THE SECRET WRITINGS
Dr. Jim could not conceal from himself, that he was rather jumping at
conclusions with regard to the guilt of Joyce. The man had
deliberately lied about his visit to Frith, and had not slept at the
Hull Hotel, as he had stated. Herrick could not account for Robin's
movements on the night of the twenty-fourth of July, and on that same
night Colonel Carr had met with his death. Then again, Robin was
connected indirectly with Carr through his mother, although there was
nothing to show the relations which had existed between the Colonel
and Mrs. Joyce. Finally Joyce was in possession of an old-fashioned
weapon, firing a round bullet of the antiquated sort. And Carr had
been killed with just such a bullet. This was all the evidence Jim
could find which was likely to inculpate Robin.
On the other hand there was no reason why Joyce should not be able to
defend himself. He certainly could not explain away the lies he had
told Herrick about the visit to the solicitors, and the pretended
income, but he might be able to account for his doings on the night of
the twenty-fourth, and for the possession of the pistol. After all he
had shown no hesitation in accepting Herrick's invitation to Saxham.
If he were guilty he would be afraid to venture there lest he should
be met by some one who had seen him on the night of the murder in the
vicinity of "The Pines." His determination to come to Saxham looked
like innocence, and Jim granted as much.
The most important link to be discovered in the chain of evidence, was
the way in which Robin (if guilty) had come to Saxham. Owing to the
presence of Herrick at Southberry, he would not have risked going by
that line, seeing that he had to change at the junction. The other
line branched off from the main trunk, before it reached Southberry
and touched at Heathcroft, six miles from Saxham. Herrick made up his
mind that when he got to Saxham, he would go to Heathcroft to make
inquiries. If he could prove that Robin had alighted at that station,
there would no longer be any doubt of his guilt. No doubt Joyce, if he
had come to Heathcroft, had disguised himself, but he might not think
of increasing his stature by artificial means, and he was so
exceptionally small that even the most casual observer would remark
upon it.
"I shall give him every opportunity of defending himself," thought
Herrick. "If I find that he came to Heathcroft, he will have to
account to me for his doings. I must know the truth, or else part with
him as a friend for ever." Then the doctor thought with a qualm, that
if he did learn the truth, the parting might be more complete than he
imagined. If Joyce were indeed guilty he would find himself in a
dilemma, as to whether he should hold his tongue or denounce the man
he had been so friendly with. It would not be a pleasant position.
It was when he was in the train that Herrick thought of this. With
Stephen he was returning to Saxham, and the two had provided
themselves with newspapers and magazines to beguile the tedium of the
journey. For some time Herrick had been concealed behind the Daily
Telegraph, pretending to read. But in reality he had been thinking
over the case of Robin Joyce. Marsh was in good spirits, and inclined
to talk. So Dr. Jim yielded, for after all his thoughts were anything
but pleasant.
"You are glad to go back to Saxham Stephen?" he said.
Marsh-Carr (as he must now be called) nodded and smiled. "Very glad,"
he said. "I find a little of London goes a long way. I want to be in
my own country amongst my own friends."
"You will have a large circle soon Stephen. When you are settled at
'The Pines,' all the county will call. They will be delighted that in
that beautiful house, there will be some one they can know. You must
make the Carr family once more important in the county."
"I am afraid I am not ambitious," said Stephen, "my nature is a
somewhat retiring one, I fancy. I shall attend to my estates and write
poetry."
"You have no desire to go into parliament?"
"Not the least. Books and friends; those are what I want. Of course I
shall try and do good in my own way, but I do not wish to take part in
public life. There will be plenty for me to do in a small way
Herrick."
"I think you are right," responded Herrick soberly, "and you have had
such a wretched life hitherto, that it is but fair you should have a
few years of enjoyment. But you must travel for a time before you
settle down."
"I shall be pleased to. But of course as you know I shall not be able
to leave Saxham until the end of a year. I want to be certain of
holding the property. I wonder why my uncle left instructions that a
new vault should be built, and should be visited; and why for a year?"
