made no appearance. My anxiety grew. There were times when I looked at
my white hair and doubted; when I almost despaired. But those times
passed and my spirits revived. On the whole, I was hopeful and waited
patiently; and in the end my hopes were justified and my patience
rewarded.
"It was a fair evening early in June--Wednesday evening, I
recollect--when at last he came. Fortunately the shop was empty, and
again, oddly enough, it was some Jewish holiday.
"I welcomed him effusively. No fierce glare came from my eyes now. I was
delighted to see him and he was flattered at the profound impression his
former visit had made on me. I began very deliberately, for I could
hardly hold the scissors and was afraid that he would notice the tremor;
which, in fact, he did.
"'Why does your hand shake so much, Mr. Vosper?' he asked in his
excellent English. 'You have not been curling your little finger, hein?'
"I reassured him on this point, but used a little extra care until the
tremor should subside; which it did as soon as I got over my first
excitement. Meanwhile I let him talk--he was a boastful, egotistical
oaf, as might have been expected--and I flattered and admired him until
he fairly purred with self-satisfaction. It was very necessary to get
him into a good humor.
"My terror from moment to moment was that some other customer should
come in, though a holiday evening was usually a blank in a business
sense until the Christian shops shut. Still, it was a serious danger
which impelled me to open my attack with as little delay as possible. I
had several alternative plans and I commenced with the one that I
thought most promising. Taking advantage of a little pause in the
conversation, I said in a confidential tone:
"'I wonder if you can give me a little advice. I want to find somebody
who will buy some valuable property without asking too many questions
and who won't talk about the deal afterwards. A safe person, you know.
Can you recommend me such a person?'
"He turned in the chair to look at me. All his self-complacent smiles
were gone in an instant. The face that looked into mine was the face of
as sinister a villain as I have ever clapped eyes on.
"'The person you mean,' he said fiercely, 'is a fence--a receiver. Why
do you ask me if I know a fence? Who are you? Are you a spy for the
police? Hein? What should I know about receivers? Answer me that!'
"He glared at me with such furious suspicion that I instinctively opened
my scissors and looked at the neighborhood of his carotid. But I took
his question quite pleasantly.
"'That's what they all say,' I remarked with a foolish smile.
"'Who do?' he demanded.
"'Everybody that I ask. They all say, "What should I know about fences?"
It's very inconvenient for me.'
"'Why is it inconvenient to you?' he asked less savagely and with
evidently awakening curiosity.
"I gave an embarrassed cough. 'Well, you see,' I said, 'it's this way.
Supposing I have some property--valuable property, but of a kind that is
of no use to me. Naturally I want to sell it. But I don't want it talked
about. I am a poor man. If I am known to be selling things of value,
people may make uncharitable remarks and busy-bodies may ask
inconvenient questions. You see my position?' Piragoff looked at me
fixedly, eagerly. A new light was in his eye now.
"'What have you got?' he demanded.
"I coughed again. 'Aha!' I said with a smile. 'It is you who are asking
questions now.'
"'But you ask me to advise you. How can I if I don't know what you have
got to sell? Perhaps I might buy the stuff myself. Hein?'
"'I think not,' said I, 'unless you can write a check for four figures.
But perhaps you can?'
"'Yes, perhaps I can, or perhaps I can get the money. Tell me what the
stuff is.'
"I clipped away at the top of my speed--and I could cut hair very
quickly if I tried. No fear of his slipping away now. I had him fast.
"'It's a complicated affair,' I said hesitatingly, 'and I don't want to
say much about it if you're not in the line. I thought you might be able
to put me on to a safe man in the regular trade.'
"Piragoff moved impatiently, then glanced at the parlor door.
"'Anyone in that room?' he asked.
"'No,' I answered, 'I live here all alone.'
"'No servant! No one to look after you?' he asked the question with
ill-concealed eagerness.
"'No. I look after myself. It's cheaper; and I want so little.'
"The last statement I made in accordance with a curious fact that I have
observed, which is that the really infallible method of impressing a
stranger with your wealth is to dilate on your poverty. The statement
had its usual effect. Piragoff fidgeted slightly, glanced at the shop
door and said:
"'Finish my hair quickly and let us go in there and talk about this.'
