It was in the August of 1889, when I was just arranging my annual
holiday, that I received the following letter. I tore it open and
read:--
"_Theodora_ House-boat,
Goring.
"Dear Mr. Bell,--
"Can you come down on Wednesday and stay with us for a week? The
weather is glorious and the river looking its best. We are a gay
party, and there will be plenty of fun going on.
"Yours very truly,
"Helena Ridsdale."
This was exactly what I wanted. I was fond of the river, and scarcely a
summer passed that I did not spend at least a fortnight on the Thames.
I could go for a week to the Ridsdales, and then start off on my own
quiet holiday afterwards. I had known Lady Ridsdale since she was a
girl, and I had no doubt my visit would prove a most enjoyable one. I
replied immediately, accepting the invitation, and three days later
arrived at Goring.
As the well-cushioned little punt, which had been sent to bring me
across the river, drew up alongside the _Theodora_, the Countess came
down from the deck to welcome me.
"I am so glad you could come, Mr. Bell," she said. "I was afraid you
might be away on some of your extraordinary campaigns against the
supernatural. This is Mr. Ralph Vyner; he is also, like yourself,
devoted to science. I am sure you will find many interests in common."
A short, thickset, wiry little man, dressed in white flannels, who had
been lolling in a deck chair, now came forward and shook hands with me.
"I know of you by reputation, Mr. Bell," he said, "and I have often
hoped to have the pleasure of meeting you. I am sure we shall all be
anxious to hear of some of your experiences. We are such an excessively
frivolous party that we can easily afford to be leavened with a little
serious element."
"But I don't mean to be serious in the least," I answered, laughing; "I
have come here to enjoy myself, and intend to be as frivolous as the
rest of you."
"You will have an opportunity this evening," said the Countess; "we are
going to have a special band from town, and intend to have a moonlight
dance on deck. Ah! here comes Charlie with the others," she added,
shading her eyes and looking down the stream.
In a few moments a perfectly appointed little electric launch shot up,
and my host with the rest of the party came on board. We shortly
afterwards sat down to lunch, and a gayer and pleasanter set of people I
have seldom met. In the afternoon we broke up into detachments, and
Vyner and I went for a long pull up stream. I found him a pleasant
fellow, ready to talk at any length not only about his own hobbies, but
about the world at large. I discovered presently that he was a naval
engineer of no small attainments.
When we returned to the house-boat, it was nearly time to prepare for
dinner. Most of the ladies had already retired to their cabins. Lady
Ridsdale was standing alone on deck. When she saw us both, she called to
us to come to her side.
"This quite dazzles me," she said in a low, somewhat mysterious tone,
"and I must show it to you. I know you at least, Mr. Vyner, will
appreciate it."
As she spoke she took a small leather case out of her pocket--it was
ornamented with a monogram, and opened with a catch. She pressed the
lid, it flew up, and I saw, resting on a velvet bed, a glittering
circlet of enormous diamonds. The Countess lifted them out, and slipped
them over her slender wrist.
"They are some of the family diamonds," she said with excitement, "and
of great value. Charlie is having all the jewels reset for me, but the
rest are not ready yet. He has just brought this down from town. Is it
not superb? Did you ever see such beauties?"
The diamonds flashed on her white wrist; she looked up at me with eyes
almost as bright.
"I love beautiful stones," she said, "and I feel as if these were alive.
Oh, do look at the rays of colour in them, as many as in the rainbow."
I congratulated Lady Ridsdale on possessing such a splendid ornament,
and then glanced at Vyner, expecting him to say something.
The expression on his face startled me, and I was destined to remember
it by-and-by. The ruddy look had completely left it, his eyes were half
starting from his head. He peered close, and suddenly, without the
slightest warning, stretched out his hand, and touched the diamonds as
they glittered round Lady Ridsdale's wrist. She started back haughtily,
then, recovering herself, took the bracelet off and put it into his
hand.
