“Simply this: The villain meant to kill you?” Boris replied calmly.
“To kill me?”
“Yes. You remember discovering portions of a seal upon your writing-table?”
“Perfectly. It was on the morning I left for London.”
“Exactly. Had you remained here, you would have been murdered, and the seal, which was in readiness, affixed upon you. When you left, he followed, his purpose being to kill you when a fitting opportunity presented itself. Luckily events so conspired as to frustrate his evil design.”
“Is this really true?” I exclaimed, in amazement.
“Yes. You will now understand why I shadowed you so closely. It was in order that no harm should befall you.”
“But my arrest—” I said, utterly bewildered at this fresh feature the mystery presented—a plot against my own life.
“The villain suddenly altered his tactics, presumably because he would be running too great a risk by killing you. He therefore returned here, placed the seals and other articles among your possessions, and afterwards gave information to the police which led to your committal.”
“What could have been the motive of all this?”