 Chapter 15 We had not been back in our chambers more than a few minutes when the little brass knocker on the inner door rattled out its summons. Thondike himself opened the door, and, finding our three expected visitors on the threshold, he admitted them and closed the oak. "'We have accepted your invitation, you see,' said Marchmont, whose manner was now a little flurry and uneasy. "'This is my partner, Mr. Windwood, you haven't met before, I think. "'Well, we thought we should like to hear some further particulars from you, as we could not quite understand your letter.' "'My conclusion, I suppose,' said Thondike, was a little unexpected. "'It was more than that,' exclaimed Windwood. "'It was absolutely irreconcilable, either with the facts of the case or with common physical possibilities.' "'At the first glance,' Thondike agreed, it would probably have that appearance. "'It has that appearance still to me,' said Windwood, growing suddenly red and wrathful. "'And I may say that I speak as a solicitor who was practicing in the law when you were in infinite arms. "'You tell us, sir, that this will is a forgery, this will which was executed in broad daylight in the presence of two unimpeachable witnesses, who have sworn not only to their signatures and the contents of the document, but to their very finger-max on the paper. "'Are those finger-max forgeries, too? Have you examined and tested them?' "'I have not,' replied Thondike. "'The fact is they are of no interest to me, as I am not disputing the witnesses' signatures.' "'At this, Mr. Windwood fairly danced with irritation. "'Marchmont,' he exclaimed fiercely, you know this good gentleman, I believe. "'Tell me, is he addicted to practical jokes?' "'Now, my dear Windwood, grown Marchmont, I pray you. "'I beg you to control yourself, no doubt. "'But confound it, roared Windwood. "'You have yourself heard him say that the will is a forgery, but that he doesn't dispute the signatures which, concluded Windwood, banging his fist down on the table, is damned nonsense. "'May I suggest, interposed Stephen Blackmore, that we came here to "'receive Dr. Thondike's explanation of his letter. "'Perhaps it would be better to postpone any comments until we have "'heard it.' "'Undoubtedly, undoubtedly,' said Marchmont. "'Let me entreat you, Windwood, to listen patiently, and refrain from "'interruption until we have heard our learned friend's exposition of "'the case.' "'Oh, very well, Windwood,' replied Sockley, I'll say no more. "'He sank into a chair with the manner of a man who shuts himself "'up and turns the key, and so remained, accepting when the "'internal pressure approached bursting-point. "'Throughout the subsequent proceedings, silent, stony, and "'impassive, like a seated statue of obstinacy, I take it,' said Marchmont, that you have some new facts that are not in opposition. "'Yes,' replied Thondike, we have some new facts, and we have "'made some new use of the old ones, but how shall I lay the "'case before you? "'Shall I state my theory of the sequence of events and "'furnish the verification afterwards, or shall I retrace "'the actual course of my investigations, and give you the "'facts and the order in which I obtain them myself, with the "'inferences from them?' "'I almost think,' said Mr. Marchmont, that it would be better "'if you would put us in possession of the new facts. "'Then, if the conclusions that follow from them are not "'sufficiently obvious, we could hear the argument. "'What do you say, Windwood?' "'Mr. Windwood roused himself for an instant, barked out "'the one word, facts, and shut himself up again with a snap. "'You would like to have the new facts by themselves,' said Thondike. "'If you please, the facts only in the first place at any "'rate.' "'Very well,' said Thondike, and here I caught his eye with "'a mischievous twinkle in it that I understood perfectly, "'for I had most of the facts myself, and realized how much "'these two lawyers were likely to extract from them. "'Windwood was going to have a run for his money,' as Thondike "'had promised. "'My colleague, having placed on the table by his side a "'small cardboard box, and the sheets of notes from his "'file, glanced quickly at Mr. Windwood and began. "'The first important new facts came into my possession "'on the day on which you introduced the case to me. "'In the evening after you left, I availed myself of "'Mr. Stephen's kind invitation to look over his uncle's chambers "'and new in. "'I wished to do so in order to ascertain, if possible, what "'had been the habits of the deceased during his residence "'there. "'When I arrived with Dr. Jervis, Mr. Stephen was in the "'chambers, and I learned from him that his uncle was an "'oriental scholar of some position, and that he had a "'very thorough acquaintance with the cuneiform writing. "'Now, while I was talking with Mr. Stephen, I made a very "'curious discovery. "'On the wall over the fireplace on the large framed photograph "'of an ancient Persian inscription in the cuneiform "'character, and that photograph was upside down. "'Upside down,' exclaimed Stephen, but that is really "'very odd. "'Very odd indeed,' agreed Thondike, and very suggestive. "'The way in which it came to be inverted is pretty obvious "'and also rather suggestive. "'The photograph had evidently been in the frame some years, "'but had apparently never been hung up before. "'It had not said, Stephen, though I don't know how you "'arrived at the fact. "'It used to stand on the mantelpiece in his old rooms "'in Jermaine Street.' "'Well,' continued Thondike, the frame-maker had pasted his "'label on the back of the frame, and as this label hung "'the right way up, it appeared as if the person who fixed the "'photograph on the wall had adopted it as a guide. "'It is very extraordinary,' said Stephen. "'I should have thought the person who hung it would have "'asked Uncle Jeffrey which was the right way up, and I can't "'imagine how on earth it could have hung all those months "'without his noticing it. "'He must have been practically blind.' "'Here Marchmont, who had been thinking hard with knitted "'brows, suddenly brightened up. "'I see a point, said he. "'You mean that if Jeffrey was as blind as that, it would have "'been possible for some person to substitute a false will, "'which he might sign without noticing the substitution. "'That wouldn't make the will a forgery, growled Winwood. "'If Jeffrey signed it, it was Jeffrey's will. "'You could contest it if you could prove the fraud, "'but he said, this is my will, and the two witnesses "'read it and have identified it.' "'Did they read it aloud?' asked Stephen. "'No, they did not,' replied Thondike. "'Can you prove substitution?' asked Marchmont. "'I haven't asserted it,' answered Thondike. "'My position is that the will is a forgery. "'But it is not,' said Winwood. "'We won't argue it now,' said Thondike. "'I ask you to note the fact that the inscription "'was upside down. "'I also observed on the walls of the chamber some valuable "'Japanese color prints, on which were recent damp spots. "'I noted that the sitting-moon had a gas stove, "'and that the kitchen contained practically no stores "'or remains of food, and hardly any traces "'of even the simplest cooking. "'In the bedroom I found a large box that had contained "'a considerable stock of hard-steer-iron candles, "'six to the pound, and that was now nearly empty. "'I examined the clothing of the deceased. "'On the soles of the boots I observed dried mud, "'which was unlike that on my own and Jervis's boots "'from the gravelly square of the inn. "'I noted a crease on each leg of the deceased man's trousers, "'as if they had been turned up halfway to the knee. "'And in the waistcoat pocket I found the stump "'of a contango pencil. "'On the floor of the bedroom I found a portion "'of an oval glass somewhat like that of a watch or locket, "'but ground at the edge to a double bevel. "'Dr. Jervis and I also found one or two beads "'and a bugle, all of dark-brown glass. "'Ithondike paused, and Machmont, who had been gazing at him "'with growing amazement, said nervously, "'er, yes, very interesting, these observations of yours "'or are, are all the observations that I made at New Inn. "'The two lawyers looked at one another, "'and Stephen Blackmore stared fixedly at a spot "'on the Hothrug. "'Then Mr. Winwood's face contorted itself "'into a sour, lopsided smile. "'You might have observed a good many other things, "'sir,' said he, if you had looked. "'If you had examined the doors, you would have noted "'that they had hinges and were covered with paint, "'and if you had