"Charlie tells me," she said, "that this bracelet is worth from fifteen
to twenty thousand pounds."
"You must take care of it," remarked Vyner; "don't let your maid see it,
for instance."
"Oh, nonsense!" laughed Lady Ridsdale. "I would trust Louise as I would
trust myself."
Soon afterwards we separated, and I went down to my little cabin to
prepare for dinner. When we met in the dining saloon I noticed that Lady
Ridsdale was wearing the diamond bracelet. Almost immediately after
dinner the band came on board and the dancing began.
We kept up our festivities until two o'clock, and more than once, as she
flashed past me, I could not help noticing the glittering circlet round
her wrist. I considered myself a fair judge of precious stones, but had
never seen any diamonds for size and brilliancy to equal these.
As Vyner and I happened to stand apart from the others he remarked upon
them.
"It was imprudent of Ridsdale to bring those diamonds here," he said.
"Suppose they are stolen?"
"Scarcely likely," I answered; "there are no thieves on board."
He gave an impatient movement.
"As far as we _know_ there are not," he said slowly, "but one can never
tell. The diamonds are of exceptional value, and it is not safe to
expose ordinary folk to temptation. That small circlet means a fortune."
He sighed deeply, and when I spoke to him next did not answer me. Not
long afterwards our gay party dispersed, and we retired to our
respective cabins.
I went to mine and was quickly in bed. As a newly-arrived guest I was
given a cabin on board, but several other members of the party were
sleeping in tents on the shore. Vyner and Lord Ridsdale were amongst
the latter number. Whether it was the narrowness of my bunk or the heat
of the night, I cannot tell, but sleep I could not. Suddenly through my
open window I heard voices from the shore near by. I could identify the
speakers by their tones--one was my host, Lord Ridsdale, the other Ralph
Vyner. Whatever formed the subject of discourse it was evidently far
from amicable. However much averse I might feel to the situation, I was
compelled to be an unwilling eavesdropper, for the voices rose, and I
caught the following words from Vyner:
"Can you lend me five thousand pounds till the winter?"
"No, Vyner, I have told you so before, and the reason too. It is your
own fault, and you must take the consequences."
"Do you mean that to be final?" asked Vyner.
"Yes."
"Very well, then I shall look after myself. Thank God, I have got brains
if I have not money, and I shall not let the means interfere with the
end."
"You can go to the devil for all I care," was the angry answer, "and,
after what I know, I won't raise a finger to help you."
The speakers had evidently moved further off, for the last words I could
not catch. But what little I heard by no means conduced to slumber. So
Vyner, for all his jovial and easy manner, was in a fix for money, and
Ridsdale knew something about him scarcely to his credit!
I kept thinking over this, and also recalling his words when he spoke of
Lady Ridsdale's diamonds as representing a fortune. What did he mean by
saying that he would not let the means interfere with the end? That
brief sentence sounded very much like the outburst of a desperate man. I
could not help heartily wishing that Lady Ridsdale's diamond circlet was
back in London, and, just before I dropped to sleep, I made up my mind
to speak to Ridsdale on the subject.
Towards morning I did doze off, but I was awakened by hearing my name
called, and, starting up, I saw Ridsdale standing by my side. His face
looked queer and excited.
"Wake up, Bell," he cried; "a terrible thing has happened."
"What is it?" I asked.
"My wife's bracelet is stolen."
Like a flash I thought of Vyner, and then as quickly I knew that I must
be careful to give no voice to hastily-formed suspicions.
"I won't be a moment dressing, and then I'll join you," I said.
Ridsdale nodded and left my cabin.
In five minutes I was with him on deck. He then told me briefly what had
happened.
"Helena most imprudently left the case on her dressing-table last
night," he said, "and owing to the heat she kept the window open. Some
one must have waded into the water in the dark and stolen it. Perhaps
one of the bandsmen may have noticed the flashing of the diamonds on
her wrist and returned to secure the bracelet--there's no saying. The
only too palpable fact is that it is gone--it was valued at twenty
thousand pounds!"
