the illustrious prince- 第5部分

That　papers　had　been　stolen　from　himpapers　or　moneywas　evident　from　the　place　of　concealment　in　his　coat；　where　the　lining　had　been　torn　away；　but　there　was　not　the　slightest　evidence　as　to　the　nature　of　these　documents　or　the　history　of　the　murdered　man。　All　that　could　be　done　was　to　await　the　news　from　the　other　side；　which　was　momentarily　expected。

The　girl　went　through　it　all；　line　by　line；　almost　word　by　word。　Whatever　there　might　have　been　of　relationship　or　friendship　between　her　and　the　dead　man；　the　news　of　his　terrible　end　left　her　shaken；　indeed；　but　dry…eyed。　She　was　apparently　more　terrified　than　grieved；　and　now　that　the　first　shock　had　passed　away；　her　mind　seemed　occupied　with　thoughts　which　may　indeed　have　had　some　connection　with　this　tragedy；　but　were　scarcely　wholly　concerned　with　it。　She　sat　for　a　long　while　with　her　hands　still　resting　upon　the　table　but　her　eyes　fixed　out　of　the　window。　Then　at　last　she　rose　and　made　her　way　outside。　Her　friend　the　reception　clerk　was　engaged　in　conversation　with　one　or　two　men；　a　conversation　of　which　she　was　obviously　the　subject。　As　she　opened　the　door；　one　of　them　broke　off　in　the　midst　of　what　he　was　saying　and　would　have　accosted　her。　The　clerk；　however；　interposed；　and　drew　her　a　step　or　two　back　into　the　room。

〃Madam；〃　he　said；　〃one　of　these　gentlemen　is　from　Scotland　Yard；　and　the　others　are　reporters。　They　are　all　eager　to　know　anything　about　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes。　I　expect　they　will　want　to　ask　you　some　questions。〃

The　girl　opened　her　lips　and　closed　them　again。

〃I　regret　to　say　that　I　have　nothing　whatever　to　tell　them；〃　she　declared。　〃Will　you　kindly　let　them　know　that？〃

The　clerk　shook　his　head。

〃I　am　afraid　you　will　find　them　quite　persistent；　madam；〃　he　said。

〃I　cannot　tell　them　things　which　I　do　not　know　myself；〃　she　answered；　frowning。

〃Naturally；〃　the　clerk　admitted；　〃yet　these　gentlemen　from　Scotland　Yard　have　special　privileged；　of　course；　and　there　remains　the　fact　that　you　were　engaged　to　lunch　with　Mr。　Fynes　here。〃

〃If　it　will　help　me　to　get　rid　of　them；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　speak　to　the　representative　of　Scotland　Yard。　I　will　have　nothing　whatever　to　say　to　the　reporters。〃

The　clerk　turned　round　and　beckoned　to　the　foremost　figure　in　the　little　group。　Inspector　Jacks；　tall；　lantern…jawed；　dressed　with　the　quiet　precision　of　a　well…to…do…man　of　affairs；　and　with　no　possible　suggestion　of　his　calling　in　his　manner　or　attire；　was　by　her　side　almost　at　once。

〃Madam；〃　he　said；　〃I　understand　that　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　was　a　friend　of　yours？〃

〃An　acquaintance；〃　she　corrected　him。

〃And　your　name？〃　he　asked。

〃I　am　Miss　Morse；〃　she　replied；〃Miss　Penelope　Morse。〃

〃You　were　to　have　lunched　here　with　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes；〃　the　detective　continued。　〃When；　may　I　ask；　did　the　invitation　reach　you？〃

〃Yesterday；〃　she　told　him；　〃by　marconigram　from　Queenstown。〃

〃You　can　tell　us　a　few　things　about　the　deceased；　without　doubt；〃　Mr。　Jacks　said；〃his　profession；　for　instance；　or　his　social　standing？　Perhaps　you　know　the　reason　for　his　coming　to　Europe？〃

The　girl　shook　her　head。

〃Mr。　Fynes　and　I　were　not　intimately　acquainted；〃　she　answered。　〃We　met　in　Paris　some　years　ago；　and　when　he　was　last　in　London；　during　the　autumn；　I　lunched　with　him　twice。〃

〃You　had　no　letter　from　him；　then；　previous　to　the　marconigram？〃　the　inspector　asked。

〃I　have　scarcely　ever　received　a　letter　from　him　in　my　life；〃　she　answered。　〃He　was　as　bad　a　correspondent　as　I　am　myself。〃

