When Hall arrived in Liverpool he proceeded at once to London. His valet
was careful to see that he did not come unannounced--at least in Bow
Street--and from thence the information reached the new servant in
Harley Street.
Hall, however, remained only a day in London. After spending one night
in Harley Street, he informed his landlady he was going away again for a
day or two and that he expected some letters. Any arriving the day of
his departure were to be forwarded to Hanley Hall. Those arriving after
that were to be held.
Farrel was then ordered to "pack up a few things," and at noon they
started for Hanley Hall. On arriving, Hall was annoyed to find Mr.
Stafford and Kate absent. They had gone, so he was informed, to what
might be the death-bed of a very dear friend of the family,--"which is
only the truth, you know," said Miss Fleming, as she concluded telling
Mrs. Stafford just what must be said to Hall.
Although much annoyed, Hall preserved a calm exterior, and asked where
they had gone.
"To Staffordshire," Miss Fleming replied, very promptly, not giving Mrs.
Stafford a chance to commit herself.
Hall looked at her sharply. Her face seemed to trouble him, as it had
Martin.
"When do you expect Mr. Stafford to return?" Hall addressed Mrs.
Stafford, but again Miss Fleming interposed.
"Of course that must depend on the recovery or death of their friend,"
she said, with a mischievous smile.
Hall would have much preferred questioning Mrs. Stafford and receiving
his answers from her, and suspecting, this Mrs. Stafford said she must
leave them for a little while. Miss Fleming would entertain him.
Miss Fleming rattled off a lot of small talk, to which Hall barely paid
attention. At length a break occurred in the conversation, and he said:
"Do you know, Miss Fleming, I seem to know your face--yet I can't
remember where."
"It must have been my photograph," she replied, with an innocent smile.
"Precisely! I found a locket a couple years ago with your photograph in
it--I knew I had seen your face somewhere!"
"Could you let me see it, Mr. Hall?" with the same innocent smile.
"No, I regret to say I cannot; although what has become of it I do not
know. But I beg you will tell Mrs. Stafford I had to go, as I wish to
catch the train back and I have barely time to do so," and having driven
a very large nail in his own coffin, Hall left immediately, while Miss
Fleming at once wrote Carden an account of her conversation with him
regarding the locket.
When Hall alighted from the train in London, he ran plump into a
gentleman of rather disreputable appearance, who cordially "blawsted"
Mr. Hall's "heyes" and consigned his soul to everlasting perdition.
Hall did not recognize the burly individual and paid no attention to
him, but the other appeared to recognize him and heard him give the
order to drive to No. -- Harley Street.
"So yer back are ye!" he muttered. "Mebbe I'll give ye a call afore ye
know it!"
It was our old friend Jaggers, and after Hall was driven away he stood
for some time in deep thought. After a while he moved off in a
hesitating way. Then apparently coming to a sudden resolution, he
muttered a horrible oath, saying--"I'll do it!" and walked quickly in
the direction of the den known as "Blind Jim's," where Blount had met
him regarding the murder.
On arriving at "Blind Jim's" he sought a desperate character known as
"The Knifer," and both adjourned to a private room.
It was early in the evening, and though the two conversed very earnestly
until after midnight, and "The Knifer" appeared to have money, they
drank but little--which caused the proprietor of the den to remark that
"the boys in number six must have a little business on hand."
He was not far out of the way, for about one o'clock the "boys" left the
house and proceeded stealthily to No. -- Harley Street.
Farrel, the valet, had obtained leave of absence, and no one but Hall
slept on the second floor that night. He had come back from Hanley Hall
in an ugly temper, and had spent the evening drinking--in fact had gone
to bed pretty drunk. And he had what is called the drunken man's luck,
for had he gone to bed sober he would undoubtedly have been awakened
when our friend Jaggers, in removing his watch from the dressing-case,
knocked over a glass globe. Had he awakened "The Knifer," who was
bending over him, would have plunged the knife which gained him the
title into Hall's heart. However, being drunk, he slept on undisturbed
by the noise and escaped bodily injury.
In the morning when he awakened, Hall looked for his watch to see the
time, and not finding it looked for his vest, never doubting it was
there, but the vest contained no watch. Instead of becoming angry Hall
began to look troubled and searched among the garments he had removed
the night before. Piece after piece was thrown hurriedly on the floor,
but what he sought--and it could not have been his valuable watch which
he risked handling so recklessly--was not there.
Sinking back on the bed he stared around the room. Suddenly his gaze
fell upon the open rear window, and running to it he saw a ladder raised
against the rear of the house. It was quite clear to him now--he had
been robbed while lying in a drunken stupor, and realizing this he
cursed himself and his folly and his misfortune.
After a few minutes he closed the window, and going to a closet took out
a bottle of brandy, which he had just managed to put away the night
before. Bestowing another curse on this, he took a drink of it and sat
down to think. Suddenly he brightened up, and seizing a pencil wrote the
following advertisement:
"If the parties who took the watch No. 0072 and other
jewelry, together with an undergarment from No. --
Harley Street, will return the same at once, they will
receive the full value and not be prosecuted. All the
articles must be returned to ensure the foregoing."
"There, that looks hopeful--that is, if the fools have not thrown it
away!" exclaimed Hall, as he read over the advertisement.
He dressed rapidly and went out without saying a word about his loss,
and before breakfasting left a copy of the advertisement at the office
of every newspaper in London, with orders to insert it for a week.
"What precious lambs 'e must take us for!" exclaimed "The Knifer" as he
read the advertisement in the paper next day.
"Werry!" rejoined Jaggers. "I wonder wot 'e thinks ve took the bloody
pad for? Hundergarment 'e calls it!"
When a week had passed without receiving any response to his
advertisement Hall changed it to the following:
"£500 reward and no questions asked for the return of
the watch and other jewelry etc., taken from the
second floor of No. -- Harley Street on the 10th
instant. Address, CONFIDENTIAL, care of this office."
This, too, came under the notice of Jaggers and his friend. The latter
glanced at the advertisement covetously and said:
"Hi wonder 'ow much 'igher 'ee'll go?"
"Don't you bother yer 'ead about that! 'E can't get 'em if 'e went as
'igh as the bloomin' moon!" retorted Jaggers, savagely.