Yes, he was Sybil's secret lover without a doubt. Those letters were
sufficient proof of that.
And yet was it not strange that Mrs Parham should place the portrait in
her room in a position so conspicuous?
The constable was as much puzzled as myself regarding the motive of the
attack.
My own theory was that there had been two men lurking in the house, and
hearing Mrs Parham playing the piano, they managed to enter the room
unobserved, for there was a large Japanese screen before the door. An
instant afterwards the maid entered, switched on the light, and let down
the blinds, but while doing so, the men so suddenly discovered made a
bold attack upon both, deftly twisting the scarves about their faces ere
either of them could call for assistance.
The maid had evidently been attacked from behind by one of the men
concealed at the back of the curtain at the moment when she had lowered
the last blind. From this fact I suspected that the girl knew them and
they feared recognition.
Yet the reason of that bold, desperate attack was surely an entire
mystery.
Subsequent examination showed that they must have entered the front door
with a duplicate key, probably almost immediately before, otherwise the
gardener or Mrs Parham herself must have seen them approaching the
house.
But when they had so successfully silenced both mistress and maid, what
had been their next action? That was the mystery.
At first my impulse was to explain what I had seen from the pavement,
yet I saw, on due reflection, that it was far better to keep that
knowledge to myself, more especially if I could manage to obtain
possession of that very valuable piece of evidence, the dead man's
photograph.
Laking went into the other rooms on the ground floor, and switched on
the light in all of them, while the constable and myself made a careful
examination in order to see whether any robbery had taken place. As far
as we could ascertain, however, nothing had been disturbed. No drawer
stood open, and although in both dining-room and library were large
glass cases filled with valuable antiques, china, enamels, miniatures
and old glass, nothing had apparently been touched.
"I wonder if the men are in the 'ouse now?" suggested the maid-servant
suddenly, the word "man" being always very expressive in the vocabulary
of the kitchen.
"Not likely," declared the constable. "They've gone long ago. I wonder
who they were?"
"Perhaps they thought that only Mrs Parham and Jane were at home,"
remarked the cook's brother. "And then, when they found Lane, my sister
and Emily they got frightened, and cleared out."
"Most probably," was the policeman's reply. "They were disturbed by
something; that's very evident. They intended to have the silver,
because it's easy got rid of. Perhaps it's the gang what worked Norwood
a couple of months ago. Two of 'em got five years at the Old Bailey
last week."
"They were a desperate pair, whoever they were," I said. "Men don't
carry scarves like these and chloroform all ready if they don't mean to
do some big piece of business. The affair, whatever it was, must have
been well planned."
"They had their pals outside this house, no doubt. Men like those don't
work without spies watching the house to give alarm."
His words caused me to ponder.
If one of the gang had been outside, then I had certainly been noted,
for I had stood before the gate for quite a minute. I had been noticed,
without a doubt! They knew that I had seen that thin, tall figure
crossing the room so stealthily!
Perhaps I had quite unintentionally frightened them and prevented them
from fully carrying out their object! When I had gone the spy outside
might have given the signal which caused them to make their escape.
Now that I recollected, I remembered most distinctly that while I had
spoken to the lamplighter, somebody a little distance down the road was
whistling gaily a music-hall air.
There was a muffin-man, too, who had suddenly commenced to ring his bell
as I had stopped to speak and was balancing his tray upon his head as he
passed by us, glancing into my face.
Was he the spy?
I was in the study, discussing the affair with the constable, when the
doctor was announced.
I followed him into the drawing-room and noted his surprise when he saw
Mrs Parham lying there.
Quickly he made his examination and relieved our minds by declaring that
she would before long return to consciousness.
Then he crossed to the maid Jane, placed his hand upon her heart, opened
her eyes, felt her hands, and bent the fingers.
For a long time he scrutinised her very carefully, taking up a small
mirror and holding it close to her mouth, while we stood anxiously
awaiting his verdict.