THE MEETING.
As David Arden drove towards town, his confusion rather increased. Why
should Mr. Longcluse select him for this confidence? There were men in
the City whom he must know, if not intimately, at least much better than
he knew him. It was a very strange occurrence; and was not Mr.
Longcluse's manner, also, strange? Was he not, somehow, very oddly cool
under a charge of murder? There was something, it seemed, indefinably
incongruous in the nature of his story, his request, and his manner.
* * * * *
It was five or ten minutes before the appointed time when David Arden
and Longcluse met in the latter gentleman's "study" in Bolton Street.
There was a slight, odd flutter at Longcluse's heart, although his pale
face betrayed no sign of agitation, as the shuffling tread of a heavy
foot was heard on the doorsteps, followed by a faint knock, like that of
a tremulous postman. It was the preconcerted summons of Mr. Paul Davies.
Longcluse smiled at David Arden and raised his finger, as he lightly
drew near the room door, with an air of warning. He wished to remind his
companion that he was to receive their visitor alone. Mr. Arden nodded,
and Mr. Longcluse withdrew. In a minute more the servant opened the
study-door, and said--"Mr. Davies, Sir."
And the tall ex-detective entered, and looked with a silky simper
stealthily to the right and to the left from the corners of his eyes,
and glided in, shutting the door behind him.
Uncle David received this man without even a nod. He eyed him sternly,
from his chair at the end of the table.
"Sit in that chair, please," said he, pointing to a seat at the other
end.
The ex-policeman made his best bow, and turning out his toes very much,
he shuffled with his habitual sly smirk on, to the chair, in which he
seated himself, and with his big red hands on the table began turning,
and twisting, and twiddling a short pencil, which was a good deal bitten
at the uncut end, between his fingers and thumbs.
"You came here to see Mr. Longcluse?" asked David Arden.
"A few words of business at his desire. Sir, I ask your parding, I came,
Sir, by his wishes, not mine, which has brought me here at his request."
"And who am I, do you suppose?"
The man, still smiling, looked at him shrewdly. "Well, I don't know, I'm
sure; I may 'a' seen you."
"Did you ever see that gentleman?" said David Arden, as Mr. Longcluse
entered the room.
The ex-detective looked also shrewdly at Longcluse, but without any
light of recognition. "I may have seen him, Sir. Yes, I saw him in Saint
George's, Hanover Square, the day Lord Charles Dillingsworth married
Miss Wygram, the _hairess_. I saw him at Sydenham the second week in
February last when the Freemasons' dinner was there; and I saw him on
the night of the match between Hood and Markham, at the Saloon Tavern."
"Do you know my name?" said David Arden.
"Well, no, I don't at present remember."
"Do you know that gentleman's name?"
"His name?"
"Ay, his name."
"Well, no; I may have heard it, and I may bring it to mind, by-and-by."
Longcluse smiled and shrugged, looking at Mr. Arden, and he said to the
man--
"So you don't know _that_ gentleman's name, nor mine?"
The man looked at each, hard and a little anxiously, like a person who
feels that he may be making a very serious mistake; but after a pause he
said decisively--"No, I don't at present. I say I don't know your names,
either of you gentlemen, and I _don't_."
The two gentlemen exchanged glances.
"Is either of us as tall as Mr. Longcluse?" asked David Arden, standing
up.
The man stood up also, to make his inspection.
"You're both," he said, after a pause, "much about his height."
"Is either of us like him?"
"No," answered Davies, after a pause.
"Did you write these letters?" asked Mr. Longcluse laughing.
"Well, I did, or I didn't, and what's that to you?"
"Something, as you shall know presently."
"I think you're trying it on. I reckon this is a bit of a plant. I don't
care a scratch o' that pencil if it be. I wrote them letters, and I said
nothin' but what's true, and I'll go with you now to the station if you
like, and tell all I knows."
The fellow seemed nettled, and laughed viciously a little, and swaggered
at the close of his speech. The faintest flush imaginable tinged
Longcluse's forehead, as he shot a searching glance at him.
"No, we don't want that," said he; "but you may be of more use in
another way, although just now you are in the wrong box, and have
mistaken your man, for _I_ am Mr. Longcluse. You have been misinformed,
you see, as to the identity of the person you suspect; but some person
you have, no doubt, in your mind, and possibly a case worth sifting,
although you have been deceived as to his name. Describe the appearance
of the man you supposed to be Mr. Longcluse. You may be frank with me; I
mean you no harm."
"I defy any man to harm me, Sir, if you please, so long as I do my
dooty," said Paul Davies. "Mr. Longcluse, if that be his name, the man I
mean, he's about your height, with round shoulders and red hair, and
talks with a north-country twang on his tongue; he's a bit rougher, and
a swaggerin' cove, and a yard o' red beard over his waistcoat, and
bigger hands a deal than you, and broader feet."
"And have you a case against him?"
"Partly, but it ain't, Sir, if you please, by no means so complete as
would answer as yet. If I was sure you were really Mr. Longcluse, I
could say more, for I partly guess who this other gent is--a most
respectable party. I think I do know you, Sir, by appearance; if you had
your 'at on, Sir, I could say to a certainty. But I think, Sir, if you
please, I'm not very far wrong when I say that I would identify you for
Mr. David Arden."
"So I am; that is quite true."
"Thank you, Sir, I am obleeged; that's very quietin' to my mind, Sir,
having full confidence in your character; and if you, Sir, please to
tell me _that_ gentleman is undoubtingly Mr. Longcluse, the propperieter
of this house, I must 'a' been let into a mistake; I don't think they
was agreenin' of me, but it was a mistake, if you please, Sir, if you
say so."
"This is Mr. Longcluse--I know of no other--and he resides in this
house," said David Arden. "But if you have information to give
respecting that red-bearded fellow, there is no reason why you should
not give it forthwith to the police."
"Parding me, Sir, if you please, Mr. Arden. There is, I would say,
strong reasons for a poor man in rayther anxious circumstances, like
myself, Sir, 'aving an affectionate mother to, in a measure, support,
and been himself unfortunately rayther hard up, he can't answer it nohow
to his conscience if he lets a hoppertunity like the present pass him
and his aged mother by unimproved. There been a reward offered, Sir, I
naturally wish, Sir, if you please, to earn it myself by valuable
evidence leading to the conviction of the guilty cove; and if I was to
tell all I knows and 'av' made out by my own hindustry to the force,
Sir, other persons would, don't you conceive, Sir, draw the reward, and
me and my mother should go without. If I could get a hinterview with the
man I 'av' bin a-gettin' things together for, I'd lead him, I 'av' no
doubt, to make such hadmissions as would clench the prosecution, and
vendicate justice."
"I see what you mean," said David Arden.
"And fair enough, I think," added Longcluse.