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THE MYSTERY OF THE
BOULE CABINET









*** Clutching at his throat, he half-turned and fell


The Mystery of the
Boule Cabinet
A Detective Story
BY BURTON E. STEVENSON
Author of "The Holladay Case”, “The Marathon
Mystery," That “Affair at Elizabeth," etc.
SEE
WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
BY THOMAS FOGARTY,
A. L. BURT COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
New York
PULSAL. BURT COMPANY YORK


Copyright, 1911
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
Published, March, 1912


Miss Elig. M. Dean
10-29-1925
TO
A. R
Fellow-Sherlockian





THE MYSTERY OF THE
BOULE CABINET





CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
·
·
·
·
·
.
·
·
.
ö
i
.
·
I A CONNOISSEUR'S VAGARY.. lol .. I
II THE FIRST TRAGEDY , ..
III The WOUNDED HAND . . . .
IV. THE THUNDERBOLT . . . . .
V GRADY TAKES A HAND . . . .
VI The WOMAN IN THE CASE . .
VII ROGERS GETS A SHOCK . ..
VIII PRECAUTIONS . . . . .
IX GUESSES AT THE RIDDLE ..
X PREPARATIONS . . . . . ..
XI THE BURNING EYES. . . . . 131
XII GODFREY Is FRIGHTENED . . . . 144
XIII A DISTINGUISHED CALLER . . . . 152
XIV The Veiled LADY . . . . . . 166
XV THE SECRET OF THE UNKNOWN
FRENCHMAN . . . . . . . 176
XVI PHILIP VANTINE'S CALLER . . . . 184
XVII ENTER M. ARMAND . . . . . . 197
XVIII I PART WITH THE BOULE CABINET . 213
XIX “ LA MORT!” . . . . . . . 231
XX THE ESCAPE . . . . . . . . 239
XXI GODFREY WEAVES A ROMANCE . . . 251


CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
XXII “CROCHARD, L'INVINCIBLE!” . . . 267
XXIII WE MEET M. Pigot . . . . . 284
XXIV THE SECRET OF THE CABINET . . . 295
XXV THE MICHAELOVITCH DIAMONDS. .312
XXVI The Fate of M. Pigot. . . . . 326
XXVII THE LAST ACT OF THE DRAMA . . 338
XXVIII CROCHARD WRITES AN EPILOGUE . . 349


ILLUSTRATIONS
CLUTCHING AT HIS THROAT, He Half-
TURNED AND FELL . . . .
Frontispiece
“I GRABBED HER AGAIN, AND JUST
THEN MR. VANTINE OPENED
THE DOOR AND CAME OUT INTO
THE Hall.” . . . . . . Facing page 68
THE
"A MOMENT LATER M. FÉLIX AR-
MAND WAS SHOWN IN . .
16
16
202
WITH HIS BACK TO The Door, STOOD
A MAN RIPPING SAVAGELY AWAY
THE STRIPS OF BURLAP . . .
16
"
236





1
CHAPTER I
a connoisseur's vagary
"Hello!" I said, as I took down the receiver
of my desk 'phone, in answer to the call.
"Mr. Vantine wishes to speak to you, sir,"
said the office-boy.
"All right," and I heard the snap of the con-
nection.
"Is that you, Lester?" asked Philip Vantine's
voice.
"Yes. So you're back again?"
"Got in yesterday. Can you come up to the
house and lunch with me to-day?"
"I'll be glad to," I said, and meant it, for I
liked Philip Vantine.
"I'll look for you, then, about one-thirty."
And that is how it happened that, an hour later,
I was walking over toward Washington Square,
just above which, on the Avenue, the old Vantine
mansion stood. It was almost the last survival
of the old regime; for the tide of business had
long since overflowed from the neighbouring
streets into the Avenue and swept its fashionable


2 THE MYSTERY OF
folk far uptown. Tall office and loft buildings had
replaced the brownstone houses; only here and
there did some old family hold on, like a sullen
and desperate rear-guard defying the advancing
enemy.
Philip Vantine was one of these. He had been
born in the house where he still lived, and de-
clared that he would die there. He had no one
but himself to please in the matter, since he was
unmarried and lived alone, and he mitigated the
increasing roar and dust of the neighbourhood by
long absences abroad. It was from one of these
that he had just returned.
I may as well complete this pencil-sketch.
Vantine was about fifty years of age, the possessor
of a comfortable fortune, something of a con-
noisseur in art matters, a collector of old furni-
ture, a little eccentric — though now that I have
written die word, I find that I must qualify it, for
his only eccentricity was that he persisted, in spite
of many temptations, in remaining a bachelor.
Marriageable women had long since ceased to
consider him; mothers with maturing daughters
dismissed him with a significant shake of the head.
It was from them that he got the reputation of be-
ing an eccentric. But his reasons for remaining


THE BOULE CABINET 3
single in no way concerned his lawyers — a posi-
tion which our firm had held for many years, and
the active work of which had come gradually into
my hands.
It was not very arduous work, consisting for
the most part of the drawing of leases, the col-
lecting of rents, the reinvestment of funds, and
the adjustment of minor differences with tenants
— all of which were left to our discretion. But
occasionally it was necessary to consult our client
on some matter of unusual importance, or to get
his signature to some paper, and, at such times, I
always enjoyed the talk which followed the com-
pletion of the business; for Vantine was a good
talker, with a knowledge of men and of the world
gained by much travel and by a detached, humour-
ous and penetrating habit of mind.
He came forward to meet me, as I gave his
man my hat and stick, and we shook hands heart-
ily. I was glad to see him, and I think he was
glad to see me. He was looking in excellent
health, and brown from the voyage over.
"It's plain to see that the trip did you good," I
said.
"Yes," he agreed; " I never felt more fit. But
come along; we can talk at table. There's a


4 THE MYSTERY OF
little difficulty I want you to untangle for me."
I followed him upstairs to his study, where a
table laid for two had been placed near a low win-
dow.
"I had lunch served up here," Vantine ex-
plained, as we sat down, " because this is the only
really pleasant room left in the house. If I didn't
own that plot of ground next door, this place would
be impossible. As it is, I can keep the sky-scrap-
ers far enough away to get a little sunshine now
and then. I've had to put in an air filter, too;
and double windows in the bedrooms to keep out
the noise; but I dare say I can manage to hang
on."
"I can understand how you'd hate to move into
a new house," I said.
Vantine made a grimace.
"I couldn't endure a new house. I'm used to
this one — I can find my way about in it; I know
where things are. I've grown up here, you know;
and, as a man gets older, he values such associa-
tions more and more. Besides, a new house
would mean new fittings, new furniture—"
He paused and glanced about the room.
Every piece of furniture in it was the work of a
master.


THE BOULE CABINET 5
"I suppose you found some new things while
you were away?" I said. "You always do.
Your luck's proverbial."
"Yes — and it's that I wanted to talk to you
about. I brought back six or eight pieces; I'll
show them to you presently. They are all pretty
good, and one is a thing of beauty. It's more
than that — it's an absolutely unique work of art.
Only, unfortunately, it isn't mine."
"It isn't yours?"
"No; and I don't know whose it is. If I did,
I'd go buy it. That's what I want you to do for
me. It's a Boule cabinet — the most exquisite
I ever saw."
"Where did it come from?" I questioned,
more and more surprised.
"It came from Paris, and it was addressed to
me. The only explanation I can think of is that
my shippers at Paris made a mistake, sent me a
cabinet belonging to some one else, and sent mine
to the other person."
"You had bought one, then?"
"Yes; and it hasn't turned up. But beside
this one, it's a mere daub. My man Parks got
it through the customs yesterday. As there was
a Boule cabinet on my manifest, the mistake wasn't


6 THE MYSTERY OF
discovered until the whole lot was brought up
here and uncrated this morning."
"Weren't they uncrated in the customs?"
"No; I've been bringing things in for a good
many years, and the customs people know I'm not
a thief."
"That's quite a compliment," I pointed out.
"They've been tearing things wide open lately."
"They've had a tip of some sort, I suppose.
Come in," he added, answering a tap at the door.
The door opened and Vantine's man came in.
"A gentleman to see you, sir," he said, and
handed Vantine a card.
Vantine looked at it a little blankly.
"I don't know him," he said. "What does
he want?"
"He wants to see you, sir; very bad, I should
say."
"What about?"
"Well, I couldn't just make out, sir; but it
seems to be important."
"Couldn't make out? What do you mean,
Parks?"
"I think he's a Frenchman, sir; anyway, he
don't know much English. He ain't much of a
looker, sir — I've seen hundreds like him sitting
-■


THE BOULE CABINET 7
out in front of the cafes along the boulevards,
taking all afternoon to drink a bock."
Vantine seemed struck by a sudden idea, and
he looked at the card again. Then he tapped
it meditatively on the table.
"Shall I show him out, sir?" asked Parks, at
last.
"No," said Vantine, after an instant's hesita-
tion. "Tell him to wait," and he dropped the
card on the table beside his plate.
"I tell you, Lester," he went on, as Parks with-
drew, "when I went downstairs this morning and
saw that cabinet, I could hardly believe my eyes.
I thought I knew furniture, but I hadn't any idea
such a cabinet existed. The most beautiful I had
ever seen is at the Louvre. It stands in the Salle
Louis Fourteenth, to the left as you enter. It
belonged to Louis himself. Of course I can't be
certain without a careful examination, but I be-
lieve that cabinet, beautiful as it is, is merely the
counterpart of this one."
He paused and looked at me, his eyes bright
with the enthusiasm of the connoisseur.
"I'm not sure I understand your jargon," I
said. "What do you mean by 1 counterpart? '"
"Boule furniture," he explained, "is usually


8 THE MYSTERY OF
of ebony inlaid with tortoise-shell, and incrusted
with arabesques in metals of various kinds. The
incrustation had to be very exact, and to get it
so, the artist clamped together two plates of equal
size and thickness, one of metal, the other of tor-
toise-shell, traced his design on the top one, and
then cut them both out together. The result was
two combinations, the original, with a tortoise-
shell ground and metal applications; and the
counterpart, applique metal with tortoise-shell
arabesques. The original was really the one
which the artist designed and whose effects he
studied; the counterpart was merely a resultant
accident with which he was not especially con-
cerned. Understand?"
"Yes, I think so," I said. "It's a good deal
as though Michael Angelo, when he made one of
his sketches, white on black, put a sheet of carbon
under his paper and made a copy at the same
time, black on white."
"Precisely. And it's the original which has
the real artistic value. Of course, the counter-
part is often beautiful, too, but in a much lower
degree."
"I can understand that," I said.
"And now, Lester," Vantine went on, his eyes


THE BOULE CABINET
shining more and more, " if my supposition is cor-
rect— if the Grand Louis was content with the
counterpart of this cabinet for the long gallery
at Versailles, who do you suppose owned the orig-
inal?"
I saw what he was driving at.
"You mean one of his mistresses?"
"Yes, and I think I know which one — it be-
longed to Madame de Montespan."
I stared at him in astonishment, as he sat back
in his chair, smiling across at me.
"But," I objected, "you can't be sure —"
"Of course I'm not sure," he agreed quickly.
"That is to say, I couldn't prove it. But there is
some —> ah — contributory evidence, I think you
lawyers call it. Boule and the Montespan were
in their glory at the same time, and I can imagine
that flamboyant creature commissioning the flam-
boyant artist to build her just such a cabinet."
"Really, Vantine," I exclaimed, "I didn't
know you were so romantic. You quite take my
breath away."
He flushed a little at the words, and I saw how
deeply in earnest he was.
"The craze of the collector takes him a long
way sometimes," he said. "But I believe I know


io THE MYSTERY OF
what I'm talking about. I am going to make a
careful examination of the cabinet as soon as I
can. Perhaps I'll find something — there ought
to be a monogram on it somewhere. What I
want you to do is to cable my shippers, Armand et
Fils, Rue du Temple, find out who owns this cabi-
net, and buy it for me."
"Perhaps the owner won't sell," I suggested.
"Oh yes, he will. Anything can be bought —
for a price."
"You mean you're going to have this cabinet,
whatever the cost?"
"I mean just that."
"But, surely, there's a limit.
"No, there isn't."
"At least you'll tell me where to begin," I said.
11I don't know anything of the value of such
things."
"Well," said Vantine, "suppose you begin at
ten thousand francs. We mustn't seem too eager.
It's because I'm so eager, I want you to carry it
through for me. I can't trust myself."
"And the other end?"
"There isn't any other end. Of course,
strictly speaking, there is, because my money isn't


THE BOULE CABINET n
unlimited; but I don't believe you will have to go
over five hundred thousand francs."
I gasped.
"You mean you're willing to give a hundred
thousand dollars for this cabinet?"
Vantine nodded.
"Maybe a little more. If the owner won't
accept that, you must let me know before you
break off negotiations. I'm a little mad about it,
I fancy — all collectors are a little mad. But I
want that cabinet, and I'm going to have it."
I did not reply. I only looked at him. And
he laughed as he caught my glance.
"I can see you share that opinion, Lester," he
said. "You fear for me. I don't blame you —>
but come and see it."
He led the way out of the room and down the
stairs; but when we reached the lower hall, he
paused.
"Perhaps I'd better see my visitor first," he
said. "You'll find a new picture or two over
there in the music-room — I'll be with you in a
minute."
I started on, and he turned through a doorway
at the left
.


12
THE MYSTERY OF
An instant later, I heard a sharp exclamation;
then his voice calling me.
“Lester! Come here!” he cried.
I ran back along the hall, into the room which
he had entered. He was standing just inside the
door.
“Look there," he said, with a queer catch in
his voice, and pointed with a trembling hand to
a dark object on the floor.
I moved aside to see it better. Then my heart
gave a sickening throb; for the object on the floor
was the body of a man.


CHAPTER II
THE FIRST TRAGEDY
It needed but a glance to tell me that the man
was dead. There could be no life in that livid
face, in those glassy eyes.
<l Don't touch him," I said, for iVantine had
started forward. "It's too late."
I drew him back, and we stood for a moment
shaken as one always is by sudden and unexpected
contact with death.
"Who is he?" I asked, at last
.
"I don't know," answered Vantine hoarsely.
"I never saw him before." Then he strode to
the bell and rang it violently. "Parks," he went
on sternly, as that worthy appeared at the door,,
"what has been going on in here?"
"Going on, sir?" repeated Parks, with a look
of amazement, not only at the words, but at the
tone in which they were uttered. "I'm sure I
don't know what—"
Then his glance fell upon the huddled body,
and he stopped short, his eyes staring, his mouth
open.
13


14 THE MYSTERY OF
"Well," said his master, sharply. "Who is
he? What is he doing here?"
"Why — why," stammered Parks, thickly,
"that's the man who was waiting to see you, sir."
"You mean he has been killed in this house?"
demanded Vantine.
"He was certainly alive when he came in, sir,"
said Parks, recovering something of his self-pos-
session. "Maybe he was just looking for a quiet
place where he could kill himself. He seemed
kind of excited."
"Of course," agreed Vantine, with a sigh of
relief, "that's the explanation. Only I wish he
had chosen some place else. I suppose we shall
have to call the police, Lester?"
"Yes," I said, " and the coroner. Suppose you
leave it to me. We'll lock up this room, and no-
body must leave the house until the police arrive."
"Very well," assented Vantine, visibly relieved.
"I'll see to that," and he hastened away, while
I went to the 'phone, called up police head-
quarters, and told briefly what had happened.
Twenty minutes later, there was a ring at the
bell, and Parks opened the door and admitted four
men.
"Why, hello, Simmonds," I said, recognising


THE BOULE CABINET 15
in the first one the detective-sergeant who had
assisted in clearing up the Marathon mystery.
And back of him was Coroner Goldberger, whom
I had met in two previous cases; while the third
countenance, looking at me with a quizzical smile,
was that of Jim Godfrey, the Record's star re-
porter. The fourth man was a policeman in uni-
form, who, at a word from Simmonds, took his
station at the door.
"Yes," said Godfrey, as we shook hands, "I
happened to be talking to Simmonds when the call
came in, and I thought I might as well come along.
What is it?"
"Just a suicide, I think," and I unlocked the
door into the room where the dead man lay.
Simmonds, Goldberger and Godfrey stepped
Inside. I followed and closed the door.
"Nothing has been disturbed," I said. "No
one has touched the body."
Simmonds nodded, and glanced inquiringly
about the room; but Godfrey's eyes, I noticed,
were on the face of the dead man. Goldberger
dropped to his knees beside the body, looked into
the eyes and touched his fingers to the left wrist.
Then he stood erect again and looked down at
the body, and as I followed his gaze, I noted its


THE BOULE CABINET 17
"What can you tell us about it, Mr. Lester?"
Goldberger questioned.
I told all I knew — how Parks had announced a
man's arrival, how Vantine and I had come down-
stairs together, how Vantine had called me, and
finally how Parks had identified the body as that
of the strange caller.
"Have you any theory about it?" Goldberger
asked.
"Only that the call was merely a pretext —
that what the man was really looking for was a
place where he could kill himself unobserved."
"How long a time elapsed after Parks an-
nounced the man before you and Mr. Vantine
came downstairs?"
"Half an hour, perhaps."
Goldberger nodded.
"Let's have Parks in," he said.
I opened the door and called to Parks, who was
sitting on the bottom step of the stair.
Goldberger looked him over carefully as he
stepped into the room; but there could be no two
opinions about Parks. He had been with Vantine
for eight or ten years, and the earmarks of the
competent and faithful servant were apparent all
over him.


i8
THE MYSTERY OF
"Do you know this man?" Goldberger asked,
with a gesture toward the body.
"No, sir," said Parks. "I never saw him till
about an hour ago, when Rogers called me down-
stairs and said there was a man to see Mr. Van-
tine.".
"Who is Rogers?"
"He's the footman, sir. He answered the
door when the man rang."
"Well, and then what happened?"
"I took his card up to Mr. Vantine, sir."
"Did Mr. Vantine know him?"
"No, sir; he wanted to know what he wanted."
"What did he want?"
"I don't know, sir; he couldn't speak English
hardly at all — he was French, I think."
Goldberger looked down at the body again
and nodded.
"Go ahead," he said.
"And he was so excited," Parks added, "that
he couldn't remember what little English he did
know."
"What made you think he was excited?"
"The way he stuttered, and the way his eyes
glinted. That's what makes me think he just
come in here to kill hisself quiet like — I shouldn't


THE BOULE CABINET
19
be surprised if you found that he'd escaped from
somewhere. I had a notion to put him out with-
out bothering Mr. Vantine — I wish now I had
- but I took his card up, and Mr. Vantine said
for him to wait; so I come downstairs again, and
showed the man in here, and said Mr. Vantine
would see him presently, and then Rogers and
me went back to our lunch and we sat there eat-
ing till the bell rang, and I came in and found Mr.
Vantine here."
“Do you mean to say that you and Rogers
went away and left this stranger here by him-
self?"
“The servants' dining-room is right at the end
of the hall, sir. We left the door open so that
we could see right along the hall, clear to the
front door. If he'd come out into the hall, we'd
have seen him."
“And he didn't come out into the hall while
you were there?”
“No, sir."
“ Did anybody come in ?"
“Oh, no, sir; the front door has a snap-lock.
It can't be opened from the outside without a
key."
“So you are perfectly sure that no one either


ao THE MYSTERY OF
entered or left the house by the front door while
you and Rogers were sitting there?"
"Nor by the back door either, sir; to get out
the back way, you have to pass through the room
where we were."
"Where were the other servants?"
"The cook was in the kitchen, sir. This is the
housemaid's afternoon out."
The coroner paused. Godfrey and Simmonds
had both listened to this interrogation, but neither
had been idle. They had walked softly about
the room, had looked through a door open-
ing into another room beyond, had examined the
fastenings of the windows, and had ended by
looking minutely over the carpet.
"What is the room yonder used for?" asked
Godfrey, pointing to the connecting door.
"It's a sort of store-room just now, sir," said
Parks. "Mr. Vantine is just back from Europe,
and we've been unpacking in there some of the
things he bought while abroad."
"I guess that's all," said Goldberger, after a
moment. "Send in Mr. Vantine, please."
Parks went out, and Vantine came in a mo-
ment later. He corroborated exactly the story
told by Parks and myself, but he added one detail.


THE BOULE CABINET 21
"Here is the man's card," he said, and held
out a square of pasteboard.
Goldberger took the card, glanced at it, and
passed it on to Simmonds.
"That don't tell us much," said the latter, and
gave the card to Godfrey. I looked over his
shoulder and saw that it contained a single en-
graved line:
M. Theophile d'Aurelle
"Except that he's French, as Parks suggested,"
said Godfrey. "That's evident, too, from the
cut of his clothes."
"Yes, and from the cut of his hair," added
Goldberger. "You say you didn't know him,
Mr. Vantine?"
"I never before saw him, to my knowledge,"
answered Vantine. "The name is wholly un-
known to me."
"Well," said Goldberger, taking possession
of the card again and slipping it into his pocket,
"suppose we lift him onto that couch by the win-
dow and take a look through his clothes."
The man was slightly built, so that Simmonds
and Goldberger raised the body between them


22 THE MYSTERY OF
without difficulty and placed it on the couch. I
saw Godfrey's eyes searching the carpet.
"What I should like to know," he said, after
a moment, "is this: if this fellow took poison,
what did he take it out of? Where's the paper,
or bottle, or whatever it was?"
"Maybe it's in his hand," suggested Simmonds,
and lifted the right hand, which hung trailing
over the side of the couch.
Then, as he raised it into the light, a sharp
cry burst from him.
"Look here," he said, and held the hand so
that we all could see.
It was swollen and darkly discoloured.
"See there," said Simmonds, "something bit
him," and he pointed to two deep incisions on
the back of the hand, just above the knuckles,
from which a few drops of blood had oozed and
dried.
With a little exclamation of surprise and excite-
ment, Godfrey bent for an instant above the in- .
jured hand. Then he turned and looked at us.
This man didn't take poison," he said, in a
low voice. "He was killed!"


CHAPTER III
THE WOUNDED HAND
"He was killed!" repeated Godfrey, with con-
viction; and, at the words, we drew together a
little, with a shiver of repulsion. Death is awe-
some enough at any time; suicide adds to its hor-
ror; murder gives it the final touch.
So we all stood silent, staring as though fasci-
nated at the hand which Simmonds held up to us;
at those tiny wounds, encircled by discoloured flesh
and with a sinister dash of clotted blood running
away from them. Then Goldberger, taking a
deep breath, voiced the thought which had sprung
into my own brain.
"Why, it looks like a snake-bite!" he said, his
voice sharp with astonishment.
And, indeed, it did. Those two tiny incisions,
scarcely half an inch apart, might well have been
made by a serpent's fangs.
The quick glance which all of us cast about the
room was, of course, as involuntary as the chill
which ran up our spines; yet Godfrey and I—«


24
THE MYSTERY OF
as a
ron
Ose
yes, and Simmonds — had the excuse that, once
upon a time, we had had an encounter with a
deadly snake which none of us was likely ever to
forget. We all smiled a little sheepishly as we
caught each other's eyes.
“No, I don't think it was a snake,” said God-
frey, and again bent close above the hand.
“Smell it, Mr. Goldberger," he added.
The coroner put his nose close to the hand and
sniffed.
“Bitter almonds ! " he said.
.“Which means prussic acid," said Godfrey,
"and not snake poison.” He fell silent a mo-
ment, his eyes on the swollen hand. The rest
of us stared at it too; and I suppose all the others
were labouring as I was with the effort to find some
thread of theory amid this chaos. “ It might, of
course, have been self-inflicted,” Godfrey added,
quite to himself.
Goldberger sneered a little. No doubt he
found the incomprehensibility of the problem
rather trying to his temper.
"A man doesn't usually commit suicide by stick-
ing himself in the hand with a fork," he said.
. “No," agreed Godfrey, blandly; “but I would
point out that we don't know as yet that it is a


THE BOULE CABINET 25
case of suicide; and I'm quite sure that, whatever
it may be, it isn't usual."
Goldberger's sneer deepened.
"Did any reporter for the Record ever find a
case that was usual?" he queried.
It was a shrewd thrust, and one that Godfrey
might well have winced under. For the Record
theory was that nothing was news unless it was
strange and startling, and the inevitable result
was that the Record reporters endeavoured to
make everything strange and startling, to play up
the outre details at the expense of the rest of the
story, and even, I fear, to invent such details when
none existed.
Godfrey himself had been accused more than
once of a too-luxuriant imagination. It was, per-
haps, a realisation of this which had persuaded
him, years before, to quit the detective force and
take service with the Record. What might have
been a weakness1 in the first position, was a mighty
asset in the latter one, and he had won an im-
mense success.
Please understand that I set this down in no
spirit of criticism. I had known Godfrey rathe
intimately ever since the days when we were
thrown together in solving the Holladay case, and


26 THE MYSTERY OF
I admired sincerely his ready wit, his quick in-
sight, and his unshakable aplomb. He used his
imagination in a way which often caused me to
reflect that the police would be far more efficient
if they possessed a dash of the same quality; and
I had noticed that they were usually glad of his
assistance, while his former connection with the
force and his careful maintenance of the friend-
ships formed at that time gave him an entrée to
places denied to less-fortunate reporters. I had
never known him to do a dishonourable thing -
to fight for a cause he thought unjust, to print a
fact given to him in confidence, or to make a state-
ment which he knew to be untrue. Moreover,
a lively sense of humour made him an admirable
companion, and it was this quality, perhaps, which
enabled him to receive Goldberger's thrust with
a good-natured smile.
“We've got our living to make, you know," he
said. “We make it as honestly as we can.
What do you think, Simmonds ?"
"I think,” said Simmonds, who, if he possessed
an imagination, never permitted it to be suspected,
" that those little cuts on the hand are merely an
accident. They might have been caused in half
a dozen ways. Maybe he hit his hand on some-


THE BOULE CABINET 27
thing when he fell; maybe he jabbed it on a
buckle; maybe he had a boil on his hand and
lanced it with his knife.”
“What killed him, then?” Godfrey demanded.
“Poison — and it's in his stomach. We'll find
it there."
“How about the odour?” Godfrey persisted.
“He spilled some of the poison on his hand
as he lifted it to his mouth. Maybe he had those
cuts on his hand and the poison inflamed them.
Or maybe he's got some kind of bloud disease.”
Goldberger nodded his approval, and Godfrey
smiled as he looked at him.
" It's easy to find explanations, isn't it?” he
queried.
" It's a blamed sight easier to find a natural
and simple explanation," retorted Goldberger
hotly, “than it is to find an unnatural and far-
fetched one — such as how one man could kill
another by scratching him on the hand. I sup-
pose you think this fellow was murdered? That's
what you said a minute ago."
“ Perhaps I was a little hasty," Godfrey ad-
mitted, and I suspected that, whatever his
thoughts, he had made up his mind to keep them
to himself. “ I'm not going to theorise until I've


28 THE MYSTERY OF
got something to start with. The facts seem to
point to suicide; but if he swallowed prussic acid,
where's the bottle? He didn't swallow that too,
did he?"
"Maybe we'll find it in his clothes," suggested
Simmonds.
Thus reminded, Goldberger fell to work look-
ing through the dead man's pockets. The clothes
were of a cheap material and not very new, so
that, in life, he must have presented an appearance
somewhat shabby. There was a purse in the in-
side coat pocket containing two bills, one for ten
dollars and one for five, and there were two or
three dollars in silver and four five-centime
pieces in a small coin purse which he carried in his
trousers' pocket. The larger purse had four or
five calling cards in one of its compartments,
each bearing a different name, none of them his.
On the back of one of them, Vantine's address
was written in pencil.
There were no letters, no papers, no written
documents of any kind in the pockets, the re-
mainder of whose contents consisted of such odds
and ends as any man might carry about with him
— a cheap watch, a pen-knife, a half-empty packet
of French tobacco, a sheaf of cigarette paper,


THE BOULE CABINET 29
four or five keys on a ring, a silk handkerchief,
and perhaps some other articles which I have
forgotten — but not a thing to assist in establish-
ing his identity.
"We'll have to cable over to Paris," remarked
Simmonds. "He's French, all right — that silk
handkerchief proves it."
"Yes — and his best girl proves it, too," put
in Godfrey.
"His best girl?"
For answer, Godfrey held up the watch, which
he had been examining. He had opened the case,
and inside it was a photograph — the photograph
of a woman with bold, dark eyes and full lips
and oval face — a face so typically French that
it was not to be mistaken.
"A lady's maid, I should say," added Godfrey,
looking at it again. "Rather good-looking at
one time, but past her first youth, and so com-
pelled perhaps to bestow her affections on a man
a little beneath her — no doubt compelled also
to contribute to his support in order to retain
him. A woman with many pasts and no future —"
"Oh, come," broke in Goldberger impatiently,
"keep your second-hand epigrams for the Record.
What we want are facts."


30 THE MYSTERY OF
Godfrey flushed a little at the words and laid
down the watch.
"There is one fact which you have apparently
overlooked," he said quietly, "but it proves
beyond the shadow of a doubt that this fellow
didn't drift in here by accident. He came here
of intention, and the intention wasn't to kill him-
self, either."
"How do you know that?" demanded Gold-
berger, incredulously.
Godfrey picked up the purse, opened it, and
took out one of the cards.
"By this," he said, and held it up. "You have
already seen what is written on the back of it —
Mr. Vantine's name and the number of this
house. That proves, doesn't it, that this fellow
came to New York expressly to see Mr. Van-
tine?"
"Perhaps you think Mr. Vantine killed him,"
suggested Goldberger, sarcastically.
"No," said Godfrey; "he didn't have time.
You understand, Mr. Vantine," he added, smiling
at that gentleman, who was listening to all this
with perplexed countenance, "we are simply talk-
ing now about possibilities. You couldn't pos-
sibly have killed this fellow because Lester has


THE BOULE CABINET 3^
testified that he was with you constantly from
the moment this man entered the house until his
body was found, with the exception of the few
seconds which elapsed between the time you en-
tered this room and the time he joined you here,
summoned by your cry. So you are out of the
running."
"Thanks," said Vantine, drily.
"I suppose, then, you think it was Parks," said
Goldberger.
"It may quite possibly have been Parks,"
agreed Godfrey, gravely.
"Nonsense!" broke in Vantine, impatiently.
"Parks is as straight as a string — he's been with
me for eight years."
"Of course it's nonsense," assented Gold-
berger. "It's nonsense to say that he was killed
by anybody. He killed himself. We'll learn the
cause when we identify him — jealousy maybe,
or maybe just hard luck — he doesn't look afflu-
ent."
"I'll cable to Paris," said Simmonds. "If he
belongs there, we'll soon find out who he is."
"You'd better call an ambulance and have
hi^ti taken to the morgue," went on Goldberger.
"Somebody may identify him there. There'll be
1


THE MYSTERY OF
VE
a crowd to-morrow, for, of course, the papers will
be full of this affair —”
“The Record, at least, will have a very full
account,” Godfrey assured him.
"And I'll call the inquest for the day after,"
Goldberger continued. “I'll send my physician
down to make a post-mortem right away. If
there's any poison in this fellow's stomach, we'll
find it."
Godfrey did not speak; but I knew what was
in his mind. He was thinking that, if such poison
existed, the vessel which had contained it had not
yet been found. The same thought, no doubt, oc-
curred to Simmonds, for, after ordering the
policeman in the hall to call the ambulance, he
returned and began a careful search of the room,
using his electric torch to illumine every shadowed
corner. Godfrey devoted himself to a similar
search; but both were without result. Then God-
frey made a minute inspection of the injured hand,
while Goldberger looked on with ill-concealed
impatience; and finally he moved toward the
door.
"I think I'll be going," he said. “But I'm
interested in what your physician will find, M...
Coroner."
cur
asol.


THE BOULE CABINET 33
"He'll find poison, all right," asserted Gold-
berger, with decision.
"Perhaps he will," admitted Godfrey.
"Strange things happen in this world. Will you
be at home to-night, Lester?"
"Yes, I expect to be," I answered.
"You're still at the Marathon?"
"Yes," I said; "suite fourteen."
"Perhaps I'll drop around to see you," he said,
and a moment later we heard the door close be-
hind him as Parks let him out.
"Godfrey's a good man," said Goldberger,
"but he's too romantic. He looks for a mystery
in every crime, whereas most crimes are merely
plain, downright brutalities. Take this case.
Here's a man kills himself, and Godfrey wants us
to believe that death resulted from a scratch on
the hand. Why, there's no poison on earth would
kill a man as quick as that — for he must have
dropped dead before he could get out of the room
to summon help. If it was prussic acid, he swal-
lowed it. Remember, he wasn't in this room
more than fifteen or twenty minutes, and he was
quite dead when Mr. Vantine found him. Men
don't die as easily as all that — not from a scratch
on the hand. They don't die easily at all. It's


34 THE MYSTERY OF
astonishing how much it takes to kill a man —
how the spirit, or whatever you choose to call it,
clings to life."
"How do you explain the address on the card,
Mr. Goldberger?" I asked.
"My theory is that this fellow really had some
business with Mr. Vantine; probably he wanted
to borrow some money, or ask for help; and then,
while he was waiting, he suddenly gave the thing
up and killed himself. The address has no bear-
ing whatever, that I can see, on the question of
suicide. And I'll say this, Mr. Lester, if this
isn't suicide, it's the strangest case I ever had
anything to do with."
"Yes," I agreed, "if it isn't suicide, we come
to a blank wall right away."
- "That's it," and Goldberger nodded em-
phatically. "Here's the ambulai ce," he added,
as the bell rang.
The bearers entered with the stretcher, placed
the body on it, and carried it away. Goldberger
paused to gather up the articles he had taken from
the dead man's pockets.
"You gentlemen will have to give your testi-
mony at the inquest," he said. "So will Parks
and Rogers. It will be day after to-morrow,


THE BOULE CABINET 35
probably at ten o'clock, but I'll notify you of
the hour.”
“Very well,” I said; “we'll be there," and
Goldberger bade us good-bye, and left the house.
“And now," I added, to Vantine, “ I must be get-
ting back to the office. They'll be asking the
police to look for me next. Man alive!” and I
glanced at my watch, "it's after four o'clock."
“Too late for the office,” said Vantine. “Bet-
ter come upstairs and have a drink. Besides, I
want to talk with you."
“At least, I'll let them know I'm still alive,"
I said, and I called up the office and allayed any
anxiety that may have been felt there concerning
me. I must admit that it did not seem acute.
"I feel the need of a bracer after all this ex-
citement," Vantine remarked, as he opened the
cellarette. “Help yourself. I dare say you're
used to this sort of thing --"
"Finding dead men lying around?” I queried,
with a smile. “No- it's not so common as you
seem to think.”
“Tell me, Lester," and he looked at me earn-
estly, “ do you think that poor devil came in here
just to get a chance to kill himself quietly?"
“No, I don't," I said.


36 THE MYSTERY OF
vel
“Then what did he come in for?"
“I think Goldberger's theory a pretty good one
- that he had heard of you as a generous fellow
and came in here to ask help; and while he was
waiting, suddenly gave it up -”
" And killed himself?” Vantine completed.
I hesitated. I was astonished to find, at the
back of my mind, a growing doubt.
“See here, Lester," Vantine demanded, " if he
didn't kill himself, what happened to him?"
“Heaven only knows," I answered, in despair.
“ I've been asking myself the same question,
without finding a reasonable answer to it. As I
said to Goldberger, it's a blank wall. But if any.
body can see through it, Jim Godfrey can."
Vantine seemed deeply perturbed. He took
a turn or two up and down the room, then stopped
in front of me and looked me earnestly in the eye.
“Tell me, Lester," he said, “ do you believe
that theory of Godfrey's — that that insignificant
wound on the hand caused death?”
" It seems absurd, doesn't it? But Godfrey is
a sort of genius at divining such things.".
“Then you do believe it?"
I asked myself the same question before I an-
swered.