"Have you sent for the police?" I asked.
"Yes, and have also wired to Scotland Yard for one of their best
detectives. Vyner took the telegram for me, and was to call at the
police station on his way back. He is nearly as much upset as I am. This
is a terrible loss. I feel fit to kill myself for my folly in bringing
that valuable bracelet on board a house-boat."
"It was a little imprudent," I answered, "but you are sure to get it
back."
"I hope so," he replied moodily.
Just then the punt with Vyner and a couple of policemen on board was
seen rapidly approaching. Ridsdale went to meet them, and was soon in
earnest conversation with the superintendent of police. The moment Vyner
leapt on board he came to the part of the deck where I was standing.
"Ah, Bell," he cried, "what about my prognostications of last night?"
"They have been verified too soon," I answered. I gave him a quick
glance. His eyes looked straight into mine.
"Have you any theory to account for the theft?" I asked.
"Yes, a very simple one. Owing to the heat of the evening the Countess
slept with her window open. It was an easy matter to wade through the
water, introduce a hand through the open window and purloin the
diamonds."
"Without being seen by any occupants of the tents?" I queried.
"Certainly," he answered, speaking slowly and with thought.
"Then you believe the thief came from without?"
"I do."
"What about your warning to Lady Ridsdale yesterday evening not to trust
her maid?"
I saw his eyes flash. It was the briefest of summer lightning that
played in their depths. I knew that he longed to adopt the suggestion
that I had on purpose thrown out, but dared not. That one look was
enough for me. I had guessed his secret.
Before he could reply to my last remark Lord Ridsdale came up.
"What is to be done?" he said; "the police superintendent insists on our
all, without respect of persons, being searched."
"There is nothing in that," I said; "it is the usual thing. I will be
the first to submit to the examination."
The police went through their work thoroughly, and, of course, came
across neither clue nor diamonds. We presently sat down to breakfast,
but I don't think we any of us had much appetite. Lady Ridsdale's eyes
were red with crying, and I could see that the loss had shaken both her
nerve and fortitude. It was more or less of a relief when the post came
in. Amongst the letters I found a telegram for myself. I knew what it
meant before I opened it. It was from a man in a distant part of the
country whom I had promised to assist in a matter of grave importance.
I saw that it was necessary for me to return to town without delay. I
was very loth to leave my host and hostess in their present dilemma, but
there was no help for it, and soon after breakfast I took my leave.
Ridsdale promised to write me if there was any news of the diamonds, and
soon the circumstance passed more or less into the background of my
brain, owing to the intense interest of the other matter which I had
taken up. My work in the north was over, and I had returned to town,
when I received a letter from Ridsdale.
"We are in a state of despair," he wrote; "we have had two detectives on
board, and the police have moved heaven and earth to try and discover
the bracelet--all in vain; not the slightest clue has been forthcoming.
No one has worked harder for us than Vyner. He has a small place of his
own further down the river, and comes up to see us almost daily. He has
made all sorts of suggestions for the recovery of the diamonds, but
hitherto they have led to nothing. In short, our one hope now turns upon
you, Bell; you have done as difficult things as this before. Will you
come and see us, and give us the benefit of your advice? If any man can
solve this mystery, you are the person."
I wrote immediately to say that I would return to the _Theodora_ on the
following evening, and for the remainder of that day tried to the best
of my ability to think out this most difficult problem. I felt morally
certain that I could put my hand on the thief, but I had no real clue to
work upon--nothing beyond a nameless suspicion. Strange as it may seem,
I was moved by sentiment. I had spent some pleasant hours in Vyner's
society--I had enjoyed his conversation; I had liked the man for
himself. He had abilities above the average, of that I was certain--if
he were proved guilty, I did not want to be the one to bring his crime
home to him. So uncomfortable were my feelings that at last I made up my
mind to take a somewhat bold step. This was neither more nor less than
to go to see Vyner himself before visiting the house-boat. What I was to
do and say when I got to him I was obliged to leave altogether to
chance; but I had a feeling almost amounting to a certainty that by
means of this visit I should ultimately return the bracelet to my
friends the Ridsdales.