looked up the chimney, "'you might have noted that it was black inside.' "'Now, now, Winwood protested Machmont "'in an agony of uneasiness as to what his partner might say next. "'I must really beg you to refrain from what Mr. Winwood means, "'Dr. Thondike, is that we do not quite perceive "'the relevancy of these observations of yours.' "'Probably not,' said Thondike, "'but you will perceive their relevancy later. "'For the present I will ask you to note the facts "'and bear them in mind, "'so that you may be able to follow the argument "'when we come to that.' "'The next set of data I acquired on the same evening "'when Dr. Jervis gave me a detailed account "'of a very strange adventure that befell him. "'I need not burden you with all the details, "'but I will give you the substance of his story.' "'He then proceeded to recount the incidents "'connected with my visits to Mr. Graves, "'rulling on the personal peculiarities of the parties concerned, "'and especially of the patient, "'and not even forgetting the very singular spectacles "'worn by Mr. Weiss. "'He also explained briefly the construction of the chart, "'presenting the latter for the inspection of his hearers. "'To this recital our three visitors listened "'in utter bewilderment, as indeed did I also, "'or I could not conceive in what way my adventures "'could possibly be related to the affairs "'of the late Mr. Blackmore. "'This was manifestly the view taken by Mr. Marchmont, "'but during a pause in which the chart was handed to him, "'he remarked somewhat stiffly, "'I am assuming, Dr. Thondike, "'that the curious story you are telling us "'has some relevance to the matter in which we are interested? "'You are quite correct in your assumption,' replied Thondike. "'The story is very relevant indeed, "'as you will presently be convinced.' "'Thank you,' said Marchmont, "'sinking back once more into his chair "'with a sigh of resignation. "'A few days ago, pursued Thondike, "'Dr. Jervis and I located, with the aid of this chart, "'the house to which he had been called. "'We found that the late tenant had left somewhat hurriedly "'and that the house was too let. "'And as no other kind of investigation was possible, "'we obtained the keys and made an exploration of the premises. "'Here he gave a brief account of our visit "'and the conditions that we observed, "'and was proceeding to furnish a list of the articles "'that we had found under the grate "'when Mr. Windwood started from his chair. "'Really, sir,' he exclaimed, "'this is too much. "'Have I come here at great personal inconvenience "'to hear you read the inventory of a dusty?' "'Thondike smiled benevolently and caught my eye "'once more with a gleam of amusement. "'Sit down, Mr. Windwood,' he said quietly, "'you came here to learn the facts of the case "'and I am giving them to you. "'Please don't interrupt needlessly and waste time.' "'Windwood stared at him ferociously for several seconds, "'then somewhat disconcerted by the unruffled calm "'of his manner, he uttered a snort of defiance, "'sat down heavily and shut himself up again. "'We will now, Fondike continued with unmoved serenity, "'consider these relics in more detail, "'and we will begin with this pair of spectacles. "'They belonged to a person who was nearsighted "'and astigmatic in the left eye "'and almost certainly blind in the right. "'Such a description agrees entirely "'with Dr. Jervis' account of the sick man. "'He paused for the moment "'and then as no one made any comment proceeded. "'We next come to these little pieces of reed, "'which you, Mr. Stephen, will probably recognize "'as the remains of a Japanese brush, "'such as is used for writing in Chinese ink "'or for making small drawings. "'Again he paused, "'as though expecting some remark from his listeners, "'but no one spoke and he continued. "'Then there is this bottle "'with the theatrical wigmaker's label on it, "'which once contains cement, "'such as is used for fixing on false beards, "'mustaches, or eyebrows. "'He paused once more "'and looked round expectantly at his audience, "'none of whom, however, volunteered any remark. "'Do none of these objects that I have described "'and shown you seem to have any significance for us?' "'He asked in a tone of some surprise. "'They convey nothing to me,' said Mr. Marchbaugh "'and glancing at his partner, "'who shook his head like a rest of horse. "'Nor to you, Mr. Stephen?' "'No,' replied Stephen. "'Under the existing circumstances "'they conveyed no reasonable suggestion to me. "'Thondike hesitated, "'as if he were half inclined to say something more. "'Then with a slight shrug "'he turned over his notes and resumed. "'The next group of new facts is concerned "'with the signatures of the recent checks. "'We have photographed them and placed them together "'for the purpose of comparison and analysis. "'I am not prepared to question the signatures,' said Winwood. "'We have had a highly expert opinion "'which would override ours in a court of law "'even if we differed from it, "'which I think we do not. "'Yes,' said Marchbaugh, "'that is so. I think we must accept the signatures. "'Especially as that of the will "'has been proved beyond any question to be authentic. "'Very well,' agreed Thondike. "'We will pass over the signatures. "'Then we have some further evidence "'in regard to the spectacles "'which serves to verify our conclusions respecting them. "'Perhaps,' said Marchbaugh, "'we might pass over that, too, "'as we do not seem to have reached any conclusions. "'As you please,' said Thondike. "'It is important, but we can reserve it for verification. "'The next item will interest you more, I think. "'It is the signed and witness statement of Samuel Wilkins, "'the driver of the cab in which the deceased "'came home to the inn on the evening of his death.' "'My colleague was right. "'An actual document signed by a tangible witness "'who could be put in the box and sworn "'brought both lawyers to a state of attention. "'And when Thondike read out the cabman's evidence, "'their attention soon quickened into undisguised astonishment.' "'But this is the most mysterious affair,' exclaimed Marchbaugh. "'Who could this woman have been? "'And what could she have been doing in Jeffrey's chambers "'at this time? "'Can you throw any light on it, Mr. Stephen?' "'No, indeed I can't,' replied Stephen. "'It is a complete mystery to me. "'My uncle Jeffrey was a confirmed old bachelor, "'and although he did not dislike women, "'he was far from partial to their society, "'wrapped up as he was in his favorite studies. "'To the best of my belief, he had not a single female friend. "'He was not on intimate terms even with his sister, "'Mrs. Wilson.' "'Very remarkable, Muse Marchbaugh, most remarkable. "'But perhaps you can tell us, Dr. Thondike, "'who this woman was.' "'I think,' replied Thondike, "'that the next item of evidence will enable you "'to form an opinion for yourselves. "'I only obtained it yesterday, "'and as it made my case quite complete, "'I wrote off to you immediately. "'It is the statement of Joseph Ridley, another cabman, "'and, unfortunately, a rather dull unobservant fellow "'unlike Wilkins. "'He has not much to tell us, "'but what little he has is highly instructive. "'Here is the statement signed by the opponent "'and witnessed by me.' "'My name is Joseph Ridley. "'I am the driver of a four-wheeled cab. "'On the 14th of March, the day of the Great Fog, "'I was waiting at Vuxhall Station "'where I had just set down a fare. "'About five o'clock a lady came and told me "'to drive over to Upper Kennington Lane "'to take up a passenger. "'She was a middle-sized woman. "'I could not tell what her age was or what she was like "'because her head was wrapped up in a sort of knitted "'wollen veil to keep out the fog. "'I did not notice how she was dressed. "'She got into the cab and I led the horse "'over to Upper Kennington Lane "'and a little way up the lane "'until the lady tapped at the front window "'for me to stop. "'She got out of the cab and told me to wait. "'Then she went away and disappeared in the fog. "'Presently a lady and gentleman came from the direction "'in which she had gone. "'The lady looked like the same lady, "'but I won't answer to that. "'Her head was wrapped up in the same kind of veil or shawl, "'and I noticed that she had on a dark-colored metal "'with bead fringe on it. "'The gentleman was clean-shaved and wore spectacles, "'and he stooped a great deal. "'I can't say whether his sight was good or bad. "'He helped the lady into the cab "'and told me to drive to the great northern station, "'Kings Cross. "'Then he got in