The Mystery of the Clasped Hands

ladies, who shrank from the box and covered their faces with their hands, and a muttered ejaculation from Godfrey, some seconds elapsed before any one spoke. Fensden was the first to

o leave the room,” he said. “Godfrey and I must tal

he old lady in a semi-fainting condition

d behind them, Godfrey

e said. “What does this m

Who could have done it? Is it a case of murde

s face. A suspicion, so terrible that he dared not

e must look this matter squarely in the face. Be a man, and help me. The upshot may be

imself to speak. “There was a little scar, the result of a burn, half-a

the cases containing the other wedding presents, and once more removing the lid and the paper, carefully examined what he saw there. No, God help him! there could be no sort of d

oes it mean? Why should the murderer have

must have borne you a fiendish grudge to have done such a thing. Is there anything

d it, there was nothing that could serve as a clew. It had come by train from Euston, and had

are we to do?”

ink I will send a note to my future father-in-law, asking him to co

nion. “I don’t think you could do bett

d bade the servant who answered it see that the note was despatched without delay. When the man had disappeared, he

ere. Then, in something less than an hour, Godfrey’s future father-in-law arrived.

ause I want your advice in a very serious matter. How serious it is you will understand when you have heard what we have to tell you.

ntleman. “What can have happened? Tell me ev

England for some little time, and was glad to accept my offer of employment. When the picture was finished and hung, I still retained her services, because I liked the girl and found her useful to me in some other work I had on hand. Then my uncle died, and I came into the estate. Mr. Fensden and I immediately agreed to travel, and we accordingly set off together for Egypt and the East, intending to be away about a year. At the same time, it must be borne in mind, the girl and her mother had returned to Italy. While we were at Luxor, I

l me that,” said

scorted them back to their dwelling, but I did not enter. On my way to my hotel afterward, I was nearly stabbed by a lover of my former model, a man, so she had inform

h which the Italian had attempted his life, fro

my tour. Then I met your daughter, fell in love with her, and in due course our engagement was announced. From the moment I

eated the old gentleman. “In that ca

her mother was dead, that she had married, she did not say whom, and that her husband was also dead. Though she seemed in great distress, for reasons of her own she would not let me help her. Feeling that she ought not to be in the streets at such an hou

le on which the box had been placed, a

he continued, “and this box came with them. We opene

e box, only to start back with an exclamation of h

errible than I supposed!” he

ian friend has been brutally murdered, by whom we have yet to discover. But why thes

re they are

doubt about it. Both Fensden

ul deed must have been jealous of you, and have heard of

for knowing that he was in love with her, and that he would not be likely to stop at murder. If he would have killed you, why should he not have killed her? You told me upstairs, when we were

r husband was dead,

ds. It is as likely as not that she did not want you to see him. He is a Neapolitan. For all we know to the contrar

. You must at once communicate with the police and cause inquiries to be made. I have seen no mention in the papers of a woman’s body having been foun

er a moment’s hesitation. “In the meantime

the mystery. If I were you I should send for the head constable at once and give them into his charge.” Then he

crime. The girl was an honest, kindly creature, and that she should have met her death in this manner shocks me inexpressibly. If a

if I were you I should place it in the hands of Scotland Yard and patiently await the result. You may be quite sure

re must be several private detectives in London who know their business almost as well as the officials of Scotland Yard. I will find the cleve

den. “He will be paid by the hour, with expenses, and

that,” Godf

peared to be his opinion that Detwich was the centre of civilization, and he the custodian of its peace and safety. On his arrival he was shown into the studio, where he found the three gentlemen waiting for hi

n order to inform you that a serious crime has been

ry day, Sir Vivian,” remarked the official.

here has been brought into it we have adopted the course of sending f

ving his hand into his pocket and producing a pencil and an enormous p

s of the box were shown to him the man’s interest was thoroughly aroused. It had always been his ambition to be

the woman has not been noticed, nor has her body been discovered. I will report the facts of the case to Scotland Yard at once, and in the meantime I will take

h ours,” said Fensden, who had just started anoth

only wish I had the conducting of this case throughout. But, there, I suppose it will go elsewhere and oth

t us know all that goes on. As I have told you, the poor girl was

get back to the station, and I expect they will be on the move within the hour. Let me see that I have got the nam

is a tall house and there is a la

er entered with the evening papers. He handed them to his master, who made as though he would p

us make sure that there is no reference in the eve

was as well that he did so, for on the midd

Murder

ing De

my luck again. I was in hopes of being able to put them on the scent, but it seems th

the account,”

the building. She was last seen alive at seven o’clock on the evening of Thursday, when she was observed descending the stairs dressed for going out. The hour of her return is not known, nor was her absence remarked on Friday. Early on Saturday morning, however, the occupant of a neighbouring room, a German cabinet-maker, named Otto Grunther, noticed a small stream of dark-red fluid under the door. His suspicions being aroused, he informed the owner of the house of what he had seen, who called in the assistance of the policeman on the beat. Together they ascended to the room in question to

e central figure in Mr. Godfrey Henderson’s famous picture ‘A Woman of the People,’ which attracted so much attention in the Royal Academy Exhibition of last year. She was a Neapolitan by birth, but has spent a consid

the identity of this mysterious individual, when doub

surely don’t think that I know anyth

ut delay,” said Sir Vivian. “Does it

lied, after he had once

the person referred to, and offering him all the information it is in your power to

and Yard yourself and tell them what we have discovered. The man who murdered her must have seen us

g about it. At last, when there was nothing further to be said, Godfrey proposed that they should go in search of the ladies. He had scarcely opened the door of the