The Mandarin's Fan Part 42

The G.o.d declared, through his priest, that Hop Sing was to come with me to the shrine. He did so, and thus, bitter enemies as we were, we came for a time to be in peace."

"And then the arrangement was made?"

"Yes. The G.o.d said that an equal chance must be given to good and evil.

Hwei was appointed to find the fan for me, and to give death to the person who had it. Tung-yu acted for Hop Sing and was to give a reward of not less than five thousand pounds so that the person who held the fan should be rich for life. Each was to hold sway for twenty-four hours. I caused this to be published in the Chinese newspaper in Pekin.

The coolie heard it and being fearful lest he should be killed, he kept the fan for years and said nothing. Then Major Tidman--"

"Ah I know. He came to see how my father died."

"Quite so, Mr. Ainsleigh, and the coolie, knowing the fan was connected with the death--for he afterwards went to Kan-su mine and asked questions--gave the fan to the Major to get rid of it, and--"

"And we know the rest," said Rupert rising. "Tidman gave it to Dr.

Forge, and he gave it to you--or rather you caused it to be taken from him."

"No," said the Mandarin, "that is not true. I never saw the fan till now. All these years I have never set eyes on it."

"But Dr. Forge said--"

"Whatever he said he speaks falsely," said Lo-Keong, "but it is growing late, Mr. Ainsleigh, and I see that your wife is weary. Let us retire and I shall tell you the rest of the story to-morrow. But before I go to rest," added the Mandarin decidedly, "I must a.s.sure myself that the packet is still in the trunk of the third tree."

Rupert was quite ready and lighted the lantern. The two men went to the Abbey into the pitchy darkness, and walked to the third tree near the bare spot. Lo-Keong who seemed to be able to see in the dark like a cat looked round, and laid his finger on a huge oak. "This is the tree,"

said he confidently.

"But I can't very well see," said Rupert, "from which side do you count?"

"From the left to right," explained the mandarin, "in these robes, Mr.

Ainsleigh, I cannot climb the tree, will you please to do so. You will find the hollow trunk and the line. Pull it up: the papers will be at the end. Bring them to me if you please."

So speaking Lo-Keong took the light and Rupert although in thin evening dress began to climb the tree. Luckily it was not difficult as the branches hung low, but it was disagreeable on account of the dripping wet. Every movement shook down much moisture. However, the active young man disappeared in the foliage and then felt round. He could not see, and came down to get the lantern, which the Chinaman pa.s.sed to him. Then he found that the trunk of the tree was broken off, amidst the thick branches, and that the centre was hollow. He espied a rusty thin chain, and pulled it up. At the end there was a small box, which he brought down. With an exclamation of joy Lo-Keong took it. It opened easily in his hand.

"Gone," cried the Marquis in a voice of anguish.

He spoke truly. The box was empty.

CHAPTER XXI

WHO IS GUILTY?

Next morning at the early hour of nine o'clock Orlando Rodgers drove up to Royabay filled with curiosity. He had received Rupert's letter which summoned him to come down on matters connected with the murder, and he was eager to learn details. Rodgers himself, had been unlucky. He had traced The Stormy Petrel to the Thames near Rotherhithe, and had learned from the Captain that two Chinamen had hired the boat for a couple of days. They went down to Marport and had gone ash.o.r.e early in the evening. They came on board again after midnight, and then had requested to be put ash.o.r.e at Rotherhithe. The Captain confessed that he had been paid well for the job, and thought--with a wink--that there was no chance of his knowing his employers again.

Rodgers of course recognised that Tung-yu and Hwei in their queer partners.h.i.+p had hired the yacht--which it seems was a public boat anyone could take for a period,--and he knew also that the den, where Rupert and Clarence had met with their adventures, was in Rotherhithe. He learned of this from no less a person than Mr. Burgh himself, for the buccaneer called at the police office in London to ask if the Chinamen had been caught. Rodgers had extracted a full account of the adventures, and had gone to the den only to find it empty, and the Chinamen conspicuous by their absence. Burgh himself had not returned as he promised, and the detective was annoyed at this, after he heard Rupert's story. Had he known what this was, he certainly would have arrested Burgh there and then, for partic.i.p.ation in the murder. But the astute Clarence in telling his Penter's Alley adventure, had taken care not to incriminate himself.

On arrival the detective was shown into the drawing-room where Rupert was sitting with the stately Mandarin. Olivia was not present as she had heard quite enough about the fan, and wished to hear no more, not even the end of Lo-Keong's very interesting story. Rodgers recognised that Lo-Keong was of a different type of Celestial to Tung-yu and Hwei, and paid him great deference. He explained to Rupert his ill-success with the yacht Stormy Petrel, and detailed the interview with Clarence.