〃You　know　nothing；　then；　of　the　object　of　his　present　visit　to　England？〃

〃Nothing　whatever；〃　she　answered。

〃When　he　was　over　here　before；〃　the　inspector　asked；　〃do　you　know　what　his　business　was　then？〃

〃Not　in　the　least；〃　she　replied。

〃You　can　tell　us　his　address　in　the　States？〃　Inspector　Jacks　suggested。

She　shook　her　head。

〃I　cannot；〃　she　answered。　〃As　I　told　you　just　now；　I　have　never　had　a　letter　from　him　in　my　life。　We　exchanged　a　few　notes；　perhaps；　when　we　were　in　Paris；　about　trivial　matters；　but　nothing　more　than　that。〃

〃He　must　at　some　time；　in　Paris；　for　instance；　or　when　you　lunched　with　him　last　year；　have　said　something　about　his　profession；　or　how　he　spent　his　time？〃

〃He　never　alluded　to　it　in　any　way；〃　the　girl　answered。　〃I　have　not　the　slightest　idea　how　he　passed　his　time。〃

The　inspector　was　a　little　nonplussed。　He　did　not　for　a　moment　believe　that　the　girl　was　telling　the　truth。

〃Perhaps；〃　he　said　tentatively；　〃you　do　not　care　to　have　your　name　come　before　the　public　in　connection　with　a　case　so　notorious　as　this？〃

〃Naturally；〃　the　girl　answered。　〃That；　however；　would　not　prevent　my　telling　you　anything　that　I　knew。　You　seem　to　find　it　hard　to　believe；　but　I　can　assure　you　that　I　know　nothing。　Mr。　Fynes　was　almost　a　stranger　to　me。〃

The　detective　was　thoughtful。

〃So　you　really　cannot　help　us　at　all；　madam？〃　he　said　at　length。

〃I　am　afraid　not；〃　she　answered。

〃Perhaps；〃　he　suggested；　〃after　you　have　thought　the　matter　over；　something　may　occur　to　you。　Can　I　trouble　you　for　your　address？〃

〃I　am　staying　at　Devenham　House　for　the　moment；〃　she　answered。

He　wrote　it　down　in　his　notebook。

〃I　shall　perhaps　do　myself　the　honor　of　waiting　upon　you　a　little　later　on；〃　he　said。　〃You　may　be　able；　after　reflection；　to　recall　some　small　details；　at　any　rate；　which　will　be　interesting　to　us。　At　present　we　are　absurdly　ignorant　as　to　the　man's　affairs。〃

She　turned　away　from　him　to　the　clerk；　and　pointed　to　another　door。

〃Can　I　go　out　without　seeing　those　others？〃　she　asked。　〃I　really　have　nothing　to　say　to　them；　and　this　has　been　quite　a　shock　to　me。〃

〃By　all　means；　madam；〃　the　clerk　answered。　〃If　you　will　allow　me；　I　will　escort　you　to　the　entrance。〃

Two　of　the　more　enterprising　of　the　journalists　caught　them　up　upon　the　pavement。　Miss　Penelope　Morse；　however；　had　little　to　say　to　them。

〃You　must　not　ask　me　any　more　questions　about　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes；〃　she　declared。　〃My　acquaintance　with　him　was　of　the　slightest。　It　is　true　that　I　came　here　to　lunch　today　without　knowing　what　had　happened。　It　has　been　a　shock　to　me；　and　I　do　not　wish　to　talk　about　it；　and　I　will　not　talk　about　it；　for　the　present。〃

She　was　deaf　to　their　further　questions。　The　hotel　clerk　handed　her　into　a　taximeter　cab；　and　gave　the　address　to　the　driver。　Then　he　went　back　to　his　office；　where　Inspector　Jacks　was　still　sitting。

〃This　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes；〃　he　remarked；　〃seems　to　have　been　what　you　might　call　a　secretive　sort　of　person。　Nobody　appears　to　know　anything　about　him。　I　remember　when　he　was　staying　here　before　that　he　had　no　callers；　and　seemed　to　spend　most　of　his　time　sitting　in　the　palm　court。〃

The　inspector　nodded。

〃He　was　certainly　a　man　who　knew　how　to　keep　his　own　counsel；〃　he　admitted。　〃Most　Americans　are　ready　enough　to　talk　about　themselves　and　their　affairs；　even　to　comparative　strangers。〃