"I cannot understand myself," replied Herrick, "your uncle was a man
of mystery. But I have learned something of his past Stephen," and
Herrick related his meeting with Don Manuel and what he had been told
about the doings of Carr in South America.
Stephen looked uneasy and grave. "I hope this money was obtained in
quite a proper way," he said, "otherwise I should be afraid to use it.
If it is what the gipsies call red money--that is obtained by
bloodshed, I would rather give it up. For it can bring only a curse."
"I do not think you need trouble on that score," replied Jim with a
shrug. "Heaven knows that Carr was not scrupulous, but with regard to
the fortune he brought home, if it was taken from some treasure
chamber of those Inca monarchs, the spoil was legitimate enough. If I
came across such a treasure I should have no hesitation in taking it.
The worst feature of the expedition was the leaving of Santiago with
the Indians, but as he is still alive, no harm has been done."
"Do you think I ought to give him some money?" asked Stephen.
"Certainly not," was Herrick's emphatic reply. "In the first place we
do not know that the story is true; in the second place I am convinced
that the Mexican is a scoundrel, and in the third, it is not your
place to impoverish yourself for the sake of other people."
"I wish I could find out the story of my uncle's life!"
"Well! Don Manuel is probably coming down to Saxham on a sentimental
pilgrimage to see the grave of a man he detested. He may tell you all
he knows if you question him."
"Probably he will tell me a very pretty story," said Stephen dryly,
"but will it be true. I do not want the Arabian Nights."
Herrick shrugged his shoulders. "I should not care to take Santiago's
word myself," he said, "still amongst his lies there may be some grain
of truth. But where the real truth will be found is in that secret
writing which Bess gave to me."
"Bess!" cried Marsh-Carr with a smile.
Dr. Jim coloured and apologised. "A slip of the tongue," he said, "I
hear you talk of Bess so frequently that I am apt to fall into the
same habit. But this writing," he added hurriedly to avoid further
explanation, "as you know, we can make nothing of it. Yet if we could
read it, something tangible might be discovered."
"I really do not see why I should trouble at all about my uncle's
villainies," said Marsh-Carr rather impatiently, "the estate is mine
now, and I want to enjoy it without worrying my conscience. Of course
I do worry. As to the writing, there is a cryptogram in the
'Telegraph' which resembles the paper you showed me. Here it is, in
the Agony Column."
Herrick took the newspaper, and looked at the paragraph indicated by
Stephen. The jumble of letters did indeed resemble that on the piece
of Chinese paper. In print the cryptogram was as follows:--Eqhrbn:
Gxcd: Ozqj: Bnqmdq; 15, Nbsnadq: Rodzj: Sn: Aktd: Bknsgdr: Vghsd: Gzs:
Fknur: Rgndr: Dzqqr: Lnmdx.
Dr. Jim read this over twice, then took out the Chinese paper and
compared the two cryptograms. "I believe the secret writing is the
same," he said with some excitement. "See Stephen, in each there are
figures, and in each the figures are the same. Fifteen. I believe that
this was inserted by some one who knew Carr. It may be from Frisco
communicating with a third person about the murder."
"True enough;" replied Stephen, "yet it might merely be a
coincidence."
"If the figures were not the same I might think so. But that in both
there should be fifteen is strange, to say the least of it."
"Perhaps thirty is the key to the cipher."
"It might be so," said Herrick studying the 'Telegraph,' "but I am
hanged if I can see how to apply it. Oh, that Edgar Allen Poe were at
hand! He could unravel any cipher in ten minutes. The man had a
marvellous gift in that way."
"I once read a book on cipher-writing," said Marsh-Carr after a pause,
"it said that to unravel a line of secret writing, it was best to
search for the character that represented 'E,' since that letter is
used more frequently than any other in the English language."
"There you lay a finger on the weak spot," said Jim quickly, "This
cipher may be written in Spanish for all I know."
