Clue of the Twisted Candle

, T. X. journeying up toLondon from Bath was

influentialleader of the Greek Colony, had been the

only that his bestfriend had escaped from Dartmoor prison and disappeared, as itwere, from the world at a mo

cleared out of London toreappear at the end of six months. Any question addressed to him,concerning the w

as to this solution of the puzzle. He had caused to bepublished the story of the pardon and the circumstances underwhich that pardon

hether John Lexman was not guilty of a technical and punishableo

had been dischargedfrom the service, and had almost immediately purchased for himselfa beer house in Fa

ng spirit in that escape

entleman," but the chauffeur, whoever he was,had made good his escape. An inspection of Kara's hangars atWembley showed that his two monop

orities to believe that the escape hadbeen effected by this method at all. All th

sigh, put his feet on thecushions of the o

d them idly forsomething to interest him in the fin

which was at once easy and informative. Ittold of adventures in the marshes behind St. Sebastian Bay andjourneys up the Guarez Celman river, of nights

author-travellers,and for some reason he could not place "G. G." to hissatisfaction, in fact he had an absurd desire to interpret theinitials into "George Grossmith.

uld say that "G. G." was 'GeorgeGathercole' the explorer you know, the fellow who had an armchewed off by a lion or something.""George Gathercole!" rep

rpassed from the young Commissioner's mind. It happened thatmor

to discover that hewas an executor under Lexman's will, for he had already acted astrustee to the wife's small e

Grace Lexman had possessed an aunt who had most ininconsiderately died, leaving a considerable fortune to her"unhappy niece.""I will keep the trusteeship another year," he told the solicitor

up sooner or later. He willdiscover himself to us at a suitable moment, and we shall beprope

that one day or other Kara, themag

whole they were stories and rumours which weredifficult to separate from the ma

e were whispersof wider and higher ambitions. Though his father had been born aGreek, he had indubitably descended in

hisreason, and none other, and that whatever might have been theirregularities of his youth - and there were adduced concr

in his own irregular writing the titbits which might notbe published, and which often helped an investigator to light uponthe missing th

ns had been saved from bankruptcy by the timely advanceswhich Kara had made. This T. X. had obtained through sourceswhich might be hastily described as discreditable. Mansus knew ofthe baccarat establishment in Albemarle Street, but he did notknow that the neurotic wife of a very great man indeed, no lessthan the Minister of Justice, was a frequent visitor to thatestablishment,

orwomen are concerned, but it was necessary, for the proper conductof the department which T. X. directed, that, however sord

definitepolitical views and uncommitted to the more violent policies ofeither party, he succeeded in serving both, with profit tohimself, and without earning the obloquy of either. Though he didnot pursue the blatant policy of the Vicar of Bray,

rted for San Remo. The newspapers announced the factand spoke vaguely of

specialist, nor yet of the family practitioner, to the officia

nocentoccupations set against their names in the more pretentiousvolume. Their follies and their weaknesses found a p

lly unobjectionable statement that she wasborn in 1874, that she was the seventh daughter of the Earl ofBalmorey, that she had one daughter who r

the season. The information was that the lady wasfairly well off at this moment, and this fact made matters all themore puzzling and almost in

ew off at Charing Cross,

one. I thought shelooked ill.""She has been looking ill for mon

h, youmean the daughter. No, she's at a school somewhere in France."T. X. whistled a sna

little animal -the Lord forgive me for speaking so about my betters! If hereditycounts for anything she ought to

holomew was the subject of one of them. I have had herunder observation for

o far as Kara isinterested in her. There is a cr

dles of letters,slips of paper and little notebo

cold?" asked T

iminal about? Hehas all that he requires in the money department, he's one of themost popular people in London, an

who is thought wellof. The majority of crimes in the world are committed by peoplefor the same reason - they want to be thought well of. Here isDoctor X. who murdered his wife because she was a drunkard and aslut, and he dared not leave her for fear the neighbours wouldhave doubts as to his respectability. Here is another gentlemanwho murders his wives in

ne pleasure courtsand must lay out huge estates -

s sniff

is wife, does he do that tobe well thoug

oked at hi

lingpassion, our national characteristic, the primary cause of mostcrimes, big or little. That is why Kara is a bad crimina

quaintance with Kara's menage had been mere hearsay. He hadinterviewed the Greek once after his return, but since all hisefforts to secure

arance with its windowboxes, its discreet curtains, its polished brass and enamelleddoorway. It had been

wines,the house had been built without the architect's being greatlytroubled by his lordship. The double cellars of Gratham Househad, in their time, been one of the sights of London. WhenHenry Gratham lay under eight feet of Congo earth (he was killed

. was ushered into the hall. A fire burnt cheerily in abronze grate and T.

