The Mystery of Lincoln's Inn Part 45

The Amba.s.sador bowed.

"Mr. Eversleigh," he said, somewhat stiffly, "you must please yourself as to what you tell me."

"I beg your Excellency's pardon," cried Gilbert; "but it is not too much to say that it is a matter of life and death to my father and myself.

Pardon me, I beg of you."

"Well, I'm ready to listen," said Lord Prestonkirk, more graciously.

"Indeed, I am a good deal interested. You have said enough to show me that there is some strange story, as you stated, and if I can be of any service to you, you may count upon me."

Then Gilbert told him all.

The Amba.s.sador listened with great attention, asking a question now and again as Gilbert proceeded with his tale. When it was finished, Lord Prestonkirk remarked that he had never heard a stranger story.

"You believe," he asked, "that the testimony of the secret chamber is absolutely convincing of Silwood's being alive?"

"Yes."

"Was there no one else who could have opened it?"

"No one but the maker, and he is out of the question. Who, beside Silwood, would have any object in opening it?"

"The conclusion is just," acknowledged the Amba.s.sador; "and I believe, with you and your father, that the man is alive; everything undoubtedly points that way. But as I hinted, I think, to you already, it is really a case for the police."

"Later it will in all probability be," said Gilbert; speaking with great earnestness. "But at present my strong desire and hope is that I may be able to trace Silwood, lay hands on him, and get from him, in some way or other, an explanation of certain transactions which he negotiated in the course of his defalcations. If I were to have him arrested when found, it would most likely be impossible to get him to say anything."

"I understand," said the Amba.s.sador, but he looked at Gilbert dubiously.

"I believe he had a confederate," Gilbert went on, as he saw Lord Prestonkirk did not altogether follow him. "Let me explain a little more fully. The accountant who went over his books and papers found that large transactions had taken place between Silwood and a certain James Russell. Inquiries were made about this Russell, and it turned out he was quite a poor man, or, at all events, a man living in a very poor way in Stepney--not in the least the sort of man to engage in large financial operations. I fancy he was a man of straw over whom, perhaps, Silwood may have had some hold, and that Silwood made use of him when a man of straw was needed. We found that this man had recently left Stepney, and I have employed a private detective to hunt him down."

"What did you say his name was?"

"James Russell."

"Ah!" exclaimed Lord Prestonkirk.

"Is it possible your Excellency knows anything of him?"

"Perhaps. Do you happen to know what he was like in appearance?"

"We could get no accurate description of the man. His neighbours said he was seldom at home; they thought he was a workman."

"Well, it may only be a case of coincidence," said the Amba.s.sador; "but the man's connection with Silwood suggests it may be something more than a coincidence. It happened one day last month, August, that there was a person giving the name of James Russell, and described as a workman, a British subject, stabbed in the streets of Genoa. He was wounded in the side, but not severely. Though he refused to prosecute the person who knifed him, and the thing was hushed up, the affair was reported to me, as it might have led to trouble. There was no prosecution, however, and I took very little interest in it, but the man's name comes back to me."

"It is more than a trifle curious," said Gilbert, musingly, "and I shall not forget what you have told me."

This he said aloud, but inwardly he was asking himself if it might not be that, after all, Silwood had communicated to James Russell the method of opening the secret chamber. If that were the case, then the proof on which they built the idea of Silwood's being alive was not so convincing as they had thought. He kept this, however, to himself.

"I should say it was the same man," remarked the Amba.s.sador. "As I tell you, I attached no importance to the matter at the time, since it led to no trouble. Now, it seems very odd that this workman, James Russell, did not try to get compensation for his injury--that looks strange in an ordinary workman. Then there is the fact that Silwood was in the same neighbourhood."

Lord Prestonkirk gazed at Gilbert.

"Your story grows upon me, Mr. Eversleigh," continued the Amba.s.sador. "I am immensely interested, and I'll see what I can do. But once more I must tell you that it is a case for the police."

"I admit that it would be so under ordinary circ.u.mstances. But, your Excellency, I must think of my father. I must try to save him. I do not see how I am to do it, I confess; but while there is the slightest chance of getting fuller information than we now possess of what Silwood did, I cannot abandon all hope. You see my position?"

"And sympathize with it; but still--still, it is all very irregular."

"But you will help me?"

"There will be difficulties. You see, I cannot tell the Italian authorities what you have told me. I cannot use the same arguments with them that you have used with me. Still, I am going to try what I can do.

There is a detective in all of us, and you have excited the detective in me, and if I can get that grave opened for you, it shall be opened."

Gilbert thanked the Amba.s.sador warmly.

"I shall be in Rome the day after to-morrow," said Lord Prestonkirk, as he shook hands with Gilbert. "Come and see me in the afternoon."

CHAPTER x.x.xII

Gilbert returned to Rome, well content with his success so far. He felt that Lord Prestonkirk was genuinely interested, and therefore would do all he possibly could to help him. But, at the same time, what he had heard concerning James Russell filled his mind with disquiet and uncertainty.

The presence of James Russell in Northern Italy at or about the date of Silwood's reported death was in itself startling. True, there were many James Russells in the world, and this particular James Russell who had been wounded in the streets of Genoa, might not be the James Russell whom he regarded as Silwood's confederate or accomplice; but Gilbert had little or no doubt that he was the man he wanted so much to find.

And if this were the case, what then? What was this man doing in Northern Italy, a few miles from Camajore? The answer evidently was that he had been in touch with Silwood.

Again Gilbert was forced to ask himself, Might not Silwood, after all, be dead and buried at Camajore, as the Syndic had said? If that were so, then Silwood must have communicated a knowledge of the secret chamber to Russell before his death, and the secret chamber must have been opened by Russell. On a review of all the circ.u.mstances, Gilbert was compelled to acknowledge that this might be the explanation. If it were, it was obvious that he must try harder than ever to lay James Russell by the heels. But he was still determined to have the grave opened. For if Silwood's body were in it, then there was no more to be said on that head, and Cooper Silwood would disappear finally from the story, leaving the mystery of Lincoln's Inn for ever unsolved.

Gilbert wrote to his father, Francis Eversleigh, an account of what he had done and of what he had heard with regard to James Russell. He also communicated with the private detective he was employing to track Russell down.

At the time fixed, Gilbert went to see the Amba.s.sador, but it was only to meet with disappointment.

"I must ask you," said Lord Prestonkirk, "to exercise a little patience, as it may be a day or two before the matter can be settled one way or the other. I saw the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and told him what you wished. Of course I did not tell him what you told me, but I said I believed there were good reasons for my supporting your application for having the grave opened. I dare say he thinks that it has something to do with politics. Be that as it may, we are on excellent terms, and he promised to see about it, but said it was outside his department, and he must speak to the Minister of Justice, as such affairs were under his control."

"I am greatly obliged to you," said Gilbert, earnestly. "Can you give me any idea when you will hear from the Minister again?"

"Very soon, I think. I urged that the matter was most important, and said that I should deem it a personal favour if there was as little delay as possible."

"You are most kind," said Gilbert, "and I don't know how I am to thank you sufficiently."

"Pray do not try, Mr. Eversleigh. You see," continued the Amba.s.sador with a smile, "you have aroused my curiosity, and I must say I am quite keen to know the truth. Come again to-morrow, and perhaps I may have something definite to tell you."

Gilbert called at the Emba.s.sy the following day, scarcely expecting to hear the "something definite" of which Lord Prestonkirk had spoken, but to his joy he did.

"I have to tell you," said the Amba.s.sador, cordially, "of a most unexpected piece of good fortune."

"You have succeeded!" cried Gilbert, excitedly.