THE BOULE CABINET 37
"Yes, I do," I said, finally.
.Vantine walked up and down the room again,
his eyes on the floor, his brows contracted.
"Lester," he said, at last, "I have a queer
feeling that the business which brought this man
here in some way concerned the Boule cabinet I
was telling you about. Perhaps it belonged to
him."
"Hardly," I protested, recalling his shabby ap-
pearance.
"At any rate, I remember, as I was looking at
his card, that some such thought occurred to me.
It was for that reason I told Parks to ask him
to wait."
"It's possible, of course," I admitted. "But
that wouldn't explain his excitement. And that
reminds me," I added, "I haven't sent off that
cable."
"Any time to-night will do. It will be de-
livered in the morning. But you haven't seen the
cabinet yet. Come down and look at it."
He led the way down the . stair. Parks met
us in the lower hall.
"There's a delegation of reporters outside,
sir," he said. "They say they've got to see you."
Vantine made a movement of impatience.
) 1
i 1


38 THE MYSTERY OF
“Tell them," he said, “that I positively re-
fuse to see them or to allow my servants to see
them. Let them get their information from the
police.”
“ Very well, sir,” said Parks, and turned away
grinning.
Vantine passed on through the ante-room in
which we had found the body of the unfortunate
Frenchman, and into the room beyond. Five or
six pieces of furniture, evidently just unpacked,
stood there, but, ignorant as I am of such things,
he did not have to point out to me the Boule cabi-
net. It dominated the room, much as Madame
de Montespan, no doubt, dominated the court at
Versailles.
I looked at it for some moments, for it was cer-
tainly a beautiful piece of work, with a wealth
of inlay and incrustation little short of marvel-
lous. But I may as well say here that I never
really appreciated it. The florid style of the
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Louis is not at all to
my taste; and I am too little of a connoisseur to
admire a beauty which has no personal appeal for
me. So I am afraid that Vantine found me a
little cold.
Certainly there was nothing cold about the way


THE BOULE CABINET 39
he regarded it. His eyes gleamed with a strange
fire as he looked at it; he ran his fingers over
the inlay with a touch almost reverent; he pulled
out for me the little drawers with much the same
air that another friend of mine takes down his
Kilmarnock Burns from his bookshelves; he
pointed out to me the grace of its curves in the
same tone that one uses to discuss the master-
piece of a great artist. And then, finding no
echo to his enthusiasm, he suddenly stopped.
"You don't seem to care for it," he said, look-
ing at me.
"That's my fault and not the fault of the cabi-
net," I pointed out. "I'm not educated up to it;
I'm too little of an artist, perhaps."
He was flushed, as a man might be should an-
other make a disparaging remark about his wife,
and he led the way from the room at once.
"Remember, Lester," he said, a little sternly,
pausing with his hand on the front door, " there is
to be no foolishness about securing that cabinet
for me. Don't you let it get away. I'm in
deadly earnest."
"I won't let it get away," I promised. "Per-
haps it's just as well I'm not over-enthusiastic
about it."


4o THE MYSTERY OF
"Let me know as soon as you have any news,"
he said, and opened the door for <me.
I had intended walking home, but as I turned
up the Avenue, I met sweeping down it a flood of
girls just released from the workshops of the
neighbourhood. I struggled against it for a few
moments, then gave it up, hailed a cab, and settled
back against the cushions with a sigh of relief. I
was glad to be out of Vantine's house; something
there oppressed me and left me ill at ease. Was
Vantine quite normal, I wondered? Could any
man be normal who was willing to pay a hundred
thousand dollars for a piece of furniture? Espe-
cially a man who could not afford such extrava-
gance? I knew the size of Vantine's fortune; it
was large, but a hundred thousand dollars repre-
sented more than a year's income. And then I
smiled to myself. Of course Vantine had been
merely jesting when he named that limit. The
cabinet could be bought for a tenth of it, at the
most. And, still smiling, I left the cab, paid the
driver, and mounted to my rooms.


CHAPTER IS1
THE THUNDERBOLT
It was about eight o'clock that evening that God-
frey tapped at my door, and when I let him in, I
could tell by the way his eyes were shining that he
had some news.
"I can't stay long," he said. "I've got to get
down to the office and put the finishing touches on
that story;" but nevertheless he took the cigar
I proffered him and sank into the chair opposite
my own.
I knew Godfrey, so I waited patiently until the
cigar was going nicely, then —
"Well?" I asked.
"It's like old times, isn't it, Lester?" and he
smiled across at me. "How many conferences
have we had in this room? How many of your
cigars have I made away with?"
1 Not half enough recently," I said. "You
haven't been here for months."
"I'm sure to drift back, sooner or later, be-
cause you seem to have a knack of getting in on
the interesting cases. And I want to say this,
Lester, that of all I ever had, not one has prom- _
4i


42
THE MYSTERY OF
ised better than this one does. If it only keeps
up — but one mustn't expect too much!”
“You've been working on it, of course?”
"I haven't been idle, and just now I'm feeling
rather pleased with myself. The coroner's phy-
sician finished his post-mortem half an hour or so
ago."
"Well?" I said again.
“The stomach was absolutely normal. It
showed no trace of poison of any kind.”
He stretched himself, lay back in his chair, sent
a smoke-ring circling toward the ceiling, and
watched it, smiling absently.
“Rather a facer for our friend Goldberger,"
he added, after a minute.
“What's the matter with Goldberger? He
seemed rather peeved with you this afternoon."
"No wonder. He's Grady's man, and we're
after Grady. Grady isn't fit to head the detective
bureau — he got the job through his pull with
Tammany — he's stupid, and I suspect he's
crooked. The Record says he has got to go."
“So, of course, he will go," I commented, smil.
ing.
“He certainly will,” assented Godfrey seri-
ously, “and that before long. But meanwhile it's


THE BOULE CABINET 43
a little difficult for me, because his people don't
know which way to jump. Once he's out, every-
thing will be serene again."
,J wasn't interested in Grady, so I came back to
the case in hand.
"Look here, Godfrey," I said, "if it wasn't
poison, what was it?"
"But it was poison."
"Inserted at the hand?"
He nodded.
"Goldberger says there's no poison known
which could be used that way and which would
act so quickly."
"Goldberger is right in that," agreed Godfrey;
"but there's a poison unknown that will — be-
cause it did."
"It wasn't a snake bite?"
"Oh, no; snake poison wouldn't kill a man that
quickly — not even a fer-de-lance. That fellow
practically dropped where he was struck."
"Then what was it?"
Godfrey was sitting erect again. He was not.
smiling now. His face was very stern.
"That is what I am going to find out, Lester,"
he said; "that is the problem I've set myself to
solve — and it's a pretty one. There is one thing


44
THE MYSTERY OF
certain — that fellow was killed by some agency
outside himself. In some way, a drop or two of
poison was introduced into his blood by an instru-
ment something like a hypodermic needle; and
that poison was so powerful that almost instantly
it caused paralysis of the heart. After all, that
isn't so remarkable as it might seem. The blood
in the veins of the hand would be carried back to
the heart in four or five seconds."
“But you've already said there's no poison so
powerful as all that.”
“I said we didn't know of any. I wouldn't be
so sure that Catherine de Medici didn't."
“What has Catherine de Medici to do with
it?”
“Nothing - except that what has been done
may always be done again. Those old stories
are, no doubt, exaggerated; but it seems fairly
certain that the Queen of Navarre was killed with
a pair of poisoned gloves, the Duc d'Anjou with
the scent of a poisoned rose, and the Prince de
Porcian with the smoke of a poisoned lamp. This
case isn't as extraordinary as those.”
"No," I agreed, and fell silent, shivering a lit-
tle, for there is something horrible and revolting
about the poisoner.
US


THE BOULE CABINET 45
"After all," went on Godfrey, at last, "there
is one thing that neither you nor I nor any reason-
able man can believe, and that is that this French-
man came from heaven knows where — from
Paris, perhaps — with Vantine's address in his
pocket, and hunted up the house and made his
way into it simply to kill himself there. He had
some other object, and he met his death while
trying to accomplish it."
"Have you found out who he is?"
"No; he's not registered at any of the hotels;
the French consul never heard of him; he belongs
to none of the French societies; he's not known
in the French quarter. He seems to have
dropped in from the clouds. We've cabled our
Paris office to look him up; we may hear from
there to-night. But even if we discover the iden-
tity of Theophile d'Aurelle, it won't help us any."
"Why not?" I demanded.;
"Because it is evident that that isn't his name."
"Go ahead and tell me^ Godfrey," I said, as
he looked at me, smiling. "I don't see it."
"Why, it's plain enough. He had five cards
in his pocket, no two alike. The sixth, selected
probably at random, he had sent up to Vantine."
I saw it then, of course; and I felt a good deal


46 THE MYSTERY OF
as the Spanish savants must have felt when Co-
lumbus stood the egg on end. Godfrey smiled
again at my expression.
"The real d'Aurelle, whoever he may turn out
to be, may be able to help us," he added. "If
he can't, we may learn something from the Paris
police. The dead man's Bertillon measurements
have been cabled over to them. Even that won't
help, if he has never been arrested. And, of
course, we can't get at motives until we find out
something about him."
"But, Godfrey," I said, "suppose you knew
who he was and what he wanted with Vantine —
suppose you could make a guess at who killed him
and why — how was it done? That is what
stumps me. How was it done?"
"Ah!" agreed Godfrey. "That's it! .How
was it done? I told you it was a pretty case,
Lester. But wait till we hear from Paris."
"That reminds me," I said, sitting up suddenly,
"I've got to cable tcj Paris myself, on some busi-
ness for Mr. Vantine."
"Not connected with this affair?"
"Oh, no; his shippers over there sent him a
piece of furniture that doesn't belong to him. He
asked me to straighten the matter out."


48 THE MYSTERY OF
"Why, yes," I said, wonderingly, "if it's im-
portant. Does Mr. Vantine need me?"
"We all need you!" said the voice, and broke
into a dry sob. "For God's sake, come quick,
Mr. Lester!"
"All right," I said without further parley, for
evidently he had lost his self-control. "Some-
thing has happened down at Vantine's," I added to
Godfrey, as I hung up the receiver. "Parks
seems to be scared to death. He wants me to
come down right away," and I reached for my hat
and coat.
"ShallT come, too? " asked Godfrey.
Even under the stress of the moment, I could
not but smile at the question and at the tone in
which it was uttered.
"Perhaps you'd better," I agreed. "It
sounded pretty serious."
We went down together in the elevator, and
three minutes later we had hailed a taxi and were
speeding eastward toward the Avenue. It had
started to drizzle, afld the asphalt shone like a
black mirror, dancing with the lights along either
side. The streets were almost empty, for the
theatre-crowd had passed, and as we reached the
Avenue and turned down-town, the driver pusheu


THE BOULE CABINET
up his spark, and we hurtled along toward
Fourteenth street at a speed which made me think
of the traffic regulations. But no policeman in-
terfered, and five minutes later we drew up before
the Vantine place.
Parks must have been on the front steps look-
ing for me, for he came running down them al-
most before the car had stopped. I caught a
glimpse of his face under the street lights, as I
thrust a bill into the driver's hand, and it fairly
startled me.
"Is it you, Mr. Lester? " he gasped. "Good
God, but I'm glad you're here —"
I caught him by the arm.
"Steady, man," I said. "Don't let yourself
go to pieces. Now — what has happened?"
He seemed to take a sort of desperate grip of
himself.
"I'll show you, sir," he said, and ran up the
steps, along! the hall, to the door of the ante-room
where we had found the Frenchman's body. "In
there, sir!" he sobbed. "In there!" and clung
to the wall as I opened the door and stepped
inside.
The room was ablaze with light, and for an
instant my eyes were so dazzled that I could dis-


5o THE MYSTERY OF
tinguish nothing. Dimly I saw Godfrey spring
forward and drop to his knees.
Then my eyes cleared, and I saw, on the very
spot where d'Aurelle had died, another body —
or was it the same, brought back that the tragedy
of the afternoon might, in some mysterious way,
be re-enacted?
I remember bending over and peering into the
face —
It was the face of Philip Vantine.
A minute must have passed as I stood there
dazed and shaken. I was conscious, in a way,
that Godfrey was examining him. Then I heard
his voice.
"He's dead," he said.
Then there was an instant's silence.
"Lester, look here!" cried Godfrey's voice,
sharp, insistent. "For God's sake, look here!"
Godfrey was kneeling there holding something
toward me.
"Look here! " he cried again.
It was the dead man's hand he was holding;
the right hand; a swollen and discoloured hand.
And on the back of it, just above the knuckles,
were two tiny wounds, from which a few drops of
blood had trickled.


THE BOULE CABINET 51
And as I stared at this ghastly sight, scarce able
to believe my eyes, I heard a choking voice be-
hind me, saying over and over again:
"It was that woman done it! It was that
woman done it! Damn her! It was that woman
done it!"


CHAPTER V
GRADY TAKES A HAND
I HAVE no very clear remembrance of what hap-
pened after that. The shock was so great that I
had just strength enough to totter to a chair and
drop into it, and sit there staring vaguely at that
dark splotch on the carpet. I told myself that I
was the victim of a dreadful nightmare; that all
this was the result of over-wrought nerves and
that I should wake presently. No doubt I had
been working too hard. I needed a vacation —
well, I would take it .. .
And all the time I knew that it was not a night-
mare, but grim reality; that Philip Vantine was
dead — killed by a woman. Who had told me
that? And then I remembered the sobbing
voice . . .
Two or three persons came into the room
Parks and the other servants, I suppose; I heard
Godfrey's voice giving orders; and finally some-
one held a glass to my lips and commanded me to
drink. I did so mechanically; coughed, spluttered,
was conscious of a grateful warmth, and drank
m
roman.


THE BOULE CABINET 53
eagerly again. And then I saw Godfrey stand-
ing over me.
"Feel better? " he asked.
I nodded.
"I don't wonder it knocked you out," he went
on. "I'm feeling shaky myself. I had them call
Vantine's physician — but he can't do anything."
"He's dead, then?" I murmured, my eyes on
that dark and crumpled object which had been
Philip Vantine.
"Yes — just like the other."
Then I remembered, and I caught his arm and
drew him down to me.
"Godfrey," I whispered, "whose voice was it
— or did I dream it — something about a
woman?"
"You didn't dream it — it was Rogers — he's
almost hysterical. We'll get the story, as soon as
he quiets down."
Someone called him from the door, and he
turned away, leaving me staring blankly at noth-
ing. So there had been a woman in Vantine's life I
Perhaps that was why he had never married.
What ugly skeleton was to be dragged from its
closet?
But if a woman killed Vantine, the same woman


54 THE MYSTERY OF
also killed d'Aurelle. Where was her hiding-
place? From what ambush did she strike?
I glanced about the room, as a tremor of hor-
ror seized me. I arose, shaking, from the chair
and groped my way toward the door. Godfrey
heard me coming, swung around, and, with one
glance at my face, came to me and caught me by
the arms.
"What is it, Lester?" he asked.
"I can't stand it here," I gasped. "It's too
horrible!"
"Don't think about it. Come out here and
have another drink."
He led me into the hall, and a second glass of
brandy gave me back something of my self-con-
trol. I was ashamed of my weakness, but when I
glanced at Godfrey, I saw how white his face was.
"Better take a drink yourself," I said.
I heard the decanter rattle on the glass.
"I don't know when I have been so shaken," he
said, setting the glass down empty. "It was so
gruesome — so unexpected — and then Rogers
carrying on like a madman. Ah, here's the doc-
tor," he added, as the front door opened and
Parks showed a man in.
I knew Dr. Hughes, of course, returned his nod,


THE BOULE CABINET 55
and followed him and Godfrey into the ante-room.
But I had not yet sufficiently recovered to do more
than sit and stare at him as he knelt beside the
body and assured himself that life had fled. Then
I heard Godfrey telling him all we knew, while
Hughes listened with incredulous face.
"But it's absurd, you know!" he protested,
when Godfrey had finished. "Things like this
don't happen here in New York. In Florence,
perhaps, in the Middle Ages; but not here in the
twentieth century!"
"I can scarcely believe my own senses," God-
frey agreed. "But I saw the Frenchman lying
here this afternoon; and now here's Vantine."
"On the same spot?"
"As nearly as I can tell."
"And killed in the same way?"
"Killed in precisely the same way."
Hughes turned back to the body again, and
looked long and earnestly at the injured hand.
"What sort of instrument made this wound,
would you say, Mr. Godfrey?" he questioned, at
last.
"A sharp instrument, with two prongs. My
theory is that the prongs are hollow, like a hypo-
dermic needle, and leave a drop or two of poison


56 THE MYSTERY OF
at the bottom of the wound. You see a vein has
been cut."
"Yes," Hughes assented. "It would scarcely
be possible to pierce the hand here without strik-
ing a vein. One of the prongs would be sure to
do it."
"That's the reason there are two of them, I
fancy."
"But you are, of course, aware that no poison
exists which would act so quickly?" Hughes in-
quired.
Godfrey looked at him strangely.
"You yourself mentioned Florence a moment
ago," he said. "You meant, I suppose, that such
a poison did, at one time, exist there?"
"Something of the sort, perhaps," agreed
Hughes. "The words were purely instinctive,
but I suppose some such thought was running
through my head."
"Well, the poison that existed in Florence five
centuries ago, exists here to-day. There's the
proof of it," and Godfrey pointed to the body.
Hughes drew a deep breath of wonder and
horror.
"But what sort of devilish instrument is it?"
he cried, his nerves giving way for an instant, his


THE BOULE CABINET 57
voice mounting shrilly. “Above all, who wields
it?"
He stared about the room, as though half-ex-
pecting to see some mighty and remorseless arm
poised, ready to strike. Then he shook himself
together.
"I beg pardon,” he said, mopping the sweat
from his face; “but I'm not used to this sort of
thing; and I'm frightened — yes, I really believe
I'm frightened," and he laughed, a little unsteady
laugh.
“So am I," said Godfrey; " so is Lester; so is
everybody. You needn't be ashamed of it.”
“What frightens me,” went on Hughes, evi-
dently studying his own symptoms, “is the mys-
tery of it - there is something supernatural about
it — something I can't understand. How does
it happen that each of the victims is struck on the
right hand? Why not the left hand? Why the
hand at all?"
Godfrey answered with a despairing shrug.
"That is what we've got to find out,” he said.
“We shall have to call in the police,” suggested
Hughes. “Maybe they can solve it."
Godfrey smiled, a little sceptical smile, quickly
suppressed.


58 THE MYSTERY OF
"At least, they will have to be given the
chance," he agreed. "Shall I attend to it?"
"Yes," said Hughes; "and you would better
do it right away. The sooner they get here the
better."
"Very well," assented Godfrey, and left the
room.
Hughes sat down heavily on the couch near the
window, and mopped his face again, with a shak-
ing hand. Death he was accustomed to — but
death met decently in bed and resulting from some
understood cause. Death in this horrible and
mysterious form shook him; he could not under-
stand it, and his failure to understand appalled
him. He was a physician; it was his business to
understand; and yet here was death in a form as
mysterious to him as to the veriest layman. It
compelled him to pause and take stock of himself
— always a disconcerting process to the best of
us!
That was a trying half hour. Hughes sat on
the couch, breathing heavily, staring at the floor,
perhaps passing his own ignorance in review, per-
haps wondering if he had always been right in
prescribing this or that. As for me, I was think-
ing of my dead friend. I remembered Philip


THE BOULE CABINET 59
Vantine as I had always known him — a kindly,
witty, Christian gentleman. I could see his
pleasant eyes looking at me in friendship, as they
had looked a few hours before; I could hear his
voice, could feel the clasp of his hand. That
such a man should be killed like this, struck down
by a mysterious assassin, armed with a poisoned
weapon . . .
A woman! Always my mind came back to
that. A woman! Poison was a woman's
weapon. But who was she? How had she
escaped? Where had she concealed herself?
How was she able to strike so surely? Above all,
why should she have chosen Philip Vantine, of
all men, for her victim — Philip Vantine, who
had never injured any woman — and then I
paused. For I realised that I knew nothing of
Vantine, except what he had chosen to tell me.
Parks would know. And then I shrank from the
thought. Must we probe that secret? Must we
compel a man to betray his master?
My face was burning. No, we could not do
that — that would be abominable . . .
The door opened and Godfrey came in. This
time, he was not alone. Simmonds and Gold-
berger followed him, and their faces showed that


60 THE MYSTERY OF
they were as shaken and nonplussed as I. There
was a third man with them whom I did not know;
but I soon found out that it was Freylinghuisen,
the coroner's physician.
They all looked at the body, and Freyling-
huisen knelt beside it and examined the injured
hand; then he sat down by Dr. Hughes, and they
were soon deep in a low-toned conversation, whose
subject I could guess. I could also guess what
Simmonds and Godfrey were talking about in the
farther corner; but I could not guess why Gold-
berger, instead of getting to work, should be walk-
ing up and down, pulling impatiently at his
moustache and glancing at his watch now and
then. He seemed to be waiting for some one, but
not until twenty minutes later did I suspect who it
was. Then the door opened again to admit a
short, heavy-set man, with florid face, stubbly
black moustache, and little, close-set eyes, preter-
naturally bright. He glanced about the room,
nodded to Goldberger, and then looked inquir-
ingly at me.
"This is Mr. Lester, Commissioner Grady,"
said Goldberger, and I realised that the chief of
the detective bureau had come up from head-
quarters to take personal charge of the case.


THE BOULE CABINET 61
"Mr. Lester is Mr. Vantine's attorney," the cor-
oner added, in explanation.
"Glad to know you, Mr. Lester," said Grady,
shortly.
"And now, I guess, we're ready to begin,"
went on the coroner.
"Not quite," said Grady, grimly. "We'll ex-
cuse all reporters, first," and he looked across at
Godfrey, his face darkening.
I felt my own face flushing, and started to pro-
test, but Godfrey silenced me with a little gesture.
"It's all right, Lester," he said. "Mr. Grady
is quite within his rights. I'll withdraw'—until
he sends for me."
"You'll have a long wait, then!" retorted
Grady, with a sarcastic laugh.
"The longer I wait, the worse it will be for
you, Mr. Grady," said Godfrey quietly, opened
the door and closed it behind him.
Grady stared after him for a moment in crim-
son amazement. Then, mastering himself with
an effort, he turned to th. coroner.
"All right, Goldberger," he said, and sat down
to watch the proceedings.
A very few minutes sufficed for Hughes and
Freylinghuisen and 1 to tell all we knew of this


62 THE MYSTERY OF
tragedy and of the one which had preceded it.
Grady seemed already acquainted with the de-
tails of d'Aurelle's death, for he listened without
interrupting, only nodding from time to time.
"You've got a list of the servants here, of
course, Simmonds," he said, when we had fin-
ished the story.
"Yes, sir," and Simmonds handed it to him.
"H-m," said Grady, as he glanced it over.
"Five of 'em. Know anything about 'em?"
"They've all been with Mr. Vantine a long
time, sir," replied Simmonds. "So far as I've
been able to judge, they're all right."
"Which one of 'em found Vantine's body?"
"Parks, I think," I said. "It was he who
called me."
"Better have him in," said Grady, and doubled
up the list and slipped it into his pocket.
Parks came in looking decidedly shaky; but
answered Grady's questions clearly and concisely.
He told first of the events of the afternoon, and
then passed on to the evening.
"Mr. Vantine had dinner at home, sir," he
said. "It was served, I think, at seven o'clock.
He must have finished a little after seven-thirty.
I didn't see him, for I was straightening things


THE BOULE CABINET 63
around up in his room and putting his clothes
away. But he told Rogers —"
"Never mind what he told Rogers," broke in
Grady. "Just tell us what you know."
"Very well, sir," said Parks, submissively.
"I had a lot of work to do — we just got back
from Europe yesterday, you know — and I kept
on, putting things in their places and straighten-
ing around, and it must have been half-past eight
when I heard Rogers yelling for me. I thought
the house was on fire, and I come down in a
hurry. Rogers was standing out there in the hall,
looking like he'd seen a ghost. He kind of
gasped and pointed to this room, and I looked in
and saw Mr. Vantine laying there —"
His voice choked at the words, but he managed
to go on, after a moment.
"Then I telephoned for Mr. Lester," he added,
"and that's all I know."
•"Very well," said Grady. "That's all for
the present. Send Rogers in."
Rogers's face, as he entered the room, gave me
a kind of shock, for it was that of a man on the
verge of hysteria. He was a man of about fifty,
with iron-grey hair, and a smooth-shaven face,
ordinarily ruddy with health. But now his face


64 THE MYSTERY OF
was livid, his cheeks lined and shrunken, his eyes
blood-shot and staring. He reeled rather than
walked into the room, one hand clutching at his
throat, as though he were choking.
“Get him a chair,” said Grady, and Simmonds
brought one forward and remained standing be-
side it. “Now, my man," Grady continued,
“ you'll have to brace up. What's the matter
with you, anyhow? Didn't you ever see a dead
man before?”
" It ain't that,” gasped Rogers. “It ain't
that — though I never saw a murdered man be-
fore.”
"What?" demanded Grady, sharply. “ Didn't
you see that fellow this afternoon?”
.“ That was different," Rogers moaned. “I
didn't know him. Besides, I thought he'd killed
himself. We all thought so."
“And you don't think Vantine did?"
“I know he didn't," and Rogers's voice rose
to a shrill scream. “ It was that woman done
it! Damn her! She done it! I knowed she
was up to some crooked work when I let her in!"


CHAPTER VI
THE WOMAN IN THE CASE
It was coming now; the secret, however sordid,
however ugly, was to be unveiled. I saw Grady's
face set in hard lines; I could hear the stir of in-
terest with which the others leaned for-
ward . . .
Grady took a flask from his pocket and opened
it.
"Take a drink of this,” he said, and placed it
in Rogers's hand.
I could hear the mouth of the flask clattering
against his teeth, as he put it eagerly to
his mouth and took three or four long swal-
lows.
“Thank you, sir,” he said, more steadily, and
handed the flask back to its owner. A little colour
crept into his face; but I fancied there was a new
look in his eyes — for, as the horror faded, fear
took its place.
Grady screwed the cap on the flask with great
deliberation, and returned it to his pocket. And
all the time Rogers was watching him furtively,
.65


66 THE MYSTERY OF
wiping his mouth mechanically with a trembling
hand.
"Now, Rogers," Grady began, "I want you
to take your time and tell us in detail everything
that happened here to-night. You say a woman
did it. Well, we want to hear all about that
woman. Now go ahead; and remember there's
no hurry."
"Well, sir," began Rogers slowly, as though
carefully considering his words, "Mr. Vantine
came out from dinner about half-past seven —
maybe a little later than that — and told me to
light all the lights in here and in the next room.
You see there are gas and electrics both, sir, and
I lighted them all. He had gone into the music-
room on the other side of the hall, so I went over
there and told him the lights were all lit. He was
looking at a new picture he'd bought, but he left
it right away and come out into the hall.
"1 I don't want to be disturbed, Rogers,' he
said, and come in here and shut the door after
him.
"It was maybe twenty minutes after that that
the door-bell rung, and when I opened the door,
there was a woman standing on the steps."
He stopped and swallowed once or twice, as


THE BOULE CABINET 67
though his throat was dry, and I saw that his
fingers were twitching nervously.
“Did you know her?” questioned Grady.
Rogers loosened his collar with a convulsive
movement.
"No, sir, I'd never seen her before,” he an-
swered hoarsely.
“ Describe her."
Rogers closed his eyes, as though in an effort
of recollection.
“She wore a heavy veil, sir, so that I couldn't
see her very well; but the first thing I noticed was
her eyes — they were so bright, they seemed to
burn right through me. Her face looked white
behind her veil, and I could see how red her lips
were — I didn't like her looks, sir, from the first."
“How was she dressed?"
"In a dark gown, sir, cut so skimpy that I
knowed she was French before she spoke."
“Ah!” said Grady. “She was French, was
she?”
“Yes, sir; though she could speak some Eng-
lish. She asked for Mr. Vantine. I told her
Mr. Vantine was busy. And then she said some-
thing very fast about how she must see him, and
all the time she kept edging in and in, till the first



“I grabbed her again, and just then Mr. Vantine
opened the door and came out into the hall’'





THE BOULE CABINET 69
surprised at first, and then he got more interested,
and finally he asked her in here and shut the door,
and that was the last I saw of them."
"You mean you didn't let the woman out?"
demanded Grady.
"Yes, sir, that's just what I mean. I thought
if Mr. Vantine wanted to talk with her, well
and good; that was his business, not mine; so
I went back to the pantry to help the cook with
the silver, expecting to hear the bell every minute.
But the bell didn't ring, and after maybe half an
hour, I came out into the hall again to see if the
woman had gone; and I walked past the door of
this room but didn't hear nothing; and then I went
on to the front door, and was surprised to find it
wasn't latched."
"Maybe you hadn't latched it," suggested
Grady.
"It has a snap-lock, sir; when that woman
slammed it shut, I heard it catch."
"You're sure of that?"
"Quite sure, sir."
"What did you do then?"
"I closed the door, sir, and then come back
along the hall. I felt uneasy, some way; and I
stood outside the door there listening; but I


70 THE MYSTERY OF
couldn't hear nothing; and then I tapped, but
there wasn't no answer; so I tapped louder, with
my heart somehow working right up into my
mouth. And still there wasn't no answer, so I
just opened the door and looked in — and the first
thing I see was him—"
Rogers stopped suddenly, and caught at his
throat again.
"I'll be all right in a minute, sir," he gasped.
"It takes me this way sometimes."
"No hurry," Grady assured him, and then,
when his breath was coming easier, "What did
you do then?"
"I was so scared I couldn't scarcely stand, sir;
but I managed to get to the foot of the stairs and
yell for Parks, and he come running down —
and that's all I remember, sir."
"The woman wasn't here?"
"No, sir."
"Did you look through the rooms?"
"No, sir; when I found the front door open,
I knowed she'd gone out. She hadn't shut the
door because she was afraid I'd hear her."
"That sounds probable," agreed Grady. "But
what makes you think she killed Vantine?"
"Well, sir," answered Rogers, slowly, "I


THE BOULE CABINET 71
guess I oughtn't to have said that; but finding the
door open that way, and then coming on Mr.
Vantine sort of upset me — I didn't know just
what I was saying."
"You don't think so now, then?" questioned
Grady, sharply.
"I don't know what to think, sir."
"You say you never saw the woman before?"
"Never, sir."
"Had she ever been here before?"
"I don't think so, sir. The first thing she
asked was if this was where Mr. Vantine lived."
Grady nodded.
"Very good, Rogers," he said. "I'll be offer-
ing you a place on the force next. Would you
know this woman if you saw her again?"
Rogers hesitated.
"I wouldn't like to say sure, sir," he answered,
at last. "I might and I might not."
"Red lips and a white face and bright eyes
aren't much to go on," Grady pointed out.
"Can't you give us a closer description?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. I just got a general im-
pression, like, of her face through her veil."
"You say you didn't search these rooms?"
"No, sir, I didn't come inside the door."


72 THE MYSTERY) PF
"Why not?"
"I was afraid to, sir."
"Afraid to?"
"Yes, sir; I'm afraid to be here now."
"Did Parks come in?"
"No, sir; I guess he felt the same way I did."
"Then how did you know Vantine was dead?
Why didn't you try to help him?"
"One look was enough to tell me that wasn't
no use," said Rogers, and glanced, with visible
horror, at the crumpled form on the floor.
Grady looked at him keenly for a moment; but
there seemed to be no reason to doubt his story.
Then the detective looked about the room.
"There's one thing I don't understand," he
said, "and that is why Vantine should want
all these lights. What was he doing in here?"
"I couldn't be sure, sir; but I suppose he was
looking at the furniture he brought over from
Europe. He was a collector, you know, sir.
There are five or six pieces in the next room."
Without a word, Grady arose and passed into
the room adjoining, we after him; only Rogers
remained seated where he was. I remember
glancing back over my shoulder and noting how
he huddled forward in his chair, as though


THE BOULE CABINET 73
crushed by a great weight, the instant our backs
were turned.
But I forgot Rogers in contemplation of the
scene before me.
The inner room was ablaze with light, and the
furniture stood hap-hazard about it, just as I had
seen it earlier in the day. Only one thing had
been moved. That was the Boule cabinet.
It had been carried to the centre of the room,
and placed in the full glare of the light from the
chandelier. It stood there blazing with arrogant
beauty, a thing apart.
Who had helped Vantine place it there, I won-
dered? Neither Rogers nor Parks had men-
tioned doing so. I turned back to the outer room.
Rogers was sitting crouched forward in his
chair, his hands over his eyes, and I could feel
him jerk with nervousness as I touched him on
the shoulder.
"Oh, is it you, Mr. Lester?" he gasped.
"Pardon me, sir; I'm not at all myself, sir."
"I can see that," I said, soothingly; "and no
wonder. I just wanted to ask you — did you
help move any of the furniture in the room yon-
der?"
"Help move it, sir?"


74 THE MYSTERY OF
am
“Yes — help change the position of any of
it since this afternoon?".
“No, sir; I haven't touched any of it, sir."
“ That's all right, then," I said, and turned
back into the inner room.
Vantine had said that he intended examining
the cabinet in detail at the first opportunity; I
remembered how his eyes had gleamed as he
looked at it; how his hand had trembled as he
caressed the arabesques. No doubt he was mak-
ing that examination when he had heard a
woman's cry and had gone out into the hall to see
what the matter was.
Then he and the woman had entered the ante-
room together; he had closed the door; and
then . . .
Like a lightning-flash, a thought leaped into
my brain — a reason — an explanation — wild,
improbable, absurd, but still an explanation!
I choked back the cry which rose to my lips;
I gripped my hands behind me, in a desperate at-
tempt to hold myself in check; and, fascinated as
by a deadly serpent, I stood staring at the cabinet.
For there, I felt certain, lay the clue to the
mystery!


CHAPTER VII
ROGERS GETS A SHOCK
GRADY, Simmonds and Goldberger examined the
room minutely, for they seemed to feel that the
secret of the tragedy lay somewhere within its four
walls; but I watched them only absently, for I had
lost interest in the procedure. I was perfectly
sure that they would find nothing in any way bear-
ing upon the mystery. I heard Grady comment
upon the fact that there was no door except the
one opening into the ante-room, and saw them
examine the window-catches.
“Nobody could raise these windows without
alarming the house,” Grady said, and pointed to
a tiny wire running along the woodwork.
“There's a burglar alarm.”
Simmonds assented, and finally the trio returned
to the ante-room.
“We'd like to look over the rest of the house,".
Grady said to Rogers, who was sitting erect again,
looking more like himself, and the four men went
out into the hall toge her. I remained behind
with Hughes and Freylinghuisen. They had


76 THE MYSTERY OF
lifted the body to the couch and were making a
careful examination of it. Heavy at heart, I sat
down near by and watched them.
That Philip Vantine should have been killed
by enthusiasm for the hobby which had given
him so much pleasure seemed the very irony of
fate, yet such I believed to be the case. To be
sure, there were various incidents which seemed
to conflict with such a theory, and the theory it-
self seemed wild to the point of absurdity; but
at least it was a ray of light in what had been
utter darkness. I turned it over and over in my
mind, trying to fit into it the happenings of the
day — I must confess with very poor success.
Freylinghuisen's voice brought me out of my
reverie.
"The two cases are precisely alike," he was
saying. "The symptoms are identical. And
I'm certain we shall find paralysis of the heart and
spinal cord in this case, just as I did in the other.
Both men were killed by the same poison."
"Can you make a guess as to the nature of the
poison?" Hughes inquired.
"Some variant of hydrocyanic acid, I fancy —
the odour indicates that; but it must be about fifty-
times as deadly as hydrocyanic acid is."