himself and I drove off. "'I got to the station about a quarter to six, "'and the lady and gentleman got out. "'The gentleman paid my fare, "'and they both went into the station. "'I did not notice anything unusual about either of them "'directly after they had gone. "'I got a fresh fare and drove away.' "'That thond I concluded "'is Joseph Ridley's statement, "'and I think it will enable you to give a meaning "'to the other facts that I have offered "'for your consideration.' "'I'm not so sure about that,' said Marchmont. "'It is all exceedingly mysterious. "'Your suggestion is, of course, "'that the woman who came to new in in the cab "'was Mrs. Shelleybaum.' "'Not at all,' replied Thornike. "'My suggestion is that the woman was Jeffrey Blackmore. "'There was deathly silence for a few moments. "'We were all absolutely thunderstruck "'and sat gaping at Thornike in speechless astonishment. "'Then Mr. Wynwood barely bounced out of his chair. "'But, my good sir,' he screeched. "'Jeffery Blackmore was with her at the time?' "'Naturally,' replied Thornike. "'My suggestion implies that the person "'who was with her was not Jeffrey Blackmore. "'But he was, Bald Wynwood, the porter saw him. "'The porter saw a person whom he believed "'to be Jeffrey Blackmore. "'I suggest that the porter's belief was erroneous. "'Well,' snapped Wynwood. "'Perhaps you can prove that it was. "'I don't see how you are going to, "'but perhaps you can.' "'He subsided once more into his chair "'and glared defiantly at Thornike. "'You seem,' said Stephen, "'to suggest some connection between the sick man graves "'and my uncle. "'I noted it at the time, but put it aside as impossible. "'Was I right? "'Did you mean to suggest any connection? "'I suggest something more than a connection. "'I suggest identity. "'My position is that the sick man graves was your uncle.' "'From Dr. Jervis' description,' said Stephen, "'this man must have been very like my uncle. "'Both were blind in the right eye "'and had very poor vision with the left. "'And my uncle certainly used brushes of the kind "'that you have shown us when writing in the Japanese character, "'for I have watched him and admired his skill. "'But,' said Marchmont, "'there is the insufferable objection "'that at the very time when this man was lying sick "'in Kennington Lane, Mr. Jeffrey was living at New Inn. "'What evidence is there of that?' asked Thornike. "'Evidence?' Marchmont exclaimed impatiently. "'Why, my dear sir.' He paused suddenly and, leaning forward, regarded Thornike with a new and rather startled expression. "'You mean to suggest,' he began. "'I suggest that Jeffrey Blackmore never lived at New Inn at all.' "'For the moment, Marchmont seemed absolutely paralyzed "'by astonishment.' "'This is an amazing proposition,' he exclaimed at length. "'Yet the thing is certainly not impossible. "'Now that you recall the fact, "'I realize that no one who had known him previously, "'excepting his brother John, ever saw him at the inn. "'The question of identity was never raised.' "'Excepting,' said Mr. Winwood, "'in regard to the body, which was certainly that of Jeffrey Blackmore. "'Yes, yes, of course,' said Marchmont. "'I had forgotten that for the moment. "'The body was identified beyond doubt. "'You don't dispute the identity of the body, do you?' "'Certainly not,' replied Thornike. "'Here Mr. Winwood grasped his hair with both hands "'and stuck his elbows on his knees, "'while Marchmont drew forth a large handkerchief "'and mopped his forehead. "'Steven Blackmore looked from one to the other expectantly "'and finally said, "'If I might make a suggestion, it would be that, "'as Dr. Thornike has shown us the pieces now of the puzzle, "'he should be so kind as to put them together "'for our information.' "'Yes,' agreed Marchmont. "'That will be the best plan. "'Let us have the argument, doctor, "'and any additional evidence that you possess.' "'The argument,' said Thornike, "'will be a rather long one, "'as the data are so numerous, "'and there are some points in verification "'on which I shall have to dwell in some detail. "'We will have some coffee to clear our brains, "'and then I will bespeak your patience "'for what may seem like a rather Prolex demonstration.'" End of Chapter 15, recording by James O'Connor, Randolph, Massachusetts, February 2010. Chapter 16 of The Mystery of 31, New Inn. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by R. E. Faust. The Mystery of 31, New Inn by R. Austin Freeman. Chapter 16, An Exposition and a Tragedy. Part 1. "'You may have wondered,' Thornike commenced when he had poured out the coffee and handed round the cups, "'what induced me to undertake the minute investigation "'of so apparently simple and straightforward a case? "'Perhaps I'd better explain that first "'and let you see what was the real starting point of the inquiry.'" When you, Mr. Marchman and Mr. Stephen, introduced the case to me, I made a very brief pre-cease of the facts as you presented them, and of those, there were one or two which immediately attracted my attention. In the first place, there was the will. It was very strange will. It was perfectly unnecessary. It contained no new matter. It expressed no changed intentions. It met no new circumstances as known to the testator. In short, it was not really a new will at all, but merely a repetition of the first one, drafted in different and less suitable language. It differed only in introducing a certain ambiguity from which the original was free. It created the possibility that, in certain circumstances, not known to or anticipated by the testator, John Blackmore might become the principal beneficiary, contrary to the obvious wishes of the testator. The next point that impressed me was the manner of Mrs. Wilson's death. She died of cancer. Now, people do not die suddenly and unexpectedly of cancer. This terrible disease stands almost alone in that it marks out its victims months in advance. A person who has an incurable cancer is a person whose death may be predicted with certainty and its date fixed within comparatively narrow limits. And now observe the remarkable series of coincidences that are brought into light when we consider this peculiarity of the disease. Mrs. Wilson died on the 12th of March of this present year. Mr. Jeffery's second will was signed on the 12th of November of last year at a time, that is to say, when the existence of cancer must have been known to Mrs. Wilson's doctor and might have been known to any of her relatives who chose to inquire after her. Then you will observe that the remarkable change in Mr. Jeffery's habits coincides in the most singular way with the same events. The cancer must have been detectable as early as September of last year. About the time, in fact, at which Mrs. Wilson made her will. Mr. Jeffery went to the inn at the beginning of October. From that time, his habits were totally changed and I can demonstrate to you that a change, not a gradual but an abrupt change, took place in the character of his signature. In short, the whole of this peculiar set of circumstances, the change in Jeffery's habits, the change in his signature and the execution of his strange will, came into existence about the time when Mrs. Wilson was first known to be suffering from cancer. This struck me as a very suggestive fact. Then there is the extraordinarily opportune date of Mr. Jeffery's death. Mrs. Wilson died on the 12th of March. Mr. Jeffery was found dead on the 15th of March, having apparently died on the 14th, on which day he was seen alive. If he had died only three days sooner, he would have predeceased Mrs. Wilson and her property would never have devolved on him at all. While if he had lived only a day or two longer, he would have learned of her death and would certainly have made a new will or codicil in his nephew's favor. Circumstances therefore conspired in the most singular manner in favor of John Blackmore. But there is yet another coincidence. Jeffery's body was found by the mirror's chance the day after his death. But it might have remained undiscovered for weeks or even months. And if it had, it would have been impossible to fix the date of his death. Then Mrs. Wilson's next of kin would certainly have contested John Blackmore's claim and probably with success. On the ground that Jeffery died before Mrs. Wilson. But all this uncertainty is provided for by the circumstance that Mr. Jeffery paid his rent personally and prematurely to the porter on the 14th of March. Thus establishing beyond question the fact that he was alive on that date. And yet further, in case the porter's memory should be