Cleek: the Man of the Forty Faces

in the swift glance she gave toward those distant, fog-blurred lights, in the white, drained face of her, in the shr

id. "A hawk-even a tamed one-must be a thing of terror in the eyes of a dove. Still, I am not sor

but finding it only to lose it again. "But that yo

o the road; and you may rely upon finding a taxic

horrible-I mean-that is.... Let me get used to it. I shall never tell, of course-no, never! Now,

and in a minute more w

and again li

ind a taxi for yourself. Good night." He did not even offer to put out his hand. "May I say again, that I am not sorry I told you? Nor did I ever expect you would, take it other

l. He knew that he had wounded the white soul of her so that it was sick with uncertainty, faint with dr

d not see, he was

safely started upon hers. Then he screwed round on his heel and went back into the mist and loneliness of the heath, and walked, and walked, and walked. Afterward-long

into it from the Piccadilly end, and moved on in the direction of the house which sheltered him and his secrets together. But, though he walked with apparent indifference, his eye was ever on the lookout for some chance watcher in the wi

nce that he found any sign of life from one end of the street to the other. He did find it then, however; for the bo

d-and was feasting still: on a bag of winkles and a saveloy-but was was

leek appeared. "Didn't knock and arsk for no one, though-not me. Twigged as it would be you

a curious one-sided smile-a smile that was peculiar to him. "I some

t, Gov'nor-no fear. An eater and a scrapper I am, sir; and I'll scrap for you, sir, while there's a bloomin' breff left in my blessed body!

at him and

id. "Come in." And in this way the attachment which e

ning on the light, motioned him to a chair, laid aside his hat and gloves, and was just about to p

ntil I read this, my lad," he said;

first, however. No one but Narkom ever wrote him letters. This

rmen, Richmond, at tea-time to-morrow

ore the letter into a dozen pieces and tossed the fragments into a waste-b

s, s

a temporary bed for you for the night, and to-morrow we'll t

alk was finished and a bed improvised for the boy; but Cleek, saying good night to him at

the fact that he burst out crying when Cleek

f roses, nor 'ad 'arf such comfort. Feel like I needed someone to lend me a biff on the coco

his boating flannels-was pulling him up the shining river and talking to him agai

the boy in charge of the boat, stepped ashore in the neighbourhood of the in

n the niche of a big bay window in the small privat

came in, looking like a college-bred athlete in his boating-flannels and his brim-tilted pan

'tea-time,' not any particular hour; and I improved the opportunity to take another spin up the river and to talk like a Dutch uncle to a certain young man whom I shall intr

ther supply of buttered toast, and, when the

ellow, instead of following the usual course and calling at Clarges Street? Well, the fact is, Cleek, that the gentleman with whom I am now about to p

ommented Cleek. "The trouble arises from s

woman, who was born on the island of Java, where the father of our client met and married her some two years ago, whither h

and pointed out that the very term 'rune' is of Teutonic origin, one enthusiastic old gentleman-Mr. Michael Bawdrey, a retired brewer, thirsting for something more enduring than malt to carry his name down the ages-became fired with enthusiasm upon the

ns, old armour, curiosities of all sorts-lots of 'em bogus, no doubt; catch the charlatans among the dealers letting a chance like that sli

only when we are underrated that we object. So this dear, deluded old gentleman, having failed to secure a 'rune' in Java,

sed, took her out there in her childhood. She was none too well off, I believe; but that did not prevent her havin

l the rest of it when she could have papa and the money-chest without waiting. A common enough occurrence. Still, this does not make up an

nels, and looking very much perturbed, a handsome, fair-haired, fair-moustached young fellow, with frank, boyish eyes and that unmistakable something which stamps

now who I am?" Then he switched round in his chair, rose, and held out his hand. "Mr. George Headland, of the Yard, Mr. Bawdrey. I don't trust Mr. Narkom's proverbially tricky memory for na

of people you must run across in your line, Mr. Headland. Shouldn't take you for a detective my

b-Emma

f while the others were at theirs, and I've run all the way. Thanks very much. Don't mind if I sit in that corner and draw the curtain a little, do you?" his frank, boyish face suddenly clouding. "I don't want

to pass round the table and sit in the corner, with his back to the wind

ained? You can't go behind the evidence; you can't make things different simply by saying that you will not believe." He stirred his tea nervously, gulped down a couple of mouthfuls of it, and then set the cup aside. "I can't enjoy anything; it takes th

ond wife there; and I know, too, that you yourself were rather taken with the lady at o

d known that he had one serious thought regarding her. I could have warned him; I could have spoken then. But I never did find out until it was too late. Trust her for that. She waited until I had gone up-country to look after some fine old porcelains and enamels that the governor had

have said if y

on the sly-he as the card-sharper, she as the decoy. They had drained one poor fellow dry, and she had thrown him over after leading him on to think that she cared for him and was going to marry him. He blew out his brains in front of her, po

s! Who

house with the dear old dad and me, and they are as thick as thieves together. I've caught them whispering and prowling about together, in the grounds and along the lanes, after she has said 'Good night,' and gone to her room and is

. Bawdrey? What is i

r. God knows what it is she's using or how she uses it; but you know what demons they are for secret poisons, those Javanese, what means they have of killing people without a trace. An

you kn

ion; there's the fact that it didn't begin until after Travers came. Look here, Mr. Headland, you don't know my dad. He's got the queerest notion

ly you and

e has periodical fainting-fits, sometimes convulsions. He'll be feeling better for a day or so; then, without a word of warning, whilst you're talking to him, he'll drop like a shot bird and go into the most horrible convulsions. The doctors can't stop it; they don't even know what it is. They only know that he's fading away-tur

thing!" put in Narkom agitatedly

Headland. I want you to find some way of getting at the truth, of looking into Travers's luggage, into my stepmother's effects, and unearthing the horrible stuff with which they are doi

an try, Mr. Bawdrey

o long as you run those two to earth, and get hold of the horrible stuff, whatever it is, that they are using, I'll pay any

this require a little thinking over. Sup

it must, I suppose. But I'll take jolly good care that nobody gets a chance to come within touching distance of the pater-bless him!-until you do come, if I have to sit

ge days whom your father only knew by name and who i

Siamese twins in our undergrad days. He's in Bo

Dollops. You can put the 'blackie' up in some quarter of the house where he can move about at will without disturbing any of your own servants, and can get in and out at all hours; he will be useful, you know, in prowling about the grounds at night and ascertaining if the lady

you, of course, and you can lead him on and adroitly 'pump' him regarding her

ey shook hands and parted, and it was not until after young Bawdry had gone that either he or N

om did not disturb his reflections. He knew from past experience, as well as from the manner in which he took his lower lip between his teeth and drummed with his finger-tips upon the window-ledge, that some idea relative to the working out of the case had taken shape within his mind,

t. "But, I say, look here, my dear fellow, you can't possibly believe that it's

-" His voice trailed off. He stood silent and preoccupied for a moment, and then, putting his thoughts into words, without addressing them to anybody: "Ayupee!" h

out, Cleek? And what does all that g

let's go for a pull on the river, Mr. Narkom. I've had enough of

heel and walked out into th