ad heard and seen
enough since entering Harker's little room to know that he was in
company with an intellect which was keener and more subtle than his, and
that it would be all to his advantage to go in with the man who had vast
and deep experience. And so he made a clean breast of all he had done in
the way of investigation, leaving his motive completely aside.
"You've got a theory, of course?" observed Harker, after listening
quietly to all that Bryce could tell. "Naturally, you have! You couldn't
accumulate all that without getting one."
"Well," admitted Bryce, "honestly, I can't say that I have. But I can
see what theory there might be. This--that Ransford was the man who
deceived Brake, that he ran away with Brake's wife, that she's dead,
and that he's brought up the children in ignorance of all that--and
therefore--"
"And therefore," interrupted Harker with a smile, "that when he and
Brake met--as you seem to think they did--Ransford flung Brake through
that open doorway; that Collishaw witnessed it, that Ransford's found
out about Collishaw, and that Collishaw has been poisoned by Ransford.
Eh?"
"That's a theory that seems to be supported by facts," said Bryce.
"It's a theory that would doubtless suit men like Mitchington," said the
old detective, with another smile. "But--not me, sir! Mind you, I don't
say there isn't something in it--there's doubtless a lot. But--the
mystery's a lot thicker than just that. And Brake didn't come here to
find Ransford. He came because of the secret in that scrap of paper. And
as you've got it, doctor--out with it!"
Bryce saw no reason for concealment and producing the scrap of paper
laid it on the table between himself and his host. Harker peered
inquisitively at it.
"Latin!" he said. "You can read it, of course. What does it say?"
Bryce repeated a literal translation.
"I've found the place," he added. "I found it this morning. Now, what do
you suppose this means?"
Harker was looking hard at the two lines of writing.
"That's a big question, doctor," he answered. "But I'll go so far as to
say this--when we've found out what it does mean, we shall know a lot
more than we know now!"
CHAPTER XV. THE DOUBLE OFFER
Bryce, who was deriving a considerable and peculiar pleasure from his
secret interview with the old detective, smiled at Harker's last remark.
"That's a bit of a platitude, isn't it?" he suggested. "Of course we
shall know a lot more--
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