Holmes withdrew, picking up his violin from the corner as hepassed. A few moments later the long-drawn, wailing notes of thatmost haunting of tunes came faintly through the closed door ofthe bedroom.
“What is it, then?” asked Merton anxiously as his companionturned to him. “Does he know about the stone?”
The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1281
“He knows a damned sight too much about it. I’m not sure thathe doesn’t know all about it.”
“Good Lord!” The boxer’s sallow face turned a shade whiter.
“Ikey Sanders has split on us.”
“He has, has he? I’ll do him down a thick ’un for that if I swingfor it.”
“That won’t help us much. We’ve got to make up our mindswhat to do.”
“Half a mo’,” said the boxer, looking suspiciously at the bedroomdoor. “He’s a leary cove that wants watching. I suppose he’s notlistening?”
“How can he be listening with that music going?”
“That’s right. Maybe somebody’s behind a curtain. Too manycurtains in this room.” As he looked round he suddenly saw for thefirst time the effigy in the window, and stood staring and pointing,too amazed for words.
“Tut! it’s only a dummy,” said the Count.
“A fake, is it? Well, strike me! Madame Tussaud ain’t in it. It’s theliving spit of him, gown and all. But them curtains Count!”
“Oh, confound the curtains! We are wasting our time, and thereis none too much. He can lag us over this stone.”
“The deuce he can!”
“But he’ll let us slip if we only tell him where the swag is.”
“What! Give it up? Give up a hundred thousand quid?”
“It’s one or the other.”
Merton scratched his short-cropped pate.
“He’s alone in there. Let’s do him in. If his light were out weshould have nothing to fear.”
The Count shook his head.
“He is armed and ready. If we shot him we could hardly get awayin a place like this. Besides, it’s likely enough that the police knowwhatever evidence he has got. Hallo! What was that?”
There was a vague sound which seemed to come from thewindow. Both men sprang round, but all was quiet. Save for theone strange figure seated in the chair, the room was certainlyempty.
“Something in the street,” said Merton. “Now look here, guv’nor,you’ve got the brains. Surely you can think a way out of it. Ifslugging is no use then it’s up to you.”
“I’ve fooled better men than he,” the Count answered. “Thestone is here in my secret pocket. I take no chances leaving itabout. It can be out of England to-night and cut into four piecesin Amsterdam before Sunday. He knows nothing of Van Seddar.”
“I thought Van Seddar was going next week.”
1282 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“He was. But now he must get off by the next boat. One or otherof us must slip round with the stone to Lime Street and tell him.”
“But the false bottom ain’t ready.”
“Well, he must take it as it is and chance it. There’s not a momentto lose.” Again, with the sense of danger which becomes an instinctwith the sportsman, he paused and looked hard at the window. Yes,was surely from the street that the faint sound had come.
“As to Holmes,” he continued, “we can fool him easily enough.
You see, the damned fool won’t arrest us if he can get the stone.
Well, we’ll promise him the stone. We’ll put him on the wrongtrack about it, and before he finds that it is the wrong track it willbe in Holland and we out of the country.”
“That sounds good to me!” cried Sam Merton with a grin.
“You go on and tell the Dutchman to get a move on him. I’ll seethis sucker and fill him up with a bogus confession. I’ll tell himthat the stone is in Liverpool. Confound that whining music; itgets on my nerves! By the time he finds it isn’t in Liverpool it willbe in quarters and we on the blue water. Come back here, out of aline with that keyhole. Here is the stone.”
“I wonder you dare carry it.”
“Where could I have it safer? If we could take it out of Whitehallsomeone else could surely take it out of my lodgings.”
“Let’s have a look at it.”
Count Sylvius cast a somewhat unflattering glance at hisassociate and disregarded the unwashed hand which was extendedtowards him.
“What—d’ye think I’m going to snatch it off you? See here,mister, I’m getting a bit tired of your ways.”
“Well, well, no offence, Sam. We can’t afford to quarrel. Comeover to the window if you want to see the beauty properly. Nowhold it to the light! Here!”
“Thank you!”
With a single spring Holmes had leaped from the dummy’schair and had grasped the precious jewel. He held it now in onehand, while his other pointed a revolver at the Count’s head. Thetwo villains staggered back in utter amazement. Before they hadrecovered Holmes had pressed the electric bell.
“No violence, gentlemen—no violence, I beg of you! Considerthe furniture! It must be very clear to you that your position is animpossible one. The police are waiting below.”
The Count’s bewilderment overmastered his rage and fear.
“But how the deuce——?” he gasped.
“Your surprise is very natural. You are not aware that a seconddoor from my bedroom leads behind that curtain. I fancied thatyou must have heard me when I displaced the figure, but luckThe Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1283
was on my side. It gave me a chance of listening to your racyconversation which would have been painfully constrained hadyou been aware of my presence.”
The Count gave a gesture of resignation.
“We give you best, Holmes. I believe you are the devil himself.”
“Not far from him, at any rate,” Holmes answered with a politesmile.
Sam Merton’s slow intellect had only gradually appreciated thesituation. Now, as the sound of heavy steps came from the stairsoutside, he broke silence at last.
“A fair cop!” said he. “But, I say, what about that bloomin fiddle!
I hear it yet.”
“Tut, tut!” Holmes answered. “You are perfectly right. Let itplay! These modern gramophones are a remarkable invention.”
There was an inrush of police, the handcuffs clicked and thecriminals were led to the waiting cab. Watson lingered withHolmes, congratulating him upon this fresh leaf added to hislaurels. Once more their conversation was interrupted by theimperturbable Billy with his card-tray.
“Lord Cantlemere sir.”