[Illustration: "MR. LOFTUS DEACON LAY IN A POOL OF BLOOD" (_p. 209_).] THE DORRINGTON DEED-BOX THE DORRINGTON DEED-BOX BY ARTHUR MORRISON AUTHOR OF "A CHILD OF THE JAGO," "TALES OF MEAN STREETS," "MARTIN HEWITT: INVESTIGATOR," ETC. _ILLUSTRATED_. LONDON: WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED, WARWICK HOUSE, SALISBURY SQUARE, E.C. NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE. CONTENTS PAGE I. THE NARRATIVE OF MR. JAMES RIGBY 1 II. THE CASE OF JANISSARY 53 III. THE CASE OF THE "MIRROR OF PORTUGAL" 101 IV. THE AFFAIR OF THE "AVALANCHE BICYCLE AND TYRE CO., LIMITED" 151 V. THE CASE OF MR. LOFTUS DEACON 199 VI. OLD CATER'S MONEY 255 _THE NARRATIVE OF MR. JAMES RIGBY_ THE DORRINGTON DEED-BOX I The Narrative of Mr. James Rigby I shall here set down in language as simple and straightforward as I can command, the events which followed my recent return to England; and I shall leave it to others to judge whether or not my conduct has been characterised by foolish fear and ill-considered credulity. At the same time I have my own opinion as to what would have been the behaviour of any other man of average intelligence and courage in the same circumstances; more especially a man of my exceptional upbringing and retired habits. I was born in Australia, and I have lived there all my life till quite recently, save for a single trip to Europe as a boy, in company with my father and mother. It was then that I lost my father. I was less than nine years old at the time, but my memory of the events of that European trip is singularly vivid.