"I chuckled inwardly at his eagerness. Even his personal appearance had
become a secondary consideration. I bustled through the rest of the
operation, whisked off the cloth and opened the parlor door. He rose,
glanced at his reflection in the glass, looked quickly at the shop door
and followed me into the little room, shutting and bolting the door
after him.
"I watched him closely. I am no believer in the rubbish called
telepathy, but, by observing a person's face and actions, it is not
difficult to trace the direction of his thoughts. Piragoff gazed round
the room with the frank curiosity of the barbarian, and the look of
pleased surprise that he bestowed on the safe and the way in which his
glance traveled from that object to my person were easy enough to
interpret. Here was an iron safe, presumably containing valuables, and
here was an elderly man with the key of that safe in his pocket. The
corollary was obvious.
"'Is that another room?' he asked, pointing to the cellar door.
"I threw it open and let him look into the dark cavity. 'That,' I said,
'is the cellar. It has a door opening into the back yard, which has a
gate that opens into Bell's Alley. It might be useful. Don't you think
so?'
"He did think so; very emphatically, to judge by his expression. Very
useful indeed when you have knocked down an old man and rifled his
safe, to have a quiet exit at the back.
"'Now tell me about this stuff,' said he. 'Have you got it here?'
"'The fact is,' I said confidentially, 'I haven't got it at all--yet'
(his face fell perceptibly at this), 'but,' I added, 'I can get it when
I like; when I have arranged about disposing of it.'
"'But you've got a safe to keep it in,' he protested.
"'Yes, but I don't want to have it here. Besides, that safe won't hold
it all, if I take over the whole lot.'
"Piragoff's eyes fairly bulged with greed and excitement.
"'What sort of stuff is it? Silver?'
"'There _is_ some silver,' I said, superciliously; 'a good deal, in
fact. But that's hardly worth while. You see this stuff is a collection.
It belongs, at present, to one of those fools who collect jewelry and
church plate; monstrances, jeweled chalices and things of that kind.'
"Piragoff licked his lips. 'Aha!' said he, 'I am that sort of fool
myself.' He laughed uneasily, being evidently sorry he had spoken, and
continued:
"'And you can get all this when you want it, hein? But where is it now?'
"I smiled slyly. 'It is in a sort of private museum; but where that
museum is I am not going to say, or perhaps I may find it empty when I
call.'
"Piragoff looked at me earnestly. He had evidently written me down an
abject fool--and no wonder--and was considering how to manage me.
"'But this place--this museum--it must be a strong place. How are you
going to get in? Will you ring the bell?'
"'I shall let myself in with a latch-key,' I said jauntily.
"'Have you got the latch-key?'
"'Yes, and I have tried it. I had it from a friend who lives there.'
"Piragoff laughed outright. 'And she gave you the latch-key, hein?
Ha-ha! but you are a wicked old man. And it is strange too.' He glanced
from me to his reflection in the little mirror over the safe; and his
expression said as plainly as words, 'Now, if she had given it to _me_,
one could understand it.'
"'But,' he continued, 'when you are inside? The stuff will be locked up.
You are skilful, perhaps? You can open a safe, for instance? You have
tried?'
"'No, I've never actually tried, but it's easy enough. I've often opened
packing cases. And I don't think there is an iron safe. They are wooden
cabinets. It will be quite easy.'
"'Bah! Packing cases!' exclaimed Piragoff. He grasped my coat sleeve
excitedly. 'I tell you, my friend, it is not easy. It is very difficult.
I tell you this. I, who know. I am not in the line myself, but I have a
friend who does these things and he has shown me. I have some
skill--though I practice only for sport, you understand. It is very
difficult. You shall let yourself in, you shall find the stuff locked
up, you shall try to open the cabinet and you shall only make a great
noise. Then you shall come away empty, like a fool, and the police shall
set a watch on the house. The chance is gone and you have nothing.'
"I scratched my head like the fool that he thought me. 'That would be
rather awkward,' I admitted.
"'Awkward!' he exclaimed. 'It would be wicked! The chance of a lifetime
gone! Now, if you take with you a friend who has skill--hein?'
"'Ah!' I said craftily, 'but this is _my_ little nest egg. If I take a
friend I shall have to share.'
"'But there is enough for two. If your safe will not hold it, there is
more than you can carry. Besides, your friend shall not be greedy. If he
takes a third--or say a quarter? How much is the stuff worth?'