untrustworthy or his statement doubted, Jeffery furnished a signed and dated document, the check, which could be produced in a court to furnish incontestable proof of survival. To sum up this part of the evidence. Here was a will which enabled John Blackmore to inherit the fortune of a man who almost certainly had no intention of bequeaving it to him. The wording of that will seemed to be adjusted to the peculiarities of Mrs. Wilson's disease. And the death of the testator occurred under a peculiar set of circumstances which seemed to be exactly adjusted to the wording of the will. Or to put it another way, the wording of the will and the time, the manner and the circumstances of the testator's death all seem to be precisely adjusted to the fact that the approximate date of Mrs. Wilson's death was known some months before it occurred. Now you must admit that this compound group of coincidences all conspiring to a single end the enrichment of John Blackmore has a very singular appearance. Coincidences are common enough in real life but we cannot accept too many at a time. My feeling was that there were too many in this case and that I could not accept them without searching inquiry. Thorndike paused and Mr. Marchmont, who had listened with close attention, nodded as he glanced at his silent partner. You've stated the case with remarkable clearness, he said and I'm free to confess that some of the points that you've raised had escaped my notice. My first idea, Thorndike resumed, was that John Blackmore, taking advantage of the mental enfeeblement produced by the opium habit, had dictated this will to Jeffrey. It was then that I sought permission to inspect Jeffrey's chambers to learn what I could about him and to see for myself whether they presented the dirty and disorderly appearance characteristic of the regular opium smokers den. But when, during a walk into the city, I thought over the case, it seemed to me that this explanation hardly met the facts. Then I endeavored to think of some other explanation and looking over my notes, I observed two points that seemed worth considering. One was that neither of the witnesses of the will was really acquainted with Jeffrey Blackmore, both being strangers who had accepted his identity on his own statement. The other was that no one who had previously known him with the single exception of his brother John had ever seen Jeffrey at the inn. What was the import of these two facts? Probably they had none. But still, they suggested the desirability of considering the question, was the person who signed the will really Jeffrey Blackmore? The contrary supposition that someone had personated Jeffrey and forged his signature to a false will seemed wildly improbable, especially in view of the identification of the body. But it involved no actual impossibility and it offered a complete explanation of the otherwise inexplicable coincidences that I've mentioned. I did not, however, for a moment think that this was the true explanation, but I resolved to bear it in mind to test it when the opportunity arose and consider it by the light of any fresh facts that I might acquire. The new facts came sooner than I had expected. That same evening, I went with Dr. Jarvis to New Inn and found Mr. Stephen in the chambers. By him, I was informed that Jeffrey was a learned orientalist with a quite expert knowledge of the cuneiform writing. And even as he was telling me this, I looked over his shoulder and saw a cuneiform inscription hanging on the wall upside down. Now, of this, there could be only one reasonable explanation. Disregarding the fact that no one would screw the suspension plates on a frame without ascertaining which was the right way up and assuming it to be hung up inverted, it was impossible that the misplacement could have been overlooked by Jeffrey. He was not blind, though his sight was defective. The frame was 30 inches long and the individual characters nearly an inch in length. About the size of the D18 letters of Snellen's test types, which can be read by a person of ordinary sight at a distance of 55 feet. There was, I repeat, only one reasonable explanation which was that the person who had inhabited those chambers was not Jeffrey Blackmore. This conclusion received considerable support from a fact which I observe later but mention in this place. On examining the soles of the shoes taken from the dead man's feet, I found only the ordinary mud of the streets. There was no trace of the peculiar gravelly mud that adhered to my own boots and javices and which came from the square of the inn. Yet the porter distinctly stated that the deceased, after paying the rent, walked back towards his chambers across the square, the mud of which should therefore have been conspicuous on his shoes. Thus, in a moment, a wildly speculative hypothesis had assumed a high degree of probability. When Mr. Stephen was gone, Jarvis and I looked over the chambers thoroughly and then another curious fact came to light. On the wall were a number of fine Japanese color prints, all of which showed recent damp spots. Now apart from the consideration that Jeffrey who had been at the trouble and expense of collecting those valuable prints would hardly have allowed them to rot on his walls, there arose the question, how came they to be damp? There was a gas stove in the room and a gas stove has at least the virtue of preserving a dry atmosphere. It was winter weather when the stove would naturally be pretty constantly alight. How came the walls to be so damp? The answer seemed to be that the stove had not been constantly alight but had been lighted only occasionally. This suggestion was borne out by a further examination of the rooms. In the kitchen, there were practically no stores and hardly any arrangements even for simple bachelor cooking. The bedroom offered the same suggestion. The soap in the wash stand was shriveled and crackled. There was no cast off linen and the shirts in the drawers, though clean, had the peculiar yellowish faded appearance that linen acquires when long out of use. In short, the rooms had the appearance of not having been lived in at all but only visited at intervals. Against this view, however, was the statement of the night porter that he had often seen alight in Geoffrey's sitting room at one o'clock in the morning with the apparent implication that it was then turned out. Now, alight may be left in an empty room but its extinction implies the presence of some person to extinguish it unless some automatic device be adopted for putting it out at a given time. Such a device, the alarm movement of a clock for instance with a suitable attachment, is a simple enough matter but my search of the rooms failed to discover anything of the kind. However, when looking over the drawers in the bedroom, I came upon a large box that had held a considerable quantity of hard sterile candles. There were only a few left but a flap candlestick with numerous wick ends in its socket accounted for the remainder. These candles seem to dispose of the difficulty. They were not necessary for ordinary lighting since gas was laid on in all three rooms. For what purpose then were they used and in such considerable quantities? I subsequently obtained some of the same brand Prices sterile candles, six to the pound and experimented with them. Each candle was seven and a quarter inches in length not counting the cone at the top and I found that they burned in still air at the rate of a fraction over one inch in an hour. We may say that one of these candles would burn in still air a little over six hours. It would thus be possible for the person who inhabited these rooms to go away at seven o'clock in the evening and leave a light which would burn until past one in the morning and then extinguish itself. This, of course, was only surmise but it destroyed the significance of the night porter's statement. But, if the person who inhabited these chambers was not Geoffrey, who was he? The answer to that question seemed plain enough. There was only one person who had a strong motive for perpetrating a fraud of this kind and there was only one person to whom it was possible. If this person was not Geoffrey, he must have been very like Geoffrey sufficiently like for the body of the one to be mistaking for the body of the other. For the production of Geoffrey's body was an essential part of the plan and must have been contemplated from the first. But the only person who fulfills the conditions is John Blackmore. We have learned from Mr. Stephen that John and Geoffrey, though very different in appearance in later years, were very much alike as