The next afternoon I found myself rowing slowly down the river, thinking
what the issue of my visit to Vyner would be. It happened to be a
perfect evening. The sun had just set. The long reach of river stretched
away to the distant bend, where, through the gathering twilight, I could
just see the white gates of the Eight-Mile Lock. Raising my voice, I
sang out in a long-drawn, sonorous monotone the familiar cry of "Lock!
lock! lock!" and, bending to the sculls, sent my little skiff flying
down stream. The sturdy figure of old James Pegg, the lock-keeper, whom
I had known for many years, instantly appeared on the bridge. One of the
great gates slowly swung open, and, shipping my sculls, I shot in, and
called out a cheery good-evening to my old friend.
"Mr. Bell!" exclaimed the old fellow, hurrying along the edge of the
lock. "Well, I never! I did not see it was you at first, and yet I ought
to have known that long, swinging stroke of yours. You are the last
person I expected to see. I was half afraid it might be some one else,
although I don't know that I was expecting any one in particular. Excuse
me, sir, but was it you called out 'Lock' just now?"
"Of course it was," I answered, laughing. "I'm in the deuce of a hurry
to-night, Jimmy, as I want to get on to Wotton before dark. Look sharp,
will you, and let me down."
"All right, sir--but you did frighten me just now. I wish you hadn't
called out like that!"
As I glanced up at him, I was surprised to see that his usually ruddy,
round face was as white as a sheet, and he was breathing quickly.
"Why, what on earth is the matter, Jimmy?" I cried; "how can I have
frightened you?"
"Oh, it's nothing, sir; I suppose I'm an old fool," he faltered,
smiling. "I don't know what's the matter with me, sir--I'm all of a
tremble. The fact is, something happened here last night, and I don't
seem to have got over it. You know, I am all by myself here now, sir,
and a lonely place it is."
"Something happened?" I said; "not an accident, I hope?"
"No, sir, no accident that I know of, and yet I have been half expecting
one to occur all day, and I have been that weak I could hardly wind up
the sluices. I am getting old now, and I'm not the man I was; but I'm
right glad to see you, Mr. Bell, that I am."
He kept pausing as he spoke, and now and then glanced up the river, as
if expecting to see a boat coming round the bend every moment. I was
much puzzled by his extraordinary manner. I knew him to be a steady man,
and one whose services were much valued by the Conservancy; but it
needed only a glance now to show that there was something very much
amiss with him.
The darkness was increasing every moment, and, being anxious to get on
as soon as possible, I was just going to tell him again to hurry up with
the sluices, when he bent down close to me, and said,--
"Would you mind stepping out for a moment, sir, if you can spare the
time? I wish to speak to you, sir. I'd be most grateful if you would
wait a minute or two."
"Certainly, Jimmy," I answered, hauling myself to the side with the
boat-hook, and getting out. "Is there anything I can do for you? I am
afraid you are not well. I never saw you like this before."
"No, sir; and I never felt like it before, that I can remember.
Something happened here last night that has taken all the nerve out of
me, and I want to tell you what it was. I know you are so clever, Mr.
Bell, and I have heard about your doings up at Wallinghurst last autumn,
when you cleared up the Manor House ghost, and got old Monkford six
months."
"Well, fire away," I said, filling my pipe, and wondering what was
coming.
"It is this way, sir," he began. "Last night after I had had my supper I
thought I'd like a stroll and a quiet smoke along the towing path before
turning in. I did not expect any more boats, as it was getting on for
ten o'clock. I walked about three-quarters of a mile, and was just going
to turn round, when I saw a light down on the surface of the water in
mid-stream. It was pretty dark, for the moon was not up yet, and there
was a thick white mist rising from the water. I thought it must be some
one in a canoe at first, so I waited a bit and watched. Then it suddenly
disappeared, and the next instant I saw it again about a hundred yards
or so higher up the stream, but only for a second, and then it went out.
