“Kirk?” he repeated thoughtfully. “No, I’ve never met him—at least, not to my knowledge. Was he young—or old?”
“Elderly, and evidently he is a very intimate friend of Greer’s.”
The young man shook his head. If he was denying any knowledge he possessed, then he was a most wonderful actor.
Perhaps Kirk himself had lied to me! Yet I remembered that towards him Antonio had always been most humble and servile.
I tried to discern any motive Langton could have to disclaim knowledge of the mysterious Kirk. But I failed to see any.
As far as I could gather, my companion was not acquainted with the man whom I had so foolishly allowed to escape from the house.
Yet had not Kirk himself expressed a fear at meeting him? Had he not told me plainly that by mere mention of his name to that young man, all hope of solving the enigma would be at an end?
Perhaps, after all, I had acted very injudiciously in admitting my knowledge of Kirk. For aught I knew my remarks might now have aroused further suspicion in his mind concerning myself. Yet was not the temptation to put the question too great to be resisted?
At my suggestion we again ascended the stairs, and re-entered the forbidden chamber.
I gave as an excuse that I was curious to examine some of the delicate apparatus which the Professor used in his experiments. My real reason, however, was again to examine those ashes before the furnace.