young men. But when two brothers who are much alike as young men become unlike in later life, we shall find that the unlikeness is produced by superficial differences and that the essential likenesses remain. Thus, in the present case, Geoffrey was clean shaved, had bad eyesight, wore spectacles and stooped as he walked. John wore a beard and moustache, had good eyesight, did not wear spectacles and had a brisk gait and upright carriage. But supposing John to shave off his beard and moustache to put on spectacles and to stoop in his walk, these conspicuous but superficial differences would vanish and the original likeness reappear. There is another consideration. John had been an actor and was an actor of some experience. Now any person can, with some care and practice, make up a disguise. The great difficulty is to support that disguise by a suitable manner and voice. But to an experienced actor, this difficulty does not exist. To him, personation is easy and moreover, an actor is precisely the person to whom the idea of disguise and impersonation would occur. There is a small item bearing on this point, so small as to be hardly worth calling evidence, but just worth noting. In the pocket of the waistcoat taken from the body of Jeffrey, I found the stump of Contango pencil, a pencil that is sold for the use of stock dealers and brokers. Now John was an outside broker and might very probably have used such a pencil, whereas Jeffrey had no connection with the stock markets and there is no reason why he should have possessed a pencil of this kind. But the fact is merely suggestive. It has no evidential value. A more important inference is to be drawn from the collected signatures. I've remarked that the change in the signature occurred abruptly with one or two alterations of manner last September and that there are two distinct forms with no intermediate varieties. This is in itself remarkable and suspicious. But a remark made by Mr. Britten furnishes a really valuable piece of evidence on the point. We are now considering. He admitted that the character of the signatures had undergone a change, but observed that the change did not affect the individual or personal character of the writing. This is very important for handwriting is, as it were, an extension of the personality of the writer. And just as a man to some extent shares his personality with his near blood relations in the form of family resemblances, so his handwriting often shows a subtle likeness to that of his near relatives. You must have noticed, as I have, how commonly the handwriting of one brother resembles that of another and in just this peculiar and subtle way. The inference then from Mr. Britten's statement is that if the signature of the will was forged, it was probably forged by a relative of the deceased. But the only relative in question is his brother John. All the facts, therefore, pointed to John Blackmore as the person who occupied those chambers and I accordingly adopted that view as a working hypothesis. But this is all pure speculation, objected Mr. Winwood. Not speculation, said Thorndike. Hypothesis. It was ordinary, inductive reasoning such as we employ in scientific research. I started with the purely tentative hypothesis that the person who signed the will was not Jeffrey Blackmore. I assumed this and I may say that I did not believe it at the time but merely adopted it as a proposition that was worth testing. I accordingly tested it. Yes or no with each new fact but as each new fact said yes and no fact said definitely no, its probability increased rapidly by a sort of geometrical progression. The probabilities multiplied into one another. It is a perfectly sound method for one knows that if the hypothesis be true it will lead one sooner or later to a crucial fact by which its truth can be demonstrated. To resume our argument we have now set up the proposition that John Blackmore was the tenant of New Inn and that he was personating Jeffrey. Let us reason from this and see where it leads to. If the tenant of New Inn was John then Jeffrey must be elsewhere since his concealment at the Inn was clearly impossible but he could not have been far away for he had to be producible at short notice whenever the death of Mrs. Wilson should make the production of his body necessary. But if he was producible his person must have been in the possessional control of John. He could not have been at large for that would have involved the danger of his being seen and recognized. He could not have been in any institution or place where he would be in the contact with strangers. Then he must be in some sort of confinement. But it is difficult to keep an adult in confinement in an ordinary house. Such a proceeding would involve great risk of discovery and the use of violence which would leave traces on the body to be observed and commented on at the inquest. What alternative method could be suggested? The most obvious method is that of keeping the prisoner in such a state of debility as would combine him to his bed. But such debility could be produced by only starvation, unsuitable food or chronic poisoning. Of these alternatives poisoning is much more exact more calculable in its effect and more under control. The probabilities then were in favor of chronic poisoning. Having reached this stage I recalled a singular case which Jarvis had mentioned to me and which seemed to illustrate this method. On a return home I asked him for further particulars and he then gave me a very detailed description of the patient and the circumstances. The upshot was rather startling. I had looked on his case as merely illustrative and wished to study it for the sake of the suggestions that it might offer. But when I heard his account I began to suspect that there was something more than mere parallelism of method. I began to look as if his patient, Mr Graves, might actually be Jeffrey Blackmore. The coincidences were remarkable. The general appearance of the patient tallied completely with Mr Stevens' description of his uncle Jeffrey. The patient had a tremulous iris in his right eye and had clearly suffered from dislocation of the crystalline lens. But from Mr Stevens' account of his uncle's sudden loss of sight in the right eye after a fall I judged that Jeffrey had also suffered from dislocation of the lens and therefore had a tremulous iris in the right eye. The patient, Graves, evidently had defective vision in his left eye as proved by the marks made behind his ears by the hooked sidebars of his spectacles. For it is only on spectacles that are intended for constant use that we find hooked sidebars. But Jeffrey had defective vision in his left eye and more spectacles constantly. Lastly, the patient, Graves, was suffering from chronic morphine poisoning and morphine was found in the body of Jeffrey. Once more, it appeared to me that there were too many coincidences. The question as to whether Graves and Jeffrey were identical admitted a fairly easy disproof. For if Graves was still alive he could not be Jeffrey. It was an important question and I resolved to test it without delay. That night, Jarvis and I plotted out the chart and on the following morning we located the house. But it was empty and to let. The birds had flown and we failed to discover whether they had gone. However, we entered the house and explored. I told you about the massive bolts and fastenings that we found on the bedroom doors and window showing that the room had been used as a prison. I have told you of the objects that we picked out of the dust heap under the grate of the obvious suggestion offered by the Japanese brush and the bottle of spirit gum or cement. I need not speak now. But I must trouble you with some details concerning the broken spectacles. For here, we had come upon the crucial fact to which, as I've said, all sound inductive reasoning brings one sooner or later. The spectacles were of a rather peculiar pattern. The frames were of the type invented by Mr. Stopford of Moorfields and known by his name. The right eyepiece was fitted with plain glass as is usual in the case of a blind or useless eye. It was very much shattered but its character was obvious. The glass of the left eye was much thicker and fortunately less damaged so that I was able accurately to test its refraction. When I reached home I laid the pieces of the spectacles together, measured the frames very carefully, tested the left eye glass and wrote down a full description such as would have been given by the surgeon to the spectacle maker. Here it is and I will ask you to note it carefully. Spectacles for constant use Steel frame