It fairly puzzled me to know what it could be, as I had never seen
anything like it before. I felt sure it wasn't any sort of craft, but I
had heard of strange lights being seen at times on the water--what they
call jack-o'-lanterns, I believe, sir. I reckoned it might be one of
them, but I thought I'd get back to the lock, so that, if it was a
canoe, I could let it through. However, nothing came of it, and I waited
and watched, and worried all the evening about it, but couldn't come to
any sort of idea, so I went to bed. Well, about one o'clock this morning
I suddenly woke up and thought I could hear some one a long way off
calling exactly as you did just now, 'Lock! lock! lock!' but it sounded
ever so far away.
"'It's some of those theatre people coming back to the _Will-o'-the-Wisp_
house-boat,' I said to myself, 'and I'm not going to turn out for them.'
The lock was full at the time, so I thought I would just let them work
it for themselves. I waited a bit, expecting to hear them every minute
come up, singing and swearing as they do, but they never came, and I was
just dropping off when I heard the call again. It was not an ordinary
sort of voice, but a long, wailing cry, just as if some one was in
trouble or drowning. 'Hi! hi! Lock! lo-oock!' it went.
"I got up then and went out. The moon was up now and quite bright, and
the mist had cleared off, so I went to the bridge on the upper gates and
looked up stream. This is where I was standing, sir, just as we are
standing now. I could see right up to the bend, and there was not the
sign of a boat. I stood straining my eyes, expecting to see a boat come
round every moment, when I heard the cry again, and this time it sounded
not fifty yards up stream. I could not make it out at all, so I shouted
out as loud as I could, 'Who are you? What's the matter?' but there was
no answer; and then suddenly, the next instant, close below me, from
_inside_ the lock this time, just here, came a shout, piercing, shrill,
and loud, 'Open the lock, quick, quick! Open the lock!'
"I tell you, sir, my heart seemed to stand dead still, and I nearly fell
back over the bridge. I wheeled round sharp, but there was nothing in
the lock, that I'll swear to my dying day--for I could see all over it,
and nothing could have got in there without passing me. The moon was
quite bright, and I could see all round it. Without knowing what I was
doing, I rushed down like mad to the lower gates, and began to wind up
one of the sluices, and then I stood there and waited, but nothing came.
As the lock emptied I looked down, but there was no sign of anything
anywhere, so I let down the sluice without opening the gates, and then
filled up the lock again. I stood by the post, hardly daring to move,
when, about half-past five, thank God, I heard the whistle of a tug,
and, after seeing her through, it was broad daylight.
"That's the whole story, sir, and how I'm going to live through the
night again I don't know. It was a spirit if ever there was one in the
world. It's a warning to me, sir; and what's going to happen I don't
know."
"Well, Jimmy," I answered, "it certainly is a most extraordinary story,
and if I didn't know you as well as I do, I should say you had taken
something more than a smoke before you turned in last night."
"I never touch a drop, sir, except when I go into Farley and have a
glass of beer, but I have not been there for more than a week now."
I confess that Jimmy's story had left a most unpleasant impression on
me. I had little doubt that the whole thing was some strange subjective
hallucination, but for a weird and ghostly experience it certainly beat
most of the tales I had ever heard. I thought for a moment--it was now
quite dark, and I felt little inclined to go on to Wotton. My keenest
interests were awakened.
"Look here," I said, "what do you say if I stay here to-night? Can you
give me a shake-down of any sort?"
"That I will, sir, and right gladly, and thank God if you will but stay
with me. If I was alone here again, and heard that voice, I believe it
would kill me. I'll tie up your boat outside, and bring your things in,
and then we'll have supper. I'll feel a new man with you staying here,
sir."
