“No, don’t go, Sir Philip!” Orbit demurred smilingly. “You know all the circumstances and McCarty and I haven’t anything private to discuss. I hope he’s brought me some news!—You heard about what happened to me the other night?”
“I did that,” McCarty nodded. “What do you think ’twas done for, if nothing was taken?”
“Haven’t the remotest idea.—Sit down here by the fire, man, you’re soaked through!” Orbit added hospitably. “I’ll have Ching Lee bring you a touch of something from my private stock—?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Orbit; I’ve a twinge of the gout now and then, though you mightn’t think it,” McCarty explained speciously. “I just dropped by to see if you’d thought of anything to add to what you told the inspector about the chloroforming?”
“Nothing. The whole thing happened so quickly and the impressions left on my mind were so vague, that I am afraid I can be of little use to you. One thing seems certain; the fellow didn’t intend me to die from the effect of it, since he stopped to open the windows and throw away the cloth he had used to anæsthetize me!” Orbit shrugged. “The incident is absolutely inexplicable except on the supposition that his only intention was to terrorize me, and that is really too absurd to consider.”
“It was an outrage!” declared Sir Philip suddenly. “Damme, it passes belief! The chap must be a fiend—or mad! What object could he have in doing Hughes in? I say, there was a valet for you!—Then the girl, too! That poison gas theory seems to be rot to me, too utterly impossible with you there in the room, but the girl is dead, isn’t she? There you are!”
He leaned back in his chair and puffed thoughtfully at his cigar. His host turned to McCarty with a faint hint of amusement in his eyes but it was quickly overshadowed by sadness again.
“The girl is dead, poor creature, and I cannot help feeling that the blame in some way rests at my door, for I invited her in. However her death was brought about the child escaped, though; we have that to be thankful for! We are none of us safe here on the Mall while the murderer is free to come and go in our houses at will, killing with impunity whenever the horrible impulse comes to him! I was reluctant to offer my hospitality to Sir Philip under these harrowing circumstances but he expressed himself as willing to abide by the consequences.”
“Ripping experience!” the baronet nodded again. “Sorry I’m sailing to-morrow! Like nothing better than to stop and see it through!—Old chap over the way was robbed the same night, I hear; any clues left there, McCarty?”
There was no hint of sarcasm in his tone but McCarty flushed darkly, then he darted a quick glance at the questioner and a slow smile dawned. The Britisher was trying to get his goat!