Stopford's pattern Curlsides Broad bridge with gold lining Distance between centers 6.2 cm Extreme length of sidebars 13.3 cm Right eye plain glass Left eye Minus 5.75 D Spherical Minus 3.25 D Cylindrical Axis 35 degrees The spectacles you see were of a very distinctive character and seemed to offer a good chance of identification. Stopford's frames are I believe made by only one firm of opticians in London, Perry and Cuckston of Regent Street. I therefore wrote to Mr. Cuckston who knows me asking him if he had supplied spectacles to the late Geoffrey Blackmore Esquire. Here is a copy of my letter and if so whether he would mind letting me have a full description of them together with the name of the Oculus who prescribed them. He replied in this letter which is pinned to the copy of mine that about four years ago he supplied a pair of glasses to Mr. Geoffrey Blackmore and described them thus. The spectacles were for constant use and had steel frames of Stopford's pattern with curlsides the length of the sidebars including the curled ends being 13.3 centimetres. The bridge was broad with a gold lining plate shaped as shown by the enclosed tracing from the diagram on the prescription. Distance between centres 6.2 centimetres. Right eye playing glass left eye minus 5.75D spherical minus 3.25D cylindrical axis 35 degrees. The spectacles were prescribed by Mr. Hindley of Wimpole Street. You see that Mr. Cuckston's description is identical with mine. However, for further confirmation I wrote to Mr. Hindley asking certain questions to which he replied thus. You are quite right Mr. Geoffrey Blackmore had a tremulous iris in his right eye which was practically blind due to discolouration of the lens. The pupils were rather large certainly not contracted. End of Chapter 16 Part 1 of The Mystery of 31 New Inn by R. Austin Freeman. Recording by R. E. Faust. Chapter 16 of The Mystery of 31 New Inn. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by R. E. Faust. The Mystery of 31 New Inn by R. Austin Freeman. Chapter 16 An Exposition and a Tragedy Part 2 Here then we have three important facts. One is that the spectacles found by us at Kennington Lane were undoubtedly Jefferies. For it is as unlikely that there exists another pair of spectacles exactly identical with those as that there exists another face exactly like Jefferies face. The second fact is that the description of Jeffery tell us completely with that of the sick man graves as given by Dr. Jarvis. And the third is that when Jeffery was seen by Mr. Hindley there was no sign of his being addicted to the taking of morphine. The first and second facts you will agree constitute complete identification. Yes, said Marchman. I think we must admit the identification has been quite conclusive though the evidence is of a kind that is more striking to the medical than the legal mind. You will not have that complaint to make against the next item of evidence, said Thorndike. It is after the lawyer's own heart as you shall hear. A few days ago I wrote to Mr. Stephen asking him if he possessed a recent photograph of his uncle Jeffery. He had one and he sent it to me by return. This portrait I showed to Dr. Jarvis and asked him if he had ever seen the person it represented. After examining it attentively without any hint whatever from me he identified it as the portrait of the sick man graves. Indeed! exclaimed Marchman. This is most important. Are you prepared to swear to the identity Dr. Jarvis? I have not the slightest doubt I replied that the portrait is that of Mr. Graves. Excellent! said Marchman rubbing his hands gleefully. This will be much more convincing to a jury. Pray go on Dr. Thorndike. That, said Thorndike, completes the first part of my investigation. We had now reached a definite demonstrable fact. And that fact as you see disposed at once of the main question the genuineness of the will. For if the man at Kennington Lane was Jeffery Blackmore then the man at New Inn was not. But it was the latter who had signed the will. Therefore, the will was not signed by Jeffery Blackmore. That is to say, it was a forgery. The case was complete for the purposes of the civil proceedings. The rest of my investigations had reference to the criminal prosecution that was inevitable. Shall I proceed or is your interest confined to the will? Hang the will! exclaimed Stephen. I want to hear how you proposed to lay hands on the villain who murdered poor old uncle Jeffery. For I suppose he did murder him. I think there is no doubt of it. exclaimed Thorndike. Then, said Marchman, we will hear the rest of the argument if you please. Very well, said Thorndike. As the evidence stands, we have proved that Jeffery Blackmore was a prisoner in the house in Kennington Lane and that someone was personating him at New Inn. That someone we have seen was in all probability John Blackmore. We have now to consider the man Vice. Who was he? And can we connect him in any way with New Inn? We may note in passing that Vice and the Coachman were apparently one in the same person. They were never seen together. When Vice was present, the Coachman was not available even for so urgent a service as the obtaining of an antidote to the poison. Vice also appeared sometime after Jarvis' arrival and disappeared sometime before his departure. In each case, sufficiently long to allow of a change of disguise. But we need not labour the point as it is not of primary importance. To return to Vice, he was clearly heavily disguised as we can see by his unwillingness to show himself even by the light of a candle. But there is an item of positive evidence on this point which is important from having other bearings. It is furnished by the spectacles worn by Vice of which you've heard Jarvis' description. These spectacles had very peculiar optical properties. When you looked through them, they had the properties of plain glass. When you looked at them, they had the appearance of lenses. But only one kind of glass possesses these properties. Namely, that which like an ordinary watch glass has curved parallel surfaces. But for what purpose could a person wear watch glass spectacles? Clearly, not to assist his vision. The only alternative is disguise. The properties of these spectacles introduce a very curious and interesting feature into the case. To the majority of persons, the wearing of spectacles for the purpose of disguise or personation seems a perfectly simple and easy proceeding. But to a person of normal eyesight, it is nothing of the kind. For if he wears spectacles suited for long sight, he cannot see distinctly through them at all. While if he wears concave or near sight glasses, the effort to see through them produces such strain and fatigue that his eyes become disabled all together. On the stage, the difficulty is met by using spectacles of plain window glass. But in real life, this would hardly do. The property spectacles would be detected at once and give rise to suspicion. The personator is therefore in this dilemma. If he wears actual spectacles, he cannot see through them. If he wears sham spectacles of plain glass, his disguise will probably be detected. There is only one way out of the difficulty and that not a very satisfactory one, but Mr. Vice seems to have adopted it in lieu of a better. It is that of using watch glass spectacles such as I've described. Now, what do we learn from these very peculiar glasses? In the first place, they confirm our opinion that Vice was wearing a disguise. But for use in a room so very dimly lighted, the ordinary stage spectacles would have answered quite well. The second inference is then that these spectacles were prepared to be worn under more trying conditions of light out of doors, for instance. The third inference is that Vice was a man with normal eyesight. For otherwise, he could have worn real spectacles suited to the state of his vision. These are inferences, by the way, to which we may return. But these glasses furnish a much more important suggestion. On the floor of the bedroom at New Inn, I found some fragments of glass which had been trodden on. By joining one or two of them together, we have been able to make out the general character of the object of which they formed parts. My assistant, who was formerly a watchmaker, judged that object to be the thin crystal glass of a lady's watch. And this, I think, was Jarvis' opinion. But the small part which remains of the original edge furnishes proof in two respects that this was not a watch glass. In the first place, on taking a careful tracing of the piece of the edge, I found that its curve was part of an ellipse. But watch glasses