any business -hours. Like a king, he is always in harness. Why do you require me to -tell you such elementary truths, Freddy?" - -"I have an important article to write." - -"Well, then, you can write it in ten minutes or so. I shan't keep you -long." - -Laurance pushed away his writing paper, leaned back in his chair, and -reached for a cigarette. "What is it, then?" he asked resignedly. - -Dan paced the office and related his adventure. "So you see, old son, -that the perfume is of great importance, as I always suspected." - -Laurance nodded gravely. "It appears so. But if what you think is -true, would the man have disclosed a secret dangerous to his own -safety?" - -"People will disclose anything when on the rack," replied Dan with a -shrug, "and the aeroplane was my rack. The fool really believed that I -would tilt him overboard, and therefore said what he did say to save -his confounded skin. If he had not escaped so cleverly he would have -admitted more." - -"I doubt it. From the hint he gave, if it was death for him not to -confess to you, because you could kill him, it was equally death for -him to speak, if his associates are prepared to murder him for -babbling. However, we are now certain that the gang alluded to by Sir -Charles does exist. Undoubtedly he was got out of the way since he -knew too much." - -"It is a pity he did not reveal his knowledge to Durwin." - -"He intended to do so, but was murdered before Durwin arrived, as we -know. By the way, Durwin is as keen as we are over this search. I met -him the other day and he said that he was hunting everywhere for -evidence. Why not tell him what you have learned, Dan? He can make -Penn speak out." - -"Penn won't speak further," denied Dan abruptly. "I think, as it is, -he dreads the vengeance of his comrades." - -"Durwin belongs to Scotland Yard, and has powers to drive Penn into a -corner, so he may be able to force confession. I think you should -consult with Durwin about the matter." - -"After the race then." - -"Why not before the race, which does not take place for a couple of -days?" - -"I don't like doing things in a hurry," said Halliday uneasily. "I -want to question Mrs. Jarsell, and see if she knows anything." - -"If she does, which is doubtful, she will assuredly refuse to speak. -So far, I see no connection between her and the gang." - -"You forget the perfume." - -"H'm, yes," said Laurance meditatively, "perhaps you are right. I want -to have more evidence before I can give an opinion. But since Penn -told you so much, aren't you in danger from the gang yourself, Dan?" - -"I think not. Penn, for his own sake, will hold his tongue. At all -events he has not moved so far." - -"That doesn't say he won't move. I should examine that aeroplane very -carefully before the race, if I were you." - -"Oh, I'll do that. I know the machine thoroughly by this time, and if -it has been tampered with I shall soon spot the trickery. Well, now -that I have brought you up to date with my information I shall leave -you to work." - -"One moment. Is Miss Moon going to see you start for York?" - -"Yes. I got a letter from her this morning. She and Mrs. Bolstreath -come to the aviation ground with Lord Curberry, confound him," and -with a frown, Dan took his leave. He was anything but amiably disposed -towards his rival. - -Everything was quiet as regards the criminal business for the next two -days, as Penn made no attempt to punish Dan for the fright he had -given him. Halliday himself was much too eager over the race to -trouble about the matter, but he kept a sharp eye on the Vincent -machine, still stored at Blackheath, so as to guard against any -tampering. The start was to take place at Blackheath, and on the -appointed day five competitors were on the spot surrounded by a large -crowd of curious people anxious to witness the conquest of the air. -Amongst those present was Durwin, who pushed his way to where Dan -was looking over his aeroplane. The aviator did not see the lean, -keen-eyed man until he was touched on the elbow. - -"Is it all right, Halliday?" asked Durwin, nodding toward the machine. - -"Perfect. She's a beauty, and it won't be her fault if I don't lift -York Minster before sunset. What are you doing here, Mr. Durwin? I -didn't know that you took an interest in aviation." - -"I take an interest in this search for Moon's assassin," said Durwin -drily, but in low tones. "Laurance saw me and related your discovery. -I am looking about for Marcus Penn and intend to ask him questions." - -"He may be on the ground," said Dan, glancing around, "since Lord -Curberry's place is a stone-throw away. But he won't speak." - -"I'll make him speak," said Durwin with a grim look. "Well, I hope -you'll win, Halliday. When you return to town look me up. I may have -something to tell you," and he moved away with a significant look. - -Dan could not leave his machine, or he would have followed, as there -were several questions which he greatly desired to ask. The day was -cold and dry, with few clouds, and a good deal of sunshine, so the -conditions for the race were fairly good. The wind was rather high, -and that vexed the aviators, as the art of flying is not yet so -perfect as to control the winds when they are over-strong. However, to -go against these strong air-currents would be an excellent test of the -qualities of the various machines. The start was to take place at one -o'clock, and the competitors hoped to reach their destination before -five o'clock. Some of the aeroplanes could travel at forty miles an -hour; others at fifty, but so far as Dan knew, his was the sole -machine which could gather sixty-miles-an-hour speed. If Vincent could -be believed, the aeroplane ought to travel the hundred and eighty-odd -miles, if the conditions were tolerably good, in a trifle over three -hours. Dan, now having perfect mastery of the biplane, hoped to -accomplish the wonderful journey in a shorter space of time. But this -hope had yet to be verified. - -Meanwhile, having seen that all was in order, he turned to speak to -Lillian who had just come up accompanied by Mrs. Bolstreath. Lord -Curberry was in attendance, and in the distance Dan caught a glimpse -of the yellow-faced secretary, looking unhappy and nervous. - -"Oh, Dan, I do hope you will win," cried Lillian, who looked extremely -pretty, but more than a trifle anxious; "it does seem so dangerous to -fly in such a light machine." - -"She's the best I have yet struck," Dan assured her. "Don't you think -she's as perfect as Lillian, Mrs. Bolstreath?" - -The elderly lady laughed and cast a side-glance at Curberry, to see -how he took Halliday's complimentary speech. "Well, I suppose you -cannot think of anything prettier to say. I have heard of a woman -being compared to a gazelle and to a ship, but never to a -flying-machine." - -"Mr. Halliday is very up to date in his compliments," said Curberry -with a slight sneer. He was a tall, bilious-looking man, with pale -blue eyes and a thin-lipped sinister mouth, not at all prepossessing -in appearance, although immaculate in dress. - -Dan laughed. Being confident that Lillian would never marry this -spectre, he could afford to laugh. "We young people," he said with -emphasis, "go with the times, Lord Curberry." - -"Meaning that I belong to the past generation," retorted the other -with a flash in his pale eyes; "you will find that I don't in some -ways," and he glanced significantly at Lillian. - -Mrs. Bolstreath looked nervous, but Miss Moon was supremely -indifferent. She did not care for Lord Curberry, and in spite of her -uncle's advocacy had not the slightest idea of marrying the man; -therefore she ignored him as consistently as she could considering the -way he thrust himself into her company. Without taking notice of this -passage-at-arms, she began to question her lover about the airship, -and gathered quite a stock of information before the start. Curberry -being ignorant of aviation was out of the picture, as the saying goes, -so fumed and fretted and looked daggers at Dan. It took all Mrs. -Bolstreath's diplomacy to keep him in a moderately good temper. -Luckily Laurance strolled up, note-book in hand, as he was reporting -for _The Moment_, and greeted the party gaily. He knew Curberry -slightly and nodded to him without any word or salutation. In common -with many other people, Freddy did not like the man, who was by no -means a popular character. - -"Isn't it a splendid day for the race, Miss Moon?" said Laurance, -casting an upward glance at the grey sky. "I look forward to -chronicling Dan's triumph in _The Moment_ to-morrow morning. Well, old -fellow," he slapped Halliday jovially on the back, "are you prepared -for what Jules Verne would call the very greatest journey of the -century?" - -"The century is yet young," replied Dan drily, "and it's only one -hundred and eighty odd miles I have to travel. Considering that -aviators have reached a successful distance of five hundred miles this -race is a trifle." - -"Well," said Lord Curberry, trying to be amiable--a hard task -for him, seeing how much Lillian was taken up with the hero of the -moment--"aviation has certainly accomplished wonders since Santos -Dumont took his flight of ten yards some four years ago." - -"Oh, you do know something about aviation, Lord Curberry," said Dan -coolly. - -"I know that it is dangerous, Mr. Halliday." - -"Oh, Dan," Lillian grew pale, knowing what the spiteful speech meant. - -"I think flying looks more dangerous than it is," said Dan with a -reassuring glance, "and Miss Moon has come here to be my mascot." - -"You will wire your safe arrival as soon as you get to York," said -Mrs. Bolstreath anxiously. - -"Oh, every one will wire," cried Freddy, taking out his field-glass, -"the telegraph offices will be kept hard at work all the night. As -sure as I stand here, Mrs. Bolstreath, Dan will be the richer -to-morrow by £2,000." - -"If he is safe, I shall be content," breathed Lillian, and she looked -as though she would have kissed Dan then and there, in spite of the -presence of the crowd and Lord Curberry. - -That unsuccessful suitor scowled, and was about to make one of his -acid speeches, when those authorities arranging the race came to -declare that all was ready for the start. Already the cinematographs -were at work taking pictures of the crowd and the machines and their -various pilots. Policemen drove back the throng to some distance, so -that the aeroplanes might have a clear space to run in, and just as -the hour of one sounded the start was made amidst a breathless -silence. The aeroplanes ran along the ground like startled hens, and -sprang into the air at various points. The eyes of the people from -looking level now began to stare upward at the diminishing dots which -towered and raced for the north. A zigzag monoplane was leading, -but Lillian had only eyes for Dan's craft. Freddy gave her his -field-glasses so that she might get a better view. Three of the -aeroplanes bunched, but two circled away some distance in wide arcs, -and of the two, one machine belonged to Dan. The onlookers saw him -increase the speed of his propeller and then, like an arrow from the -bow, he sped swiftly out of sight in a straight line. A cheer rose -from the throng, as the Vincent airship was leading by some lengths, -and Lillian gave Freddy back his glasses. - -"I hope he'll come back safe," she said with quivering lip. - -"Of course he will," Laurance assured her. "Dan is one of the most -cautious aviators we have." - -"But there is always a risk," sneered Lord Curberry. - -"Probably. Only a brave man would take the risk." - -"You don't fly yourself, Mr. Laurance." - -"As you see," was the calm reply, as Curberry's enmity was too paltry -to trouble about. "Well, Miss Moon, we can't see anything more, so I -suppose you will go home." - -"Miss Moon is coming to luncheon with me," said Lord Curberry, "and -Mrs. Bolstreath also." - -"I am very hungry," said that lady pensively, "so I don't say----" - -"Hallo!" interrupted Laurance, as a clamor arose on the outskirts of -the now fast diminishing crowd, "what's the matter? In the interests -of my paper I must see what is taking place," and with a hasty raising -of his hat to the ladies he left them to the care of Lord Curberry. - -As he pushed his way toward the commotion he heard a voice asking -if the man was quite dead, and fancied that someone must have fallen -down in a fit. But when he broke through the ring of policemen, and -beheld Durwin lying on the ground, with staring eyes and a ghastly, -expressionless face, the sight so startled him that he caught a -constable's arm. - -"What's all this?" he demanded hoarsely. "Is Mr. Durwin dead?" - -"Durwin," echoed the policeman sharply, "do you know the gentleman?" - -"Of course. He is Mr. Durwin, one of the Scotland Yard officials. I -wonder you don't know that." - -"I never heard of him, sir. He must belong to the detective -department." - -"What's the matter with him; has he had a fit?" - -"He's been murdered," said the constable shortly. - -"Murdered?" Laurance stared at the man in a horrified manner, and his -thoughts flew to the gang which he and Dan and Durwin were trying to -root out. Was this another crime similar to that committed at -Hampstead, when Sir Charles was killed for knowing too much? "Is there -a fly on him?" asked the reporter hastily; "see if there's a fly." - -"A fly!" The policeman evidently thought the speaker was crazy. "What -has a fly to do with the matter? Here's the Inspector, who was sent -for some time ago. You had better speak to him, sir." - -Laurance did so, and advanced toward the soldierly-looking official -who made his appearance. In a low and rapid voice, Laurance hastily -explained that the prone man was Mr. Durwin, of Scotland Yard, and -also handed the Inspector his own card. Meanwhile a doctor was -examining the body, and found that the deceased had been murdered by -having a dagger thrust under his left shoulder-blade. He was quite -dead, and must have passed away almost immediately the blow was -delivered. The Inspector received this uncompromising statement with -natural surprise, and knelt down beside the corpse to verify the -declaration. There was no doubt that the medical man spoke the truth, -for a stream of blood stained the back of Durwin's coat, and had -soaked into the ground. The thrust must have been made with a very -sharp instrument, and was undoubtedly delivered with great force. - -"Who knows anything of this?" demanded the Inspector, rising and -looking at the awestruck faces of the crowd sharply. - -A slim lady-like girl stepped forward. "I was standing close to the -gentleman," she explained nervously, "and we were all looking at the -airships as they went away. I heard him give a gasp, and when I turned -at the sound, he was slipping to the ground. That's all I know." - -"Did you see any one strike him?" - -"No, I didn't. How could I, when with the rest I was staring at the -airships going away. The gentleman was staring also, I think. But of -course I didn't take much notice of him, as he was a stranger to me." - -"I saw him fall," put in a rough man, something like a navvy; "he was -crushed up against me in the crowd, and I felt him tumbling. I heard -him gurgle, too, and heard this young lady cry out. Then I saw him on -the ground, and pushed back the folk, saying there was a cove dying. -But I didn't think it was murder," ended the man, shuddering. - -"Nor did I," chimed in the slim girl. "I fancied it was a fit. I'm -sure we were all so crushed up with the lot of people, that I -shouldn't have been surprised if he had taken a fit." - -This was all that could be learned, and the Inspector took the names -and addresses of the two who had spoken. There were other people who -had noted the man on the ground, but these were the sole ones to see -the fall. They had, as it were, almost caught the assassin red-handed. -But it was impossible to say who was guilty, for the throng was so -dense and every one's attention had been so earnestly fixed skyward on -the airships that no one could say who had struck down the unfortunate -gentleman. The Inspector was much impressed when he learned the -identity of the dead man. Once or twice he had received official -letters from Durwin, but he had never set eyes on him until he beheld -him dead. But for Laurance he would not have known who he was, and -therefore questioned that young gentleman closely when the body was -carried by four policemen off the ground to the nearest place where it -could be placed under shelter. - -"And what about this fly?" asked the Inspector, who had heard of the -question from the policeman who Laurance had first addressed. - -"Don't you remember the case of Sir Charles Moon?" - -"Yes. The woman who killed him was never discovered. I remember about -the fly, and also I remember the letters written to that newspaper of -yours." - -"I wrote the first letter that brought forth the correspondence," said -Freddy quickly. "Sir Charles had some idea that a gang of criminals -was in existence, and invited Mr. Durwin to his house to explain. -Before Mr. Durwin arrived Sir Charles was murdered. Since then he had -been looking into the matter, and I believe that he also learned too -much." - -"You think that this gang you mention had him put out of the way?" - -"Yes, I do, and that is why I asked if there was a fly on him. It's -the trade-mark of these devils, I fancy." - -"Well, there didn't appear to be any fly on him," said the Inspector -in an uneasy tone. "All the same, I think your idea is right. Moon was -murdered because he knew too much, and Mr. Durwin has been got out of -the way for the same reason; at least I think so. However, we shall -learn more between this and the inquest. You will attend, Mr. -Laurance?" - -"Of course. I am only too anxious to find out all I can about this -dangerous gang. It must be broken up." - -"The breaking up will be attended with considerable danger," said the -Inspector in a very dry tone. Then he noted Freddy's address and let -him go. - -Laurance returned to the office of _The Moment_ and hastily wrote his -description of the start for the London to York race, after which he -saw the editor and related what he knew about the death of Durwin. -Permitted to write the article dealing with the subject, Laurance gave -a concise account, and although he did not say too much, yet hinted -very plainly that the death of the Scotland Yard official was -connected indirectly with the murder of Sir Charles Moon. Remembering -that Penn was now Lord Curberry's secretary, and that Lord Curberry's -house was near the aviation ground, Freddy wondered if Penn had been -amidst the crowd. Dan could have told him that he had been, but, at -present, Laurance did not know this. However, he had a shrewd idea -that as Penn was connected with one murder, he was probably connected -with the other. Then Freddy cursed himself for not having observed if -there was any special perfume hanging about the dead man's clothes. As -he did not know the particular smell of the Sumatra scent he could not -say if it was the one Dan had traced to Mrs. Jarsell, but if there was -any scent at all, it was worth while looking into the matter. To -repair his negligence he finished writing the article--which was very -short--and then started for Blackheath to view the corpse again. - -As he was leaving the office of the paper a telegram was put into his -hand. It proved to be from Dan, and had been sent from Bedford. "Had -an accident," ran the wire, "rudder broke. No bones broken, but shaken -by fall. I return this evening to town and will call. Halliday." - -"Now I wonder," murmured Laurance, when he read the telegram, "if that -machine was tampered with, after all. If so, the gang must be getting -scared. First Moon, then Durwin, now an attempt on Dan's life. By -Jove, I'll be the next." The idea was by no means a pleasant one. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -ON THE TRAIL - - -When Dan, looking rather pale and sick, presented himself at _The -Moment_ office late that same evening, the first question Laurance put -to him was relative to the accident. "Was your machine tampered with?" -asked Freddy in a breathless manner, and the second almost the door -was closed. - -"No, it wasn't," replied Halliday, sinking with a tired sigh into the -nearest chair. "I was making a quick turn and the rudder gave way; I -put too great a strain on it, and came fluttering to the ground like a -shot partridge. That was a few miles beyond Bedford. However, I had -the aeroplane dismounted and packed away in a village close at hand, -then after a rest caught the express to St. Pancras. You got my wire?" - -"Yes, and I fancied this tumble must be the work of the gang." - -"Not a bit of it. My bad flying, that's all. Well, I have lost the -race, and the man who flew the Zigzag monoplane has won, though he -took his own time in arriving at York. A dashed bad machine I think he -had, even though it's come out top for the time being. I'm a bit -shaken, and feel sick, but a night's rest will put me square." - -"Why didn't you go straight home and get it?" inquired Freddy -anxiously, for there was no denying that Dan looked considerably -fagged. - -"I read about this death of Durwin in a late edition of an evening -paper, and couldn't rest until I knew the truth. The paper only gave a -hint. Tell me what you know." - -Laurance did so, and then handed Halliday a proof of his article on -the subject which was to appear in the morning issue of _The Moment_. -He supplemented the same with further information. "I went down to see -if there was any scent on the clothes of the corpse," he explained, -"it's still at Blackheath, you know, in charge of the Inspector. -There's no perfume, anyhow." - -"And no fly?" - -"No. I asked that the moment I saw Durwin stretched out on the ground. -If this crime is the work of the gang, the sign-manual is absent." - -"All the same it is the work of the gang, I truly believe," remarked -Dan in grim tones. "Durwin has been on the hunt, and very probably, -since he discovered the death of Moon first of all, he has been -watched. One of the gang got behind him in the crowd, and knifed him -in the crush. It would be perfectly easy for the assassin to slip -away, without being noticed, since every one was watching the flight -of the aeroplanes." - -Laurance nodded. "I agree with you. But who is the assassin?" - -"Well," said Dan reflectively, "I saw Penn on the ground." - -"The deuce you did," cried Freddy jumping up, "did he----" - -"Don't be in too great a hurry. He seems to me much too nervous a man -to handle this job." - -"But he belongs to the gang," insisted Laurance sharply. "He has as -good as admitted that much by what he said of the perfume." - -"Oh, yes, I believe he has something to do with the association, -which, by the way, appears to be a kind of joint-stock company, like -that one mentioned by Balzac in his story 'Histoire des Treize,' -and----" - -"Oh, hang your literary references," interrupted Freddy, anxiously -pacing the office, "do you believe that Penn struck the blow?" - -"No, I don't. The gang must have better men than he to strike." - -"Or women," muttered Laurance, thinking of the false Mrs. Brown. -"However, since Penn was in the crowd, and is plainly in the secret of -the gang, don't you think we ought to tell the Blackheath Inspector -about the matter, and also Inspector Tenson, who had charge of the -Hampstead crime?" - -"No," said Dan, after a pause. "If Penn is arrested and questioned, he -will say nothing. As he hinted, he would be killed if he gave away the -gang; so as he wouldn't split, when I threatened him on the aeroplane, -he certainly won't speak out if questioned by the police. And we -haven't got enough evidence to prove his complicity, remember. Better -keep silence, Freddy, and let the police fog out this crime alone. -Meanwhile, we can look round and keep an eye on Penn." - -After some argument, Laurance agreed to act as his friend suggested. -It was no doubt the wiser course to take no action until absolute -proof could be procured that the secretary was a member of the gang. -Also, if Penn were arrested, the organization might break up and -scatter out of sheer alarm, in which case all the villains would not -be caught. Dan deemed it best to work quietly until the whole of the -scoundrels could be netted, and to do so it was necessary to preserve -silence. Thus it came about that, at the inquest on Durwin, nothing -came to light likely to connect this crime with the preceding one. The -hint given by Freddy in _The Moment_ was not taken, and, indeed, was -laughed at. There was neither perfume nor fly on the corpse of the -unfortunate man, and consequently no link between Blackheath and -Hampstead. An open verdict was brought in, and Durwin was buried -without the truth becoming known in any detail. Then a new sensation -took up the attention of the public. - -Nevertheless, both Dan and his friend were convinced that Darwin, -having learned too much, had been done to death by the gang for its -own safety in the same way as Sir Charles Moon had been put out of the -way. They employed a private detective to watch Penn, but gave him no -hint that they suspected him in any way. Through Penn, who was the -sole person they knew for certain--and on the evidence of the perfume -was connected with the gang--they hoped to arrive at the truth, but -the time was not yet ripe for questioning him as regarded his -nefarious doings. But they kept him well in sight so as to watch -the path he took in life. There was no doubt that by following the -same they would arrive at a gathering of the dangerous persons, -whose association threatened to disintegrate society. As Dan, -quoting Balzac's fiction, had observed, it was Ferragus and his -fellow-conspirators in a modern setting. - -Dan, having lost the race, and consequently the £2,000, was short of -funds, and Laurance not being rich could not lend him any money. -However, the two managed to borrow a certain sum from a grasping -money-lender, which supplied the sinews of war for the time being. -Halliday had the Vincent aeroplane brought to Blackheath again, and -made some money in his usual way by taking various people trips for -short distances. Aviation was now quite a Society craze, especially -for ladies desirous of a new sensation, so Dan did extremely well. A -few months later he intended to attempt a cross-Channel flight, for -which a French millionaire was offering a large prize, but in the -meantime he got along as best he could. Nothing happened for a week or -two likely to stir up the muddy water which concealed the doings of -the gang, and there were no new murders. Then Dan took Lillian to a -cinematograph exhibition, and made a discovery. - -Of course Lillian was profoundly grieved that her lover should have -lost the race, but comforted herself with the reflection that he was -safe. Had she been able, she would have interdicted Dan from trying -further flights, especially in the face of the many accidents which -were occurring in connection with aviation all over the world. Dan, -however, laughed at her fears, and insisted upon continuing his -dangerous vocation. Nevertheless, he promised in a moment of -tenderness, to give up aviation when he and Lillian were married, -though at present affairs in this direction did not look bright. As -yet Dan had discovered very little likely to lead to the detection of -Moon's assassin, and until that individual was brought to justice, Sir -John would never consent to the match. The course of true love in -these dark days was by no means running as smoothly as the pair -desired. - -Lord Curberry haunted Sir John Moon's house, and pestered Lillian with -undesired attentions until she was openly rude to him. But this did -not at all damp his ardor; he merely smiled acidly and continued to -send flowers and theatre seats, and lastly articles of jewelry, which -she declined to accept. And always Sir John was at her elbow, croaking -out what a lucky girl she was to attract the attention of the peer. -With her money and his title, to say nothing of his talents, the -marriage would be an ideal one. Lillian did not think so, and with the -obstinacy of a woman in love with the wrong person, preferred to think -of and long for Dan Halliday. More than that, with the connivance of -Mrs. Bolstreath, who was heart and soul with the poor suitor, Lillian -contrived to meet him at various times, and enjoy herself not a -little. On these occasions they were like children let loose from an -over-severe nursery. Sometimes Mrs. Bolstreath came as chaperon, -and sometimes, knowing that Dan was a gentleman, she allowed them -to be together alone, which, naturally, they liked much better. -But on the whole, and so that no one might talk, the good-natured -smiling woman followed their restless footsteps to restaurants and -theatres--matinees that is--even to cinematographs. It was at one of -these last entertainments that Dan received a shock. - -On this particular occasion, Mrs. Bolstreath was not with them, as she -had gone shopping in Regent Street. An appointment had been made by -her to meet Lillian and Dan at five, when the trio intended to have -afternoon-tea in New Bond Street. Meantime, as it was only three -o'clock, the lovers had the whole of London to themselves. The day was -rather fine, so Lillian proposed to go to the unfashionable spaces of -the park, where she was not likely to meet with any acquaintance. Dan -was willing, and they walked along Piccadilly in a leisurely manner. -Then Lillian stumbled on a biograph theatre, and read the programme. -When she saw that a set of pictures represented the aviation ground at -Blackheath, and the start for the London to York race, nothing would -serve her whim, but that she must go in and see the film. Dan was -willing to oblige her, as he also was curious to see himself in a -moving-picture. Therefore, they soon found themselves being guided by -an attendant with an electric-torch, through the warm darkness of the -hall to a couple of well-cushioned seats. The performance was a -continuous one, the pictures repeating themselves again and again, so -the lovers arrived in the middle of an interesting story of which they -did not know the beginning. Anxious to see what had gone before, -Lillian exacted a promise from her complaisant swain that they should -wait until the repetition. Dan agreed, but reminded her that this -delay would mean no walk in the park. - -"Never mind," said Lillian, slipping her hand into his, under cover of -the friendly twilight, "we can stay here until we meet Bolly in New -Bond Street; you know I adore cinematographs." - -"And me also I hope," insinuated Dan, to which the answer was a -friendly and very emphatic squeeze. - -As is usual with such entertainments the pictures were a mixture of -comedy and tragedy, so as not to dwell too long on one note. But -Lillian, in an impatient mood, waited anxiously for the aviation -scenes. These were in due time thrown on the screen, and the girl gave -a little cry of pleasure when she saw Dan tinkering at his aeroplane, -every gesture being faithfully reproduced. Halliday himself was -greatly amused by this resurrection of his doings and felt an odd -feeling at coming face to face with himself in this way. But he -started, greatly surprised, for in front of the crowd and -disproportionately large, in comparison with the rest of the figures, -he beheld the massive form of Mrs. Jarsell moving across the -illuminated picture. She even paused to look round at someone in the -mob, so he had a distinct front view of her powerful face. There could -be no mistake, as she was a singularly noticeable woman, and when she -finally passed away from the screen, he sat wondering at the odd -chance which had shown him that she had been on the Blackheath -aviation ground on the very day and about the very time Durwin had met -with his mysterious death. Her presence suggested the possession of -the Sumatra scent perfume, which in its turn recalled Penn's ownership -of the same, and the scent of the dead Sir Charles Moon's clothes. -More than ever Dan was convinced that Mrs. Jarsell was connected with -the gang, and therefore with the two tragedies which were perplexing -justice. He was glad that he had promised to wait for the repetition, -and when Lillian wished to go, after she had seen the start of the -picture, which had met them half-finished on their entrance, Dan urged -her to stop and witness the aviation scenes once more. - -"It is so amusing to see one's self in this way," said Dan artfully. - -Lillian pouted. "I wish I could have been taken also," she said with a -sigh of pleasure, and willingly consented to wait. - -The second view convinced Halliday absolutely that he was right. It -was Mrs. Jarsell who moved so royally across the screen, and what -puzzled him was that she appeared to be well dressed, without any -attempt at disguise. Yet, if she had come to Blackheath bent upon -crime, she would surely have worn a veil, so as not to be noticed. -Still, Mrs. Jarsell, living a secluded life at Sheepeak, would not be -known to any one in London, and might not think it necessary to -disguise herself in any way. Moreover, if by chance she was recognized -through any possible disguise, such a thing would mean the asking of -leading questions. However, there was no doubt that she had been on -the aviation ground when Durwin was murdered, and Dan determined to go -that same night to Sheepeak and make inquiries. He was very silent -when at the afternoon tea with the ladies, but Lillian chattered -enough for two, and gave Mrs. Bolstreath a vivid account of the -animated pictures. The companion certainly did hint that Halliday was -not quite himself, but he averted further inquiries by saying that he -had a headache. Then he took leave of the pair, and went to see what -train he could catch to Thawley, being in so great a hurry that he did -not even call on Freddy Laurance to acquaint him with his wonderful -discovery. - -Thus Halliday most unexpectedly found himself standing on the Thawley -Station platform, a few minutes after nine o'clock, as he had left St. -Pancras by the six o'clock express. It was now too late to travel by -the local to Beswick, for when he reached that place there was the -long hill to climb to Sheepeak, and The Peacock Hotel would probably -be closed by the time he got to his destination. Dan therefore decided -to remain in Thawley for the night, and secured a bed at an hotel near -the station. Early next morning he came to look for George Pelgrin -with whom he wished to talk, and had no difficulty in finding him. A -brother-porter brought the man to him and handing over his bag, -Halliday requested to be led to the platform whence the Beswick local -departed. Then he began to ask artful questions. - -Pelgrin was a big bovine creature, with sleepy blue eyes, and a slow, -ponderous manner, which argued small intelligence. Dan wondered why a -clever woman like Mrs. Jarsell should interest herself in such a -creature, and to find out cautiously introduced the lady's name. "I -was staying at your aunt's hotel in Sheepeak some time ago," said Dan, -as George carried his bag over the bridge, "and she told me that you -are quite a favorite with my friend, Mrs. Jarsell of The Hall." - -"Aye," grinned George amiably, "that I be, sir. I come from Sheepeak, -and Mrs. Jarsell she takes interest in Sheepeak folk. 'Send for -George,' she says, when coming to London, and I puts her straight as -she likes." - -"She comes to town pretty often I expect," said Halliday lightly, -"which is all the better for your pocket." - -"Why, no," said Pelgrin thoughtfully, "she don't go away much from -Sheepeak, not even to come to Thawley. Once in a few months she goes -to London to see things. 