"I wish I had told you about him in my letter," said Rupert jumping up, much annoyed with himself, "you could have arrested him."

And when Rodgers heard the story, he blamed Ainsleigh, as much as he blamed himself for not having risked an arrest on suspicion.

"But you know, sir," said he, huffily, "Burgh really didn't give himself away. I could do nothing to him--or to the Captain of the Stormy Petrel either on what evidence I hear. As to those Chinamen--"

"Ah," said Lo-Keong, "you must let me deal with them Mr. Rodgers."

"Can you deal with Tung-yu."

The Mandarin drew down the corners of his mouth. "I think so," said he, "it is my belief that he has the papers."

"What papers, sir?"

Lo-Keong, seeing it was absolutely necessary to make things plain, if he wanted to secure his precious packet, related almost word for word the story he had told on the previous night. "So you see," he observed, "Tung-yu probably strangled Miss Wharf as formerly he strangled Mr.

Markham Ainsleigh. I discussed this with Hwei, and he, knowing that Tung-yu had betrayed him once, was much of the same opinion."

"But if Tung-yu has the papers, why did he write to Tidman?" argued Rupert, not inclined to take this view.

"Probably to throw Hwei off the scent. Tung-yu knows well enough that if he started for China, Hwei would suspect he had the papers, and would follow him to get them."

"By murder?"

"Probably," said the Mandarin indifferently, "and after all sir, why not? Tung-yu killed your father and Miss Wharf. Hwei is watching him, and if he can make sure that Tung-yu has my parcel, he will kill him--with my approval," ended Lo-Keong calmly.

"Wait a bit," said Rodgers also coolly, though the speech astonished him not a little, "when you talked to Hwei, you did not know that the papers had been stolen."

"No. But he who has the fan has the papers. Hwei and I both thought that Tung-yu had the fan, and therefore Hwei watches him. I came down unexpectedly last night instead of waiting, so that I might a.s.sure myself that the packet was safe. But only a short time before, Mr.

Ainsleigh found the fan. Tung-yu must have come down and taken the papers."

Rupert nodded. "Certainly. Without doubt he was the ghost Mrs. Petley saw, and when she came on him suddenly, he dropped the fan and fled. He must have climbed the wall of the park in spite of the spikes."

Lo-Keong smiled sourly, "I do not think anything--spikes or otherwise would have kept Tung-yu from gaining possession of those papers. And of course he knew the way to make the picture visible."

"How was that. I thought only you and my father and Hwei--"

"Ah," said the Mandarin calmly, "it seems that Tung-yu overheard the discussion between myself and your father as to the hiding of the papers and the plan of the fan. When he strangled Markham Ainsleigh, he hoped to find the packet at once. But Hwei secured both the fan and the packet. I have told you how they came to England, and how Hwei gave the fan to his brother. The brother was killed by accident and the coolie I spoke of, found the fan in his clothing, knowing nothing of it's significance. Then he learned the truth from the notice I put in the Pekin paper, and was afraid lest he should offend the G.o.d Kw.a.n.g-ho. No he was not afraid of death--few of us are in China. But the anger of a G.o.d is different: it means ages of torment and the chance of being born again in the belly of some creeping animal. So the coolie kept the fan, till he found an opportunity of giving it to a foreign devil, in the person of Major Tidman. I can't understand how he knew the Major wanted the fan, save that he must have heard that Tidman was searching for news as to the death of Markham Ainsleigh. The coolie then knew, from enquiries at the mine, that the fan was connected with the death, and thus that the G.o.d Kw.a.n.g-ho might have appointed the death of Markham.

Yes," said the Mandarin complacently, "the coolie was afraid of the G.o.d, and no doubt was glad when Major Tidman took the fan."

Rodgers stared as Lo-Keong spoke. "It's rum to hear a gentleman like yourself talk this way, sir," he said.

"Ah," smiled the Mandarin, "our Eastern ways are different to yours."

"Yes," said the detective, "but you are so clever, that I don't see how you can believe in all this stuff about the private G.o.d."

Lo-Keong waved his hand imperatively. "Let us not speak of that, or we anger Kw.a.n.g-ho. He is the controller of my destiny. Rather let us see how we can recover my papers from Tung-yu."

"If he has them," put in Rupert perplexedly. "And if so, Hwei will get them back."

"a.s.suredly," replied the Mandarin, "the first attempt that Tung-yu makes to leave England for our own land, Hwei will guess the truth, and will kill him to get the fan or the papers."