nowadays are invariably circular. In the second place, watch glass is a ground on the edge to a single bevel to snap into the bezel or frame. But the edge of this object was ground to a double bevel, like the edge of a spectacle glass which fits into a groove in the frame and is held by the side bar screw. The inevitable inference was that this was a spectacle glass. But if so, it was part of a pair of spectacles identical in properties with those worn by Mr. Vice. The importance of this conclusion emerges when we consider the exceptional character of Mr. Vice's spectacles. They were not merely peculiar or remarkable. They were probably unique. It is exceedingly likely that there is not in the entire world another similar pair of spectacles. Once the finding of these fragments of glass in the bedroom establishes a considerable probability that Mr. Vice was, at some time, in the chambers at New Inn. And now, let us gather up the threads of this part of the argument. We are inquiring into the identity of the man Vice. Who was he? In the first place, we find him committing a secret crime from which John Blackmore alone will benefit. This suggests the prima facia probability that he was John Blackmore. Then we find that he was a man of normal eyesight who was wearing spectacles for the purpose of disguise. But the tenant of New Inn whom we have seen to be almost certainly John Blackmore and whom we will for the present assume to have been John Blackmore was a man with normal eyesight who wore spectacles for disguise. John Blackmore did not reside at New Inn, but at some place within easy reach of it. But Vice resided in a place within easy reach of New Inn. John Blackmore must have had possession and control of the person of Jeffery, but Vice had possession and control of the person of Jeffery. Vice wore spectacles of a certain peculiar and probably unique character, but portions of such spectacles were found in the chambers at New Inn. The overwhelming probability, therefore, is that Vice and the tenant of New Inn were one and the same person and that that person was John Blackmore. That, said Mr. Windward, is a very plausible argument, but you observe, sir, that it contains an undistributed middle term. Thorndike smiled genially. I think he forgave Windward everything for that remark. You are quite right, sir, he said, it does and for that reason the demonstration is not absolute, but we must not forget what logicians seem occasionally to overlook, that the undistributed middle, while it interferes with absolute proof, may be quite consistent with a degree of probability that approaches very near to certainty. Both the Battilian system and the English fingerprint system involve a process of reasoning in which the middle term is undistributed, but the great probabilities are accepted in practice as equivalent to a certainties. Mr. Windward granted a grudging assent and Thorndike resumed. We have now furnished fairly conclusive evidence on three heads. We have proved that the sick man, Graves, was Geoffrey Blackmore, that the tenant of New Inn was John Blackmore and that the man vice was also John Blackmore. We now have to prove that John and Geoffrey were together in the chambers at New Inn on the night of Geoffrey's death. We know that two persons and two persons only came from Kennington Lane to New Inn. But one of those persons was the tenant of New Inn, that is, John Blackmore. Who was the other? Geoffrey is known by us to have been at Kennington Lane. His body was found on the following morning in the room at New Inn. No third person is known to have come from Kennington Lane. No third person is known to have arrived at New Inn. The inference by exclusion is that the second person the woman was Geoffrey. Again, Geoffrey had to be brought from Kennington to the Inn by John. But John was personating Geoffrey and was made up to resemble him very closely. If Geoffrey were undisguised, the two men would be almost exactly alike, which would be very noticeable in any case and suspicious after the death of one of them. Therefore, Geoffrey would have to be disguised in some way and what disguise could be simpler and more effective than the one that I suggest was used. Again, it was unavoidable that someone, the Capman, should know that Geoffrey was not alone when he came to the Inn that night. If the fact had leaked out and it had become known that a man had accompanied him to his chambers, some suspicion might have arisen and that suspicion would have pointed to John, who was directly interested in his brother's death. But if it had transpired that Geoffrey was accompanied by a woman, there would have been less suspicion and that suspicion would not have pointed to John Blackmore. Thus, all the general probabilities are in favor of the hypothesis that this woman was Geoffrey Blackmore. There is, however, an item of positive evidence that strongly supports this view. When I examine the clothing of the deceased, I found on the trousers a horizontal crease on each leg as if the trousers had been turned up halfway to the knees. This appearance is quite understandable if we suppose that the trousers were worn under a skirt and were turned up so that they should not be accidentally seen. Otherwise, it is quite incomprehensible. Is it not rather strange, said Marchman, that Geoffrey should have allowed himself to be dressed up in this remarkable manner? I think not, replied Thorndike. There is no reason to suppose that he knew how he was dressed. You have heard Jarvis's description of his condition, that of a mere automaton. You know that without his spectacles he was practically blind and that he could not have worn them since we found them at the House in Kennington Lane. Probably, his head was wrapped up in the veil and the skirt and mantle put on afterwards. But in any case, his condition rendered him practically devoid of willpower. That is all the evidence I have to prove that the unknown woman was Geoffrey. It is not conclusive, but it is convincing enough for our purpose, seeing that the case against John Blackmore does not depend upon it. Your case against him is on the charge of murder, I presume, said Stephen. Undoubtedly, and you will notice that the statements made by the supposed Geoffrey to the porter, hinting at suicide, are now important evidence. By the light of what we know, the announcement of intended suicide becomes the announcement of intended murder. Yet conclusively, this proves what it was intended to prove, that Geoffrey died by his own hand. Yes, I see that, said Stephen. And then after a pause, he asked, did you identify Mrs. Shallybound? You have told us nothing about her. I have considered her as being outside the case as far as I am concerned, replied Thorndike. She was an accessory. My business was with the principal. But of course, she will be swept up in the net. The evidence that convicts John Blackmore will convict her. I have not troubled about her identity. If John Blackmore is married, she is probably his wife. Do you happen to know if he is married? Yes, but Mrs. John Blackmore is not much like Mrs. Shallybound, excepting that she has a cast in the left eye. She is a dark woman with very heavy eyebrows. That is to say, she differs from Mrs. Shallybound in those peculiarities that can be artificially changed and resembles her in the one feature that is unchangeable. Do you know if her Christian name happens to be Pauline? Yes, it is. She was a Miss Pauline Harkenbeck, a member of an American theatrical company. What made you ask? The name which Jarvis heard Paul Jeffery struggling to pronounce seemed to me to resemble Pauline more than any other name. There is one little point that strikes me, said Marchman. Is it not rather remarkable that the porter should have noticed no difference between the body of Jeffery and the living man whom we knew by sight and who must, after all, have been distinctly different in appearance? I'm glad you raised that question, performed like replied. For the very difficulty presented itself to me at the beginning of the case. But on thinking it over, I decided that it was an imaginary difficulty, assuming, as we do, that there was a good deal of resemblance between the two men. Put yourself in the porter's place and follow his mental processes. He is informed that the dead man is lying on the bed in Mr. Blackmore's rooms. Naturally, he assumes that the dead man is Mr. Blackmore, who, by the way, had hinted at suicide only the night before. With this idea, he enters the chambers and sees a man a good deal like Mr. Blackmore and wearing Mr. Blackmore's clothes lying on