'George,' she says, 'I'm going to look up -friends,' or 'George, I'm after lawyer's business this day,' she says. -Oh, she's good to me and Aunt Marian, is Mrs. Jarsell. I wish she'd -come to London oftener," ended George in dismal tones, "for she gives -me half-a-crown always, and don't come as often as I'd like, seeing as -I wants money." - -"Ah, she's a stay-at-home," commented Halliday. - -"Looking after that friend of hers, Miss Armour, she is," agreed -George. - -"Well, she has been a good friend to me," said the other man, -shuffling into a first-class compartment, "for she got me an aeroplane -from Mr. Vincent." - -"Aye," said Pelgrin, "I know him. Crosspatch he is, sir." - -"I think so, too. But Mrs. Jarsell promised to come to London and see -me in the London to York race. You heard of it, I suppose." - -"Aye, that I did," said Pelgrin, and mentioned the exact date, "we'd a -heap of traffic that day, folk going to York to see them airships -arrive. But Mrs. Jarsell wasn't one of them, sir." - -"She wouldn't go to York, but to London." - -"She didn't go nowhere," said George doggedly, "on that day anyhow. -'Send for George,' she always says, and on the day of that flying-race -send for me she did not. So she stayed at home, I reckon." - -"Oh," Dan looked disappointed. "I did so want her to see me flying in -this race, Pelgrin, since she got Mr. Vincent to give me the -aeroplane." - -'"Well, she didn't see you, sir, for she never went to London on that -day early or late, I swear. She don't go much away from Sheepeak, and -hasn't been there--to London that is, sir--for months. And she always -tips me half a crown," ended George once more. - -Dan took the hint and handed over the money. "There you are. And I -hope Mrs. Jarsell will travel oftener so that you may become rich." - -"Aye, I need money, me being engaged as it were," said Pelgrin with a -grin, touching his forelock, and he went on explaining his private -affairs, which had to do with a girl, until the train steamed out of -the station. - -Dan was puzzled. According to the cinematograph Mrs. Jarsell had -certainly been in town on the day of the race, yet this yokel swore -that she had not travelled from the Thawley Station. Yet there was no -other route by which she could come. Of course, according to Mrs. -Pelgrin, the woman owned three motors and could go to London in that -way. There was just a chance that she might have done so, but Dan did -not know how he was to find out. It would be no use asking Mrs. -Jarsell, as she would deny having been out of Sheepeak. Yet since she -was wholly undisguised on the Blackheath ground, why should she deny -her identity. It might be that she would admit having gone to the big -city--say by motor--and would defy him to credit her with the death of -Durwin. Not that Dan would be foolish enough to accuse her of the -same, as he had no evidence to go upon, save the fact of the perfume, -and that was a weak reed upon which to lean. Mrs. Pelgrin might know -something, however, and to Mrs. Pelgrin he determined to apply for -information. - -At the end of his journey, and when he arrived in a ramshackle fly, he -was welcomed by her as usual--that is, she bounced out of the inn, and -placing her arms akimbo, smiled grimly. "Oh, so you are here again," -she said in exactly the same way in which she had greeted Laurance. - -"Yes," said Halliday, readily having his excuse cut and dried, "I lost -the flying race, and have come to apologize to Mr. Vincent for -misusing his machine. I only want a mid-day meal as I leave again this -afternoon." - -"You shall have your dinner," snapped Mrs. Pelgrin, leading the way -into the inn after Dan had arranged for the driver of the trap to wait -for three or four hours. "So you didn't win that race. Aye, Mr. -Vincent will be rare mad with you, thinking what he does of those -kites he makes." - -Halliday sat down in the well-remembered room and laughed. "The -fortune of war, Mrs. Pelgrin. But I am sorry I lost the race. Mrs. -Jarsell, who got me the aeroplane, will also be disappointed. Did she -tell you about the start?" - -"Eh! man, would a lady like her come chattering to a humble body like -me," was the landlady's reply, as she laid the table rapidly, "not -that she saw the race, mind you, Mr. Halliday." - -"Oh, but she must have," replied Dan, with pretended surprise, "she -promised to come and see me start from Blackheath." - -"She did not go to London," persisted Mrs. Pelgrin, her eyes becoming -angry at the contradiction, "I mind that well, because she came to see -me about some eggs on the very day you were flying, and says she, 'It -will be a good day for Mr. Vincent's machine to win the race.'" - -"Are you sure?" asked Dan, more puzzled than ever to find that the -stories of Mrs. Pelgrin and her nephew were in accordance with one -another. - -"Do you take me for a fool," cried Mrs. Pelgrin, her sallow face -becoming a fiery red; "am I not telling you again and again that Mrs. -Jarsell never went to see your rubbishy race. She came here to get -some eggs from me, and sat in this very room at nine o'clock, or a -little after. You take me for a liar, you--you--oh, I'll best see to -the dinner, or I'll lose my temper," and the sharp-tongued woman, -having already lost it, bounced out of the room. - -"Mrs. Jarsell was here at nine o'clock, or a little after," repeated -Dan, in a wondering tone, "then she could not have been in London. All -the same, I swear I saw her on that cinematograph." Here he opened his -bag and took out an "A.B.C.," to see the trains from Thawley to -London. - -An examination showed him that, even if Mrs. Jarsell had left Thawley -Station at nine o'clock exactly, she would not have reached St. -Pancras until twelve-five. This would scarcely give her time to arrive -at Blackheath. The aeroplanes had started in the race at one o'clock, -and, according to the evidence at the inquest, the people had been -looking at them flying northward at the moment Durwin was stabbed. -Mrs. Jarsell could not have arrived on the ground by one o'clock if -she only got to St. Pancras at mid-day. And then, to do that, she -would have been obliged to leave Thawley at nine o'clock. According to -George she had not been near the station on that day, and if Mrs. -Pelgrin was to be believed, she was in the very room he now occupied -at the hour when the express departed. It was clearly impossible that -she could have got to Thawley for the nine o'clock train, let alone it -being impossible that had she caught the express she could have -arrived in London to execute the crime by one o'clock, or a trifle -later. Yet, on the other hand, was the evidence of Mrs. Pelgrin and -her nephew, while on the other hand was the evidence of the -cinematograph. One or the other must assuredly be wrong. Of course the -landlady and George might be telling lies, but on the face of it there -was no need for them to do so. Moreover, as Dan had sprung his -questions on them unexpectedly, they could not have been ready with -false answers. - -"She must have used a motor-car," thought Halliday, restoring the -"A.B.C." to his bag, "yet even so, she was here at nine o'clock, and -could not have reached town in the three hours and odd minutes. -D---- it!" - -Mrs. Pelgrin brought in the dinner with compressed lips and showed -small disposition to chatter. Anxious not to arouse her suspicions by -asking any further questions, Dan began to talk of other matters, and -gradually she became more friendly. He told her that he had employed -George and had given him half-a-crown, since the mention of money -appeared to melt her into civility more than did anything else. Mrs. -Pelgrin smiled grimly and observed that "George was a grasping hound," -an amiable speech which did not argue that she was on the best of -terms with the sleepy-eyed man at Thawley Station. After Dan had -learned indirectly all he could from her he sought out Vincent's -cottage, only to learn that the inventor and his niece were absent for -the day. As he could frame no excuse to visit Mrs. Jarsell there was -nothing left for him to do but to travel back to town; therefore he -found himself once more in St. Pancras Station, comparatively early in -the evening, wondering what was the solution of this new problem. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -AN AMAZING ADVENTURE - - -Next day Dan went to look up Laurance and have a consultation, as he -was considerably puzzled over the new problem and did not know exactly -how to act. But Fate was against him, so far as having a second -opinion was concerned, for Laurance proved to be absent. An -anarchistic plot, of which _The Moment_ desired to know the details, -had taken him to Vienna, and it was probable that he would not return -for at least a week. Halliday might have expected something of the -sort, as in the prosecution of his business Freddy was here, there, -and everywhere, never knowing his next destination, which depended -entirely on the latest sensation. But hitherto few startling events -had summoned Laurance out of England, and Dan had been accustomed to -always finding him on the spot for a consultation. He left the office -of _The Moment_ in a rather disconsolate frame of mind. - -There was no doubt that Halliday badly needed someone to talk to about -the matters which occupied his thoughts. But, failing Freddy, who was -working with him, he did not know any one worth consulting--anyone, -that is, whose advice would be worth taking. - -Certainly there were the two inspectors of police--one at Hampstead, -and one at Blackheath--who were deeply interested in the respective -deaths of Moon and Durwin. They would have been delighted to discuss -the entire business threadbare in the hope of solving the mystery of -the two crimes. But Dan did not wish to bring the police into the -matter until he had more evidence to go upon. After all, what he knew -concerning Mrs. Jarsell and Penn was both vague and uncertain, while -the clue of the perfume being so slight might be scouted as ridiculous -by these cut-and-dried officials. What Halliday wished to do was to -establish a connection between the doings at Sheepeak, Blackheath, and -Hampstead on evidence that could not be questioned, so that he might -submit a complete case to the police. He could not do this until he -acquired positive proof, and he desired to acquire the same by his own -endeavors supplemented by those of Laurance. Therefore, as Freddy was -away on business, and Dan did not care about placing his unfinished -case before the inspectors, he went about his ordinary affairs, -waiting for his friend's return. This was all that he could do, and he -did it reluctantly. - -A hint from Lord Curberry had evidently made Sir John more vigilant as -regarded his niece. Dan called at the house and was denied an -interview; he wrote a letter and received no answer; and although he -haunted Bond Street and Regent Street, the parks and the theatres, he -could catch no glimpse of Lillian. After three days of unavailing -endeavor he went to Bedford and attended to the transfer of his -aeroplane to Blackheath, bringing it up in the train personally. Then -he put it together again, and took short flights in the vicinity of -London, after repairing the damage done to the propeller. All the -same, his heart was not in the business of aviation at the moment as -the detective fever had seized him and he felt that he could not rest -until he had solved the mystery of the two crimes. But at the moment, -he saw no way by which he could advance toward a consummation of his -wishes, and simply fiddled away his time until the return of Laurance. -Then, after a threshing out of details, he hoped to make some sort of -move in the darkness. - -But Fate decreed that he should act alone and without advice, and the -intimation of Fate's intention came in the form of a short letter from -Marcus Penn, asking for an interview. "I am confident," wrote the -secretary, "that from what you threatened in the aeroplane you suspect -me of knowing something relative to Sir Charles Moon's murder. As I am -entirely innocent I resent these suspicions, and I wish you to meet me -in order that they should be cleared away. If you will meet me at the -booking-office of the Bakerloo Tube, I can take you to the person who -gave me the perfume. He will be able to tell you that I have no -connection with any criminal." Then the letter went on to state day -and hour of the appointment, and ended with the feeble signature of -the writer. Dan always thought that Penn's signature revealed only too -plainly the weakness of his character. - -Of course he intended to go, even though he remembered that Penn had -declared the identity of the person who had given him the perfume. His -cousin in Sumatra had sent the same to him, the secretary had said, -yet he now proposed to introduce Dan to another person, who was the -donor of the scent. Unless, indeed--and this was possible--the Sumatra -cousin had come to England with the intention of exonerating Penn. -Certainly, Penn might mean mischief, and might be dexterously luring -him to a trap. But Halliday felt that he was quite equal to dealing -with a timid personality such as the secretary possessed. Also, when -going to keep the appointment, he slipped a revolver into his -hip-pocket, to be used if necessary. It might be--and Dan's -adventurous blood reached fever heat at the mere idea--that Penn -intended to introduce him to his brother scoundrels, who constituted -this mysterious gang. If so, there was a very good chance that at last -he might learn something tangible concerning the organization. -Undoubtedly there was a great risk of his losing liberty if not life, -and it was impossible to say what precautions this society of -cut-throats might take to preserve its secrets. But Halliday was not -of a nervous nature, and, moreover, was willing to risk everything on -one cast of the die, instead of lingering in suspense. He therefore -got himself ready without saying a word to any one, and kept the -appointment. And, indeed, now that Laurance was absent, there was no -one to whom he could speak. - -It chanced to be a somewhat foggy night when Dan descended to the -underground in Trafalgar Square, but out of the darkness and in the -light he had no difficulty in recognizing Penn. The secretary was well -wrapped up in a heavy great-coat, and welcomed the young man with a -nervous smile, blinking his pale eyes furiously, as was his custom -when much moved. However, he spoke amiably enough, and appeared to -bear no malice against his companion, notwithstanding the threat in -the aeroplane. - -"I am glad you have come, Mr. Halliday," said Penn in a would-be -dignified tone, "as I wish to clear my character from the grave doubts -you cast upon it when we last met." - -"Your admissions favored the grave doubts," retorted Dan lightly. - -"I spoke foolishly, Mr. Halliday, as I was quite upset by your -threats." - -"H'm! I wonder to see you trust yourself again to such a bloodthirsty -being as I am, Mr. Penn." - -"Oh, I knew you were only bluffing in the aeroplane," said the -secretary in a meek voice and with a shrug. - -"The means you took to escape further questioning showed me that!" - -The dry tone of Dan stirred the man's chilly blood to greater heat. -"You have no right to interfere with my private affairs," he said -furiously. - -"But when those affairs have to do with a crime----" - -"They have not. I know nothing about the matter," Penn's breath was -short, and he tried to keep his voice from quavering. "When you see my -cousin he will prove that he gave me the scent." - -"Oh! then your Sumatra cousin is now in England?" - -"Yes! Otherwise, I should not have asked you to come." - -"Are we to meet him here?" questioned Dan, glancing round curiously. - -"No. We can go to him in a taxi. I thought of the tube first, but we -can get to our destination quicker in a motor. Come!" and Penn, -leading the way, ascended the stairs, down which Halliday had lately -come. - -"Where are we going to?" asked Dan, but the secretary, being some -distance ahead, either did not hear the question, or did not desire to -reply to the same. "I suppose," added Halliday, as the two stood once -more in the foggy upper-world, "that your cousin wishes to see Mrs. -Jarsell?" - -"My cousin doesn't know Mrs. Jarsell, neither do I," retorted Penn -sharply. - -"Curious that she should possess the perfume," murmured Dan -sceptically, "and one which you say is unique." - -"In England that is," said the secretary, as they stepped into a -taxi-cab which evidently was waiting for them, near the Trafalgar -Square lions, "but, this lady whose name you mention may know someone -in Sumatra also, and in that way the perfume may have come into her -possession." - -"Ah!" Dan made himself comfortable, while Penn pulled up the windows -of the taxi, so as to keep out the damp air, "the long arm of -coincidence?" - -"The improbable usually occurs in real life and not in novels, Mr. -Halliday." - -Dan laughed and watched the street lights flash past the blurred -windows as the taxi turned up the Haymarket. He wondered where they -were going, and as he believed that Penn would not give him any -information he carefully watched to see the route. His companion -adjusted his silk muffler well over his mouth, with a murmured -explanation about his weak lungs, and then held out a silver cigarette -case to Dan, clicking it open as he did so. - -"Will you smoke, Mr. Halliday?" - -"No, thank you," replied the other cautiously, "for the present I -don't care about it," and Penn shrugged his shoulders, evidently -understanding that Dan did not trust him or his gifts. After a time he -took out a cigarette and lighted a match. - -"These cigarettes are of a particular kind," he remarked, and blew a -cloud of smoke directly under Halliday's nose, after which he -readjusted the muffler, not only over his mouth, but over his nose. - -Dan started, for the whiff of smoke filled the close confinement of -the taxi with the well-known flavor of the Sumatra scent. He was about -to make a remark when the scent grew stronger as the cigarette burned -steadily with a red, smoldering tip, and he felt suddenly faint. "Pull -down the window," he gasped, and leaned forward to do so himself. - -For answer, Penn suddenly pulled the young man back into his seat, and -enveloped him in a cloud of drowsy smoke, keeping his own mouth and -nose well covered meanwhile with the silk muffler. Halliday made a -faint struggle to retain his senses and the control of his muscles, -but the known world receded rapidly from him and he seemed to be -withdrawn into gulfs of utter gloom. The last coherent thought which -came into his mind was that the pretended cigarette produced by Penn -was a drugged pastil. Then an effort to grasp the undoubted fact that -he had been lured into a skilful trap which had shut down on him, used -up his remaining will-power, and he remembered no more. Whither he -went into darkness, or what he did, Dan never knew, as there seemed to -be no break in the time that elapsed from his becoming unconscious in -the taxi and waking with the acrid smell of some reviving salts in his -nostrils. He might have been on earth or in sky or sea; he did not -know, for he opened his eyes languidly in a dense gloom. - -"Where am I?" he asked, but there was no reply. His senses came back -to him with a rush, owing perhaps to the power of the stimulant -applied to bring him round. He sat up alertly in his chair, and felt -immediately that his arms were bound tightly to his sides, so that he -could not use his revolver, or even strike a match. He certainly would -have done this latter, had he been able to, for he greatly desired to -be informed as to the quality of his surroundings. He presumed that he -was in a large room of some kind, and he became convinced by his sixth -sense that the room was crowded with people. When fully himself Dan -could hear the soft breathing of many unseen beings, but whether they -were men or women, or a mixture of the sexes, he could not say. Even -when his eyes became accustomed to the gloom he could discern nothing, -for the darkness was that of Egypt. And the silence, save for the -steady breathing, was most uncanny. - -Dan felt it incumbent on him to make some attempt towards acquiring -knowledge. "What is the meaning of this outrage?" he demanded loudly -and in a resolute tone. "I insist upon knowing!" - -From the near distance came a whispering voice, which made him shiver. -"No one insists here," said the unknown speaker, "all obey." - -"Who is it that all obey?" demanded the prisoner undauntedly. - -"Queen Beelzebub!" murmured the voice, soft and sibilant. - -There flashed into Dan's mind some teaching, secular or sacred--he -could not tell which at the moment--relative to a deity who had to do -with flies. A Ph[oe]nician deity he fancied, but surely if his memory -served him, a male godling. Beelzebub, the god of Flies! He remembered -now, and remembered also the trade-mark of the mysterious society -formed for the purpose of murdering various people for various -reasons, known and unknown. - -"So you have got me at last," he said aloud. "I might have guessed -that Penn would trap me." - -"No names," said the unseen speaker coldly; "it will be the worse for -you if you mention names." - -"Am I addressing Beelzebub?" asked Dan, and for the life of him he -could not keep the irony out of his tones, for the whole thing was so -theatrical. - -"Queen Beelzebub!" - -"I see; you have given the god of Flies a consort. May I ask why I -have been brought here?" - -"We intend to make you an offer." - -"Who we? What we?" - -"The members of the Society of Flies, of which I am the head." - -"H'm, I understand. Don't you think you had better loose my hands and -turn up the lights?" - -"Be silent," ordered the voice imperiously, and, as Dan fancied, with -some hint of temper at the flippant way in which he talked; "be silent -and listen!" - -"I can't help myself," said Halliday coolly, "go on, please." - -There was a soft rustle, as if the unseen company admired his courage -for behaving calmly in what was, undoubtedly, a weird and trying -situation. Then some distance away a disk of red light, like a winter -sun, appeared with nerve-shaking swiftness. It revealed none of the -company, for all were still in the gloom, but concentrated its angry -rays on a large and solemn visage, unhuman in its stillness and awful -calm. It was an Egyptian face, such as belongs to the statues of the -gods of Kem, and the head-dress, stiff and formal, was also suggestive -of the Nile. Of more than usual size, Dan could only see its vast -features, but fancied that a red robe fell in folds from the neck -downward. There was something grand about this severe face, and in the -darkness, with the scarlet light gleaming fiercely on its immobility, -it was assuredly effective, if somewhat theatrical. The lips did not -move when Queen Beelzebub began to speak, but the eyes were alive; the -eyes of the person concealed behind the mask. Dan noticed that, when -the face became visible in the angry red light, the speaker ceased to -whisper, and the voice became deep, voluminous, and resonant as that -of a gong. The tone was that of a man, but it might have been a woman -speaking through an artificial mouthpiece. The final thing which Dan -noticed was that the whole atmosphere of the room reeked with the rich -fragrance of the Sumatra scent. - -"You are very daring and meddlesome," said the voice, issuing in -chilly tones from behind the stately mask, "for you have intruded -yourself into affairs which have nothing to do with you." - -"They have everything to do with me," retorted Halliday decisively and -feeling reckless, "if you and your society are omniscient, you should -know." - -"Omniscient is a good word. We know that you love Lillian Moon and -wish to marry her; we know that her uncle is willing this should be, -if you discover the truth about his brother's death. You have been -searching for the assassin, and you are still searching. That search -must stop." - -"I think not." - -"If you refuse to obey," said Queen Beelzebub coldly, "we can put you -out of the way as we have put others out of the way." - -"The Law----" - -A faint murmur of laughter was heard, suggestive of scorn. "We care -nothing for the law," said the speaker contemptuously. - -"Oh, I think you do, or you would not have taken all this trouble to -have me brought here." - -"You are here to receive an offer." - -"Indeed. I shall be glad to hear the offer." - -"We wish you to join the Society of Flies and swear to obey me, the -queen." - -"Thank you, but an association of cut-throats does not appeal to me." - -"Think twice before you refuse," the voice became threatening. - -"I think once, and that is sufficient," returned Dan drily. - -"You are at our mercy. We can kill you as we have killed others." - -"There are worse things than death. Dishonor." - -"You talk like a fool," scoffed Queen Beelzebub. "What is dishonor? -Merely a word. It means nothing." - -"I can well believe that it means nothing to you and your friends," -said Dan, who was weary of this fencing: "may I ask what advantage I -gain by becoming a member of your bloodthirsty gang?" - -"We are an association," boomed the great voice, "banded against the -injustice of the world. We resent few people having wealth and the -majority going without the necessaries of life. Being limited in -number, the Law is too strong for us, and we cannot gain our objects -openly; therefore we have to strike in the dark." - -"And your objects?" - -"To equalize wealth, to give our members wealth, position, comfort, -and power." - -"Oh. It's a kind of Socialistic community. You work for the poor." - -"We work for ourselves. - -"Rather selfish, isn't it?" - -"People will only work for self, and to those who labor for us we give -all that they wish for. Become a member and you will realize your -heart's desire." - -"Perhaps," said Halliday in a caustic tone, "I may realize that -without your aid." - -"We think not. To marry Lillian Moon you must find who murdered her -father, and that person will never be found." - -"Then why stop me from searching?" - -"It is a pity you should waste your time," said Queen Beelzebub -sarcastically, "besides you are one who would do honor to our -society." - -"Perhaps. But would the society do honor to me?" - -"We can give you what you desire, on certain conditions." - -"What are they?" - -"You must take the oath and sign the book; swear to obey me, who am -the head of this association, without question; promise to be secret, -and give all your talents to forwarding the aims of the Society of -Flies." - -"H'm," said Dan coolly, "a very comprehensive oath indeed. And the -aims?" - -"Wealth and power. We are banded together to get what we want, -independent of the law, and we think that the end justifies the means. -We accept money from those people who desire to get rid of their -enemies, or of those who stand between them and their desires. We -supply plans of English forts to foreign powers on condition that -large sums are paid to us. We trade on the secrets of people, which we -learn in various ways. If we are asked by any member to get him -something, all the resources of the society are at his disposal. -Rivals can be removed if he wants to marry; relatives can be put out -of the way, if he wishes for their money. There is no height to which -an ambitious man cannot climb with our aid. Join us and you shall -marry Lillian Moon within the year and also shall enjoy her large -fortune." - -Desirous to learn more of the villainies with which this precious band -of scoundrels were concerned, Dan temporized. "And if I refuse?" - -"You will be put to death!" - -"Now? At this very moment?" Dan's blood ran cold, for, after all, he -was yet young, and life was sweet to him. - -"No. You will be allowed to go, and death shall fall upon you when you -least expect it. Thus your agony will be great, for death may find you -to-morrow, or in a week, a month, or a year. We are not afraid you -will tell the police, for if you do it will only hasten your end. -Besides, you do not know where you are, and shall be taken away as -secretly as you have been brought here. The Law cannot touch us, -because we work under ground like moles, and even if you told the -police, your story of what has happened would only be laughed at. The -police," here the voice sneered, "think everything is known and refuse -to believe that we exist." - -"Well," said Dan, as if making up his mind, "can I ever leave the -society if I once join it?" - -"Yes," said Queen Beelzebub unexpectedly, "when you take the oath you -must swear to be sober, chaste, and secret, since these qualities are -needed to keep a member in good working trim. A certain amount of work -you must do in connection with our aims, so that you dare not speak -without being implicated in our doings. But, after a time, you can -leave with money, position, or power--whatever you desire, and then -can lead your own life, however profligate it may be. But while a -member you must be a saint." - -"A black saint," murmured Dan, wondering at the solid ground upon -which this association was founded, and thinking how dangerous it -could be with its misdirected aims, "well, I don't say 'No' and I -don't say 'Yes.' I must have time to think what my answer will be." - -"You shall have one month to consider, and then you shall be brought -here secretly again," said Queen Beelzebub authoritatively, "but you -will be wise if you join us. We wish you to do so because you have -brains, and we want brains. Our society will rule the world if we get -clever men to join, as the training of our members in sobriety, -chastity, self-control, and secrecy is that of the so-called saints." - -"I see," said Dan cheerfully, "the Lord's Prayer said backward, -so to speak, your Majesty. Well, the whole business is clever, and -extremely well managed as I can see. I shall take my month's respite, -and then----" - -"And then if you say 'Yes,' you will have all that the world can give -you; if you say 'No,' prepare for death." - -A murmur, vague and indistinct, went round the dark room. "Prepare for -death." - -"And if I speak to the police in the meantime?" asked Dan yawning. - -"You have been warned that if you do, death will follow immediately," -declared Queen Beelzebub, "no human law can protect you from us. -Enough has been said, and you have thirty days to decide what to do." -As she spoke, the red light vanished as abruptly as it had come. Dan -could only hear the steady breathing of many people in the gloom, and -wondered how many members of this devilish society were present. - -At that moment, and while the thought was yet in his mind, he felt -that a pastil was being held under his nose. The drowsy scent stole -into his brain, although he tried to avert his head, and almost -immediately he became again unconscious. Again he fell into gulfs of -gloom, and remembered nothing. When he recovered his senses, he was -seated in a four wheeler, driving in an unknown direction, and he was -alone. His head ached, but he struck a match and looked at his watch. -It was eleven o'clock. - -"Where did you find me?" he asked the cabman, putting his head out of -the window, and noticing that he was in a well-lighted street. - -"A friend of yours brought you to my cab," said the man, "saying you -was drunk--dead drunk. He gave me your address, and I'm taking you -home." - -"Clever," said Dan to himself, accepting the explanation without -comment. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A BOLD DETERMINATION - - -Dan went to bed with an aching head, doubtless induced by the power of -the drug which had been used to stupefy him. The Sumatra perfume was -evidently both powerful and useful, as it was used by the Society of -Flies not only as a means of recognition in the form of a harmless -scent, but as a soporific to bring about insensibility. Probably many -a person had been rendered unconscious by the drowsy smoke, and taken -to the headquarters of the infernal association, there to become -members. But where the headquarters were to be found, Dan had not the -slightest notion. And, as his head pained him greatly, he decided to -wait until the next morning before thinking out the matter. Off and on -he managed to sleep a trifle, but it was not until the small hours -that true slumber came to him. It was nine o'clock when he woke, and -then he found his head clear, and the pain absent. Only an evil taste -remained in his mouth, and after a cold bath he felt more himself, -although a touch of languor remained to recall to his recollection -what he had been through. - -After breakfast he lighted a pipe, and began to think over late events -as carefully as was necessary. On alighting at his own door he had -paid the driver of the four-wheeled cab, and had asked questions, -which the man was willing enough to answer. Halliday hoped by learning -where the cabman had picked him up, to discover at least the -neighborhood wherein the headquarters were situated. It was difficult -to think that an unconscious person, as he had been, could have been -taken any great distance along streets, or roads, or lanes, without -attention being attracted. But the cabman explained that the friend -who had placed his fare in the four-wheeler, had removed him from a -taxi, which the friend declared had broken down. "And he wanted to get -you home, you being drunk," explained the driver, "so he shoved you -into my trap, and I drove off, having the address I was to take you -to, leaving your friend to look after the broken-down taxi, along with -the chauffer." - -From this explanation it was apparent that on being removed from the -dark room Dan had been transported for some distance, long or short, -in the taxi. He did not believe that the same had broken down, but -that his friend--probably Marcus Penn--had hailed the first cab he -saw, and on pretence of an accident had got rid of him in this clever -way. It was West Kensington where this exchange had taken place, -according to the cabman's story, but since he had been driven an -indefinite distance by Penn in the taxi, the headquarters might be in -Hampstead, or Blackheath, or Ilford, or, indeed, anywhere round about -London, if not in the heart of the metropolis itself. All bearings -were lost by the clever way in which the return had been carried out. - -And now Halliday scarcely knew what to do, or how to act. He did not -dare to tell the police, as the first sign of activity on the part of -the authorities would mean his own death in some mysterious way. He -also would be found with an artificial fly near the wound and the odor -of the Sumatra scent on his clothes. As Dan did not wish to die, he -therefore hesitated to make any statement to Inspector Tenson of -Hampstead, who was so anxious to learn the secret and gain the reward. -In fact, he hoped that the man would not come to his rooms--he had -been there several times in quest of information--lest he should smell -the Sumatra scent. Dan found that he had brought the perfume away on -his clothes when he examined them, which was scarcely to be wondered -at considering how powerfully the dark room had reeked of the odor. -Certainly Tenson did not know the scent so well as Halliday did, -although he had experienced a whiff of it when examining the body of -Sir Charles Moon. But he might have forgotten the smell. - -While Dan turned over his clothes--the blue serge suit he had worn on -the previous night--he found a piece of paper in one of the trousers -pockets, which contained a message typewritten in crimson ink. It was -set forth in the third person, by no less an individual than Queen -Beelzebub herself, and ran as follows-- - - -"QUEEN BEELZEBUB warns Daniel Halliday that not only his own life -depends upon his secrecy but the life of Lillian Moon also. Should he -apply to the authorities, or in any way recount his adventures, the -girl he loves will be put out of the way, and afterwards Daniel -Halliday will be dealt with. At the end of thirty days Queen Beelzebub -expects to receive homage from her new subject, who will receive -notice of time and place fixed for the ceremony. Remember!" - - -"Quite a Charles-the-First ring about that last word," thought Dan, -frowning at the threatening message; "the scoundrels: they have tied -my hands with a vengeance. What the deuce am I to do?" - -It was useless for him to ask himself this question as the only answer -could be, "Nothing!" If he moved in any way likely to harm the society -he ran the chance of sacrificing, not only himself, but Lillian. It -was bad enough that he should be done to death; but he might have -risked that so as to break up the organization; but it was impossible -to place the girl he loved in so dangerous a position. Queen Beelzebub -knew what she was about when she used the phrase. And Halliday was -well aware that the Society had a long arm, and that nothing could -protect Lillian from these moles who were working in darkness--clever, -deadly, and unscrupulous. - -For the next two days the young man went about in a dream, or rather -in a nightmare. He did not dare to see Lillian, or to write to -Lillian, lest the members of the Society should believe he was -betraying them. They appeared to have spies everywhere, and there was -no move on the chessboard which he could make which might not be -detected. Yet he could not wait passively for the rest of the thirty -days, since he had no idea of joining the band and had only asked for -a respite so as to think out some means of escape. More than ever he -longed for the return of Laurance. He could trust him, and a -consultation between the two might evolve some scheme by which to -baffle the subjects of the accursed woman who called herself Queen -Beelzebub. Dan wondered if she was Mrs. Jarsell, but the evidence of -the perfume seemed too slight a link to join her with this deadly -organization. Of course there was Marcus Penn who was a member and -knew everything; but he would not speak, since he ran also a risk of -death should he betray too much. Still, Dan, being in the same boat -and under the same ban, fancied that the secretary might be frank, as -his confidence could not be abused. Now, if he could get Penn to state -positively that Mrs. Jarsell was Queen Beelzebub, he might have -something tangible upon which to work. But, taking into consideration -the Egyptian mask, and the alteration of the voice by means of the -artificial mouthpiece, Dan believed that she wished to keep her -identity secret; always presuming that Queen Beelzebub was the "she" -in question. On this assumption Halliday concluded that Penn would not -speak out, and bothered himself for hours as to whether it would be -worth while to ask the secretary questions. - -While still in this undecided frame of mind he received a morning -visit from Laurance, who turned up unexpectedly. Freddy, in pursuit of -his business, played puss-in-the-corner all over the world, coming and -going from London in the most unexpected manner. He reminded Dan of -this when the young man jumped up with an exclamation at his sudden -entrance. - -"You might have known that I would turn up, anyhow," he said, sitting -down, and accepting an offer to have breakfast. "I never know where I -shall be on any given date, and you must be always prepared for the -unexpected so far as I am concerned. I heard you were looking for me, -when I returned last night from Vienna, so I came along to feed with -you." - -Halliday ordered his man to bring in a clean cup, and poured out -coffee, after which he heaped Freddy's plate with bacon and kidneys. -"There you are, old fellow, eat away and get yourself ready for a long -talk. I have heaps to tell you likely to be interesting." - -"About the murder of Durwin?" questioned Laurance, reaching for toast. - -"Yes, and about the murder of Sir Charles Moon also. You don't mind my -smoking while you eat?" - -"No. Smoke away! Have you seen _The Moment_ this morning?" - -"No. Anything interesting in it about your Austrian excursion?" - -"Oh, yes," said Laurance indifferently, "I managed to learn a good -deal about these anarchistic beasts and it's set all out in print. But -that's not what I meant," he fumbled in his pockets. "Hang it, I -haven't brought a paper, and I meant to. There's a death chronicled -this morning." - -Dan sat up and shivered. "Another of the murders?" - -"Yes. Marcus Penn this time." - -"Penn!" Halliday dropped his pipe, "the devil," he picked it up again, -"I wonder why they killed him?" - -"He told you too much, maybe," said Laurance drily; "anyhow, the gang -has got rid of him by drowning him in an ornamental pond in Curberry's -grounds." - -"He might have fallen in," suggested Dan uneasily, "or he might have -committed suicide out of sheer terror." - -"Well, he might have," admitted Freddy, thoughtfully, "but from what I -saw of the man I should think he was too great a coward to commit -suicide." - -Dan smoked in a meditative manner. "I suppose she killed him, or had -him killed," he said aloud, after a pause. - -"She? Who?" - -"The she-devil who presides over the Society of Flies. Queen -Beelzebub." - -Laurance dropped his knife and fork to stare hard at his friend. "So -you have learned something since I have been away?" - -"Several things. Wait a moment." Dan rose and retired to his bedroom, -while Freddy pushed away the breakfast things as he did not wish to -eat further in the face of Halliday's hint which had taken away his -appetite. In a few minutes Dan came back to the sitting-room carrying -the clothes he had worn on the night of his kidnapping, which still -retained a faint odor of the fatal scent belonging to the gang. "Smell -that," said Dan, placing the clothes on his friend's knee. - -Laurance sniffed. "Is this the Sumatra scent?" he asked; "h'm, quite a -tropical fragrance. But I thought you proved to your satisfaction that -there was nothing in this perfume business?" - -"I always had my doubts," said Halliday drily, "they were lulled by -Penn's lies and reawakened when I found the scent at Mrs. Jarsell's. -Now I know all about the matter. I place my life in your hands by -telling you." - -"Is it as serious as that?" asked Laurance uneasily. - -"Yes. Serious to me and to Lillian also. Read that." - -The journalist scanned the crimson typewriting, and his eyes opened -larger and larger as he grasped the meaning of the message. "Where the -deuce did you get this?" he demanded hurriedly. - -"I found it in my pocket when I got back the other night." - -"Where from?" - -"From the headquarters of the Society of Flies." - -"There is a gang then?" asked Laurance, starting. - -"Yes. A very well-organized gang, presided over by Queen Beelzebub, -the consort of the gentleman of that name, who is the god of Flies." - -"Where are the headquarters?" - -"I don't know." - -"We may be able to trace the gang by this," said Freddy, examining the -typewritten paper. "If Inspector Tenson----" - -"If Tenson gets hold of that and learns anything, which by the way I -don't think he can, from that paper, my life won't be worth a cent; -neither will that of Lillian's. I might not care for my own life, but -I care a great deal for hers. I want to have a consultation as to what -is best to be done to save her from these devils." - -"Well, you can depend upon my saying nothing, Dan. It seems serious. -Tell me all about your discoveries." - -Halliday did so, starting with his visit to the cinematograph with -Lillian, and his recognition of Mrs. Jarsell in the animated picture. -Then he recounted his journey to Hillshire, and what he had learned -from Mrs. Pelgrin and her nephew. "So on the face of it," concluded -Dan earnestly, "I don't see how Mrs. Jarsell could have got to London. -She didn't go by train and could not have gone by motor. Yet, I'm sure -she was on the Blackheath grounds." - -"It is a puzzle," admitted Freddy, drawing his brows together, "but go -on; you have something else to tell me." - -"Rather," and Dan detailed all that had taken place from the time he -received Penn's invitation to meet him in the Bakerloo Tube to the -moment he arrived at his rooms again in the four-wheeler. "What do you -make of it all, Freddy?" asked Halliday, when he ended and relighted -his pipe. - -"Give me time to think," said Laurance, and rose to pace the room. For -a time there was a dead silence, each man thinking his own thoughts. -It was Dan who spoke first, and said what was uppermost in his mind. - -"Of course my hands are tied," he said dismally, "I dare not risk -Lillian's life. The beasts have killed her father, and Durwin and -Penn, all because they got to know too much. They may kill Lillian -also and in the same mysterious way." - -"But she knows nothing," said Freddy anxiously. - -"No. But I do, and if I speak--well, then you know what will happen. -Queen Beelzebub saw that I cared little for my own life, so she is -striking at me through Lillian. 'The girl he loves!' says that -message. Clever woman Mrs. Jarsell; she has me on toast." - -"But, my dear fellow, you can't be sure that your masked demon is Mrs. -Jarsell, since you did not see her face, or recognize her voice." - -"I admit that the mask concealed her features, and I believe that she -spoke through an artificial mouthpiece to disguise the voice. Still, -there is the evidence of her possessing the perfume, which plays such -a large part in the gang's doings. Also her appearance in the animated -picture, which proves her to have been on the Blackheath ground." - -"But Mrs. Pelgrin and her nephew declare positively that she could not -have been there." - -"Quite so, but Mrs. Pelgrin and her nephew may be paid to keep -silence," retorted Dan in a worried tone; "then Miss Armour, if you -remember, prophesied that I should have a wonderful offer made to me. -If I accepted I should marry Lillian and enjoy a large fortune. Well, -an offer in precisely the same words was made to me, on condition that -I joined the gang." - -"But surely you don't believe that a paralyzed woman like Miss Armour -has anything to do with this business?" questioned Laurance -skeptically. - -Dan shrugged his shoulders. "Miss Armour is the friend of Mrs. -Jarsell, whom I suspect, and certainly told my fortune as you heard. -Mrs. Jarsell may have told her what to say, knowing that the prophecy -would be fulfilled. I don't say that Miss Armour knows about this -infernal organization, as the very idea would horrify her. But Mrs. -Jarsell may use the poor woman as a tool." - -"I can't believe that Miss Armour knows anything," said Freddy -decidedly; "to begin with, the Society of Flies needs useful people, -and an invalid like Miss Armour would be of no use." - -"I admit that Miss Armour is in the dark," replied Halliday -impatiently; "all the same, her prophecy, together with the perfume -and the cinematograph evidence, hints at Mrs. Jarsell's complicity. -Again, the false Mrs. Brown who murdered Sir Charles was stout and -massive. Mrs. Jarsell is stout and massive." - -"Plenty of women are stout and massive," asserted the reporter, "but -you saw the false Mrs. Brown yourself. Did you recognize Mrs. Jarsell -as that person?" - -"No. But Mrs. Brown was so wrinkled for a fat woman that I remember -thinking at the time she might be a fraud. I daresay--I am positive, -in fact--that her face was made up, and while I looked at her she let -down her veil--another hint that she did not wish to be examined too -closely." - -"If you think that Mrs. Jarsell murdered Moon and Durwin, and you have -the evidence you speak of, you should reveal all to the police." - -"And risk Lillian's life and my own? Freddy, you must take me for a -fool." - -Laurance shook his head. "No. I don't underrate your cleverness, and I -see that you are in a tight place. You can't move with safety to -yourself and Miss Moon. Yet if you don't move, what is to be done?" - -"Well," said Dan, after a pause, "I have a month to think matters out. -My idea is to hide Lillian somewhere under the care of Mrs. -Bolstreath, and then take action. So long as Lillian is safe I am -ready to risk my own life to bring these mysteries to light." - -"I am with you," cried Freddy enthusiastically, "it's a good scheme, -Dan. I wonder how Miss Moon is to be hidden though; since the Society -of Flies may employ spies to find her whereabouts?" - -"Oh, every member of the society is a spy," was Halliday's answer, -"although I don't know how many members of the gang there are. Penn -could have told us, and perhaps could have proved the identity of Mrs. -Jarsell with Queen Beelzebub. But he's dead, and----" - -"And was murdered," broke in Laurance decisively. "I am quite sure -that--because he could prove too much for Mrs. Jarsell's safety--he -was got rid of." - -"Oh!" Dan looked up with a smile, "then you believe that Mrs. -Jarsell----" - -"I don't know what to believe until more evidence is forthcoming," -said the reporter impatiently, "but Miss Moon's hiding-place? Where is -it best to place her, with Mrs. Bolstreath as her guardian?" - -Halliday reflected, and then made the last answer Freddy expected to -hear, considering the circumstances. "At Sheepeak with Miss Vincent," -he declared. - -"Dan, are you serious. You place her under the guns of the enemy." - -"Quite so, and there has been proof that under the guns is the safest -place in some cases. It is in this, I am sure. Should Mrs. Jarsell be -the person we suspect her to be, she will not foul her own nest at -Sheepeak. Therefore she will not dare to have Lillian killed within a -stone-throw of her own house. By daring all, we gain all." - -"It's a risk," said Laurance pondering. "I can see that." - -"So can I. Everything is risky in this business." - -"Then there's Mildred," rejoined the journalist uneasily. "I really do -not want her to be brought into the matter." - -"It will be all right, Freddy, and much the safer for Lillian. Mrs. -Jarsell won't have the courage to hurt my promised wife, when your -promised wife is in her company. Still, if you have qualms----" - -"No, no, no!" interrupted Laurance eagerly, "after all, I cannot be -half a friend, and if Mildred is willing--when she learns the whole -circumstance that is, I shall agree. After all, if anything does -happen, we can accuse Mrs. Jarsell, and if she is Queen Beelzebub she -will end her career in jail. I don't think she will risk that by -hurting the girls." - -"Oh, she would never hurt Miss Vincent, I am sure, and would only harm -Lillian because I have to be frightened into joining her gang. No, -Freddy, a daring policy is the best in this case. We'll place Lillian -with Mrs. Bolstreath under Mildred Vincent's charge--under the guns of -the enemy as you say. I am sure the result will be good." - -"But Sir John Moon will make a row if you take his niece away." - -"Let him," retorted Dan contemptuously. "I can deal with that fribble -of a man. After all, Lillian need only be absent from London for a -month, and during that time we must break up the gang, with or without -the aid of the police. If we don't, I shall certainly be murdered, -like Moon and Durwin and Penn have been, and on the same grounds--that -I know too much. But I daresay Lillian will then be left alone, and -Sir John can carry out his pet scheme and marry her to Curberry." - -"I wonder," said Laurance musingly, "if Curberry has anything to do -with the gang in question." - -"I think not, he has nothing to gain." - -"Now he hasn't," said Freddy drily, "but he had a good deal to gain -when he was a barrister and two lives stood between him and a title -and a fortune." - -The two men looked at one another. "I see what you mean," said Dan -slowly, "h'm. Of course he may be a member and the society may have -cleared his uncle and cousin out of the way. But we can't be sure. One -thing at a time, Freddy. I am going to see Lillian and Mrs. Bolstreath -and get them to fly to Sheepeak." - -"But you will have to reveal what we know, and that will frighten -them." - -Dan looked vexed and gnawed his nether lip. "I don't want to say more -than is necessary," he replied, "as for their own safety, the less -they know of the business, the better. Perhaps I may induce Lillian to -elope with me to Sheepeak, and need not explain to her. But Mrs. -Bolstreath must know more." - -"Well," said Freddy, putting on his hat, "I leave these matters in -your very capable hands. So far as I am concerned, I am going to -Blackheath to see about this death of Penn. I may get into the -house--" he paused. - -"Well?" asked Halliday, raising his eyebrows. - -"Well, if Curberry does favor this Society of Flies, who knows what I -may discover? Also some truths may come out at the inquest. Penn -belonged to the gang as we know, and when he wanted a situation, he -was taken on by Lord Curberry. That hints at much. However, we shall -see; we shall see!" and with a careless nod Freddy took his leave, -while Dan changed his clothes with the intention of calling at Sir -John Moon's house. - -Owing to a late breakfast, and the long conversation with Laurance, it -was quite one o'clock before Dan reached his destination. He half -expected to be refused admittance as usual, especially when he learned -from the footman that Miss Moon was not in the house. But failing -Lillian, who had no doubt gone out on a shopping expedition and would -shortly return to luncheon, Dan sent in his name to Mrs. Bolstreath, -with a request for an interview. It was best to explain the situation -to her, he thought, since no time could be lost in assuring Lillian's -safety. The chaperon saw the young man at once, and when introduced -into the room where she was seated, he was struck by her worried air. -His thoughts immediately flew to the girl. - -"Lillian?" he asked anxiously, "is anything the matter with Lillian?" - -"Oh, that girl will break my heart with her freaks," said Mrs. -Bolstreath in an irritable tone, "she knows that Sir John does not -approve of her going out by herself, and that my retaining my -situation depends upon my looking after her closely. Yet she has gone -out without telling me." - -"Where has she gone to?" - -"Well," said Mrs. Bolstreath, looking at him, "I think she has gone to -Lord Curberry's house." - -Dan's lip curled. "That ought to please Sir John. Is he with her?" - -"No. Sir John is in the country for a few days. He would not be -pleased at Lillian going to see Lord Curberry without my being -present." - -"But why has she gone to see a man she hates?" asked Halliday -perplexed. - -"It is not Lord Curberry she wishes to see," Mrs. Bolstreath -hesitated. "I suppose you saw that Mr. Penn is dead?" she asked -irrelevantly. - -"It was in the morning paper, I know--that is, the announcement of his -death," said Dan. "Laurance came and told me. Well?" - -"This morning Lillian received a letter from Mr. Penn, written a few -days ago, saying that if anything happened to him, she was to go to -Lord Curberry and find some important paper he has left behind him for -her perusal." - -"Oh," Dan started to his feet, "then Penn has left a confession?" - -"A confession?" Mrs. Bolstreath looked puzzled. - -"He must have guessed that his death was determined upon," said -Halliday to himself, but loud enough for his companion to hear, -"perhaps the truth will come out in that confession." - -"What truth? For heaven's sake, Mr. Halliday, speak plainly. I am -worried enough as it is over Lillian's escapade. Is anything wrong?" - -"A great deal. Mrs. Bolstreath, I have to confide in you in order to -save Lillian from death--from a death like her father suffered." - -Mrs. Bolstreath screamed. "Oh, what is it, what is it?" - -"You must be silent about what I tell you." - -"Of course I shall. I can keep a secret. But tell me, tell me," she -panted. - -"If you don't keep the secret all our lives are in jeopardy. There is -no time to be lost. I must follow Lillian to Curberry's house at once. -Listen, Mrs. Bolstreath, and remember every word I say is important." -Then Dan hastily related much that he knew, though not more than was -absolutely necessary. However, he told enough to make Mrs. Bolstreath -almost crazy with terror. "Keep your head and my confidence," said -Halliday sharply, "we must beat these demons at their own game. Get -ready and come with me to Blackheath; on the way I can explain." - -"You think Lillian is safe?" implored Mrs. Bolstreath, preparing to -leave the room and assume her out-of-door things. - -"Yes. Yet, if Curberry is connected with the gang and thinks she is -hunting for Penn's confession, he may--but it won't bear thinking of. -We must go to Lillian at once. You will work with me to save Lillian?" - -"With all my heart and soul and body," cried the chaperon wildly. - -"Then get ready and come with me at once," said Dan imperiously. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -A BUSY AFTERNOON - - -Lord Curberry was something of a student and a great deal of a -man-about-town, so his residence at Blackheath was an ideal one for an -individual who blended such opposite qualities. His pleasant Georgian -mansion of mellow red brick stood sufficiently far from London to -secure privacy for study, and yet was sufficiently near to enable its -owner to reach Piccadilly, Bond Street, the clubs and the theatres, -easily when he felt so disposed. The chief seat of the family, indeed, -was situated in Somersetshire, but Curberry, not possessing a sporting -nature, rarely went to live in the country. The Blackheath estate was -not large, consisting only of a few acres of woodland, surrounded by a -lofty stone wall; but this wall and the trees of the park so -sequestered the house that its seclusion suggested a situation in the -very wildest parts of England. In every way, therefore, this compact -place suited Lord Curberry and he lived there for the greater part of -the year. - -When Dan and Mrs. Bolstreath arrived they found that the house had -been thrown open to the public, so to speak. That is, there was a -crowd at the entrance-gates, many people in the grounds, and not a few -in the very mansion itself. There was not much difficulty in guessing -that Marcus Penn's death had drawn a morbid multitude into the -neighborhood wherein he had come to his untimely end. Moreover, the -inquest was to be held in the house, and the public desired ardently -to hear if the verdict would be "Suicide!" "Murder!" or merely -"Accident!" In any case, sensational developments were expected, since -the death of the secretary was both violent and unexpected. As a -barrister, Curberry assisted the law in every possible way and had -permitted the inquest to take place in the house instead of ordering -the body of the unfortunate man to be removed to the nearest mortuary. -Every one commented on his kindness in this respect, and approved of -his consideration. For the time being Curberry was more popular than -he had ever been before. - -As Dan walked up the short avenue and noted the disorganization of the -establishment, he made a significant remark to the agitated chaperon. -"I don't think that Curberry will have much time to give to Lillian. -All the better, isn't it?" - -"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said Mrs. Bolstreath, much -flustered. - -"Well, Penn must have concealed his confession somewhere about the -house, so if Lillian wishes to find it, she must get rid of Curberry -somehow." - -"But wouldn't it be wise of her to tell him and ask him to assist in -the search?" suggested the lady. - -"No. If Penn wished Curberry to see his confession, he would have -given it to him for delivery to Lillian. He doesn't want Curberry to -see what he has written. H'm," Dan reflected that he had used the -present tense, "I forgot that the poor chap is dead." - -"But surely," Mrs. Bolstreath's voice sank to a horrified whisper, -"surely you don't think that Lord Curberry has anything to do with -these horrible people you have been telling me about?" - -"I say nothing--because I know nothing--for certain, that is. I only -suspect--er--well--that Curberry may be in the swim. Now don't go and -give away the show by changing your manner toward the man," continued -Halliday hastily; "act as you have always acted and, indeed, I want -you to make yourself as agreeable as possible. Take him away if you -can, and leave me alone with Lillian." - -"But for what reason?" - -"Well, if Curberry is mixed up in this shady business he will not -leave Lillian alone. He may wonder, and probably does, at her -unexpected presence here, on this day of all days; therefore he may -suspect a confession by his secretary and will keep his eyes open." - -"Oh, you go too far," cried Mrs. Bolstreath, fanning herself with her -handkerchief. - -"Perhaps I do," assented Dan in a very dry tone, "but in a case like -this it is just as well to take all necessary precautions. And in any -case Curberry will haunt Lillian's footsteps until she is out of the -house, if only to find out why she paid this unnecessary visit." - -"He can ask her," said the chaperon curtly. - -"He won't, if he is what I suspect him to be. But there, I may be -accusing the man wrongfully." - -"I'm sure you are. Lord Curberry is a perfect gentleman." - -"Perfect gentlemen have been discovered doing shady things before now. -However, you know what comedy we have arranged. You have come to fetch -Lillian back, and I came to escort you. Then get Curberry away on some -pretext and let me have ten minutes talk with Lillian. Understand?" - -"Yes," gasped Mrs. Bolstreath, "but I don't like these things." - -"One can't touch pitch without being defiled," quoted Dan cynically, -as they arrived at the open hall door, "we wish to see Lord Curberry." - -This last question was addressed to a footman, who came to meet them. -He recognized Mrs. Bolstreath as having been in the house before with -Miss Moon, so readily explained that the young lady was with his -master in the drawing-room. Everything was so upset with the inquest, -that he never thought of asking for a card, so conducted the visitors -to where Lord Curberry was entertaining the girl. Having announced the -names and fairly pushed them into the room, the footman departed in a -hurry, as there was much excitement amongst the servants and he wished -to hear all that was being said. Had not Curberry been attending to -Lillian, he would have kept better order, as he was a severe master, -and expected decency under all circumstances. But no doubt he also was -disturbed by the unusual invasion of his house. - -"My--dear--Lillian," cried Mrs. Bolstreath in large capitals, and -advancing toward the end of the room, where Lillian was seated, -looking uncomfortable, "my dear Lillian!" She glared at Lord Curberry. - -The gentleman had evidently been pressing his suit, a proceeding which -sufficiently explained Miss Moon's discomfort. He was as cadaverous as -ever in his looks, and his pale-blue eyes, thin lips and general -sneering expression struck Dan afresh as uncommonly unpleasant. The -man flushed to a brick red under Mrs. Bolstreath's glare and hastened -to excuse himself. "I am not to blame, I assure you," he said -hurriedly. - -"Blame!" echoed Lillian with a thankful glance at the sight of her -lover, "why do you say 'blame,' Lord Curberry?" - -"You ask that?" said Mrs. Bolstreath, plumping down indignantly, "when -you go away without my knowledge to pay an unauthorized visit to a-a-a -bachelor. If I thought that Lord Curberry----" - -"I am not to blame," said that gentleman again with a scowl, for he -did not like to stand on the defensive. - -"Of course you aren't," remarked Miss Moon easily, and with another -glance at Dan to point her words. "I saw in the paper that poor Mr. -Penn was dead, and as he had been my dear father's secretary I came on -the impulse of the moment to learn exactly what had happened." - -Curberry nodded acquiescence. "I have explained the circumstance to -Miss Moon and I shall explain matters to you, Mrs. Bolstreath! As for -Mr. Halliday," he frowned at Dan, "I don't know why he has come." - -"To escort me, at my request," said Mrs. Bolstreath coldly. "It was -necessary for me to call here and take Lillian home. Why did you -come?" she asked again. - -"To hear about Mr. Penn," repeated Lillian rather crossly. "I have -been telling you so for the last few minutes." - -"I am curious about Penn's death myself," said Dan agreeably, "did he -commit suicide?" - -Curberry wheeled at the word. "Why should he commit suicide?" he -demanded with suspicion written on every line of his clean-shaven -face. - -Dan shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure I can't say," he answered -good-humoredly, "only a man in good health isn't found drowned unless -he has some reason to get into the pond." - -"Penn was not in good health," said Curberry sharply. "He was always -complaining and did his work so badly that I intended to give him -notice." - -"Perhaps he committed suicide because you did." - -"No. I did not tell him to go, and after all, I can't say that he did -kill himself. He was all right at luncheon yesterday, which was when I -last set eyes on him. I went to town and returned at five o'clock to -hear that he was dead. One of the servants walking in the park found -his body in the ornamental water at the bottom of the garden." - -"Did any one push him in?" asked Mrs. Bolstreath. - -"I think not. He was on good terms with the servants, although not -popular in any way. No one in my employment would have murdered him, -and, as the gates were closed and no one called between luncheon and -five o'clock yesterday, it is quite certain that he was not murdered -by a stranger. In fact, I don't believe he was murdered at all." - -"Suicide, then?" suggested Dan once more, and again Curberry looked at -him unpleasantly, as if not relishing the idea. - -"So far as I saw he had no intention of committing suicide," he said -in a cold manner, "however, the evidence at the inquest will settle -the matter." - -"I expect he didn't look where he was going and fell in," said Lillian -suddenly. "Mr. Penn was always absent-minded you know." - -"I frequently found him so," remarked Curberry grimly. "He made a -great mess of his work occasionally. I am inclined to agree with you, -Miss Moon." - -"Well," said Dan, after a pause, "let us settle that Penn fell in by -accident until we hear the verdict of the jury. When does the inquest -take place?" - -"In another hour," responded the host, glancing at his watch. "I was -just impressing upon Miss Moon the necessity of returning home when -you arrived. I have to be present, of course, so as to state what I -know of Penn." - -"You will give him a good character?" asked Halliday pointedly. - -Curberry stared in a supercilious way. "The best of characters," he -said. "I had no fault to find with him save that he was absent-minded, -a quality which no doubt accounts for his death, poor chap." - -"Well, well, it's all very sad," said Mrs. Bolstreath in a matter of -fact way, "but all our talking will not bring the poor man back. -Lillian, child, we must go home, now that your curiosity is satisfied. -But first I shall ask Lord Curberry to give me some of those hot-house -flowers I see yonder," and she nodded toward a conservatory, which -could be entered from the drawing-room by means of a French window. - -"Oh, I shall be charmed," said Curberry with alacrity, "and perhaps -Miss Moon will come also to choose the flowers." - -"I can wait here," replied Lillian carelessly. "I have every -confidence in Mrs. Bolstreath's choice." - -Curberry scowled at Dan, for he understood well enough that Lillian -wished to remain with his rival. However, he could make no further -objection without appearing rude, so he moved reluctantly toward the -conservatory beside the chaperon. Yet Dan saw plainly that he was -determined not to lose sight of the two, for he plucked the flowers -which were directly in front of the French window, and thus could gain -a view of the young couple every now and then, when facing round to -speak with Mrs. Bolstreath. Lillian noticed this espionage, also, and -whispered to Dan, who had sauntered across the room close to her -elbow. - -"He won't let us out of his sight," said Lillian rapidly, "and I can't -get to the library, although I have been trying all the time." - -"Why do you wish to get to the library?" asked Dan in a low voice. - -Lillian rose suddenly and dropped a piece of paper. "Put your foot on -it and pick it up when he is not looking," she said swiftly; "hush, -he's coming back," and then she raised her voice as Curberry returned -to the room. "Of course Mr. Penn was always nervous. I really think -his health was bad." - -"Still on the disagreeable subject of the death," remarked Curberry, -who had a handful of flowers to offer. "I wish you wouldn't think of -these things, Lillian--I beg pardon, Miss Moon. Please take these -flowers and let me escort you and Mrs. Bolstreath out of the house. -It's atmosphere is uncomfortable just now." - -He took no notice of Dan, but offered his arm to Lillian. With a swift -glance at her lover, at Mrs. Bolstreath, at the room, the flowers, at -anything save Dan's right foot, which was placed firmly on the scrap -of paper, she accepted his offer. The chaperon followed, and when -Curberry's back was turned she noticed that Halliday stooped swiftly -to pick up the paper. But that he gave her a warning glance she would -have asked an indiscreet question. As it was she went after her host -and pupil, walking beside Dan, who had now slipped the paper into his -trousers pocket. But Mrs. Bolstreath could not restrain her curiosity -altogether. - -"What is it?" she whispered, as they walked into the entrance hall. - -"Nothing! Nothing!" he replied softly, "take Lillian home at once. I -shall follow later," and with this Mrs. Bolstreath was obliged to be -content, although she was desperately anxious to know more. - -"I wish I could escort you home," said Curberry, as the two ladies and -he stood on the steps, "but my duty keeps me here for the inquest. -Perhaps Mr. Halliday will oblige." - -"I am afraid not," said Dan stolidly. "I promised to meet my friend -Mr. Laurance here. He is coming about the matter of Penn's death. Why, -there he is," and sure enough, at a moment that could not have been -better chosen, Freddy appeared up the avenue. - -"Well," said Mrs. Bolstreath, catching a significant glance from Dan. -"We are not able to wait and chat. Lord Curberry, we detain you." - -"No! no! Let me walk for some distance with you," cried Curberry, and -bareheaded as he was he strolled down the avenue between the two -ladies. Laurance took off his hat and Lillian bowed graciously, as did -Mrs. Bolstreath. But Lord Curberry took no notice of the reporter -beyond a rude stare. - -"That's just as it should be," remarked Halliday, watching the man's -retreating form, while Freddy came up to him, "you're just the man we -want." - -"We?" echoed Laurance, glancing round. - -"Lillian and myself. See here, this is the note sent by Penn to her, -and it asks her to do something which she has not been able to -accomplish owing to our noble friend's vigilance." - -"What's that?" - -"I'm just going to find out. I haven't read the note as yet," and with -a second glance to make sure that Curberry was at a safe distance Dan -opened the piece of paper, and read it hurriedly. A moment later he -slipped it again into his pocket and took Freddy's arm. "It's only a -few lines saying that Penn has left a document which he wishes Lillian -to read. It is to be found between the pages of the second volume of -Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall.' Hum! So that is why Lillian wished to get -into the library." - -"Let me go," said Freddy eagerly. - -"No! no! You catch Curberry as he returns and keep him in conversation -on some plea or other. Then I can slip into the house and seek the -library without being noticed." - -"Won't the servants----" - -"Oh, the house is all