THE BOULE CABINET 77
They wandered away Into a discussion of pos-
sible variants, so technical and be-sprinkled with
abstruse words and formulae that I could not fol-
low them. Freylinghuisen, of course, had all this
sort of thing at his fingers' ends — post-mortems
were his every-day occupation, and no doubt he
had been furbishing himself up, since this last one,
in preparation for the inquest, where he would
naturally wish to shine. I could see that he en-
joyed displaying his knowledge before Hughes,
who, although a family practitioner of high stand-
ing, with an income greater than Freylinghuisen's
many times over, had no such expert knowledge
of toxicology as a coroner's physician would
naturally possess.
The two detectives and the coroner came back
while the discussion was still in progress and
listened in silence to Freylinghuisen's statement
of the case. Grady's mahogany face told abso-
lutely nothing of what was passing in his brain,
but Simmonds was plainly bewildered. It was
evident from his look that nothing had been found
to shed any light on the mystery; and now that
his suicide theory had fallen to pieces, he was
completely at sea. So, I suspected, was Grady,
but he was too self-composed to betray it.


78 THE MYSTERY OF
The coroner drew the two physicians aside and
talked to them for a few moments in a low tone.
Then he turned to Grady.
"Freylinghuisen thinks there is no necessity
for a post-mortem," he said. "The symptoms
are in every way identical with those of the
other man who was killed here this afternoon.
There can be no question that both of them died
from the same cause. He is ready to make his
return to that effect."
"Very well," assented Grady. "The body
can be turned over to the relatives, then."
"There aren't any relatives," I said; " at least,
no near ones. Vantine was the last of this branch
of the family. I happen to know that our firm
has been named as his executors in his will, so, if
there is no objection, I'll take charge of things."
"Very well, Mr. Lester," said Grady again;
and then he looked at me. "Do you know the
provisions of the will?" he asked.
"I do."
"In the light of those provisions, do you know
of any one who would have an interest in Van-
tine's death?"
"I think I may tell you the provisions," I said,
after a moment. "With the exception of a few


THE BOULE CABINET 79
legacies to his servants, his whole fortune is left
to the Metropolitan Museum of Art."
"You have been his attorney for some time?"
"We have been his legal advisers for many
years."
"Have you ever learned that he had an
enemy?"
"No," I answered instantly; "so far as I
know, he had not an enemy on earth."
"He was never married, I believe?"
"No."
"Was he ever, to your knowledge, involved
with a woman?"
"No," I said again. "I was astounded when
I heard Rogers's story."
"So you can give us no hint as to this woman's
identity?"
"I only wish I could!" I said, with fervour.
"Thank you, Mr. Lester," and Grady turned
to Simmonds. "I don't see that there is anything
more we can do here," he added. "There's one
thing, though, Mr. Lester, I will have to ask you
to do. That is to keep all the servants here until
after the inquest. If you think there is any doubt
of your ability to do that, we can, of course, put
them under arrest—"


8o THE MYSTERY OF
"Oh, that isn't necessary," I broke in. M I will
be responsible for their appearance at the in-
quest."
"I'll have to postpone it a day," said Gold-
berger. "I want Freylinghuisen to make some
tests to-morrow. Besides, we've got to identify
d'Aurelle, and these gentlemen seem to have their
work cut out for them in finding this woman—"
Grady looked at Goldberger in a way which
indicated that he thought he was talking too much,
and the coroner stopped abruptly. A moment
later, all four men left the house.
Dr. Hughes lingered for a last word.
"The undertaker had better be called at once,"
he said. "It won't do to delay too long."
I knew what he meant. Already the face of
the dead man was showing certain ugly discolour-
ations.
"I can send him around on my way home," he
added, and I thanked him for assuming this un-
pleasant duty.
As the door closed behind him, I heard a step
on the stair, and turned to see Godfrey calmly de-
scending.
"I came in a few minutes ago," he explained,
in answer to my look, "and have been glancing


THE BOULE CABINET 81
around upstairs. Nothing there. How did our
friend Grady get along?”.
"Fairly well; but if he guesses anything, his
face didn't show it."
“His face never shows anything, because
there's nothing to show. He has cultivated that
sibylline look until people think he's a wonder.
But he's simply a stupid ignoramus."
"Oh, come, Godfrey," I protested, "you're
prejudiced. He went right to the point. Do you
know Rogers's story?"
“About the woman? Certainly. Rogers told
it to me before Grady arrived."
“Well,” I commented,"you didn't lose any
time."
"I never do," he assented blandly. “And
now I'm going to prove to you that Grady is
merely a stupid ignoramus. He has heard all
the evidence, but does he know who that woman
was?”
“Of course not," I said, and then I looked at
him. “Do you mean that you do? Then I'm an
ignoramus, too!”
“My dear Lester,” protested Godfrey, "you
are not a detective — that's not your business; but
it is Grady's. At least, it is supposed to be, and the


82 THE MYSTERY OF
safety of this city as a place of residence depends
more or less upon the truth of that assumption.
On the strength of it, he has been made deputy
police commissioner, in charge of the detective
bureau."
"Then you mean that you do know who she
was?"
"I'm pretty sure I do — that is what I came
back to prove. Where's Rogers?"
"I'll ring for him," I said, and did so, and
presently he appeared.
"Did you ring, sir?" he asked.
He was still miserably nervous, but much more
self-controlled than he had been earlier in the
evening.
"Yes," I said. "Mr. Godfrey wishes to speak
to you." .
It seemed to me that Rogers turned visibly
paler; there was certainly fear in the glance he
turned upon my companion. But Godfrey smiled
reassuringly.
"We'd better give him his instructions about
the reporters, first thing, hadn't we, Lester? " he
inquired.
"Which reporters?" I queried.
"All the others, of course. They will be


THE BOULE CABINET 83
storming this house, Rogers, before long. ;You
will meet them at the door, you will refuse to
admit one of them; you will tell them that there
is nothing to be learned here, and that they must
go to the police. Tell them that Commissioner
Grady himself is in charge of the case and will
no doubt be glad to talk to them. Is that right,
Lester?"
"Yes, Ulysses," I agreed, smiling.
"And now," continued Godfrey, watching
Rogers keenly, "I have a photograph here that
I want you to look at. Did you ever see that
person before? " and he handed a print to Rogers.
The latter hesitated an instant, and then took
the print with a trembling hand. Stark fear was
in his eyes again; then slowly he raised the print
to the light, glanced at it . . .
"Catch him, Lester!" Godfrey cried, and
sprang forward.
For Rogers, clutching wildly at his collar, spun
half around and fell j^ith a crash. Godfrey's
arm broke the fall somewhat, but as for me, I
was too dazed to move.
"Get some water, quick!" Godfrey com-
manded sharply, as Parks came running up.
"Rogers has been taken ill."


84 THE MYSTERY OF
And then, as Parks sped down the hall again,
I saw Godfrey loosen the collar of the unconscious
man and begin to chafe his temples fiercely.
"I hope it isn't apoplexy," he muttered. "I
oughtn't to have shocked him like that."
At the words, I remembered; and, stooping,
picked up the photograph which had fluttered
from Rogers's nerveless fingers. And then I, too,
uttered a smothered exclamation as I gazed at
the dark eyes, the full lips, the oval face — the
face which d'Aurelle had carried in his watch!


CHAPTER VIII
PRECAUTIONS
But it wasn't apoplexy. It was Parks who re-
assured us, when he came hurrying back a minute
later with a glass of water in one hand and a
small phial in the other.
“He has these spells,” he said. “It's a kind
of vertigo. Give him a whiff of this.”
He uncorked the phial and handed it to God-
frey, and I caught the penetrating fumes of am-
monia. A moment later, Rogers gasped convul-
sively.
“He'll be all right pretty soon,” remarked
Parks, with ready optimism. “Though I
never saw him quite so bad.”
“We can't leave him lying here on the floor,"
said Godfrey.
“There's a couch-seat in the music-room,”
Parks suggested, and the three of us bore the still
unconscious man to it.
Then Godfrey and I sat down and waited, while
he gasped his way back to life.
“Though he can't really tell us much," God.
Ism.
85


86 THE MYSTERY OF
frey observed. "In fact, I doubt if he'll be will-
ing to tell anything. But his face, when he looked
at the picture, told us all we need to know."
Thus reminded, I took the photograph out of
the pocket into which I had slipped it, and looked
at it again.
"Where did you get it? " I asked.
"The police photographer made some copies.
This is one of them."
"But what made you suspect that the two
women were the same?"
"I don't just know," answered Godfrey, re-
flectively. "They were both French — and
Rogers spoke of the red lips; somehow it seemed
probable. Mr. Grady will find some things he
doesn't know in to-morrow's Record. But then
he usually does. This time, I'm going to rub it
in. Hello," he added, "our friend is coming
around."
I looked at Rogers and saw that his eyes were
open. They were staring at us as though wonder-
ing who we were. Godfrey passed an arm under
his head and held the glass of water to his lips.
"Take a swallow of this," he said, and Rogers
obeyed mechanically, still staring at him over the
rim of the glass. "How do you feel?"


THE BOULE CABINET 87
** Pretty weak," Rogers answered, almost in a
whisper. "Did I have a fit?"
"Something like that," said Godfrey, cheer-
fully; " but don't worry. iYou'11 soon be all right
again."
"What sent me off?" asked Rogers, and
stared up at him. Then his face turned purple,
and I thought he was going off again. But after
a moment's heavy breathing, he lay quiet. "I
remember now," he said. "Let me see that pic-
ture again."
I passed it to him. His hand was trembling
so he could hardly take it; but I saw he was strug-
gling desperately to control himself, and he man-
aged to hold the picture up before his eyes and
look at it with apparent unconcern.
"Do you know her? " Godfrey asked.
To my infinite amazement, Rogers shook his
head.
"Never saw her before," he muttered.
"When I first looked at her, I thought I knew
her; but it ain't the same woman."
"Do you mean to say," Godfrey demanded
sternly, "that that is not the woman who called
on Mr. Vantine to-night?"
Again Rogers shook his head.


88 THE MYSTERY OF
"Oh, no," he protested; "it's not the same
woman at all. This one is younger."
Godfrey made no reply; but he sat down and
looked at Rogers, and Rogers lay and gazed at
the picture, and gradually his face softened, as
though at some tender memory.
"Come, Rogers," I urged, at last. "You'd
better tell us all you know. If this is the woman,
don't hesitate to say so."
"I've told you all I know, Mr. Lester," said
Rogers, but he did not meet my eyes. "And
1I'm feeling pretty bad. I think I'd better be get-
ting to bed."
"Yes, that's best," agreed Godfrey promptly.
"Parks will help you," and he held out his hand
for the photograph.
Rogers relinquished it with evident reluctance.
He opened his lips as though to ask a question;
then closed them again, and got slowly to his feet,
Parks aiding him.
"Good-night, gentlemen," he said weakly, and
shuffled away, leaning heavily on Parks's shoulder.
"Well!" said I, looking at Godfrey. "What
do you think of that?"
"He's lying, of course. We've got to find out
why he's lying and bring it home to him. But


THE BOULE CABINET 89
it's getting late — I must get down to the office.
One word, Lester — be sure Rogers doesn't give
you the slip."
"I'll have him looted after," I promised.
"But I fancy he'll be afraid to run away. Be-
sides, it is possible he's telling the truth. I don't
believe any woman had anything to do with either
death."
Godfrey turned, as he was starting away, and
stopped to look at me.
"Who did then?" he asked.
"Nobody."
"You mean they both suicided in that abnormal
way?"
"No, it wasn't suicide — they were killed —
but not by a human being — at least, not directly."
I felt that I was floundering hopelessly, and
stopped. "I can't tell you now, Godfrey," I
pleaded. "I haven't had time to think it out.
You've got enough for one day."
"Yes," he smiled; "I've got enough for one
day. And now good-bye. Perhaps I'll look in on
you about midnight, on my way home, if I get
through by then."
I sighed. Godfrey's energy became a little
wearing sometimes. I was already longing for


90 THE MYSTERY OF
bed, and there remained so much to be done.
But he, after a day which I knew had been a hard
one, and with a many-column story still to write,
was apparently as fresh and eager as ever.
"All right," I agreed. "If you see a light,
come up. If there isn't any light, I'll be in bed,
and I'll kill you if you wake me."
"Conditions accepted," he laughed, as I opened
the door for him.
Parks joined me as I turned back into the
house.
"I got Rogers to bed, sir," he said "He'll
be all right in the morning. But he's a queer
duck."
"How long have you known him, Parks?"
"He's been with Mr. Vantine about five years.
I don't know much about him; he's a silent kind
of fellow, keeping to hisself a good deal and sort
of brooding over things. But he did his work all
right, except once in a while when he keeled over
like he did to-night."
"Parks," I said, suddenly, "I'm going to ask
you a question. You know that Mr. Vantine was
a friend of mine, and I thought a great deal of
him. Now, what with this story Rogers tells,
and one or two other things, there is talk of a


THE BOULE CABINET 91
woman. Is there any foundation for talk of that
kind?"
"No, sir," said Parks, emphatically. "I've
been Mr. Vantine's valet for eight years and
more, and in all that time he has never been mixed
up with a woman in any shape or form. I always
fancied he'd loved a lady who died — I don't
know what made me think so; but anyhow, since
I've known him, he never looked at a woman —
not in that way."
"Thank you, Parks," I said, with a sigh of
relief. "I've been through so much to-day, that
I felt I couldn't endure that; and now —"
"Beg pardon, sir," said a voice at my elbow;
"we have everything ready, sir."
I turned with a start to see a little, clean-shaven
man standing there, rubbing his hands softly to-
gether and gazing blandly up at me.
"The undertaker's assistant, sir," explained
Parks, seeing my look of astonishment. "He
came while you and Mr. Godfrey were in the
music-room. Dr. Hughes sent him."
"Yes, sir," added the little man; "and we
have the corpse ready for the coffin. Very nice
it looks, too; though it was a hard job. Was it
poison killed him, sir?"


92 THE MYSTERY OF
"Yes," I answered, with a feeling of nausea,
"it was poison."
"Very powerful poison, too, I should say, sir;
we didn't get here none too soon. Where shall we
put the body, sir?"
"Why not leave it where it is?" I asked, im-
patiently.
"Very good, sir," said the man, and presently
he and his assistant took themselves off, to my in-
tense relief.
"And now, Parks," I began, "there is some-
thing I want to say to you. Let us go somewhere
and sit down."
"Suppose we go up to the study, sir. You're
looking regularly done up, if you'll permit me
to say so, sir. Shall I get you something?"
"A brandy-and-soda," I assented; "and bring
one for yourself."
"Very good, sir," and a few minutes later we
were sitting opposite each other in the room where
Vantine had offered me similar refreshment not
many hours before. I looked at Parks as he sat
there, and turned over in my mind what I had
to say to him. I liked the man, and I felt he
could be trusted. At any rate, I had to take
the risk.


THE BOULE CABINET 93
"Now. Parks," I began again, setting down
my glass, "what I have to say to you is very se-
rious, and I want you to keep it to yourself: I
know that you were devoted to Mr. Vantine —
I may as well tell you that he has remembered
you in his will — and I am sure you are willing
to do anything in your power to help solve the
mystery of his death."
"That I am, sir," Parks agreed, warmly. "I
was very fond of him, sir; nobody will miss him
more than I will."
I realised that the tragedy meant far more
to Parks than it did even to me, for he had lost
not only a friend, but a means of livelihood, and
I looked at him with heightened sympathy.
"I know how you feel," I said, "and I am
counting on you to help me. I have a sort of
idea how his death came about. Only the
vaguest possible idea," I added hastily, as his
eyes widened with interest; " altogether too vague
to be put into words. But I can say this much —
the mystery, whatever it is, is in the ante-room
where the bodies were found, or in the room next
to it where the furniture is. Now, I am going to
lock up those rooms, and I want you to see that
nobody enters them without your knowledge."


94 THE MYSTERY OF
"Not very likely that anybody will want to
enter them, sir," and Parks laughed a grim little
laugh.
"I am not so sure of that," I dissented, speak-
ing very seriously. "In fact, I am of the opinion
that there is somebody who wants to enter those
rooms very badly. I don't know who he is, and
I don't know what he is after; but I am going to
make it your business to keep him out, and to cap-
ture him if you catch him trying to get in."
"Trust me for that, sir," said Parks promptly.
"What is it you want me to do?"
"I want you to put a cot in the hallway outside
the door of the ante-room and sleep there to-
night. To-morrow I will decide what further
precautions are necessary."
"Very good, sir," said Parks. "I'll get the
cot up at once."
"There is one thing more," I went on. "I
have given the coroner my personal assurance that
none of the servants will leave the house until
after the inquest. I suppose I can rely on them?"
"Oh, yes, sir. I'll see they understand how
important it is."
"Rogers, especially," I added, looking at him.
"I understand, sir," said Parks, quietly.


THE BOULE CABINET 95
"Very well. And now let us go down and lock
up those rooms."
They were still ablaze with light; but both of
us faltered a little, I think, on the threshold of the
ante-room. For in the middle of the floor stood
a stretcher, and on it was an object covered with
a sheet, its outlines horribly suggestive. But I
took myself in hand and entered. Parks followed
me and closed the door.
The ante-room had two windows, and the room
beyond, which was a corner one, had three. All
of them were locked, but a pane of glass seemed
to me an absurdly fragile barrier against any one
who really wished to enter.
"Aren't there some wooden shutters for these
windows?" I asked.
"Yes, sir; they were taken down yesterday and
put in the basement. Shall I get them?"
"I think you'd better," I said. "Will you
need any help?"
"No, sir; they're not heavy. If you'll wait
here, you can snap the bolts into place when I
lift them up from the outside."
"Very well," I agreed, and Parks hurried
away.
I entered the inner room and stopped before


96 THE MYSTERY OF
the Boule cabinet. There was a certain air of
arrogance about it, as it stood there in that blaze
of light, its inlay aglow with a thousand subtle
reflections; a flaunting air, the air of a courtesan
conscious of her beauty and pleased to attract at-
tention— just the air with which Madame de
Montespan must have sauntered down the mirror
gallery at Versailles, ablaze with jewels, her skirts
rustling, her figure swaying suggestively. Some-
thing threatening, too; something sinister and
deadly —i
There was a rattle at the window, and I saw
Parks lifting one of the shutters into place. I
threw up the sash, and pressed the heavy bolts
carefully into their sockets, then closed the sash
and locked it. The two other windows were
secured in their turn, and with a last look about
the room, I turned out the lights. The ante-
room windows were soon shuttered in the same
way, and with a sigh of relief I told myself that
no entrance to the house could be had from that
direction. With Parks outside the only door, the
rooms ought to be safe from invasion.
Then, before extinguishing the lights, I ap-
proached that silent figure on the stretcher, lifted
the sheet and looked for the last time upon the


THE BOULE CABINET 97
face of my dead friend. It was no longer staring
and terrible, but calm and peaceful as in sleep —
almost smiling. With wet eyes and contracted
throat, I covered the face again, turned out the
lights, and left the room. Parks met me in the
hall, carrying a cot, which he placed close across
the doorway.
"There," he said; "nobody will get into that
room without my knowing it."
"No," I agreed; and then a sudden thought
occurred to me. "Parks," I said, "is it true
that there is a burglar-alarm on all the windows?"
"Yes, sir. It rings a bell in Mr. Vantine's bed-
room, and another in mine, and sends in a call
to the police."
"Is it working?"
"Yes, sir; Mr. Vantine himself tested it this
evening just before dinner."
"Then why didn't it work when I opened those
windows just now?" I demanded.
Parks laughed.
"Because I threw off the switch, sir," he ex-
plained, "when I came out to get the shutters.
The switch is in a little iron box on the wall just
back of the stairs, sir. It's one of my duties to
turn it on every night before I go to bed."


98
THE MYSTERY OF
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is it on again, now?”.
“ It certainly is, sir. After what you told me,
I'd not be likely to forget it."
“You'd better have a weapon handy, too,” I
suggested.
“I have a revolver, sir."
“That's good. And don't hesitate to use it.
I'm going home — I'm dead tired.”
“Shall I call a cab, sir?"
“No, the walk will do me good. I'll see you
to-morrow."
Parks helped me into my coat and opened the
door for me. Glancing back, after a moment, I
saw that he was standing on the steps gazing after
me. I could understand his reluctance to go back
into that death-haunted house; and I found my-
self breathing deeply with the relief of getting
out of it.


CHAPTER IX
GUESSES AT THE RIDDLE ·
The walk uptown did me good. The rain had
ceased, and the air felt clean and fresh as though
it had been washed. I took deep breaths of it,
and the feeling of fatigue and depression which
had weighed upon me gradually vanished. I was
in no hurry — went out of my way a little, indeed,
to walk out into Madison Square and look back
at the towering mass of the Flatiron building,
creamy and delicate as carved ivory under the rays
of the moon — and it was long past midnight
when I finally turned in at the Marathon. Hig-
gins, the janitor, was just closing the outer doors,
and he joined me in the elevator a moment later.
“There's a gentleman waiting to see you, sir,"
he said, as the car started upward. “Mr. God-
frey, sir. He came in about ten minutes ago.
He said you were expecting him, so I let him into
your rooms."
"That was right,” I said, and reflected again
upon Godfrey's exhaustless energy.


ioo THE MYSTERY OF
I found him lolling in an easy chair, and he
looked up with a smile at my entrance.
"Higgins said you hadn't come in yet," he ex-
plained, "so I thought I'd wait a few minutes
on the off chance that you mightn't be too tired
to talk. If you are, say so, and I'll be moving
along."
"I'm not too tired," I said, hanging up my coat.
"I feel a good deal better than I did an hour
ago."
"I saw that you were about all in."
"How do you keep it up, Godfrey? " I asked,
sitting down opposite him. "You don't seem
tired at all."
"I am tired, though," he said, "a little. But
I've got a fool brain that won't let my body go
to sleep so long as there is work to be done.
Then, as soon as everything is finished, the brain
lets go and the body sleeps like a log. Now I
knew I couldn't go to sleep properly to-night until
I had heard the very interesting theory you are
going to confide to me. Besides, I have a thing
or two to tell you."
"Go ahead," I said.
"We had a cable from our Paris office just
before I left. It seems that M. Theophile


THE BOULE CABINET 101
d'Aurelle plays the fiddle in the orchestra of the
Cafe de Paris. He played as usual to-night, so
that it is manifestly impossible that he should also
be lying in the New York morgue. Moreover,
none of his friends, so far as he knows, is in
America. No doubt he may be able to identify
the photograph of the dead man, and we've
already started one on the way, but we can't hear
from it for six or eight days. But my guess was
right — the fellow's name isn't d'Aurelle."
"You say you have a photograph?"
"Yes, I had some taken of the body this after-
noon. Here's one of them. Keep it; you may
have a use for it."
I took the card, and, as I gazed at the face de-
picted upon it, I realised that the distorted coun-
tenance I had seen in the afternoon had given
me no idea of the man's appearance. Now the
eyes were closed and the features composed and
peaceful, but even death failed to give them any
dignity. It was a weak and dissipated face, the
face of a hanger-on of cafes, as Parks had said
— of a loiterer along the boulevards, of a man
without ambition, and capable of any depth of
meanness and deceit. At least, that is how I
read it. {ZA


io4 THE MYSTERY OF
And I told him in detail the story of the Boule
cabinet; I repeated Vantine's theory of its first
ownership; I named the price which he was ready
to pay for it; I described the difference between
an original and a counterpart, and dwelt upon
Vantine's assertion that this was an original of
unique and unquestionable artistry. Long before
I had finished, Godfrey was out of his chair and
pacing up and down the room, his face flushed, his
eyes glowing.
"Beautiful! " he murmured from time to time.
"Immense! What a case it will make, Lester!"
he cried, stopping before my chair and beaming
down upon me, as I finished the story. "Unique,
too; that's the beauty of it! As unique as this
adorable Boule cabinet!"
"Then you see it, too?" I questioned, a little
disappointed that my theory should seem so evi-
dent.
"See it? " and he dropped into his chair again.
"A man would be blind not to see it. But all
the same, Lester, I give you credit for putting
the facts together. So many of us — Grady, for
instance! — aren't able to do that, or to see which
facts are essential and which are negligible. Now
the fact that Vantine had accidentally come into


THE BOULE CABINET
105
possession of a Boule cabinet would probably seem
negligible to Grady, whereas it is the one big es-
sential fact in this whole case. And it was you
who saw it."
"You saw it, too," I pointed out, "as soon as
I mentioned it."
"Yes; but you mentioned it in a way which
made its importance manifest. I couldn't help
seeing it. And I believe that we have both ar-
rived at practically the same conclusions. Here
they are," and he checked them off on his fingers.
"The cabinet contains a secret drawer. This is
inevitable, if it really belonged to Madame de
Montespan. Any cabinet made for her would be
certain to have a secret drawer — she would re-
quire it, just as she would require lace on her
underwear or jewelled buttons on her gloves.
That drawer, since it was, perhaps, to contain such
priceless documents as the love letters of a king
— even more so, if the love letters were from
another man! — must be adequately guarded, and
therefore a mechanism was devised to stab the
person attempting to open it and to inject into the
wound a poison so powerful as to cause instant
death. Am I right so far?"
"Wonderfully right," I nodded. "I had not


io6 THE MYSTERY OF
put it so clearly, even to myself. Go ahead."
"We come to the conclusion, then," continued
Godfrey, "that the business of this unknown
Frenchman with Vantine in some way concerned
this cabinet."
"Vantine himself thought so," I broke in.
"He told me afterwards that it was because he
thought so he consented to see him."
"Good! That would seem to indicate that we
are on the right track. The Frenchman's busi-
ness, then, had something to do with this cabinet,
and with this secret drawer. Left to himself, he
discovered the cabinet in the room adjoining the
ante-room, attempted to open the drawer, and was
killed."
"Yes," I agreed; "and now how about Van-
tine?"
"Vantine's death isn't so simply explained.
Presumably the unknown woman also called on
business relating to the cabinet. She, also, wanted
to open the secret drawer, in order to secure its
contents — that seems fairly certain from her con-
nection with the first caller."
"You still think it was her photograph he car-
ried in his watch?"
"I am sure of it. But how did it happen that


THE BOULE CABINET 107
it was Vantine who was killed? Did the woman,
warned by the fate of the man, deliberately set
Vantine to open the drawer in order that she might
run no risk? Or was she also ignorant of the
mechanism? Above all, did she succeed in get-
ting away with the contents of the drawer?"
"What was the contents of the drawer?" I
demanded.
"Ah, if we only knew!"
"Perhaps the woman had nothing to do with
it . Vantine himself told me that he was going
to make a careful examination of the cabinet.
No doubt that is exactly what he was doing when
the woman's arrival interrupted him. He might
have let her out of the house himself, and then,
returning to the cabinet, stumbled upon the secret
drawer after she had gone."
"Yes; that is quite possible, too. At any rate,
you agree with me that both men were killed in
some such way as I have described?"
"Absolutely. I think there can be no doubt of
it."
"There are objections — and rather weighty
ones. The theory explains the two deaths, it ex-
plains the similarity of the wounds, it explains
how both should be on the right hand just above


io8 THE MYSTERY OF
the knuckles, it explains why both bodies were
found in the same place since both men started to
summon help. But, in the first place, if the
Frenchman got the drawer open, who closed it?"
"Perhaps it closed itself when he let go of it."
"And closed again after Vantine opened it?"
"Yes." .
"It would take a very clever mechanism to do
that."
"But at least it's possible." i
"Oh, yes; it's possible. And ^pmust remem-
ber that the poisoners of those days were very
ingenious. That was the heydey of La Voisin
and the Marquise de Brinvilliers, of Elixi, and
heaven knows how many other experts who had
followed Catherine de Medici to France. So
that's all quite possible. But there is one thing
that isn't possible, and that is that a poison which,
if it is administered as we think it is, must be a
liquid, could remain in that cabinet fresh and
ready for use for more than three hundred years.
It would have dried up centuries ago. Nor would
the mechanism stay in order so long. It must be
both complicated and delicate. Therefore # it
would have to be oiled and overhauled from time
to time. If it is worked by a spring — and I


THE BOULE CABINET 109
don't see how else it can be worked — the spring
would have to be renewed and wound up."
“Well?" I asked, as he paused.
“Well, it is evident that the drawer contains
something more recent than the love letters of
Louis Fourteenth. It must have been put in
working order quite recently. But by whom and
for what purpose ? That is the mystery we have
to solve — and it is a mighty pretty one. And
here's another objection," he added. “That
* Frenchman knew abøut the secret drawer, because,
according to our theory, he opened it and got
killed. Why didn't he also know about the
poison?”
That was an objection, truly, and the more I
thought of it, the more serious it seemed.
“ It may be,” said Godfrey, at last, " that d'Au-
relle was going it alone — that he had broken
with the gang —"
“ The gang?”
“Of course there is a gang. This thing has
taken careful planning and concerted effort. And
the leader of the gang is a genius! I wonder if
you understand how great a genius? Think: he
knows the secret of the drawer of Madame de
Montespan's cabinet; but above all he knows the


no THE MYSTERY OF
secret of the poison — the poison of the Medici!
Do you know what that means, Lester?"
"What does it mean?" I asked, for Godfrey
was getting ahead of me.
"It means he is a great criminal — a really
great criminal — one of the elect from whom
crime has no secrets. Observe. He alone knows
the secret of the poison; one of his men breaks
away from him, and pays for his mutiny with his
life. He is the brain; the others are merely thP
instruments!"
"Then you don't believe it was by accident that
cabinet was sent to Vantine?"
"By accident? Not for an instant! It was
part of a plot — and a splendid plot!"
"Can you explain that to me, too? " I queried,
a little ironically, for I confess it seemed to me
that Godfrey was permitting his imagination to
run away with him.
He smiled good-naturedly at my tone.
"Of course, this is all mere romancing," he ad-
mitted. "I am the first to acknowledge that. I
was merely following out our theory to what
seemed its logical conclusion. But perhaps we
are on the wrong track altogether. Perhaps
d'Aurelle, or whatever his name is, just blundered


THE BOULE CABINET in
in, like a moth into a candle-flame. 'As for the
plot — well, I can only guess at it. But suppose
you and I had pulled off some big rob-
bery—"
He stopped suddenly, and his face went white
and then red.
"What is it, Godfrey?" I cried, for his look
frightened me.
He lay back in his chair, his hands pressed over
his eyes. I could see how they were trembling —
how his whole body was trembling.
"Wait! "he said, hoarsely. "Wait!" Then
he sat upright, his face tense with anxiety.
"Lester!" he cried, his voice shrill with fear.
"The cabinet — it isn't guarded!"
"Yes, it is," I said. "At least I thought of
that!"
And I told him of the precautions I had taken
to keep it safe. He heard me out with a sigh of
relief.
"That's better," he said. "Parks wouldn't
stand much show, I'm afraid, if worst came to
worst; but I think the cabinet is safe — for to-
night. And before another night, Lester, we will
have a look for ourselves."
"A look?"


ii2 THE MYSTERY OF
"Yes; for the secret drawer!"
I stared at him fascinated, shrinking.
"And we shall find it!" he added.
"D'Aurelle and Vantine found it," I muttered
thickly.
"Well?"
"And they're both dead!"
"It won't kill us. We will go about it ar-
moured, Lester. That poisoned fang may
strike —"
"Don't!" I cried, and cowered back into my
chair. "I — I can't do it, Godfrey. God
knows, I'm no coward — but not that!"
"You shall watch me do itl " he said.
"That would be even worse!"
"But I'll be ready, Lester. There will be no
danger. Come, man! Why, it's the chance of
a lifetime — to rifle the secret drawer of Madame
de Montespan! Yes!" he added, his eyes
glowing, "and to match ourselves against the
greatest criminal of modern times!"
His shrill laugh told how excited he was.
"And do you know what we shall find in that
drawer, Lester? But no — it is only a guess —
the wildest sort of a guess — but if it is right —
if it is right!"


THE BOULE CABINET
113
He sprang from his chair, biting his lips, his
whole frame quivering. But he was calmer in a
moment.
“Anyway, you will help me, Lester? You will
come?"
There was a wizardry in his manner not to be
resisted. Besides — to rifle the secret drawer of
Madame de Montespan! To match oneself
against the greatest criminal of modern times !
What an adventure!
“Yes," I answered, with a quick intaking of
the breath; "I'll come!”
He clapped me on the shoulder, his face beam-
ing.
“I knew you would! To-morrow night, then
- I'll call for you here at seven o'clock. We'll
have dinner together — and then, hey for the
great secret! Agreed?”.
“Agreed!” I said.
He caught up coat and hat and started for the
door.
“There are things to do," he said; "that
armour to prepare — the plan of campaign to
consider, you know. Good-night, then, till —
this evening!”
The door closed behind him, and his footsteps


114
THE MYSTERY OF
died away down the hall. I looked at my watch
it was nearly two o'clock.
Dizzily I went to bed. But my sleep was
broken by a fearful dream — a dream of a ser-
pent, with blazing eyes and dripping fangs, poised
to strike!


CHAPTER X
PREPARATIONS
My first thought, when I awoke next morning, was
for Parks, for Godfrey's manner had impressed
me with the feeling that Parks was in much more
serious danger than either he or I suspected.
Tt was with a lively sense of relief, therefore,
lat I heard Parks's voice answer my call on the
'phone.
"This is Mr. Lester," I said. "Is everything
all right?"
"Everything serene, sir," he answered. "It
would take a mighty smooth burglar to get in here
now, sir."
"How Is that?" I asked.
"Reporters are camped all around the house,
sir. They seem to think somebody else will be
killed here to-day."
He laughed as he spoke the words, but I was
far from thinking the idea an amusing one.
"I hope not," I said, quickly. "And don't let
any of the reporters in, nor talk to them. Tell
them they must go to the police for their informa-
nts


n6 THE MYSTERY OF
tion. If they get too annoying, let me know, and
I'll have an officer sent around."
"Very good, sir."
"And, Parks."
"Yes, sir?"
"Don't let anybody in the house — no matter
what he wapts — unless Mr. Grady or Mr. Sim-
monds or Mr. Goldberger accompanies him.
Don't let anybody in you don't know. If there is
any trouble, call me up. I want you to be care-
ful about this."
"I understand, sir."
"How is Rogers? " I asked.
"Much better, sir. He wanted to get up, but I .
told him he might as well stay in bed, and I'd ,
look after things. I thought that was the best
place for him, sir."
"It is," I agreed. "Keep him there as long
as you can. I'll come in during the day, if pos-
sible; in any event, Mr. Godfrey and I will be
there this evening. Call me at the office, if you
need me for anything."
"Very good, sir," said Parks again, and I hung
up.
I glanced through Godfrey's account of the
affair while I ate my breakfast, and noted with


THE BOULE CABINET 117
amusement the sly digs taken at Commissioner
Grady. Under the photograph of the unknown
woman was the legend:
MR. VANTINE'S MYSTERIOUS CALLER
(Grady Please Notice)
And it was intimated that when Grady wanted
any real information about an especially puzzling
case, he had to go to the Record to get it.
This, however, was merely by the way, for the
story of the double tragedy, fully illustrated, was
flung across many columns, and was plainly con-
sidered the great news feature of the day.
I glanced at two or three other papers on my
way downtown. All of them featured the tragedy
with a riot of pictures — pictures of d'Aurelle
and Vantine, of Grady (very large), of Sim-
monds, of Goldberger, of Freylinghuisen, of the
Vantine house, diagrams of the ante-room show-
ing the position in which the bodies were found,
anatomical charts showing the exact nature of the
wounds, pictures of the noted poisoners of history
with a highly-coloured list of their achievements
'— but, when it came to the story of the tragedy
itself, their accounts were far less detailed and
intimate than that in the Record.