The　hotel　clerk　nodded。

〃Makes　it　difficult　for　you；〃　he　remarked。

〃It　makes　the　case　very　interesting；　the　inspector　declared；　〃especially　when　we　find　him　engaged　to　lunch　with　a　young　lady　of　such　remarkable　discretion　as　miss　Penelope　Morse。〃

〃You　know　her？〃　the　clerk　asked　a　little　eagerly。

The　inspector　was　engaged；　apparently；　in　studying　the　pattern　of　the　carpet。

〃Not　exactly；〃　he　answered。　〃No；　I　have　no　absolute　knowledge　of　Miss　Penelope　Morse。　By　the　bye；　that　was　rather　an　interesting　address　that　she　gave。〃

〃Devenham　House；〃　the　hotel　clerk　remarked。　〃Do　you　know　who　lives　there？〃

The　inspector　nodded。

〃The　Duke　of　Devenham；〃　he　answered。　〃A　very　interesting　young　lady；　I　should　think；　that。　I　wonder　what　she　and　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　would　have　talked　about　if　they　had　lunched　here　today。〃

The　hotel　clerk　looked　dubious。　He　did　not　grasp　the　significance　of　the　question。



CHAPTER　V。　AN　AFFAIR　OF　STATE

Miss　Penelope　Morse　was　perfectly　well　aware　that　the　taxicab　in　which　she　left　the　Carlton　Hotel　was　closely　followed　by　two　others。　Through　the　tube　which　she　found　by　her　side；　she　altered　her　first　instructions　to　the　driver；　and　told　him　to　proceed　as　fast　as　possible　to　Harrod's　Stores。　Then；　raising　the　flap　at　the　rear　of　the　cab；　she　watched　the　progress　of　the　chase。　Along　Pall　Mall　the　taxi　in　which　she　was　seated　gained　considerably；　but　in　the　Park　and　along　the　Bird　Cage　Walk　both　the　other　taxies；　risking　the　police　regulations；　drew　almost　alongside。　Once　past　Hyde　Park　Corner；　however；　her　cab　again　drew　ahead；　and　when　she　was　deposited　in　front　of　Harrod's　Stores；　her　pursuers　were　out　of　sight。　She　paid　the　driver　quickly；　a　little　over　double　his　fare。

〃If　any　one　asks　you　questions；〃　she　said；　〃say　that　you　had　instructions　to　wait　here　for　me。　Go　on　to　the　rank　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　Then　you　can　drive　away。〃

〃You　won't　be　coming　back；　then；　miss？〃　the　man　asked。

〃I　shall　not；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　want　those　men　who　are　following　me　to　think　that　I　am。　They　may　as　well　lose　a　little　time　for　their　rudeness。〃

The　chauffeur　touched　his　hat　and　obeyed　his　instructions。　Miss　Penelope　Morse　plunged　into　the　mazes　of　the　Stores　with　the　air　of　one　to　whom　the　place　is　familiar。　She　did　not　pause；　however；　at　any　of　the　counters。　In　something　less　than　two　minutes　she　had　left　it　again　by　a　back　entrance；　stepped　into　another　taxicab　which　was　just　setting　down　a　passenger；　and　was　well　on　her　way　back　towards　Pall　Mall。　Her　ruse　appeared　to　have　been　perfectly　successful。　At　any　rate；　she　saw　nothing　more　of　the　occupants　of　the　two　taxicabs。

She　stopped　in　front　of　one　of　the　big　clubs　and；　scribbling　a　line　on　her　card；　gave　it　to　the　door　keeper。

〃Will　you　find　out　if　this　gentleman　is　in？〃　she　said。　〃If　he　is；　will　you　kindly　ask　him　to　step　out　and　speak　to　me？〃

She　returned　to　the　cab　and　waited。　In　less　than　five　minutes　a　tall；　broad…shouldered　young　man；　clean…shaven；　and　moving　like　an　athlete；　came　briskly　down　the　steps。　He　carried　a　soft　hat　in　his　hand；　and　directly　he　spoke　his　transatlantic　origin　was　apparent。

〃Penelope！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Why；　what　on　earth〃

〃My　dear　Dicky；〃　she　interrupted；　laughing　at　his　expression；　〃you　need　not　look　so　displeased　with　me。　Of　course；　I　know　that　I　ought　not　to　have　come　and　sen