upset this day with the inquest, and every one -is wandering about more or less at large. I'll chance it." - -"But if Lord Curberry asks for you?" - -"Say that I am in the library and that I am waiting to have an -interview." - -"On what subject?" asked Laurance, rather puzzled by this scheming. - -"I'll find the subject," said Dan, retreating toward the door of the -house; "all I want is five minutes in the library to find the -confession. Detain Curberry for that time. Here he is coming back and -here I am going forward." - -As he spoke Dan vanished into the house and came face to face with the -butler. "I am waiting for Lord Curberry," said Dan, "will you show me -into the library, please." - -Suspecting nothing wrong and impressed by Dan's cool manner, the -butler conducted him to the room in question, and after intimating -that he would tell his lordship, departed, closing the door. Halliday -ran his eye round the shelves, which extended on three sides of the -large compartment from floor to ceiling. It seemed impossible to find -the book he was in search of, in so short space of time as would -probably be at his disposal. He wished that Penn had indicated the -position of Gibbon's masterpiece. However, Halliday, by a stroke of -luck, suddenly realized that Curberry numbered his shelves -alphabetically, and catalogued his books, so to speak, by the initial -letter of the author's name. Those beginning with "A" were placed on -the shelf, ticketed with that letter, as Allison, Allen, Anderson, and -so on, while the shelf "B" contained Browning, Bronte, Burns, and -others. Going by this way of finding the whereabouts of books, Dan -discovered Gibbon's "Decline and Fall" on shelf "G" and laid his hand -on the second volume. But as luck would have it, Lord Curberry -suddenly entered the room just as he was about to open it. Halliday -looked up, retaining the volume in his hand. - -"I am rather surprised to see you here, Mr. Halliday," said Curberry -in a cold and haughty tone, "you know that I am busy with this inquest -and have no time for conversation. Besides," he looked hard at his -visitor, "you could have explained your business out of doors." - -"Not in the presence of the ladies," said Dan promptly; "however, I -won't keep you more than five minutes," and he wondered how he was to -secure the confession without the knowledge of his host. - -"I am waiting to hear what you have to say," said Curberry, throwing -his lean figure into a chair, "you have been making yourself at home," -he added with a sneer, glancing at the book. - -Dan laid it on the table. "I took up Gibbon's second volume just to -pass the time," said he carelessly, "I apologize if you think me -presuming." - -"I don't think anything," rejoined Curberry with a shrug, "except that -I am anxious to know why you desire a private conversation." - -"It is about Lillian----" - -"Miss Moon, if you please." - -"Lillian to me, Lord Curberry." - -"Nothing of the sort, sir," cried the other suitor furiously, and his -pale eyes grew angry. "Sir John Moon wishes me to marry his niece." - -"Probably, but his niece wishes to marry me." - -"That she shall never do." - -"Oh, I think so. And what I wish to say, Lord Curberry, is this--that -you annoy Miss Moon with your attentions. They must cease." - -"How dare you; how dare you; how dare you!" - -"Oh, I dare anything where Lillian is concerned," retorted Halliday, -and again in a careless manner took up the book, leaning against the -table and crossing his legs as he did so. - -"Leave my house," cried Curberry, starting to his feet, for this -nonchalant behavior irritated him greatly. - -"Oh, willingly. I simply stayed to warn you that Lillian must not be -annoyed by you in any way." - -"And if I do not obey you?" sneered the other, quivering with rage. - -"I shall make myself unpleasant, Lord Curberry." - -"Do you know to whom you are speaking?" - -"Well," said Dan slowly, and with a keen glance at the angry face, "I -am not quite sure. I am not Asmodeus to unroof houses, you know." - -Curberry's yellow face suddenly became white, and his lips trembled -nervously. "I don't understand you." - -"I scarcely understand myself, and----" - -"Wait," interrupted Curberry, as a knock came to the door, "there is -no need to let every one overhear our conversation. Come in!" he cried -aloud. - -The butler entered. "You are wanted at the inquest, my lord," he said, -and as Curberry's face was bent inquiringly on that of the servant, -Dan seized the opportunity to slip a stiff sheaf of papers out of the -Gibbon volume. As a matter of fact, it was three or four sheets joined -at the corner by a brass clasp. Scarcely had he got it in his hand -when Curberry wheeled, after hurriedly telling the butler that he -would come shortly. - -"What have you there?" demanded the host, advancing menacingly. - -"Some papers of mine," said Dan, preparing to put the sheets into his -pocket. - -"It's a lie. You must have taken them from the table, or out of that -book, Mr. Halliday. Yes, I am sure you did. Give me what you have -taken." - -"No," said Dan, retreating before Curberry's advance, "you are not -to----" - -Before he could get another word, the man flung himself forward and -made a snatch at the papers. Held loosely by the corner clasp they -flew into a kind of fan, and Curberry managed to grip one or two of -the sheets. In the momentary struggle these were torn away, and then -the owner of the house released himself suddenly. The next moment he -had flung the sheets into the fire, apparently thinking he had got -them all. Dan cleverly thrust the one or two remaining sheets into his -pocket, and played the part of a man who has been robbed. - -"How dare you destroy my papers," he cried indignantly. - -"They were mine," said Curberry, gasping with relief, "and now they -are burnt." - -"They were Penn's," retorted Halliday sharply, "perhaps that is why -they have been destroyed by you." - -"What do you mean; what do you mean?" - -"Never mind. I think you understand." - -"I don't. I swear I don't." - -"In that case," said Dan slowly, "you can make public the fact that I -came into your library to find a document in the second volume of -Gibbon, which was placed there by Marcus Penn. But you won't, Lord -Curberry." - -"If the papers were not destroyed, I would place them before the -Coroner at once," said Curberry, wiping his face and with a glance at -the fire on which fluttered a few black shreds--all that remained of -what he had thrown in. "I think you must be mad to talk as you do." - -"If I am, why not make the matter public?" asked Dan drily. - -"I don't care about a scandal," said Curberry loftily. - -"Well," Halliday retreated to the library door, "perhaps the death of -Penn will be scandal enough. Those papers doubtless contained an -account of the reasons which led to his death." - -"I'm sorry that I burnt them then," said Curberry in a studied tone of -regret. "I am an impulsive man, Mr. Halliday, and you should not have -annoyed me in the way you did. How did you know that the papers were -in the second volume of Gibbon?" - -"Never mind." - -"Were they addressed to you?" - -"Never mind." - -"What were they about?" - -"Never mind!" - -"D---- you, sir, how dare you?" - -"Good-day, Lord Curberry," interrupted Dan, and walked out of the -room, leaving his host looking the picture of consternation and dread. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -ABSOLUTE PROOF - - -It did not require a particularly clever man to guess that Lord -Curberry was connected with the Society of Flies. Had he been entirely -ignorant of that association, he would not have displayed such -agitation when he saw the papers in Dan's hand, nor would he have -struggled to gain possession of them, much less have destroyed them. -Penn certainly was one of the gang, and on that account, probably -Curberry had engaged him as a secretary after the death of Moon. Also -he may have had some suspicion that Penn was a traitor, and had -guessed that the papers betrayed the society. Otherwise, he would have -placed the same before the Coroner, so as to elucidate the reason why -the secretary had been done to death. That he had been, Halliday was -quite convinced, as Penn was too nervous a man to commit suicide and -must have been assisted out of the world by some other person. - -"But the verdict of suicide has been brought in," argued Laurance, -when Dan related his adventure. - -"I daresay. Curberry's evidence was to the effect that Penn had been -considerably worried of late. Of course, that is true, but he wouldn't -have killed himself, I'll swear. However," Dan chuckled, "I have a -sheet or two remaining of the confession, and we may learn much from -that." - -"Will it state that Curberry belonged to Queen Beelzebub's gang?" - -"I think so. If Curberry does not, he would have made a row and kicked -me out of the house. I had no business in the library and no right to -take the papers, you know. But I defied Curberry to create a scandal, -and left him in a pleasing state of uncertainty as to what I knew and -what I intended to do. He was green with fright." - -"You had better take care, Dan, or the society will murder you," -warned Laurance in an uneasy tone. - -"Oh, I'm safe enough for the given month," returned Halliday -positively; "so far I have said nothing, and until I do notify the -authorities all will be well with me." - -"But Miss Moon?" - -"I join her and Mrs. Bolstreath, at St. Pancras this evening, to catch -the six o'clock express to Thawley. Have you written to Miss Vincent?" - -"Yes. There is no time to receive a reply, but she is aware that the -ladies will stay at The Peacock Hotel, Sheepeak, under the wing of -Mrs. Pelgrin. I only hope," added Freddy emphatically, "that you are -doing right in placing Miss Moon in the lion's mouth." - -"Under the guns of the enemy, you said before. Oh, yes, I am right, -especially that I now hold a part of Penn's confession. I shall -contrive to let Mrs. Jarsell know that I do, and that if anything -happens to Lillian, I can make it hot for her." - -"Does the confession implicate Mrs. Jarsell?" - -"Yes, it does. I have not had time to decipher the crooked writing of -our late friend, but intend to do so when in the train this evening. -But the little I saw hinted that Mrs. Jarsell was in the swim." - -"I wish you would leave the confession with me," said Laurance, who -was desperately anxious to know the exact truth. - -"Can't, my dear fellow, nor have I time to let you read it, even if I -had it on me, which I haven't. My taxi is at the door of this office, -and I'm off to St. Pancras in five minutes. Remember, Freddy, that -this confession is my sole weapon to protect Lillian. When Mrs. -Jarsell learns that I have it, she will not dare to move, and will -keep her subjects off the grass also." - -"But Curberry will tell her that he has destroyed the confession." - -"So he thinks," chuckled Halliday, "but I shall tell her that I -rescued enough of it to damn her and her precious gang." - -"But how can you tell her without danger?" - -"I shall find a way, although I haven't formulated any scheme as yet. -Perhaps she will ask me what all this--the story of Queen Beelzebub -you know--has to do with her. I shall reply that it has nothing to do -with her, but that I know she desires to assist in my love affair. Oh, -I'll manage somehow, old son, you may be certain. Good-by." - -"Wait a moment," said Laurance, following Dan to the door, "what about -Sir John Moon? He will make a row over Lillian's flight, and you will -get into trouble." - -"He may make a row if he likes, but as Lillian is under the wing of -Mrs. Bolstreath, her duly-appointed chaperon, I don't see what he can -say. She is quite ready to take all blame." - -"Of course," said Laurance thoughtfully, "Sir John may belong to the -society himself, in which case, like Curberry, he dare not make a -row." - -"No," rejoined Dan positively, "I don't believe Sir John belongs to -the gang. I wish he did, as it would smooth things. Curberry dare not -make open trouble, because he is one of Queen Beelzebub's subjects, -but Sir John may because he isn't. However, I shall risk taking -Lillian away with Mrs. Bolstreath to play the part of dragon, and Sir -John can do what he jolly well likes. Luckily, he is in the country on -a visit just now, so we can get clear away without a fuss. By the way, -you were at the inquest. Was there any fly found on Penn's body, or -was there mention of any scent?" - -"No. The man was drowned, and it was not possible for either scent or -fly to be on his corpse or clothes. The evidence clearly pointed to -suicide." - -"H'm. Curberry brought that about," said Dan grimly; "however, I am -jolly well sure that Penn was murdered by one of the gang." - -"Not by Curberry. He was away at the time of the death." - -"Perhaps. I'd like to be certain of that. But in any case, he may have -others of the gang in his employment, who could polish off the -traitor. Queen Beelzebub's subjects are of all classes. Well, I'm -off." - -Halliday took his way to St. Pancras forthwith, and found Mrs. -Bolstreath and her charge waiting for him. Lillian was greatly excited -and curious, as she did not yet know the reason for this sudden trip -northward. Instructed by Dan, the chaperon had refused to impart -knowledge, as the young man intended to tell the girl everything when -they were in the train. However, Miss Moon was enjoying the unexpected -journey and had every faith in her companion. Also, so long as she was -in Dan's company, she did not care where she went, or why she went, or -when she went. She loved Halliday too completely for there to be any -room for distrust in her mind. - -"Dan," said Mrs. Bolstreath, when they were stepping into the -first-class compartment which Halliday had wired to reserve to -themselves. "I have written to Sir John saying that Lillian required a -change, and that I was taking her to Hillshire, to see some friends of -mine. When he has this explanation he will not make any trouble, or -even any inquiries. He has every trust in me." - -"Good," said Dan, heartily, "you make an excellent conspirator." - -"Conspirator," echoed Lillian, gaily, "now what does that mysterious -word mean, Dan? I am quite in the dark." - -"You shall know all before we get to Thawley. Make yourself -comfortable!" - -"Do we stay at Thawley?" asked the girl, arranging her rug. - -"For the night. I have telegraphed, engaging rooms for you and Mrs. -Bolstreath at the best hotel. To-morrow we go to Sheepeak." - -"Where is that?" - -"Some miles from Thawley. You must live quietly for a short time, -Lillian." - -"It's all immensely exciting, of course," cried Miss Moon, petulantly, -"but I should like to know what it all means." - -"Patience! Patience!" said Dan in a teasing tone, "little girls should -be content to wait. By Jove, we're off." - -The long train glided out of the station, gathering impetus as it left -the lights of London behind. Mrs. Bolstreath made herself comfortable -in one corner of the compartment, and Lillian did the same in another -corner, while Dan sat on the opposite seat and addressed his -conversation to both impartially. The girl could scarcely restrain her -impatience, so anxious was she to learn the reason for this unexpected -journey. - -"Now, Dan, now!" she cried, clapping her hands, "there is no stop -until Bedford, so we have plenty of time to hear the story." - -"One minute," said Halliday, who was now in possession of the three -sheets of foolscap, which he had rescued from Curberry's grip, "I must -bring the story up to date, and cannot do so until I read this -statement. By the way, Lillian, why should he send to you about the -matter?" - -"I'm sure I don't know. But, of course, he knew how grieved I was over -my father's murder, and perhaps wished to set my mind at rest." - -Dan looked at her curiously. "Why should you think that Penn knew of -anything likely to set your mind at rest on that point?" - -Lillian cast down her eyes thoughtfully. "I always thought that Mr. -Penn knew much more than he would confess about poor father's death. I -quite forgot that I thought so until I got the letter asking me to -look into the second volume of Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall' in Lord -Curberry's library. Dear me!" murmured the girl, folding her hands, -"how I did try to get into the library." - -"Curberry would not let you?" - -"No, I think he was puzzled why I wished to go. But he did not ask me -any questions." - -"I quite believe that," said Dan, grimly; "asking questions was a -dangerous game for him to play. However, when he found me in the -library, he evidently recalled your desire to go there, and it flashed -across him that we were working in consort. No wonder he destroyed the -papers on the chance that Penn might have left incriminating evidence -behind him." - -"I don't know what you are talking about," said Lillian, fretfully. - -"Well," observed Dan, smoothing out the foolscap, "Penn, no doubt, -left the clue as to the whereabouts of the confession to you, so that -you might learn who murdered your father." - -"Ah, I always believed Mr. Penn knew. Is the name in that paper?" she -asked eagerly, and leaning forward. - -"It may or it may not be, dear. You see the greater part of the -confession was destroyed by Lord Curberry. He was afraid." - -"Dan!" Lillian caught her lover's hand, "you don't think that Lord -Curberry killed my father?" - -"No, no, no!" said Halliday, quickly. "I am sure he did not. However, -you shall hear all that I know, and Laurance knows, and all that Mrs. -Bolstreath is acquainted with. Only let me read these few sheets -first." - -The girl, on fire with curiosity, would have objected, but that Mrs. -Bolstreath touched her shoulder significantly. With an effort to -restrain her curiosity, which was creditable considering the -circumstances, she nestled into her corner of the carriage, while Dan -glanced through the manuscript. In spite of Penn's crooked -handwriting--and it was very bad indeed--it did not take much time for -the young man to master the contents of the confession. He uttered an -exclamation of vexation when he reached the end. - -"Like a serial story, it breaks off at the most interesting part," he -said crossly. "However, I have learned something." - -"What have you learned?" demanded Mrs. Bolstreath immediately. - -"All in good time," said Halliday, quietly. "I must first tell Lillian -what we both know, and then I can bring our discoveries up to date by -saying what is in this confession," and he tapped his breast-pocket, -wherein he had placed the sheets. "Now then, Lillian." - -"Now then, Dan," she mocked, "just tell me all, for I cannot keep -silence any longer." - -"You will have to, if you desire to hear the story. Only don't be -worried by what I am about to tell you. You are safe with me." - -Lillian shrugged her shoulders, as if to imply that there was no need -for him to state such a plain truth, and looked at him with inquiring -eyes. As she appeared to be brave and collected, Dan had no hesitation -in relating to her all that he had already told Mrs. Bolstreath, and -thus the girl became thoroughly informed of the underhand doings which -had taken place since the death of her father. As Halliday explained, -her eyes became larger and rounder and more shining. Still the color -did not leave her cheeks and although she was intensely interested she -did not display any fright. This was creditable to her courage, -considering that the revelation hinted at many possible dangers to -herself and to her lover. Dan brought the story up to the time they -started from London, and then waited to hear her opinion. - -"It's dreadful and wonderful, and very horrid," said Lillian, drawing -a deep breath; "do you think that Mr. Penn murdered my father?" - -"No. The evidence of the girl to whom he was dictating letters to be -typewritten proves that he did not enter the library at the time when -the death was supposed to have taken place." - -"Then Lord Curberry? He----" - -"I don't believe Lord Curberry, either directly or indirectly, had -anything to do with the matter," said Dan, decisively. "Sir Charles -approved of his suit rather than of mine, so it was to Curberry's -interest to keep your father alive and well. My dear, it was the false -Mrs. Brown who killed Sir Charles, and she came as an agent of this -ghastly Society of Flies, because he got to know too much about the -association." - -"Then Mrs. Brown is Mrs. Jarsell?" asked Mrs. Bolstreath, anxiously. - -"I can't be sure of that," said the young man, thoughtfully; "of -course, the sole evidence that proves Mrs. Jarsell to be connected -with the gang is the presence of the Sumatra scent in her Hillshire -house, and her presence on the Blackheath grounds when Durwin was -murdered." - -"But, by your own showing, she could not have reached London in time." - -"That is quite true and yet I recognized her plainly enough on the day -Lillian and I saw the animated pictures. However, we can leave that -fact alone for the moment. I am certain that Mrs. Jarsell is Queen -Beelzebub, for Penn says as much." He tapped his breast-pocket again. - -"Oh," cried Lillian, eagerly, "what does the confession say?" - -"I'll give you the gist of it," replied Halliday, quietly. "Penn -begins with a statement of his early life. He was the son of a -clergyman, and his mother is still alive. From a public school he went -to Cambridge, and thence to London, where he tried to make a living by -literature. Not being clever he did not succeed, and fell into low -water. I am bound to say that he did not trouble much about his own -poverty, but seemed to be greatly concerned on account of his mother, -who is badly off--so he says. Then he was tempted and fell, poor -devil." - -"Who tempted him?" demanded Mrs. Bolstreath. - -"A young man whom he met when he was staying in a Bloomsbury -boarding-house, very hard up. The man said that he belonged to a -society which could make its members rich, and proposed to introduce -Penn. This was done, in the same way, I presume, in which I was taken -to these mysterious headquarters. The first fruits of Penn's -connection with Queen Beelzebub was that Sir Charles Moon engaged him -as secretary, so, getting a good salary, he was enabled to give his -mother many comforts." - -Lillian looked alarmed. "But my father did not belong to the -association." - -"No. Of course he didn't. But Penn was placed as his secretary--the -business was managed through Curberry, who _does_ belong to the -gang--so that he might inveigle Sir Charles into becoming a member. -Penn appears to have lost his nerve, and did not dare to persuade Sir -Charles, so another person was put on to the business. The name is not -given." - -"But why did Queen Beelzebub wish my father to belong to the gang?" -asked Lillian, with natural perplexity. - -"The reason is plain, my dear. Sir Charles was an influential man, and -could be of great service to the association. He learned enough to -show him what a dangerous organization existed, and then sent for Mr. -Durwin, who belonged to New Scotland Yard, so that he might reveal -what he knew. Penn learned this, since he saw the letter written by -your father, Lillian, and at once told the society. Then the false -Mrs. Brown was sent to stop Sir Charles, and----" Dan made an eloquent -gesture with his hands. There did not seem to be much need of further -explanation. - -"Mrs. Brown undoubtedly murdered Sir Charles," commented Mrs. -Bolstreath, in a thoughtful way, "but is she Mrs. Jarsell?" - -"Penn says as much," repeated Dan, who had made the same remark -earlier, "but it is just at that point he ends. Listen and I shall -read you the last sentence," and Halliday took the papers from his -pocket. The three sheets were intact, as Curberry did only rend away -the remainder from the brass clasp. At the end of the third page -Halliday read, "Mrs. Jarsell of the Grange, Hillshire, can explain how -Mrs.----" Dan broke off with a frown. "Here we come to the end of the -page, and can learn no more. Curberry burnt the most important part of -the confession, which doubtless gave full details of Mrs. Jarsell's -connection with the gang." - -"She could explain about Mrs. Brown, I suppose," said Lillian, -quietly. - -"Yes. The first word over the page is, I am certain, Brown. What is -more, I believe Mrs. Jarsell and Mrs. Brown are one and the same." - -"If I see Mrs. Jarsell, I may recognize her, Dan. I saw the false Mrs. -Brown, remember, and it was because of me that she was admitted to an -interview with my father." - -"If you do recognize her, which I doubt, you must not let on you know -who she really is," Dan warned the girl; "our business just now, and -until we get more evidence, is to pretend entire ignorance of these -things. You are up in Hillshire for a change of air, Lillian, and know -nothing. Mrs. Jarsell, relying on the clever way in which she was -disguised, will never dream that you connect her with the poor woman -who came on that fatal night to see your father. You understand?" - -"Quite," put in Mrs. Bolstreath, before the girl could speak, "and I -shall see that Lillian acts her part of knowing nothing." - -"Remember you deal with an extraordinarily clever woman, Mrs. -Bolstreath." - -"I am a woman also, so diamond can cut diamond." - -"But, Dan," asked Lillian, timidly, "do you think that Mrs. Jarsell -really did murder my father?" - -"On what evidence we have, I believe she did. She murdered your father -and Durwin because they knew too much, and I should not be surprised -to learn, in spite of the verdict at the inquest, that she got rid of -Penn." - -"Why should she?" - -"Penn let out too much to me," explained Dan, putting away the -confession, "and, in any case, was a weak sort of chap, who was a -source of danger to the society. Queen Beelzebub, who is, I believe, -Mrs. Jarsell, evidently thought it was best to silence him. I am sure -that Penn did not commit suicide, and was drowned by Mrs. Jarsell. -Still, in the absence of further evidence, we can do nothing." - -"What action will you take now?" asked Mrs. Bolstreath, quickly. - -"Before leaving Thawley to-morrow morning," said Halliday, after a -pause, "I shall post this confession to Laurance, and tell him to make -use of it only should he hear that anything happens to me." - -"Or to me," chimed in Lillian, and looked a trifle nervous. - -"My dear, nothing can happen to you," said Dan, decidedly, "cheek by -jowl, as it were, with Mrs. Jarsell, you are perfectly safe. Queen -Beelzebub confines her doings to London and keeps the name of Mrs. -Jarsell clean in Hillshire, for obvious reasons. The Grange is her -place of refuge, and no one would connect an innocent country lady -with criminal doings in London. If she is what we think her to be, she -will not hurt a hair of your head in Hillshire." - -"All the same, I don't intend to see her," said Lillian, determinedly. - -"There is no reason that you should. She may call and try to learn why -you are staying at the Peacock Hotel, and, if so, will probably ask -you to The Grange. Don't go," ended Dan, emphatically. - -"Of course not," put in Mrs. Bolstreath, equally decisive, "leave that -to me, since I am responsible for Lillian." - -"You can say that I am ill with nerves or consumption, or something," -said the girl, vaguely. "I don't want to meet the woman if she -murdered my father." - -"If you do," said Dan, impressively, "don't reveal your suspicions," -and then he went on to instruct the two ladies how they were to behave -in the enemy's country. That they were safe there, so long as they -pretended ignorance, Dan did not doubt, but, should Mrs. Jarsell learn -that they knew so much about her, she might adopt a counsel of despair -and strike. It did not do to drive so dangerous a woman into a corner. - -For the rest of the journey very little was said. The subject had been -thoroughly threshed out. Lillian had been informed of what was going -on, and all plans had been made for the future. The girl was to live -at the Peacock and see Miss Vincent, and chat with Mrs. Pelgrin, and -take walks and admire the country, and to conduct herself generally as -one who came simply for a change of air. If she did not go to The -Grange--and on the plea of illness, she could excuse herself from -going--Mrs. Jarsell could not harm her in any way. And, indeed, even -if Mrs. Jarsell did succeed in getting her to come to afternoon tea, -Dan had a plan in his head whereby to ensure Lillian against any use -being made of the Sumatra scent. It was a daring thing to take Miss -Moon into the jaws of the lion, yet that very daring would probably -prove to be her safeguard. But Halliday had done what he could to -guard against the events of a threatening future, and now could only -wait to see what would take place. At the moment there was nothing -more to be done. - -In due course the train arrived at Thawley Station, and Dan singled -out George Pelgrin to convey luggage to a cab. Mindful of his last -tip, George displayed great alacrity in performing his duties as -porter, and, what is more, when he received another half-crown gave -inadvertently a piece of valuable information, which Halliday was far -from expecting. - -"That's the second two-and-six since yesterday," said George, spitting -on the coin for luck. "Mrs. Jarsell gave me the same when she came -back yesterday evening." - -"Oh," Dan was startled, but did not show it, "your Sheepeak friend has -been to London then?" - -"Went a couple of days ago, and came back last night," said Pelgrin, -"and she says to me, 'George, look after my traps, for you're the only -smart porter in this station,' she says. Ah, she's a kind lady is Mrs. -Jarsell, and that civil as never was. There's the luggage in the cab -all right, sir. The Vulcan Hotel? Yes, sir. Drive on, cabby." - -Mrs. Bolstreath and Lillian had not heard this conversation, but Dan -pondered over it on the way to the hotel. Mrs. Jarsell had, then, been -in London at the time of Penn's death, and probably--although he could -not prove this--she was responsible for the same. When the young man -arrived at the hotel, and the ladies went to rest, he wrote a letter -to Laurance, detailing the new fact he had learned, and instructed him -what use to make of the confession if anything happened to himself in -Hillshire. Then he enclosed the confession and went out personally to -register the packet. Once it was posted he felt that he had done all -that was possible. - -"And now," said Dan, to himself, "we'll see what move Queen Beelzebub -will make." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -DAN'S DIPLOMACY - - -Mrs. Pelgrin welcomed her unexpected guests with great delight and -showed her appreciation of their coming by emphatic aggressiveness. -Why she should mask a kind heart and an excellent disposition by -assuming a brusque demeanor is not very clear, but certainly the more -amiable she felt the more disagreeable did she become. In fact, the -landlady appeared to believe that honesty of purpose was best shown by -blunt speeches and abrupt movements. Consequently, she did not get on -particularly well with Mrs. Bolstreath, who demanded respect and -deference from underlings, which Mrs. Pelgrin positively declined to -render. She termed the chaperon "a fine madam," in the same spirit as -she had called Dan "a butterfly," and was always ready for a war of -words. But, admiring Lillian's gay and lively character, she waited on -the girl hand and foot, yet with an air of protest to hide the real -satisfaction she felt at having her in the house. To Mrs. Pelgrin, -Lillian was a goddess who had descended from high Olympus to mingle -for a time with mere mortals. - -Out of consideration for Halliday's desire to seek safety for Lillian -by placing her under the guns of the enemy, Mrs. Bolstreath decided to -remain a week at the Peacock Hotel. Later she arranged to go to -Hartlepool in Durhamshire, where she and her charge could find shelter -with two spinsters who kept a school. The chaperon admitted that she -felt uneasy in the near vicinity of Queen Beelzebub, and all Dan's -assurance could not quieten her fears. She thought that he was playing -too bold a game, and that ill would come of the stay at Sheepeak. -Lillian was more confident, always confident that Dan could do no -wrong, and she was quite indifferent to Mrs. Jarsell's doings. -However, she agreed to go to Hartlepool, and as Mrs. Bolstreath was -bent upon the change, Halliday accepted the situation. - -Meanwhile, he decided to call at The Grange on some innocent pretext -and diplomatically give Queen Beelzebub to understand that he held the -winning card in the game he was playing with the Society of Flies. -This could be done, he ventured to think, by assuming that Mrs. -Jarsell knew nothing about the nefarious association, and he did not -believe that she would remove her mask, since it was to her interest -to observe secrecy in Hillshire. However, he left this matter of a -call and an explanation in abeyance for the time being, and for a -couple of days attended to the three ladies. The third, it is needless -to say, was Mildred Vincent, who called at The Peacock Hotel on -receipt of her lover's letter. - -She gave Dan to understand that he was out of favor with the inventor. - -"Uncle has never forgiven you for not winning the race," said Mildred, -at afternoon tea, "he says you should have gained the prize." - -"I wish I had," said Halliday, dryly, "the money would have been very -acceptable. It was my fancy-flying did the mischief, as I broke the -rudder. However, I shall call and apologize." - -"He won't see you, Mr. Halliday." - -"Ah, that's so like an inventor, who is as touchy as a minor poet." - -"Mrs. Jarsell is annoyed also," continued Mildred, sadly, "she says -you should have made a better use of the favor she procured for you." - -"It seems to me that I am in hot water all round, Miss Vincent. All -the same, I shall survive these dislikes." - -"It is absurd," cried Lillian, with indignation. "Dan risked his life -to win the race, and if he hadn't had such bad luck he would have -won." - -"Thanks, my dear girl, but it was less bad luck than carelessness, and -a certain amount of vanity, to show how I could handle the machine." - -"You are very modest, Dan," said Mrs. Bolstreath, laughingly. - -"It is my best quality," replied Halliday, with a twinkle in his eyes. - -"Where is Mr. Vincent's machine now?" questioned Mildred. - -"At Blackheath stored away. I suppose, as it was only lent, I shall -have to return it to your uncle. But I shall have a final fly on it -when I go back to London in a few days." - -"Does Miss Moon go back also?" - -"Not to London," interposed Mrs. Bolstreath, "we propose to visit some -friends in Scotland." - -Lillian looked up in surprise, as Hartlepool certainly was not in -Scotland, and she thought that Mrs. Bolstreath's geography was at -fault. But a significant look from Dan showed her that he understood -why the wrong address had been given. Mrs. Bolstreath, with too much -zeal, mistrusted Mildred, although she had no cause to do so. -Certainly Mildred, in perfect innocence, did she know the actual -destination, might tell her uncle, who would assuredly tell Mrs. -Jarsell, and, for obvious reasons, it was not necessary that Mrs. -Jarsell should know where the city of refuge was situated. All the -same, Dan did not think for a moment that Mildred knew anything about -the Society of Flies. But he was beginning to fancy that Vincent had -some such knowledge, as Mrs. Jarsell financed him, and that she would -not do so, he was positive, unless she made something out of the -matter. It was very convenient for Queen Beelzebub to have an inventor -at her elbow who could construct swift aeroplanes. And it was at this -point of his meditations that Dan jumped up so suddenly as to spill -his tea. - -"What's the matter?" asked Lillian, making a dash at the cup and -saucer to save breakage. - -"I've got an idea," said Halliday, with a gasp. "I must go out and -think it over," and, without excusing himself further, he rushed from -the room. - -"That's not like Dan," remarked Mrs. Bolstreath, uneasily, "he is calm -and cool-headed as a rule. I wonder what is the matter?" - -"Oh, he'll tell us when he comes back," replied Lillian, -philosophically. "I can always trust Dan." Then she turned the -conversation in a somewhat heedless manner. "Do you like living here, -Miss Vincent?" - -"Well," admitted Mildred, "it is rather too quiet for my taste. But I -have plenty to do in looking after my uncle and his business. He -depends so much on me, that I wonder what he will do when I get -married." - -"When do you intend to get married?" asked Mrs. Bolstreath, curiously. -She could not disabuse herself of the idea that, living so close to -Mrs. Jarsell, and having an uncle who was helped by Mrs. Jarsell, the -girl knew something about the Society of Flies. - -"Next year, the year after--I don't exactly know. It all depends upon -my dear Freddy's success. We must have a home and an income. But I -suppose we shall marry, sooner or later, and then Mrs. Jarsell can -look after Uncle Solomon." - -"Who is Mrs. Jarsell?" asked Lillian, artfully and cautiously. - -"She is an old lady who lives at The Grange with another old lady, her -former governess, Miss Armour. Both are charming. If you are dull -here, perhaps, Miss Moon, you would like to meet them?" - -"Later, later," put in Mrs. Bolstreath, hurriedly, "thank you for the -suggestion, Miss Vincent. Meanwhile, we wish to explore the country. -It is a charming neighborhood, although very quiet in many respects." - -Mildred agreed and then began to plan excursions to this place and -that, with the idea of making the stay of the visitors at Sheepeak -pleasant. So agreeably did she behave and took such trouble in -designing trips that Mrs. Bolstreath revised her opinion and began to -believe that so nice a girl could not possibly know anything of Mrs. -Jarsell's doings, whatever knowledge her uncle might be possessed of. - -And Dan, walking at top speed along the high road in a vain attempt to -quieten his mind, was convinced that the inventor had some such -knowledge. The idea which had brought him to his feet, and had sent -him out to work off his excitement, was that the inventor was -responsible for Mrs. Jarsell's presence in London at unexpected -moments. She financed him and retained him at her elbow, so to speak, -that she might utilize his capabilities and his clever inventions. If, -on the day of the London to York race, Mrs. Jarsell was at the Peacock -Hotel about the hour of nine o'clock--as she certainly was, on the -evidence of Mrs. Pelgrin, who had no obvious reason to tell a lie--she -could not have got to London by train or motor in time to murder -Durwin. Yet she was assuredly at Blackheath, if the cinematograph was -to be believed. Dan had hitherto been puzzled to reconcile apparent -impossibilities, but at tea-time the solution of the problem had -suddenly flashed into his mind. Mrs. Jarsell had travelled to town on -an aeroplane. - -"It is about one hundred and sixty miles from this place to town," -muttered Dan, walking very fast, and talking aloud to himself in his -excitement, "so she could accomplish that distance with ease in three -hours, considering that Vincent's machine can fly at sixty miles in -sixty minutes. He said so and I proved that he spoke truly when I -experimented with the machine he lent me. Mrs. Jarsell was at the -Peacock Hotel at nine o'clock, and the cinematograph showed she was at -Blackheath at one o'clock. The race started then, and Durwin was -killed shortly afterwards. Sixty miles an hour means one hundred and -eighty miles in three hours. Say she started at half-past nine--which -she could easily do, leaving Mrs. Pelgrin immediately for Vincent's -place--she could reach London by half-past twelve, if not earlier, -seeing she had just one hundred and sixty miles to go. There would be -no difficulty in her reaching Blackheath and stabbing Durwin at the -time the death took place." - -Halliday was convinced that in this way the miracle of Mrs. Jarsell -had taken place. No other means of transit could have landed her at -the place where Durwin had met with his death. Of course, this -assumption intimated that Mrs. Jarsell was an accomplished aviator, -and that there had been no hitch in the journey from Sheepeak to -Blackheath. But these were not impossibilities, for Vincent probably -had taught the woman how to fly, and perhaps had handled the machine -himself. There was room for two in the aeroplane, as Dan very well -knew, since he had taken Penn for a flight himself, and the vehicle -used was probably built on the same lines as the one lent. Since -aviation was yet in its infancy, there was certainly a possibility -that such a journey could not take place without accidents or -hindrance. But, as inferior machines had accomplished greater -distances, Dan quite believed that Mrs. Jarsell, with or without -Vincent as pilot, had reached London in one smooth stretch of flying. -On other occasions she might not have been so successful, but on this -one she probably had, for to get to Blackheath in time to commit the -crime, it would have been necessary for her to use rightfully every -second of the given time. No wonder with such a means of transit at -her disposal she could prove an advantageous alibi, when occasion -demanded. Also, since the late conquest of the air afforded her the -opportunity of swift travelling, greatly in excess of other human -inventions, it was quite reasonable that she should live so far from -the scene of her criminal exploits. - -Thinking thus, Halliday stumbled across the very person who was in his -thought. He rushed with bent head along the roads and unconsciously -mounted towards the vast spaces of the moorlands, stretching under -gray skies. Thus--and he swiftly decided that the collision was -meant--he ran into Mrs. Jarsell, who approached in the opposite -direction. She laughed and expostulated, as if Dan was in the wrong, -although she must have seen him coming, and the road was wide enough -for her to move to one side. - -"Really, Mr. Halliday, you require the whole country to move in," said -Mrs. Jarsell in her heavy way, and with an affectation of joviality. - -"I--I--I beg your pardon," stammered Dan, not quite himself, and -stared at her as though she had suddenly risen out of the earth. -Indeed, so far as he was concerned, she had done so, ignorant as he -was of her approach. - -The woman was arrayed in her favorite white, but, as the day was -chilly, she wore a voluminous cloak of scarlet silk quilted and padded -and warm both in looks and wear. Her black eyes, set in her olive-hued -face, peered from under her white hair as watchfully as ever. At the -present moment, her heavy countenance wore an expression of amusement -at the startled looks of the young man, and she commented on them with -ponderous jocularity. - -"One would think I was a ghost, Mr. Halliday. You will admit that I am -a very substantial ghost," and she shook her silver-mounted cane -playfully at him. - -"I didn't expect to meet you here," said Dan, drawing a deep breath, -and thinking how best he could introduce the subject of Lillian. - -"Nor did I expect to meet you," responded Mrs. Jarsell, still -phlegmatically playful. "Have you risen from the earth, or dropped -from the skies? I did not even know that you were in the -neighborhood." - -Dan grimly decided that this last statement was false, since he had -been a whole two days at the Peacock Hotel, and he was certain Mrs. -Jarsell must have heard of his visit. Also of the ladies sheltering -under Mrs. Pelgrin's wing, for in the country gossip is more prevalent -than in town. "I came up for a day or two, or three or four," said -Dan, still staring. - -"You don't appear to be very decided in your own mind," rejoined Mrs. -Jarsell, dryly, and sat down on a large block of granite, which was -embedded amongst the heather; "our neighborhood evidently has a -fascination for you," her eye searched his face carefully. "I am -pleased, as we are proud of our scenery hereabouts. Those who come -once, come twice; quite a proverb, isn't it? Is your friend, Mr. -Laurance, with you?" - -"Not on this occasion," answered Dan, coolly, and coming to the point. -"I came with two ladies, Miss Moon and her companion. They are -stopping at the Peacock Hotel for a short time." - -"Miss Moon! Miss Moon!" mused Mrs. Jarsell, "oh, yes, the young lady -you are engaged to marry. The daughter of that poor man who was -murdered." - -"You have an excellent memory, Mrs. Jarsell." - -"We have little to exercise our memories in this dull place," said the -woman graciously, and with a motherly air, "you don't ask after Miss -Armour, I observe. That is very unkind of you, as you are a great -favorite with her." - -"Miss Armour is my very good friend," responded Halliday, cautiously, -"and so are you, since you induced Mr. Vincent to lend me the -aeroplane." - -"I am as glad that I did that as I am sorry you lost the race, Mr. -Halliday." - -"Fortune of war," said Dan, lightly, "we can't always be successful -you know, Mrs. Jarsell. I wish you had seen the start; it was grand." - -"I wish I had," said the woman, lying glibly, "but it was impossible -for me to leave Miss Armour on that day, as she had bad health. In -fact, Mr. Vincent wished to go also and see how his machine worked; -but he could not get away either. Still," added Mrs. Jarsell, with a -cheerful air, "perhaps it is as well, so far as I am concerned, that I -could not go. Aviation seems to be very dangerous, and I should have -been afraid for your safety." - -"Oh, I shall never come to harm in the air, I hope," responded Dan, -with emphasis, "you must let me take you up some day." - -Mrs. Jarsell shuddered. "I should be terrified out of my wits," she -protested, "fancy a heavy woman, such as I am, trying to emulate a -bird. Why, I am quite sure I would fall and smash like an egg, even -supposing there is any machine capable of bearing my none too trifling -weight." - -"Oh, I think there is, Mrs. Jarsell. Some machines can carry two, you -know, and lately in France an aviator took five or six people from one -given point to another. It is quite safe." - -Mrs. Jarsell shook her head seriously. "I think not, since aviation is -yet in its infancy. In five years, if I live as long, I may venture, -but now--no, thank you, Mr. Halliday." - -"Most ladies are afraid, certainly. Even Miss Moon, who is plucky, -will not let me take her for a fly." - -"Miss Moon, of course. I was quite forgetting her. I hope you will -bring her to see me and Miss Armour." - -"If she stays here, certainly. But I think of returning to town -to-morrow, so I may not be able to bring her. I daresay Mrs. -Bolstreath will, however," ended Dan, quite certain in his own mind -that the chaperon would find some good excuse to avoid the visit. - -"I shall be delighted," Mrs. Jarsell murmured vaguely, "how have you -been, Mr. Halliday, since I saw you last?" It seemed to Dan that she -asked this question with intention, and he was entirely willing to -give her a frank answer. In frankness, as in taking Lillian under the -guns of the enemy, lay the safety of both. Halliday was convinced of -this. "I have been rather worried," he said, slowly, and with a -side-glance at Mrs. Jarsell's watchful face. "I had an adventure." - -"I love adventures," replied the woman, heavily, "and this one?" - -"Well. I was hustled into a taxi-cab and carried in a drugged -condition to some place where I met with a collection of scoundrels. A -kind of murder-gang, you might call it, who slay, blackmail, and -thieve for the sake of power." - -"Rather a strange reason," said Mrs. Jarsell, equably, and not at all -moved, "I should say the reason was for money." - -"That, with power," explained Dan, "but, indeed, this society appears -to be governed on wonderful principles, such as one would ascribe to -honest men." - -"In what way?" Mrs. Jarsell was quite curious in a detached manner. - -"Well, the members are chaste and sober and industrious." - -"They must be virtuous. You are describing a society of saints." - -"Quite so; only these saints apply their virtues to crime. They have a -head who is called Queen Beelzebub." - -Mrs. Jarsell shuddered and drew lines on the dust of the road with her -cane slowly and carefully. "Did you see her?" she asked, "it's a -horrid name, full of horrid possibilities." - -"No, I did not see her or anyone," said Dan, frankly, "the room was in -darkness save for a red light around Queen Beelzebub's mask." - -"Oh, this person wore a mask! How did you know she was a woman?" - -"Well, you see, the name is Queen Beelzebub." - -"That might be taken by a man to hide the truth." - -"It might," admitted the other carelessly, "and, indeed, I don't think -that any woman would have the nerve to belong to such a gang." - -"I agree with you," said Mrs. Jarsell, gravely, "well, and what -happened?" - -"I was asked by Queen Beelzebub to join the gang and share the -profits, which you may guess are large. I have a month to think over -the matter." Mrs. Jarsell looked at him keenly. "Surely, you would -never belong to such an organization," she said with a reproachful -tone in her heavy voice. - -"Oh, I don't know. I have my own axe to grind like other people, and, -if this gang helps me to grind it, I may consider the offer. Do I -shock you, Mrs. Jarsell? Your voice sounded as though I did." - -"You shock me more than I can say," she replied, decisively, "that an -honest man should even think of such a thing is dreadful. This gang -should be denounced to the police. I wonder you have not done so -already." - -Dan shook his head and admired the cool, clever way in which she was -playing a very dangerous game, though, to be sure, she was far from -suspecting he guessed her connection with Queen Beelzebub. "I can't do -that yet." - -"What do you mean by--yet?" questioned Mrs. Jarsell, and this time -there was a distinct note of alarm in her voice. - -"I risk death if I denounce the gang, not only to myself, but to Miss -Moon. I am sure she and I would be killed as her father was killed, if -I moved in the matter. Also, I am not sure of many things." - -Mrs. Jarsell, still drawing patterns, spoke thoughtfully. "I don't -think you are wise to speak of this gang if it is so dangerous, even -to a country mouse such as I am. Of course, I shall say nothing, as I -have no one to say anything to, and if I had I should not speak. But -if you talk to a stranger like me about things you were told to keep -secret, you or Miss Moon may be murdered." - -"I thought so a week ago," admitted Halliday, candidly. - -"Then you don't think so now." - -"No. Not since Marcus Penn died." - -Mrs. Jarsell drew a long breath and wriggled uneasily. "Who is Marcus -Penn?" - -"Well, he was the secretary of Sir Charles Moon, and afterwards he was -the secretary of Lord Curberry. Now he's a corpse." - -"Oh," cried Mrs. Jarsell, suddenly, "I wish you wouldn't talk of these -horrible things. Has this gang----" - -"Murdered him?" finished the young man, "yes, I believe so, although a -verdict of suicide was brought in. But poor Penn's death may be the -means of saving me and Miss Moon." - -"Indeed!" the woman's tone became harsh and imperative, but she did -not ask any questions. - -"Yes. He left a confession." - -Even the side-glance Dan sent in Mrs. Jarsell's direction showed him -that her olive cheeks had turned to a dead white. However, she said -nothing, although she moistened her lips slowly; so he went on easily, -as if he were telling an idle story. "This confession was concealed in -Lord Curberry's house, but Penn sent a note of its whereabouts to Miss -Moon, who told me. I got the confession and placed it in safe -keeping." - -"That was wise," said Mrs. Jarsell, with an effort. "And the safe -keeping?" - -"Oh, I shall only tell the whereabouts of the confession and the name -of the person who holds it when there is no necessity for the -confession to be used." - -"I don't see quite what you mean, Mr. Halliday." - -"Well, you see, Mrs. Jarsell, I have to protect myself and Miss Moon -from the machinations of the society. The person who holds the -confession will not open the sealed envelope in which it is placed -unless something happens to Miss Moon or to myself. Therefore, so long -as no member of the gang hurts us, the secrets of the gang are quite -safe." - -To his attentive ear it seemed that Mrs. Jarsell drew a long breath of -relief. With a command of herself which did her credit, she displayed -no emotion, but observed playfully, "It is very clever of you and very -wise to guard yourself in this way. Certainly the gang cannot hurt you -in any way so long as there is danger of the confession being opened -in the event of things happening to you or to Miss Moon. Suppose the -confession is a very dreadful one, Mr. Halliday?" - -"It is not so dreadful or so full as I should like it to be," said -Dan, in his calmest manner, "but there is sufficient set down to -warrant the interference of the authorities. If that confession comes -into the hands of the Scotland Yard officials, they can lay hands on -the gang;" he was bluffing when he said this, as he was not quite sure -if Curberry had not let Mrs. Jarsell know that the confession--as -Curberry thought--had been destroyed. - -"I think the police should know," said Mrs. Jarsell, rising. - -"Thank you for nothing," said Dan, following her example, "but, if I -move in the matter, I run the risk of death. Besides, I may accept the -offer of the society. Who knows?" - -"Don't do that," implored Mrs. Jarsell, so earnestly that Dan was -convinced Curberry had not told her of any confession, "it's so -wicked." - -"Perhaps it is. However, if the society leave me and Miss Moon alone, -the confession won't be opened and the gang is safe. Otherwise----" - -"Otherwise the whole association will be exposed to the danger of -arrest," said Mrs. Jarsell, lightly, "well, it sounds all very -dreadful to a country lady as I am. I wish you had not told me. Why -did you tell me?" - -"Because," said Dan, ironically, "I look upon you as a friend." - -Mrs. Jarsell's face cleared and she smiled. "I am your friend," she -said in an emphatic way, "and, believe me when I say that I am sure -Miss Moon is safe." - -"Thank you," replied Dan, agreeably, "I am sure also." - -Then they parted with mutual compliments, smiles and handshakes. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -AT BAY - - -When Dan left Mrs. Jarsell he was very well pleased with the promise -she had given concerning the safety of Lillian. He fully believed that -she, in her role of Queen Beelzebub, would keep that promise -faithfully, if only because her own interests demanded such honesty. -The fact that the confession of Penn was in the hands of a third -party, to be made use of should anything happen to Miss Moon, -prevented the Society of Flies from carrying out the threat made to -him at the secret meeting. To save their own lives, the members would -be forced--much against their will no doubt--to spare those of Lillian -and himself. Dan chuckled at the way in which he had circumvented the -deadly organization. But he had only scotched the snake; he had not -killed it, and, until he did so, there was always that chance that it -would strike when able to do so with safety. But, while Penn's -confession remained in Laurance's hands, all was well. - -One thing struck Halliday as strange, and that was the -persistence with which Mrs. Jarsell kept up the comedy of -having-nothing-to-do-with-the-matter during so confidential a -conversation. She knew that Penn had been a doubtful member of -her gang; she knew that he had been despatched--as Dan truly -believed--because he was not to be trusted, and now she knew that he -had left a confession behind him, which was in the hands of her -enemies. Also, she was aware that the man who spoke to her had read -the confession and must have guessed that her name, as Queen -Beelzebub, was mentioned therein. This being the case, it is to be -presumed that she would speak freely, but, in place of doing so, she -had pretended ignorance, and for his own ends he had humored her -feigning. Either she doubted that such a confession existed, or she -guessed in whose possession it was, and intended to regain it. - -"Queen Beelzebub knows well enough that Freddy is my best friend," -thought Dan, as he returned to the Peacock Hotel, "and it would be -reasonable for her to believe that he had Penn's confession, which is -certainly the case. I should not be at all surprised if Freddy was -inveigled into a trap as I was, so that he might be forced to -surrender the document or rather what remains of it. If that were -managed, Queen Beelzebub would revenge herself on Lillian and on me, -since there would be nothing left to shield us from her spite. And, in -any case, Freddy is in danger, as I am certain she guesses that he -holds the confession," he mused for a few moments, and then added, -aloud, "I shall return to town at once and see him." - -The more he thought the more he saw the necessity of doing this. Mrs. -Jarsell's first move to counterplot him would be to seek out Lord -Curberry and learn what she could, relative to what Penn had left -behind him. Certainly Curberry would assure her that he had burnt the -confession, in which case Queen Beelzebub would think that she would -be free to act. But Halliday believed she was of too suspicious a -nature to be quite convinced that he had only bluffed. Before taking -any steps, she would decidedly ascertain for certain--although in what -way it was difficult to say--if there really was any compromising -document in Laurance's hands. To do so, she would, as Dan had thought -a few minutes before, set a trap for him, and browbeat him into -stating what he knew and what he held. Therefore, for Freddy's sake, -it was necessary to go to London, and report in detail the -conversation on the moor. Then the two could arrange what was best to -be done. They were dealing with a coterie of daring scoundrels, who -would stop at nothing to secure their own safety, and it behoved them -to move warily. "We are walking on a volcano," was Halliday's -concluding reflection. - -Of course, as it was useless to alarm the ladies, Dan said nothing of -his meeting with Queen Beelzebub on the moor. However, on being -questioned, he confessed the sudden thought which had sent him out of -doors, and both Lillian and Mrs. Bolstreath agreed that it was -entirely probable that Mrs. Jarsell did travel in up-to-date -aeroplanes, like a mischief-making fairy. Then, in turn, they told him -that Mildred had stayed for quite a long time and was altogether more -charming each time she appeared. She suggested many trips and Mrs. -Bolstreath was inclined to stay at Sheepeak longer than she intended, -in spite of the near menace of Queen Beelzebub. Lillian was delighted -with the lovely scenery, so gracious after the drab hues of London. - -"I don't see why we shouldn't get a house here after we are married," -she said to her lover, "one of those delicious old manor houses of -faded yellow stone. I could live quietly with Mrs. Bolstreath, while -you ran up to business on your aeroplane." - -"And all the time you would be fretting lest any harm came to him," -said the chaperon, shaking her head, "besides, my dear, when you are -married, you won't want me to be with you." - -"Dear Bolly, I shall always want you, and so will Dan." - -"Nonsense," said Mrs. Bolstreath, briskly, "two's company and three's -none." - -"Well," remarked Halliday, leisurely, "we can settle the matter when -we are married, Lillian. Remember, before your uncle will consent, I -shall have to discover who murdered your father." - -"You have discovered who murdered him. It was the false Mrs. Brown, -who is Mrs. Jarsell, who is Queen Beelzebub." - -"So I believe, but I have to prove my case," said Dan, dryly, "and, -moreover, I won't find it easy to place the woman in the dock when she -has this accursed society at the back of her." - -"You don't think there is danger?" asked Lillian, hastily. - -"No, no, no! Things are safer than ever, my dear. I go to town this -evening, and can leave you here with the certainty that all is well." - -"You go to town this evening?" said Mrs. Bolstreath, anxiously, "isn't -that a very sudden resolution?" - -"Oh, I think not," answered Dan, in an easy way. "I came down here -only to settle you and Lillian. By the way, Sir John----" - -"I wired our address, and he wrote me," interrupted Mrs. Bolstreath, -"he is quite pleased that we are away. I rather think," the lady -added, thoughtfully, "that Sir John is not ill-pleased we are away. At -his age the constant presence of two women in his house is rather -disconcerting. Finding we had left town he returned there to enjoy his -own house to himself." - -"In that case," said Dan, cheerfully, "he will be glad to see Lillian -married." - -"But to Lord Curberry, not to you." - -"I would die rather than marry Lord Curberry," said Lillian, -decisively, and with her chin in the air. - -"You won't be asked to do either one or the other, my dear," replied -Dan, in his calmest tone. - -"We shall marry, right enough, whatever opposition Sir John may make. -As to Lord Curberry," he hesitated. - -"Well?" asked Mrs. Bolstreath, impatiently. - -"I intend to see him when I return to town." - -"I think it will be as well. Better have a complete understanding with -him so that he will not worry Lillian any more." - -"He won't," answered Dan, grimly, "and now I shall have to get away. I -see Mrs. Pelgrin has had the trap brought round. Take care of -Lillian." - -Lillian kissed her lover and followed him to the door of the -sitting-room with a gay laugh. "Lillian can look after herself," she -said lightly, "I am not afraid of Mrs. Jarsell or of anyone else. But -you take care, Dan. I fear much more for you than for myself." - -"I'm all right!" Dan, with an Englishman's dislike for an emotional -scene, kissed the girl again and slipped out of the door. They saw him -drive away in the gloom of the evening, and then settled to make -themselves comfortable. Neither Lillian nor Mrs. Bolstreath would -admit as much, but both felt rather downcast at Dan's sudden -departure. Luckily, as he had been so cool and composed, they did not -connect it with any fresh development likely to give trouble. In some -vague way Mrs. Bolstreath guessed that Dan had spiked the guns of the -enemy under which they were encamped, and, her certainty of safety, -being infectious, Lillian also felt quite at her ease. Meanwhile, Dan -reached the Beswick station in the ramshackle trap and was lucky -enough to catch the in-going train to Thawley, just as it started to -glide past the platform. The fortunate connection enabled him to board -the seven-twenty express to London, where he hoped to arrive shortly -before eleven that same evening. Knowing that Laurance's work kept him -up late at night, he wired from Thawley, asking him to come to St. -Pancras Station. Important as was Freddy's time, Dan knew that he -would respond to the call at once, knowing that large issues would be -the outcome of the present situation. Therefore, as the train dropped -south, Halliday felt quite comfortable, as he had done all he could to -arrange matters for the moment. Indeed, so assured did he feel that he -had taken all possible precautions, that he did not even trouble to -think over the matter, but fell asleep and refreshed his weary brain -and body. Only when the train arrived at St. Pancras did he tumble -out, sleepy still, to catch a sight of his faithful friend on the -platform. - -"Nothing wrong?" asked Laurance, hurrying up. - -"Nothing wrong," responded Dan, with a yawn, "but I have much to talk -to you about. Get a four-wheeler." - -"A taxi you mean." - -"I don't mean. I wish to travel as slowly as possible, so as to -explain matters. Tell the man to drive to _The Moment_ office. There I -can drop you and go on to my rooms." - -Thus understanding the situation, Freddy selected a shaky old cab, -drawn by a shaky old horse, and the rate at which it progressed -through the brilliantly lighted streets was so slow that they were a -very long time arriving at _The Moment_ office in Fleet Street. In the -damp-smelling interior of this antique conveyance, Halliday, now quite -alert and clearheaded, gave his friend a full account of all that had -happened, particularly emphasizing the interview with Mrs. Jarsell. - -"H'm," commenced Freddy, when he ended, "so she didn't give herself -away?" - -"No; and very wisely, too, I think. She didn't know how much I knew, -and wasn't keen on giving me rope to hang her." - -"But she knows you have read Penn's confession--what there is of it." - -"I didn't tell her that I had anything else than the full confession, -old son. She may think I have the whole document intact, or--and this -I fancy is probable--she may believe that there isn't any confession -in existence." - -"Curberry may have written to her, telling her that he burnt the -confession." - -"No," said Dan, after a pause, "I really don't think he has done that. -Mrs. Jarsell went dead white when I mentioned a confession." - -"Then she believes that you spoke the truth," persisted Laurance, -hopefully. - -"She may, or she may not, as I said before," retorted Halliday, -"anyhow, as she can't be sure if I'm in jest or earnest, she will -delay proceedings until she sees Curberry. If he swears that he burnt -the confession, Mrs. Jarsell may act; therefore I want you to send him -an unsigned telegram, containing these three words, 'All is -discovered!'" - -"What will that do?" - -"Put the fear of God into Curberry, into Queen Beelzebub, and into the -Society of Flies as a whole. The warning will be so vague that they -won't know who will strike the blow." - -"They will suspect you, Dan." - -"In that case," replied Halliday, promptly, "Queen Beelzebub will -leave Lillian alone, and my object will be obtained. I want to gain -time, and can only do so with safety to Lillian by keeping these -beasts in a state of uncertainty as to how much or how little is -known." - -"I see," Laurance thought the plan a good one, "since you say that you -have the confession and Curberry will say that he destroyed it, Queen -Beelzebub will be undecided. This telegram, like a bolt from the blue, -will clinch matters and make her and her gang pause before they take -steps to hurt you or Miss Moon. I'll send the wire. What then?" - -"Then--to-morrow that is--I go down to see Curberry, and have it out -with him. His name is mentioned in the portion of the confession which -you hold and we know enough to ensure his arrest." - -"That is doubtful," protested Freddy, thoughtfully, "I have read the -confession. Penn hints a lot about Curberry, but doesn't say enough -to----" - -"Never mind, he says enough for my purpose, which is to scare -Curberry; belonging to the Society of Flies, as he does. I believe he -got his uncle and cousin put out of the way to inherit the title and -property. I'll harp on that string. If Queen Beelzebub calls----" - -"There's the danger, Dan," interposed Freddy, quickly and anxiously. - -"I know. I am far from suggesting that there is not danger, as we are -driving these people into a corner. If I don't turn up at your office -by five o'clock to-morrow, Freddy, or if I don't send a wire saying -that I am safe, you get Inspector Tenson, tell him all, show him the -confession, and come down with him to Blackheath to see the Inspector -who had charge of the Durwin murder. Then, armed with the authority of -the law, you can go to Curberry's house. If I am missing, you will -know how to act." - -Laurance drew a deep breath as the cab turned into Fleet Street. "It's -a big risk for you, Dan." - -"Pooh. As an aviator I am always taking risks. I must settle this -business somehow, if I wish to marry Lillian and save her life as well -as my own from these infernal beasts. Here you get down, Freddy. Don't -forget to do as I tell you," and Laurance promised to faithfully -adhere to his instructions, while the four-wheeler lumbered away in -the direction of the Strand. Halliday possessed one of those rare -natures which invariably reveal their best in time of danger. He knew -what to say and how to act when in a tight corner, and his training as -an aviator had learned him to take risks from which less level-headed -men would have shrunk. At the present moment he required all his -energies to cope with unforeseen emergencies, since he did not quite -know what action would be taken against him. Of course, he was -confident that some sort of action would be taken, since he had -aroused the wrath of a brilliantly clever and intensely evil set of -people. Fearful for their own safety, the Society of Flies would do -its best to get rid of him and to get rid of Lillian, as they had -gotten rid of others who had stood in their crooked path. Both he and -the girl were safeguarded so far by the confession, but it all -depended upon what Curberry said to Queen Beelzebub as to how long -such a safeguard would be efficacious. He had told the woman one -story, but Curberry would tell her another, so it was doubtful which -she would believe. The telegram from an unknown source might turn the -balance in his favor, and lead both Mrs. Jarsell and her friend to -believe that there was a chance of their devilish doings coming to -light. Having arrived at this conclusion, Dan fell asleep, quite -indifferent to the fact that the sword of Damocles hung over his head, -and that the single hair might part at any moment. Herein he showed -the steadiness of his nerves, and the value of a nature trained to -face the worst smilingly. - -Next morning Halliday arose brisk and cheerful with the expectation of -having a most exciting day, and as soon as he finished his breakfast -made his way, by train, to Blackheath. On arriving there, somewhere -about twelve o'clock, he did not go immediately to Curberry's house, -but walked to the place where the Vincent aeroplane was housed. It had -just struck him that Mrs. Jarsell might have wired to one of her -friends to damage the machine, so that it could not be used. She had -procured it for him and he--to put it plainly--had abused her -friendship, so it was not likely she would permit him to retain, -unharmed, a wonderful airship, with which he could make money and win -fame. But, when he reached the shed and saw the man whom he had -engaged to watch the machine, he found that his fears were groundless. -No one had been near the place, and, so far as he could ascertain, the -aeroplane was in perfect condition. Then it struck Dan, as it was yet -too early to call on Lord Curberry, that he might indulge in a little -fly. His enemy's house was only a stone's throw distant, on the -borders of the open space, and Halliday did not intend to lose sight -of the entrance gate, lest Mrs. Jarsell should steal in unobserved. In -the air, and hovering directly over the grounds, he could see all who -came and went. Also, incidentally, he might gain information as to -what was going on in the gardens. Somewhat oddly, it occurred to him -that if Queen Beelzebub came, she might push Curberry into the -ornamental pond, as Marcus Penn had been pushed. There was no knowing -what she might do in her despair. In brutal English, Queen Beelzebub -was at bay, and could fight, like the rat she was, in the corner into -which she was being slowly driven by circumstances, engineered by Mr. -Daniel Halliday. - -Therefore, Dan saw to the fittings of the biplane, and ascertained by -sight and touch that they had not been tampered with. He oiled the -engine, saw that it did not lack petroleum, and, in fact, was as -careful of all and everything connected with the structure as though -he was preparing for a long race. Of course there was the usual crowd -of loafers who came to see him start, and he swept upward from the -ground in a graceful curve. The aeroplane acted easily and truthfully, -according to its very excellent design, and the aviator, after making -a wide circle, dropped down, to pass slowly over the grounds of -Curberry's mansion. He could see no one about, even though the day was -fine and sunny, so concluded that the owner, having received the -anonymous telegram, was shivering within doors, terrified to venture -out. In his impatience to learn the absolute truth, Dan turned his -machine back to the shed, and came to rest almost at the very door. - -Owing to the examination of the aeroplane, and the experimental flight -to test its working order, time had passed uncommonly swiftly, and it -was now fifteen minutes past one o'clock. Dan made up his mind to -beard Curberry in his library, without waiting for the arrival of -Queen Beelzebub, who, after all, might not arrive. His man and some -willing onlookers wheeled the machine into the great shed, and the -doors were about to be closed when one of the crowd uttered an -exclamation, which was echoed by many others. Halliday, always on the -alert for the unexpected, came quickly to the door of the building, -and saw everyone looking upward and northward, to where a small black -dot spotted the blue of the sky. It increased in size rapidly, and -there was no difficulty in seeing that it was a flying-machine. At -once a thought entered Dan's mind that there was Mrs. Jarsell on a -Vincent biplane, paying her expected visit, although he had no reason -to suppose that she was the pilot. Wondering if he was right or wrong -in his surmise, he waited with a fast-beating heart, and became -certain of the truth of his guess very shortly. Travelling at a great -height, the strange biplane poised itself directly over the open -space, and then began to drop slowly into the enclosed grounds of Lord -Curberry's mansion. Not having field-glasses, Halliday could not make -out if the pilot was a man or a woman, but, when the machine, cleverly -managed, disappeared below the trees and walls of the park, he was -convinced that Queen Beelzebub had arrived. At once he determined to -make a third at her interview with Curberry, whatever objections might -be raised. But first he arranged what to do in order to guard against -future events of a dangerous nature. - -"Wheel my machine out again," he ordered the man and those who had -assisted, "see that everything is in order, and have everything -prepared to start. Do not let anyone touch this," and he tapped the -aeroplane, "you understand?" - -"Yes, sir," said the man stolidly, "you're going for another fly?" - -"Exactly. The person who arrived is a friend of mine. I am going into -yonder house to ask if a race can be arranged." - -Knowing that he could trust his man to guard the machine, and certain -it would not be tampered with when hundreds of eyes were watching it, -Halliday walked across the open space with serene confidence. It -struck him that if Mrs. Jarsell wished to escape, she would certainly -use her biplane, and it was just as well to follow in his own and run -her to earth. As both machines were made by Vincent, the speed of each -would be about equal, and, in any case, Dan hoped to keep Queen -Beelzebub in sight, if it was necessary to give chase. Having thus -prepared for possible emergencies, the young man entered the big gates -of the park and hastened up the short avenue. Soon he found himself at -the front door, and, as he rang the bell, glanced around for Mrs. -Jarsell's flying-machine. It was not visible, so he presumed she had -left it on the broad and spacious lawn on the further side of the -house. It was in his mind to go and tamper with the engine to prevent -her further flight, but, before he could make up his mind to this -course, the door opened and the footman appeared. - -"I wish to see Lord Curberry," said Halliday, giving the man his card, -"on most important business. Can he see me?" - -"I'll inquire, sir. He is with a lady just now, and has been for the -last ten minutes. Please wait here, sir," and he introduced Dan into -the hall. - -Again, when left alone, Halliday had the impulse to go out and look to -the gear of the machine, with the idea of putting things wrong, and -again the footman appeared before he could decide if it would be wise -to do so. "His lordship will see you, sir," said the man, who looked -rather uncomfortable, "but he seems to be ill." - -"Ill," echoed Dan, wondering what new deviltry was taking place, "and -the lady?" - -"She is not with his lordship now, sir," said the footman, in a -bewildered manner, "yet I showed her into the library a few minutes -ago." - -"Do you know the lady?" asked Halliday, sharply. - -"No, sir. At least, I can't tell, sir. She came in one of them -flying-machines, and wears a thick veil. She's a stout lady, sir, with -a sharp manner." - -"Take me to your master," commanded Dan, not caring to ask further -questions, since it was best to ask them of Lord Curberry himself, and -the man obeyed, still bewildered and nervous in his manner. The -entrance of Queen Beelzebub into the house had evidently upset things. - -Ushered into the library, Dan waited for the closing of the door, and -then advanced to where Curberry was seated at his desk, near the -window. The man looked gaunt and haggard, and very sick. When the -young man advanced, he rose as if moved by springs, and held out a -telegram in a trembling hand. - -"You--you--sent this," quavered Curberry, and Halliday could see that -the perspiration beaded his bald high forehead. - -In a flash Halliday guessed that this was the wire which Laurance had -dispatched according to arrangement. "No, I did not send you any -telegram," he denied, calmly, and with perfect truth. - -"You sent this, saying that all is discovered," stuttered Curberry -again, and dropped back into his seat, "you have learned too much. She -says that you know everything." - -"Queen Beelzebub?" - -"Ah, you know the name. I guessed as much. She is here; she is -furious!" - -"Who is Queen Beelzebub?" demanded Dan, anxiously. - -"You know. Why do you ask questions you know the answer to? I know why -you have come; to have me arrested. I thought I destroyed the -confession of that infernal Penn. But she says----" - -"I retained sufficient to show me----" - -"Yes, yes! You know all. You have won. I fought you for Lillian, and -there is no chance of my gaining her for my wife. You won't either. -You have to reckon with Queen Beelzebub. As for me--as for me----" he -faltered, and trembled. - -Dan stepped right up to the desk. "What's the matter?" - -"I--I--I have taken poison," gasped Curberry, and dropped his head on -his hands with a sob. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE FLIGHT - - -"Poison!" echoed Dan, startled out of his composure, for he was far -from expecting such a word, "the doctor----" - -"No doctor can do me any good," sobbed Curberry, lifting his haggard -face, and looking up with wild, despairing eyes, "there is no antidote -to this drug I have taken. It is painless, more or less, and in an -hour I shall be dead, as it works but slowly. Time enough for me to -speak." - -"Let me get a doctor," insisted Halliday, for so distraught did the -man look that he was not surprised that the servant had been -uncomfortable, "you must not die without----" - -Curberry struggled to his feet, and laid hands on his visitor. "No, -no! I am ready to die," he said in a harsh, strained voice, "why -should I be kept alive to be hanged--to be disgraced--to be----" - -"Then you admit----" - -"I admit everything in this--this," he touched a few loose sheets of -paper lying on the desk, "this confession. Like Penn, I have made -one." - -"You must have a doctor," said Halliday, and ran to the bell. - -Curberry, with a wonderful strength, seeing how ill he looked, rose -swiftly, and sprang after him. "If you call a doctor I shall shoot -myself," he said, hoarsely, and pulled out a small revolver. "I would -rather die by means of the poison I have taken, since it is more -painless. But, sooner than be taken by the police, I shall shoot -myself--and you, too--and you, too." - -Halliday waived aside this threat. "You won't see the police----" - -"The doctor would try to save me," insisted Curberry, fiercely, "and I -will not be saved only to be hanged. Stay here and listen to me. I -have something to say. Touch the button of the bell and I shoot!" As -he spoke he levelled the revolver. "Quick, quick, what will you do?" - -"Have your own way," agreed Halliday, and moved to the desk, where he -sat down on a convenient chair. Curberry, with a groan, returned to -his seat, and laid the revolver on the blotting paper, ready for -instant use should necessity arise. Even as yet he did not wholly -trust Halliday. - -And there was cause for his suspicion. Since Dan was unarmed, he could -do nothing against a man with a quick-firing weapon, but he made up -his mind to snatch at the revolver the moment Curberry was off his -guard. Yet, even as he decided upon this course, he said to himself -that it was foolish. The man's recovery, supposing a doctor did -arrive, meant the man's arrest, and, in Dan's opinion, as in -Curberry's, death was better than disgrace. It was a most -uncomfortable situation, but Halliday did not see anything to do but -to listen to what his host had to say. The poor wretch had poisoned -himself, and was keeping all help at bay with his revolver. He would -be dead in an hour, or half an hour, as he hinted, so the best thing -was to hear his story in the hope that by its means those who had -brought him to this pass could be punished. But it was a weird -experience to sit beside a tormented man, who declined to be saved -from a tragic death. - -"Did Queen Beelzebub give you the poison?" asked Halliday, shivering -at the gray pinched look on Curberry's face. - -"Long ago; long ago; not now," muttered the man, groaning. "Every -member of the Society of Flies has this poison to escape arrest, -should there be danger. It is a painless poison, more or less, and -acts slowly, and--but I have told you all this before. There is not -much time," he pressed his hands on his heart, "while I retain my -strength and my senses, listen!" - -"But where is this woman you call Queen Beelzebub," demanded Dan, -looking round anxiously. "I saw her arrive in an aeroplane." - -"She did; she came to tell me that you knew all about our society." - -"You belong to it?" - -"Yes, curse it, and those who dragged me into the matter. I was -getting on all right in the law, when I was tempted and fell." - -"Your uncle and your cousin----" - -"Yes, yes!" broke in Curberry, with another groan, "she said that if I -joined the society, they could be got rid of. They were got rid of -because I wished for the title and the money." - -"But for what reason?" - -"So that I could marry Lillian. Moon refused to listen to me so long -as I was merely a struggling barrister. But, when I became wealthy -and--and--oh, this pain. The poison is a lie like all the rest of the -business." - -"She declared it was painless, and now--and now----" he broke off, to -wipe the perspiration from his face. - -Dan half rose. "Let me call assistance. It may not be too late----" - -Curberry pointed his revolver at him as he moved. - -"It _is_ too late," he said, setting his teeth, "if I do not die, I -must face the worst. You--you have brought me to this." - -"I!" echoed Halliday, sitting down again, "in what way?" - -"You meddled and meddled, and--and you sent that telegram." - -"I did not." - -"Then your meddling has brought the police into the matter. That -telegram may have been sent by a friend or an enemy; in either case it -is true, for all is discovered. I was----" Curberry gasped with pain -again, and moistened his dry lips. "I was sitting with it, wondering -if it was best to end things or to wait and see if the warning was a -true one. Then she came in through yonder door," he nodded towards the -entrance from the terrace into the library. "She told me that -you--that you--oh--oh!" he groaned, and rocked himself from side to -side, yet kept a grip on the revolver, lest Dan should call or ring -for assistance, or endeavor to secure the weapon. - -"So you took the poison?" said Halliday, wondering how he could manage -to evade being shot and summon a doctor. - -"When she said that all was known, I did. Then she--she----" - -"Queen Beelzebub you mean?" - -"Curse her, yes. Like Eve, she tempted me, and, like Adam, I fell." - -"Where is she?" - -"Up in Penn's old rooms, searching for any further confession he may -have left. Oh," Curberry rocked and moaned, "I thought when I snatched -it from you, and burnt it, that all evidence was destroyed." - -"I saved a few sheets." - -"Do they contain mention of my name?" - -"Yes; they do, and----" - -"I thought so. I thought so. It's just as well that I took poison. The -title and money I paid such a price to obtain will go to my cousin, -who is at Oxford--a young fool with no brains. Oh, to lose all when -everything was so bright. I could have married Lillian and served my -country, and----" - -"You could not have married Lillian," interrupted Dan, positively, -"for she loves me and me only. As to serving your country, how could -you, with an easy conscience, when you have broken its law by taking -the lives of your uncle and cousin?" - -"I did not. The society saw to that," gasped Curberry with a twisted -grin. - -"You engaged the society to end their lives, you--you--murderer." - -"Don't call names," moaned the man, "at least I have not murdered you, -although I have every reason to. You meddled with matters which do not -concern you." - -"I meddled in matters which concern every honest man who loves law and -order, Lord Curberry," said Dan, sternly, "apart from the death of Sir -Charles Moon, which I was bound to avenge for Lillian's sake, it was -my duty to stop this wholesale murder. Perhaps you had Moon killed -yourself." - -"I didn't; I didn't. It was to my interest that he should live, for if -he had I should have been married to his daughter by this time. Queen -Beelzebub murdered him because he was offered a chance of belonging to -the society and refused." - -"In that," said Dan, sternly, "acting as an honest man." - -"He acted as a foolish man. For, learning too much, he sent for Durwin -to reveal what he knew. Penn found out his intended treachery, and -told the Queen. She came--you saw her when she came--and she killed -him." - -"She killed Durwin?" - -"Yes," gasped Curberry, who was growing whiter and more haggard every -moment. - -"And Marcus Penn?" - -"I killed him. I had to, or be killed myself. He betrayed too much to -you." - -"Only out of fear," said Dan, looking at the murderer more with pity -than with anger, for he was suffering greatly. - -"Not even fear should have made him reveal anything about the scent. -He confessed his folly and was doomed to death. I went away on that -day, and then came back secretly, having ordered Penn to meet me by -the ornamental water, to speak about the society. He suspected -something, because he wrote that confession and let Lillian know where -it was concealed. But he came, and I managed to stupefy him with the -Sumatra scent, after which I thrust him under water, and, when I was -sure he was dead, I got away secretly, returning openly to hear that -his body had been found." - -"You wicked wretch," said Dan, scarcely able to restrain his disgust, -although he felt he should not be too hard on one already being -severely punished for his crimes. - -"Don't call names," said Curberry, with an attempt at a laugh, "after -all, I am better than you think, since I am trying to save you. I want -you to live and marry Lillian, and keep this confession," he laid his -hands on the loose sheets of paper "from Queen Beelzebub, so that you -can put an end to her wicked doings. Hide the papers when she comes -back, or she will destroy them." - -As this was very probable, Dan stretched out his hand for the papers. -Curberry feverishly gathered them together, speaking in a halting -manner, as he did so. "Wait till I put them together," he said, -painfully, "this is a full account of my connection with the society -and its evil doings. It accounts for the death of Moon, of Durwin, of -Penn, and of myself. But, take care, Halliday, for Queen Beelzebub -will not give in without a fight." - -"She can do nothing," said Dan, watching Curberry pinning the loose -papers together. "Laurance has what remains of Penn's confession, and -will inform the police shortly. If you would let me get a doctor." - -"No, no, no! I refuse to live and face the reward of my wickedness. I -prefer to pay the cost of my folly in joining the society. My name is -disgraced, but I won't be on earth to suffer for the disgrace. That -brainless young fool who succeeds me will not trouble you so long as -he gets the money and the title, which he is certain to. But marry -Lillian, and take care of her. Queen Beelzebub will strike at you -through her." - -"She dare not while I hold the confession of Penn," said Dan, grimly, -"sooner or later she shall stand in the dock." - -"That she never will, believe me. She has a means of escape if the -worst comes to the worst. Oh," Curberry half rose, and then fell -back in his chair, "the end is coming; my eyes are growing dim, -and--and--ah," he uttered a shriek, "save yourself!" and, with a -shaking hand, he grasped the revolver. - -As Curberry's eyes were looking past him, Dan, with the subconscious -instinct of self-preservation, had just time to rise and swerve to one -side, when a hand grazed his shoulder. The young man gripped his -chair, and swung it up as a barrier between himself and a stout woman, -who was immediately behind him. She was dressed in a long, black -cloak, with a close-fitting cloth cap, and wore a heavy veil of the -motor style, with pieces of mica let in as eyeholes. Not a word did -she say, but, seeing Dan's action, drew back with a deep, indrawn -breath like the hiss of a baffled snake. - - - - - -"Take care; take care; she has--the serpent poison," gasped Curberry, -who was sitting loosely in his chair, gripping his revolver. - -Halliday remembered the wicked wound on Sir Charles Moon's neck, and -his flesh grew cold, for the slightest touch of that morsel of shining -steel in Queen Beelzebub's hand meant swift death. "You fiend!" he -shouted, and, with a cry of anger, flung the heavy chair fairly at -her. - -With the leap of a pantheress, she sprang to one side, and the chair -crashed against the opposite wall, while the woman glided rapidly -round to the open door of the terrace. A shot rang out as she reached -it, and Dan knew that the dying man had fired on his enemy. Apparently -the bullet did not reach its mark, for Queen Beelzebub still moved on, -silent, sinister, and dangerous. Halliday flung himself forward to get -between her and the door, so as to prevent her escape, but with a -faint snarl like a beast at bay she stabbed at him with the -death-tip's piece of steel. He leaped back to save himself from being -scratched, while Curberry dragged himself painfully to the bell-button -near the fire-place, and pressed it with his remaining strength. -"I'm done for--call the police. You--you, oh!" He fell prone on the -hearth-rug, and the revolver dropped beside him. - -Halliday ran forward on the impulse of the moment to offer aid, -hastily picking up the weapon meanwhile, and as he did so, Queen -Beelzebub sprang through the door into the open. "She's making for the -aeroplane," cried Dan, and would have followed on the instant, but -that Curberry gripped him fast. - -"Stay, stay! A priest; a clergyman. I'm dying," and a deadly fear -became apparent in his glazed eyes, "get a--a--a help!" - -As he cried, retaining Dan's coat in a grip of iron, the door of the -room opened, and the butler with the footman beside him rushed in. The -shot, as well as the ringing of the bell, had brought them immediately -to the spot. Trying to disengage himself, Dan gave hasty orders. "Send -for a doctor; send for a clergyman; send for the police. That woman -has murdered your master." - -"Catch her; stop her--oh--oh!" Curberry's grip loosened, and he rolled -over with a moan. Whether he was dead or alive, Dan did not wait to -see. Every moment was precious, if he intended to stay the flight of -Queen Beelzebub. The terrified men came to assist their dying master, -and more servants, attracted by the noise, poured in at the library -door. A backward glance showed Dan that Curberry was being attended -to, and then he sped along the terrace towards the lawn at the side of -the house. Here he arrived, just a moment too late, for already the -aeroplane was spinning along the turf, with Queen Beelzebub in the -pilot's seat. Like the wicked fairy of nursery tale, she was escaping -in her dragon-car, and even in that hour of success she did not utter -a sound. Silent and menacing she mounted into the air, and Halliday -dashed forward with a cry of rage as she lifted above his reach. - -There was not a moment to be lost, and without another glance, he -raced down the avenue, and made for the entrance gates. Queen -Beelzebub might make for her lair in Hillshire, or it might be that -she would cross the Channel to seek safety on the Continent; but, -wherever she went, Dan intended to follow. She would not escape him -this time, and he flew like an arrow from the bow across from the open -space outside the park, to where his man still stood guard by his own -machine. The little crowd around had their faces turned heavenward, -and were shouting at the sight of the biplane, now dwindling to a -black dot, as it receded swiftly from Blackheath. Dan felt a throb of -satisfaction as he saw that Queen Beelzebub was making for the north. - -"Out of the way; out of the way," gasped the young man, charging -through the throng, and it scattered at his approach, "let her go, let -her go!" and he sprang into the pilot's seat to start the engine. - -Immediately the screw began to spin, slowly at first, but gathering in -speed every second. The aeroplane moved, and ran with bird-like -swiftness along the ground, then soared with the hum of a giant bee. -Halliday swept in a vast circle, like an actor taking the stage, then -turned the nose of his machine in the direction of the black dot. This -was to be his pole-star towards which he was to continually direct his -course, until the goal, wherever it might be, was attained. The many -men, women and children standing round the Blackheath shed shouted and -cheered, thinking that they were witnessing the start of an exciting -race; but they little knew that it was a chase dealing with the -serious issues of life and death. Halliday heard the thin sound of -their voices reach him faintly, then settled down to handle his -biplane in a masterly manner. Since both aeroplanes were made by -Vincent, it was probable that both were equal in durability and speed. -But Queen Beelzebub had gained a very fair start, and Dan knew that it -would require all his knowledge of aviation to catch her up. Her -escape or capture depended entirely upon the dexterity with which he -man[oe]uvered the delicate structure which bore him. On her part, the -woman would use all her knowledge to get away safely, but Dan did not -believe that her capability as an aeronaut was equal to his own. In -this contest it was science against despair, and given the machines as -equal, yet the pilots as unequal, it was hard to say what would be the -result. Halliday, racing to save Lillian's life, and to gain her as -his wife, believed that the final victory would remain with him. - -It was an unusually pleasant day, with a pale blue sky, lightly -sprinkled with feathery white clouds. A gentle wind was blowing, which -was not sufficiently strong to impede the speed of the aeroplanes. Yet -it was chilly in these high altitudes, and in his haste Dan had not -put on his overcoat. Before the end of the chase he grimly expected to -be well-nigh frozen, but did not mind so uncomfortable a prospect so -long as he gained his aim. Before him fled the woman he was determined -to capture and place in the criminal dock to answer for her manifold -sins. Thinking of what she had done, and how her path was strewn with -victims, the young man set his teeth and tried his best to force the -pace. But this was useless, as the biplane could not do more than it -was intended to do. Although he had now been racing northward for over -an hour, the distance between pursuer and pursued appeared to be much -the same, and the receding black dot did not seem to be growing -larger. Dan was irritated, yet felt that even though he was not -gaining, he was not losing, and that was much, taking all things into -account. There was always the chance that Queen Beelzebub's machine -might break down, and then she would be as helpless as a bird -with a broken wing. Also--and Dan did not blind himself to this -possibility--his own aeroplane might come to grief, as it had done -during the London to York race. But, benefiting by his former -experience, he did not try any fancy-flying, and held to a straight -undeviating course. Both machines were making a bee-line for the goal, -which Halliday now guessed very plainly was The Grange in Sheepeak, -Hillshire. - -It had been about two o'clock when the chase started, but already -those taking part in it were miles upon miles distant from London, -since the aeroplanes were flying at the rate of between fifty and -sixty miles an hour. Harrow, St. Albans, Luton, Bedford and -Northampton had long since dropped behind, and Queen Beelzebub, -swerving to the left, was making for Rugby, so as to get into the -straight line for Hillshire, and particularly for Thawley. Passing -over the famous school-town the pace slackened somewhat, and Dan -managed to secure the advantage of a few miles. But when her machine -lifted Birmingham, she increased her speed, a fact which made Dan -curse. He had been under the impression that she was running short of -oil and petroleum, but apparently this was not the case. She had -simply reduced her speed so as to nurse her resources, since she could -take this bold step because of the start she had gained at the outset. -Halliday grudgingly confessed to himself that the woman, knew her -business, as she wasted no time. Her machine neither rose nor fell, -nor deviated to right or left overmuch, and all she did was to hold to -a straight line at a moderate height above the earth, humoring her -engine, and straining as little as might be the wings, spars, bolts, -and such-like gear of the biplane. Vincent had taught her admirably, -and Dan no longer undervalued her as an antagonist. She was dexterous, -bold, resourceful, and venturesome. His admiration, now freely given, -was mixed with pity that so clever a human being should debase her -gifts to harry mankind. Such qualities as she possessed made her more -dangerous, as she was an intellectual animal, slaying with taught -skill rather than with instinctive cunning. - -As the afternoon drew on, and the chase still continued, the night -began to shut down. Gliding over Derby the town was veiled in the gray -mists of swiftly-falling dusk, and when Nottingham came in sight it -was distinguished by a thousand glittering pin-points of light, the -usual nightly illumination. Matlock, and Mansfield, Holdbrook and -Wayleigh, gleamed beneath like jewelled crowns, and when the stars -began to appear the aeroplanes were flying between two firmaments, -radiant with multi-colored orbs of light. - -At last Thawley rose into view burning like a furnace under its veil -of smoke and the dim shroudings of twilight, while a vague murmur like -the swarming of bees came muffled to the ears of those who drove the -machines. Yet at these heights the coming dark was not yet very -intense, and Queen Beelzebub's aeroplane, beginning to slacken speed, -Dan was able to keep it well in view. He saw it rather vaguely closer -at hand, a shadow against the shadow of the gray sky. Minute by minute -he drew nearer and began to discern the outlines more or less clearly. -But it must be admitted that at the best the clearness was not quite -that which deserved the use of such a word. However, Dan, cold, -hungry, and weary with the strain on his nerves, could think of none -better at the moment. - -Queen Beelzebub was decidedly losing speed. Her machine seemed to -falter after it left Thawley, as if it was doubtful how to find its -way home in this world of shadows. But at Beswick the woman made a -last effort, as it seemed, like a wounded animal dragging itself -faster homeward as it neared its den, and her aeroplane towered aloft -to the vast tableland of the moors. Halliday was close behind, and -when they hovered over Sheepeak the two biplanes were only a stone -throw from one another. He exulted, for now he had driven the woman to -her citadel, and for her there was no escape even by her machine, as -that was--so to speak--worn out. She was at her last gasp, and would -have to fight or yield. She elected to fight when the airships swung -in the foggy air over the fields near The Grange. If she alighted, -Queen Beelzebub knew that her pursuer would alight also and capture -her, so she described a rapid circle with what motive power was left -her, and plunged downward on her enemy to ram his machine. - -Dan saw the movement, and with his hand on the steering gear, swerved -to one side, dropping lower as he did so. The other machine swooped -harmlessly overhead, but, recovering quickly, once more came down with -the dip of a hawk on a heron. Halliday dodged again, then thinking -that two could play at the dangerous game, he watched his chance and -rushed straightly at his prey. Queen Beelzebub saw him coming, and -adopted his tactics--that is, she dropped below his onset, and Dan's -aeroplane swept on without result. Once more he came down to her -level, and by this time the machines were only twenty feet from the -ground. This time, as he dashed forward, the woman was not dexterous -enough to get out of the way, and the two clashed violently with a -ripping, breaking, smashing sound. With the engines still spinning, -but with broken wings, the biplanes dropped to the earth, tangled -together, Dan's uppermost, clutching at its prey, so to speak, like a -hawk clutching a partridge. Down they came, and the rising earth met -them with a smashing blow. - -Halliday was shaken, but did not become unconscious. Clearing his feet -and arms from the tangle of ropes and canvas, he emerged from the -confused heap, and dragged out the woman by her dress, which fluttered -out from the wreckage. To tear off her veil and light a match took a -single minute. - -"Miss Armour!" cried Dan, greatly amazed. And Miss Armour it was, -quite senseless. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -TREACHERY - - -In the chill gray gloom of the fields, damp, depressing and misty, -with the wreckage of the airship piled up around him, and the -insensible woman lying at his feet, Dan stood bewildered, his nerves -jangling like ill-tuned bells. The twenty feet fall had not harmed him -in limb or body; but the violent contact with the earth, broken in -some measure by the fact that his enemy's aeroplane had been -underneath, resulted in a displacement of his normal powers. He felt -battered and bruised, deadly sick and wished to lie on the wet grass, -indifferent to everything and everyone. But with a dangerous creature -at his elbow, this was not to be thought of, even though that same -creature was unable to exercise her wicked will. Moreover, The Grange -was only a stone's throw distant, and doubtless Mrs. Jarsell had been -watching for the coming of her friend. If this were the case, she -would come out with help--for Queen Beelzebub, that is. How Halliday -would be treated he was much too muddled in his brain to consider. -Finally, he dropped on his knees, longing for brandy to pull him -together, and began to think with difficulty. - -This woman was not Mrs. Jarsell, but Miss Armour. Seeing that he knew -her to be old, feeble, and paralyzed, this was most remarkable. -Curberry had called her Queen Beelzebub, so Miss Armour, and not Mrs. -Jarsell, was the head of the Society of Flies, and the cause of all -the trouble. In a weak way, Dan considered that she evidently was not -so old as she had made herself out to be, and certainly she was not -paralyzed. No woman without the use of her limbs could have escaped so -swiftly, or have worked the aeroplane so dexterously. Miss Armour, the -delicate, kind-hearted old lady, was the infernal Queen Beelzebub who -had spoken behind the mask when in the darkness the scarlet light had -made an accursed halo round her head. And now she was dead--stone -dead. - -A moment's reflection assured him that he could not be certain on this -point without examination, so he tore open her dress, and laid his -hand on her heart. It beat feebly, so he knew that she was still -alive, although she was crumpled up in a heap amidst the wreckage. -This knowledge restored Halliday more positively to his senses. She -was so dangerous that, even helpless as she appeared to be, he could -not tell what devilry she might not make use of to get the upper hand. -She still had the piece of steel tipped with the deadly snake poison, -and even a feeble woman could inflict death with that. The idea made -Dan search in her pockets to secure the subtle weapon of defence, but -even while he fumbled and hunted, he was pulled violently backward. - -"Mr. Halliday!" gasped Mrs. Jarsell, holding a lantern to his white -face, "hold him," she added to a couple of men who were beside her. - -"I've--I've caught Queen Beelzebub red-handed," muttered Dan, striving -to get on his feet, and thinking in a muddled way that Mrs. Jarsell -had seen the arrival of the aeroplanes, the battle in the air, and the -catastrophe. She must have come stealthily across the intervening -fields with her myrmidons, and thus he had been caught unawares. He -knew well that, once in her grip, since she was an accomplice of Queen -Beelzebub's, he could expect no mercy, and, what was worse, Lillian -would be in danger. He, therefore, in a weak way, fought his best to -escape. If he could only reach Mrs. Pelgrin's hotel he would be safe. -But the men were too strong for him, and he was beaten to his knees. -Then, what with, the hunger that gnawed him, the bitter cold, the -fall, and the general surprise of the situation, his senses left him. -He uttered a weary sigh, and slipped to the ground, limp and -unconscious. - -Then, again, as had happened when Penn had drugged him in the -taxi-cab, he felt himself swallowed up in gloom; felt himself falling -interminably, and lost sight of the physical world and its -surroundings. To all intents and purposes he was dead, and from the -moment he closed his eyes in that misty meadow he remembered nothing -more. - -When his eyes opened again, they shut at once, for the blaze of light -was painful. Dimly he fancied that he heard a telephonic voice give an -order, and he felt that some ardent spirit was being poured down his -throat. The fiery liquor put new life into him; his heart began to -beat more strongly and he felt that his weak limbs were regaining a -fictitious strength. With a thankful sigh he opened his eyes again, -and a bewildered look round made him understand that he was in the -barbaric sitting-room of The Grange. He saw the violent contrasts of -red and yellow and black, he realized the glare and glitter and -oppressive splendor of the many lamps and his nostrils were filled -with the well-known Sumatra scent. Reason came back to him with a -rush, and he knew in what a dangerous position he was placed. Here he -was in the power of Queen Beelzebub and her factotum, Mrs. Jarsell--at -their mercy completely, as it were, although he was assured that he -would receive none at all. He had hunted down the gang; he was -breaking up the gang; and now in his hour of triumph he was at the -mercy of the gang. Queen Beelzebub was top, tail, and bottom of the -society, and he was in her grip. She would not relax it, he knew very -well, until the life was squeezed out of him. - -The realization of his danger and the memory of what his helplessness -meant to Lillian, nerved him to recover full control of his -consciousness. While there was life there was hope, and as his captors -had not murdered him while he was insensible, Dan concluded that they -would not do so when he had recovered his wits. Queen Beelzebub would -play with him, he fancied, as a cat plays with a mouse, and in that -case he might find some means of escape. So far he had beaten her all -along the line, and he might beat her still, although she certainly -held the winning cards at the moment. As these things flashed across -his brain, he yawned and stretched himself, looking round in a -leisurely way as he did so. Still feeling a trifle stiff and sore, his -thinking powers were nevertheless in good working order, as they at -once responded to the command of his indomitable will. Therefore, with -wonderful self-control, he smiled amiably, and stared into every -corner, in order to spy out the weakness of the land. But he was being -watched, as he soon knew, and his thought was read. - -"No," snarled a silvery voice, higher in tone than that of Mrs. -Jarsell, "I have you and I mean to keep you." - -Queen Beelzebub, alive and well, and as completely in possession of -her senses as he was, sat in her big carved chair near the open -fireplace just as she had sat when he paid that long distant visit -with Freddy Laurance and Mildred. Her face was as wrinkled as ever, -but instead of being of the ivory hue which had impressed him on a -former occasion, it was deadly white, and looked particularly -venomous. Her white hair had been smoothly brushed and she wore a -loose cloak of scarlet velvet, which fell to her feet. But in the fall -she had suffered, since Dan noticed that her right arm was bound up in -bandages and splints, resting in a black silk scarf against her -breast. His eyes fastened on this and Miss Armour laughed in a thin, -spiteful manner, which hinted at the wrath that consumed her. - -"Yes," she said, in answer to his mute query, "I have broken my arm, -thanks to you, Mr. Halliday. You smashed my aeroplane and sent me to -the ground." - -"That is what you tried to do with me," said Dan, drily, and settling -himself comfortably in his chair, since he felt convinced that he was -in no immediate danger. "Tit for tat, Queen Beelzebub, or shall I call -you Miss Armour?" - -"The real name or the feigned name, doesn't matter," rejoined the lady -very coolly, "you can call me what you like for the time you have to -live." - -"Oh!" said Halliday, equally coolly, and aware that the cat-and-mouse -torment was beginning, "so that's it, is it?" - -Mrs. Jarsell stood beside her friend's chair, and was handing her food -in an anxious manner. The large and ponderous woman looked like a -child overcome with terror. Her eyes were sunken, her cheeks were -hollow, and the immense vitality she possessed appeared to be at a -very low ebb. She was arrayed in white, as usual, but her garb was not -so colorless as her face. She even looked smaller than formerly, and -was shrunken in her clothes. There was something pitiful in the -spectacle of this large phlegmatic female broken down, worn out, and -overcome with dread of the future. As she attended to Miss Armour the -tears rolled down her face, which had so suddenly grown old. The sight -seemed to irritate the other woman, who was much more frail, but who -had a much more powerful will. Dan saw in a flash that he had been -mistaken in thinking that Mrs. Jarsell was strong. Her strength lay in -her imposing looks, but she was the mere tool of that fragile, -delicate old lady, whose glittering eyes revealed the iron will which -dominated her weak age-worn body. Here, indeed, was the true Queen -Beelzebub, driven into a corner and prepared to fight to the last. -Halliday felt, with a creeping of the flesh, that he had come to grips -with an evil power, which it would be desperately hard to conquer. -Miss Armour saw the shadow in his eyes. - -"You're afraid," she taunted him. - -Dan agreed. "Not physically, you understand," he said quietly, "but -you seem to be so thoroughly wicked that the spiritual part of myself -quails for the moment. But it doesn't matter much, you know, seeing -that you have much more cause to fear that I may shoot you at sight," -and he fumbled in his pocket for Curberry's revolver which he had -picked up when leaving the room. - -"I removed that when you were insensible," gasped Mrs. Jarsell, wiping -her eyes and turning a heavy white face in his direction. - -"Of course," said Miss Armour, in a hard voice. "I ordered the search -to be made in case you had any weapons. Now you are quite defenceless, -and at my mercy, you meddling ape." - -"How long have I been insensible," asked Dan, ignoring the feminine -spite which led her to call him names. - -"For quite an hour," sighed Mrs. Jarsell, whose great body was shaking -as if with the ague. "I had you brought here along with Miss Armour. -You were both in a kind of faint. Now you are all right, and----" - -"And I am all right," finished Miss Armour, imperiously, "which is -much more to the purpose. Better had you died when you fell from the -aeroplane, Mr. Halliday, than have recovered so completely as you seem -to have done." - -"You mean mischief?" - -"Oh, yes, I mean mischief," replied Queen Beelzebub amiably, "and I -mean torture, such as will make you wince. I'll prove what sort of a -man you are." - -"You had better make haste, then," said Dan, with a shrug, and bracing -up his courage to beat this fiend with her own weapons, "by this time -the police know all about Curberry." - -"What's that to me. The police can't connect me with his death?" - -"Not so far as you know, but as my friend, Laurance, promised to take -action at five o'clock, if he did not hear from me, I expect with the -Blackheath and Hampstead inspectors he is now in Lord Curberry's -house. An explanation from him will soon bring the authorities to this -den." - -Mrs. Jarsell burst into hysterical tears. "I knew there was great -danger," she wailed. "I knew the end had come!" and she sank at Miss -Armour's feet in a fit of despair, the picture of a beaten woman. - -"Oh, shut up, Eliza," said Queen Beelzebub savagely, and her eyes -glittered more venomously than ever, "you always play the fool when -wits are needed to keep things straight." - -"You can't keep them straight," said Dan calmly, lounging in his -chair, "your career is at an end, Miss Armour." - -"We'll see about that, Mr. Halliday. Oh, you needn't look at me in -that way, my friend. I still have the snake-poisoned lancet, you know, -and if you try to spring on me, even though my arm is broken, you will -meet with a sudden and unpleasant death." - -"I don't want to touch you," retorted Halliday. "I shall leave the -hangman to finish you off." - -"That he never shall do," snapped Miss Armour, her eyes flashing and -her nostrils dilating, "not one member of that glorious society I have -founded shall ever be done to death by those accursed people in -authority. I, and my subjects who obey me so loyally, will vanish." - -"Will you? Not while the ports and railway stations are watched," -sneered Halliday, with contempt, "and I don't think your friend -Vincent can supply aeroplanes in sufficient quantity for you all to -get away. Even if you did by some extraordinary chance, the world -would be hunted for you." - -"It can be hunted from the North Pole to the South, Mr. Halliday, but -neither the members of the Society of Flies nor its queen will be -discovered. We will be as if we had never been," she concluded -triumphantly, and as she spoke the big woman, sobbing at her feet, -shivered and shook, and uttered a muffled cry of terror. - -Queen Beelzebub kicked her. "Get up, Eliza, you fool," she said -contemptuously, "you know quite well that I have made ready for -everything this long time." - -"But I don't want to----" - -"If you say another word," interrupted Miss Armour, viciously, "you -shall afford sport for this society as this meddling beast shall do." - -Dan laughed gaily, determined not to show the white feather, although -his heart was filled with fear. He did not mind a clean, short, sharp -death, but he did not wish to be tortured and mutilated, as he -believed this incarnate demon intended he should be. Curiously enough, -his laugh, instead of exciting Queen Beelzebub to further wrath, -seemed to extort her unwilling admiration. - -"You are a brave man, Mr. Halliday," she muttered reluctantly; then -burst out furiously, "oh, you young fool, why did you not accept the -offer I made you?" - -"The offer you prophesied in this very room would be made," said -Halliday complacently, "well, you see, Miss Armour, or Queen -Beelzebub, or whatever you like to call yourself, I happen to have a -conscience." - -"That is your weakness," said the woman calmly; "throw it on the -rubbish heap, my friend. It is useless." - -"Now it is, so far as joining your infernal organization is concerned, -I am quite sure. To-morrow the police will be here, and the Society of -Flies will cease to exist." - -"That is possible, and yet may not be probable, Mr. Halliday. If the -Society does cease to exist, it will not do so in the way you -contemplate. Eliza!" added Miss Armour impatiently, "if you will sniff -and howl, go and do so in some other room. I can't stand you just now. -My nerves are shaken, and my arm is hurting me. Go away." - -"And leave you with----" Mrs. Jarsell cast a terrified look at Dan. - -"Pooh!" cried Queen Beelzebub contemptuously, "you don't think that I -am afraid of him. I have the lancet with the snake-poison, and if he -tries to get out of the door or the window you know very well that -every exit is watched. Go away and employ your time better than -sobbing and moaning. You know what you have to do, you poor silly -fool?" - -"Yes," sighed Mrs. Jarsell, and stumbled towards the door like a -rebuked infant. "I'll send the telegrams before eight. But the village -post-office will learn too much if I send them." - -"Never mind. The whole world will learn too much before to-morrow -night, my dear Eliza. However, neither you nor I, nor anyone else -concerned, will be here to get into trouble." - -Mrs. Jarsell threw her hands above her head. "The end has come; the -end has come," she wailed tearfully, "we are lost, lost, lost!" - -"I know that as well as you do," said Miss Armour cheerfully, "thanks -to this idiot here. However, he shall pay for his meddling." - -"But if the police----" - -"If you don't get out," interrupted Queen Beelzebub in a cold fury, "I -shall prick you with the lancet--you know what that means." - -"It would be better than the other thing," moaned Mrs. Jarsell, -clinging to the door, which she had opened. - -"What other thing?" inquired Halliday, on the alert for information. - -Queen Beelzebub replied. "You shall know before you die! Eliza, will -you go and send those telegrams, you silly fool? If you don't obey -me----" the woman's face took on such a wicked expression that Mrs. -Jarsell, with a piteous cry, fled hastily, closing the door after her. -Then Miss Armour drank a little of the wine that was on the table -beside her and looked smilingly at her prisoner. "I never could make -anything of Eliza," she explained, "always a whimpering cry-baby. I -wouldn't have had her in the society but that I wished to use this -house, which belongs to her, and of course when we started her money -was useful." - -Halliday, being alone, glanced around to see if he could escape. He -could not attack Miss Armour, old and feeble as she was, because of -the poisoned piece of steel which she had concealed about her. He had -seen the effects on Sir Charles Moon, and did not wish to risk so -sudden a death. For the sake of Lillian it was necessary that he -should live, since, if he did not, there was no one left to protect -her; therefore, he did not think of meddling with Queen Beelzebub, but -cast an anxious look at windows and door. Escape that way was equally -impossible, as all were guarded. There seemed to be nothing for it but -to wait and take what chance offered itself later. He could see none -at the moment. The position was unpleasant, especially when he -remembered that he was to be tortured, but his manhood prevented his -showing the least sign of fear. To intimate that he cared nothing for -her threats, he took out his pipe and tobacco pouch. - -"Do you mind my smoking, Miss Armour?" - -"Not at all, unless you would rather eat. There's food on the table -behind you. Oh," she laughed, when she saw the expression on his face, -as he glanced around, "don't be alarmed, I don't intend to poison you. -That death will be too easy. You can eat and drink and smoke with -perfect safety. I intend to end your life in a less merciful manner." - -"Well," said Dan, going to the table and taking a sandwich, together -with a glass of port wine. "I think you are spiteful enough to give me -a bad time before dying, so I am quite sure that I can eat and drink -with safety!" - -"Oh, what a pity; what a pity," said Miss Armour thoughtfully, when -the young man returned to his seat and began to make a hurried meal. - -"What's a pity?" asked Dan carelessly. - -"That you and I should be enemies. I gave you the chance to be -friendly with me, you know, but you wouldn't take it. Yet I admire -you, and have always admired you. You have courage, brains, coolness, -and persistence. These are valuable qualities such as I needed for a -member of my society. If I had not seen that you possessed them and -wished to make use of them by binding you to my society, I should have -ended your life long ago." - -"As Sir Charles Moon's life was ended; as Durwin's life was cut short; -as Penn was disposed of, and as Lord Curberry was dispatched." - -"Well, no. Curberry poisoned himself because he feared that everything -was about to come out." - -"As it will." - -"Probably," said Queen Beelzebub indifferently, "but there are yet -some hours before the end. No, my friend, you will not die like those -you have mentioned. Your cleverness demands a more ingenious death." - -"You are a very clever woman," said Dan, finishing his glass of port. - -"I am. You will admire my cleverness when you----" she checked herself -and laughed. "I knew a Chinese mandarin once and he told me many -things, Mr. Halliday. You can guess what he told me." - -"Something about torture?" said Dan, lighting his pipe, "quite so. You -go to the Chinese to learn how to hurt a man. I thought you were more -original." - -Miss Armour sneered. "Isn't this indifference rather overdone, Mr. -Halliday?" - -"Well, it is a trifle. I'm in a blue funk, and can you blame me," he -shuddered, "a man doesn't like to die by inches, you know. However, as -we understand one another, suppose we wile away the time by your -telling me how you came to start this damned gang of yours." - -"My dear young friend, I admire your courage so much that I can refuse -you nothing," mocked Miss Armour, wincing as she moved her broken arm. -"I really should be in bed with my hurt." - -"You'll get feverish if you don't lay up," Dan advised her. - -"Oh, I don't think so. I know about other drugs than the Sumatra -scent, Mr. Halliday. Of course, a broken arm," she added with a sigh, -"can't be mended by all the drugs in the world. Time alone can put it -right, and, thanks to you, I shan't have time to get cured. If you had -only fought with me instead of against me, this would not have -happened. Well, my society----" - -"Yes. What about your society?" questioned Dan, politely and easily. - -Queen Beelzebub cast an admiring look in his direction and began to -speak in a quiet lady-like manner, as though she were presiding at a -tea-table, and the subject of conversation was quite an ordinary one. -"I was left an orphan at an early age," she said leisurely, "poor and -honest and friendless. For years I led what you fools call a decent -life, earning my bread by going out as a governess. But poverty and -honesty did not please me, especially since the first was the outcome -of the last. I never wished to marry, as I did not care for men. I did -not wish for society, or fame, or flirtation, or, indeed, anything a -woman usually longs for. I desired power!" and as she uttered the last -word an infernal expression of pride came over her white and delicate -face. - -"Power for a bad purpose?" - -"Well, you see, Mr. Halliday, I could not get power for a good one. -The sole way in which I could obtain my ends was to appeal to people's -self-love. I read of those Italian societies, and the way in which -they terrorized the world. Whatever the members of those societies -want they get, because they work by blackmail, by threats, by the -knife, and with poison. I always wished to found a society of that -sort, but I noticed how frequently things went wrong because the -members of various societies got mixed up with women, or drank too -much, or gave themselves away in a moment of profligacy." - -"Ah," Dan smoked calmly, "now I understand why your rules were so -stringent." - -"You speak of them in a past tense," said Miss Armour curiously. - -"Well," Dan pressed down the tobacco in his pipe, "the society is done -for; it's gastados, used up, busted, and all the rest of it. Well?" - -"Well," echoed the woman, passing over his remark with a sneer. "I -wished to collect a body of men and women who were to live like saints -and use all the power such self-denial gave them to gain all they -wanted for themselves." - -"A devilishly clever scheme." - -"But not original, like my tortures," Queen Beelzebub assured him. "In -Australia--Sydney, New South Wales--I fancy there are societies who -have the same rules. They call such an organization there a 'Push!' I -think." - -Dan nodded. "I have heard of such things." - -"Well, then--to make a long story short, as I want to go to bed, and -can't enjoy your delightful society much longer--I intended to work on -those lines. Years and years ago Mrs. Jarsell was a favorite pupil of -mine. We parted and she married a man with money. He died," Miss -Armour laughed, "in fact, since he treated Eliza badly, I got rid of -him." - -"Oh, so that is the hold you have on her." - -"Quite so. I met her again and got rid of the husband. He left her his -money and I came to live with Eliza as a companion. For a time we went -into London society, and I soon managed to get a few people together -by appealing to their egotism. Some kicked at my ideas--others did -not, and in the end I collected quite a large number. Then I made -Eliza take this house, as it struck me that aeroplanes might be -utilized for criminal purposes. I don't say that when this idea struck -me aeroplanes were so good as they are now, but I believed that -aviation would improve, and that the air would be conquered. Chance -brought Vincent into my life. He became a member of the Society of -Flies, and manufactured the machines. He also taught me how to handle -them----" - -"I am bound to say that he had an excellent pupil," put in Dan -politely. - -"Thank you," Miss Armour smiled and nodded. "I fancy I am pretty good. -But you see that by using an aeroplane I was able to get up and down -to London without people knowing. I was, so to speak, in two places at -once, by travelling fast, and so could prove an alibi easily." - -"Then Durwin?" - -"No. Eliza murdered him. She went up in an aeroplane along with -Vincent, since she is too silly to handle one herself. To kill -Moon--that was my work because he learned too much and refused to join -me--I went to town by train in the character of the false Mrs. Brown. -Penn was killed by Curberry, who had to obey me or suffer himself. Oh, -I assure you I am quite autocratic, Mr. Halliday," finished the woman -merrily. - -"I quite believe that," said Halliday drily, "but did all this -villainy give you pleasure?" - -"Oh, yes," Miss Armour's nostrils again dilated, and her eyes again -flashed triumphantly, "think of the power I held until you interfered. -I pretended for greater safety to be paralyzed, and no one ever -connected a poor invalid lady with Queen Beelzebub." - -"I did not, I assure you. I believed Queen Beelzebub to be Mrs. -Jarsell." - -"Eliza," Miss Armour scoffed, "why, she's a poor weak fool, and only -did what I ordered her to do because I implicated her along with -myself in the murder of her husband. However, she has been useful, as, -without her money, I could not have started the business. Power!" she -repeated, "yes, I have a great power. High or low, rich or poor, there -was no one I could not remove if I chose. My subjects worked for me -willingly, or unwillingly." - -"You are a kind of 'Old Woman of the Mountain,' like the gentleman of -that name who invented the Assassins--that gang about the time of the -Crusades." - -"Quite so, although it is not polite of you to call me an old woman. -By the way, I got Curberry his title by getting rid of his uncle and -cousin." - -"Yes. So he told me," said Dan, marvelling that the woman could speak -so calmly about her wickedness. - -"Oh, you are shocked," she laughed gaily, "what a fool you are. I -could tell you much concerning many murders and disappearances which -the police knew nothing about. For some years I have ruled like a -despot, and--and--well," she yawned, "it's all over. Oh, what a pity." - -"I think not. People will sleep quieter when they know Queen Beelzebub -and her demons are harmless." - -"Harmless," she echoed the word with a laugh, and touched a silver -bell that stood at her elbow, "we shall all be harmless enough -to-morrow, if indeed you speak truly, and your friend Laurance is coming -up here with the police." - -"He is, I assure you," said Dan, wondering why she rang the bell, "but -who are the members of your gang?" - -"You'll see them to-morrow, when you afford sport for them," said -Queen Beelzebub in a weary way, and looking fagged out, "meanwhile, I -must have you safely locked up," and as she spoke, two big men entered -the room. - -"Hang you, I shan't," began Dan, and sprang to his feet. But the two -men had their hands on him, and shortly he was trussed up like a -Christmas turkey. - -"You are less clever than I thought," said Queen Beelzebub, sneering, -"or you would not fight against impossibilities. Good night! Take him -away." - -And as they were commanded, the two big men took him away in silence. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -QUEEN BEELZEBUB'S END - - -Unable to resist superior force, Dan ceased to struggle, thinking it -was best to play a waiting game, until chance afforded him the -opportunity of escape. Hitherto his good fortune had saved him from -grave perils, and he trusted that finally it would prove strong enough -to extricate him from this last difficulty. He was taken down a short -flight of damp steps and thrust into what he took to be a disused -coal-cellar. Here the two big men released him from his bonds and -retired, locking the door behind them. Once or twice he asked -questions, but, receiving no reply, he asked no more. They left a -lantern for his use, and the light, although only that of a candle, -was very acceptable in the cimmerian darkness of this underground -dungeon. When left alone, the prisoner stretched himself, swung his -arms and stamped with his feet to get warm, after which he made an -examination of his surroundings. - -Halliday found that the cellar was small, with stone floor, stone -roof, and stone walls, all more or less humid. Light and air came -through a shaft on the right of the entrance, which was too narrow to -permit of escape. Evidently the place had been used before as a -prison, and no doubt for refractory members of the society, since -there was some spare furniture. In one corner was a low bed, in -another a deal table, in a third a washstand, and finally there was -one kitchen chair, on which Dan took his seat to think over matters. -He had eaten, so did not feel hungry, and solaced himself with his -pipe, a luxury for which he felt very grateful. It could not be said -that his thoughts were pleasant; they could scarcely be so, under the -circumstances, as there was no denying he was in a most uncomfortable -plight. - -So Miss Armour, the delicate maiden lady, was Queen Beelzebub, and the -imposing Mrs. Jarsell was only her tool. Dan was surprised when he -reflected on this, and could not help admiring the infernal cunning of -the woman who had arranged matters. Miss Armour was without doubt a -born criminal, who much preferred doing evil to doing good. As Mrs. -Jarsell's companion, she could have led a blameless existence, -surrounded by attention and comfort and luxury, but her craving for -power had led her into dark paths. For all her care, she might have -guessed that in a law-abiding country the truth of her murderous -association would come to the notice of the authorities sooner or -later. And, when the knowledge had become public, with all her -cunning, she was unable to cope with the situation. Like the fox in -the fable, her many wiles had proved useless, and here she was driven -into a corner. What she intended to do Dan could not think. He did not -see in what way she could escape punishment. - -Of course, the young man was perfectly satisfied that Freddy was -moving in the matter down South. According to instructions, he must -have gone to Lord Curberry's house at Blackheath when he failed to -receive news of his friend, and what he discovered there would assure -him that it was time to take public action and inform the police of -what was going on. The servants would be questioned and Curberry's -body would be examined, while the visit of the veiled woman and her -flight in the aeroplane would be explained. Laurance would guess at -once that the unknown lady was Queen Beelzebub attending to her -iniquitous business, and an inquiry at the shed would soon inform him -of the pursuit. Halliday believed that on the morrow Laurance, -together with the police, would arrive at Sheepeak, and then the end -would come. Meanwhile he was in great danger unless Freddy appeared in -time to rescue him, for Miss Armour was very spiteful and her last act -of power would undoubtedly be to murder him for the action he had -taken in bringing about her downfall. But this had to be faced, and, -if death was certain, he hoped that it would be immediate, since even -his brave nature quailed at the idea of suffering ingenious Chinese -tortures. As to Lillian, Dan was quite sure she would not be harmed, -because Queen Beelzebub had her hands full and would not have time to -kill her. Indeed, if she decided to do so, it would not be easy for -her to find anyone to execute her commands, for every member of the -Society of Flies must by this time have been aware of the danger which -threatened their organization. Halliday believed that the telegrams -alluded to by Miss Armour and which were to be sent by Mrs. Jarsell -were intended to summon the members to a conference. Yet, what use -such a meeting would be, the young man could not think. The net of the -law would capture the entire gang without doubt. And yet Queen -Beelzebub was so infernally cunning that Dan could not be sure she -would not find some means of saving herself and her subjects, even at -the eleventh hour. - -In thoughts such as these the night passed slowly and the hours seemed -interminable. The candle in the lantern burned itself out, and he -found himself in complete darkness, while the silence was only broken -by the drip of water from the walls, or by his own breathing and -restless movements. Dan felt as though he were in a tomb, and his -lively imagination conjured up all kinds of horrors until, worn out -physically and mentally, he fell into a profound slumber. When he -opened his eyes again, it was dawn, for he saw the cold light -streaming down through the air shaft. A glance at his watch assured -him that it was seven o'clock, and he wondered if food would be -brought to him shortly. As he had only eaten a sandwich and drank a -glass of port-wine since a yesterday morning breakfast, he felt most -uncommonly hungry, and, in spite of the peril in which he stood, he -longed ardently for food. In the meantime, for comfort, he lighted his -pipe again, sat on his bed, and watched the thin beam of sunlight move -slowly across the stone floor of his cell. This was an unexpected -adventure, sure enough, and, unpleasant as it was now, it promised to -be still more unpleasant before it was concluded. All that Halliday -could hope for was that Laurance, with the police, would arrive in -time to save his life, and deliver him from imprisonment. - -At ten o'clock--Dan looked again at his watch when the door -opened--Mrs. Jarsell entered with a tray, on which were two boiled -eggs, bread and butter, and coffee. Placing this on the table, she was -about to leave, as she had entered, in silence, when Dan caught her -dress. At once, with a shiver, she drew back and displayed the lancet -tipped with the serpent-poison. - -"If you try to escape, I shall kill you," she said in her heavy voice. - -Dan looked at her curiously, and saw that she was less imposing than -ever for all her massive looks. All her self-restraint was gone, her -eyes were red; her face was disfigured with tears; and her big body -looked flabby and inert. A greater collapse or a more pitiful -spectacle can scarcely be imagined, and Dan felt quite sorry for her, -even though he knew she was banded against him with others to bring -him to a cruel death. "I shall not try to escape," he said, slowly; -"that is, I shan't try just now." - -Pausing at the door, Mrs. Jarsell, still on guard with the lancet, -looked at him sorrowfully. "You can never escape," she said brokenly, -"try as you may, for the house is guarded by four men, who are sworn -to obey Miss Armour." - -"Queen Beelzebub, you mean," said Halliday with a shrug. - -"I wish I had never heard the name," cried Mrs. Jarsell with a sob. - -"I quite believe that. I am very sorry for you." - -"You have every need to be. Thanks to you, we are all caught in a -trap, and there is no means of escape." - -"Really. I thought that Miss Armour----" - -Mrs. Jarsell shuddered. "She has an idea, but I hope it will not be -necessary for her to carry out her idea. After all, things may not be -so bad as they seem, Mr. Halliday." - -"If you mean the police, I am afraid they are," he retorted with -another shrug and with great emphasis; "by this time my friend -Laurance has informed the Scotland Yard authorities of what we know." - -"What do you know?" demanded Mrs. Jarsell, with a gasp, and she was -forced to lean against the door for support. - -"Everything," said Dan, briefly; "so with your permission I shall have -my breakfast, Mrs. Jarsell," and he began to eat with a good appetite. - -"Oh, how can you; how can you?" cried the big woman, convulsively; -"think of the danger you stand in." - -"I shall escape!" - -"Escape, and from Queen Beelzebub? Nobody has ever escaped her." - -"I shall, and you will be the means of my escaping." - -"Me?" Mrs. Jarsell used bad grammar in her astonishment; "how can -I----" - -"That is your affair," broke in Halliday, pouring out the coffee. - -"Why should I help you to escape?" - -"Because you are a woman and not a fiend. Miss Armour is one, I admit, -but I can see very plainly that you are a most unwilling accomplice." - -"I am, I am," cried Mrs. Jarsell, vehemently; "years ago I was a -decent woman, a good woman. She came into my life again and poisoned -my existence. She worked on my jealousy and on my fear and----" - -"I know; I know. She enabled you to get rid of your husband." - -"Ah!" Mrs. Jarsell reeled back as though she had been struck; "she -told you that, did she?" - -"She told me everything." - -"Then you will never escape; she would never let you go free with the -knowledge you have of her secrets. You are doomed. As to my husband," -Mrs. Jarsell appeared to be speaking more to herself than to Dan, "he -was a wicked and cruel wretch. He starved me, he beat me, he was -unfaithful to me, and led me such a life as no woman could endure. -Miss Armour showed me how to rid myself of him, when I was distraught -with misery and passion. I thought it was sympathy with me that made -her help me. It was not. All she desired was to gain some hold over -me, and use my money for her own vile ends." - -"You don't appear to love her," said Halliday, coolly. - -The woman closed the door, placed her back against it and clenched her -hands in a cold fury. "I hate her; I loathe her; I detest her," she -cried, in a guttural voice, evidently consumed with rage. "For years -and years and years I have been her slave. After I killed my husband, -under her directions--although I don't deny but what he deserved -death--there was no retreat for me, as she could have, and would have, -informed the police. I should have been hanged. She made use of her -power to use my money in order to create this wicked society. It -murders and slays and blackmails and----" - -"I know; I know," said Dan, soothingly; "she told me all about it." - -"Then you know how evil she is! I have had to commit crimes, from -which my better self shrank, at her command." - -"Such as the murder of Durwin," put in Dan, quickly. - -"That is only one out of many. Deeper and deeper I have sunk into the -mire and now the end has come. I am glad of it." - -"Why not turn king's evidence, and denounce this woman and her gang? -Then you would be pardoned." - -"There is no pardon for my wickedness," said Mrs. Jarsell, in a sombre -tone. "I have sown, and I must reap as I have sown. It is too late. I -know that your friend will come with the police. They will find the -whole wicked lot of criminals here, which constitute the Society of -Flies." - -"Ah! those telegrams?" - -"Yes. I sent off thirty last night, for now Penn and Curberry are dead -there are just thirty members. Today all will come up, since the -danger to all is so great. I sent the wires last night, and I am -confident that the members have started for Sheepeak this morning. -This afternoon everyone will be under this roof. All the worse for -you." - -Dan quailed. "Does she really mean to torture me?" he asked nervously, -and it was little to be wondered at that such a prospect did make him -feel sick. - -"Yes, she does," rejoined Mrs. Jarsell, gloomily; "when the members -find that there is no escape, they will be delighted to see the man -who had brought this danger on them mutilated and done to death by -inches." - -"A pleasant set of people," muttered Dan, bracing himself to meet the -worst, "but I think you would not care to see me tortured." - -"No, I wouldn't. You are brave, and young, and clever, and handsome----" - -"And," added Dan, quickly, thinking of a means to move her to help -him. "I am to marry Lillian Moon. Surely you have some sympathy with -me and with her?" - -"Supposing I have; what can I do?" - -"Help me to escape," said Dan, persuasively. - -"It's impossible," she growled, and went suddenly away, closing the -door after her with a bang that sounded in Dan's ears like his -death-warrant. - -All the same, with the courage of a brave nature, and the hopefulness -inseparable from youth, he went on with his meal, hoping for the best. -Mrs. Jarsell was moved by his plight; he saw that, and, deeply stained -as she was with compulsory crimes, she might hope to atone for them by -doing one good act. At the eleventh hour she might set him free, and -undoubtedly she would think over what he had said. This woman, unlike -the others, was not entirely evil, and the seeds of good in her breast -might bring forth