THE BOULE CABINET 119
as to various details, and Vantine's nearest rel-
ative, a third or fourth cousin, wired from some-
where in the west that he was starting for New
York at once. And then, toward the middle of
the afternoon, came the cablegram from Paris
which I had almost forgotten to expect:
"Royce & Lester, New York.
"Regret mistake in shipment exceedingly. Our repre-
sentative will call to explain.
"Armand et Fils."
So there was an end of the romance Godfrey
had woven, and which I had been almost ready
to believe — the romance of design, of a carefully-
laid plot, and all that. It had been merely ac-
cident, after all. And I smiled a little sarcastic-
ally at myself for my credulity. No doubt my
own romance of a secret drawer and a poisoned
mechanism would prove equally fabulous. In my
over-wrought state of the night before, it had
seemed reasonable enough; but here, in the cold
light of day, it seemed preposterous. How Grady
and Goldberger would have laughed at itl
I put the whole thing impatiently away from
me, and turned to other work; but I found I


122 THE MYSTERY OF
nise his photograph. There were three boats
he might have come on — the Adriatic and Cecelie
from Cherbourg, and La Touraine from Havre.
There is nothing else that I know of," he added
thoughtfully, "except that Freylinghuisen thinks
he has discovered the nature of the poison. He
says it is some very powerful variant of prussic
acid."
"Yes," I said, "I heard him say something
of the sort last night."
"I had a talk with him this afternoon about it,
and he was quite learned," Godfrey went on.
"This is a great chance for him to get before the
public, and he's making the most of it. I gathered
from what he said that ordinary prussic acid,
which is deadly enough, heaven knows, contains
only two per cent, of the poison; while the strong-
est solution yet obtained contains only four per
cent. Freylinghuisen says that whoever con-
cocted this particular poison has evidently dis-
covered a new way of doing it — or re-discovered
an old way — so that it is at least fifty per cent,
effective. In other words, if you can get a frac-
tion of a drop of it in a man's blood, you kill him
by paralysis quicker than if you put a bullet
through his heart."


THE BOULE CABINET 123
"Nothing can save a man, then? " I questioned.
"Nothing on earth. Oh, I don't say that if
somebody had an axe handy and chopped your
arm off at the shoulder an instant after you were
struck on the hand, you mightn't have a chance to
live; but it would take mighty quick work, and
even then, it would be nip and tuck. Freyling-
huisen thinks it is a new discovery. I don't. I
think some one has dug up one of the old Medici
formulae. Maybe it was placed in the secret
drawer, so that there would never be any lack of
ammunition for the mechanism."
"Godfrey," I said, " are you still bent on fool-
ing with that thing?"
"More than ever; I'm going to find that secret
drawer. And if the fangs strike — well, I'm
ready for them. See here what I had made to-
day."
He drew from his pocket something that looked
like a steel gauntlet, such as one sees on suits of
old armour. He slipped it over his right hand.
"You see it covers the back of the hand com-
pletely," he said, "half way down the first joint
of the fingers. It is made of the toughest steel
and would turn a bullet. And do you see how it
is depressed in the middle, Lester?"


124 THE MYSTERY OF
"Yes," I said, " I was wondering why you had
it made in that shape."
"I want to get a sample of that poison. My
theory is that when the fangs strike the hand,
the shock drives out a drop or two of the poison.
I don't want those drops to get away; I want them
to roll into this depression, and I shall very care-
fully bottle them. Think what they are, Lester —
the poison of the Medici!"
I sat for a moment looking at him, half in
amusement, half in sorrow. It seemed a pity
that his theory must come tumbling down, it was
so picturesque, and he was so interested and en-
thusiastic over it. And it would make such a
good story! He caught my glance, and put the
gauntlet back into his pocket.
"Well, what is it?" he asked quietly.
For answer, I got out the cablegram and
passed it across to him. He read it with brows
contracted.
"That seems to put a puncture in our little
romance, doesn't it?" I asked, at last.
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, it does," and he read the message again,
word by word. "Armand's man hasn't called
yet?"


THE BOULE CABINET 125
"No, I didn't get the message till about
three o'clock. I suppose he'll be around to-mor-
row."
"You will have to turn the cabinet over to
him, of course?"
"Why, yes, it belongs to him. At least, it
doesn't belong to Vantine."
He slipped the message into its envelope and
handed it back to me. I could see that he was
perplexed and upset.
"Well, in spite of this," he said finally, "I
am still interested in that cabinet, Lester, and I
wish you would keep possession of it as long as
you can. At least, I wouldn't give it up until he
delivered to you the other cabinet which Vantine
really bought."
"Oh, I'll make him do that," I agreed quickly.
"That will no doubt take a few days — longer
than that if Vantine's cabinet is in Paris."
Godfrey raised a finger to the waiter, asked for
the check, and paid it.
"And now let us go down and have a look at
this one," he said, "as we intended doing.
You will think me foolish, Lester, but even that
cablegram hasn't shaken my belief in the existence
of that secret drawer."


126 THE MYSTERY OF
"And all the rest?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered slowly, " and all the rest."
He said nothing more until we stopped before
the Vantine house, but I could see, from his puck-
ered brows, how desperately he was trying to
untangle this quirk in the" mystery.
"The siege seems to have been lifted," I re-
marked, as we alighted.
"The siege?"
"Parks telephoned me that your esteemed con-
temporaries had the place surrounded. I told
him to hold the fort!"
"Poor boys!" he commented, smiling. "To
think that all they know is what Grady is able to
tell them!" Then he stopped before the house
and made a careful survey of it.
"Which room is the cabinet in? " he asked.
"The ante-room is there at the left where those
two shuttered windows are. The cabinet is in
the corner room — there is one window on this
side and two on the other."
"Wait till I take a look at them," he said,
and, vaulting the low railing, he walked quickly
along the front of the house and around the cor-
ner. He was gone only a minute. "They're all
right," he said, in a tone of relief.


THE BOULE CABINET 127
"Of course they're all right. You didn't sup-
pose —"
"If that cabinet contains what I thought it did,
Lester — yes," he added, a little savagely, as he
saw my look, " and what I still think it does — it
wouldn't be safe in the strongest vault of the
National City Bank," and he motioned for me to
ring the bell.
I did so, in silence.
Parks answered it almost instantly, and I could
tell from the way his face changed how glad he
was to see me.
"Well, Parks," I said, as we stepped inside,
"everything is all right, I hope?"
"Yes, sir," he answered. "But — but it gets
on the nerves a little, sir."
I heard a movement behind me, as I gave Parks
my coat, and turned to see Rogers sitting on the
cot.
"Hello," I said, " so you're able to be up, are
you?"
"Yes, sir," he answered, without looking at
me. "I thought I'd come down and keep Parks
company."
Parks smiled a little sheepishly.
"I asked him to, Mr. Lester," he said. "I


- i28 THE MYSTERY OF
got so lonesome and jumpy here by myself that I
just had to have somebody to talk to. Especially,
after the burglar-alarm rang."
"The burglar-alarm?" repeated Godfrey
quickly. "What do you mean?"
"We've got a burglar-alarm on the windows,
sir. It's usually turned off in the day-time, but
I thought I'd better leave it on to-day, and it rang
about the middle of the afternoon. I thought at
first that one of the other servants had raised a
window, but none of them had. Something went
wrong with it, I guess."
"Did you take a look at the windows?" I
asked.
"Yes, sir; a policeman came to see what was
the matter and we went around and examined the
windows, but they were all locked. It made me
feel kind of scary for a while."
"Does the alarm work now?"
"No, sir; the policeman said there must be
a short circuit somewhere, and that he'd notify
the people who put it in; but nobody has come
around yet to fix it."
"We'd better take a look at the windows, our-
selves," said Godfrey. "You stay here, Parks.
We can find them, all right; and I don't want


THE BOULE CABINET 129
you to leave that door unguarded for a single in-
stant."
We went from window to window, and Godfrey
examined each of them with a minuteness that as-
tonished me, for I had no idea what he expected to
find. But we completed the circuit of the ground
floor without his apparently discovering anything
out of the way.
"Let's take a look at the basement," he said,
and led the way downstairs with a readiness which
told me that he had been over the house before.
In the kitchen, we came upon the cook and
housemaid sitting close together and talking in
frightened whispers. They watched us apprehen-
sively, and I stopped to reassure them, while God-
frey proceeded with his search. Then I heard
him calling me.
I found him in a kind of lumber-room, stand-
ing before its single small window, his electric
torch in his hand.
"Look there," he said, his voice quivering with
excitement, and threw a circle of light on the jamb
of the window at the spot where the upper and
lower sashes met.
"What is it?" I asked, after a moment. "I
don't see anything wrong."


130 THE MYSTERY OF
"You don't? You don't see that this house
was to be entered to-night? Then what does
this mean?"
With his finger-nail, he turned up the end of
a small insulated wire. And then I saw that the
wire had been cut.


CHAPTER XI
THE BURNING EYES
For an instant, I did not grasp the full signifi-
cance of that severed wire. Then I understood.
"Yes," said Godfrey drily, "that romance of
mine is looking up again. Somebody was pre-
paring for a quiet invasion of the house to-night
— somebody, of course, interested in that cabinet."
"He wasn't losing any time," I ventured.
"He knew he hadn't any to lose. When you
put those wooden shutters up, you warned him
that you suspected his game. He knew, if the
alarm was on, it would ring when he cut the wire,
but he also knew that the chances were a hundred
to one against the cut being discovered, or the
alarm put in working order, before to-morrow."
"Why can't we ambush him?" I suggested.
"We might try, but it will be a mighty risky
undertaking, Lester."
"One risky undertaking is enough for to-
night," I said, with a sigh, for my belief in the ex-
istence of the secret drawer and the poison and
all the rest of it had come back with a rush. I
131


132 THE MYSTERY OF
felt almost apologetic toward Godfrey for ever
doubting him. "We'd better wait and see if we
survive the first one before we arrange for any
more."
"All right," Godfrey laughed. "But I'll fix
this break."
He got out his pen-knife, loosened two or three
of the staples which held the wire in place, drew
it out, scraped back the insulation, and twisted
the ends tightly together.
"There," he added, "that's done. If the in-
vader tampers with the window again, he will
set off the alarm. But I don't believe he'll touch
it. I fancy he already knows his little game is
discovered."
"How would he know it?" I demanded, in-
credulously.
"If he is keeping an eye on this window, as
he naturally would do, he has seen my light. Per-
haps he is watching us now."
I glanced at the dark square of the window with
a little shiver. This business was getting on my
nerves again. But Godfrey turned away with a
shrug of the shoulders.
"Now for the cabinet," he said, and led the
way back up-stairs.


134 THE MYSTERY OF
in it and moved him over to the drawing-room
this afternoon, sir."
"I'm glad of that. I want all the lights lit,
Parks, just as they were last night."
Parks reached inside the door and switched on
the electrics. Then he went away, came back in
a moment with a taper, and proceeded to light
the gas-lights. A moment later, the lights in the
inner room were also blazing.
"There you are, sir," said Parks, and retreated
to the door. "Will you need me?"
"Not now. But wait in the hall outside. We
may need you." I had a notion to tell him to have
an axe handy, but I saw Godfrey smiling.
"Very good, sir," said Parks, evidently re-
lieved, and went out and closed the door.
I led the way into the inner room.
"Well, there it is," I said, and nodded toward
the Boule cabinet, standing in the full glare of
the light, every inlay and incrustation glittering
like the eyes of a basilisk. "It isn't too late to
give it up, Godfrey."
"Oh, yes, it is," he said, coolly, removing his
coat. "It was too late the moment you told me
that story. * Why, Lester, if I gave it up, I should
never sleep again!"


THE BOULE CABINET 135
"And if you don't, you may never wake again,"
I pointed out.
He laughed lightly.
"What a dismal prophet you are! Draw up a
chair and watch me."
He pulled back his shirt-sleeves, and placed
his electric torch on the floor beside the cabinet.
Then he paused with folded arms to contemplate
this masterpiece of M. Boule.
"It is a beauty," he said, at last, and then drew
out the little drawers, one after another, looked
them over, and placed them carefully on a chair.
"Now," he added, "let us see if there is any
space that isn't accounted for."
He took from his pocket a folding rule of ivory,
opened it, and began a series of measurements
so searching and intricate that half an hour
passed without a word being spoken. Then he
pulled up another chair, and sat down beside me.
"I seem to be pretty much up against it," he
said, " no doubt just as the designer of the cabinet
would wish me to be. The whole bottom of the
desk is inclosed, and those three little drawers
take up only a small part of the space. Then the
back of the cabinet seems to be double — at least,
there's a space of three inches I can't account for.


136 THE MYSTERY OF
So there's room for a dozen secret drawers, if
the Montespan required so many. And now to
find the combination."
He adjusted the steel gauntlet carefully to his
right hand and sat down on the floor before the
cabinet.
"I'll begin at the bottom," he said. "If there
is any spot I miss, tell me of it."
He ran his fingers up and down the graceful
legs, carefully feeling every inequality of the
elaborate bronze ornamentation. Particularly did
his fingers linger on every boss and point, striving
to push it in or move it up or down; but they were
all immovable. Then he examined the bottom
of the table minutely, using his torch to illumine
every crevice; but again without result.
Another half hour passed so, and when at last
he came out from under the table, his face was
dripping with sweat.
"It's trying work," he said, sitting down again
and mopping his face. "But isn't it a beauty,
Lester? The more I look at it, the more wonder-
ful it seems."
"I told Philip Vantine I wasn't up to it, and
I'm not," I said.
"Nor I, but I can appreciate it to the extent


138 THE MYSTERY OF
watched him with breathless interest. Once I
thought he had found the drawer, for a piece of
inlay at the side of the table seemed to give a
little under the pressure of his fingers; but no
hidden spring was touched; no drawer sprang
open; no poisoned fangs descended.
"Well," said Godfrey, sitting back in his chair
at last, and wiping his face again, "there's so
much done. If there is any secret drawer
in the lower part of the cabinet, it is mighty
cleverly concealed. Now we'll try the upper
part."
The upper part of the cabinet consisted of a
series of drawers, rising one above the other, and
terminated by a triangular pediment, its tym-
panum ornamented with some beautiful little
bronzes. The drawers themselves were concealed
by two doors, opening in the centre, and covered
with a most intricate design of arabesqued in-
crustations.
"If there is a secret drawer here," said God-
frey, "it is somewhere in the back, where there
seems to be a hollow space. But to discover the
combination . . ."
He ran his fingers over the inlay, and then,
struck by a sudden thought, tested each of the


THE BOULE CABINET 139
little figures along the tympanum, but they were
all set solidly in place.
"There's one thing sure," he said, "the com-
bination, whatever it is, is of such a nature that
it could not be discovered accidentally — by a
person leaning on the cabinet, for instance. It
isn't a question of merely touching a spring; it is
probably a question of releasing a series of levers,
which must be worked in a certain order, or the
drawer won't open. I'm afraid we are up against
it."
"I can't pretend I'm sorry," I said, with a sigh
of relief. "As far as I am concerned, I'm per-
fectly willing that the drawer should go undis-
covered."
"Well, I am not!" retorted Godfrey, curtly,
and he sat regarding the cabinet with puckered
brows. Then he rose and began tapping at the
back.
I don't know what it was — for I was con-
scious of no noise — but some mysterious attrac-
tion drew my eyes to the window at the farther
side of the room. Near the top of the wooden
shutter, which Parks and I had put in place, was
a small semi-circular opening, to allow the passage
of a little light, perhaps, and peering through this


i4o THE MYSTERY OF
opening were two eyes — two burning eyes . . .
They were fixed upon Godfrey with such fever-
ish intentness that they did not see my glance, and
I lowered my head instantly.
"Godfrey," I said, in a shaking voice, "don't
look up; don't move your head; but there is some
one peering through the hole in the shutter op-
posite us."
Godfrey did not answer for quite a minute, but
kept calmly on with his examination of the cabi-
net.
"Did he see you look at him?" he asked, at
last.
"No, he was looking at you, with h]s eyes al-
most starting out of his head. I never saw such
eyes!"
"Did you see anything of his face?"
"No, the hole is too small. I fancy I saw the
fingers of one hand, which he had thrust through
to steady himself."
"How high is the hole?"
"Near the top of the window."
Godfrey came back to his chair a moment later,
sat down in it, and passed his handkerchief slowly
over his face. Then he leaned forward, appar-
ently to examine the legs of the cabinet.


THE BOULE CABINET 141
"I saw him," he said. "Or, rather, I saw his
eyes. Rather fierce, aren't they?"
"They're a tiger's eyes," I said, with convic-
tion.
"Well, there is no use going ahead with this
while he is out there. Even if we found the
drawer, we'd both je dead an instant later."
"You mean he'd kill us?"
"He would shoot us instantly. Imagine what
a sensation that would make, Lester. Parks
hears two pistol shots, rushes in and finds us ly-
ing here dead. Grady would have a convulsion
— and we should both be famous for a few days."
"I'll seek fame in some other way," I said
drily. "What are you going to do about it?"
"We've got to try to capture him; and if we
do — well, we shall have the fame all right! But
it's a good deal like trying to pick up a scorpion —
we're pretty sure to get hurt. If that fellow out
there is who I think he is, he's about the most
dangerous man on earth."
He went on tapping the surface of the cabinet.
As for me, I would have given anything for
another look at those gleaming eyes. They
seemed to be burning into me; hot flashes were
shooting up and down my back.


142 THE MYSTERY OF
"Why can't I go out as though I were going
after something," I suggested. "Then Parks
and I could charge around the corner and get
him."
"You wouldn't get him, he'd get you. You
wouldn't have a chance on earth. If there is a
window upstairs over that one, you might drop
something out on him, or borrow Parks's pistol
and shoot him—"
"That would be pretty cowardly, wouldn't it?"
I suggested, mildly.
"My dear Lester," Godfrey protested, "when
you attack a poisonous snake, you don't do it
with bare hands, do you?"
I couldn't help it — I glanced again at the
window . . .
"He's gone!" I cried.
Godfrey was at the window in two steps.
"Look at that! " he said, "and then tell me
he isn't a genius!"
I followed the direction of his pointing finger
and saw that, just opposite the opening in the
shutter, a little hole had been cut in the window-
pane.
"That fellow foresees everything," said God-
frey, with enthusiasm. "He probably cut that


THE BOULE CABINET 143
hole as soon as it was dark. He must have
guessed we were going to examine the cabinet to-
night — and he wanted not only to see, but to
hear. He heard everything we said, Lester!”
“Let's go after him!” I cried, and, without
waiting for an answer, I sprang across the ante-
room and snatched open the door which led into
the hall.
Parks and Rogers were sitting on the couch just
outside and I never saw two men more thoroughly
frightened.
“For God's sake, Mr. Lester!” gasped
Rogers, and stopped, his hand at his throat.
“ Is it Mr. Godfrey ? " cried Parks.
“There's a man outside. Got your pistol,
Parks?”
“Yes, sir," and he took it from his pocket.
I snatched it from him, opened the front door,
leaped the railing, and stole along the house to
the corner.
Then, taking my courage in both hands, I
charged around it.
There was no one in sight; but from some-
where near at hand came a burst of mocking
laughter.


CHAPTER XII
GODFREY IS FRIGHTENED
I WAS still staring about me, that mocking laughter
in my ears, when Godfrey joined me.
"He got away, of course," he said coolly.
"Yes, and I heard him laugh!" I cried.
Godfrey looked at me quickly.
"Come, Lester," he said, soothingly, "don't
let your nerves run away with you."
"It wasn't my nerves," I protested, a little
hotly. "I heard it quite plainly. He can't be
far away."
"Too far for us to catch him," Godfrey re-
torted, and, torch in hand, proceeded to examine
the window-sill and the ground beneath it.
"There is where he stood," he added, and the
marks on the sill were evident enough. "Of
course he had his line of retreat blocked out,"
and he flashed his torch back and forth across the
grass, but the turf was so close that no trace of
footsteps was visible.
We went slowly back to the house, and God-
144


THE BOULE CABINET 145
frey sat down again to a contemplation of the
cabinet.
"It's too much for me," he said, at last.
"The only way I can find that drawer, I'm afraid,
is with an axe. But I don't want to smash the
thing to pieces—"
"I should say not! It would be like smashing
the Venus de Milo."
"Hardly so bad as that. But we won't smash
it yet awhile. I'm going to look up the subject
of secret drawers — perhaps I'll stumble upon
something that will help me."
"And then, of course," I said, disconsolately,
"it is quite possible that there isn't any such
drawer at all."
But Godfrey shook his head decidedly.
"I don't agree with you there, Lester. I'll
wager that fellow who was looking in at us could
find it in a minute."
"He seemed mighty frightened lest you
should."
"He had reason to be," Godfrey rejoined
grimly. "I'll have another try at it to-morrow.
One thing we've got to take care of, and that is
that our friend of the burning eyes doesn't get
a chance at it first."


i48 THE MYSTERY OF
finally. "I don't want to run any risk of failing."
We went out into the hall together, and I told
Parks to admit Godfrey, whenever he wished to
enter. Rogers was still sitting on the cot, look-
ing so crushed and sorrowful that I could not help
pitying him. I began to think that, if he were
left to himself a day or two longer, he would
tell all we wished to know without any grilling.
I confided this idea to Godfrey as we went down
the front steps.
"Perhaps you're right," he agreed. "I don't
believe the fellow is really crooked. Something
has happened to him — something in connection
with that woman — and he has never got over it.
Well, we shall have to find out what it was.
Hello, here are Simmonds's men," he added, as
two policemen stopped before the house.
"Is this Mr. Godfrey?" one of them asked.
"Yes," said Godfrey.
"Mr. Simmonds told us to report to you, sir,
if you were here."
"What we want you to do," said Godfrey, "is
to watch the house — watch it from all sides —
patrol clear around it, and see that no one ap-
proaches it." ,
"Very well, sir," and the men touched their
/


THE BOULE CABINET 149
helm^di, and one of them went around to the
back, of the house, while the other remained in
front.
"Perhaps if they concealed themselves," I sug-
gested, "the fellow might venture back and be
nabbed."
But Godfrey shook his head.
"I don't want him to venture back," he said.
"I want to scare him off. I want him to see
we're thoroughly on guard." He hailed a pass-
ing cab, and paused with one foot on the step.
"I've already told you, Lester," he added, over
his shoulder, "that I'm afraid of him. Perhaps
you thought I was joking, but I wasn't. I was
never more serious in my life. The Record of-
fice," he added to the cabby, and jingled away,
leaving me staring after him.
As I turned homeward, I could not but ponder
over this remarkable and mysterious being with
whom Godfrey was so impressed. Never before
had I known him to hesitate to match himself with
any adversary; but now, it seemed to me, he
shunned the contest, or at least feared it — feared
that he might be outwitted and outplayed! How
great a compliment that was to the mysterious un-
known only I could guess!


150 THE MYSTERY OF
SW
And then I shivered a little as I recalled that
mocking and ironic laughter. And I quickened
my step, with a glance over my shoulder; for if
Godfrey was afraid, how much more reason had
I to be! It was with a sense of relief, of which
I was a little ashamed, that I reached my apart.
ment at the Marathon and locked the ro r.
Just before I turned in for the night, i heard
from Godfrey again, for my telephone rang, and
it was his voice that answered.
"I just wanted to tell you, Lester,” he said,
" that your guess was right. The mysterious
Frenchman came over on La Touraine, landing
at noon yesterday. He came in the steerage, and
the stewards know nothing about him. What
time was it he got to Vantine's?” .
“ About two, I should say.”
“So he probably went directly there from the
boat, as you thought. That accounts for nobody
knowing him. The steamship company is hold-
ing a bag belonging to him. I'll get them to open
it tomorrow, and perhaps we shall find out who he
was."
“But, Godfrey," I broke in, “how about this
other fellow -- the man with the burning eyes?
He's getting on my nerves ! ”
ler


THE BOULE CABINET 151
"Don't let him do that, Lester!" he laughed.
"We're in no danger so long as we are not around
that cabinet! That's the storm centre! I can't
tell you more than that. Good-night!" and he
hung up without waiting for me to answer.


CHAPTER XIII
A DISTINGUISHED CALLER
It was shortly after I reached the office, next
morning, that the office-boy came in and handed
me a card with an awed and reverent air so at
variance with his usual demeanour that I glanced
at the square of pasteboard in some astonishment.
Then, I confess, an awed and reverent feeling
crept over me, also, for the ca.d bore the name of
Sereno Hornblower.
That name is quite unknown outside the* legal
profession of the three great cities of th* east,
New York, Boston and Philadelphia; for Sereno
Hornblower has never held a public office, has
never made a public speech, has never responded
to a toast, has never served on a public commit-
tee, has never, so far as I know, conducted a case
in-court or addressed a jury — has never, in a
word, figured in the newspapers in any way; and
yet his income would make that of any other law-
yer in the country look like thirty cents.
For Sereno Hornblower is the confidential at-
torney of most of our " best families." He has
15a


THE BOULE CABINET 153
held that position for years, and it is said that no
case placed unreservedly in his hands ever resulted
in a public scandal. He accepts clients with great
care; he has steadfastly refused the business of
Pittsburgh millionaires, remunerative as it was
certain to be; but he seems to take a sort of per-
sonal pride in keeping intact the reputations of the
old families, even when their scions embark in
the most outrageoua. escapades. If you are de-
scended from the Pilgrims or the Patroons, Mr.
Hornblower will a,sk no further recommendation.
His reputationry^r tact and delicacy is tremen-
dous; and yet those who have found themselves
opposed to him have never been long in realising
that there was a most redoubtable mailed fist un-
der the velvet glove. Altogether a remarkable
man, whose memoirs would make absorbing
reading, could he be persuaded to write them —
which is quite beyond the bounds of possibility.
I had never met him either professionally or per-
sonally, and it was with some eagerness that I told
the office-boy to show him in at once.
Sereno Hornblower did not look the part. His
reputation led one to expect a sort of cross between
Uriah Heep and Sherlock Holmes, but there was
nothing secretive or insinuating about his appear-


154 THE MYSTERY OF
ance. He was a bluff and hearty man of middle
age, rather heavy-set, fresh-faced and clean-
shaven, and with very bright blue eyes — evi-
dently a man with a good digestion and a comfort-
able conscience. Had I met him on Broadway,
I should have taken him for a ripe and finished
comedian. There was about him an air which
somehow reminded me of Joseph Jefferson — per-
haps it was his bright blue eyes. It may have
been this very appearance of bluff sincerity and
honest downrightness which accounted for his suc-
cess.
We shook hands, and he sat down and plunged
at once, without an instant's hesitation, into the
business which had brought him. Looking back
at it, understanding as I do now the delicate na-
ture of that business, I admire more and more that
bluff readiness; though the more I think of it, the
more I am convinced that he had thought out defi-
nitely beforehand precisely what he was going
to say. The man who can carry through a care-
fully premeditated scene with an air of complete
unpremeditation has an immense advantage.
"Mr. Lester," he began, "I understand that
you are the administrator of the estate of the
late Philip Vantine?"


THE BOULE CABINET 15$
"Our firm is," I corrected.
"But you, personally, have been attending to
this business?"
"Yes."
"He was a collector of old furniture, I be-
lieve?"
"Yes."
"And on his last trip to Europe, from which
he returned only a few days ago, he purchased of
Armand & Son, of Paris, a Boule cabinet?"
I could not repress a start of astonishment.
"Are you acting for Armarid & Son?" I
queried.
"Not at all. I am acting for a lady whom,
for the present, we will call Madame X."
The thought flashed through my mind that
Madame X. and the mysterious Frenchwoman
might be one and the same person. Then I put
aside the idea as absurd. Sereno Hornblower
would never accept such a client.
"Mr. Vantine did buy such a cabinet," I said.
"And it is in your possession?"
"There is at his residence a Boule cabinet which
was shipped him from Paris, but, only a few hours
before his death, Mr. Vantine assured me that
it was not the one he had purchased."


156 THE MYSTERY OF
"You mean that a mistake had been made in
the shipment?"
"That is what we supposed, and a cablegram
from Armand & Son has since confirmed it."
Mr. Hornblower pondered this for a moment.
"Where is the cabinet which Mr. Vantine did
buy?" he asked at last.
"I have no idea. Perhaps it is still in Paris.
But I am expecting a representative of the
Armands to call very soon to straighten things
out."
Again my companion fell silent, and sat rubbing
his chin absently.
"It is very strange," he said, finally. "If the
cabinet was still at Paris, one would think it would
have been discovered before my client made in-
quiry about it."
"There are a good many things which are
strange about this whole matter," I supplemented.
"Would you have any objection to my client
seeing this cabinet, Mr. Lester?"
It was my turn to hesitate.
"Mr. Hornblower," I said, finally, "I will be
frank with you. There is a certain mystery sur-
rounding this cabinet which we have not been able
to solve. I suppose you have read of the mysteri-
i
\
i
l
.


THE BOULE CABINET 157
ous deaths of Mr. iVantlne and of an unknown
Frenchman, both in the same room at the Vantlne
house, and both apparently from the same cause?"
He nodded.
"Do you mean that this cabinet is connected
with them in any way? " he asked quickly.
"We believe so; though as yet we have been
able to prove absolutely nothing. But we are
guarding the cabinet very closely. I should not
object to your client seeing it, but I could not per-
mit her to touch it — not, at least, without know-
ing why she wished to do so. You will remember
that you have told me nothing of why she is in-
terested in it."
"I am quite ready to tell you the story, Mr.
Lester," he said. "It is only fair that I should do
so. After you have heard it, if you agree, we will
take Madame X. to see the cabinet."
"Very well," I assented.
He settled back in his chair, and his face be-
came more grave.
"My client," he began, "is a member of a
prominent American family — a most prominent
family. Three years ago, she married a French
nobleman. You can, perhaps, guess her name, but
I should prefer that neither of us utter it."


158 THE MYSTERY OF
I nodded my agreement.
"This nobleman has been both prodigal and
unfaithful. He has scattered my client's fortune
with both hands. He has flaunted his mistresses
in her face. He has even tried to compel her to
receive one of them. I am free to confess that
I consider her a fool not to have left him long ago.
At last her trustees interfered, for her father had
been wise enough to place a portion of her fortune
in trust. They paid her husband's debts, placed
him on an allowance, and notified his creditors that
his debts would not be paid again."
I had by this time, of course, guessed the name
of his client, since these details had long been a
matter of public notoriety, and, I need hardly
say, listened to the story with a heightened inter-
est.
"The allowance is a princely one," Mr. Horn-
blower continued, "but it does not suffice Mon-
sieur X. No allowance would suffice him — the
more money he had, the more-ways he would find
of spending it. So he has become a thief. He
has taken to selling the objects of art with which
his residences are filled, and which are really the
property of my client, since they were purchased
with her money. About two weeks ago, my client


THE BOULE CABINET 159
returned to Paris from a stay at her chateau in
Normandy to find that he had almost denuded the
town house. Tapestries, pictures, sculptures —
everything had been sold. Among other things
which he had taken was a Boule cabinet, which had
been used by my client as her private writing-desk.
The cabinet was a most valuable one; but it is
not its monetary value which makes my client so
anxious to recover it.
He paused an instant and cleared his throat,
and I realised that he was coming to the really
delicate part of the story.
"Monsieur X. had had the decency," he went
on, more slowly, "to, as he thought, retain his
wife's private papers. He had caused the con-
tents of the various drawers to be dumped out
upon a chair. But there was one drawer of which
he knew nothing — a secret drawer, known only
to my client. That drawer contained a packet
of letters which my/cITerit is most anxious to re-
gain. Of their nature, I will say nothing — in-
deed, I know very little about them, for, after all,
that is none of my business. But she has given me
to understand that their recovery is essential to
her peace of mind."
I nodded again; there was really no need that


i6o THE MYSTERY OF
he should say more. Only, I reflected, a faith-
less husband has no reason to complain if his wife
repays him in the same coin!
"My client went to work at once to regain
the cabinet," continued Mr. Hornblower, plainly
relieved that the thinnest ice had been crossed.
"She found that it had been sold to Armand &
Son. Hastening to their offices, she learned that
it had been resold by them to Mr. Vantine and
sent forward to him here. So she came over on
the first boat, ostensibly to visitjiher family, but
really to ask Mr. Vantine's permission to open
the drawer and take out the letters. His death
interfered with this, and, in despair, she came
to me. I need hardly add, that no member of
her family knows anything about this matter, and
it is especially important that her husband should
never even suspect it. On her behalf, I apply to
you, as Mr. Vantine's executor, to restore these
letters to their owner."
I sat for a moment turning this extraordinary
story over in my mind, and trying to make it fit
in with the occurrences of the past two days.
But it would not fit — at least, it would not fit with
my theory as to the cause of those occurrences.
For, surely, Madame X. would scarcely guard the
secret of that drawer with poison!


THE BOULE CABINET 161
"Does any one besides your client know of the
existence of these letters?" I asked, at last.
"I think not," answered Mr. Hornblower,
smiling drily. "They are not of a nature which
my client would care to communicate to any one.
In fact, Mr. Lester, as you have doubtless sus-
pected, they are compromising letters. We must
get them back at any cost."
"As a matter of fact," I pointed out, "there
are always at least two people who know of the
existence of every letter — the person who writes
it and the person who receives it."
"I had thought of that, but the person who
wrote these letters is dead."
"Dead?" I repeated.
"He was killed in a duel some months ago,"
explained Mr. Hornblower, gravely.
"By Monsieur X.?" I asked quickly.
"By Monsieur X.," said Mr. Hornblower, and
sat regarding me, his lips pursed, as an indication,
perhaps, that he would say no more.
But there was no necessity that he should. I
knew enough of French law and of French habits
of thought to realise that if those letters ever
came into possession of Monsieur X., the game
would be entirely in his hands. His wife would
be absolutely at his mercy. And the thought


162 THE MYSTERY OF
flashed through my mind that perhaps in some way
he had learned of the existence of the letters, and
was trying desperately to get them. That thought
was enough to swing the balance in his wife's
favour.
"I am sure," I said, "that Mr. Vantine would
instantly have consented to your client opening
the drawer and taking out the letters. And, as
his executor, I also consent, for, whoever may
own the cabinet, the letters are the property of
Madame X. All this providing, of course, that
this should prove to be the right cabinet. But I
must warn you, Mr. Hornblower, that I believe
two men have already been killed trying to open
that drawer," and I told him, while he sat there
staring in profound amazement, of my theory in
regard to the death of Philip Vantine and of the
unknown Frenchman. "I am inclined to think,"
I concluded, "that Vantine blundered upon the
drawer while examining the cabinet; but there is
no doubt that the other man knew of the drawer,
and also, presumably, of its contents."
"Well!" exclaimed my companion. "I have
listened to many astonishing stories in my life,
but never one to equal this. And you know noth-
ing of this Frenchman?"


i64 THE MYSTERY OF
awaiting him at his office; at any rate, he called
me up inside the half hour.
"My client would like to see the cabinet at
once," he said. "She is in a very nervous condi-
tion; especially since she learned that some one
else has tried to open the drawer. When will it
be convenient for you to go with us?"
"I can go at once," I said.
"Then we will drive around for you. We
should be there in fifteen or twenty minutes."
"Very well," I said, "I'll be ready. I shall,
of course, want to take a witness with me."
"That is quite proper," assented Mr. Horn-
blower. "We can have no objection to that.
In twenty minutes, then."
I got the Record office as soon as I could, but
Godfrey was not there. He did not come on
usually, some one said, until the middle of the
afternoon. I rang his rooms, but there was no
reply. Finally I called up the Vantine house.
"Parks," I said, "I am bringing up some
people to look at that cabinet. It might be just
as well to get that cot out of the way and have
all the lights going?"
"The lights are already going, sir," he said.
"Already going? What do you mean?"


