The Bond of Black

by William Le Queux

whatsoever."

  "Then you cannot assign any cause for death in this instance?" observedthe Coroner, looking up sharply in surprise.

  "No," answered the doctor. "I cannot."

  "Have you a theory that deceased died from the effects of poison?"

  "Certain appearances pointed to such a conclusion," the doctorresponded. "Personally, before making the post-mortem, I suspectedprussic acid; but all tests failed to detect any trace of suchdeleterious matter."

  "Of course," said the Coroner, who was also a medical man of wideexperience, clearing his throat, as he turned to the jury, "the presenceof poison can be very easily discovered, and the fact that the analyseshave failed must necessarily add mystery to this case."

  "Having failed to find poison," continued the doctor, "we naturallyturned our attention to other causes which might result fatally."

  "And what did you find?" inquired the Coroner eagerly, his pen poised inhis hand.

  "Nothing!" the witness answered. "Absolutely nothing."

  "Then you are quite unable to account for death?"

  "Utterly. Several of the circumstances are suspicious of foul play, butwe have found not the slightest trace of it. The marks upon the elbowsare very curious indeed--circular white scars--but they have, of course,nothing to do with Mr Morgan's sudden death," I recollected the portionof charred paper which I had picked up, the discovery of theglove-button, and its connection with the tiny scrap of black chiffon.Yes, there was no doubt that he had had a visitor between the time thatAsh went out to meet the mysterious woman at King's Cross and the momentof his death.

  "The affair seems enveloped in a certain amount of mystery," observedthe Coroner to the jury after the doctor had signed his depositions."You have the whole of the evidence before you--that of the valet, thefriend of deceased who discovered him, the police who have searched thechambers, and the doctor who made the post-mortem. In summing up thewhole we find that the unfortunate gentleman died mysteriously--verymysteriously--but to nothing the medical men have discovered could theyassign the cause of death. It would certainly appear, from the factthat a portion of a woman's dress-trimming was discovered in the deadman's clenched hand, that he had a secret visitor, and that she desiredto escape while he wished her to remain. Yet there was no sign of astruggle in the rooms, and no one saw any person enter or leave. Again,we have it in evidence that deceased, at the hour of his death, sent amessage to some unknown lady whom his valet had instructions to meet onthe railway platform at King's Cross. This meeting had undoubtedly beenpre-arranged, and the lady expected the unfortunate gentleman to keepit. Perhaps watching from a distance, and not seeing Mr Morgan, shedid not approach the clock, and hence the valet did not give her themysterious blank and unaddressed letter. After this, the suggestionnaturally occurs whether or not this same lady visited Mr Morgan in theabsence of his valet. She may have done, or may not. But in this Courtwe have nothing to do with theories. It is your duty, gentlemen of thejury, to say whether this gentleman actually died from natural causes,or whether by suicide or foul means. We must recollect that the policehave discovered what may eventually throw some light on the affair,namely, the fact that a cheque is missing from deceased's cheque-book,leaving the counterfoil blank. By means of that cheque it is justpossible that the identity of the unknown person who visited Mr Morganmay be established. I think, gentlemen," continued the Coroner, after apause, "I think you will agree with me that in these strangecircumstances it would be unwise to go further into the matter. Byexposing all the evidence the police have in their possession we mightpossibly defeat our inquiry; therefore I ask you whether you will returna verdict that the death of this gentleman has resulted from naturalcauses, or whether you think it wiser to return an open verdict of`Found dead,' and leave all further inquiries in the hands of thepolice."

  Those in Court stirred again uneasily. There had been breathlesssilence while the Coroner had been speaking save for the rustling of thepaper and "flimsies" used by the reporters, and the departure of one ortwo uniformed messenger-lads carrying "copy" to the evening journals foruse in their special editions.

  The foreman of the jury turned to his fellow-jurymen and inquiredwhether they desired to consult in private. But all were of oneopinion, and without leaving the room returned a verdict of "Founddead." At the club that night everybody read the evening papers, and inthe smoking-room everybody propounded his own view of the mystery. Somewere of opinion that their friend had fallen a victim of foul play,while others who, like myself, had noticed his recent depressed spiritsand inert attitude, were inclined to think that he had taken his ownlife in a fit of despondency. They declared that he had sent Ash out ona fool's errand in order to be alone, and that the blank note was reallynothing at all. The only argument against that theory was the fact thatI had found the door leading to his chambers open. This wasincompatible with the idea that he had deliberately taken his own life.

  As the person who had made the startling discovery, I was, of course,questioned on every hand regarding all the minor details of the terriblescene. The men who held the opinion that he had been murdered desiredto make out that the furniture had been disturbed, but having verycarefully noted everything, I was able to flatly contradict them. Thusthe evening passed with that one single subject under discussion--themurder of the man who had been so popular amongst us, and whom we hadall held in such high esteem.

  Next morning, near noon, while reading the paper beside my own fire,Simes entered, saying--

  "There's Ash, sir, would like to see you."

  "Show him in," I exclaimed at once, casting the paper aside, and aninstant later the dead man's valet made his appearance, pale andagitated.

  "Well, Ash," I said, "what's the matter?"

  "I'm a bit upset, sir; that's all." And he panted from the effort ofascending the stairs. Therefore, I motioned him to a seat.

  "Well, have the police visited your master's rooms again?"

  "No, sir. They haven't been again," he replied. "But I made a thoroughexamination last night, and I wish you'd come round with me, if you'd beso kind, sir. I know you were my master's best friend, and I'm sure youwon't let this affair rest, will you?"

  "Certainly not," I answered in surprise. "But why do you wish me to gowith you?"

  "I want to ask your opinion on something."

  "What have you discovered?"

  "Well, sir, I don't know whether it is a discovery, or not. But I'dlike you to see it," he said, full of nervous impatience.

  Therefore, I called Simes to bring my hat and coat, and we went outtogether, taking a cab along to poor Roddy's chambers. They seemedstrangely silent and deserted now, as we let ourselves in with thelatch-key. No cheery voice welcomed me from the sitting-room within,and there was no odour of Egyptian cigarettes or overnight cigars; nofire in the grate, for all was cheerless and rendered the more funerealbecause of the darkness of the rainy day.

  "This morning," explained Ash, "when I thought I had made a thoroughexamination of the whole place last night, I chanced to be taking a turnaround this room and made a discovery which seems to me veryremarkable." Then, pointing, he went on: "You see in that cabinetthere's some old china."

  "Yes," I answered, for some of the pieces were very choice, and I hadoften envied them.

  "From where we stand here we can see a small casket of chased brass--Indian work, I think he called it."

  "Certainly."

  "Well, now, I chanced to pass this, and a thought occurred to me thatI'd look what was in that box. I did so, and when I saw, I closed it upagain and came to you to get your opinion."

  With that he opened the glass doors of the cabinet, took forth thelittle casket and opened it.

  Inside there was nothing but ashes. They were white ashes, similar tothose I had found in my own rooms after Aline had departed!

  "Good God!" I gasped, scarcely believing my own eyes. "What was inthis box before?"

  "When I opened it last week,
sir, there was a rosary, such as the RomanCatholics use. It belonged to my master's grandmother, he once told me.She was a Catholic."

  I turned the ashes over in my hand. Yes, there was no doubt whateverthat it had been a rosary, for although the beads were consumed yet thetiny lengths of wire which had run through them remained unmelted, buthad been blackened and twisted by the heat. There was one small lump ofmetal about the size of a bean, apparently silver, and that I judged tohave been the little crucifix appended.

  "It's extraordinary!" I said, bewildered, when I reflected that