“ ‘The beginning, of course, was at our weekend at Sir Hugo Parly’s house at Wendover. I entered that house a strong man, in perfect health; I appeared to find our brief stay as congenial as you did; and yet the chances of my ever leaving the place alive were about two in a hundred. I was as doomed as a spy who faces, blindfolded, a platoon of crack shots.
“ ‘For three years I had known fear, and for a month, terror. I do not mean to be mysterious. It is a situation easily understood, though unusual. When I was a young man I had allied myself to one of those secret, those rodent, societies which burrow in the underworld, and which are frequently the true and unsuspected cause of big upheavals. I am prepared, whenever you wish, to give you all particulars; but at present I must confine myself to the events of one night.
“ ‘Briefly, I had extricated myself from the fraternity three years before. Its methods had become too alarming for me. But my act of withdrawal had compromised me with them, and I was marked down as one whose life must be brushed aside as easily as we flick away a cobweb.
“ ‘I went to the Antipodes to hide myself, and for nearly two years I was successful. Then they found me. An escape from a great personal danger, which in normal circumstances would not have aroused my suspicions, made me feel apprehensive. It was followed almost immediately by another. The cold shadow of death passed within an inch of me. I knew, then, that The Society of the Flail — so they called themselves — had found me, and I fled.
“ ‘For months I lived on the brink of the grave. Will you try to understand what that means? Again and again I saved myself only by using the utmost vigilance; but I felt sure, down in my heart, that my days were numbered. I could not shake off my relentless enemies, who followed me in secret, and struck in stealth. Eventually I returned to England.
“ ‘But my nerve was gone. One may bear up and fortify one’s spirit against the advance of a fatal disease; but when the sword of murder hangs over one’s head it is different. Each night I dreamed of strangling hands round my throat. A sharp sound by day made me think of a pistol shot. When I was suddenly accosted by an acquaintance I would cry out and shrink back. Such a condition of things could not last.
“ ‘Finally I received an anonymous note. The writer claimed — though he may have lied — that hitherto my sworn foes, of whom he was one, had been only playing with me, and that the real blow was about to fall. An invitation to Sir Hugo Parly’s house, which I had accepted, was mentioned in the unsigned letter; and it closed with the assurance that I should meet my death during the visit.
“ ‘And I knew perfectly well that I should. The Society of the Flail does not boast. My last hours had arrived.
“ ‘Police protection? I had already tried it, and in vain. I might have kept away from the Wendover house? It would have been utterly useless.
“ ‘I went, therefore, knowing that I should never return. The Saturday passed off and nothing happened. The Sunday crept away. When I retired to my room that night I felt on the verge of mental collapse. And a longing to tell someone of my terrible situation became so strong that I yielded to it. I went to the room of one of my fellow-guests, and I–I told him all. He is here now, and he must remember.’
“As Wayridge paused we all looked at one another. After a short silence Hanlon cleared his throat and spoke.
“ ‘That is quite true,’ said he. ‘You came to my room, Wayridge. You told me that you were in deadly fear. Mingled with your very real terror was a certain shame of it, and you asked me to respect your secret. I did so.’
“ ‘Principally because you did not altogether believe me,’ said Wayridge, heavily. ‘I could tell, from your manner, that you thought I was suffering from a nervous complaint.’
“ ‘Yes, I did think that,’ agreed Hanlon.
“ ‘You were wrong,’ said Wayridge, gloomily. ‘It did not matter, however; you could not have helped me. I left you, and I returned to my own room.
“ ‘I locked my door; I saw that my window was secured. I made a careful examination of my room. But in spite of these precautions I could not dismiss a heart-chilling instinct that I should be murdered before morning.
“ ‘I did not undress. The hours crawled by. My sufferings increased — the accumulated suffering of a whole year of dreadful expectation. My hearing was strained to catch the slightest sound. Between 2 and 3 o’clock I heard a click downstairs as if a window-bolt had been forced back!
“ ‘To me that noise was as the footfall of death. Blame me for cowardice if you will. I simply could not help it. Someone had entered the house, and it was for my life that person had come.’ ”
At this point in his tale Storer paused to finish his wine, for he was a trifle husky. Also he noted that he had the absorbed attention of the company, and he knew the value of a halt at a critical juncture. The cigars round the dining table glowed strongly, and a heavy smoke hung over the man who was shortening his days with his black weeds.
“I shall not readily forget Wayridge’s emotion as he unfolded to us the events of that night,” continued Storer. “He need not have labored to make us understand what he had passed through, for vivid recollection of the ordeal paled his wasted cheeks, and beaded his forehead with perspiration.
“ ‘I waited in my room, scarcely daring to breathe,’ Wayridge went on. ‘Several minutes passed, but not the faintest sound succeeded that first one. Nevertheless, I was absolutely certain that I had heard the sharp click of a window-fastener which had suddenly yielded. At length, unable to bear the suspense any longer, I opened my door. There was no one outside. I stepped to the head of the staircase and listened again. After a minute or two I caught an almost inaudible sound of someone moving in a room below.
“ ‘I did not stir. I was sure that the person would come up, and I had made up my mind to spring upon him in the dark, as he climbed the stairs. But he did not come. Slight noises were now frequent, and at last I resolved to go down.
“ ‘I descended the stairs with infinite caution. I reached the door of the room in which I was sure an intruder was lurking. But he did not emerge, and I took hold of the handle of the door. It turned without making a sound, and I peered in.
“ ‘A single glance showed me that I had made a mistake. I saw, not an assassin, but a common thief. He had switched on the electric light and was most clearly revealed. He did not see me, for his back was towards me. To the right was the open window through which he had entered. He was kneeling before a small safe, which he had obviously succeeded in forcing. From it he had taken a jewel box, and when I first saw him he was lifting out a string of pearls — the well-known pearls of Lady Parly.
“ ‘As I took a step forward, perhaps incautiously, a board creaked under my foot. He turned his head, gave me one glance, and without an instant’s pause rushed to the window. It was lightning-like. One moment he was stooping before me, the next he had vanished. I leaped to the window, and I saw the string of pearls lying across it, dropped by the fellow in his flight. I picked it up, uncertain for a second whether to follow, and in that luckless moment Sir Hugo, followed by you, Howis, and Hanlon close behind, rushed into the room. The same slight sounds which had disturbed me had drawn them to the spot.
“ ‘Sir Hugo Parly roared out, “Here he is, by Heaven!” Then he pulled himself up abruptly, for he recognized me.
“ ‘And I, gentlemen, saw the suspicion leap into his eyes. Well it might! There was the open safe, the pearls clenched in my hand, and I had one leg across the open window.
“ ‘I had but a second in which to act. An immediate repudiation of the terrible suspicion looking from every pair of eyes fixed upon me, an instant explanation, would have saved me. But I did not make it. Why?