THE BOULE CABINET 165
"Mr. Godfrey has been here for quite a while,
sir, fooling with that cabinet thing."
44 He has!" and then I reflected that I ought
to have guessed his whereabouts. "Tell him,
Parks, that I am bringing some people up to see
the cabinet, and that I should like him to stay
there and be a witness of the proceedings."
"Very well, sir," assented Parks.
"Everything quiet?"
"Oh, yes, sir; there was two policemen outside
all night, and Rogers and me inside."
"Mr. Hornblower's carriage is below, sir," an-
nounced the office-boy, opening the door.
"All right," I said. "We are coming right
up, Parks. Good-bye," and I hung up and slipped
into my coat.
Then, as I took down my hat, a sudden thought
struck me.
If the unknown Frenchman was indeed an emis-
sary of Monsieur X., Madame might be ac-
quainted with him. It was a long shot, but worth
trying! I stepped to my desk, took out the photo-
graph which Godfrey had given me, and slipped
it into my pocket. Then I hurried out to the ele-
vator.


168 THE MYSTERY OF
"This Is my witness," I said to the former.
"Mr. Godfrey —Mr. Hornblower."
Godfrey bowed, and Hornblower regarded him.
with a good-humoured smile.
"If I were not sure of Mr. Godfrey's discre-
tion," he said, "I should object. But I have
tested it before this, and know that it can be re-
lied upon."
"There is only one person to whom I yield pre-
cedence in the matter of discretion," rejoined God-
frey, smiling back at him, " and that is Mr. Horn-
blower. He is in a class quite by himself."
"Thank you," said the lawyer, and bowed
gravely.
During this interchange of compliments, the
woman I had decided was the maid had sat down,
as though her legs were unable to sustain her, and
was nervously clasping and unclasping her hands;
even her mistress showed signs of impatience.
"The cabinet is in here," I said, and led the way
into the inner room, the two men and the veiled
lady at my heels.
It stood in the middle of the floor, just as it had
stood since the night of the tragedy, and all the
lights were going. As I entered, I noticed God-
frey's gauntlet lying on a chair.


THE BOULE CABINET 169
"Is it the right one, madame?" I asked.
She gazed at it a moment, her'hands pressed
against her breast.
"Yes!" she answered, with a gasp that was al-
most a sob.
I confess I was astonished. I had never
thought it could be the right one; even now I did
not see how it could possibly be the right one.
"You are sure?" I queried incredulously.
"Do you think I could be mistaken in such a
matter, sir? I assure you that this cabinet at one
time belonged to me. You permit me?" she
added, and took a step toward it.
"One moment, madame," I interposed. "I
must warn you that in touching that cabinet you
are running a great risk."
"A great risk? " she echoed, looking at me.
"A very great risk, as I have pointed out to
Mr. Hornblower. I have reason to believe that
two men met death while trying to open that
secret drawer."
"I believe Mr. Hornblower did tell me some-
thing of the sort," she murmured; " but of course
that is all a mistake."
"Then the drawer is not guarded by poison?"
I questioned.


170 THE MYSTERY OF
"By poison?" she repeated blankly, and car-
ried her handkerchief to her lips. "I do not
understand."
I knew that my theory was collapsing, utterly,
hopelessly. I dared not look at Godfrey.
"Is there not, connected with the drawer," I
asked, "a mechanism which, as the drawer is
opened, plunges two poisoned fangs into the hand
which opens it?"
"No, Mr. Lester," she answered, astonishment
in her voice, "I assure you there is no such
mechanism."
I clutched at a last straw, and a sorry one it
was!
"The mechanism may have been placed there
since the cabinet passed from your possession," I
suggested.
"That is, perhaps, possible," she agreed,
though I saw that she was unconvinced.
"At any rate, madame," I said, "I would ask
that, in opening the drawer, you wear this gaunt-
let," and I picked up Godfrey's gauntlet from the
chair on which it lay. "It is needless that you
should take any risk, however slight. Permit
me," and I slipped the gauntlet over her right
hand.


THE BOULE CABINET 171
As I did so, I glanced at Godfrey. He was
staring at the veiled lady with such a look of stu-
pefaction that I nearly choked with delight. It
had not often been my luck to see Jim Godfrey
mystified, but he was certainly mystified now!
The veiled lady regarded the steel glove with
a little laugh.
"I am now free to open the drawer?" she
asked.
"Yes, madame."
She moved toward the cabinet, Godfrey and I
close behind her. At last the secret which had
defied us was to be revealed. And with its revela-
tion would come the end of the picturesque and
romantic theory we had been building up so la-
boriously.
Instinctively, I glanced toward the shuttered
window, but the semi-circle of light was unob-
scured.
The veiled lady bent above the table and dis-
posed the fingers of her right hand to fit the metal
inlay midway of the left side.
"It is a little awkward," she said. "I have
always been accustomed to using the left hand.
You will notice that I am pressing on three points;
but to open the drawer, one must press these


172 THE MYSTERY OF
points in a certain order — first this one, then this
one, and then this one."
There was a sharp click, and, at the side of the
table, a piece of the metal inlay fell forward.
"That is the handle," said the veiled lady, and,
without an instant's hesitation, while my heart
stood still, she grasped it and drew out a shal-
low drawer. "Ah!" and, casting aside the ridic-
ulous gauntlet, she caught up the packet of papers
which lay within. Then, with an effort, she con-
trolled herself, slipped off the ribbon which held
the packet together, and spread out before my
eyes ten or twelve envelopes. "You will see that
they are only letters, Mr. Lester," she said in a
low voice, "and I assure you that they belong to
me.
"I believe you, madame," I said, and with a
sigh of relief that was almost a sob, she rebound
the packet and slipped it into the bosom of her
gown. "There is one thing," I added, "which
madame can, perhaps, do for me."
"I shall be most happy!" she breathed.
"As I have told Mr. Hornblower," I con-
tinued, " two men died in this room the day before
yesterday. Or, rather, it was in the room beyond
that they died; but we believed it was here they


THE BOULE CABINET 173
rec
cause
received the wounds which caused death. It
seems that we were wrong in this."
"Undoubtedly,” she agreed. “There has
never been any such weird mechanism as you de-
scribed connected with that drawer, Mr. Lester.
At least, not since I have had it. There is a
legend, you know, that the cabinet was made for
Madame de Montespan."
She was talking more freely now; evidently a
great load had been lifted from her - perhaps I
did not guess how great!
“Mr. Vantine suspected as much," I said.
“He was a connoisseur of furniture, and there
was something about this cabinet which told him it
had belonged to the Montespan. He was ex-
amining it at the time he died. What the other
man was doing, we do not know, but if we could
identify him, it might help us."
“You have not identified him?".
“We know nothing whatever about him, except
that he was presumably a Frenchman, and that
he arrived on La Touraine, two days ago."
“That is the boat upon which I came over."
“ It has occurred to me, madame, that you may
have seen him—that he may even be known to
you."


174 THE MYSTERY OF
"What was his name?"
"The card he sent in to Mr. Vantine bore the
name of Theophile d'Aurelle."
She shook her head.
"I have never before heard that name, Mr.
Lester."
"We believe it to have been an assumed name,"
I said; " but perhaps you will recognise this photo-
graph," and I drew it from my pocket and handed
it to her.
She took it, looked at it, and again shook her
head. Then she looked at it again, turning aside
and raising her veil in order to see it better.
"There seems to be something familiar about
the face," she said, at last, "as though I might
have seen the man somewhere."
"On the boat, perhaps," I suggested, but I
knew very well it was not on the boat, since the
man had crossed in the steerage.
"No; it was not on the boat. I did not leave
my stateroom on the boat. But I am quite sure
that I have seen him — and yet I can't say where."
"Perhaps," I said, in a low voice, "he may
have been one of the friends of your husband."
I saw her hand tremble under the blow, but it
had to be struck. And she was brave.


THE BOULE CABINET 175
"The same thought occurred to me, Mr. Les-
ter," she answered; " but I know very few of my
husband's friends; certainly not this one. And yet
. Perhaps my maid can help us."
Photograph in hand, she stepped through the
doorway into the outer room. The maid was sit-
ting on the chair where we had left her; her hands
clenched tightly together in her lap, as though it
was only by some violent effort she could main-
tain her self-control.
"Julie," said the veiled lady, in rapid French,
"I have here the photograph of a man who was
killed in this room most mysteriously a few days
ago. These gentlemen wish to identify him. The
face seems to me somehow familiar, but I cannot
place it. Look at it."
Julie put forth a shaking hand, took the photo-
graph, and glanced at it; then, with a long sigh,
slid limply to the floor, before either Godfrey or
I could catch her.
As she fell, her veil, catching on the chair-back,
was torn away; and, looking down at her, a great
emotion burst within me, for I recognised the
mysterious woman whose photograph d'Aurelle
had carried in his watch-case.


THE BOULE CABINET 177
"Here's the water, sir," said Rogers, and
handed me glass and pitcher.
The next instant, his eyes fell upon the woman
on the couch. He stood staring, his face turning
slowly purple; then, clutching at his throat, he
half-turned and fell, just as I had seen him do
once before.
Hornblower, who was staring at the unconscious
woman and mopping his' face feverishly, spun
around at the crash. 3
"Well, I'll be damned!" he said, in a hoarse
voice, as he saw Rogers extended on the floor at
his feet. "What's the matter with this house,
anyway?"
So great was the tension on my nerves that I
could scarcely restrain a shout of laughter. I
turned it into a shout for Parks; but his face,
when he appeared on the threshold, was too much
for me, and I sank into a chair, laughing hysteri-
cally.
"For God's sake!" Parks began . . .
"It's all right," Godfrey broke in, sharply,
"Rogers has had another fit. Get the am-
monia!"
Parks staggered away, and Mr. Hornblower sat
down weakly.


178. THE MYSTERY OF
ITION
IC
"I don't see the joke!” he growled, glaring at
me, his face crimson.
“Get a grip of yourself, Lester," said Godfrey,
savagely, seized the pitcher from my hand, and
hurried with it to madame.
I did get a grip of myself, and when Parks came
back a moment later with the ammonia, was able
to hold up Rogers's head, while Parks applied the
phial to his nostrils.
“Give me a whiff of it, too, Parks,” I said, un-
steadily, and in an instant my eyes were streaming;
but I had escaped hysteria. “Straighten Rogers
out and let him lie there," I gasped, and sat diz-
zily down upon the floor. But I dared not look at
Hornblower. I felt that another glance at his
dazed countenance would send me off again.
Madame, meanwhile, had dashed some water
into the face of the unconscious Julie — much to
the detriment of her complexion ! — watched her
a moment, then stood erect and lowered her veil.
“She will soon be all right again," she said;
and, truly enough, at the end of a few seconds, the
girl opened her eyes and looked dazedly about
her. Then a violent trembling seized her.
"What is it, Julie?” asked her mistress, tak-
ing her hand. “You knew this man? "
a mor


THE BOULE CABINET 179
A hoarse sob was the only answer.
"You must tell me," went on madame, quietly
but firmly. "Perhaps a crime has been com-
mitted. You must tell me everything. You may
rely upon the discretion of these gentlemen. You
knew this man?"
The girl nodded, and closed her eyes; but the
hot tears brimmed from them and ran down over
her cheeks.
"In Paris?"
The girl nodded again.
"He was your lover?"
A third nod, and a fresh flood of tears.
"I remember, now," said madame, suddenly.
"I saw him with her once. What was he doing
in this house?" she went on, more sternly. "Tell
us!"
"Madame will never forgive me! " sobbed the
girl, and I began to think that she was more con-
cerned for herself than for her lover. The same
thought occurred to her mistress too, no doubt, for
her voice hardened.
"Try me," she said. "Understand well, you
must tell — if not here, then before an officer of
the police."
"Oh, no, no!" screamed Julie, sitting suddenly


180
THE MYSTERY OF
erect. “Never that! I could not bear that!
Madame would not be so cruel!”
“ Then tell us now!' said the veiled lady, inex-
orably.
" Very well, madamel” cried the girl, dabbing
at her eyes with her handkerchief, and speaking
in a mixture of French and English which I shall
not attempt to transcribe. “I will tell; I'
will tell everything. After all, I was not to
blame. It was that creature. I did not love him
- but I feared him. He possessed a power over
me. He could make me do anything. He even
beat me! And still I went back to him!”
" What was his name?" asked the veiled lady.
"Georges Drouet — he lived in the Rue de
la Huchette, just off the Rue Saint Jacques — on
the top floor, under the gutters. He was bad —
bad; he lived off women. I met him six
months ago. He knew how to fascinate one; I
thought he loved me. Then he began to borrow
money from me, until he had taken all that I had
saved; then my rings — everyone!" She
held up her hands to show their bareness.
“ Then . .."
She stopped and glanced at her mistress.
“ Continue!” said the latter. “Tell what you
1.ave to tell.”


THE BOULE CABINET 181
“I knew that madame also . . ."
She stopped again. I walked over to the win-
dow and stood staring at the wooden shutter,
strangely moved.
“Well, why not?” she demanded fiercely, and
I felt that she was addressing my turned back.
“Why not? Shall a woman not be loved ? Shall
a woman endure what madame endured ..."
“That will do, Julie," broke in the veiled lady,
her voice cold as ice. “Tell your story." .
“I knew of the secret drawer; I had seen
madame open it; I knew what it contained. But
I was faithful to madame; I loved her; I was glad
that she had found some one. . . . Madame
will remember her despair, her horror, when she
entered her room to find the cabinet gone, taken
away, sold by that ... I, too, was in de-
spair —I desired with my whole soul to help
madame. That night I had a rendezvous with
him," and she nodded toward the photograph
which lay upon the floor. “ I told him."
Her mistress stood as though turned to stone.
I could guess her anguish and humiliation.
“He questioned me — he learned everything
- the drawer, how it was opened - all. But I
did not suspect what was in his mind -- not for an
instant did I suspect. But on the boat I saw him,


182 THE MYSTERY OF
and then I knew. Well, he has got what he de-
served!"
She shivered and pressed her hands against her
eyes.
I think that is all, madame," she added,
hoarsely.
"It is all of that story," said Godfrey, in a crisp
voice; "but there is another."
"Another? " echoed the veiled lady, looking at
him.
"Ask her, madame, for what purpose she called
at this house, night before last, and saw Philip
Vantine in this room."
"I did notl " shrieked the girl, her face ablaze.
"It is a lie!"
"She does not need to tell!" went on Godfrey
inexorably. "Any fool could guess. She came
for the letters! She had resolved herself to black-
mail you, madame!"
"It is a lie!" shrieked the girl again. "I
came hoping to save her — to . . ."
A storm of angry sobbing choked her.
I could see how the veiled lady was trembling.
I placed a chair for her, and she sank into it with
a murmur of thanks.
"Besides, we have a witness to her visit,"


THE BOULE CABINET 183
added Godfrey. “Shall I call the police,
madame ?"
“No, no!" and the girl sat upright again, her
face ghastly. “I will tell. I will tell all. Give
me but a moment!"
She sat there, struggling for self-control, her
streaked and grotesque countenance contorted with
emotion. Then I saw her eyes widen, and,
glancing around, I saw that Rogers had dragged
himself to a sitting posture, and was staring at
her, his face livid. .
The sight of him seemed to madden her.
“It was you!" she shrieked, and shook her
clenched fist at him. “It was you who told!
Coward! Coward!"
But Godfrey, his face very grim, laid a heavy
hand upon her arm.
"Be still !” he cried. “He told us nothing!
He tried to shield you — though why he should
wish to do so..."
Rogers broke in withí a hollow and ghastly
laugh.
“ It was natural enough, sir,” he said hoarsely.
“ She's my wife!”.


CHAPTER XVI
PHILI
ANTIN
ALLE
PHILIP VANTINE'S CALLER
It was a sordid story that Rogers gasped out to
us; and, as it concerns this tale only incidentally,
I shall pass over it as briefly as may be.
Eight or ten years before, the fair Julie -- at
least, she was fairer then than now! — had come
to New York to enter the employ of a family
whose mistress had decided that life without a
French maid was unendurable. Rogers had met
her, had been fascinated by her black eyes and red
lips, had, in the end, proposed honourable mar-
riage — quite unnecessarily, no doubt! - had
been accepted, and for some months had led an
eventful existence as the husband of the siren.
Then, one morning, he awakened to find her gone.
He had, of course, entrusted his savings to her
-- that had been one condition of the marriage !
and the savings were gone, also. Julie, it .
seems, had been overcome with longing for the
Paris asphalt; no doubt, too, she had found her-
self ennuied by the lack of romance in married
life with Rogers; and she had flown back te
O
184


THE BOULE CABINET 185
France. Rogers had thought of following; but,
appalled at the difficulty of finding her in Paris,
not knowing what he should do if he did find her,
he had finally given it up, and had settled gloomily
down to live upon his memories. Some sort of
affection for her had kept alive within him, and
when he opened the door of Vantine's house and
found her standing on the steps, he was as wax in
her hands.
Julie had listened to all this indifferently, even
disdainfully, without denying anything, nor seek-
ing to excuse herself. Perhaps the idea that she
needed excuse did not occur to her. And when the
story was finished, she was quite herself again;
even a little proud, I think, of holding the centre
of the stage in the role of siren. It was almost a
rejuvenescence, and there was gratitude in the gaze
she turned on Rogers.
"This is all true, I suppose?" asked the veiled
lady.
"All quite true, madame," answered Julie, with
a shrug. "I was younger then and the love of
excitement was too strong for me. I am older
now, and have more sense —> besides, I am no
longer sought after as I was."
"And so," said madame, with irony, "you are


188 THE MYSTERY OF
her gratitude," added the girl. "After all, one
must provide for oneself."
She paused and glanced around the room, smil-
ing at the interest in our faces.
"You have at least one virtue — that of frank-
ness," said the veiled lady. "Continue."
"It was not until evening that I found an op-
portunity to leave madame," Julie went on. "I
hastened here; I rang the bell; but I confess I
should have failed, I should not have secured an
entrance, if it had not been that it was my husband
who opened the door to me. Even after I was
inside the door, he refused to permit me to see his
master; but as we were debating together, M. Van-
tine himself came into the hall, and I ran to him
and begged that he hear me. It was then that
he invited me to enter this room."
She paused again, and a little shiver of expect-
ancy ran through me. At last we were to learn
how Philip Vantine had met his death!
"I sat down," continued Julie. "I told him
the story from the very beginning. He listened
with much interest; but when I proposed that he
should restore to me the letters, he hesitated. He
walked up and down the room, trying to decide;
then he took me through that door into the room


THE BOULE CABINET 189
beyond. The cabinet was standing in the centre
of the floor, and all the lights were blazing.
"Is that the cabinet?' he asked me, and when
I said that most assuredly it was, he seemed sur-
prised.
“It is an easy thing to prove,' I said, and
I went to the cabinet and pressed on the three
springs, as I had seen madame do. The little
handle at the side fell out, but suddenly he stopped
me.
"Yes, it is the cabinet,' he said. "I see that.
And no doubt the drawer contains the letters, as
you say. But those letters do not belong to you.
They belong to your mistress. I cannot permit
that you take them away, for, after all, I do not
know you. You may intend to make some bad
use of them.'
"I protested that such a suspicion was most un-
just, that my character was of the best, that I
was devoted to my mistress and desired to pro-
tect her. He listened, but he was not convinced.
In the end, he brought me back into this room.
I could have cried with rage!
“Return to your mistress,' he said, 'and in-
form her that I shall be most happy to return the
letters to her. But it must be in her own hands


190
THE MYSTERY OF
that I place them. The letters are here, when-
ever it pleases her to claim them.'
“I saw that it was of no use to argue further;
he was of adamant. So I left the house, he him-
self opening the door for me. And that is all
that I know, madame.”
There was a moment's silence; then I heard
Godfrey draw a deep breath. I could see that,
like myself, he was convinced that the girl was
telling the truth.
“Of course," he suggested gently, “ as soon as
you reached home you related to your mistress
what had occurred?"
Julie grew a little crimson.
“No, monsieur,” she said, “I told her
nothing."
“I should have thought you would have wished
to prove your devotion,” went on Godfrey, in
his sweetest tone.
“I feared that, without the letters, she would
misunderstand my motives,” said Julie, sullenly.
“And then, of course, without the letters, there
would be no reward,” Godfrey supplemented.
Julie did not reply, but she looked very uncom-
fortable.
The veiled lady rose.


THE BOULE CABINET 191
"Have you any further questions to ask her?"
she said.
"No, madame," said Godfrey. "The story
is complete."
Julie resumed her veil, shooting at Godfrey a
glance anything but friendly. The veiled lady
turned to me and held out her hand.
"I thank you, Mr. Lester, for your kindness,"
she said. "Come, Julie," and she moved toward
the door, which Rogers hastened to open.
Mr. Hornblower nodded and passed out after
them, and Godfrey and I were left alone together.
We both sat down, and for a moment neither
of us spoke.
"Well!" said Godfrey, at last. "Well!
what a story it would make! And I can't use it!
It's a bitter reflection, Lester!"
"It would certainly shake the pillars of so-
ciety," I agreed. "I'm rather shaken myself."
"So am I! I was all at sea for a while — I
was dumb with astonishment when I heard you and
the veiled lady talking about the secret drawer
— I could see you laughing at me! I don't know
the whole story yet. How did she happen to
come to you?"
I told him of Hornblower's visit, of the story


192 THE MYSTERY OF
he told me, and of the arrangement we had made.
Godfrey nodded thoughtfully when I had finished.
"The story is straight, of course," he said.
"Hornblower would not be engaged in anything
tricky. Besides, I recognised the lady. I sup-
pose you did, too."
"Yes, I have seen pictures of her. And I ad-
mired her for putting back her veil."
"So did I. She has changed since the day of
her wedding, Lester — she was a smooth-faced
girl, then! Three years of life with her duke
have left their mark on her!"
He fell silent, staring thoughtfully at the car-
pet. Then he shook himself.
"And the maid's story was most interesting,"
he added. "Nevertheless, there are still a num-
ber of things which are not quite clear to me."
"There is one thing I don't understand, my-
self," I said. "I hadn't any idea this was the
right cabinet. I didn't see how it could be."
"That's it, exactly. How did it happen, when
the veiled lady went to Armand & Son in Paris,
that she was directed to Philip Vantine? Ac-
cording to his own story, he did not purchase this
cabinet; he had never seen it before; it was pre-
sumably shipped him by mistake; Armand & Son


THE BOULE CABINET 193
cable you that it was a mistake; and yet they cite
Vantine as the purchaser. There is something
twisted somewhere, Lester; just where I'll try to
find out."
"Which reminds me that Armand's representa-
tive hasn't been around yet. No doubt he can
straighten the matter out."
"It won't do any harm to hear his story, any-
way," Godfrey agreed. "Now let's have a look
at that drawer."
It was standing open as we had left it, and God-
frey pushed it back into place, called my atten-
tion to the cunning way in which its outline was
concealed by the inlay about it. Then he worked
the spring, the handle fell into place, and he drew
the drawer out again, as far as it would come,
and examined it carefully.
"The fellow who devised that was a genius,"
he said, admiringly, pushing it back into place.
"I wonder what its contents have been from the
days of Madame de Montespan down to the pres-
ent? Love letters, mostly, I suppose, since they
are the things which need concealment most.
Don't you wish this drawer could tell its secrets,
Lester?"
"There is one I wish it would tell, if it knows


194 THE MYSTERY OF
it," I said. "I wish it would tell who killed
Philip Vantine. I suppose you will agree with
me that our pretty theory has got a knock-out
blow, this time."
"It looks that way, doesn't it?"
"There is no poisoned mechanism about that
drawer — that's sure," I added.
"No, and never has been," Godfrey agreed. •
"And that leaves us all at sea, doesn't it? It
leaves the whole affair more mysterious than ever.
I can't understand it," and I sat down in my be-
wilderment and rubbed my head. I really felt
for an instant as though I had gone mentally
blind. "There is one thing sure," I added.
"The killing, whatever its cause, was done out
there in the ante-room, not in here."
"What makes you think that?"
"We believe that Drouet came here to get
Vantine's permission to open this drawer and get
the letters, no doubt representing himself as the
agent of their owner."
"I think it's a pretty good guess," said God-
frey, pensively.
"Our theory was that, after being shown into
the ante-room, he discovered the cabinet, tried to
open the drawer, and was killed in the attempt.


THE BOULE CABINET 195
But it is evident enough now that there is nothing
about that drawer to hurt any one."..
"Yes, that's evident, I think," Godfrey agreed.
"If he had opened the drawer, then, he would
have taken the letters, since there was nothing to
prevent him. Since they were not taken, it fol-
lows, doesn't it, that he was killed before he had
a chance at the drawer? Perhaps he never saw
the cabinet. He must have been killed out there
in the ante-room, a few minutes after Parks left."
"And how about Vantine?" Godfrey asked.
"I don't know," I said, helplessly. "He
didn't want the letters — if he opened the drawer
at all, it was merely out of curiosity to see how it
worked. Only, of course, the same agency that
killed Drouet, killed him. Yes — and now that
I think of it, it's certain he didn't open the
drawer, either."
"How do you know it's certain?"
"If he had opened the drawer," I pointed out,
"and been killed in the act of opening it, it would
have been found open. I had thought that per-
haps it closed of itself, but you see that it does
not. You have to push it shut, and then snap the
handle up into place."
"That's true," Godfrey assented, "and it


196 THE MYSTERY OF
sounds pretty conclusive. If it is true of Vantine,
it is also true of Drouet. The inference is, then,
that neither of them opened the drawer. Well,
what follows?"
111 don't know," I said helplessly. "Nothing
seems to follow."
"There is an alternative," Godfrey suggested.
"What is it?" I demanded.
"The hand that killed Drouet and Vantine
may also have closed the drawer," said Godfrey,
and looked at me.
"And left the letters in it?" I questioned.
"Surely not!"
He glanced at the shuttered window, and I
understood to whom he thought that hand He-
longed.
"Besides," I protested, "how would he get
in? How would he get away? What was he
after, if he left the letters behind?" Then I
rose wearily. "I must be getting back to
the office," I said. "This is Saturday, and we
close at two. Are you coming?"
"No," he answered; "if you don't mind, I'll
sit here a while longer and think things over,
Lester. Perhaps I'll blunder on to the truth
yet!"


CHAPTER XVII
ENTER M. ARMAND
ame as Soon a
I GOT back to the office to find that M. Félix
Armand, of Armand et Fils, had called, and,
finding me out, had left his card with the pen-
cilled memorandum that he would call again Mon-
day morning. There was another caller, who
had awaited my return — a tall, angular man,
with a long moustache, who introduced himself as
Simon W. Morgan, of Osage City, Iowa.
“Poor Philip Vantine's nearest living rel-
ative, sir," he added. “I came as soon as pos-
sible."
" It was very good of you,” I said. “The
funeral will be at ten o'clock to-morrow morning,
from the house."
“You had a telegram from me?"
“Yes," I answered.
He hitched about in his chair uneasily for a
moment. I knew what he wanted to say, but
saw no reason to help him.
“He left a will, I suppose ?” he asked, at last.
“Oh, yes; we have arranged to probate it
197


198 THE MYSTERY OF
Monday. You can examine it then, if you
wish."
"Have you examined it?"
"I am familiar with its provisions. It was
drawn here in the office."
He was pulling furiously at his moustache.
"Cousin Philip was a very wealthy man, I
understand," he managed to say.
"Comparatively wealthy. He had securities
worth about a million and a quarter, besides a
number of pieces of real property — and, of
course, the house he lived in. He owned a very
valuable collection of art objects — pictures, fur-
niture, tapestries, and such things; but what they
are worth will probably never be known."
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because he left them all to the Metropoli-
tan Museum of Art. Outside of a few legacies
to old servants, he left his whole fortune to the
same institution."
I put it rather brutally, no doubt, but I was
anxious to end the interview.
Mr. Morgan's face grew very red.
"He did!" he ejaculated. "Ha —well, I
have heard he was rather crazy."
"He was as sane as any man I ever knew,"


THE BOULE CABINET 199
I retorted drily. And then I remembered the
doubts which had assailed me that last day, when
Vantine was fingering the Boule cabinet. But I
kept those doubts to myself.
"Ha — we'll have to see about thatl" said
my visitor, threateningly.
"By all means, Mr. Morgan," I assented
heartily. "If you have any doubt about it, you
should certainly look into it. And now, if you will
pardon me, I have many things to do, and we
close early to-day."
He got to his feet and went slowly out; and
that was the last I ever saw of him. I suppose
he consulted an attorney, learned the hopeless
nature of his case, and took the first train back
to Osage City. He did not even wait for the
funeral.
Few people, indeed, put themselves out for it.
There was a sprinkling of old family friends, rep-
resentatives of the museum and of various char-
ities in which Vantine had been interested, a few
friends of his own, and that was all. He had
dropped out of the world with scarcely a ripple;
of all who had known him, I dare say Parks felt
his departure most. For Vantine had been, in
a sense, a solitary man; not many men nodded


200
THE MYSTERY OF
nas
oftener during a walk up the Avenue, and yet
not many dined oftener alone; for there was
about him a certain self-detachment which dis-
couraged intimacy. He was a man, like many
another, with acquaintances in every country on
the globe, and friends in none.
All this I thought over a little sadly, as I sat
questioning as to my own place in the world.
Most of us, I think, are a little saddened when
we realise our unimportance; most of us, no doubt,
would be a little shocked could we return a day
or two after our death and see how merrily the
world wags on! I would be missed, I knew,
scarcely more than Vantine. It was not a pleas-
ant thought, for it seemed to argue some defi-
ciency in myself.
Then, too, the mystery of Vantine's death had
a depressing effect upon me. So long as there
seemed some theory to build on, so long as there
was a ray of light ahead, I had hoped that the
tragedy would be explained and expiated; but now
utter darkness, from which there seemed no way
out. Never before, in the face of any mystery,
had I felt so blind and helpless, and the feeling


202 THE MYSTERY OF
and significance ticketed and arranged stiffly
along the walls of the museum, and the thought
came to me that it would be a splendid thing for
New York if this old house and its contents could
be kept intact as an object lesson to the nervous
and hurrying younger generation of the easier
and more finished manner of life of the older one;
something after the fashion that the beautiful old
Plantin-Moretus mansion at Antwerp is a rebuke
to those present-day publishers who reckon litera-
ture a commodity, along with soap and cheese.
That, of course, it would be impossible to do;
the last barrier to the commercial invasion of the
Avenue would be removed; that heroic rear-guard
of the old order of things would be destroyed;
in a year or two, a monster of steel and stone
would rise on the spot where three generations
of Vantines had lived their lives; and the col-
lection, so unified and coherent, to which the last
Vantine had devoted his life, would be merged
and lost in the vast collections of the museum.
It was a sad ending.
"Gentleman to see you, sir," said the office-
boy, as I sat down at my desk, and a moment
later, M. Felix Armand was shown in to me.
I have only to close my eyes to call again before



TROFE
A moment later, M. Félix Armand was shown in


THE BOULE CABINET 203
me that striking personality, for Felix Armand
was one of the most extraordinary men I ever had
the pleasure of meeting. Ruddy-faced, bright-
eyed, with dark full beard and waving hair almost
jet black — hair that crinkled about his ears in
a way that I can describe by no other word than
fascinating — he gave the impression of tremend-
ous strength and virility. There was about him,
too, an air of culture not to be mistaken; the air
of a man who had travelled much, seen much,
and mixed with many people, high and low; the
air of a man at home anywhere, in any society.
It is impossible for me, by mere words, to con-
vey any adequate idea of his vivid personality;
but I confess that, from the first moment, I was
both impressed and charmed by him. And I am
still impressed; more, perhaps, than at first, now
that I know the whole story — but you shall hear.
"I speak English very badly, sir," he said, as
he sat down. "If you speak French . . ."
"Not half so well as you speak English," I
laughed. "I can tell that from your first sen-
tence."
"In that event, I will do the best that I can,"
he said, smiling, "and you must pardon my
blunders. First, Mr. Lester, on behalf of Ar-


204 THE MYSTERY OF
mand et Fils, I must ask your pardon for this
mistake, so inexcusable."
"It was a mistake, then? " I asked.
"One most embarrassing to us. We can not
find for it an explanation. Believe me, Mr. Les-
ter, it is not our habit to make mistakes; we have
a reputation of which we are very proud; but the
cabinet which was purchased by Mr. Vantine re-
mained in our warehouse, and this other one was
boxed and shipped to him. We are investigating
most rigidly."
"Then Mr. Vantine's cabinet is still in Paris?"
"No, Mr. Lester; the error was discovered
some days ago and the cabinet belonging to Mr.
Vantine was shipped to me here. It should ar-
rive next Wednesday on La Provence. I shall
myself receive it, and deliver it to Mr. Vantine."
"Mr. Vantine is dead," I said. "You did not
know?"
He sat staring at me for a moment, as though
unable to comprehend.
"Did I understand that you said Mr. Vantine
is dead? " he stammered.
I told him briefly as much as I knew of the
tragedy, while he sat regarding me with an air of
stupefaction.


THE BOULE CABINET 205
"It is curious you saw nothing of it in
the papers," I added. "They were full of
it."
"I have been visiting friends at Quebec," he
explained. "It was there that the message from
our house found me, commanding me to hasten
here. I started at once, and reached this city
Saturday. I drove here directly from the station,
but was so unfortunate as to miss you."
"I am sorry to have caused you so much
trouble," I said.
"But, my dear Mr. Lester," he protested, " it
is for us to take trouble. A blunder of this sort
we feel as a disgrace. My father, who is of the
old school, is most upset concerning it. But this
death of Mr. Vantine — it is a great blow to me.
I have met him many times. He was a real con-
noisseur— we have lost one of our most valued
patrons. You say that he was found dead in a
room at his house?"
"Yes, and death resulted from a small wound
on the hand, into which some very powerful
poison had been injected."
"That is most curious. In what manner was
such a wound made?"
"That we don't know. I had a theory . . ."