"Why in Spanish particularly?"
"Because if it applied to Colonel Carr and his doings, that is the
most likely language he would use, other than English. He was mostly
in Mexico and Peru, if Manuel is to be believed, and there Spanish is
spoken as you know, Stephen. This may be a writing in that tongue."
"Well Herrick, you know Spanish, so you might,--"
"Yes, I might," interrupted Dr. Jim sarcastically, "if I were
acquainted with secret writing. But this is Dutch to me and worse, for
I have some knowledge of Dutch and absolutely none of this. Let us try
your "E" idea Stephen, and see what we make of it. The Chinese paper
cipher is the shortest. We will count the letter that is most
frequent, and call it 'E.' Something may come of the attempt." Herrick
counted and Stephen checked his reckoning. "Four 'D's,'" said Jim.
"Five 'K's.' Three 'Z's:' and Three 'R's.'. Humph! Seems to me that
'K' is the predominating letter, and once it comes 'K.K' which might
stand for double 'E.' Well we'll call it 'E.'"
"But here are two 'R's' together," said Stephen. "That might stand
also for double 'E.'"
"Yes! But you forget that there are five 'K's' to three 'R's.' We
agreed to call the letter which predominated 'E.'"
"All right. Fire away, and see what you make of it."
For the next hour the two men with pencil and paper, did their best to
extort sense from the jumble of letters on this basis. At the end of
the time they were both out of temper, and had not succeeded in
obtaining even one reasonable word.
"Hang it!" said Stephen throwing his paper to the other end of the
carriage. "I don't believe it makes sense at all!"
"Nonsense," replied Herrick wiping his face, "it is sure to make
sense. All ciphers do. And I daresay this is an easy one. The easiest
are usually the most difficult to unravel. That is an epigram
Stephen."
Stephen had taken up the paper again and was studying the cipher.
"Fifteen I.T.K.X." he said musingly, "the figures and the letters run
together here."
"So they do in the Telegraph cipher," said Herrick, and read out,
"Fifteen N.b.s.n.a.d.q. What of that?"
"I thought it might be a date," said Marsh-Carr apologetically.
Dr. Jim laughed. "It might--on the other hand it might not."
"You forget the figures are concealed the same as the letters," said
Stephen.
"How do we know that," retorted the doctor. "Fifteen may be the key to
the cipher. You may count one, or count five: or add the two together
and count six: or subtract the two and count four. Then again you may
have to count from left to right or right to left. And after all the
cipher may be in Spanish, or English or in the Indian tongue for the
matter of that; Carr was mixed up with the South American Indians you
know. We'll never discover it Stephen. But I tell you what," added Jim
struck with a sudden thought, "this Mexican devil may know what it
means!"
"In that case he must have put it in the paper," said Stephen, "he
knew Carr and the cipher was used by Carr. What is more likely----"
Herrick frowned. "There is some conspiracy on," he muttered. "I do not
see what it all means. We must learn what these ciphers mean Stephen.
It is a serious matter. Do you think the key might be found amongst
your uncle's papers?"
"He left no papers," replied Stephen, "I have looked."
Dr. Jim shook his head. The thing was beyond him. He replaced the
Chinese paper in his pocket-book, and cut out the notice in the
Telegraph. "I say Stephen," he said while thus employed, "did your
uncle take in the 'Daily Telegraph?'"
"Yes! He used to pass it on to Bess when he had done with it."
"There you see!" cried Jim triumphantly, "another link. This cipher
has been put in the newspaper your uncle usually read. Oh, be sure it
has to do with his business--perhaps with his death. Well, we shall
see."
Nothing more was said about the matter, as the two were a trifle
exhausted by their efforts to read the ciphers. When the train arrived
at the Beorminster Station, they were met by Frank Endicotte, who came
towards them in a state of excitement usually foreign to his nature.
"Glad to see you fellows back," said Frank shaking hands. "Bess got
the wire you sent Steve, and insisted that I should meet you here. I
have brought a cart, borrowed it from Pentland Corn. He wanted his
groom to come too, but there was not enough room for four. Got much
luggage?"