"'The collection is said to be worth a hundred thousand pounds.'
"'A hundred thousand!' gasped Piragoff. He was almost foaming at the
mouth. 'A hundred thousand! That would be twenty five for me--for your
friend--and seventy-five for you. It is impossible for one man. You
could not carry it. My friend,' again he grasped my sleeve persuasively,
'I will come with you. I am very skilful. I am strong. I am brave. You
shall be safe with me. I will be your comrade and you shall give a
quarter--or even less if you like.'
"He could afford to make easy terms--under the circumstances.
"I reflected awhile and at length said, 'Perhaps you are right. Some of
the things are large and gold is heavy--we should leave the silver. It
would take two to carry it all. Yes, you shall come with me and bring
the necessary tools. When shall we do it? Any night will do for me.'
"He reflected, with an air of slight embarrassment, and then asked:
"'Do you open your shop on Sunday?'
"The question took a load off my mind. I had been speculating on what
plan of action he would adopt. Now I knew. And his plan would suit me to
a nicety.
"'No,' I said, 'I never open on Sunday.'
"'Then,' said he, 'we will do the job on Saturday night or Sunday
morning. That will give us a quiet day to break up the stuff.'
"'Yes. That will be a good arrangement. Will you come here on Saturday
night and start with me?'
"'No, no!' he replied. 'That would never do. We must not be seen
together. Give me a rendezvous. We will meet near the place.'
"Quite so! It would never do for us to be seen together in Whitechapel
where we were both known. The fact might be mentioned at the inquest. It
would be most inconvenient for Piragoff.
"'And, look you,' he continued; 'wear a top-hat and good clothes; if you
have an evening suit, put it on. And bring a new Gladstone bag with some
clothes in it. Where will you meet me?'
"I mentioned Upper Bedford Place and suggested half-past twelve, to
which he agreed; and, after sending me out to see that the coast was
clear, he took his leave, twisting his waxed mustache as he went out.
"I was, on the whole, very well pleased with the arrangement.
Particularly pleased was I with Piragoff's transparent plan for
disposing of me. For, now that it really came to action, I found myself
shying somewhat at the office of executioner; though I meant to do my
duty all the same. But the fact that this man was already arranging
coolly to murder me made my task less unpalatable. The British sporting
instinct is incurable.
"Piragoff's scheme was perfectly simple. We should go together to the
house, we should bring away the spoil--I carrying half--convey it to my
premises in Saul Street early on Sunday morning. Then we should break up
the 'stuff,' and when our labors were concluded, and I was of no further
use, he would knock me on the head. The quiet back gate would enable him
to carry away the booty in instalments to his lodgings. Then he would
lock the gate and vanish. In a few days the police would break into my
house and find my body; and Mr. Piragoff, in his hotel at, say
Amsterdam, would read an account of the inquest. It was delightfully
simple and effective, but it failed to take into account the player on
the opposite side of the board.
"The interval between Wednesday and Saturday was a time of anxious
thought and considerable excitement. I went out every night, and had
the pleasure of discovering that I was honored by the attendance--at a
little distance--of Mr. Piragoff. One evening only I eluded him, and
watched him drive off furiously in a hansom in pursuit of another hansom
which was supposed to contain me. On that night I visited the museum.
Not that I had anything special to do. My very complete and even
elaborate arrangements had been made some time before and I now had only
to look them over and see that they were in going order; to test, for
instance, the brass handle that was connected with the electric main,
and see that the well-oiled blocks of a couple of purchase tackles ran
smoothly and silently. Everything was in working trim, even to the
concussor, stowed out of sight, but within easy reach, in its narrow
basket.
"Saturday night arrived in due course. I shut up the shop at nine, put
on evening clothes, took the newly-purchased Gladstone and hailed a
hansom. I drove, in the first place, to the Criterion Restaurant and
dined delicately but substantially, carefully avoiding indigestible
dishes. From the restaurant I drove to the museum, where I loitered,
making a final inspection of my arrangements, until twenty-five minutes
past twelve. Then I came forth and walked quietly to Upper Bedford
Place.
"As I turned the corner and looked down the wide thoroughfare the long
stretch of pavement contained but a single figure; a dim, dark blot on
the gray of the summer night. It moved towards me, and, resolving itself
into a definite shape, showed me Piragoff in evening dress, enveloped in
a voluminous overcoat and carrying a small hand-bag.