2o6 THE MYSTERY OF
"Yes? " he questioned, his eyes gleaming with
interest.
"A few hours previously, another man had
been found in the same room, killed in the same
way."
"Another man?"
"A stranger who had called to see Mr. Van-
tine. My theory was that both this stranger and
Mr. Vantine had been killed while trying to open
a secret drawer in the Boule cabinet. Do you
know anything of the history of that cabinet,
Monsieur Armand?"
"We believe it to have been made for Madame
de Montespan by Monsieur Boule himself," he an-
swered. "It is the original of one now in the
Louvre which is known to have belonged to the
Grand Louis."
"That was Mr. Vantine's belief," I said.
"Why he should have arrived at that conclusion,
I don't know —"
"Mr. Vantine was a connoisseur," said M.
Armand, quietly. "There are certain indications
which no connoisseur could mistake."
"It was his guess at the history of the cabinet,"
I explained, "which gave me the basis for my
theory. A cabinet belonging to Madame de


THE BOULE CABINET 207
Montespan would, of course, have a secret
drawer; and, since it was made in the days of de
Brinvilliers and La Voisin, what more natural
than that it should be guarded by a poisoned
mechanism?"
"What more natural, indeed!" breathed my
companion, and I fancied that he looked at me
with a new interest in his eyes. "It is good rea-
soning, Mr. Lester."
"It seemed to explain a situation for which
no other explanation has been found," I said.
41 And it had also the merit of picturesqueness."
"It is unique," he agreed eagerly, his eyes
burning like two coals of fire, so intense was his
interest. "I have been from boyhood," he
added, noticing my glance, "a lover of tales of
mystery. They have for me a fascination I can-
not explain; there is in my blood something that
responds to them. I feel sometimes that I would
have made a great detective — or a great crim-
inal. Instead of which, I am merely a dealer in
curios. You can understand how I am fascinated
by a story so outre as this."
"Perhaps you can assist us," I suggested, " for
that theory of mine has been completely dis-
proved."


208 THE MYSTERY OF
"Disproved? In what way?" he demanded.
"The secret drawer has been found . . ."
"Comment?" he cried, his voice sharp with
surprise. "Found? The secret drawer has been
found?"
"Yes, and there was no poisoned mechanism
guarding it."
He breathed deeply for an instant; then he
pulled himself together with a little laugh.
"Really," he said, "I must not indulge my-
self in this way. It is a kind of intoxication.
But you say that the drawer was found and
that there was no poison? Was the drawer
empty?"
"No, there was a packet of letters in it."
"Delicious! Love letters, of a certainty!
Billets-doux from the great Louis to the Montes-
pan, perhaps?"
"No, unfortunately they were of a much more
recent date. They have been restored to their
owner. I hope that you agree with me that that
was the right thing to do?"
He sat for a moment regarding me narrowly,
and I had an uneasy feeling that, since he un-
doubtedly knew of whom the cabinet had been
purchased, he was reconstructing the story more


THE BOULE CABINET 209
completely than I would have wished him to do.
"Since the letters have been returned," he said,
at last, a little drily, "it is useless to discuss the
matter. But no doubt I should approve if all
the circumstances were known to me. Espe-
cially if it was to assist a lady."
"It was," I said, and I saw from his face
that he understood.
"Then you did well," he said. "Has no other
explanation been found for the death of Mr. Van-
tine and of this stranger?"
"I think not. The coroner will hold his in-
quest to-morrow. He has deferred it in the hope
that some new evidence would be discovered."
"And none has been discovered?"
"I have heard of none."
"You do not even know who this stranger
was?"
"Oh, yes, we have discovered that. He was
a worthless fellow named Drouet."
"A Frenchman?"
"Yes, living in an attic in the Rue de la
Huchette, at Paris."
M. Armand had been gazing at me intently,
but now his look relaxed, and I fancied that he
drew a deep breath as a man might do when re-


2io THE MYSTERY OF
lieved of a burden. At the back of my brain a
vague and shadowy suspicion began to form — a
suspicion that perhaps M. Armand knew more of
this affair than he had as yet acknowledged.
"You did not, by any chance, know him?" I
asked carelessly.
"No, I think not. But there is one thing I
do not understand, Mr. Lester, and you will par-
don me if I am indiscreet. But I do not under-
stand what this Drouet, as you call him, was
doing in the house of Mr. Vantine."
"He was trying to get possession of the let-
ters," I said.
"Oh, so it was that!" and my companion
nodded. "And in trying to get those letters,
he was killed?"
"Yes, but what none of us understands, M.
Armand, is how he was killed. Who or what
killed him? How was that poison administered?
Can you suggest an explanation?"
He sat for a moment staring thoughtfully out
of the window.
"It is a nice problem," he said, "a most in-
teresting one. I will think it over, Mr. Lester.
Perhaps I may be able to make a suggestion. I
do not know. But, in any event, I shall see you


THE BOULE CABINET
21 I
again Wednesday. If it is agreeable to you, we
can meet at the house of Mr. Vantine and ex-
change the cabinets."
"At what time?"
"I do not know with exactness. There may
be some delay in getting the cabinet from the
ship. Perhaps it would be better if I called for
you?"
"Very well," I assented.
"Permit me to express again my apologies that
such a mistake should have been made by us.
Really, we are most careful; but even we some-
times suffer from careless servants. It desolates
me to think that I cannot offer these apologies
to Mr. Vantine in person. Till Wednesday, then,
Mr. Lester."
"Till Wednesday," I echoed, and watched his
erect and perfectly-garbed figure until it vanished
through the doorway. A fascinating man, I told
myself as I turned back to my desk, and one whom
I should like to know more intimately; a man with
a hobby for the mysteries of crime, with which I
could fully sympathise; and I smiled as I thought
of the burning interest with which he had listened
to the story of the double tragedy. How naively
he had confessed his thought that he would have


212
THE MYSTERY OF
made a great detective — or a great criminal;
and here he was only a dealer in curios. Well,
I had had the same thought, more than once –
and here was I, merely a not-too-successful law.
yer. Decidedly, M. Armand and myself had
much in common!


CHAPTER XVIII
I PART WITH THE BOULE CABINET
The coroner's inquest was held next day, and my
surmise proved to be correct. The police had
discovered practically no new evidence; none,
certainly, which shed any light on the way in
which Drouet and Philip Vantine had met death.
Each of the witnesses told his story much as I
have told it here, and it was evident that the jury
was bewildered by the seemingly inextricable
tangle of circumstances.
To my relief, Drouet's identity was established
without any help from me. The bag which he
had left on the pier had been opened at the re-
quest of the police and a card-case found with his
address on it. Why he had sent in to Vantine
a card not his own, and what his business with Van-
tine had been, were details concerning which the
police could offer no theory, and which I did
not feel called upon to explain, since neither
in any way made clearer the mystery of his
death.
An amusing incident of the inquest was the at-
213


THE BOULE CABINET 215
berger, his lips curling. “After all, it is merely
a guess, isn't it?"
“I have reason to say it confidently,” retorted
Godfrey quietly, “ since the woman confessed as
much in my presence."
Again Goldberger reddened.
"I suppose she also confessed that it was
really she who called upon Mr. Vantine?” he
sneered.
"She not only confessed that,” said Godfrey,
still more quietly, “but she told in detail what
occurred during that visit.”
“The confession was made to yourself alone,
of course?” queried Goldberger, in a tone deliber-
ately insulting.
Godfrey Alushed a little at the words, but
managed to retain his self-control.
“Not at all,” he said. “It was made in the
presence of Mr. Lester and of another distin-
guished lawyer whose name I am not at liberty to
reveal.”
Goldberger swallowed hard, as though he had
received a slap in the face. I dare say, he felt
as though he had!
" This woman is in New York?” he asked.
“ I believe so."


216 THE MYSTERY OF
"What is her name and address?"
"I am not at liberty to answer."
Goldberger glared at him.
"You will answer," he thundered, "or I'll
commit you for contempt!"
Godfrey was quite himself again.
"Very well," he said, smiling. "I have not
the slightest objection. But I would think it over,
if I were you. Mr. Lester will assure you that
the woman was in no way connected with the
death either of Drouet or of Mr. Vantine."
Goldberger did think it over; he realised the
danger of trying to punish a paper so powerful as
the Record, and he finally decided to accept God-
frey's statement as a mitigation of his refusal
to answer.
"That is only one of the details which Com-
missioner Grady has missed," Godfrey added,
pleasantly.
"That will do," Goldberger broke in, and God-
frey left the stand.
I was recalled to confirm his story. I, also,
of course, refused to give the woman's name, ex-
plaining to Goldberger that I had learned it pro-
fessionally, that I was certain she had been guilty
of no crime, and that to reveal it would seriously


THE BOULE CABINET 217
embarrass an entirely innocent woman. With
that statement, the coroner was compelled to ap-
pear satisfied.
Grady did not go on the stand; he was not even
at the inquest. In fact, since the first day, he had
not appeared publicly in connection with the case
at all; and I had surmised that he did not care
to be identified with a mystery which there seemed
to be no prospect of solving, and from which no
glory was to be won. The case had been placed
in Simmonds's hands, and it was he who testified
on behalf of the police, admitting candidly that
they were all at sea. He had made a careful ex-
amination of the Vantine house, he said, particu-
larly of the room in which the bodies had been
found, and had discovered absolutely nothing in
the shape of a clue to the solution of the mystery.
There was something diabolical about it; some-
thing almost supernatural. He had not aban-
doned hope, and was still working on the case;
but he was inclined to think that, if the mystery
was ever solved, it would be only by some lucky
accident or through the confession of the guilty
man.
Goldberger was annoyed; that was evident
enough from the nervous way in which he gnawed


218 THE MYSTERY OF
his moustache; but he had no theory any more than
the police; there was not a scintilla of evidence
to fasten the crime upon any one; and the end
of the hearing was that the jury brought in a
verdict that Philip Vantine and Georges Drouet
had died from the effects of a poison administered
by a person or persons unknown.
Godfrey joined me at the door as I was leaving,
and we went down the steps together.
"I was glad to hear Simmonds confess that
the police are up a tree,", he said. "Of course,
Grady is trying to sneak out of it, and blame
some one else for the failure — but I'll see that
he doesn't succeed. I'll see, anyway, that Sim-
monds gets a square deal — he's an old friend of
mine, you know."
"Yes," I said, "I know; but we're all up a
tree, aren't we?"
"For the present," laughed Godfrey, "we do
occupy that undignified position. But you don't
expect to stay there forever, do you, Lester?"
"Since my theory about the Boule cabinet ex-
ploded," I said, " I have given up hope. By the
way, I'm going to turn the cabinet over to its
owner to-morrow."
"To its owner?" he repeated, his eyes nar-


220 THE MYSTERY OF
"Did M. Armand happen to mention where he
is staying?"
"No, but he won't be hard to find, if you want
to see him. He's at one of the big hotels, of
course — probably the Plaza or the St. Regis.
He's too great a swell for any minor hostelry."
"What time do you expect him to-morrow?"
"Sometime in the afternoon. He's to call for
me as soon as he gets Vantine's cabinet off the
boat. Godfrey," I added, " I felt yesterday when
I was talking with him that perhaps he knew more
about this affair than he would admit. I could
see that he guessed in an instant who the owner
of the letters was, and what they contained. Do
you think I ought to hold on to the cabinet a
while longer? I could invent some pretext for
delay, easily enough."
"Why, no; let him have his cabinet," said God-
frey, with an alacrity that surprised me. "If
your theory about it has been exploded, what's the
use of hanging on to it?"
"I don't see any use in doing so," I admitted,
"but I thought perhaps you might want more
time to examine it."
"I've examined it all I'm going to," Godfrey
answered, and I told myself that this was the


THE BOULE CABINET 221
first time I had ever known him to admit himself
defeated.
"I have a sort of feeling," I explained, "that
when we let go of the cabinet, we give up the only
clue we have to this whole affair. It is like a con-
fession of defeat."
"Oh, no, it isn't," Godfrey objected. "If
there is nothing more to be learned from the cab-
inet, there is no reason to retain it. I should
certainly let M. Armand have it. Perhaps I'll
see you to-morrow," he added, and we parted at
the corner.
But I did not see him on the morrow. I was
rather expecting a call from him during the morn-
ing, and when none came, I was certain I should
find him awaiting me when I arrived at the Van-
tine house, in company with M. Armand. But he
was not there, and when I asked for him, Parks
told me that he had not seen him since the day
before.
I confess that Godfrey's indifference' to the fate
of the cabinet surprised me greatly; besides, I was
hoping that he would wish to meet the fascinating
Frenchman. More fascinating, if possible, than
he had been on Monday, and I soon found myself
completely under his spell. There had been less


THE BOULE CABINET 223
"Would you recognise the man, if you were to
meet him again?"
"Oh, no; you see the hole is quite small. There
was nothing visible except a pair of eyes. Yet I
might know them again, for I never before saw
such eyes — so bright, so burning. It was the
night that Godfrey and I were trying to find the
secret drawer, and those eyes gleamed like fire
as they watched us."
M. Armand was gazing at the cabinet, appar-
ently only half listening.
"Ah, yes, the secret drawer," he said. "Will
you show me how it is operated, Mr. Lester? I
am most curious about it."
I placed my hand upon the table and pressed
the three points which the veiled lady had
shown us. The first time, I got the order
wrong, but at the second trial, the little handle
fell forward with a click, and I pulled the drawer
open.
"There it is," I said. "You see how cleverly
it is constructed. And how well it is concealed.
No one would suspect its existence."
He examined it with much interest; pushed it
back into place, and then opened it himself.
"Very clever indeed," he agreed. "I have


224 THE MYSTERY OF
never seen another so well concealed. And the
idea of opening it only by a certain combination
is most happy and original. Most secret drawers
are secret only in name; a slight search reveals
them; but this one . . ."
He pushed it shut again, and examined the
inlay around it.
"My friend and I went over the cabinet very
carefully and could not find it," I said.
"Your friend — I think you mentioned his
name?"
"Yes — his name is Godfrey."
"A man of the law, like yourself?"
"Oh, no, a newspaper man. But he had been
a member of the detective force before that. He
is extraordinarily keen, and if anybody could have
found that drawer, he could. But that combina-
tion was too much for him."
M. Armand snapped the drawer back into
place with a little crash.
"I am glad, at any rate, that it was discov-
ered," he said. "I will not conceal from you,
Mr. Lester, that it adds not a little to the value of
the cabinet."
"What is its value?" I asked. "Mr. Van-
tine wanted me to buy it for him, and named a


226 THE MYSTERY OF
a couple of men are unloading a piece of furniture.
Is it all right, sir?"
"Yes," I answered. "Have them bring it in
here. And ask the man in charge of the inven-
tory to step over here a minute. Mr. Vantine left
his collection of art objects to the Metropolitan
Museum," I explained to M. Armand, "and I
should like the representative of the museum to
be present when the exchange is made."
"Certainly," he assented. "That is very
just."
Parks was back in a moment, piloting two men
who carried between them an object swathed in
burlap, and the Metropolitan man followed them
in.
"I am Mr. Lester," I said to him, " Mr. Van-
tine's executor; and this is M. Felix Armand, of
Armand & Son, of Paris. We are correcting an
error which was made just before Mr. Vantine
died. That cabinet yonder was shipped him by
mistake in place of one which he had bought. M.
Armand has caused the right one to be sent over,
and will take away the one which belongs to him.
I have already spoken to the museum's attorney
about the matter, but I wished you to be present
when the exchange was made."


THE BOULE CABINET 227
"I have no doubt it is all right, 9ir," the
museum man hastened to assure me. "You, of
course, have personal knowledge of all this?"
"Certainly. Mr. Vantine himself told me the
story."
"Very well, sir," but his eyes dwelt lovingly
upon the Boule cabinet. "That is a very hand-
some piece," he added. "I am sorry the museum
is not to get it."
"Perhaps you can buy it from M. Armand,"
I suggested, but the curator laughed and shook
his head.
"No," he said, "we couldn't afford it. But
Sir Caspar might persuade Mr. Morgan to buy
it for us — I'll mention it to him."
The two men, meanwhile, under M. Armand's
direction, had been stripping the wrappings from
the other cabinet, and it finally stood revealed.
It, too, was a beautiful piece of furniture, but even
my untrained eye could see how greatly it fell
below the other.
"We shall be very pleased to have Mr. Mor-
gan see it," said M. Armand, with a smile. "I
will not conceal from you that we had already
thought of him — as what dealer does not when
he acquires something rare and beautiful? I shall


228 THE MYSTERY OF
endeavour to secure an appointment with him.
'Meanwhile . . ."
"Meanwhile the cabinet is yours," I said.
He made a little deprecating gesture, and then
proceeded to have the cabinet very carefully
wrapped in the burlap which had been around the
other one. I watched it disappear under the
rough covering with something like regret, for
already my eyes were being opened to its beauty.
Besides, I told myself again, with it would dis-
appear the last hope of solving the mystery of
Philip Vantine's death. However my reason
might protest, some instinct told me that, in some
way, the Boule cabinet was connected with that
tragedy.
But at last the packing was done, and M.
Armand turned to me and held out his hand.
"I shall hope to see you again, Mr. Lester,"
he said, with a cordiality which flattered me, " and
to renew our very pleasant acquaintance. When-
ever you are in Paris, I trust you will not fail to
honour me by letting me know. I shall count it
a very great privilege to display for you some
of the beauties of our city not known to every
one.
"Thank you," I said. "I shall certainly re-


THE BOULE CABINET 229
member that invitation. And meanwhile, since
you are here in New York . . ."
"You are most kind," he broke in, " and I was
myself hoping that we might at least dine to-
gether. But I am compelled to proceed to Bos-
ton this evening, and from there I shall go on to
Quebec. Whether I shall get back to New York
I do not know — it will depend somewhat upon
Mr. Morgan's attitude; we would scarcely entrust
a business so delicate to our dealer. If I do get
back, I shall let you know."
"Please do," I urged. "It will be a very
great pleasure to me. Besides, I am still hoping
that some solution of this mystery may occur to
you."
He shook his head with a little smile.
"I fear it is too difficult for a novice like
myself," he said. "It is impenetrable to me. If
a solution is discovered, I trust you will inform me.
It is certain to be most interesting."
"I will," I promised, and we shook hands
again.
Then he signed to the two men to take up the
cabinet, and himself laid a protecting hand upon it
as it was carried through the door and down the
steps to the van which was backed up to the curb.


230 THE MYSTERY OF
It was lifted carefully inside, the two men clam-
bered in beside it, the driver spoke to the horses,
and the van rolled slowly away up the Avenue.
M. Armand watched it for a moment, then
mounted into the cab which was waiting, waved a
last farewell to me, and followed after the van.
We watched it until it turned westward at the first
cross-street.
"Mr. Godfrey's occupation will be gone," said
Parks, with a little laugh. "He has fairly lived
with that cabinet for the past three or four days.
He was here last night for quite a while."
"Last night?" I echoed, surprised. "I was
sure he would be here to-day," I added, reflect-
ing that Godfrey might have decided to have a
final look at the cabinet. "He half-promised to
be here, but I suppose something more important
detained him."
The next instant, I was jumping down the steps
two at a time, for a cab in which two men were
sitting came down the Avenue, and rolled slowly
around the corner in the direction taken by the
van.
And just as it disappeared, one of its occupants
turned toward me and waved his hand — and I
recognised Jim Godfrey.


CHAPTER XIX
"LA MORT!"
That my legs, without conscious effort of my own,
should carry me up the Avenue and around the
corner after the cab in which I had seen Godfrey
was a foregone conclusion, and yet it was with a
certain vexation of spirit that I found myself rac-
ing along, for I realised that Godfrey had not
been entirely frank with me. Certainly he had
dropped no hint of his intention to follow Ar-
mand; but, I told myself, that might very well
have been because he deemed such a hint unneces-
sary. I might have guessed, in spite of his seem-
ing unconcern, that he would not allow the cabinet
to pass from his sight; if he had been willing for
me to turn it over to Armand, it was only because
he expected developments of some sort to follow
that transfer.
And it suddenly dawned upon me that even I
did not know the cabinet's destination! It had
not occurred to me to inquire where M. Armand
proposed to take it, and he had volunteered no
information.
231


232 THE MYSTERY OF
So, after a moment, I took up the chase more
contentedly, telling myself that Godfrey would
not have waved to me if he had not wanted me
along, and I reached the corner in time to see the
van turn northward into Sixth Avenue. As soon
as it and the cabs which followed it were out of
sight, I sprinted along the sidewalk at top speed,
and, on arriving at the corner, had the satisfac-
tion of seeing them only a little way ahead. Here
the congestion of traffic was such that the van
could proceed but slowly, and I had no difficulty
in keeping pace with it, without the necessity of
making myself conspicuous by running. Indeed, I
rather hung back, burying myself in the crowds on
the sidewalk, for fear that Armand might chance
to glance around and see me in pursuit.
I saw that Godfrey and Simmonds had the same
fear, for the cab in which they Were drew up at
the curb and waited there until the van had got
some distance ahead. At Sixteenth Street, it
turned westward again, and then northward into
Seventh Avenue.
What could Armand be doing in this part of the
town, I asked myself? Did he propose to leave
that priceless cabinet in this dingy quarter? And
then I paused abruptly and slipped into an area-


THE BOULE CABINET 233
way, for the van had stopped some distance ahead
and was backing up to the curb.
Looking out discreetly, I saw the cab contain-
ing Armand stop also, and that gentleman alighted
and paid the driver. The other cab rattled on
at a good pace and disappeared up the Avenue.
Then the two porters lifted out the cabinet, and,
with Armand showing them the way, carried it
into the building before which the van had
stopped.
They were gone perhaps five minutes, from
which I argued that they were carrying it upstairs;
then they reappeared, with Armand accompany-
ing them. He tipped them and went out also to
tip the driver of the van. Then the porters
climbed aboard and it rattled away out of sight.
Armand stood for a moment on the step, looking
up and down the Avenue, then disappeared in-
doors.
An instant later, I saw Godfrey and another
man whom I recognised as Simmonds, come out
of a shop across the street and dash over to the
house into which the cabinet had been taken.
They were standing on the door-step when I
joined them.
It was a dingy building, entirely typical of the


234 THE MYSTERY OF
dingy neighbourhood. The ground floor was oc-
cupied by a laundry which the sign on the front
window declared to be French; and the room
which the window lighted extended the whole
width of the building except for a door which
opened presumably on the stairway leading to
the upper stories.
Godfrey's face was flaming with excitement as
he turned the knob of this door gently — gently.
The door was locked. He stooped and applied
an eye to the key-hole.
11 The key is in the lock," he whispered.
Simmonds took from his pocket a pair of slender
pliers and passed them over.
Godfrey looked up and down the street, saw
that for the moment there was no one near, in-
serted the pliers in the keyhole, grasped the end
of the key, and turned it slowly.
"Now!" he said, softly opened the door and
slipped inside. I followed, and Simmonds came
after me like a shadow, closing the door carefully
behind him.
Then we all stopped, and my heart, at least,
was in my mouth, for, from somewhere overhead,
came the sound of a man's voice talking excitedly.
Even in the semi-darkness, I could see the look


THE BOULE CABINET 235
of astonishment and alarm on Godfrey's face, as
he stood for a moment motionless, listening to that
voice. I also stood with ears a-strain, but I could
make nothing of what it was saying; then sud-
denly I realised that it was speaking in French.
And yet it was not Armand's voice — of that I
was certain.
Fronting us was a narrow stair mounting
steeply to the story overhead, and, after that
moment's amazed hesitation, Godfrey sat down
on the bottom step and removed his shoes, mo-
tioning us to do the same. Simmonds obeyed
phlegmatically, but my hands were trembling so
with excitement that I was in mortal terror lest
I drop one of my shoes; but I managed to get
them both off without mishap, and to set them
softly on the floor at the stair-foot.
When at last I looked up with a sigh of relief,
Godfrey and Simmonds were stealing slowly up
the stair, revolver in hand. I followed them, but
I confess my knees were knocking together, for
there was something weird and chilling in that
voice going on and on. It sounded like the voice
of a madman; there was something about it at
once ferocious and triumphant . . .
Godfrey paused an instant at the stairhead, lis-


236 THE MYSTERY OF
tening intently; then he moved cautiously forward
toward an open door from which the voice seemed
to come, motioning us at the same time to stay-
where we were. And as I knelt, bathed in pers-
piration, I caught one word, repeated over and
over:
"Revanche! — Revanche! — Revanche!"
Then the voice fell to a sort of low growling, as
of a dog which worries its prey, and I caught a
sound as of ripping cloth.
Godfrey, on hands and knees, was peering into
the room. Then he drew back and motioned us
forward.
I shall never forget the sight which met my
eyes as I peeped cautiously around the corner of
the door.
The room into which I was looking was lighted
only by the rays which filtered between the slats
of a closed shutter. In the middle of the floor
stood the Boule cabinet, and before it, with his
back to the door, stood a man ripping savagely
away the strips of burlap in which it had been
wrapped, talking to himself the while in a sort
of savage sing-song, and pausing from moment to
moment to glance at a huddled bundle lying on the
floor against the opposite wall. For a time, I



With his back to the door, stood a man ripping
savagely away the strips of burlap





THE BOULE CABINET 237
could not make out what this bundle was, then,
straining my eyes, I saw that it was the body of
a man, wrapped round and round in some web-like
fabric.
And as I stared at him, I caught the glitter of
his eyes as he watched the man working at the
cabinet — a glitter not to be mistaken — the same
glitter which had so frightened me once be-
fore . .
Godfrey drew me back with a firm hand and
took my place. As for me, I retreated to the
stair, and sat there feverishly mopping my face
and trying to understand. Who was this man?
What was he doing there against the wall?
What was the meaning of this ferocious
scene . .
Then my heart leaped into my throat, for God-
frey, with a sharp cry of “ Halte-là!” sprang to
his feet and dashed into the room, Simmonds at
his heels.
I suppose two seconds elapsed before I reached
the threshold, and I stopped there, staring, clutch-
ing at the wall to steady myself.
That scene is so photographed upon my brain
that I have only to close my eyes to see it again
in every detail.


238 THE MYSTERY OF
There was the cabinet with its wrappings torn
away; but the figure on the floor had disappeared,
and before an open doorway into another room
stood a man, a giant of a man, his hands above
his head, his face working with fear and rage,
while Godfrey, his lips curling into a mocking
smile, pressed a pistol against his breast.
Then, as I stood there staring, it seemed to
me that there was a sort of flicker in the air above
the man's head, and he screamed shrilly.
"La mortl" he shrieked. "La mort!"
For one dreadful instant longer he stood there
motionless, his hands still held aloft, his eyes
staring horribly; then, with a strangled cry, he
pitched forward heavily at Godfrey's feet.


,
CHAPTER XX
THE ESCAPE
I HAVE a confused remembrance of Godfrey
stooping for an instant above the body, staring
at it, and then, with a sharp cry, hurling himself
through that open doorway. A door slammed
somewhere, there was a sound of running feet,
and before either Simmonds or myself understood
what was happening, Godfrey was back, in the
room, crossed it at a bound, and dashed to the
door opening into the hall, just as it was slammed
in his face.
I saw him tear desperately at the knob, then re-
treat two steps and hurl himself against it. But
it held firm, and from the hall outside came a
burst of mocking laughter that fairly froze my
blood.
"Come here, you fools!" cried Godfrey be-
tween clenched teeth. "Don't you see he's get-
ting away!"
Simmonds was quicker than I, and together
they threw themselves at the door. It cracked
ominously, but still held; again they tried, and this


*240 THE MYSTERY OF
-
time it split from top to bottom. Godfrey kicked
the pieces to either side and slipped between them,
Simmonds after him.
Then, in a sort of trance, I staggered to it,
and after a moment's aimless fumbling, was out
in the hall again. I reached the stairhead in
time to see Godfrey try the front door, and then
turn along the lower hall leading to the back of
the house. An instant later, a chorus of frenzied
women's shrieks made my hair stand on end.
How I got down the stair I do not know; but
I, too, turned back along the lower hall, expecting
any instant to come upon I knew not what horror;
I reached an open door, passed through it, and
found myself in the laundry, in the midst of a
group of excited and indignant women, who
greeted my appearance with a fresh series of
screams.
Unable to go farther, I sat limply down upon
a box and looked at them.
I dare say the figure I made was ridiculous
enough, for the screams gave place to subdued
giggles; but I was far from thinking of my ap-
pearance, or of caring what impression I pro-
duced. And I was still sitting there when God-
frey came back, breathing heavily, chagrin and


THE BOULE CABINET 241
anger in his eyes. The employes of the laundry,
conscious that something extraordinary was oc-
curring, crowded about him, but he elbowed his
way through them to the desk where the manager
sat.
"A' crime has been committed upstairs," he
said. "This gentleman with me is Mr. Sim-
monds, of the detective bureau," and at the words
Simmonds showed his shield. "We shall have to
notify headquarters," Godfrey went on, "and I
would advise that you keep your girls at their
work. I don't suppose you want to be mixed up
in it."
"Sure not," agreed the manager promptly, and
while Simmonds went to the 'phone and called
up police headquarters, the manager dismounted
from his throne, went down among the girls, and
had them back at their work in short order.
Godfrey came over to me and laid his hand on
my shoulder. «
"Why, Lester," he said, "you look as though
you were at your last gasp."
"I am," I said. "I'm going to have nervous
prostration if this thing keeps up. You're not
looking particularly happy yourself."
"I'm not happy. I've let that fellow kill a


242 THE MYSTERY OF
man right under my nose — literally, under my
nose! — and then get away!"
"Kill a man?" I repeated. "Do you
mean . . ."
"Go upstairs and look at the right hand of
the man lying there," said Godfrey, curtly, "and
you'll see what I meanl"
I sat staring at him, unable to believe that I
had heard aright; unable to believe that Godfrey
had really uttered those words . . . the
right hand of the man lying there . . . that
could mean only one thing . . .
Simmonds joined us with a twisted smile on his
lips, and I saw that even he was considerably
shaken.
." I got Grady," he said, "and told him what
had happened. He says he's too busy to come
up, and that I'm to take charge of things."
Godfrey laughed a little mocking laugh.
"Grady foresees his Waterloo!" he said.
"Well, it's not far distant. But I'm glad for your
sake, Simmonds — you're going to get some glory
out of this thing, yet!"
"I hope so,"*and Simmonds's eyes gleamed an
instant. "The ambulance will be around at
once," he added. "We'd better get our shoes


244 THE MYSTERY OF
Just above the knuckles were two tiny incisions,
with a drop or two of blood oozing away from,
them, and the flesh about them swollen and dis-
coloured.
"I knew what it was the instant he yelled ' La
mort!'" said Godfrey quietly. "And he knew
what it was the instant he felt the stroke. It is
evident enough that he had seen it used before,
or heard of it, and knew that it meant instant
death."
I sat down, staring at the dead man, and tried
to collect my senses. So this fiendish criminal,
who slew with poison, had been lurking in Van-
tine's house, and had struck down first Drouet
and then the master of the house himself! But
why — why! It was incredible, astounding, my
brain reeled at the thought. And yet it must be
true!
I looked again at the third victim, and saw a
man roughly dressed, with bushy black hair and
tangled beard; a very giant of a man, whose
physical strength must have been enormous —
and yet it had availed him nothing against that
tiny pin-prick on the hand!
And then a sudden thought brought me bolt
upright.
i


THE BOULE CABINET 247
Pushing the net aside, I saw upon the floor a
little pile of severed cords.
"Yes," I agreed; "he would be able to do
that. Have you noticed his size, Godfrey? He
was almost a giant!"
"He couldn't have done it if Armand hadn't
been willing that he should," retorted Godfrey,
curtly. "You see he had no difficulty in getting
away," and he held up the net and pointed to the
great rents in it. "He cut his way out while he
was lying there — I ought to have known — I
ought to have known he wasn't bound — that he
was only waiting — but it was all so sud-
den ..."
He threw the net down upon the floor with a
gesture of disgust and despair. Then he stopped
in front of the Boule cabinet and looked down at
it musingly; and, after a moment, his face bright-
ened.
The burlap wrappings had been almost wholly
torn away, and the cabinet stood, more insolently
beautiful than ever, it seemed to me, under the
rays of the sun, which sparkled and glittered and
shimmered as they fell upon it.
"But we'll get him, Simmonds," said Godfrey,
and his lips broke into a smile. "In fact, we've


248 THE MYSTERY OF
got him now. We have only to wait, and he'll
walk into our arms. Simmonds, I want you to
lock this cabinet up in the strongest cell around
at your station; and carry the key yourself."
"Lock it up?" stammered Simmonds, staring
at him.
"Yes," said Godfrey, "lock it up. That's our
one salvation!" His face was glowing; he was
quite himself again, alert, confident of victory.
"You're in charge of this ca9e, aren't you? Well,
lock it up, and give your reasons to nobody."
"That'll be easy," laughed Simmonds. "I
haven't got any reasons."
"Oh, yes, you have," and Godfrey bent upon
him a gaze that was positively hypnotic. "You
will do it because I want you to, and because I
tell you that, sooner or later, if you keep this
cabinet safe where no one can get at it, the man
we want will walk into our hands. And I'll tell
you more than that, Simmonds; if we do get him,
I'll have the biggest story I ever had, and you will
be world-famous. France will make you a chev-
alier of the Legion of Honour, Simmonds, mark
my words. Don't you think the ribbon would
look well in your button-hole?"
Simmonds was staring at the speaker as though


THE BOULE CABINET 249
he thought he had suddenly gone mad. Indeed,
the thought flashed through my own brain that
the disappointment, the chagrin of failure, had
been too much for Godfrey.
He burst into laughter as he saw our faces.
“No, I'm not mad,” he said, more soberly;
" and I'm not joking. I'm speaking in deadly
earnest, Simmonds, when I say that this fellow
is the biggest catch we could make. He's the
greatest criminal of modern times — I repeat it,
Lester, this time without qualification. And now,
perhaps, you'll agree with me.”
And with Armand, so finished, so self-poised,
so distinguished, in my mind, and the body of his
latest victim before my eyes, I nodded gloomily.
"But who is he?" I asked. “Do you know
who he is, Godfrey ? ”
“There's the ambulance,” broke in Simmonds,
å's a knock came at the street door, and he hur-
ried down to open it.
“Come on, Lester," and Godfrey hooked his
arm through mine. “There's nothing more we
can do here. We'll go down the back way. I've
had enough excitement for the time being -
haven't you?”
“I certainly have," I agreed, and he led the


CHAPTER XXI
GODFREY WEAVES A ROMANCE
vas
I had begun to fear that Godfrey was going to
disappoint me, so late it was before his welcome
knock came at my door that night. I hastened
to let him in, and I could tell by the sigh of re-
lief with which he sank into a chair that he was
thoroughly weary.
" It does me good to come in here occasionally
and have a talk with you, Lester,” he said, ac-
cepting the cigar I offered him. “I find it rest-
ful after a hard day," and he smiled across at
me good-humouredly.
“How you keep it up I don't see,” I said.
“ This one case has nearly given me nervous pros-
tration."
“Well, I don't often strike one as strenuous
as this," and he settled back comfortably. “As
a matter of fact, I haven't had one for a long
time that even touches it. There is nothing really
mysterious about most crimes.”
“ This one is certainly mysterious enough,” I
remarked.
251 .


