"Wot's 'appened, gov'nor?" broke in Joe anxiously. "You ain't goin' to tell me they're both dead?"
"They were when I left them," said Colin. "As dead as any one I've ever seen in my life. They ran into a heap of loose stones just this side of Thames Haven and smashed themselves to pieces."
"Well, if that ain't the limit!" observed Joe disgustedly. "'Ere' ave I bin waitin' to bash 'ell outer that bloke Cooper——"
"Stop, Joe!" commanded Nancy almost angrily. "I won't have you talking like that. It's wicked."
The abashed boxer fell back, and with a quick breath she turned again to Colin.
"Where's the Inspector?" she asked. "Why hasn't he come with you?"
"He's all right," said Colin. "We got someone to send a message through to the Southend police, and he's waiting for them to turn up with a motor ambulance. He suggested that in the meanwhile I should come on here and take you home in the car. He's going to call for Joe and the sergeant on his way back." He paused and glanced inquiringly round the room. "By the way," he added, "where is the sergeant, and what's happened to my pal Jake Hudson?"
"Hudson's locked up in the cellar," replied Nancy. "We carried the other poor man into the hall and put him on the sofa. I bandaged up his head as well as I could, but he's still unconscious."
"I'll go in and have a look at him," said Colin. "Then I should think we might as well push off. I've all sorts of exciting news for you, Nancy."
"If you mean about Mr. Carter being my grandfather," she interrupted calmly, "I know that already."
Colin stared at her in amazement. "You know it already?" he repeated.
She nodded her head. "Yes," she said, "Joe told me. Of course, there's a lot I don't understand yet, but——"
"I didn't mean to do it, guv'nor," protested Joe; "strike me dead if I did. She jest started askin' questions, and afore I knew wot 'ad 'appened, damn me if I 'adn't given away the 'ole show."
Colin looked from one to the other of them, and then began to laugh.
"I thought I could depend on you, Joe," he said reproachfully.
The boxer glanced at Nancy with a kind of admiring resentment. "I always reckoned I could keep my mouth shut," he muttered, "but she's one o' them young laidies a bloke ain't got no chance with."
"I don't know if that's a compliment or not," said Nancy. "Anyhow, Colin, do come along and see what you think of my patient. We shall have plenty of time to talk about me when we're going home in the car."
She led the way out into the hall, and, crossing to where the unconscious and heavily breathing Bentley lay propped upon the sofa amongst a pile of cushions, Colin bent down to inspect the bandages which encircled his head.
"Nothing the matter with this," he said approvingly. "You must have been having lessons from Mark in your spare time." He made a brief examination of the man's pulse and general condition, while the others stood by watching him in silence. "I don't think there'll be much to worry about when he comes round," he added, "but of course he'll have to keep to his bed for a day or two." He turned to Joe. "Put some of these cushions round him so that he isn't shaken about in the ambulance, and tell Marsden to take him to the hospital directly you reach London."
"I believe there must be some kind of curse on me," said Nancy rather ruefully. "I seem to bring trouble on everyone I have anything to do with."
"You ain't no call to feel like that, miss," objected Joe. "A cracked 'ead ain't much in the way of trouble—not for a policeman, any'ow."
"You can be pretty sure that that's the way in which Bentley will look at it," said Colin. "As for the Inspector"—his gray eyes lit up with a boyish twinkle—"well, if he hadn't told me that he was a married man with three children I should have been jolly careful not to ask him round to Shadwell this evening."
With a little laugh Nancy held out her hands toward him.
"Take me home, Colin," she said. "I feel like Charles Lamb when they gave him a pension. I want to go home for ever."
* * * * * * * * *
Mark filled up his empty glass, and, settling himself in his armchair, beamed paternally at Colin and Nancy, who were sitting opposite to him on the sofa.
"It only shows how careful one ought to be," he said. "Just think of the chance I missed when I took Nancy on as a secretary! If I'd had any idea that she was going to blossom out suddenly as a sort of female Rothschild I should immediately have adopted her as my daughter."
"Perhaps it's as well you didn't," said Colin, laughing. "She'd have found it a bit of a strain to carry out the fifth commandment."
Nancy, who was looking distractingly pretty as she lay back against the cushions, smiled contentedly at them both.
"I think it's much better as it is," she said. "If I hadn't known what it felt like to be bullied and ordered about I shouldn't be half so happy when I'm married to Colin."
Mark set down his glass with an air of pretended dismay.
"But, my dear child," he exclaimed, "you can't possibly marry Colin now. You must put that idea right out of your head. Why, with your looks and two hundred thousand pounds you might make an alliance with a duke."
There was a moment's pause.
"By Jove, yes!" observed Colin blankly. "I never thought of that."
He turned to Nancy, but before he could add anything further she raised her finger in a peremptory warning.
