In White Raiment
Page 8
walking in a large handsome street linedwith fine shops and showy cafes. I was in Christiania.
I inquired in French of several persons the whereabouts of the BritishConsulate, and about an hour later found myself in the private office ofthe representative of her Majesty, a tall, good-looking man in a coolsuit of white linen.
To him I related the whole circumstances. He listened, but smiled nowand then with an air of incredulity. I told him of the murder, of themanner in which my life had been twice attempted, and of the remarkablecircumstances of my abduction.
"And you say that you were taken on board the _Petrel_," he saidreflectively. "I know Captain Banfield quite well. He is a strictdisciplinarian, an excellent sailor, and is held in high esteem by hismen. We must hear his explanation of the affair at once. If what youhave said is true, it is certainly most remarkable."
I drew the trinket with the golden chain from my pocket, together withthe crumpled note, and showed them to him.
"Strange," he remarked. "Most extraordinary! I'll send down to thedocks for Banfield at once;" and, calling a clerk, he dispatched him ina cab.
In the meantime, in response to his questions, I gave him the mostminute details of the startling affairs, as well as the ingenious mannerin which Beryl Wynd had been murdered. I knew that the story whenrelated sounded absolutely incredible; but it was equally certain thatthe Consul, at first inclined to doubt my statement, had now becomehighly interested in it.
I remarked upon the extraordinary mystery, and its features which seemedto stagger belief.
"But you are a medical man of considerable attainment, I notice fromyour card," he resumed. "I have no reason to doubt your story. It israther a matter which should be strictly inquired into. Any personabducted from England, in the manner you have been, has a right to seekprotection and advice of his consul."
And we continued chatting until, after a lapse of nearly half an hour,the captain of the _Petrel_, wearing his shore-going clothes, wasushered in.
"Good morning, sir!" he exclaimed, addressing the representative of theForeign Office, but taking no notice of my presence. "You've sent forme?"
"Yes, Captain," the Consul responded rather severely. "Kindly sit down.There is a little matter upon which you can throw some light. You knowthis gentleman?"--and he indicated myself.
"Yes, sir. I know 'im."
"Well, he has lodged a very serious complaint against you, namely, thatyou have held him a prisoner on board your ship without any just cause;and, further, that contrary to the regulations of the Board of Trade,you carried him from port while in an unconscious condition." Theskipper remained quite unabashed.
"Well, sir," he answered, "as I've already told the gentleman, I've onlyacted under strict orders from my owners. I suppose they'll take allthe responsibility?"
"No; the responsibility rests upon yourself. You've held a master'scertificate a good many years, and you are fully acquainted with theBoard of Trade regulations."
"Of course, I don't deny that," the other responded.
"But my orders were quite precise."
"And now, tell me, how came this gentleman on board your ship?"
"To tell the truth, sir, I don't know exactly. We were lying in the StKatherine Docks, and my last evening ashore I spent at home with mywife, over at Victoria Park. We were to sail at four o'clock in themorning, but I didn't get aboard before about ten past four. When I didso, orders from the owners were put into my hand, and I was told thatthere was a passenger who'd been brought aboard, lying asleep below.'Ere's the letter;" and he drew it from his pocket and handed it to theConsul.
The latter read it through, then, with an exclamation of surprise,handed it over to me.
It certainly increased the mystery, for it was from the office of theowners, Messrs. Hanway Brothers, in Leadenhall Street, ordering that Ishould be taken on the round voyage to the Baltic, well cared for, butkept looked in a cabin, as I had developed homicidal tendencies.
"The gentleman, whose name is Doctor Colkirk," continued the letter, "issubject to fits, in which he remains unconscious for some hours;therefore there is no cause for alarm if he is not conscious when hereaches you. He is under an hallucination that he has been witness ofsome remarkable crime, and will, no doubt, impress upon you the urgentnecessity of returning to London for the prosecution of inquiries. Ifhe does this, humour him, but on no account allow him to go on deck, orto hold conversation with any one. The gentleman is a source of thegreatest anxiety to his friends, and, we may add, that if the presentorders are strictly carried out, the gentleman's friends have promisedthe payment of a handsome bonus to yourself. We therefore place him onboard the _Petrel_, in preference to any other vessel of our fleet,because of the confidence we entertain that you will strictly carry outyour orders."
The letter was signed by the firm.
"It seems very much as though the owners had some object in sending youaboard," observed the Consul.
Then, turning to the skipper, he asked, "How was the gentleman broughton board?"
"He was brought in a private carriage about six o'clock in the evening,my men say. Two gentlemen carried him on board. The dock policestopped them, but they told the constable that the gentleman was drunk."
"And when you received this letter, what did you do?"
"Well, I put him in the second mate's cabin, and left him alone till twodays later, when he came to. Then I just carried out my orders."
"Where are you bound for?"
"The round trip--Stockholm, Riga, St Petersburg, Drammen,Christiansund, and home."
"That means a month."
"More--six weeks."
"Your owners, therefore, were anxious that the doctor should be absentfrom England during that time. There is some mystery here, on the faceof it. Doctor Colkirk has related to me a very remarkable story, andthe most searching inquiry should be instituted."
"Well, sir," Banfield said apologetically, "I hope you don't consider myconduct bad. I've only carried out my orders to the letter. You see Ididn't know that the gentleman was on board until we'd actually left thequay; and the letter says, quite distinctly, that he's subject to fits,therefore I let him remain quiet until he regained consciousness."Then, turning to me, he added, "I trust, sir, that you'll accept myapology."
"That's all very well," interposed the Consul; "but you know that youdid entirely wrong in sailing with an unconscious stranger on board."
"I admit that. But you see I had my orders, sir."
"Who delivered them to you?" I inquired.
"The two gentlemen who brought you on board," he responded.
"Have any of your men described them to you?"
"They only said that they were both well dressed, and about middle age."
They were, without doubt, the Tempter and his accomplice. Theconspiracy had been conceived and carried out with amazing ingenuity.
"And they brought the doctor on board and delivered this letter?"
"Yes, sir. They afterwards re-entered the carriage and drove away."
"Well," said the Consul, "the only course I see is for the doctor totake this letter, return to London, and seek an explanation of yourowners."
"No, sir, I shan't give up the letter. It's written to me," demurredthe captain.
"But it is in my hands," responded the Consul. "I am making inquiriesinto this affair, and I shall act as I think best in the interest of allparties concerned. The letter is your property, certainly; butrecollect that this affair may prove very awkward for your owners.Therefore, take my advice, Captain, and assist this gentleman in hisinquiries."
"I protest against you keeping the letter."
"Very well, I will see that your protest is forwarded to your owners,"replied the Consul; and he handed me the letter, saying--
"Your best course. Doctor, is to return by the Wilson boat to Hull.She sails this afternoon at four. Then go down to Leadenhall Streetand, make inquiries--it seems a strange affair, to say the
least."
"It is entirely unaccountable," I said. "There seems to have been awidespread plot against me, with a single motive--the concealment of themurder of Beryl Wynd."
"But in that case why not let me telegraph to Scotland Yard?" suggestedthe Consul, as the sudden idea occurred to him. "They would watch thehouse until your return. To-day is Tuesday. You'll be in London onThursday night, or early on Friday morning."
The proposal was an excellent one, and I gladly acceded. Next instant,however, the bewildering truth flashed across my mind. I had