"is the information worth five pounds?" goatley asked.
"the information is worth five pounds," russell said emphatically. "especially as i take it that you can put your hand upon our man at any moment. now what happened afterwards?"
"well, i walked the streets till late in the morning, never losing sight of the dutchman until he returned to the neighbourhood of gower street. the second time he called at flower's house he was more successful, for he was inside the place for an hour before he came out again, on the best of terms with himself, and went off towards gray's inn road. i tracked him to a house there, where i presume he lives, for he let himself in with a latch-key, and presently i saw a light in one of the windows over the shop. the place is a small bird-fancier's, and from what i could see i should say that jansen has a couple of rooms and does for himself. i have the name and address. if you think it is likely to be of any use to you——"
"so far so good," russell exclaimed. "but do you think that jansen is there now?"
"he was there half an hour ago, because i came straight from gray's inn road," goatley explained.
russell rose abruptly and took some money out of his pocket which he handed over to goatley.
"there are the five pounds to go on with," he said. "and it is for you to say whether they shall be the last i shall ever give you, or whether they shall be multiplied a hundredfold. it is entirely in your hands, and if you can keep off the drink you ought to do very well over this."
"never fear about that," goatley laughed. "i would do much for money, but i would do a great deal more for revenge. but for that scoundrelly cousin of mine, i should have been in a good position to-day. look at me now, and contrast me with what i was when you first knew me. if i stopped the first gentleman i met in the street and told him that i was an old university man he would laugh me to scorn. and yet you know i should be speaking the truth. but i am wasting your time. what do you want me to do? i don't suppose you made me a present of that five pounds."
"i didn't," russell said curtly. "i want you to go back and keep an eye upon jansen, and when he leaves his rooms, as he will probably do soon, you must follow him and ascertain where he goes. then you can come and see me at the wanderers' club in piccadilly where i shall be till midnight. after that i can dispense with your services for the present, but you had better keep in touch with me. but you will do that for your own sake as well as mine. i think that is all."
goatley departed, feeling all the better for his meal, having also informed russell of flower's departure for maldon grange. russell thought he could be trusted. now he had to look up uzali.
the latter was dressed. he had recently dined, for the things were still on the table and the occupant of the room was seated before the fire reading an evening paper. there was a shrewd smile on his face as he welcomed russell.
"you mustn't take any notice of me," he said. "i have had an accident which accounts for the marks on my face, but i am feeling myself again. have you anything fresh to tell me? i am all curiosity."
"don't you think you had better be candid with me?" russell asked. "if we are going to work together in this matter you should explain how you received those marks on your face."
"quite right," uzali agreed. "anyway, if i don't tell you, wilfrid mercer will. i am like a colonel commanding a regiment whose men have been fired on by his own troops. but sit down and take a cigarette, and i will tell you all about it."
russell listened to the story without comment, though the situation was grave enough.
"it doesn't seem to trouble you much," he said by and by. "but doesn't it strike you as ominous that your fellow-countrymen should attack you in this way?"
"well, you see, it might have been an accident," uzali explained. "i haven't met those men face to face yet, at least not in such a way that recognition might be mutual. and they may be priests. if they are, i should have no more command over them than you would. honestly, the situation is somewhat alarming. i suppose all we can do is to try to catch one of my countrymen red-handed in his next attack on mr. flower."
"well, that won't be in london," russell answered. "i have just had a man named goatley with me. i don't suppose you have ever heard of him, but it was he, in the first place, who induced samuel flower to undertake a voyage to borneo. he knows as much about the whole thing as we do, and he tells me that samuel flower has gone back to maldon grange within the last two hours. there is no doubt that flower has been made the subject of a second attack, for he was conveyed to maldon grange in a motor-ambulance, which points to another step in the tragedy. i thought you would like to know this because it is important."
uzali rose excitedly to his feet.
"it is important," he cried. "then those people were more or less successful in their attempt last night. we must get down to maldon grange without delay lest a worse thing happen. i suppose it is too late to think about going there to-night?"
russell said the thing was impossible before morning.
"i couldn't manage it," he went on. "besides, there are matters which need an explanation. we have not got to the bottom of things yet, and i want you to see goatley."
uzali announced himself as ready to do whatever russell required of him. it was getting on towards twelve o'clock when they left the flat and made their way along piccadilly to the wanderers' club. an inquiry of the porter elicited the fact that nobody had been asking for mr. russell, so that they were fain to wait in the smoking-room. about half an hour later a message came to russell that some one wanted to see him outside on pressing business, whereupon he rose and signed uzali to follow him. goatley stood waiting patiently upon the pavement, though his manner was eager and excited. one glance at his face showed russell that he had not forgotten his promise as to alcohol.
"have you any news for us?"
"'hextra speshul,'" goatley replied. "i had to wait outside his rooms so long that my patience was nearly exhausted. he has gone to a music-hall over the river. i forget the name, but i can take you."
a cab was called and the music-hall was soon reached, a shabby concern leading out of one of the streets off waterloo road. late as it was the place was still fairly well filled with a rabble of men and women enjoying themselves after the fashion of their kind, though most people would have found the entertainment dreary to the last degree. a moment or two later as the smoke cleared, the form of jansen was to be seen at one of the small tables, where he was talking earnestly to a companion whose face was partially hidden behind a big ulster overcoat the hood of which he had drawn over his head. russell, however, recognized the features of the man he was in search of.
"i have made no mistake, sir?" goatley asked.
"you have made no mistake," russell said in tones of satisfaction. "i should know that rascal anywhere. you have done an exceedingly good night's work and can go back to your rooms with the feeling that you have earned your money. see me in the morning and i will tell you what to do next. and if you could effect a change for the better in your wardrobe——"
goatley nodded and went his way, so that russell was free to take stock of the man whom he had been looking for so long. he was not more interested than uzali, who kept his eyes fixed upon the two intently; indeed, russell had to speak to him more than once before he could get a reply from his companion.
"yes, yes," uzali whispered. "but it is nearly one, and all these people will be going soon. let us get outside and wait. i have a particular reason for wishing to see who it is that jansen has in his company."
the request was so significant that russell rose without further protest. they stood together in the shade waiting till the audience poured out. jansen and a little man in an ulster were almost the last to appear. russell saw uzali's eyes glisten.
"let us follow them," the latter whispered. "it is as i thought. the man in the coat is one of my countrymen."
