The Riddle of the Purple Emperor

er. Also it was getting dark, yet to Cleek, whose whole heart and soul were bound up in the neighbourhood that formed the temporary home of

e other proceeded to the rear of the village of Hampton. On the other side, draggled trees and matted gorse bushes were scattered over a piece of land which was used largely for the encampment of tribes of wandering gipsies, travelling

ther vehicle that might have been coming to the hall. But the lane was deserted and they passed down it alone. Another quarter of an hour took them past a big house standing half

open, and covered with a heavy coating of orange rust. Creepers twisted and twined themselves about

ed avenue of overhanging trees that looked grim and forbidding. It was no wonder

ney-pots, nor was there a sound. To all intents and purposes, it might have been an empty building, and Cleek, who had h

t water broke on his ears as he stood alert, watchful, and keen. And even as he stood came a sound that froze his heart's blood, a sound terrifying in the broad open glor

nd, Cleek stood rigid. Then as the door of the car flew open

evident that she had not realized, or perhaps even noticed it. A frown furrowed her cle

Deland?" she cried despairingly. "Plea

e steps, sent peal after peal of the jangling, old-fashione

ture. All within was dark, and yet Cleek's tense nerves gave a little quivery jump. For a sound, slight though it was, came to his train

house, came back to him maddeningly. At last Lady Margaret, who had come up t

ndow. It is the dining room, and should be quite easy

dow, which was evidently locked. Cleek, following closely on her heels, felt a

to-night, Lady Margaret. There is nothing to be gained here, and Miss Lorne will be

n wide-eyed surpris

ow I am here. Besides, it is my home,

e window and entered the room with the air of one who has arrived home at last, and stood a moment looking quickly about

irl knew her way, for she plunged forward unhesitatingly, on

us gesture. "There's a lamp over here." Cleek, following the direction of

d in the centre of a small stand and it was the picture of the girl he had helped to bring to her natural home. He turned instinctively as though to compare the

t into a network of passages which were all wainscoted, while the floors were covered with dust, as if they had been unswept for months. From room to room he went. Each one was more lonely, dark, and deserted than the last, yet over all there hung an indefinable dread that made Cleek, hardy of courage as he was, wish that his faithful henchman Dollops, or his friend and ally Superintendent Narkom, were within reach. The last room of all at

orch shed a disk of light upon the upturned face and he sucked in his breath again, for th

an old woman of about seventy but who had evidently kept up the fiction of youth as long as she could, for her cheeks were heavy with rouge, her hair was obviously dyed to a bright golden colour and her rich silk dress in the most juvenile of fash

on, remained to be discovered. Robbery was out of the question, for many hundreds of pounds worth

of a twig, had arrested his attention. What he saw made his heart and pulses hammer furiously. For a moment the impenetrable curtain of mist had lifted and the struggling moonbeams flung a shadowy path of light across the lawn over which moved the figure of a woman clad in white, clinging robes, her head swathed in a white turban. A woman, at such a time, in this place! The thin

mstances, when there was no evidence of a servant's care in the place, such an hypothesis was out of the question. Yet he was loath to believe a woman's hand could have committed such ruthless murder. He switche

no key in the door, so it was impossible to lock away the secret of the ba

the girl had curled herself up in the big arm-chair and gone to sleep. A swift glance showed him that it would be useless to awaken her; she was plainly exhausted by the events of the day, and she wou

iptoed back into the hall, locked the

telling her to what a tragedy they had brought their young charge, but at th

tired myself," said Ailsa, "but you see, I wante

by its pallor. "Why, is there anything wrong?" she sa

ed Cleek grimly. "Miss Cheyne has been murder

k's arm in her two hands, and her eyes sought his face. "Lady M

ck his shoulders

d in. I did not want to rouse her until I had got the po

ith you," said

for the tongues of village gos

understand, of course. And the child is perfectly safe, and will not wake for some time. Time