"The body is that of a much younger man than the gentleman appeared to
be. The guv'nor fancies there's a bit of a mystery about him."
"Probably he's right," I said, but the judicious administration of a
golden coin quickly put matters straight, and my visitor bowed himself
out.
Sorely was I tempted to tear open that letter which the mysterious man,
now dead, had with calm forethought prepared, yet on the envelope was
boldly written the words: "Not to be opened until after my burial."
That plain injunction deterred me.
Yet on the following morning I went down Fleet Street to the office of
the _Daily Telegraph_, and there asked to see the file of the paper for
September 1908.
It was not long before I was turning over the pages of the news of the
day in question. For some time I searched, until my eye at last caught
the name of Lancaster in the report of a trial at Old Bailey.