thisfact lent additional colour to my vague theory that Aline might havevisited Roddy before his death. "It's most extraordinary!"
"Yes, sir, it is," Ash replied. "But what makes it the more peculiar isthe fact that about a year ago I found a little pile of ashes verysimilar to these when I went one morning to dust the master'sdressing-table. He always kept a little pocket Testament there, but ithad gone, and only the ashes remained in its place. I called him, andwhen he saw them he seemed very upset, and said--`Take them out of mysight, Ash! Take them away! It's the Devil's work!'"
"Yes," I observed. "This is indeed the Devil's work."
The mystery surrounding the tragic affair increased hourly.
I examined the brass box, and upon the lid saw a strange discolouration.It was the mark of a finger--perhaps the mark of that mysterious hand,the touch of which had the potency to consume the object with which itcame in contact. I placed the box back upon the table, and could notresist the strange chill which crept over me. The mystery was a moreuncanny one than I had ever heard of.
"Now tell me, Ash," I said at last. "Did your master ever entertain anylady visitors here?"
"Very seldom, sir," the man answered. "His married sister, Lady Hilgay,used to come sometimes, and once or twice his aunt, the Duchess, called,but beyond those I don't recollect any lady here for certainly twelvemonths past."
"Some might have called when you were absent, of course," I remarked.
"They might," he said; "but I don't think they did."
"Have you ever seen any letters that you've posted addressed to a ladynamed Cloud?"
He reflected, then answered--
"No, sir. The name is an unusual one, and if I'd ever seen it before Icertainly should have remembered it."
"Well," I said, after some minutes of silence, "I want you to come withme and try and find a lady. If we do meet her you'll see whether youcan identify her as a person you've seen before. You understand?"
"Yes," he replied, with a puzzled look. "But are we going to see thewoman whom the police suspect visited my master while I was absent?"
"Be patient," I said, and together we went out, and re-entering the cabdrove up to Hampstead.
The mystery of my friend's death was becoming more inexplicable.Therefore I had resolved to seek Aline, and at all costs demand someexplanation of the extraordinary phenomena which had taken place inRoddy's rooms as well as in my own.
CHAPTER NINE.
MRS POPEJOY'S STATEMENT.
"Is Miss Cloud at home?" I inquired of the maid, as Ash stood behind inwonder.
"She doesn't live here, sir," replied the girl.
"Doesn't live here?" I echoed dubiously. "Why, only a short time ago Isaw her enter here!"
"Well, sir, I don't know her. I've never heard the name."
"Is Mrs Popejoy in?" I inquired.
"Yes, sir. If you wish to see her, please step inside."
We both entered the hall, the usual broad passage of a suburban house,with its cheap hall-stand, couple of straight-backed wooden chairs, anda long chest in imitation carved oak. The girl disappeared for a fewmoments, and on returning ushered us into the dining-room, where wefound a rather sour-looking old lady standing ready to greet us. Shewas about sixty, grey-haired, thin-faced, and wore a cap with fadedcherry-coloured ribbons.
"Mrs Popejoy, I believe?" I exclaimed politely, receiving in return abow, the stiffness of which was intended to show breeding. Thencontinuing, I said: "I have called on a rather urgent matter concerningyour niece, Miss Aline Cloud; but the servant tells me she is not athome, and I thought you would perhaps tell me where I can find herwithout delay."
"My niece!" she exclaimed in surprise. "My poor niece died ten yearsago."
"Ten years ago!" I gasped. "And is not Miss Cloud your niece?"
"I have no niece of that name, sir," she answered. "The name indeed isquite strange to me. There must be some mistake."
"But your name is Popejoy," I exclaimed, "and this is Number sixteen,Ellerdale Road?"
"Certainly."
"Truth to tell, madam," I said, "I have called on you in order to assuremyself of a certain very extraordinary fact."
"What is it?"
"Well, late on a certain night some weeks ago I accompanied Miss Cloud,the lady I am now in search of, to this house. I sat in the cab whileshe got out, and with my own eyes saw her admitted by your maid. Thisstrikes me as most extraordinary, in lace of your statement that youknow nothing of her." The old lady reflected.
"What cock-and-bull story did she tell you?" she inquired quickly."Explain it all to me, then perhaps I can help you."
There was something about Mrs Popejoy's manner that I did not like. Icould have sworn that she was concealing the truth.
"Well," I said, "I met Miss Cloud at a theatre, and she told me that youand another lady had accompanied her; that you had got separated, andbeing a stranger in London she did not know her way home. Therefore Ibrought her back, and saw her enter here."
The old lady smiled cynically.
"My dear sir," she said, "you've been very neatly imposed upon. In thefirst place, I have no niece; secondly, I've never entered a theatre foryears; thirdly, I've never heard of any girl named Cloud; and fourthly,she certainly does not live here."
"But with my own eyes I saw her enter your door," I said. "I surely canbelieve what I have seen!"
"It must have been another house," she answered. "There are several inthis road similar in appearance to mine."
"No. Number sixteen," I said. "I looked it up previously in theDirectory and saw your name. There can be no mistake."
"Well, sir," snapped the old lady, "I am mistress of this house, andsurely I ought to know whether I have a niece or not! What kind of ladywas she?"
"She was young, fair-haired, blue-eyed, and very good-looking. She hadlived in France previously, at Montgeron, near Paris."
"Ah!" the old lady cried suddenly. "Why, of course, the hussy! Now Iremember. It is quite plain that she duped you."
"Tell me," I exclaimed eagerly. "Where is she now?"
"How should I know? She wasn't my niece at all. A few weeks ago Iadvertised in the _Christian World_ for a companion, and engaged her.She came one afternoon, and said that coming from France she had leftall her luggage at Victoria. She was exceedingly pleasant, took teawith me, and afterwards at her request I allowed her to go down toVictoria to see about her boxes. That was about six o'clock, but shedid not return until nearly two o'clock in the morning, and when Iquestioned her she said that she had been unable to find the officewhere her luggage had been placed, and had been wandering about, havinglost her way. I didn't believe such a lame story, and the consequencewas that she left after a week, and I haven't seen her since."
I stood dumbfounded.
"That's a strange story, sir," observed Ash, who was standing near.
"It's amazing!" I said. "And it complicates matters veryconsiderably."
Turning to Mrs Popejoy, I inquired--
"When you corresponded with her, to what address did you write?"
"To a village post-office somewhere in the Midlands. It was a funnyname, which I can't remember."
"Do you recollect the county?"
"No. I didn't put the county. The first letter I wrote was to initialsat the office of the newspaper; and in reply I received a letter fromParis, with a request that further letters might be addressed to Miss--what was her name?--Cloud, at this post-office."
"Then to you she gave her name as Cloud?" I said quickly.
"Yes. At first when you mentioned it I did not recollect. Now Iremember."
"Then you have no idea where she is now!" I said.
"Not the slightest," the old lady snapped. "I was very glad to see theback of the hussy, for I believe she was no better than she should be,staying out till that hour of the morning. I told Ann to turn out thegas and go to bed, but it seems that she didn't, and waited up till thatunearthly h
our. And do you know what," continued old Mrs Popejoy in aconfidential tone, "I believe that there was something very mysteriousabout her. I have a very shrewd suspicion that she meant to rob me, ordo me some evil or other."
"Why?" I asked eagerly. "What mystery was there surrounding her?"
"Well," she responded after some little hesitation, "I was very gladindeed when she
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