“I remember the episode to which you refer,” I replied. “I certainly saw
a shadow.”
“But what sort of shadow?”
“To me it seemed an indefinite, shapeless thing, as though caused by
someone moving behind the curtain.”
“It didn't look to you like--the shadow of a hand?”
“It might have been, but I could not be positive.”
Adderley groaned.
“Knox,” he said, “money is a curse. It has been a curse to me. If I have
had my fun, God knows I have paid for it.”
“Your idea of fun is probably a peculiar one,” I said dryly.
Let me confess that I was only suffering the man's society because of
an intense curiosity which now possessed me on learning that the lady of
Katong was still in Adderley's company.
Whether my repugnance for his society would have enabled me to remain
any longer I cannot say. But as if Fate had deliberately planned that I
should become a witness of the concluding phases of this secret drama,
we were now interrupted a second time, and again in a dramatic fashion.
Adderley's nondescript valet came in with letters and a rather large
brown paper parcel sealed and fastened with great care.
As the man went out:
“Surely that is from Singapore,” muttered Adderley, taking up the
parcel.
He seemed to become temporarily oblivious of my presence, and his face
grew even more haggard as he studied the writing upon the wrapper.
With unsteady fingers he untied it, and I lingered, watching curiously.
Presently out from the wrappings he took a very beautiful casket of
ebony and ivory, cunningly carved and standing upon four claw-like ivory
legs.
“What the devil's this?” he muttered.
He opened the box, which was lined with sandal-wood, and thereupon
started back with a great cry, recoiling from the casket as though
it had contained an adder. My former sentiments forgotten, I stepped
forward and peered into the interior. Then I, in turn, recoiled.
In the box lay a shrivelled yellow hand--with long tapering and
well-manicured nails--neatly severed at the wrist!
The nail of the index finger was enclosed in a tiny, delicately
fashioned case of gold, upon which were engraved a number of Chinese
characters.
Adderley sank down again upon the settee.
“My God!” he whispered, “his hand! His hand! He has sent me his hand!”
He began laughing. Whereupon, since I could see that the man was
practically hysterical because of his mysterious fears:
“Stop that,” I said sharply. “Pull yourself together, Adderley. What the
deuce is the matter with you?”
“Take it away!” he moaned, “take it away. Take the accursed thing away!”
“I admit it is an unpleasant gift to send to anybody,” I said, “but
probably you know more about it than I do.”
“Take it away,” he repeated. “Take it away, for God's sake, take it
away, Knox!”
He was quite beyond reason, and therefore:
“Very well,” I said, and wrapped the casket in the brown paper in which
it had come. “What do you want me to do with it?”
“Throw it in the river,” he answered. “Burn it. Do anything you like
with it, but take it out of my sight!”