"It's no use, Colin dear," she said. "Joe saw you hugging and kissing me at 'The Firs,' and I'm not the sort of girl to allow my young affections to be trifled with. If you attempt to back out of it now I shall sue you for breach of promise."
The distant tinkle of a bell sounded through the house, and, raising himself in his chair, Mark glanced indignantly at the clock.
"Oh, hang it all!" he exclaimed. "I'm not going to see any more patients to-night. It's nearly ten, and, besides that, I'm beautifully and comfortably intoxicated."
"It may be Marsden," suggested Colin. "He promised to come down if he could manage to spare the time."
They heard the front door open and close, and after a brief interval the somewhat breathless figure of Martha Jane burst unceremoniously into the room.
"There's a police inspector downstairs," she announced. "'E says 'e's come to see Doctor Gray."
Mark hoisted himself to his feet. "Show him up," he said hospitably, "and then fetch along another glass. If any one else calls, tell them that I've been sent for to Buckingham Palace to operate on the King."
Leaving the door open behind her, Martha Jane vanished down the staircase. There was a murmur of voices, followed by a creak of footsteps, and a moment later she reappeared, with the bullet head and broad shoulders of the detective mounting in her wake.
Jumping up from the sofa, Colin met him as he entered the room.
"So glad you've been able to come, Marsden," he exclaimed. "We only wanted you to complete the party." He waved an introductory hand in the direction of Mark. "This is my friend, Doctor Ashton. I don't think there's any need to introduce you to Miss Seymour!"
Marsden smiled, and, stepping forward, shook hands with his host.
"Pleased to meet you, doctor," he said. "I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, but, as you've probably heard, we've been having rather a busy and exciting afternoon." He turned to Nancy. "I hope you're not feeling much the worse for it, miss?"
"Not a bit," said Nancy, "thanks to you and Colin. I only wish I could tell you how grateful I am for all you've done for me."
Marsden shook his head. "It's very good of you to say so, miss, but I'm not throwing any bouquets at myself this journey. On the contrary, I don't think I've ever made so many blunders in a case in the whole of my professional career."
"Why, what are you worrying about?" demanded Colin. "Except for the regrettable fact that we can't hang Cooper——"
"You haven't heard my news yet," interrupted Marsden. "I'm almost ashamed to confess it, but the fact remains that we've allowed Medwin to slip through our fingers."
Colin stared at him incredulously. "Medwin escaped!" he exclaimed.
"If you like to put it that way. He has escaped being sent for trial, anyhow. At the present moment he's lying in the mortuary at the Kensington Police Station."
With a faint cry of horror Nancy caught hold of Colin's hand.
"It was all my fault," continued Marsden. "I ought to have made certain of him before we left London. It never occurred to me he'd play us a dirty trick like this."
"What do you mean?" broke in Colin. "When I left him he was tied up on the sofa. How on earth——"
"Well, the servants came back and untied him," said Marsden curtly. "He invented some cock-and-bull story about having been attacked by a couple of burglars, and then sent them down to the kitchen and locked himself in his study. As soon as I got back to London I telephoned through to Kensington and gave instructions for his arrest, but by that time it was too late. They found him sitting dead in his chair, with a letter which he had just written lying on the table beside him. He had swallowed enough poison to kill half a dozen people."
There was a brief silence.
"I see now," said Colin slowly. "He told me he knew when he was beaten, and that's evidently what he meant." He paused. "And the letter?" he asked.
Marsden put his hand in his pocket and produced a large square envelope.
"The letter was my chief reason for coming down here. As a matter of fact, it was addressed to you, but under the circumstances I've taken the liberty of opening it."
He presented the envelope to Colin, who, after glancing unbelievingly at his own name, pulled out and unfolded its contents.
"3 ALBERT TERRACE,"KENSINGTON.
"My dear Gray,—You will probably be surprised at receiving a letter from me, but you must put it down to the whim of a dying man.
"The truth is, I feel that I owe an apology both to you and to Miss Seymour.
"I will make no attempt to defend my conduct. I frankly admit that it justifies practically every one of the uncomplimentary epithets which you hurled at me in the course of your dramatic visit.
"The only accusation against which I must enter a protest is that either Fenton or I was in any way concerned with the murder of my old friend and client, the late Professor Carter. On this point you are entirely mistaken. It was the work of that senseless ruffian Cooper, whom we had employed to assist us in breaking into the Red Lodge when we found it necessary to examine the Professor's papers. I sincerely hope that this information will be of some assistance in bringing him to the gallows.
"On the charges of embezzlement and conspiracy, however, the fact remains that I have rendered myself liable to a considerable term of penal servitude. It is an unpleasant position, but one which I am perfectly prepared to face. Playing for high stakes has always had a peculiar attraction for me, and in the event of failure I have never been one of those poor-spirited sportsmen who object to settling their accounts.
