Cleek: the Man of the Forty Faces

arrived at Laburnam Villa; and certainly the former had no cause to compl

ing from outward appearances, from the tender solicitude for her elderly husband's comfort and well-being, from the look in her eyes when she spoke to him, the gentleness of her

e gadfly of a widow; a callow, love-struck, lap-dog, young army officer, with a budding moustache and a full-blown idea of his own importance; and a dour Scotchman of middle age, with a passion for chess, a glowering scorn of frivolities, and a deep and abiding conviction that Scotland was the only country in the world for a self-respecting human being to dwell in, and that everything outside of the Established Church was foredoomed to

enthusiast as he himself on the subject of old china, old porcelain, bric-à-brac and curios of every sort, filled h

" said his wife, laying a gentle hand upon his arm. "Besides, we must give Mr. Rickaby time to breathe. He has had a lo

tal comment upon this. And he was not surprised when, finding herself a

auds and shams that unscrupulous dealers have palmed off on him. But don't let him know. He takes such pride in them, and-and he's breaking down-God pity me, his healt

m me. He is just the kind of man to break his heart, to crumple up like a burnt glove, and come to the end of all things,

cked in her breath suddenly, a brief pallor chased the roses from her cheeks, a brief confusi

grasp what you mean,

ow, perhaps. But if I were you, Mrs. Bawdrey-well, no matter. This I

e on every hand. Spurious porcelains, fraudulent armour, faked china were everywhere. The loaded cabinets and the glazed cases were one long procession of faked Dresden and bogus faience, of E

Rickaby, has helped to make history, as one might say. It was once the property of Cleopatra. I was obliged to make two trips to Egypt before I could persuade the owner to part with it. I am always conscious of a certain sense of awe, Mr. Rickaby, when I touch this w

ter for Cleek to see and to admire it, and signed

on it; not, however, for the purpose of studying the fraud, but to examine something just noticed-som

with rapture if I owned an antique like that. But, pardon me, have you met

ome. I can't think how in the world I got it, to tell the truth. It came out as a sort of red blister in the begi

y, it seems to grow worse instead of better. And dad knows as well as I do when it began. It came out suddenly about a fortnigh

he silly boy, Mr. Rickaby. He will have it that that green worsted is

on with the collection, Mr. Bawdrey; I'm deeply interested in it, I assure you. Never saw such a marvellous lot. Got any more amazing things-gems, I mean-like that wonderful scarab? I say!"-halting suddenly before a long, narrow case, with a glass front, which stood on end in a far corner, and

ing it looks like a doctor's specimen. It is-or, rather, it was. Mrs. Bawdrey's father was a doctor, and it once belonged to him. Properly, it ought to have no place i

a wh

-finger

rkable in that. I've got nine fingers mysel

ingers-eight fingers and two thumbs. This bony johnny has nine fingers and two thumbs.

alone secured it, he swung open the glazed door of the case, and

clear view of the monstrosity. "What a trial he must have been to the glove trade, mustn't he?" laughing gaily. "Fancy the con

drey, holding it on the palm of his right hand, flattened it out with the fingers of his left, the abnormality at once became apparent. Springing from the base of the fourth finger, a perfectly developed fifth appeared, curling inward toward what had once been t

to accept the thing as a gift, and no one but a man as mad on the subject of curiosities and with as li

or the abnormal in Nature. "For myself, I may frankly

it was once the property of her late father, a most learned man, sir, most learned, and as it was of sufficient interest for him to retain it-oh, well, we collectors are faddists, you know, so I easily persuaded Mrs. Bawdrey to allow me to bring it over to E

door upon it; then, leading the way to the cabinet containing the specimens referred to, he unlocked

t or warning to lessen the shock of it, the uplifted lid of the cabinet fell with a crash from the hand that upheld it, shivering the glass into fifty pieces, and Cleek, screwing round o

"Now you know! Now you know!" he went on wildly, as Cleek dropped down beside him and began to loosen the old man's collar. "It's like this always; not a hint, not a

hrough all the house, and a moment later, headed by Mrs. Bawdrey herself, a

ng in a panic, shrilled out a wild appeal for doctor, servants-help of any kind. And, almost as she spoke, Travers was beside her, Travers and Forshay and Robert Murdock-yes, and s

," said Captain Travers, taking the lead after the fashion of a man who is used to command.

ed Murdock, as he came forward and solemnly stooped to obey. "The puir auld laddie

t-wrung cry and hid her face in her hands. "You and your eternal doldrums! Here, Bawdrey, lend

and Captain Travers carried the stricken man up the stairs to his own bed-chamber, his wife flying in advance to see that everything was prepared for him, Cleek,

puckered brows and pursed-up lips, drumming with his finger-tips a faint tattoo upon the framework of the

even the narrow space made at the back by the angle of the corner where it stood. And after this he walked to the other end of the room, took the key from the lock,

ver the table whereon the butler had set the salver containing the whiskey decanter, the soda siphon, and the glasses tha

d think her heart was breaking, wouldn't you? You'd think-Hullo! I say! What on earth are you doing?" For, as he came nearer, he could see that Cleek had removed the

up the paper funnel and put it in his pocket. "A good sound sleep is an excellent thing, my dear fellow, and I

want to be drugged, and you know I have to show th

utly assert that you don't notice; and, as they've seen you drinking from the same decanter-why, there you are. Don't worry over it.

adland," he answered, with a sort of wail. "But

get excited. Yes, that's my game. I want to get into his rooms whilst he is sleeping, and be free to sear

htening as he grasped t

ing idea! An

thing: the housekeeper must have a master-key that opens all the bedrooms in t

slip up to Mrs. Jarret's room

down. Say I've got a headache, and have gone to bed. As for my own 'night-cap'-well, I can send Dollops down to get the butler to pour me one out of another dec

You are a friend, Headland. And-you'll save my dad, God bless you!

tairs, he, too, made haste to get out of the room and to creep up to his own after they had assembled, and the cigar

*

which is the evidence of deep sleep, when the door of Cleek's room swung quietly open, and Cleek himself, in dressing-gown and wadded b

hilip Bawdrey himself, opened upon this. He went to each in turn, unl

entered-Captain Travers's, Lieutenant Forshay's, Mr. Robert Murdock's-there lay the occupant th

eep in there. Yes; he, too, had got his share of the effective draught, for there he lay snarled up in the bed-clothes, with his arms

ooked at him from the threshold, then s

questioned that young m

nd, pulling out the chair, sat down before it and took up a pen. "Wait a bit, and then you can go to

ing of

, however. Now, then, ho

eet of paper to him

MR. BA

t know when I shall be back-probably not until the day after to-morrow. You are right. It is murder,

to Dollops, and then fairly jumped into his clothes. Ten minutes lat