"'You are punctual, Vosper,' he said graciously. 'Shall we make our
visit now? Is the house quiet yet? These are not, you see.' He nodded at
the boarding-houses that we were passing, several of which still showed
lights in the windows.
"'Our house has settled down,' I answered. 'The collector is an early
bird. I have just been past it to see that all the lights were out.'
"We walked quickly across the square towards the neighborhood of my
house. Piragoff was very affable. He conversed cheerfully as we went
and gave a pleasant 'Good night' to a policeman, who touched his helmet
civilly in response. When I halted at the door of the museum, he looked
about him with a slight frown.
"'I seem to know this place,' he murmured. 'Yes, I have been here
before; many years ago. Yes, yes; I remember.'
"He laughed softly as if recalling an amusing incident. I set my teeth,
inserted the key and pushed the door open.
"'Enter,' I said. He stepped into the hall. I followed and softly closed
the door, slipping up the catch as the lock clicked. It was a small
precaution, but enough to hinder a hasty retreat.
"I piloted him through to the museum and switched on a single electric
lamp which filled the great room with a ghostly twilight. Piragoff
looked about him inquisitively and his eye fell on the long wall-case
with the dimly-seen, pallid shapes of the company within it. His face
blanched suddenly and he stared with wide-open eyes.
"'God!' he exclaimed, 'what are those things?'
"'Those skeletons?' said I. 'They are part of the collection. The
fellow who owns this place hoards all sorts of trash. Come round and
have a look at them.'
"'But skeletons!' he whispered. 'Skeletons of men! Ah, I do not like
them!'
"Nevertheless he followed me round the room, peering in nervously at the
case of skulls as we passed. I walked him slowly past the whole length
of the wall-case and he stared in at the twenty-four motionless, white
figures, shuddering audibly. I must admit that their appearance was very
striking in that feeble light; their poses were so easy and natural and
their faces, modeled by broad shadows, so singularly expressive. I was
very pleased with the effect.
"'But they are horrible!' gasped Piragoff. 'They seem to be alive. They
seem to beckon to one--to say, "Come in here: come in and stay with us."
Ah! they are dreadful! Let us go away from them.'
"He stole on tiptoe to the other side of the room and stood positively
shaking; shaking at the sight of a mere collection of dry bones. It was
amazing. I have often been puzzled by the odd, superstitious fear with
which ignorant people view these interesting and beautiful structures.
But surely this was an extreme case. Here was a callous wretch who would
murder without a scruple a young and lovely woman and laugh at the
recollection of the atrocity. And he was actually terrified at the sight
of a few irregularly-shaped fragments of phosphate of lime and gelatine.
I repeat, it was amazing.
"Piragoff recovered only to develop the ferocity of a frightened
ruffian.
"'Where is the stuff, fool?' he demanded. 'Show it to me quickly or I
will cut your throat. Quick! Let us get it and go.'
"I watched him warily. These neurotic Slav criminals, when they get into
a state of panic, are like frightened cats; very dangerous to be near.
And the more frightened, the more dangerous. I must keep an eye on
Piragoff.
"'I can open one of the cabinets,' I said.
"'Then open it, pig! Open it quickly! I want to get away from this
place!'
"He grinned at me like an angry monkey, and I led him to the secret
cupboard. As I very deliberately turned the hidden catches and prepared
to take out the panel, I considered whether it was not time to set the
apparatus going. For I had prepared a little surprise for Piragoff and I
was now rather doubtful how he would take it. Besides, I was not
enjoying the proceedings as much as I had expected to. Piragoff's lack
of nerve was disconcerting.
"However, I took out the panel and stood by to watch the result.
Piragoff peered into the cupboard and uttered a growl of disappointment.
"'There is nothing there but books and those boxes. Lift the boxes down,
pig, and let us see what is in them.'
"I lifted the boxes from the shelf.
"'They are very light,' I said. 'And here are two pistols on top of
them.'
"These pistols were the surprise that I had prepared in a spirit of
mischief. I had taken them from the pockets of the last two specimens
and kept them for the sake of the devices that those two imbeciles had
scratched on the butts.
"'Pistols!' exclaimed Piragoff. 'Let me look at them.' He snatched the
weapons from the top of the box and took them over to the lamp.
Immediately I heard a gasp of astonishment.