"I doubt if you will believe me, but I should like to say in conclusion that as far as you are concerned I have no feeling of resentment. On the contrary, if you had not been so infernally in my way it would have been a distinct pleasure to me to cultivate your society. Being of a somewhat complex temperament, I derive considerable enjoyment from the companionship of a crude and vigorous young savage like yourself.
"I do not know whether you arrived in time to rescue Miss Seymour from the embraces of our mutual friend, but I have no doubt that you will succeed in consoling her for any unpleasant experiences to which she may have been subjected. From the little I saw of her she struck me as being a singularly attractive and high-spirited young lady.
"Please convey to her my apologies for the unchivalrous treatment she has received, and also express my regret that there should be a shortage of some twenty thousand pounds in the money to which she is entitled. As the sum which still remains, however, amounts to about a hundred and seventy thousand pounds, it will be amply sufficient to provide you both with those minor comforts and luxuries which form such an agreeable addition even to the happiest of married lives.
"Believe me, my dear Gray,"Your sincere admirer,"JAMES STANHOPE MEDWIN."
Colin read through this remarkable communication in silence, and, having come to the end, handed it to Nancy.
"It's just the sort of letter I should have expected him to write," he observed. "The only thing I'm surprised at is that he didn't send us a wedding present."
"Well, it's queer your putting it like that," replied the detective. "As a matter of fact, it's the very same remark which I made to the Commissioner. There's a certain type of criminal who doesn't care what happens to him as long as he can die showing off and codding himself that he's a sportsman and a gentleman."
"I suppose that's true," said Nancy, looking up from the letter. "I do wish he hadn't killed himself, though. I hate to feel that three people have lost their lives and all on account of——"
"It's only because you're not accustomed to it," interrupted Mark comfortingly. "When one's been a doctor for twenty years a trifling massacre like this leaves one quite unperturbed."
As he spoke Martha Jane appeared with the clean glass, and, taking it off the tray, he turned to Marsden.
"How about a drop of champagne, Inspector?" he suggested. "There's nothing like it after a busy day, and, besides, you've got to drink to the health of the happy pair."
"I won't say no to a good offer like that," returned the detective.
He accepted the beaker which Mark held out to him, and, raising it in his hand, nodded first to Nancy and then to Colin.
"I've already congratulated the doctor," he said. "As for you, miss, if you'll excuse my saying so, I think you've made as big a success in choosing a husband as you did in choosing a grandfather."
He drained his glass to the dregs, and set it down on the table with an appreciative smack.
"I'm sorry to tear myself away from such a pleasant party," he added, "but I've got to get back to the Yard and complete my report of the case. We're fixing the inquest for the day after to-morrow."
"Shall I have to give evidence?" inquired Nancy in some dismay.
"I'm afraid there's no getting out of that, miss. You and Doctor Gray will be the two principal witnesses, but I shall be seeing the Coroner first, and you can take it from me that you won't be asked more questions than are absolutely necessary." He turned to Colin. "I should like to see you the first thing in the morning, doctor. This case is bound to attract a good deal of attention, and there are one or two points in connection with it which it will be better if we keep to ourselves."
"That's all right," said Colin calmly. "You tell me what you want us to say, and Nancy and I will stick to it like Britons."
Marsden laughed, and, picking up his cap from the table, shook hands all round.
"Let me see you as far as the door, Inspector," suggested Mark. "I think I'm just sober enough to be able to manage the staircase."
He led the way out on the landing, followed by the detective, and for the first time since their return to the house Colin and Nancy found themselves alone.
He put his arm round her, and, bending down, kissed her hair.
"You mustn't let all this distress you too much, darling," he said gently. "It's been a horrible and ghastly business, but I do believe it's ended in the best way possible. If these men hadn't been killed——"
"I know, Colin," she said. "I think it's only a sort of selfish feeling I've got. I am so happy myself I want everyone else to be happy too."
"So they are!" declared Colin. "At least, everyone who matters. There's you and I and Mark and Mary and Joe——" He paused. "By the way, I wonder what's happened to Joe."
"I know what's going to happen to him," said Nancy. "Directly I get my money I'm going to buy him the biggest and most beautiful public house in Shadwell. If it wasn't for Joe——" Her voice faltered, and with a sudden impulsive movement she caught hold of Colin's hand and pressed it to her cheek.
For a moment he stood looking down at her, his gray eyes alight with love and tenderness.
"There's only one thing that isn't quite perfect," he said slowly. "I'm afraid that, whatever success I meet with in my research work, I'm bound to be more or less disappointed."
"Oh, Colin, what do you mean?"
"Why," he whispered softly, "I've already made the greatest discovery in the world.I've found you."
THE END