Mr. Blackmore's bed. The idea that the body could be that of some other person has never entered his head. If he notes any difference of appearance, he'll put that down to the effects of death. For everyone knows that a man dead looks somewhat different from the same man alive. I take it as evidence of great acuteness on the part of John Blackmore that he should have calculated so cleverly. Not only the mental processes of the porter, but the erroneous reasoning which everyone would base on the porter's conclusions. For, since the body was actually Jeffries and was identified by the porter as that of his tenant, it has been assumed by everyone that no question was possible as to the identity of Jeffries Blackmore and the tenant of Nguyen. There was a brief silence and then Marchman asked, may we take it that we have now heard all the evidence? Yes, replied Bollandike. That is my case. Have you given information to the police? Stephen asked eagerly. Yes, as soon as I had obtained the statement of the Capman, wriggly, and felt that I had enough evidence to secure a conviction. I called at Scotland Yard and had an interview with the Assistant Commissioner. The case is in the hands of Superintendent Miller of the Criminal Investigation Department, a most acute and energetic officer. I have been expecting to hear that the warrant has been executed, but Mr. Miller is usually very punctilious in keeping me informed of the progress of the cases to which I introduce him. We shall hear tomorrow, no doubt. And for the present, said Marchman, the case seems to have passed out of our hands. I shall enter a caveat all the same, said Mr. Windward. That doesn't seem very necessary, Marchman objected. The evidence that we have heard is amply sufficient to ensure a conviction and there will be plenty more when the police go into the case. And a conviction on the charges of forgery and murder would of course invalidate the second will. I shall enter a caveat all the same, repeated Mr. Windward. As the two partners showed a disposition to become heated over this question, Thorndike suggested that they might discuss it at leisure by the light of subsequent events. Acting on this hint, for it was now close upon midnight, our visitors prepared to depart and were in fact just making their way towards the door when the bell rang. Thorndike flung open the door and as he recognized his visitor, greeted him with evident satisfaction. Ah, Mr. Miller, we were just speaking of you. These gentlemen are Mr. Stephen Blackmore and his solicitors, Mr. Marchman and Mr. Windward. You know, Dr. Jarvis, I think. The officer bowed to our friends and remarked, I'm just in time, it seems. A few minutes more, I should have missed these gentlemen. I don't know what you'll think of my news. You haven't let that villain escape, I hope, Stephen exclaimed. Well, said the superintendent, he's out of my hands and yours too and so is the woman. Perhaps I'd better tell you what has happened. If you would be so kind, said Thorndike, motioning the officer to a chair. The superintendent seated himself with the manner of man who has had a long and strenuous day and forthwith began his story. As soon as we had your information, we procured a warrant for the arrest of both parties and then I went straight to their flat with Inspector Badger and a sergeant. There we learned from the attendant that they were away from home and were not expected back until today at about noon. We kept a watch on the premises and this morning about the time appointed a man and a woman answering to the description arrived at the flat. We followed them in and saw the men to the lift and we were going to get into the lift too when the man pulled the rope and away they went. There was nothing for us to do but run up the stairs which we did as fast as we could race but they got to their landing first and we were only just in time to see them nip in and shut the door. However it seemed that we had them safe enough for there was no dropping out of the windows at that height so we sent the sergeant to get a locksmith to pick the lock or force the door while we kept on ringing the bell. About three minutes after the sergeant left I happened to look out of the landing window and saw a handsome pull up opposite the flats. I put my head out of the window and hanged me if I didn't see our two friends getting into the cab. It seems that there was a small lift inside the flat communicating with the kitchen and they had slipped down it one at a time. Well of course we raced down the stairs like acrobats but by the time we got to the bottom the cab was off with a fine start. We ran out into Victoria Street and there we could see it halfway down the street and going like a chariot race. We managed to pick up another handsome and told the cabbie to keep the other one in sight and away we went like the very juice along Victoria Street and Broad Sanctuary across Parliament Square over Westminster Bridge and along York Road. We kept the other beggar in sight but we couldn't gain an inch on him. Then we turned into Waterloo Station and as we were driving up the slope we met another handsome coming down and when the cabbie kissed his hand and smiled at us we guessed that he was the sportsman we had been following. But there was no time to ask questions. It's an awkward station with a lot of different exits and it looked a good deal as if our quarry had got away. However, I took a chance. I remembered that the Southampton Express was due to start about this time and I took a shortcut across the lines and made for the platform that he starts from. Just as Badger and I got to the end about 30 yards from the rear of the train we saw a man and a woman running in front of us. Then the guard blew his whistle and the train began to move. The man and the woman managed to scramble into one of the rear compartments and Badger and I raced up the platform like mad. A porter tried to head us off but Badger capsized him and we both sprinted harder than ever and just hopped on the footboard of the guard's van as the train began to get up speed. The guard couldn't risk putting us off so he had to let us into his van which suited us exactly as we could watch the train on both sides from the lookout. And we did watch I can tell you for our friend in front had seen us. His head was out of the window as we climbed on to the footboard. However nothing happened until we stopped at Southampton West. There I need not say we lost no time in hopping out for we naturally expected our friends to make a rush for the exit. But they didn't. Badger watched the platform and I kept to look out to see that they didn't slip away across the line from the offside but still there was no sign of them. Then I walked up the train to the compartment which I had seen the mentor and there they were apparently fast asleep in the corner by the offside window. The man leaning back with his mouth open and the woman resting against him with her head on his shoulder. She gave me quite a turn when I went in to look at them for she had her eyes half closed and seemed to be looking around at me with the most horrible expression but I found afterwards that the peculiar appearance of looking round was due to the cast in her eye. They were dead I suppose said Thondike. Yes sir stone dead and I found these on the floor of the carriage. He held up two tiny yellow glass tubes. Each labeled hypodermic tabloids a quantity nitrate GR 1 640th. Ha! exclaimed Thondike. This fellow was well up in alkaloidal poisons it seems and they appear to have gone about prepared for emergencies. These tubes each contain 20 tabloids a 30 second of a grain altogether. So we may assume that about 12 times the medicinal dose was swallowed. Death must have occurred in a few minutes and a merciful death too. A more merciful death than they deserved exclaimed Stephen. When one thinks of the misery and suffering that they inflicted on poor old uncle Jeffrey I would sooner have had them hanged. It's better as it is sir said Miller. There's no need now to raise any questions in detail at the inquest. The publicity of a trial for murder would have been very unpleasant for you. I wish Dr. Jarvis had given the tip to me instead of to that confounded over cautious but there I mustn't run down my brother officers and it's easy to be wise after the event. Good night gentlemen I suppose this accident disposes of your business as far as the will is concerned. I suppose it does agreed Mr. Windward. But I shall enter a caveat all the same. End of Chapter 16 Part 2 Recording by R. E. Faust End of the mystery of 31 New Inn by R. Austin Freeman.