we left ephraim bark on the landing-stage at cowes expressing his joy at his good fortune in meeting tanza once more. but, despite his appearance of engaging candour, the little man seemed to have some difficulty in swallowing a large lump which had risen at the back of his throat. his muddy features had turned pale. he glanced about him as if looking for some avenue of escape, presenting at the same time a ludicrous resemblance to a jackdaw recently encaged. on the other hand, tanza appeared to be enjoying the interview. his features beamed with good-nature. there was a kindly smile upon his face. but, as a great many criminals had discovered to their cost, this was just one of the moments when the italian was most dangerous.
"you fill me with pleasure," he said. "it is always a happy thing to find an old acquaintance so ready to resume friendship. but come along, we are wasting time. we shall be much more comfortable and sociable on board the yacht."
bark protested that there was nothing he would like better. nevertheless, his bluster was forced, his air dejected, and, for the time being, he had lost all his swagger. even when he found himself seated in a luxurious cabin chair, with a famous brand of cigar in his mouth and a well-filled glass by his side, he presented the same apologetic appearance. there was very little resemblance to the man who had accosted malcolm grey so shortly before. tanza beamed on his guest.
"now we are going to be really happy and comfortable," he said. "let us talk about old times. have you been in paris lately? and, if so, how are the old people? the last time i was in paris a most extraordinary thing happened. it chanced that one night, as i was walking along——"
"oh, drop it," bark broke out suddenly. "never was a gentleman like you. you play and play with a chap, and just when he thinks everything is nice and snug you drop down upon him and he doesn't know where he is. reminds me of a boy with a cockchafer on a pin, it does. i've never done you any harm, and i am ready to answer any questions you like. but don't sit there smiling in that friendly way just as if you've got nothing on your mind. i can stand punishment, but i like to know where it is coming from. just say what you want to say and get it over."
"that's candid, at any rate," tanza smiled. "very well. if you are ready to take it lying down, we'll come to the point at once. there are certain matters going on here that interest me greatly, and on those matters i am sure you can throw some light. i shouldn't have identified you with the business, only my friend mr. grey told me that he met you at mr. rent's office. just now mr. rent and his doings fascinate me. how long have you known him?"
"i'll tell you everything," bark said. "on and off, i've known him for the last five years. and, between ourselves, he isn't a bit better than he ought to be. a regular mixture of a man, i call him. one day he is going to give up the world and go into a monastery, and the next day you find him enjoying himself in some fast set as if he had been accustomed to it all his life. i never knew a man who was more guided by the feelings of the moment. but this last game of his beats all. fancy a man who has ten or fifteen thousand a year before him running the risk of losing the lot simply for a woman who cares no more for him than the cigar i've got in my hand."
"you are speaking of mrs. charlock," tanza said quietly.
"that's right enough. not that it is any business of mine, but there are ways and means of doing things which even i don't approve of. rent is a clever fellow, but no man can manage to make love to two women at the same time without getting into trouble."
tanza's eyes gleamed.
"ah, now you are speaking about that french maid?" he exclaimed. "i mean the poor woman who was called hortense."
bark glanced at the speaker with unfeigned admiration. it was not for him to know that tanza's quick mind had grasped the point like a flash of lightning, but, for aught he could tell, tanza might have been working on the problem for some time.
"quite right," he said. "between ourselves, rent is a bit of a blackguard. he has never put his foot into it because there never has been any occasion. he has always had more money than he needed, or you may be sure that he would have gone to the dogs long ago. but he is not a bad fellow as men go. he would stick at nothing as far as his interests were concerned. a clever chap, too, and one who, with any luck, will make his mark in the world of science. but he is cruel and vindictive. he is making a fool of himself over mrs. charlock now. he has got a rare handful to deal with there. still, it is a brazen thing to be making love to the mistress and the maid at the same time. that's what he was up to."
"oh, ho," tanza said gently. "we are getting along. i suppose this is where you come in. what do you know about this lady's maid?"
"she was my sister," was the unexpected reply. "you see, we are as much french as english. hortense spoke the language like a native. she was a parisienne to her finger-tips. that is why she called herself hortense and passed herself off as a frenchwoman. french maids are much more sought after than english ones and get much more money."
"no doubt. now, how long had your unfortunate sister been in mrs. charlock's employ before she met with her accident?"
"i suppose about two years," bark explained. "but why?"
"oh, we shall come to that presently. perhaps you can tell me who put it into your sister's head to steal her mistress's jewels? that is the point i want cleared up."
bark looked at the speaker with open-mouthed admiration.
"no use trying to keep anything from you," he said. "but, as a matter of fact, i don't know. i am telling you the truth. indeed, i would have nothing to gain by lying to such a clever gentleman as yourself. but my sister is dead, and anything i say can't do her any harm. she wanted to return to paris. she was finding things very slow with mrs. charlock, and i suppose the idea of taking her mistress's jewels was her own. they were a pretty fine lot, i understand, but the trouble was to get them away without arousing suspicion. my sister wrote to me about it and told me what she was going to do. i don't mind admitting that i gave her the best advice i could, because i am sure you won't use this evidence against me. i came over to see my sister and mr. rent at the same time. i had had a bit of bad luck lately, and i knew that rent would help me out. i had only got to mention a little thing that occurred in paris some years ago and he was good for a hundred pounds at least."
"blackmail," tanza suggested.
"oh, blackmail be hanged!" bark said vigorously. "i was never properly paid for my share in the job, and rent knows it perfectly well. he has been keeping out of my way lately. but it's only putting off the evil day. it is a small world, and i wasn't surprised to find that my sister knew rent as well as i do. i wasn't long in finding out that he was making love to her for some purpose of his own. and perhaps it is a good thing for him that hortense is out of the way. she was a fine hater when she chose."
"we are getting wide of the point," tanza suggested. "what i want to know is where your sister put those jewels."
bark protested by all his gods that he hadn't the faintest idea. tanza did not press the point, though, from his view, bark was lying strenuously. but there was nothing to be gained for the moment, and tanza changed the conversation. it was perhaps an hour later that bark left the yacht, on the whole not displeased with his visit. he was palpably afraid of tanza. he had expected to find himself closely cross-examined as to certain dark passages in his life, and he was only too thankful to get off so easily. he thought he had parted with no information of the slightest value to himself; indeed, he flattered himself that so far as the missing jewels were concerned he had led tanza astray.
he might have been less easy in his mind if he could have lingered behind and listened to what took place as soon as he had left the yacht. grey turned to his companion.
"you are a most extraordinary man," he said. "you don't seem to have learnt anything from that scamp, and yet you appear to be absolutely satisfied. tell me what you are driving at."
"no, no," tanza said good-humouredly. "let us keep to our bargain. we are both working from different points, though we both have the same object in view. a little time ago it was your opinion that hortense, mrs. charlock's maid, had died from an accident. on the other hand, i was convinced that she was the victim of foul play. if you have not changed your mind——"
"i have," grey said curtly. "but go on."
"perhaps i have changed my mind, too," tanza continued. "i begin to see the possibilities of suicide. it was only to-day that fortune placed in my hand a clue to this conclusion. but perhaps i had better show you what i mean. wait here a moment till i go and fetch it.... now what do you think of that? isn't it strange that i should gain possession of it?"