252 THE MYSTERY OF
"What makes It mysterious," Godfrey ex-
plained, "is the apparent lack of motive. As
soon as one learns the motive for a crime, one
learns also who committed it. But where the
motive can't be discovered, it is mighty hard to
make any progress."
"It isn't only lack of motive which makes it
mysterious," I commented; " it's everything about
it. I can't understand either why it was done or
how it was done. When I get to thinking about
it, I feel as though I were wandering around
and around in a maze, from which I can never es-
cape."
"Oh, yes, you'll escape, Lester," said Godfrey,
quietly, "and that before very longA.
"If you have an explanation, Godfrey," I pro-
tested, "for heaven's sake tell me! Don't keep
me in the maze an instant longer than is neces-
sary. I've been thinking about it till my
brain feels like a snarl of tangled thread.
Do you mean to say you know what it is all
about?"
"1 Know' is perhaps a little strong. There
isn't much in this world that we really know.
Suppose we say that I strongly suspect." He
paused a moment, his eyes on the ceiling. "You


THE BOULE CABINET 253
know you've accused me of romancing sometimes,
Lester — the other evening, for instance; yet that
romance has come true."
"I take it all back," I said, meekly.
"There's another thing these talks do," con-
tinued Godfrey, going off Father at a tangent,
"and that is to clarify my ideas. You don't
know how it helps me to state my case to you and
to try to answer your objections. Your being a
lawyer makes you unusually quick to see objec-
tions, and a lawyer is always harder to convince
of a thing than the ordinary man. You are ac-
customed to weighing evidence; and so I never
allow myself to be convinced of a theory until I
have convinced you. Not always, even then,"
he added, with a smile.
"Well, I'm glad I'm of some use," I said, "if
it is only as a sort of file for you to sharpen your
wits on. So please go ahead and romance some
more. Tell me first how you and Simmonds came
to be following Armand."
"Simply because I had found out he wasn't
Armand. Felix Armand is in Paris at this
moment. You were too credulous, Lester."
"Why, I never had any doubt of his being
Armand," I stammered. "He knew about my


THE BOULE CABINET 255
swer to it; a third was, that, had the cable been
received, it would not have been understood, be-
cause the Armands' books show that this cabinet
was bought by Philip Vantine for the sum of
fifteen thousand francs."
“Not this one!” I protested.
“Yes; this one. And it was cheap at the price.
Of course, the Armands knew nothing about the
Montespan story — they were simply selling at a
profit."
“But I don't understand!” I stammered.
“Vantine told me himself that he did not buy that
cabinet.”
“Nor did he. But somebody bought it in his
name and directed that it be sent forward to him."
“And paid fifteen thousand francs for it?"
“ Certainly — and paid fifteen thousand francs
to the Armands."
“Rather an expensive present," I said, feebly,
for my brain was beginning to whirl again.
"Oh, it wasn't intended as a present. The
purchaser planned to reclaim it - but Vantine's
death threw him out. If it hadn't been for that
— for an accident which no one could foresee —
everything would have gone along smoothly and
no one would ever have been the wiser."
no
ne 1


256 THE MYSTERY OF
"But what was his object? Was he trying to
evade the duty?"
"Oh, nothing so small as that! Besides, he
would have had to refund the duty to Vantine.
Did he refund it to you?"
"No," I said, "I didn't think there was any
to refund. Vantine really paid the duty only
on the cabinet he purchased, since that was the
one shown on his manifest. The other fellow
must have paid the duty on the cabinet he brought
in; so I didn't see that there was anything coming
to Vantine's estate. There is probably something
due the government, for the cabinet Vantine
brought in was, of course, much more valuable
than his manifest showed."
"No doubt of that; and the other cabinet is
the one which Vantine really purchased. It was,
of course, sent forward to this other fellow's ad-
dress, here in New York. His plan is evident
enough — to call upon Vantine, as the represen-
tative of the Armands, or perhaps as the owner
of the Montespan cabinet, and make the exchange.
Vantine's death spoiled that, and he had to make
the exchange through you. Even then, he would
have been able to pull it off but for the fact that
Vantine's death and that of Drouet had called


THE BOULE CABINET 257
our attention to the cabinet; we followed him,
and the incidents of this afternoon ensued."
"And he accomplished all this by means of a
confederate in the employ of the Armands?"
"No doubt of it. The clerk who made the
supposed sale to Vantine and got a commission on
it, resigned suddenly two days ago — just as soon
as he had intercepted your cable and answered it.
The Paris police are looking for him, but I doubt
if they'll find him."
I paused to think this over; and then a sudden
impatience seized me.
"That's all clear enough," I said. "The cab-
inets might have been exchanged just as you say
they were — no doubt you are right — but all
that doesn't lead us anywhere. Why were they
exchanged? What is there about that Boule cab-
inet which makes this unknown willing to do mur-
der for it? Does he think those letters are still
in it?"
"He knows they are not in it now — you told
him. Before that, he knew nothing about the
letters. If he had known of them, he would
have had them out before the cabinet was
shipped."
"What is it, then?" I demanded. "And,


26o THE MYSTERY OF
are fairly honest and yet tell white lies on oc-
casion, who succumb to temptation now and then;
who temporise and compromise, and try to lead
a comfortable and quiet life. I repeat, Lester,
that this fellow is a great criminal, and that he
finds life infinitely more engrossing than either
you or I. I hope I shall meet him some time —
not in a little skirmish like this, but in an out-and-
out battle. Of course I'd be routed, horse, foot
and dragoons — but it certainly would be inter-
esting! " and he looked at me, his eyes glowing.
"It certainly would!" I agreed. "Go ahead
with your romance."
"Here it is. This M. Armand is a great crim-
inal, and has, of course, various followers, upon
whom he must rely for the performance of cer-
tain details, since he can be in but one place at a
time. Abject and absolute obedience is neces-
sary to his success, and he compels obedience in
the only way in which it can be compelled among
criminals — by fear. For disobedience, there is
but one punishment — death. And the manner
of the death is so certain and so mysterious as to
be almost supernatural. For deserters and trai-
tors are found to have died, inevitably and invari-


THE BOULE CABINET 261
ably, from the effects of an insignificant wound
on the right hand, just above the knuckles."
I was listening intently now, as you may well
believe, for I began to see whither the romance
was tending.
"It is by this secret," Godfrey continued, " that
Armand preserves his absolute supremacy. But
occasionally the temptation is too great, and one
of his men deserts. Armand sends this cabinet
to America. He knows that in this case the temp-
tation is very great indeed; he fears treachery,
and he arranges in the cabinet a mechanism which
will inflict death upon the traitor in precisely the
same way in which he himself inflicts it — by
means of a poisoned stab in the right hand. Im-
agine the effect upon his gang. He is nowhere
near when the act of treachery is performed, and
yet the traitor dies instantly and surely! Why, it
was a tremendous idea! And it was carried out
with absolute genius."
"But," I questioned, "what act of treachery
was it that Armand feared?"
"The opening of the secret drawer."
"Then you still believe in the poisoned mechan-
ism?"


262 THE MYSTERY OF
"I certainly do. The tragedy of this after-
noon proves the truth of the theory."
"I don't see it," I said, helplessly.
"Why, Lester," protested Godfrey, "it's as
plain as day. Who was that bearded giant who
was killed? The traitor, of course. We will
find that he was a member of Armand's gang.
He followed Armand to America, lay in wait for
him, caught him in the net and bound him hand
and foot. Do you suppose for an instant that
Armand was ignorant of his presence in that
house? Do you suppose he would have been able
to take Armand prisoner if Armand had not been
willing that he should?"
"I don't see how Armand could help himself
after that fellow got his hands on him."
"You don't? And yet you saw yourself that
he was not really bound — that he had cut him-
self loose!"
"That is true," I said, thoughtfully.
"Let us reconstruct the story," Godfrey went
on rapidly. "The traitor discovers the secret of
the cabinet; he follows Armand to New York,
shadows him to the house on Seventh Avenue,
waits for him there, and seizes and binds him.
He is half mad with triumph — he chants a crazy


THE BOULE CABINET 263
sing-song about revenge, revenge, revenge! And,
in order that the triumph may be complete, he
does not kill his prisoner at once. He rolls him
into a corner and proceeds to rip away the bur-
lap. His triumph will be to open the secret
drawer before Armand's eyes. And Armand lies
there in the corner, his eyes gleaming, because it
is really the moment of his triumph which is at
hand!”
"The moment of his triumph?” I repeated.
“What do you mean by that, Godfrey ? "
“I mean that, the instant the traitor opened
the drawer, he would be stabbed by the poisoned
mechanism! It was for that that Armand
waited!”
I lay back in my chair with a gasp of amaze-
ment and admiration. I had been blind not to
see it! Armand had merely to lie still and per-
mit the traitor to walk into the trap prepared
for him. No wonder his eyes had glowed as he
lay there watching that frenzied figure at the cab-
inet!
" It was not until the last moment,” Godfrey
went on, “when the traitor was bending above
the cabinet feeling for the spring, that I realised
what was about to happen. There was no time


264 THE MYSTERY OF
for hesitation — I sprang into the room. Ar-
mand vanished in an instant, and the giant also
tried to escape; but I caught him at the door. I
had no idea of his danger; I had no thought that
Armand would dare linger. And yet he did.
Now that it is too late, I understand. He had
to kill that man; there were no two ways about
it. Whatever the risk, he had to kill him."
"But why? » I asked. "Why?"
"To seal his lips. If we had captured him,
do you suppose Armand's secret would have been
safe for an instant? So he had to kill him — he
had to kill him with the poisoned barb — and he
did kill him, and got away into the bargain!
Never in my life have I felt so like a fool as when
that door was slammed in my face!"
"Perhaps he had that prepared, too," I sug-
gested timidly, ready to believe anything of this
extraordinary man. "Perhaps he knew that we
were there, all the time."
"Of course he did," assented Godfrey grimly.
"Why else would there be a snap-lock on the out-
side of the door? And to think I didn't see it!
To think that I was fool enough to suppose that
I could follow him about the streets of New York
without his knowing it! He knew from the first


THE BOULE CABINET 265
that he might be followed, and prepared for It!"
"But it's incredible!" I protested feebly.
"It's incredible!"
"Nothing is incredible in connection with that
man!"
"But the risk — think of the risk he ran!"
"What does he care for risks? He despises
them — and rightly. He got away, didn't he?"
"Yes," I said, "he got away; there's no ques-
tion of that, I guess."
"Well, that is the story of this afternoon's
tragedy, as I understand it," proceeded Godfrey,
more calmly. "And now I'm going to leave you.
I want you to think it over. If it doesn't hold
together, show me where it doesn't. But it will
hold together — it has to — because it's true!"
"But how about Armand?" I protested.
"Aren't you going to try to capture him? Are
you going to let him get away?"
"He won't get away!" and Godfrey's eyes
were gleaming again. "We don't have to search
for him; for we've got our trap, Lester, and it's
baited with a bait he can't resist — the Boule cab-
inet!"
"But he knows it's a trap."
"Of course he knows it!"


266 THE MYSTERY OF
"And you really think he will walk into it?"
I asked incredulously.
"I know he will! One of these days, he will
try to get that cabinet out of the steel cell at the
Twenty-third Street station, in which we have it
locked!"
I shook my head.
"He's no such fool," I said. "No man is such
a fool as that. He'll give it up and go quietly
back to Paris."
"Not if he's the man I think he is," said God-
frey, his hand on the door. "He will never give
upl Just wait, Lester; we shall know in a day or
two which of us is a true prophet. The only thing
I am afraid of," he added, his face clouding, " is
that he'll get away with the cabinet, in spite of
us!"
And he went away down the hall, leaving me
staring after him.


268 THE MYSTERY OF
added, would sail at once for Havre on La
Savoie.
Meanwhile, Grady's men, with Simmonds at
their head, strained every nerve to discover the
whereabouts of the fugitive; a net was thrown
over the entire city, but, while a number of fish
were captured, the one which the police particu-
larly wished for was not among them. Not a
single trace of the fugitive was discovered; he had
vanished absolutely, and, after a day or two,
Grady asserted confidently that he had left New
York.
For Grady had come back into the case again,
goaded by the papers, particularly by the Record,
to efforts which he must have considered super-
human. The remarkable nature of the mystery,
its picturesque and unique features, the fact that
three men had been killed within a few days in
precisely the same manner, and the absence of any
reasonable hypothesis to explain these deaths —
all this served to rivet public attention. Every
amateur detective in the country had a theory to
exploit — and far-fetched enough most of them
were!
Grady did a lot of talking in those days, ex-
plaining in detail the remarkable measures he was


THE BOULE CABINET 269
taking to capture the criminal; but the fact re-
mained that three men had been killed, and that
no one had been punished; that a series of crimes
had been committed, and that the criminal was
still at large, and seemed likely to remain so; and,
naturally enough, the papers, having exhausted
every other phase of the case, were soon echoing
public sentiment that something was wrong some-
where, and that the detective bureau needed an
overhauling, beginning at the top.
The Boule cabinet remained locked up in a cell
at the Twenty-third Street station; and Simmonds
kept the key in his pocket. I know now that he
was as much in the dark concerning the cabinet
as the general public was; and the general public
was very much in the dark indeed, for the cabinet
had not figured in the accounts of the first two
tragedies at all, and only incidentally in the re-
ports of the latest one. As far as it was con-
cerned, the affair seemed clear enough to most
of the reporters, as an attempt to smuggle into
the country an art object of great value. Such
cases were too common to attract especial atten-
tion.
But Simmonds had come to see that Grady was
tottering on his throne; he realised, perhaps, that


THE BOULE CABINET 271
nected with an automatic alarm over the sergeant's
desk in the front room; a cell, in short, from which
no man could possibly escape, and which no man
could possibly enter unobserved.
Of the Boule cabinet itself Godfrey said little,
saving his story for the denouement which he
seemed so sure would come; but the details which I
have given above were dwelt upon in the Record,
'until, happening to meet Godfrey on the street
one day, I protested that he would only succeed
in frightening the fugitive away altogether, even
if he still had any designs on the cabinet,
which I very much doubted. But Godfrey only
laughei.
"There's not the slightest danger of fright-
ening him away," he said. "This fellow isn't
that kind. If I am right in sizing him up, he's
the sort of dare-devil whom an insuperable dif-
ficulty only attracts. The harder the job, the
more he is drawn to it. That's the reason I am
making this one just as hard as I can."
"But a man would be a fool to attempt to get
to that cabinet," I protested. "It's simply im-
possible."
"It looks impossible, I'm free to admit," he
agreed. "But, just the same, I wake every morn-


272 THE MYSTERY OF
ing cold with fear, and run to the 'phone to make
sure the cabinet's safe. If I could think of any
further safeguards, I would certainly employ
them."
I looked at Godfrey searchingly, for it seemed
to me that he must be jesting. He smiled as he
caught my glance.
"I was never more in earnest in my life, Les-
ter," he said. "You don't appreciate this fellow
as I do. He's a genius; nothing is impossible to
him. He disdains easy jobs; when he thinks a
job is too easy, he makes it harder, just as a sport-
ing chance. He has been known to warn people
that they kept their jewels too carelessly, and
then, after they had put them in a safer place,
he would go and take them."
"That seems rather foolish, doesn't it?" I
queried.
"Not from his point of view. He doesn't steal
because he needs money, but because he needs ex-
citement."
"You know who he is, then?" I demanded.
"I think I do — I hope I do; but I am not go-
ing to tell even you till I'm sure. I'll say this
— if he is who I think he is, it would be a de-
light to match one's brains with his. We haven't


THE BOULE CABINET 273
got any one like him over here — which is a
pity!"
I was inclined to doubt this, for I have no
romantic admiration for gentlemen burglars, even
in fiction. However picturesque and chivalric, a
thief is, after all, a thief. Perhaps it is my train-
ing as a lawyer, or perhaps I am simply narrow,
but crime, however brilliantly carried out, seems
to me a sordid and unlovely thing. I know quite
well that there are many people who look at these
things from a different angle. Godfrey is one of
them.
I pointed out to him now that, if his intuitions
were correct, he would soon have a chance to
match his wits with those of the Great Unknown.
"Yes," he agreed, "and I'm scared to death
— I have been ever since I began to suspect his
identity. I feel like a tyro ^going up against a
master in a game of chess — mate in six moves!"
"I shouldn't consider you exactly a tyro," I
said, drily.
"It's long odds that the Great Unknown will,"
Godfrey retorted, and bade me good-bye.
Except for that chance meeting, I saw nothing
of him, and in this I was disappointed, for there
were many things about the whole affair which


274
THE MYSTERY OF
I did not understand. In fact, when I sat down
of an evening and lit my pipe and began to think
it over, I found that I understood nothing at all.
Godfrey's theory held together perfectly, so far
as I could see, but it led nowhere. How had
Drouet and Vantine been killed ? Why had they
been killed? What was the secret of the cabinet?
In a word, what was all this mystery about?
Not one of these questions could I answer; and the
solutions I guessed at seemed so absurd that I dis-
missed them in disgust. In the end, I found that
the affair was interfering with my work, and I
banished it from my mind, turning my face reso-
lutely away from it whenever it tried to break into
my thoughts.
But though I could shut it out of my waking
hours successfully enough, I could not control my
sleeping ones, and my dreams became more and
more horrible. Always there was the serpent with
dripping fangs, sometimes with Armand's head,
sometimes with a face unknown to me, but hideous
beyond description; its slimy body glittered with
inlay and arabesque; its scaly legs were curved
like those of the Boule cabinet; sometimes the
golden sun glittered on its forehead like a great
eye. Over and over again I saw this monster


280 THE MYSTERY OF
police with every crime which proved too much
for them. Now, however, it seemed that Cro-
chard really existed; I held his letter in my hand;
I had even talked with him — and as I remem-
bered the fascination, the finish, the distinguished
culture of M. Felix Armand, I understood some-
thing of the reason of his extraordinary reputa-
tion.
"There can be no two opinions about him,"
said Godfrey, reaching out his hand for the letter
and sinking back in his chair to contemplate it.
"Crochard is one of the greatest criminals who
ever lived, full of imagination and resource, and
with a sense of humour most acute. I have fol-
lowed his career for years — it was this fact that
gave me my first clue. He killed a man once be-
fore, just as he killed this last one. The man had
betrayed him to the police. He was never betrayed
again."
"What a fiend he must be!" I said, with a
shudder.
But Godfrey shook his head quickly.
"Don't get that idea of him," he protested
earnestly. "Up to the -time of his arrival in
New York, he had never killed any man except
that traitor. Him he had a certain right to kill


THE BOULE CABINET
281
- according to thieves' ethics, anyway. His
own life has been in peril scores of times, but he
has never killed a man to save himself. Put that
down to his credit."
“But Drouet and Vantine," I objected.
"An accident for which he was in no way re-
sponsible," said Godfrey promptly.
“You mean he didn't kill them?”
"Most certainly not. This last man he did
kill was a traitor like the first. Crochard, I think,
reasons like this; to kill an adversary is too easy;
it is too brutal; it lacks finesse. Besides, it re-
moves the adversary. And without adversaries,
Crochard's life would be of no interest to him.
After he had killed his last adversary, he would
have to kill himself."
“I can't understand a man like that," I said.
"Well, look at this,” said Godfrey, and
tapped the letter again. “He honours me by
considering me an adversary. Does he seek to
remove me? On the contrary, he gives me a
handicap. He takes off his queen in order that it
may be a little more difficult to mate me!”
“But, surely, Godfrey,” I protested, "you
don't take that letter seriously! If he wrote it
at all, he wrote it merely to throw you off the
rem


CHAPTER XXIII
WE MEET M. PIGOT
I WAS just getting ready to leave the office the
next afternoon when Godfrey called me up.
"How are you feeling to-day, Lester?" he
asked.
"Not as fit as I might," I said.
"Have you arranged to start on that vacation
Thursday?"
"I don't think that's a good joke, Godfrey."
"It isn't a joke at all. I want you to arrange
it. But meanwhile, how would you like a whiff
of salt air this evening?"
"First rate. How will I get it?"
"The Savoie will get to quarantine about six
o'clock. I'm going down on our boat to meet
her. I want to have a talk with Inspector Pigot
— the French detective. Will you come along?"
"Will I!" I said. "Where shall I meet
you?"
"At the foot of Liberty Street, at five o'clock."
"I'll be there," I promised. And I was.
The boat was cast loose as soon as we got
284


THE BOULE CABINET 285'
aboard, backed out into the busy river, her whistle
shrieking shrilly, then swung about and headed
down stream. It was a fast boat — the Record,
which prided itself on outdistancing its contem-
poraries in other directions, would of course try
to do so in this —r- and when she got fairly into
her stride, with her engines throbbing rhyth-
mically, the shore on either hand slipped past us
rapidly.
The New York sky-line, as seen from the river,
is one of the wonders of the world, and I stood
looking at it until we swung out into the bay.
There were two other men on board — the regu-
lar ship reporters, I suppose — and Godfrey had
gone into the cabin with them to talk over some
detail of the evening's work; so I went forward to
the bow, where I would get the full benefit of the
salt breeze, with the taste of it on my lips. The
Statue of Liberty was just ahead, and already the
great search-light in her torch was winking across
the water. Craft innumerable crossed and re-
crossed, their lights reflected in the waves, and
far ahead, a little to the left, I could see the white
glow against the sky which marked the position of
Coney Island.
Godfrey joined me presently, and we stood


THE BOULE CABINET 287
The Savote had by this time slowed down until
she was just holding her own against the tide, and
one of her lower ports swung open. A moment
later, a boat puffed up beside her, made fast, and
three or four men clambered aboard and disap-
peared through the port.
"There go the doctors," said Godfrey. "And
there is that French boat going alongside."
The tug from quarantine dropped astern and
the French yacht took her place. After a short
colloquy, one man from her was helped aboard
the Savoie. Then it was our turn, and after
what seemed to me a tremendous swishing and
swirling at imminent risk of collision, we swung
up to the open port, a line was flung out and made
fast, and a moment later Godfrey and I and the
other two men were aboard the liner.
My companions exchanged greetings with the
officer in charge of the open port, and then we
hurried forward along a narrow corridor, smelling
of rubber and heated metal, then up stair after
stair, until at last we came to the main compan-
ionway. Here the two men left us, to seek cer-
tain distinguished passengers, I suppose, whose
views upon the questions of the day were (pre-
sumably) anxiously awaited by an expectant puh-


288 THE MYSTERY OF
lie. Godfrey stopped in front of the purser's
office, and passed his card through the little
window to the man inside the cage.
"I should like to see M. Pigot, of the Paris
Service du Surete," he said. "Perhaps you will
be so kind as to have a steward take my card to
him?"
"That is unnecessary, sir," replied the purser,
courteously. "That is M. Pigot yonder — the
gentleman with the white hair, with his back to
us. You will have to wait for a moment, how-
ever; the gentleman speaking with him is from
the French consulate, and has but this moment
come aboard."
I could not see Inspector Pigot's face, but I
could see that he held himself very erect, in a man-
ner bespeaking military training. The messenger
from the legation was a youngish man, with waxed
moustache and wearing an eyeglass. He was
greeting M. Pigot at the moment, and, after a
word or two, produced from an inside pocket an
official-looking envelope, tied with red tape and
secured with an immense red seal.
M. Pigot looked at it an instant, while his com-
panion added a sentence in his ear; then, with a
nod of assent, the detective turned down one of


THE BOULE CABINET 289
the passage-ways, the other man at his heels.
"Official business, no doubt," commented the
purser, who had also been watching this little
scene. "M. Pigot is one of the best 'of our of-
ficers, and you will find it a pleasure to talk with
him. He will no doubt soon be disengaged."
"Yes, but meanwhile my esteemed contem-
poraries will arrive," said Godfrey, with a gri-
mace. "They are on my heels — here they are
nowl"
In fact, for the next twenty minutes, reporters
from the other papers kept arriving, till there was
quite a crowd before the purser's office. And
from nearly every paper a special man had been
detailed to interview M. Pigot. Evidently all
the papers were alive to the importance of the sub-
ject. There was some good-natured chaffing, and
then one of the stewards was bribed to carry the
cards of the assembled multitude to M. Pigot's
stateroom, with the request for an audience.
The steward went away laughing, and came
back presently to say that M. Pigot would be
pleased to see us in a few minutes. But when
five minutes more passed and he did not appear,
impatience broke out anew. The lords of the
press were not accustomed to being kept waiting.


29o THE MYSTERY OF
"I move we storm his castle," suggested the
World man.
And just then, M. Pigot himself stepped out
into the companionway. In an instant he was
surrounded.
"My good friends of the press," he said,
speaking slowly, but with only the faintest accent,
and he smiled around at the faces bent upon him.
"You will pardon me for keeping you in wait-
ing, but I had some matters of the first impor-
tance to attend to; and also my bag to pack.
Steward," he added, "you will find my bag out-
side my door. Please bring it here, so that I may
be ready to go ashore at once." The steward
hurried away, and M. Pigot turned back to us.
"Now, gentlemen," he went on, "what is it that
I can do for you?"
It was to Godfrey that the position of spokes-
man naturally fell.
"We wish first to welcome you to America,
M. Pigot," he said, "and to hope that you will
have a pleasant and interesting stay in our
country."
"You are most kind," responded the French-
man, with a charming smile. "I am sure that I
shall find it most interesting — especially your


THE BOULE CABINET 291
wonderful city, of which I have heard many mar-
vellous things."
"And in the next place," continued Godfrey,
"we hope that, with your assistance, our police
may be able to solve the mystery surrounding the
death of the three men recently killed here, and
to arrest the murderer. Of themselves, they
seem to be able to do nothing."
M. Pigot spread out his hands with a little de-
precating gesture.
"I also hope we may be successful," he said;
"but if your police have not been, my poor help
will be of little account. I have a profound ad-
miration for your police; the results which they
accomplish are wonderful, when one considers the
difficulties under which they labour."
He spoke with an accent so sincere that I was
almost convinced he meant every word of it; but
Godfrey only smiled.
"It is a proverb," he said, "that the French
police are the best in the world. You, no doubt,
have a theory in regard to the death of these
men?"
"I fear it is impossible, sir," said M. Pigot,
regretfully, "to answer that question at present,
or to discuss this case with you. I have my re-


294 THE MYSTERY OF
looked over your papers, I'll show you Broadway,
and I'll bet you agree with me that it beats any-
thing in gay Paree. Our boat's waiting, and we
can start right away. This your bag? Yes?
Bring it along, Simmonds," and Grady started for
the stair.
But the attentive steward got ahead of Sim-
monds.
M. Pigot turned to us with a little smile.
"Till to-morrow, gentlemen," he said. "I
shall be at the Hotel Astor, and shall be glad to
see you — shall we say at eleven o'clock? I am
truly sorry that I can tell you nothing to-night."
He shook hands with the purser, waved his
hand to us, and joined Grady, who was watching
these amenities with evident impatience. To-
gether they disappeared down the stair.
"A contrast in manners, was it not, gentle-
men?" asked Godfrey, looking about him.
"Didn't you blush for America?"
The men laughed, for they knew he was
after Grady, and yet it was evident enough that
they agreed with him.
"Come on, Lester," he added; "we might as
well be getting back. I can send the boat down
again after the other boys," and he turned down
the stair.


298 THE MYSTERY OF
"Piggott is certainly a wonder," he said. "A
regular sport — wanted to see everything and
taste everything. He says Paris ain't in the same
class with this town."
"Where are you going now?" I asked.
"We're going round to the station. Piggott
says he's got a sensation up his sleeve for us —
it's got something to do with that cabinet."
"With the cabinet?"
"Yes — that shiny thing Godfrey got me to
lock up in a cell."
"Simmonds," I said, seriously, " does Godfrey
know about this?"
"No," said Simmonds, looking a little uncom-
fortable. "I told Grady we ought to 'phone him
to come up, but the chief got mad and told me to
mind my own business. Godfrey's been after
him, you know, for a long time."
"Suppose I 'phone him," I suggested.
"There'd be no objection to that, would there?"
"/ won't object," said Simmonds, " and I don't
know who else will, since nobody else will know
about it."
"All right. And drag out the preliminaries
as long as you can, to give him a chance to get up
here."


THE BOULE CABINET 299
Simmonds nodded.
"I'll do what I can," he agreed, "but I don't
see what good it will do. The chief won't let
him in, even if he does come up."
"We'll have to leave that to Godfrey. But he
ought to be told. He's responsible for the cab-
inet being where it is."
"I know he is, and Piggott says it was a mighty
wise thing to put it there, though I'm blessed if I
know why. Hurry Godfrey along as much as
you can. Good-night," and he followed his com-
panions into the station.
There was a drugstore at the corner with a
public telephone station, and two minutes later,
I was asking to be connected with the city-room at
the Record office.
No, said a supercilious voice, Mr. Godfrey was
not there; he had left some time before; no, the
speaker did not know where he was going, nor
when he would be back.
"Look here," I said, "this is important. I
want to talk to the city editor — and be quick
about it."
There was an instant's astonished silence.
"What name?" asked the voice.
"Lester, of Royce and Lester — and you


300 THE MYSTERY OF
might tell your city editor that Godfrey is a close
friend of mine."
The city editor seemed to understand, for I was
switched on to him a moment later. But he was
scarcely more satisfactory.
"We sent Godfrey up into Westchester to see
a man," he said, "on a tip that looked pretty
good. He started just as soon as he got his Pigot
story written, and he ought to be back almost any
time. Is there a message I can give him?"
"Yes — tell him Pigot is at the Twenty-third
Street station, and that he'd better come up as
soon as he can."
"Very good. I'll give him the message the
moment he comes in."
"Thank you," I said, but the disappointment
was a bitter one.
In the street again, I paused hesitatingly at the
curb, my eyes on the red light of the police sta-
tion. What was about to happen there? What
was the sensation M. Pigot had up his sleeve?
Had I any excuse for being present?
And then, remembering Grady's nod and his
wobbly legs — remembering, too, that, at the
worst, he could only put me out! — I turned to-
ward the light, pushed open the door and entered.


THE BOULE CABINET 301
There was no one in sight except the sergeant
at the desk.
"My name is Lester," I said. "You have a
cabinet here belonging to the estate of the late
Philip Vantine."
"We've got a cabinet, all right; but I don't
know who it belongs to."
"It belongs to Mr. Vantine's estate."
"Well, what about it?" he asked, looking at
me to see if I was drunk. "You haven't come
in here at midnight to tell me that, I hope?"
"No; but I'd like to see the cabinet a min-
ute."
"You can't see it to-night. Come around to-
morrow. Besides, I don't know you."
"Here's my card. Either Mr. Simmonds or
Mr. Grady would know me. And to-morrow
won't do."
The sergeant took the card, looked at it, and
looked at me.
"Wait a minute," he said, at last, and disap-
peared through a door at the farther side of the
room. He was gone three or four minutes, and
the station-clock struck twelve as I stood there.
I counted the sonorous, deliberate strokes, and
then, in the silence that followed, my hands began


THE BOULE CABINET 303
"Did you just happen to think of this in the
middle of the night?" he inquired quizzically.
"No," I said, boldly; " but I saw you and Mr.
Simmonds and this gentleman " — with a bow Xo
M. Pigot —" turn in here a moment ago, and it
occurred to me that the cabinet might have some-
thing to do with your visit. Of course, we don't
want the cabinet injured. It is very valuable."
"Don't worry," said Grady, easily, "we're not
going to injure it. And I think we'll be ready to
surrender it to you at any time after to-
night. Moosseer Piggott here wants to do a few
tricks with it first. I suppose you have a certain
right to be present — so, if you like sleight-of-
hand, sit down."
I hastily sought a chair, my heart singing within
me. Then I attempted to assume a mask of in-
difference, for M. Pigot was obviously annoyed
at my presence, and I feared for a moment that
his Gallic suavity would be strained to breaking.
But Grady, if he noticed his guest's annoyance,
paid no heed to it; and I began to suspect that
the Frenchman's courtesy and good-breeding had
ended by rubbing Grady the wrong way, they were
in such painful contrast to his own hob-nailed
manners. Whatever the cause, there was a cer-


304
THE MYSTERY OF
tain malice in the smile he turned upon the
Frenchman.
“And now, Moosseer Piggott," he said, set-
tling back in his chair a little farther, “ we're ready
for the show."
"What I have to tell you, sir," began M.
Pigot, in a voice as hard as steel and cold as ice,
"has, understand well, to be told in confidence.
It must remain between ourselves until the crim-
inal is secured."
Grady's smile hardened a little. Perhaps he
did not like the imperatives. At any rate, he ig.
nored the hint.
“Understand, Mr. Lester?” he asked, looking
at me, and I nodded.
I saw Pigot's eyes flame and his face flush with
anger, for Grady's tone was almost insulting.
For an instant I thought that he would refuse to
proceed; but he controlled himself.
Standing there facing me, in the full light, it
was possible for me to examine him much more
closely than had been possible on board the boat,
and I looked at him with interest. He was
typically French,— smooth-shaven, with a face
seamed with little wrinkles and very white, eyes
shadowed by enormously bushy lashes, and close-


THE BOULE CABINET 305
cropped hair as white as his face. But what at-
tracted me most was the mouth — a mouth at once
delicate and humourous, a little large and with the
lips full enough to betoken vigour, yet not too full
for fineness. He was about sixty years of age, I
guessed; and there was about him the air of a man
who had passed through a hundred remarkable ex-
periences, without once losing his aplomb. Cer-
tainly he was not going to lose it now.
"The story which I have to relate," he began
in his careful English, clipping his words a little
now and then, "has to do with the theft of the
famous Michaelovitch diamonds. .You may, per-
haps, remember the case."
I remembered it, certainly, for the robbery had
been conceived and carried out with such brilliancy
and daring that its details had at once arrested my
attention — to say nothing of the fact that the
diamonds, which formed the celebrated collection
belonging to the Grand Duke Michael, of Russia,
— sojourning in Paris because unappreciated in his
native land and also because of the supreme at-
traction of the French capital to one of his tem-
perament— were valued at something like eight
million francs.
"That theft," continued M. Pigot, "was ac-


306 THE MYSTERY OF
complished in a manner at once so bold and so
unique that we were certain it could be the work of
but a single man — a rascal named Crochard,
who calls himself also 1 The Invincible '— a rascal
who has given us very great trouble, but whom we
have never been able to convict. In this case, we
had against him no direct evidence; we subjected
him to an interrogation and found that he had
taken care to provide a perfect alibi; so we were
compelled to release him. We knew that it would
be quite useless to arrest him unless we should
find some of the stolen jewels in his posses-
sion. He appeared as usual upon the boulevards,
at the cafes, everywhere. He laughed in our
faces. For us, it was not pleasant; but our law
is strict. For us to accuse a man, to arrest him,
and then to be compelled to own ourselves mis-
taken, is a very serious matter. But we did what
we could. We kept Crochard under constant sur-
veillance; we searched his rooms and those of his
mistress not once but many times. On one oc-
casion, when he passed the barrier at Vincennes,
our agents fell upon him and searched him, under
pretence of robbing him.
"He was, understand well, not for an instant
deceived. He knew thoroughly what we were


THE BOULE CABINET 307
doing, for what we were searching. He knew
also that nowhere in Europe would he dare to at-
tempt to sell a single one of those jewels. We
suspected that he would attempt to bring them to
this country, and we warned your department of
customs. For we knew that here he could sell all
but the very largest not only almost without
danger, but at a price far greater than he could
obtain for them in Europe. We closed every ave-
nue to him, as we thought — and then, all at once,
he disappeared.
"For two weeks we heard nothing — then came
the story of this man Drouet, killed by a stab on
the hand. At once we recognised the work of
Crochard, for he alone of living men possesses
the secret of the poison of the Medici. It is a
fearful secret, which, in his whole life, he had used
but once — and that upon a man who had betrayed
him."
M. Pigot paused and passed his hand across his
forehead.
41 We were at a loss to understand Crochard's
connection with Drouet," M. Pigot continued.
"Drouet, while a mere hanger-on of the cafes of
the boulevards, was not a criminal. Then came
the death of that creature Morel, in an effort to


3o8 THE MYSTERY OF
gain possession of this cabinet, and we began to
understand. We made inquiries concerning the
cabinet; we learned its history, and the secret of its
construction, and we arrived at a certain conclu-
sion. It was to ascertain if that conclusion is cor-
rect that I came to America."
"What is the conclusion ?" queried Grady, who
had listened to all this with a manifest impatience
in strong contrast to my own absorbed interest.
For I had already guessed what the conclusion
was, and my pulses were bounding with excite-
ment.
"Our theory," replied M. Pigot, without the
slightest acceleration of speech, "is that the Mi-
chaelovitch diamonds are concealed in this cabinet.
Everything points to it — and we shall soon see."
As he spoke, he drew from his pocket a steel
gauntlet, marvellously like the one Godfrey had
used, and slipped it over his right hand.
"When one attempts to fathom the secrets of
U Invincible," he said with a smile, " one must go
armoured. Already three men have paid with
their lives the penalty of their rashness."
"Three men!" repeated Grady, wonderingly.
"Three," and Pigot checked them off upon his
fingers. "First the man who gave his name as


3io THE MYSTERY OF
What secret was safe, I asked myself, from this
astonishing man? Or was he merely piecing to-
gether the whole story from such fragments as
he knew?
"But even yet," I stammered, " I do not under-
stand. We have opened the secret drawer of the
cabinet — there was no poison. How could it
have killed Drouet and Mr. Vantine?"
"Very simply," said M. Pigot, coldly. "Death
came to Drouet and M. Vantine because the maid
of Madame la Duchesse mistook her left hand for
her right. The drawer which contained the let-
ters is at the left of the cabinet — see,!' and he
pressed the series of springs, caught the little
handle, and pulled the drawer open. "You will
notice that the letters are gone, for the drawer
was opened by Madame la Duchesse herself, in the
presence of M. Lestaire, who very gallantly per-
mitted her to resume possession of them. The
drawer which Drouet and M. Vantine opened,"
and here his voice became a little strident under
the stress of great emotion, "is on the right side
of the cabinet, exactly opposite the other, and
opened by a similar combination. But there is one
great difference. About the first drawer, there
is nothing to harm any one; the other is guarded
11


THE BOULE CABINET 311
by the deadliest poison the world has ever known.
Observe me, gentlemen!"
Impelled by an excitement so intense as to be
almost painful, I had risen from my chair and
drawn near to him. As he spoke, he bent above
the desk and pressed three fingers along the right
edge. There was a sharp click, and a section of
the inlay fell outward, forming a handle, just as
I had seen it do on the other side of the desk.
M. Pigot hesitated an instant — any man would
have hesitated before that awful risk ! — then,
catching the handle firmly with his armoured
hand, he drew it quickly out.
There was a sharp clash, as of steel on steel,
and the drawer stood open.