In a few minutes we were both inside old Jimmy's cosy quarters. His
whole bearing seemed to have changed suddenly, and he ran about with
alacrity, getting supper ready, and seeming quite like himself again.
During the whole evening he kept harping at intervals on the subject of
the mysterious voice, but we heard no sound whatever, and I felt more
and more certain that the whole thing was due to hallucination on the
part of the old man. At eleven o'clock a skiff came up through the lock,
and almost immediately afterwards I bade Jimmy good-night and went into
the little room he had prepared for me.
I went quickly to bed, and, tired after my long pull, despite the
originality of the situation, fell fast asleep. Suddenly I awoke--some
one was bending over me and calling me by my name. I leapt up, and, not
realising where I was for the moment, but with a sort of dim idea that I
was engaged in some exposure, instinctively seized the man roughly by
the throat. In a moment I remembered everything, and quickly released my
grip of poor old Jimmy, who was gurgling and gasping with horror. I
burst out laughing at my mistake, and begged his pardon for treating him
so roughly.
"It is all right, sir," he panted. "I hope I didn't frighten you, but I
have heard it again, not five minutes ago."
"The deuce you have," I said, striking a match and looking at my watch.
It was nearly two o'clock, and before the minute was up I heard
distinctly a cry, as if from some great distance, of "Lock, lock, lock!"
and then all was silence again.
"Did you hear it, sir?" whispered the old man, clutching me by the arm
with a trembling hand.
"Yes, I heard it," I said. "Don't you be frightened, Jimmy; just wait
till I get my clothes on; I am going to see this thing through."
"Be careful, sir; for God's sake, be careful," he whispered.
"All right," I said, slipping on some things. "Just get me a good
strong boat-hook, and don't make too much noise. If this mystery is
flesh and blood I'll get to the bottom of it somehow. You stay here; and
if I call, come out."
I took the thick, short boat-hook which he had brought me and, softly
unlatching the door, went out.
The moon was now riding high overhead and casting black fantastic
shadows across the little white cottage. All my senses were on the
keenest alert, my ears were pricked up for the slightest sound. I crept
softly to the bridge on the upper gate which was open. I looked up
stream and thought I could see some little ripples on the surface of the
water as if a swift boat had just passed down, but there was no sign of
any craft whatever to be seen. It was intensely still, and no sound
broke the silence save the intermittent croaking of some bull-frogs in
the dark shadows of the pollards on the further bank. Behind me could
also be heard the gurgling twinkle of the overflow through the chinks of
the lower gate.
I stood quite still, gripping the boat-hook in my hand, and looking
right and left, straining my eyes for the slightest movement of anything
around, when suddenly, close below me from the water, inside the lock,
came a loud cry--
"Open the lock, for God's sake, open the lock!"
I started back, feeling my hair rise and stiffen. The sound echoed and
reverberated through the silent night, and then died away; but before it
had done so I had sprung to the great beam and closed the upper gate. As
I did so I caught sight of the old man trembling and shaking at the door
of the cottage. I called to him to go and watch the upper gate, and,
racing down to the lower ones, wound up one of the sluices with a few
pulls, so as to let out the water with as little escape room as
possible. I knew by this means if there were any creature of tangible
form in the water we must find it when the lock was emptied, as its
escape was cut off.
[Illustration: "Struck it a terrific blow with the boat-hook."
A Master of Mysteries.--Page 167]
Each of the following minutes seemed stretched into a lifetime as, with
eyes riveted on the dark water in the lock, I watched its gradual
descent. I hardly dared to think of what I expected to see rise to the
surface any moment. Would the lock never empty? Down, down sank the
level, and still I saw nothing. A long, misshapen arm of black cloud was
slowly stretching itself across the moon.
Hark! there was something moving about down in the well of darkness
below me, and as I stood and watched I saw that the water was uncovering
a long, black mass and that something ran slowly out of the water and
began to clamber up the slimy, slippery beams. What in the name of
heaven could it be? By the uncertain light I could only see its dim
outline; it seemed to have an enormous bulbous head and dripping,
glistening body. The sound of a rapid patter up the tow-path told me
that the old man had seen it and was running for his life.