very busy, sir,

roduced from some mysterious corner a silversalver and glided upstairs in that manne

inute he

ir," he said, and led the wa

ght. From this there gave four rooms. One at theextreme end of the passage on

, T. X. asked quietly,"I think I have seen yo

was a waiter at the Constitutio

e it must have

the door and anno

furnished,but just lacking that sense of cosiness and

ing table, and came with a smilean

ected pleasure," he sai

ge inthis strange young man. He could not be more confident th

eved, it had not spoiled him,for his

" he said, turning to the girlwho, wit

etty tastein secretaries."In that one glance he took her a

ly attracted by membe

ponsibilities and interestswhich might divert his attention from what he believed was thegreater game. Yet he must be a man of stone to resist thefreshness, the beauty

because Miss Holland and I have beendiscussing a begging letter addressed to us by

k the worst I haveheard for a long time is Beli

s looking

insolence which madehim curl up inside. Then wit

was mysecretary, Miss Holland. Rather a pretty girl

mehow thecomplacency of the remark annoyed the detect

to his visitor. Kara waswearing a grey lounge suit; and although grey is a very tryingcolour for a

uspicious man, Mr.

I?" asked the

ra n

am perfectly satisfied that you will never be atrest until you learn the antec

farther into your domestic affairs than topry into the antecedents of your very int

ily, with just a perceptibl

ally Poropulos.""Oh, Poropulos," said Kara gravely, "I dismissed

vants," he said slowly and, changing the subject; "to what goodfortu

vice to me," he said,apparently givin

to a valuable friendship, morevaluable to me perhaps," he smiled, "than to you.""I am a very shy man," said the shameless T. X., "difficult to afault, and rathe

at the ceiling

"a very efficient younglady who came to m

irls in herposition - for example, she speaks and write

s no friends, spends most of her evenings inher room, is eminently respectable and a

tell me all th

able curiosity which is one of the equipmentsof your profession, would, I feel su

sit down?

T. X. sank intoit. He leant back and crossed his leg

very clever man, Mo

down at him this ti

iscover the object of your vi

Bartholomew.""I know the lady very well indeed," said Kara, readily, - tooreadily in fact, for the rapidity

deliberation, "asto why Lady Bartholomew has gone

is little more than achance acquaintance!""And yet," said T. X., contemplating the burning end of hi

f for now he saw the faintest shade of relief in Kara'sface. The Commissio

curities which thedebtor invariably gives to one from whom he or she has borrowedlarge sums of money."Kara mad

iberty to go carefully through its contents and discover fory

agine I'm a moneylender, do yo

from my thoughts," sa

er pressed th

ordinary man, and possibly any ordinary detective, wouldhave made the conventional answer. He would have protested thathe had no intention of doing anything of the sort; he would haveuttered, if he were a man in the position which T. X. occupied,th

the famous bedroom saf

ical smile. "It isn'tthe safe you opened in

feel equal to the task?""On the contrary," said T. X.,calmly, and rising from the chair,"I a

you the way," h

corridor and entered t

d by steel bars. In the grate which was broadand high a huge fire was burning and

ies which you, as an Englishman,w

into, and flush with, the wall,

of Remington Kara are yours for the seeking.""I am afraid I've had m

n which I share," sa

X. "I mean just what you mea

open it?" ask

shook

me is legibly inscribed upon the handle'Chubb.' My experience as a police officer has taug

olitely. He took from hispocket a little flat leather case and opened it. It contained anumber of steel implements of curious shape which were held inposition by a leather loop along the centre of the case. From one

ng to do?" he asked

you," said T.

it cautiously first one way and then the other. There wasa sharp click fol

n't it!" he a

me Kara's face had und

with an almost insanefury. With a quick str

ne far enough, Mr. Mer

ed his shoulders, and carefully unscrewing theinstrument he had emplo

re putting a bluff up on mewith the key and that you had no more intention of letting me seethe ins

The lips were turned back to show the bigwhite even teeth, the eyes were narrowed to sl

d, and his clawing hands

t!"In a flash the hands went up, for the revolver which T. X. heldwas

ve been asked to put up your hand

ew it out from thepocket. To his surprise it was not a revolver, not even a knife;it looked like a small el

to press the small nickelknob when a s

re pointing it atme! Do not press that lever, I

sed theknob cautiously. As he did so there was a sharp hiss and th

bright carpet had already changed colour, and was smoking. T

he floor to the

was on the point of collapse and mumbledsomething about self-defence, and listened without a word, whilstT. X.,labourin

Greek recovered hi

ng it on you, I swear

swear I had no intention of using iton you. The idea is too preposterous. I am sorry I fooled youabout the safe.""Don't let that worry you," said T. X. "I

te a long timesince we had anything new in this sha

n like yours,"he paused, "I should do something with i