"No! Only a couple of portmanteaux. The heavy baggage is coming on by
a goods train," laughed Stephen. "I have been buying up the whole of
London! I say Frank how are the Biffs?"
"All right," replied Frank as they put up the portmanteaux on the
dog-cart. "Up you get Steve. Will you drive, or you Herrick?"
"No!" replied the doctor grimly, "you have undertaken the
responsibility of that horse. If I kill it, Corn will blame me. Drive
yourself. I'll stick on behind."
"No! No," protested Stephen, "get up in front Herrick."
"Certainly not. The Lord of the Manor of Saxham must have the first
place." He swung himself up to the back seat, "send her along Frank."
In a few minutes they were rattling home along the Southberry road,
and Frank was telling Marsh-Carr all that had been done at 'The
Pines.' It seemed that Bess and Ida had engaged a moderate staff of
servants, the most indispensable that is; as they left the choice of
the others to Stephen. The house had been cleaned from top to bottom,
food had been got in, and a good dinner awaited the travellers. "Bess,
Ida and I are coming over later on," explained Frank, "we want to hear
of your adventures."
"I am afraid we have none," said Marsh-Carr with a laugh.
Herrick said nothing. He was thinking, if he told all he had
discovered and talked about his suspicions, he might create a
sensation. However the time was not yet ripe to take the Biffs into
his confidence. Bess was the one he would consult if necessary.
Frank deposited them at "The Pines" and then drove away to the Rectory
to restore the cart. Stephen found the house in admirable order, and a
good dinner waiting for him and his friend in the dining-room. Herrick
felt rather a qualm as he sat down, remembering that ghastly meal
which had waited for the dead Colonel. However he was too healthy a
man to give way to such morbid fancies, and made an excellent meal.
Afterwards he and Stephen had coffee in the library, and as the
evening was chilly, Marsh-Carr ordered a fire to be lighted. In a
state of comfort they sat in comfortable arm-chairs smoking
luxuriously. Hitherto Stephen had smoked only cigarettes, but lately,
by the advice of his doctor, had begun pipe-smoking. After a time, he
found it much more satisfying than the cigarettes.
"I suppose they will be here soon," said Stephen glancing at his
watch.
Herrick grunted. Truth to tell he felt so comfortable that he did not
want to be disturbed. There was a good deal of the bachelor about
Herrick. However, just as Stephen replaced his watch, one of the new
footmen announced the Biffs; not by that name certainly. "Mr.
Endicotte, the Misses Endicotte," said Phillips. He had been in the
service of the Bishop of Beorminster and prided himself on knowing the
manners of good society.
"Well," said Bess when the first greeting was over and they were all
seated comfortably round the fire, "what do you think of the house?"
"It is splendid," said Stephen, "I have to thank you and Ida heartily.
But I won't stop short at thanks." And then the presents were
produced. They took the form of jewellery and both the girls were
delighted.
"Oh, lovely! lovely," cried Ida looking at the emerald ring which
Stephen had placed on her finger. "I do so love jewels!" As she spoke
she caught the eye of Marsh-Carr fixed significantly on her, and
blushed. She knew very well why the ring had been bought although
Stephen had not placed it on the engagement finger.
Herrick did not notice this by-play which might have enlightened him.
He was busy talking to Frank about the new gun which he was examining.
Frank had always wanted a gun and was in the seventh heaven of
delight. Bess also was pleased with a bangle. But she would rather
have had books. However she did not say so, as she did not wish
Stephen to think she was disappointed. "I have something for Flo and
Sidney, but those can wait," said Stephen.
Frank was so taken up with his new gun, that Stephen devoted himself
to Ida. Herrick was thus thrown into the society of Bess, who asked
him if he had solved the cryptogram. "No, I have not," he replied, "and
here is another of the same sort which appeared in the Telegraph of
to-day."