"'God! But this is a strange thing! Here is Louis Plotcovitch's pistol!
And this other belonged to Boris Slobodinsky! They have been here too!'
"He stared at me open-mouthed, holding the pistols--which I had
carefully unloaded--one in each trembling hand. What little nerve he had
had was going fast.
"I laid the boxes on a small table and switched on the lamp that hung
close over it. High up above the table was one of the cross-beams of the
roof. From the beam there hung down two purchase-tackles. The tail-rope
of each tackle ended in a noose that was hitched on a hook on the wall,
and the falls of the two tackles were hitched lightly over two other
hooks. But none of these appliances was visible. The shaded lamp threw
its bright light on the table only.
"Piragoff came across the room and laid down the pistols.
"'Open those boxes,' he said gruffly, 'and let us see what is in them.'
"I took off the lid of one; and Piragoff started back with a gasp, but
came back, snuffing at the box like a frightened animal.
"'What the devil are these things?' he demanded in a hoarse whisper.
"'They look like dolls' heads,' I answered.
"'They look like dead men's heads,' he whispered, shudderingly, 'only
they are too small. They are dreadful. This collector man is a devil. I
should like to kill him.' He glared with horrid fascination at the
little dry preparations--there were eight in this box, each in its own
little black velvet compartment with its number and date on the label. I
opened the second box--also containing eight--and he stared into that
with the same shuddering fascination.
"'What do you suppose these dates mean?' he whispered.
"'I suppose,' I replied, 'those are the dates on which he acquired them.
Here is another box.' This, the last one, was intended to hold nine
heads, but it contained only eight--at present. There was an empty
compartment of red velvet in the middle, on either side of which were
the heads of the last two specimens, twenty-three and twenty-four.
"I took off the lid and stood back to see what would happen.
"Piragoff stared into the box without speaking for two or three seconds.
Suddenly he uttered a shriek. 'It is Boris! Boris and Louis
Plotcovitch!'
"His figure stiffened. He stood rigid with his hands on his thighs,
leaning over the box, his hair bristling, his white face running with
sweat, his jaw dropped; the very personification of horror. And of a
sudden he began to tremble violently.
"I looked at him with disgust and an instantaneous revulsion of feeling.
What! Should I call in the aid of all those elaborate appliances to
dispatch a poor trembling devil like this? I would have none of them.
The concussor was good enough for him. Nay, it was too good.
"I reached out behind me and lifted one of the nooses from its hook. Its
own weight had nearly closed the loop, for the steel eyelet spliced
into the end ran very easily and smoothly on the well-greased rope. I
opened the loop wide, and leaning towards Piragoff from behind, quietly
dropped it over his shoulders, pulling it tight as it fell to the level
of his elbows. He sprang up, but at that instant I kicked away one of
his feet and pushed him to the unsupported side, when he fell sprawling
face downwards. I gave another tug at the rope, and, as he struggled to
get to his feet, I snatched the fall of the tackle from its hook and ran
away with it, hauling as I went. Looking back, I saw Piragoff slowly
rise to the pull of the tackle until he was upright with his feet just
touching the floor. Then I belayed the fall securely to one of a pair of
cleats, and approached him.
"Hitherto, sheer amazement had kept him silent, but as I drew near him
he gave a yell of terror. This would not do. Taking the gag from the
place where I had hidden it in readiness, I came behind him and slipped
it over his mouth where I secured it, cautiously evading his attempts to
clutch at me. It was a poor gag--having no tongue-piece--but it
answered its purpose, for it reduced his shouts to mere muffled
bellowings, inaudible outside.
"Now that the poor wretch was pinioned and gagged and helpless, my
feelings urged me to get the business over quickly. But certain
formalities had to be observed. It was an execution. I stepped in front
of the prisoner and addressed him.
"'Listen to me, Piragoff.' At the sound of his name he stopped bellowing
and stared at me, and I continued, 'Twenty years ago a burglar came to
this house. He was in the dining-room at two o'clock in the morning
preparing to steal the plate. A lady came into the room and disturbed
him. He tried to prevent her from ringing the bell. But she rang it; and
he shot her dead. I need not tell you, Piragoff, who that burglar was.
But I will tell you who I am. I am the husband of that lady. I have been
looking for you for twenty years, and now I have caught you; and you
have got to pay the penalty of that murder.'