The Piccadilly Puzzle: A Mysterious StoryHume, Fergus
Philosophy
The Piccadilly Puzzle: A Mysterious Story
Hume, Fergus
Detective and mystery stories; Piccadilly (London, England) -- Fiction
"I'll tell you all about that dagger," explained Myles to Norwood, his
solicitor. "I was at Calliston's rooms on the Monday afternoon looking
over his papers, when Lena Sarschine came in like a mad woman to see
Calliston. I tried to quiet her, but she refused to be pacified, and
pulling out the dagger said she would kill Calliston first and Lady
Balscombe afterwards. I tried to take it from her and she flung it
away--neither of us knew it was poisoned, or I don't think we would
have been so reckless over it. In falling, the dagger rested slantwise
from the floor to the fender, and in springing to get it I put my foot
on it and broke the handle off. In case she should get it again, I put
the pieces in my pocket and took them home--I left them on a side
table, so if they were found in the ornaments someone must have placed
them there--and Lena Sarschine went away on that day, and since then I
have seen nothing of her."
"Then who was the lady you saw on that night?" asked his solicitor.
"I cannot tell you," replied the young man doggedly. "I gave my word
to the lady I would not say she had been there till I had her
permission, and till I get it I cannot."
"When will you get it?"
"When Calliston returns in his yacht."
"Why, in that case," said Norwood, "you must mean Lady Balscombe?"
"I have not said so."
"No," replied Norwood quickly, "but you say your permission to speak
must come from a lady, and the only lady on board the yacht is Lady
Balscombe, as she ran away with Lord Calliston. Come, tell me, was it
Lady Balscombe you saw on that night?"
"I won't answer you."
All that Norwood could do could not get any other answer from the
obstinate young man, so in despair the lawyer left him.
"It's impossible to perform miracles," he muttered to himself as he
went back to his office, "and if this young fool won't tell me the
whole truth I cannot see what I can do."
On arriving at his office he found a lady waiting to see him, and on
glancing carelessly at the card handed to him by his clerk started
violently.
"Miss Penfold," he said, "by Jove! she was engaged to Lord Calliston.
Now I wonder what she wants?"
The young lady made her appearance, and the door being closed, soon
enlightened him on that point.
"You are Mr. Desmond's lawyer?" she asked.
"Yes, I have that honour," replied Norwood, rather puzzled to know
what she had come about.
"I--I take a great interest in Mr. Desmond," said the girl,
hesitating, "in fact, I'm engaged to him."
"But I thought Lord Calliston----"
"Lord Calliston is nothing to me," she broke in impatiently. "I never
did like him, though my guardian wished me to marry him, and I love
Myles Desmond, if I did not I would not be here."
"Well, of course I feel sure he is innocent."
"Innocent! I never had any doubt on the subject, but I want to know
what chances there are of proving his innocence."
"It will be a difficult matter," said Norwood thoughtfully, "as I can
get him to tell me nothing."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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