THE BOULE CABINET 313
supposed to be one of the lost arts, but the secret
was rediscovered by this man Crochard. No se-
cret, indeed, is safe from him; criminal history,
criminal memoirs — the mysteries and achieve-
ments of the great confederacy of crime which has
existed for many centuries, and whose existence
few persons even suspect — all this is to him an
open book. It is this which renders him so for-
midable. No man can stand against him. Even
the secret of this drawer was known to him, and
he availed himself of it when need arose."
M. Pigot paused, his head bent in thought; and
I seemed to be gazing with him down long avenues
of crime, extending far into the past — dismal
avenues like those of Pere Lachaise, where tombs
elbowed each other; where, at every step, one
came face to face with a mystery, a secret, or a
tragedy. Only, here, the mysteries were all
solved, the secrets all uncovered, the tragedies all
understood. But only to the elect, to criminals
really great, were these avenues open; to all oth-
ers they were forbidden. Alone of living men,
perhaps, Crochard was free to wander there un-
challenged.
Some such vision as this, I say, passed before
my eyes, and I had a feeling that M. Pigot shared


314 THE MYSTERY OF
in it; but, after an instant, he turned back to the
cabinet.
"Now, M. Simmon," he said, briskly, in an al-
tered voice, " if you will have the kindness to hold
the drawer for a moment in this position, I will
draw the serpent's fangs. There is not the slight-
est danger," he added, seeing that Simmonds very
naturally hesitated.
Thus assured, Simmonds grasped the handle of
the drawer, and held it open, while the Frenchman
took from his pocket a tiny flask of crystal.
"A little farther," he said; and as Simmonds,
with evident effort, drew the drawer out to its
full length, a tiny, two-tined prong pushed itself
forward from underneath the cabinet. "There
are the fangs," said M. Pigot. He held the
mouth of the flask under first one and then the
other, passing his other hand carefully behind and
above them. "The poison is held in place by
what we in French call attraction capillaire — I
do not know the English; but I drive it out by in-
troducing the air behind it — ah, you seel"
He stood erect and held the flask up to the light.
It was half full of the red liquid.
"Enough to decimate France," he said, screwed
the stopper carefully into place, and put the flask


THE BOULE CABINET 315
in his pocket. "Release the drawer, if you
please, monsieur," he added to Simmonds.
It sprang back into place on the instant, the ara-
besqued handle snapping up with a little click.
"You will observe its ingenuity," said M.
Pigot. "It is really most clever. For whenever
the hand, struck by the poisoned fangs, loosened
its hold on the drawer, the drawer sprang shut
as you see, and everything was as before — ex-
cept that one man more had tasted death. Now I
open it. The fangs fall again; they strike the
gauntlet; but for that, they would pierce the hand,
but death no longer follows. By turning this but-
ton, I lock the spring, and the drawer remains
open. The man who devised this mechanism was
so proud of it that he described it in a secret
memoir for the entertainment of the Grand Louis.
There is a copy of that memoir among the ar-
chives of the Bibliotheque Nationale; the original
is owned by Crochard. It was he who connected
that memoir with this cabinet, who rediscovered
the mechanism, rewound the spring, and renewed
the poison. No doubt the stroke with the poi-
soned fangs, which he used to punish traitors, was
the result of reading that memoir."
"This Croshar — or whatever his name is,


3i6 THE MYSTERY OF
— seems to be a 'strordinary feller," observed
Grady, relighting his cigar.
"He is," agreed M. Pigot, quietly; "a most
extraordinary man. But even he is not infallible;
for, since the memoir made no mention of the other
secret drawer — the one in which Madame la
Duchesse concealed her love letters — Crochard
knew nothing of it. It was that fact which de-
feated his combinations — a pure accident which
he could not foresee. And now, gentlemen, it
shall be my pleasure to display before you some
very beautiful brilliants."
Not until that instant had I thought of what the
drawer contained; I had been too fascinated by the
poisoned fangs and by the story told so quietly but
so effectively by the French detective; but now I
perceived that the drawer was filled with little
rolls of cotton, which had been pressed into it quite
tightly.
M. Pigot removed the first of these, unrolled
it and spread it out upon the desk, and instantly
we caught the glitter of diamonds — diamonds
so large, so brilliant, so faultlessly white that I
drew a deep breath of admiration. Even M.
Pigot, evidently as he prided himself upon his im-
perturbability, could not look upon those gems


THE BOULE CABINET 317
wholly unmoved; a slow colour crept into his
cheeks as he gazed down at them, and he picked up
one or two of the larger ones to admire them more
closely. Then he unfolded roll after roll, stop-
ping from time to time for a look at the larger
brilliants.
"These are from the famous necklace which
the Grand Duke inherited from his grandmother,"
he said, calling our attention to a little pile of
marvellous gems in one of the last packets.
"Crochard, of course, removed them from their
settings — that was inevitable. He could melt
down the settings and sell the gold; but not one
of these brilliants would be marketable in Europe
for many years. Each of them is a marked gem.
Here in America, your police regulations are not
so complete; but I fancy that, even here, he would
have had difficulty in marketing this one," and he
unfolded the last packet, and held up to the light a
rose-diamond which seemed to me as large as a
walnut, and a-glow with lovely colour.
"Perhaps you have stopped to admire the Maz-
arin diamond in the galerie d'Apollon at the
Louvre," said M. Pigot. "There is always a
crowd about that case, and a special attendant is
installed there to guard it, for it contains some


THE BOULE CABINET 319
Why, they'd tempt the angel Gabriel !” and he
drew a deep breath.
“Can we find a box of safe-deposit at this hour
of the night?” asked M. Pigot, glancing at his
watch. “ It is almost one o'clock and a half.”
“That's easy in New York,” said Grady.
“ We'll take 'em over to the Day and Night Bank
on Fifth Avenue. It never closes. Wait till I
get something to put 'em in.”
He went out and came back presently with a
small valise.
“This will do," he said. “Stow 'em away, and
I'll call up the bank and arrange for the box."
Simmonds and Pigot rolled up the packets care-
fully and placed them in the valise, while I sat
watching them in a kind of daze. And I under-
stood the temptation which would assail a man in
the presence of so much beauty. It was not the
value of the jewels which shook and dazzled me
- I scarcely thought of that; it was their seduc-
tive brilliance, it was the thought that, if I pos-
sessed them, I might take them out at any hour of
the day or night and run my fingers through them
and watch them shimmer and quiver in the light.
"The Grand Duke Michael must have been
considerably upset,” remarked Simmonds, who,
m
1 in


320
THE MYSTERY OF
throughout all this scene, had lost no whit of his
serenity of demeanour.
"He has been like a madman,” said M. Pigot,
smiling a little at Simmonds's unemotional tone.
“These jewels are a passion with him; he wor-
ships them; he never has parted with them, even
for a day; where he goes, they have gone. In his
most desperate need of money — and he has had
such need many times — he has never sold one
of his brilliants. On the contrary, whenever he
has money or credit, and the opportunity comes
to purchase a stone of unusual beauty, he cannot
resist, even though his debts go unpaid. Since the
loss of these stones, he has raved, he has cursed,
he has beat his servants — one of them has died,
in consequence. We are all a little mad on some
one subject, I have heard it said; well, the Grand
Duke Michael is very mad on the subject of dia-
monds."
“Why didn't he offer a reward for their re-
turn?” queried Simmonds.
“Oh, he did,” said M. Pigot. “He offered
immediately his whole fortune for their return.
But his fortune was not large enough to tempt
Crochard, for the Grand Duke really has nothing
but the income from his family estates, and you


THE BOULE CABINET 323
I supposed were known to no one except myself
and two other persons — and yet M. Pigot knew
them. Then again, how did he know so certainly
just how the mechanism worked? How did he
know which roll of cotton contained that Mazarin
diamond? You will remember he told us what
was in that roll before he opened it."
Grady smiled good-naturedly and a little patro-
nisingly.
"That was the last roll, wasn't it?" he de-
manded. "Since that big diamond hadn't shown
up in any of the others, he knew it had to be in
that roll. It was just one of the little plays for
effect them Frenchies are so fond of."
"Perhaps you are right," I agreed. 11 But it
seemed to me that he handled that mechanism as
though he was familiar with it. Of course, he
may have prepared himself by studying the draw-
ings which no doubt accompany the secret memoir.
He may even have had a working model made."
Grady nodded tolerantly.
"Them fellers go to a lot of trouble over little
things like that," he said. "They like to slam
their cards down on the table with a big hurrah,
even when the cards ain't worth a damn."
"He certainly held trumps this time, anyway,"


324
THE MYSTERY OF
I commented. “And he played his hand su-
perbly. He is an extraordinary man.”
"And a great actor," Grady supplemented.
“ Them fellers always behave like they was on
the stage, right in the spot-light. It makes me a
little tired, sometimes. Hello! Who's that?"
The front door had been ilung open; there was
an instant's colloquy with the desk-sergeant, then
a rapid step crossed the outer room, and Godfrey
burst in upon us.
He cast a rapid glance at the Boule cabinet, at
the secret drawer standing open, empty; and then
his eyes rested upon Grady.
“Who in hell do you think you are ? " shouted
Grady, his face purple, “ coming in here like this?
Get out, or I'll have you thrown out!”.
seen all I care to see. Only I'll tell you one thing,
Grady — you've signed your own death-warrant
to-night!"
“What do you mean by that?” Grady de-
manded, in a lower tone.
“I mean that you won't last an hour after the
story of this night's work gets out.”
Grady's colour slowly faded as he met the burn-


THE BOULE CABINET 325
ing and contemptuous gaze Godfrey turned upon
him. As for me, an awful fear had gripped my
heart.
“Do you mean to say it wasn't Piggott?”
stammered Grady, at last.
Godfrey laughed scornfully.
“No, you blithering idiot!” he said. “It
wasn't Pigot. It was Crochard himself! ”
And he stalked out, slamming the door behind
him.


CHAPTER XXVI
THE FATE OF M. PIGOT
Whatever may have been Grady's defects of in-
sight and imagination, he was energetic enough
when thoroughly aroused. Almost before the
echo of that slamming door had died away, he was
beside the sergeant's desk.
"Get out the reserves," he ordered, " and have
the other wagon around. 'Phone headquarters to
rush every man available up to the Day and Night
Bank, and say it's from me!"
He stood chewing his cigar savagely as the ser-
geant hastened to obey. In a moment, the re-
serves came tumbling out, struggling into their
coats; there was a clatter of hoofs in the street
as the wagon dashed up; the reserves piled into it,
permitting me to crowd in beside them, Grady
jumped to the seat beside the driver, and we were
off at a gallop, our gong waking the echoes of the
silent street.
I clung to the hand-rail as the wagon swayed
back and forth or bounded into the air as it struck
the car-tracks, and stared out into the night,
336


THE BOULE CABINET 327
struggling to understand. Could Godfrey be
right? But of course he was right! Some intui-
tion told me that; and yet, how had Crochard man-
aged to substitute himself for the French detec-
tive? Where was Pigot? Was he lying some-
where in a crumpled heap, with a tiny wound upon
his hand? But that could not be — Grady and
Simmonds had been with him all the evening!
And could that aged Frenchman with the white,
fine, wrinkled skin be also the bronzed and virile
personage whom I had known as Felix Armand?
My reason reeled before the seeming impossibility
of it — and yet, somehow, I knew that Godfrey
was right!
The wagon came to a stop so suddenly that I
was thrown violently against the man next to me,
and the reserves, leaping out, swept me before
them. We were in front of the Day and Night
Bank, and at a word from Grady, the men spread
into a close, cordon before the building.
Another police wagon stood at the curb, with
the driver still on the seat, but as Grady started
toward it, a figure appeared at the door of the
bank and shouted to us — shouted in inarticulate
words which I could not understand. But Grady
seemed to understand them, and went up the steps


328 THE MYSTERY OF
two at a time, with an agility surprising in so large
a man, and which I was hard put to it to match.
A little group stood at one side of the vestibule
looking down at some one extended on a cush-
ioned seat. And, an instant later, I saw that it
was Simm'onds, lying on his back, his eyes open
and staring apparently at the ceiling.
But, at the second glance, I saw that the eyes
were sightless.
Grady elbowed his way savagely through the
group.
"Where's Kelly? " he demanded.
At the words, a white-faced man in uniform
arose from a chair into which he had plainly
dropped exhausted.
"Oh, there you are!" and Grady glowered at
him ferociously. "Now tell me what happened
— and tell it quick!"
"Why, sir," stammered Kelly, "there wasn't
anything happened. Only when we stopped out
there at the curb and I got down and opened
the door, there wasn't nobody in the wagon but
Mr. Simmonds. I spoke to him and he didn't
answer — and then I touched him and he kind
of fell over — and then I rushed in here and
'phoned the station; but they said you'd already


THE BOULE CABINET 329
started for the bank; and then we went out and
brought him in here — and that's all I know, sir."
"You didn't hear anything — no sound of a
struggle?"
"Not a sound, sir; not a single sound."
"And you haven't any idea where the other
man got out?"
"No, sir."
"Mr. Simmonds had a little valise with him —
did you notice it?"
"Yes, sir; and I looked for it in the wagon, but
it ain't there."
Grady turned away with a curse as four or five
men ran in from the street — the men from head-
quarters, I told myself. I could hear him talking
to them in sharp, low tones, and then they de-
parted as suddenly as they had come. The re-
serves also hurried away, and I concluded that
Grady was trying to throw a net about the terri-
tory in which the fugitive was probably concealed;
but my interest in that manoeuvre was overshad-
owed, for the time being, by my anxiety for Sim-
monds. I picked up his right hand and looked at
it; then I drew a deep breath of relief, for it was
uninjured.
"Has anyone sent for a doctor?" I asked.


33o THE MYSTERY OF
"Yes, sir," one of the bank attaches answered.
"We telephoned for one at once — here he is,
now!" he added, as a little black-bearded man
entered, carry the inevitably-identifying medicine
case.
The newcomer glanced at the body, waved us
back, fell on one knee, stripped away the clothing
from the breast and applied his ear to the heart.
Then he looked into the staring eyes, drew down
the lids, watched them snap up again, and then
hastily opened his case.
"Let's have some water," he said.
"Then he's not dead?" I questioned, as one
of the clerks sprang to obey.
"Dead? No; but he's had a taste or whiff of
something that has stopped the heart action."
With a queer, creepy feeling over my scalp, I
remembered the little flask half-full of blood-red
liquid which Crochard carried in his pocket.
But he had not meant murder this time; I re-
membered that Godfrey had said he never killed
an adversary. The doctor worked briskly away,
and, at the end of a few minutes, Simmonds's eyes
suddenly closed, he drew a long breath, and sat
erect. Then his eyes opened, and he sat swaying
unsteadily and staring amazedly about him.


THE BOULE CABINET 331
"Best lie down again," said the doctor sooth-
ingly. "You're a little wobbly yet, you know."
"Where ami?" gasped Simmonds. Then his
eyes encountered mine. "Lester!" he said.
"Where is he — Piggott? Not . . ." .
He stopped short, looked once around at the
gleaming marble of the bank, fumbled for
something at his side, and fell senseless on the
seat.
I have no recollection of how I got back to the
Marathon. I suppose I must have walked; but
my first distinct remembrance is of finding myself
sitting in my favourite chair, pipe in hand. The
pipe was lit, so I suppose I must have lighted it
mechanically, and I found that I had also mechan-
ically changed into my lounging-coat. I glanced
at my watch and saw that it was nearly four
o'clock.
The top of my head was burning as though with
fever, and I went into the bathroom and turned
the cold water on it. The shock did me a world
of good, and by the time I had finished a vigorous
toweling I felt immensely better. So I returned
to my chair and sat down to review the events of
the evening; but I found that somehow my brain


THE BOULE CABINET 333
“ Was he hurt?"
"He was unconscious, but he came around all
right.”
“That's good - but Crochard wouldn't hurt
him. He got away with the jewels, of course?”
“Of course," I assented, surprised that God.
frey should take it so coolly. “When you rushed
out that way," I added, “I thought maybe you
were going after him.”
“With him twenty minutes in the lead? I'm
no such fool! He got away from me the other
day with a start of about half a second.”
"I tried to get you," I explained, “ as soon as
Simmonds told me they were going to look at the
cabinet. I 'phoned the office. The city editor
said he had sent you out into Westchester."
Godfrey laughed shortly.
" It was a wild-goose chase,” he said, “cooked
up by our friend Crochard. But even then, I'd
have got back, if we hadn't punctured a tire when
we were five miles from anywhere. I knew what
was up — but there I was. Oh, he's made fools
of us all, Lester. I told you he would!".
" Then you didn't get my message?”
“Yes — they gave it to me when I 'phoned in
that the Westchester business was a fake. I


THE BOULE CABINET 337
"I won't tell you anything. Only I've got one
more bomb to explode, Lester, and it's a big one.
It will make you jump!"
I could hear him chuckling to himself.
"Good-night," he said, and hung up.


CHAPTER XXVII
THE LAST ACT OF THE DRAMA
I overslept, next morning, so outrageously that
it was not until I had got a seat in a subway ex-
press that I had time to open my paper. My
first glance was for the big head that would tell
of the diamond robbery; and then I realised that
no morning paper would have a word of it. For
the robbery was Only a few hours old — and yet,
it seemed to me an age had passed since that
moment when Godfrey had rushed in upon Grady
and me. So the city moved on, as yet
blissfully unconscious of the sensation which would
be sprung with the first afternoon editions, and
over which reporters and artists and photogra-
phers were even now, no doubt, labouring. I
promised myself a happy half hour in reading
Godfrey's story!
It was then that I remembered the appointment
for twelve o'clock. The last act of the drama was
yet to be staged, Godfrey had said, and he had
also spoken of a bomb — a big one! I wondered
what it could be. One thing was certain: if God-
338


THE BOULE CABINET 339
frey had prepared it, its explosion would be start-
ling enough!
There were a number of things at the office de-
manding my attention, and I was so late in getting
there and the morning passed so rapidly that when
the office-boy came in and announced that Mr.
Grady and Mr. Simmonds were outside and
wished to see me, I did not, for a moment, connect
their visit with Godfrey. Then I looked at my
watch, saw that it was five minutes to twelve, and
realised that the actors were assembling.
"Show them in," I said, and they entered to-
gether a minute later.
Grady was evidently much perturbed. His
usually florid face was drawn and haggard, his
cheeks hung in ugly lines, there were dark pouches
under his eyes, and the eyes themselves were blood-
shot. I guessed that he had not been to bed;
that he had spent the night searching for Cro-
chard — and it was easy enough to see that the
'search had been unsuccessful. S! amonds, too,
was looking rather shaky, and no doubt still felt
the after-effects of that whiff of poison.
"I'm glad to see you are better, Simmonds," I
said, shaking hands with him. "That was a close
call."


34Q THE MYSTERY OF
"It certainly was," Simmonds agreed, sinking
into a chair. "If I had got a little more of it,
I'd never have waked up."
"Do you remember anything about it?"
"Not a thing. One minute we were sitting
there talking together as nice as you please — and
the next thing I knew was when I woke up in the
bank."
"Where's that man Godfrey?" broke in
Grady.
"He said he'd be here at noon," I said, and
glanced at my watch. "It's noon now. Were
you to meet him here?"
Grady glanced at me suspiciously.
"Don't you know nothing about it? " he asked.
u I only know that Godfrey asked me to be here
at noon to-day. What's up?"
"Blamed if I know," said Grady sulkily. "I
got word from him that I'd better be here, and I
thought maybe he might know something. I'm so
dizzy over last night's business that I'm running
around in circles this morning. But I won't wait
for him. He can't make me do that! Come
along, Simmonds."
"Wait a minute," I broke in, as the outer door
opened. "Perhaps that's Godfrey, now."


THE BOULE CABINET 343
ally, and I admit that it was foolish of me to stand
there talking to Crochard and never suspect who
he was. But that's all beside the mark. You're
at the head of the detective bureau, and you're the
man who is responsible for all this. You're ener-
getic enough and all that; but you're not fit for
your job — it's too big for you, and you know it.
Take my advice, and go to the 'phone there and
send in your resignation."
Grady stared at him as though unable to be-
lieve his ears.
"'Phone in my resignation!" he echoed.
"What kind of a fool do you think I am?"
"I see you're a bigger one than I thought you
were! Your pull can't help you any longer,
Grady."
"Was it to tell me that you got me over here?"
"No," said Godfrey, " all this is just incidental
— you began the discussion yourself, didn't you?
I got you here to meet . . ."
The outer door opened again, and Godfrey
looked toward it, smiling.
"Moosseer Piggott!" announced the office-
boy.
And then I almost bounced from my seat, for
I would have sworn that the man who stood on


344 THE MYSTERY OF
the threshold was the man who had opened the
secret drawer.
He came forward, looking from face to face;
then his eyes met Godfrey's and he smiled.
"Behold that I am here, monsieur," he said
and I started anew at the voice, for it was the
voice of Crochard. "I hope that I have not
kept you waiting."
"Not at all, M. Pigot," Godfrey assured him,
and placed a chair for him.
I could see Grady and Simmonds gripping the
arms of their chairs and staring at the newcomer,
their mouths open; and I knew the thought that
was flashing through their brains. Was this
Pigot? Or was the man who had opened the cab-
inet Pigot? Or was neither Pigot? Was it pos-
sible that this could be a different man than the
one who had opened the cabinet?
I confess that some such thought flashed through
my own mind — a suspicion that Godfrey, in some
way, was playing with us.
Godfrey looked about at us, smiling as he saw
our expressions.
"I went down the bay this morning and met the
Savoie," he said. "I related to M. Pigot last
night's occurrences, and begged him to be present


THE BOULE CABINET 345
at this meeting. He was good enough to agree.
I assure you," he added, seeing Grady's look,
"that this is M. Pigot, of the Paris Service du
Surete, and not Crochard."
"Oh, yes," said M. Pigot, with a deprecating
shrug. "I am myself — and greatly humiliated
that I should have fallen so readily into the trap
which Crochard set for me. But he is a very
clever man."
"It was certainly a marvellous disguise," I said.
"It was more than that — it was an impersona-
tion."
"Crochard has had occasion to study me," ex-
plained M. Pigot, drily. "And he is an artist
in whatever he does. But some day I shall get
him — every pitcher to the well goes once too
often. There is no hope of finding him here in
New York?"
"I am afraid not," said Godfrey.
"Don't be too sure of that!" broke in Grady
ponderously. "I ain't done yet — not by no man-
ner of means!"
"Pardon me for not introducing you, M.
Pigot," said Godfrey. "This gentleman is Mr.
Grady, who has been the head of our defective
bureau; this is Mr. Simmonds, a member of his


THE BOULE CABINET 347
unable to convict him, unless we should find him
with the stolen brilliants in his possession."
"And you were not able to do that?"
"No; we could discover no trace of the bril-
liants, though we searched for them everywhere."
"But you did not know of the Boule cabinet and
of the secret drawer?"
"No; of that we knew nothing. I must ex-
amine that famous cabinet."
"It is worth examining. And it has an inter-
esting history. But you did know, of course, that
Crochard would seek a market for the diamonds
here in America?"
"We knew that he would try to do so, and we
did everything in our power to prevent it. We
especially relied upon your customs department to
search most thoroughly the belongings of every
person with whom they were not personally ac-
quainted."
"The customs people did their part," said God-
frey with a chuckle. "They have quite upset the
country! But the diamonds got in, in spite of
them. For, of course, a cabinet imported by a
man so well known and so above suspicion as Mr.
Vantine was passed without question!"
"Yes," agreed M. Pigot, a little bitterly.


348
THE MYSTERY OF
some
“ It was a most clever plan; and now, no doubt,
Crochard can sell the brilliants at his leisure.”
“Not if you've got a good description of them,"
protested Grady. “I'll make it a point to warn
every dealer in the country; I'll keep my whole
force on the job; I'll get Chief Wilkie to lend me
some of his men ...".
“Oh, there is no use taking all that trouble,"
broke in Godfrey, negligently. “ Crochard won't
try to sell them.”
“Won't try to sell them ? " echoed Grady.
“What's the reason he won't?”.
“Because he hasn't got them," answered God-
frey, smiling with an evidently deep enjoyment of
Grady's dazed countenance.
“Oh, come off !” said that worthy disgustedly.
“If he hasn't got 'em I'd like to know who has!"
"I have,” said Godfrey, and cleared my desk
with a sweep of his arm. “Spread out your hand-
kerchief, Lester," and as I dazedly obeyed, he
picked up the little leather bag, opened it, and
poured out its contents in a sparkling flood.
“There,” he added, turning to Grady, "are the
Michaelovitch diamonds."


THE BOULE CABINET 351
stead of that at the left side. The fair Julie must
have thought the drawer was on the right side,
instead of the left. It was a mistake very easy
to make, since her mistress doubtless had her back
turned when Julie saw her open the drawer. The
suspicion that it was Julie's mistake becomes cer-
tainty when she shows the combination to Vantine,
and he is killed, too. Besides, the veiled lady
herself made a remark which revealed the whole
story."
"I didn't notice it," I said, resignedly.
"What was it?"
"That she was accustomed to opening the
drawer with her left hand, instead of with her
right. After that, there could be no further
doubt. So I discovered the drawer very simply.
It had to be there."
"Yes," I said; "and then?"
"Then I removed the jewels, took them down
to a dealer in paste gems and duplicated them as
closely as I could. I had a hard time getting a
good copy of this big rose-diamond."
He picked it from the heap and held it up be-
tween his fingers.
"It's a beauty, isn't it? " he asked.
M. Pigot smiled a dry smile.


352 THE MYSTERY OF
"It is the Mazarin," he said, "and is wort
three million francs. There is a copy of it at th
Louvre."
"So that's true, is it?" I asked. "Crochard
told us the story."
"It is unquestionably true," said M. Pigot.
"It is not a secret — it is merely something which
every one has forgotten."
"Well," continued Godfrey, "after I got the
duplicates, I rolled them up in the cotton packets,
and placed them back in the drawer, being care-
ful to put the Mazarin at the bottom, where I had
found it."
"It was lucky you thought of that," I said, " or
Crochard would have suspected something."
Godfrey looked at me with a smile.
"My dear Lester," he said, " he knew that the
game was up the instant he opened the first packet.
Do you suppose he would be deceived? Not by
the best reproduction ever made!"
And then I remembered the slow flush which
had crept into Crochard's cheeks as he opened
that first packet!
"I didn't expect to deceive him," Godfrey ex-
plained. "I just wanted to give him a little sur-
prise. And to think I wasn't there to see itl"


354 THE MYSTERY OF
"And then, of course, you will write the story,'
sneered Grady, " and give yourself all the credit.'
"Well," asked Godfrey, looking at him, "dc
you think you deserve any?" And Grady coulc
only crimson and keep silent. "As for the story
it is already written. It will be on the streets ir
ten minutes — and it will create a sensation
Please count the diamonds. You will find twc
hundred and ten of them."
"That is the exact number stolen from th<
Grand Duke," remarked M. Pigot, and fell t|
counting. The number was two hundred ar
ten.
"Mr. Shearrow has the receipt," Godfey
added, and Shearrow took a paper from his
pocket, unfolded it, and read the contents.
It proved to be not only a receipt, bu. a full
statement of the facts of the case, withor. omitting
the details of the robbery and the credit due the
Record for the recovery of the diamonds. Grady's
face grew redder and redder as the reading pro-
ceeded.
"I won't sign no such testimonial as that," he
blustered. "Not on your life I won't!"
"You will sign it, will you not, M. Pigot?"
asked Godfrey.


356 THE MYSTERY OF
Grady stood glaring about him an instant, like
an enraged bull, and I half expected him to hurl
himself on Godfrey; instead, he crushed his hat
upon his head, strode to the door, jerked it open,
and banged it behind him.
"Now, Simmonds," Godfrey repeated, as the
echo died away, and Simmonds came forward and
signed. I witnessed the signatures, and Godfrey,
with more eagerness than he had shown in the
whole affair, caught up the paper and sprang with
it to the door.
"Get that down to the office, as quick as you
can," he said, to a man outside. "I'll 'phone in-
structions. That," he added, closing the door
and turning back to us, " is my reward for all this
— or, rather, the Record's reward. And now,
gentlemen, Mr. Shearrow has his car below, and
I think we would better drive around to some safe-
deposit box with this plunder."
It was perhaps ten days afterwards that God-
frey dropped in to see me one evening. I was
just back from a week on Cape Cod, which had
done me a world of good; and, I need hardly say,
was glad to see him.
"You're looking normal again," he said, sur-


THE BOULE CABINET 357
veying me, as he sat down. "I was worried about
you for a while."
"I never felt better. I told you that all I
needed was to have that mystery solved."
"And it was solved on schedule time, wasn't
it," he smiled; "though not quite in the way I
had anticipated. Do you know, Lester," he
added, " I am going to claim that cabinet."
"On what grounds?" I demanded.
11 Because the man who owned it gave it to me,"
and he got a paper out of his pocket-book and
handed it across to me.
I opened it and recognised the delicate and
feminine writing which I had seen once before.
"My dear sir [the letter ran]:
"I find that I made the mistake of underestimating you,
and I present you my sincere apologies. I trust that, at
some future time, it may be my privilege to be again en-
gaged with you — the result is certain to be most interest-
ing. But at present I find that I must return to Europe
by La Bretagne; since, after the trouble I have taken, it
is impossible that I should consent to part with the bril-
liants of His Highness the Grand Duke. As a slight
souvenir of my high regard, I trust you will be willing to
accept the cabinet Boule, which I am certain that good


358 THE MYSTERY OF
M. Lester will surrender to you if you will show to him
this letter. The cabinet is not only interesting in itself,
but will be doubly so to you because of the part it has
played in our little comedy. And I should like to know
that it adorns a corner of your home.
"Till we meet again, dear sir, believe me
"Your sincere admirer,
"Crochard, L'Invincible!"
"He's a good sport, isn't he? " asked Godfrey,
as I silently handed the letter back to him.
"What do you say about the cabinet?"
"I suppose there is no doubt that Crochard
bought it," I said.
"So that it is mine now?"
"Yes; but I'm going to solicit a bribe."
"Go ahead and solicit it."
"I want a souvenir, too," I said. "I'd like
awfully well to have that letter — besides," I
added, " it will be a kind of receipt, you know, if
anybody ever questions my giving you the cabi-
net."
Godfrey laughed and threw the letter across
the table to me.
"It's yours," he said. "And I'll send for the
cabinet to-morrow. I suppose it is still at the
station?"


360 THE MYSTERY OF
room of La Bretagne. But there was no such
headline, and with a sigh, half of relief and half
of disappointment, I turned to the other news.
But two weeks later, a black headline did catch
my eye:
MICHAELOVITCH JEWELS FALSE!
French Detective Takes Back Paste
Imitations from America.
Fraud Discovered When the Grand Duke
Michael Sends them to a Jeweller
to be Reset.
I had no need to read the article which fol-
lowed, for I saw in a flash what had occurred. I
saw, too, why Crochard had retained the paste
jewels — he had a use for them! How or where
the substitution had been made, I could only
guess; but one thing was certain: the two weeks
which had elapsed before the theft was discovered
had given him ample opportunity to dispose of
his plunder. I felt sorry for the Grand Duke;
sorrier still for that admirable M. Pigot; but,
after all, one could not but admire the cleverness
of the man who had despoiled them.
Who, I wondered, had bought the Mazarin?
Surely there was a diamond most difficult to sell.


362 THE MYSTERY OF
refused, would have made him the butt of the
boulevards. Besides, he was, after all, losing
nothing which he had not already lost. So, with
a better grace than one might have expected, he
consented to join in the restoration. Two days
later, the /director of the Louvre discovered a
packet upoh his desk. He opened it and found
within the Mazarin. When you visit the Louvre,
you will see it in the place of honour in the glass
case in the centre of the Gallery of Apollo, with
an attendant on guard beside it. But already the
circumstances of its restoration are fading from
the public memory.
And Crochard? I do not know. Each morn-
ing, I read first the news from Paris, searching
for L'Invincible in some new incarnation. I have
his letter framed and hanging above my desk, and
every day I read it over. One sentence, es-
pecially, is forever running in my head:
"I trust that, at some future time,, it may be my privi-
lege to be again engaged with you — the result is certain
to be most interesting."
And I trust that it may be my privilege, also,
to be present at that engagement!


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Spirit Trail, The. By Kate and Virgil D. Boyles.
Spoilers, The. By Rex Beach.
Stanton Wins. By Eleanor M. Ingram.
St. Elmo. (Illustrated Edition.) By Augusta J. Evans.
Stolen Singer, The. By Martha Bellinger.
Stooping Lady, The. By Maurice Hewlett.
Story of the Outlaw, The. By Emerson Hough.
Strawberry Acres. By Grace S. Richmond.
Strawberry Handkerchief, The. By Amelia E. Barr.
Sunnyalde of the Hill, The. By Rosa N. Carey.
Sunset Trail, The. By Alfred Henry Lewis.