Bess glanced at it with interest. "I have seen something like that
before," she said thoughtfully, "several times a cipher like that has
been in the Telegraph. I never thought it had anything to do with the
Colonel."
"I am sure it had," said Herrick eagerly. "Have you the cuttings?"
"No; I did not think it was necessary to keep them. They all appeared
within the last year."
"Humph," said Herrick, "I'll send for a file of the newspaper. But
this cipher? I wish we could read it. I believe it has some connection
with Carr's death, or at all events with the secret of his life."
"I can't make it out," said Bess looking at the cutting and the scrap
of Chinese paper, "unless--" she hesitated.
"Well, unless what?"
"I was talking to Frisco one day," said Bess, "he had been drinking
rum as usual and was rather drunk. The Colonel had sent him to the
post-office for the letters and he held one in his hand the only one
which had come that day. It was about three months ago, shortly after
I picked up the piece of Chinese paper. This one," she shook it at
Herrick.
"I understand. Go on!"
"I noticed that the envelope of the letter Frisco carried was of the
same paper."
"Ha!" cried the doctor, "this is interesting. Yes?"
"Frisco was shaking the letter--waving it over his head, and singing.
I stopped to tell him he ought to be ashamed of himself being in such
a state, when he knew perfectly well how to behave."
"One minute," interrupted Herrick remembering what Frith had said "was
this Frisco a gentleman?"
"Yes and No," replied Bess. "He had a refined way of speaking in spite
of the frightful American slang he used. At times when he was quite
sober he would speak to me in the most refined way. At other times he
was just awful."
"A large fat man was he not?"
"Yes. Immensely stout: but his face was rather handsome. He was about
the same age as the Colonel. There was something attractive about
Frisco," finished Bess with a sigh, "he was his own worst enemy."
"Well, about this letter?"
"He was waving it and singing. I met him in the pine wood, where I had
been to look for Sidney. I told him that he might lose it since he was
so drunk. He laughed and said no one could read it. He knew the letter
by the envelope."
"Ha!" said Herrick, "by the Chinese paper! It is noticeable. Well?"
"I asked him what he meant? He laughed again, and went away singing,
'Move on One! Move on One!' I took no notice of the words at the time,
but as he had a cipher letter in his hand I have often wondered if he
applied the words to the cipher."
"Move one on!" repeated Herrick excitedly, and glanced at the Chinese
paper cipher. "Humph! Stephen thought that fifteen I.T.K.X. might be a
date. If this cipher has to do with the murder----"
"A date!" interrupted Bess eagerly, "well! Colonel Carr was murdered
in July. Dr. Jim, in the word July there are four letters, and----"
"I see what you mean. And here are four letters I.T.K.X.: also the
number fifteen."
"Move on one," said Bess repeating the cry of Frisco, "that is take
the next figures to one and five."
"Two, six," said Herrick, "by heaven that must mean the twenty-sixth!
Move on one of these four letters. I stands or J, T, for U, K for L,
and X in place of Y. July," cried Herrick dashing down the pen. "Here
is the solution of the cryptogram."
"The twenty-sixth of July," repeated Bess, "and the Colonel was
murdered on the twenty-fourth. I do not see the connection."
"We have not worked out the whole cipher yet," said Dr. Jim, "here,
take a pen and write down the alphabet." Bess did this as rapidly as
possible as she saw what the doctor meant. "Now place A under B, B
under C, and so on to the end of the alphabet."
"Bess did this also, 'I can put Z under no letter,' she said."
"Yes you can. Z goes under A, I have heard of this cipher. It is
written with misleading letters. You simply take the next letter for
the one that is down. Come, we will apply the result to these
ciphers."
This is what they got. In the Chinese paper cipher:--
"The last warning. Till 26 July. Then death. Unless----"
And in the printed cipher of the 'Daily Telegraph':--
"Frisco. Hyde Park Corner. 26 October. Speak to blue clothes, white
hat, gloves, shoes. Carr's money."