repentance and a consequent help. Dan knew that he -was clinging to a straw, but in his present dilemma there was nothing -else to cling to. - -After breakfast he lay down again, and again began to smoke. For hours -he waited to hear his fate, sometimes stretched on his bed, sometimes -seated in the chair and occasionally walking up and down the confined -space of his cell. He could not disguise from himself that things were -desperate. His sole hope of escape lay with Mrs. Jarsell, and that was -but a slight one. Even though her remorse might wish to aid him, her -terror of Queen Beelzebub might be too strong to let her move in the -matter. Halliday was uncommonly brave and extraordinarily hopeful, yet -the perspiration beaded his forehead, and he shivered at the prospect -of torture. Without doubt he was in hell, and the devils presided over -by the infernal queen were waiting to inflict pains and penalties on -him. It terrified him to think that---- - -"But this won't do," said Dan to himself, as he heard the key -grate in the lock, late in the afternoon. "I must pull myself -together and smile. Whatever these beasts do to me, I must die game. -But--but--Lillian." - -With a quiet smile he turned to greet Mrs. Jarsell, who did not look -him in the face, nor did she even speak. With a gesture, he was -invited to come out, and for the moment had a wild idea of escape as -soon as he reached the upper portion of that wicked house. But the -sight of the lancet in her hand prevented him from making a dash for -liberty. He knew that the merest scratch would make him a corpse, so -it was not worth while to risk the attempt. Only when he was at the -door of the barbaric sitting-room he whispered to Mrs. Jarsell, "You -will help me to escape. I know you will. Even now you are thinking of -ways and means." - -"Perhaps," she gasped in a low whisper; then hastily flung open the -door and pushed him into the room. - -With that word of hope ringing in his ears, Halliday faced his judges -with a smile on his lips. The room was filled with people, who greeted -his entrance with a roar of anger. He was spat upon, struck at, kicked -and shaken by those despairing creatures, whom he had brought to book. -Queen Beelzebub, seated in her big chair, at the end of the apartment, -smiled viciously when she saw his reception, but did not interfere for -some moments. Then she waved her hand. - -"Let him be; let him be," she said, in her malicious, silvery voice; -"you shall have all the revenge you desire. But let everything be done -in order." - -Left alone by the furies, Halliday stood with his back to the door, -and with Mrs. Jarsell on guard beside him. He glanced round at the -pallid faces and thought that he had never seen such an assemblage of -terror. There were old men and young men, mixed with women of the -higher and lower classes. Some were well-dressed, while others were -badly clothed; some were handsome and others were ugly. But one and -all bore the mark of despair written on their white faces and in their -agonized eyes. It was like a gathering of the damned and only the -individual who had damned them, one and all, seemed to be unmoved. -Queen Beelzebub appeared calm and unshaken, looking at her prisoner -quietly and speaking in a tranquil manner. Dan found himself wondering -if this creature was indeed a human being or a fiend. - -"We are all here," said Miss Armour, in a dignified manner, and, -waving her hand again, this time to indicate the assembly, "this is -the Society of Flies which you see face to face for the first and the -last time. You have brought us together for an unpleasant purpose----" - -"To torture and murder me, I suppose," said Halliday, with studied -insolence, and bracing his courage with the memory of Mrs. Jarsell's -whispered word. - -"No. That part of our business is pleasant," Queen Beelzebub assured -him. "I look forward to enjoyment when I see you writhing in torment. -But the unpleasant purpose is the disbanding of our society." - -A wail of terror arose from those present. Some dropped on their knees -and beat the ground with their foreheads; others stood stiff and -terror-struck, while a few dropped limply on the floor, grovelling in -despair. Since all these people were criminals, who had inflicted -death and sorrow on others, it was strange how they hated a dose of -their own medicine. Even in the midst of his fears, Dan found himself -wondering at the illogicality of the degenerate mob, who expected to -do evil and yet enjoy peace. Then he remembered that cruelty always -means cowardice, and no longer marvelled at the expression of dread -and fear on every ghastly face. - -"How I propose to disband our society," went on Queen Beelzebub, quite -unmoved by that agonized wail, "there is no need for you to know. It -may be that we shall break up, and each one will go here, there, and -the other place. It is certain that we cannot keep together since I -have received news of the police being after us." - -"Headed by Laurance." - -"Exactly. Headed by your friend Laurance. I should like to punish him, -but there is no time, so you will have to bear his punishment as well -as your own, Mr. Halliday. What have you to say why we should not -torture you and kill you, and force you to die by inches?" - -Fists were shaken, feet were stamped, and a dozen voices asked the -same question. Dan looked round at his foes calmly, and shrugged his -shoulders in contempt. There was a burst of jeering laughter. "You -won't look like that," said Queen Beelzebub, significantly, -"when----" she broke off with a dreadful laugh and glanced at the -fire-place. - -There Dan saw irons of curious shape, pincers and files and tongs, -and, what was worst of all, in the centre of the flames reddened a -circle of steel. He could not help turning pale as he guessed that -this would be placed on his head, and again he comforted himself with -the memory that Mrs. Jarsell, even at the eleventh hour, might help -him. When he changed color, there was a second burst of laughter, and -Halliday glared fiercely around. - -"Are you human beings or fiends?" he asked, "to think of torturing me. -Kill me if you will, but shame as men and women should prevent you -mutilating a man who has done you no harm." - -"No harm?" It was Queen Beelzebub who spoke, while her subjects -snarled like ill-fed beasts. "You dare to say that when you have -brought us to this pass?" - -"I acted in the cause of law and order," said Dan, boldly. - -"We despise law and order." - -"Yet you are now being brought to book by what you despise," retorted -the prisoner, and again there came that unhuman snarl. - -"The more you speak in that way the worse it will be for you," said -Miss Armour, coldly; "yet you can escape some tortures if you will -tell us all how you came to learn the truth about us." - -"I don't care a damn about your tortures," said Dan, valiantly, "and I -will explain what you ask just to show that, clever as your -organization is, it cannot escape discovery. Nor has it. You are all -snared here like rats in a trap, and, should you venture out of this -house, you will be caught by the authorities, to be hanged as you -deserve." - -A howl of rage went up, and Queen Beelzebub waved her hand once more. -"All in good time," she said, quietly; "let us hear what he has to -explain." - -"It was the Sumatra scent on the body of Sir Charles Moon which put me -on the track," declared Dan, folding his arms. "I traced it to Penn, -who told me a lie about it. I believed him at the moment and -disbelieved him when I smelt the same perfume in this very room." - -"Here?" questioned Miss Armour, and for the first time her face wore -an expression of dismay, as if she had been caught napping. - -"Yes. If you remember, I spoke about your cards being scented. You -told me a lie about it. But that clue connected you with Moon's -murder. I watched you and I watched Mrs. Jarsell. I saw her face in a -cinematograph which was taken on the day of the London to York race -when Durwin was murdered." - -"Oh!" Mrs. Jarsell gasped and moaned, and Dan could hear some of the -men in impotent fury grind their teeth. Queen Beelzebub was as calm as -ever. - -"Penn told me much when I was taking him for that flight in which I -said I would throw him overboard unless he confessed. Then I was taken -to the headquarters of your society in London, and again smelt the -perfume. I believed that Queen Beelzebub was Mrs. Jarsell, and was -astonished when I found Miss Armour played that part. Penn's -confession was not all destroyed, and my friend Laurance has by this -time shown what remains of it to the police." - -"And the telegram which Curberry received?" demanded Queen Beelzebub. - -"Laurance sent that in vague terms so as to frighten Curberry. It did, -and he committed suicide after declaring to me that he murdered Penn -by your damned orders, Miss Armour. Then----" - -"Thank you, we know the rest," she said in a quiet tone, which was -infinitely sinister in its suggestion; "you followed me in the -aeroplane, and smashed us both up." - -"He broke my machines, the two of them," said a hoarse voice of wrath, -and Dan looked sideways to see Vincent glaring at him furiously. - -"Well, you have fallen into your own trap," said Queen Beelzebub, -savagely. "I caught you, and I hold you, and, after we have had a -conference as to how you will be tortured, you will expiate your -crimes." - -"Crimes," echoed Dan; "that's a nice way to put the matter. I have -done a service to the State by ridding the world of all you devils. -You can't escape hanging, not one of you," and he looked defiantly -round the room. - -"We shall all escape," said Queen Beelzebub, quietly; "those who think -that they will not have no trust in me." She rose and stretched out -her arms. "I have never failed you; never, never. I shall not fail you -now. I swear that not a single one of you will suffer on the gallows." - -Apparently her sway over the society was great, and they believed that -she could accomplish even impossibilities, for the faces of all -cleared as if by magic. The look of dread, the expression of terror -disappeared, and there only remained an uneasy feeling, as though none -felt themselves quite safe until Queen Beelzebub performed her -promise. For his part, Dan believed that the woman was lying, as he -could not see how any could win free of the net which was even now -being cast over the house. - -"You are a set of fools, as well as a pack of wolves," cried the young -man, in a vehement manner; "the police know too much for you to escape -them. My friend Laurance will lead them here; he knows this house; you -are safely trapped, say what that woman will. Thieves, rogues, liars, -murderers----" - -"Lawyers, doctors, actors, soldiers," scoffed Queen Beelzebub; "they -all belong to the Society of Flies and you can see them here, Mr. -Halliday. Some of those ladies are in society; some are in shops; some -are married, and others are not. But both men and women have acted for -the good of the society, which I have founded, to give each and -everyone what he or she desires." - -"You are all devils," raged Dan, his wrath getting the better of his -discretion; "red-handed criminals. The only decent one amongst you is -Mrs. Jarsell." - -"I am decent?" gasped Mrs. Jarsell, looking up, surprised. - -"Yes; because you were driven by that fiend," he pointed to the -smiling Miss Armour, "to compulsory crimes. You feel remorse----" - -"Does she?" cried Queen Beelzebub, gaily; "and what good does that do, -my very dear Eliza, when you know what you have to do?" - -Mrs. Jarsell looked at her companion with a long and deadly look of -hate, such as Dan had never thought a face was capable of expressing. -"I loath and detest you," she said, slowly, "but for you I would have -been a good woman. I have been driven to sin by you." - -"And I shall still drive you," shouted Queen Beelzebub, furiously; -"take that man away until we decide what tortures we will inflict on -him. Then when he is dead and punished for his meddling, you will -either do what I have commanded you to do, or you shall be tortured -also!" - -The assembly, now quite certain that in some way their head would -deliver them from the talons of the law, shouted joyfully, glad to -think that two people would be done to death instead of one. Mrs. -Jarsell smiled in a faint, bitter manner. - -"You shall be obeyed," she said, slowly; "come Mr. Halliday!" - -"And say your prayers," cried Queen Beelzebub, as the door opened to -let the pair out; "you'll need them"; and, as the door closed with Dan -and Mrs. Jarsell on the outside, the young man heard again that cruel -laughter. - -"They are all in there," whispered the woman, catching Dan's wrist and -speaking hurriedly; "the men who captured you included. The house is -quite empty outside that room. Come." - -"Where will you take me?" inquired Dan, hanging back and wincing, for -now his fate hung in the balance, indeed. - -"Outside; I am setting you free. Run away and probably you will meet -your friend and the police. And pray for me; pray for me," she ended, -vehemently. - -"Why not come also," said Dan, when he found himself at the entrance -door of The Grange; "you are a good woman, and----" - -"I am not good. I am wicked, and may God forgive me. But I am doing -one decent thing, and that is to set you free, to marry Lillian Moon. -When you leave this house, I shall do another decent deed." - -"And that is?" Dan stepped outside, yet lingered to hear her answer. - -"You shall see. Tell the police not to come too near the house," and -in a hurry she pushed him away and bolted the door. - -Halliday ran for all he was worth from that wicked dwelling. On the -high road he saw a body of men approaching, and was certain that here -were the police and Laurance coming to save him. Shouting with glee at -his escape, he hastened towards them, when he heard a sullen heavy -boom like distant thunder. He looked back at The Grange and saw a vast -column of smoke towering into the sunlight. Then came a rain of -debris. At last the Society of Flies was disbanded, for the house and -its wicked inhabitants were shattered into infinitesimal fragments. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -SUNSHINE - - -After the storm came the calm, and with the spring a realization of -Mr. Halliday's hopes with regard to his future. Sir John Moon no -longer objected to Dan as the husband of his niece, and was indeed -profoundly thankful that she had escaped becoming Lady Curberry. The -story of the Society of Flies and the wickedness of Queen Beelzebub -and the blowing up of The Grange was a nine days wonder. The papers, -for some weeks, were filled with little else, and _The Moment_ almost -doubled its circulation when the able pen of Mr. Frederick Laurance -set forth the complete story. Halliday became quite a hero, as indeed -he was, although he did not appreciate the rewards of his conduct. To -be interviewed, to have his portrait, more or less unlike him, in -dozens of illustrated papers, to receive offers from music-hall -managers, and even proposals of marriage from various enthusiastic -ladies, did not appeal to Dan. As soon as he could, he went out of -London and took refuge in Sir John's country seat so as to escape -publicity. - -Needless to say, Lillian was there, and Mrs. Bolstreath also. Laurance -was due within seven days to be Dan's best man at the June wedding, -and with him Mildred was coming at Lillian's special request. Once, -twice, and again the owner of the house had heard the story of the -late events, and also had read them more or less garbled in different -newspapers. Yet he never wearied of the recital, and admired Halliday -greatly for the part he had played. From objecting to Dan as a -nephew-in-law, the baronet now urgently desired that he should make -Lillian Mrs. Halliday. In fact, when he thought of what the young man -had saved Lillian from, the uncle of the girl could not do enough for -his estimable young friend. So Dan, having become famous, was about to -become rich, but neither fame nor wealth appealed to him so much as -the undoubted fact that he was on the eve of wedding the girl he -adored. - -"And I think," said Lillian, holding on to Dan as if she feared to -lose him, "that you and I would be as happy in a cottage as in a -palace. Money is a nuisance, I think, dear." - -"You say that because you have never experienced the want of it," said -Dan, in a sententious manner. All the same he slipped his arm round -the girl's slim waist, and kissed her for the pretty sentiment she had -expressed relative to a poor but Arcadian existence. - -The happy pair, not yet joined in holy matrimony, but to be made one -in seven days, were seated in the delightful garden of Sir John's -house, which was situated in the pleasant county of Devon. They had -strolled out after dinner, leaving Mrs. Bolstreath to chat with the -baronet, who approved of the big, placid woman, and enjoyed her -society. Lillian and Dan, however, liked to be in one another's -company without any third person to spoil their pleasures and on this -occasion--being humored as lovers--they were entirely alone. The -garden sloped down to a yellow beach, which was the curve of a tiny -bay, and under the orb of a brilliant May moon the waters of the vast -sea murmured softly almost at their feet. There was a marble bench -here, with a marble statue of Cupid near at hand, perched on a -pedestal, so the spot was quite that which lovers would have chosen. -Dan chose it because the screen of shrubs and trees quite shut off the -nook they occupied from the many windows of the great house, and he -could kiss Lillian when he wished, without any uneasy feeling that -someone was looking on. It is quite unnecessary to say that he -frequently availed himself of his privilege. The about-to-be bride -fully approved of his ardor in this respect. - -"But you really must be serious," said Miss Moon, sedately, after the -last embrace given out of compliment to her love-in-a-cottage -sentiment. "I want to ask you a few questions." - -"Ask what you will; I can deny you nothing." - -"It's about the Society of Flies," hesitated the girl. - -"My dear," said Dan, patiently, and coaxing a loose leaf around his -cigar, "I don't want to be disagreeable, but I am really tired of the -Society of Flies." - -"Only a few questions," said Lillian, nestling to his side, "and then -we can forget all about the matter." - -"That won't be easy for me to do," replied Mr. Halliday, rather -grimly. "I can never forget what I suffered when I was expecting to be -tortured by that fiend." - -"Queen Beelzebub?" - -"She could not have chosen a better name, my dear. I sometimes doubt -if she was a human being at all." - -"Poor, misguided woman," murmured Lillian, resting her head on Dan's -shoulder. - -"Don't pity her, dear. She does not deserve your pity. Now, Mrs. -Jarsell--I have always been sorry for her." - -"So have I," said the girl, promptly; "she was very good to you, -dear." - -"Good is a weak way of expressing what I owe her," retorted Halliday; -"think of what she saved me from." - -"Perhaps Queen Beelzebub would not have tortured you, after all." - -Dan laughed incredulously. "I shouldn't have cared to have trusted to -her mercy. I tell you, Lillian, as I have told you before, that -already the implements of torture were being made ready. They would -have crowned me with a red-hot circlet of steel, and pinched my flesh -with red-hot pincers, and----" - -"Don't, oh, don't." Lillian turned pale. "It is really too dreadful. -And to think that I was with Bolly at Mrs. Pelgrin's, quite ignorant -of the peril you were in. I wish I had been with you." - -"I am glad you were not. My one feeling of thankfulness was that you -had escaped being hurt in any way. I didn't mind dying so long as you -were all right, my darling, although I much prefer being alive and -here. Lillian, my dear, don't cry; it's all over, weeks ago." - -"I--I--I can't--can't help it," sobbed the girl, clinging to him; "it -is all so dreadful. When Mr. Laurance came that day with the police -and said you were at The Grange, I thought I should have died." - -"There, there," Dan soothed her, as he would have soothed a fretful -child; "it is all over and done with. By the way, how was Freddy so -certain that I was at The Grange? He never quite explained his -certainty." - -"Well, dear," said Miss Moon, drying her eyes with Dan's handkerchief, -"when he did not hear from you in London, he went down to Blackheath -with Inspector Tenson of Hampstead. They saw the local inspector and -called at Lord Curberry's house, after what Mr. Laurance told. But -already a policeman had been summoned by the servants. Lord Curberry -was dead of poison, and they found his confession, saying how he had -taken it because he believed that his connection with the Society of -Flies was found out. Then the servants explained how Queen Beelzebub -had come in an aeroplane----" - -"They did not call her Queen Beelzebub--the servants I mean," said -Dan, who had heard the explanation before but was glad to hear it -again told in Lillian's soft voice. - -"No; they did not know who she was, as she was cloaked and veiled. But -they told Mr. Laurance that you had declared this veiled lady had -murdered Lord Curberry--that wasn't true, you know." - -"True enough in one sense," interrupted Dan, quickly, "seeing that she -drove him to suicide. Well?" - -"Well, then, Mr. Laurance guessed that she was Queen Beelzebub and -wondered where you were. He went to the shed where you kept your -aeroplane and heard that you had followed her. Those at the shed -thought that it was a race." - -"It was," said Dan, grimly, again, "and I won." - -"Mr. Laurance guessed that you had followed her all the way to -Sheepeak, although he fancied, and indeed hoped, that both aeroplanes -had broken down. He dreaded lest you should get into trouble at -Sheepeak." - -"Which I certainly did, although not quite in the way Freddy -expected." - -Lillian laughed at the memory of his escape, and rubbed her soft face -on the sleeve of his coat. "Mr. Laurance told the police all about the -matter, and they wished to telegraph to Thawley, so that the police -there might go over to Sheepeak. But Mr. Laurance stopped them, as he -fancied you might have been taken captive by Queen Beelzebub, and that -if such a move was made, she might hurt you." - -"She intended to hurt me very severely. And then Freddy heard from the -police about those numerous telegrams all in the same words, calling -thirty people to Sheepeak. It was the similarity of the messages that -made the telegraph authorities suspicious and, when the police came to -ask--knowing where Queen Beelzebub lived from Freddy--they were shown -the telegrams." - -"But by that time all those who got the telegrams had come north," -said Lillian, quite excited; "they all went up by the early train." - -"Yes, and the police, with Freddy, followed, delaying action until -such time as they thought they could collar the whole gang. By jove, -they just came in time. Freddy was a fool to tell you that I was in -The Grange." - -"He was not quite certain, and only thought so because the wrecked -aeroplanes were found in the field near the house. Oh, Dan," Lillian -put her arms round her lover's neck, "Mr. Laurance told me how -thankful he was when he saw you running along the road and knew that -you had escaped." - -"He might have been thankful also that I caused him and the body of -police to halt," said Dan, quickly; "if they had not, everyone would -have been blown up. As it was, I very nearly got smashed by the -falling sticks and stones and what not. There must have been tons of -dynamite in the cellars of The Grange." - -"Who do you think put it there, Dan?" - -"Queen Beelzebub, of course. She said that she had made everything -ready against possible discovery, and warned poor Mrs. Jarsell that -she would have to commit a last crime. Crime, by Jove. Why the best -day's work the woman ever did was to blow up that gang of devils." - -"I suppose Mrs. Jarsell did blow up the house, Dan?" - -"Of course she did. Her heart softened for some reason, and she pushed -me out of danger. Then she must have gone straight down to the cellar, -and set a light to the stored dynamite. The explosion happened so -quickly after I was free that I am sure she acted in that way. It was -certainly efficacious, for not one of the blackguards, either men or -women, remained alive to be hanged." - -"Well, that was a good thing," said Miss Moon, with a shudder; "you -know that their relatives would have been disgraced." - -Dan nodded. "Quite so, and the names have never become public. This -person and that person and the other person disappeared from various -neighborhoods and from various family circles. But, when the relatives -read about the explosion in Hillshire and Freddy's brilliant account -of that infernal society, they made a pretty good guess as to what had -happened to the disappearing party. Very few people gave information -to the police that their relatives or friends had disappeared. Tenson -was rather annoyed, as he wanted to make a big fuss over the matter." - -"I don't see what bigger fuss could have been made, Dan. Why, the -papers were filled with nothing else for weeks." - -"All the same, Tenson wanted the names of those who belonged to the -gang, and people declined to gives names of those who had disappeared -from their midst. We know that Curberry belonged to the gang, and -Penn; also Mrs. Jarsell, Vincent, and Queen Beelzebub. But only one or -two other names came to light in print." - -"I think," said Lillian, thoughtfully, "that so many well-connected -people were mixed up in the matter that everything was hushed up as -much as was possible." - -"H'm," said Halliday, throwing away the butt end of his cigar; "it is -not unlikely that a hint was given in high quarters that no more need -be said than was absolutely necessary. Heigh ho!" He rose and -stretched; "I am weary of the business. Come down and walk on the -beach, dear, and let us talk about ourselves." - -Lillian was only too glad and the lovers descended the marble steps -which led down gently to the sands. The moon glowed, pure silver in a -sky of the darkest blue, with the old moon in her radiant arms. In -dark ripples, fringed with creaming white, the wavelets murmured on -the sands, and at either side of the bay great cliffs bulked, huge and -densely black. It was a night of soft winds and glorious moonshine, -fit for Romeo and Juliet to converse about love, yet Lillian still -harped on the prosaic facts of the dangers she and Dan had escaped. -Perhaps it was natural, for they had assuredly passed through a most -trying time. - -"Why did Queen Beelzebub found such a wicked society?" asked Lillian. - -"She wanted power and perverted her talents to base ends in order to -gain it, my dear. Well, well, she has gone to her account, so we need -say no more about her. She was a clever woman, but a fiend incarnate." - -"And Mrs. Jarsell?" - -"Poor soul. She was but an example of the influence of a strong mind -on a weak one. I think she loathed the whole business thoroughly, but -she had gone too far to retreat." - -"Do you think Mrs. Pelgrin or her nephew knew anything of the matter?" - -"No, I don't," said Halliday, very decidedly, "although Tenson had his -suspicions of George. Mrs. Jarsell, who was used as a blind by Miss -Armour, in her turn used George as a blind to say, if necessary, how -seldom she went to town. I forgot to tell you, Lillian, that the -police discovered that both Mrs. Jarsell and the leader of the society -used frequently to motor for miles and miles to different stations -further down the line in order to reach London without remark being -made. Mrs. Jarsell only used the Thawley Station so as to get George -Pelgrin's evidence that she scarcely ever went to town. In that way, -of course, it was next door to impossible to connect two harmless old -ladies with these many dreadful murders." - -"It was only your cleverness about that scent which formed the link," -said Lillian, proud of Dan's characteristic sharpness, "and by using -the biplane to travel to Blackheath, when Mr. Durwin was murdered, -Mrs. Jarsell was able to get Mrs. Pelgrin to prove an alibi." - -"Oh, it was chance that showed Mrs. Jarsell's complicity on that -occasion, my dear," said Dan, modestly; "but that we went into that -animated picture entertainment, we should never have known she was at -Blackheath. I suppose Miss Armour did not feel equal to committing -that particular crime, so sent Mrs. Jarsell to carry out the job." - -"Miss Armour was never really paralyzed, I suppose?" - -"No. She pretended to be when anyone paid a visit. Nor do I believe -that either she or Mrs. Jarsell were so old as they pretended to be. -What a queer thing human nature is," went on Dan, thoughtfully; "here -was Miss Armour, who could have lived a very pleasant and comfortable -life, plunging herself and that miserable woman into dangerous crime -just for the love of power. One would have thought that she would have -liked to show her power publicly, but she was quite content to be a -secret despot. I suppose it gave her a certain amount of pleasure, -though it is hard for a simple person like I am to see where it came -in." - -"But her power could not have been exercised amidst public applause, -Dan, seeing what it meant." - -"Quite so. The police would soon have ended her career had her -infernal sway been known." - -"Do you think," asked Lillian, after a pause, "that the members of the -society expected that explosion?" - -"No," answered Halliday, very promptly. "I do not, else, in spite of -the danger, I believe the half, if not the whole, of them would have -run out even into the arms of the police to be hanged in due course. -But they seemed to have an enormous belief in Queen Beelzebub, who was -undoubtedly as clever as her father the devil. The members expected -that in some way she would manage to save them. But all the time--as I -guessed, although I could not understand what she was aiming at--she -was preparing some way of getting rid of the lot, herself included. -She must have summoned them to a pretended conference so as to house -all under one roof and then fire the mine. I expect she filled the -cellars of _The Grange_ ages ago with dynamite, and arranged with Mrs. -Jarsell to explode the mine. Of course, where Mrs. Jarsell got the -better of Queen Beelzebub was that she did not give her the pleasure -of revenging herself on me, and fired the dynamite unexpectedly. While -Miss Armour and her demons were thinking how to torture me, they all -went--well, we won't say where they went. But there wasn't enough left -of them to form a single human being." - -"And there is an immense hole in the ground where The Grange stood," -said Lillian, with awe; "Mr. Laurance told me, and Mildred also." - -"I daresay that hole will form the basis of a legend in years to -come," was Dan's reply, "and a very picturesque story can be made out -of the material supplied by that infernal woman. She was as wicked and -cruel and callous as that Ezzelin who played dice with the arch-fiend. -By the way, Lillian, I suppose Mildred Vincent was very much cut up -over the death of her uncle." - -"No, she was not. Of course, she regretted his awful end, and that he -should have been so wicked, but he was never kind to her and she had -not much love for him. I don't know," ended Miss Moon, reflectively, -"if we can be sure that he ever committed a crime." - -"Yes, he did," declared Halliday, quickly; "every single member of -that society had to commit a crime in order to belong to the gang. -Vincent, I truly believe, was not a bad man, as his sole idea was a -craze for inventing aeroplanes. But Queen Beelzebub, wanting him for -her purpose, no doubt inveigled him into committing himself as a -criminal, as she inveigled Mrs. Jarsell and Curberry." - -"Poor Lord Curberry," sighed Lillian; "he is more to be pitied than -blamed. I don't think the young man who holds the title now cared that -he died." - -"Can you expect him to?" asked Dan, sceptically, "seeing he has got a -title and a lot of money. In a clean way, too, for Curberry consented -to the murder of two relatives so as to secure what he wanted. No, -Lillian, it is your kind heart that makes you pity Curberry, but he -was not a good man. No decent fellow would have belonged to that -association of demons. But I think we have discussed the subject -threadbare. Let us talk of more pleasant matters." - -"About Mr. Laurance and his marriage?" cried Lillian, gaily. - -"Well, yes, although being selfishly in love, I would much rather -discuss our own. Freddy will be able to marry Mildred now since you -have given him enough money to start a newspaper. It is very good of -you." - -"I don't think so," said Miss Moon, as they began to climb the steps -again, and return to the house. "Mr. Laurance helped you to learn who -killed my dear father, and deserved a reward, as you did. I gave him -money and----" - -"And you gave me yourself, so I have been rewarded very richly. Well, -Freddy will make a very good proprietor and editor of a newspaper, and -Mildred can help him to make it a success. All's well that ends well." - -"And you are quite--quite happy, dear?" - -"Quite, quite. Only I fear," Dan sighed, "that some people will call -me a fortune hunter, seeing that I, without a penny, am marrying a -rich woman." - -Lillian stopped in the path up to the house and took hold of the -lapels of Dan's coat to shake him. "How can you talk such nonsense," -she said reproachfully; "why, after your portrait and an account of -all you have done appearing in the papers, you could have married half -a dozen women." - -"But none so sweet as you, dear," said Halliday, kissing her, for her -lips were temptingly near his own; "well, I must not despise my good -fortune. But what can I give you in return, Miss Cr[oe]sus?" - -"A promise," said Lillian, earnestly, "that you will not go up any -more in those horrid flying-machines. I shall always be afraid of -losing you if you do; you know that quite well." - -"Let me take a tiny little flight occasionally," coaxed Dan, gaily. - -"Well, yes, on condition that you take me. If there is an accident, we -can be smashed up together. Don't argue;" she placed her hand on his -mouth; "that is the only way in which I shall agree to your flying." - -"Wilful woman will do what she wants," said Halliday, resignedly, and -tucked Lillian's arm beneath his own; "hello, there is Sir John and -Mrs. Bolstreath on the terrace. They seem to be very happy together." - -"So happy," whispered Lillian in his ear, "that I believe----" She -pursed up her lips and looked unutterable things. - -"Well," said Dan, laughing, "it would not be at all a bad thing for -Sir John to make Mrs. Bolstreath Lady Moon. She can nurse him and -amuse him and bury him in due course. What a heap of marriages; you -and I; Freddy and Mildred; Sir John and Mrs. Bolstreath. See; she's -waving her hand to us. Let us go inside, as it's growing a trifle -chilly." - -"Hark," said Lillian, raising her finger, and Dan listened to hear the -wild, delicious strain of a nightingale singing from a distant -thicket. - -"It sings of my love for you," he whispered, "and of your love for me. -What other than such a song can express our feelings, darling." - -"This," said Lillian, and kissed him fondly. - -"Clever girl!" - - - - -THE END - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mystery Queen, by Fergus Hume - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY QUEEN *** - -***** This file should be named 55137-8.txt or 55137-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/1/3/55137/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by -Google Books (The New York Public Library) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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