I rushed down to where the thing was, and as its great head appeared
above the edge, with all my force struck it a terrific blow with the
boat-hook. The weapon flew into splinters in my hand, and the next
moment the creature had leapt up beside me and dashed me to the ground
with almost superhuman force. I was up and on to it again in a second,
and as I caught and closed with it saw that I had at least to deal with
a human being, and that what he lacked in stature he more than made up
for in strength. The struggle that ensued was desperate and furious. The
covering to his head that had splintered the boat-hook was, I saw, a
sort of helmet, completely protecting the head from any blow, and the
body was cased in a slippery, closely fitting garment that kept eluding
my grasp. To and fro we swayed and wrestled, and for a moment I thought
I had met my match till, suddenly freeing my right arm, I got in a
smashing blow in the region of the heart. The creature uttered a cry of
pain and fell headlong to the ground.
Old Jimmy Pegg had hurried back as soon as he heard our struggles and
knew that he was not dealing with a being of another world. He ran up
eagerly to me.
"Here's your ghost, you old coward!" I panted; "he has got the hardest
bone and muscle I ever felt in a ghost yet. I am not used to fighting
men in helmets, and he is as slippery as an eel, but I hope to goodness
I have not done more than knock the wind out of him. He is a specimen I
should rather like to take alive. Catch hold of his feet and we'll get
him inside and see who he is."
Between us we carried the prostrate figure inside the cottage and laid
him down like a log on the floor. He never moved nor uttered a sound,
and I was afraid at first that I had finished him for good and all. I
next knelt down and proceeded to unfasten the helmet, which, from its
appearance, was something like the kind used by divers, while the old
man brought the lantern close to his face. At the first glance I knew in
an instant that I had seen the face before, and the next second
recognised, to my utter astonishment and horror, that it belonged to
Ralph Vyner.
For the moment I was completely dumbfounded, and gazed at the man
without speaking. It was obvious that he had only fainted from the blow,
for I could see that he was breathing, and in a few minutes he opened
his eyes and fixed them on me with a dull and vacant stare. Then he
seemed to recall the situation, though he evidently did not recognise
me.
"Let me go," he cried, making an effort to rise. "My God! you have
killed me." He pressed his hand to his side and fell back again: his
face was contorted as if in great pain.
There was obviously only one thing to be done, and that was to send for
medical assistance at once. It was clear that the man was badly injured,
but to what extent I could not determine. It was impossible to extract
the slightest further communication from him--he lay quite still,
groaning from time to time.
I told Jimmy to go off at once to Farley and bring the doctor. I
scribbled a few directions on a piece of paper.
The old man hurried out of the cottage, but in less than a minute he
was back again in great excitement.
"Look here, sir, what I have just picked up," he said; "it's something
he has dropped, I reckon."
As Jimmy spoke he held out a square leather case: there was a monogram
on it. I took it in my hand and pressed the lid; it flew open, and
inside, resting on its velvet bed, lay the glittering circlet of
diamonds. I held Lady Ridsdale's lost bracelet in my hand. All my
suspicions were confirmed: Vyner was the thief.
Without saying a word I shut the box and despatched the old man at once
for the doctor, bidding him go as fast as he could. Then I sat down by
the prostrate man and waited. I knew that Jimmy could not be back for at
least two hours. The grey dawn was beginning to steal in through the
little latticed window when Vyner moved, opened his eyes and looked at
me. He started as his eyes fell on the case.
"You are Mr. Bell," he said slowly. "Ridsdale told me that you were
coming to the _Theodora_ on purpose to discover the mystery of the lost
diamonds. You didn't know that I should give you an opportunity of
discovering the truth even before you arrived at the house-boat. Bend
down close to me--you have injured me; I may not recover; hear what I
have to say."