"Welcome, gentlemen. Visitors are rare, but I do not think I have had the pleasure…"
"Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker," Pons explained. "We are staying with Colonel d'Arcy in the neighborhood, and as we understood you are a relative, decided to take the liberty of calling upon you."
"A distant relative only, gentlemen," said Tolliver, studying us sharply from behind his glasses.
"But will you not come up into my study and remove your coats? If you would like some tea…"
"Thank you, no," said Pons affably. "We are due back at The Briars for tea, but since we were so close, we looked in with an invitation."
We were up on the platform now and I studied the books and equipment with mounting interest as Pons and our strange host chatted on.
"Invitation?"
Tolliver looked from Pons to me and then back to my companion again with unconcealed curiosity.
"Well, yes," said Pons with a composure I found difficult to contemplate. "The colonel feels that he should, perhaps, have been more forthcoming in paying his respects and wishes to make up for it."
Tolliver held up his hand.
"Colonel d'Arcy owes me nothing, Mr. Pons. I am a distant cousin only."
"Nevertheless, he would be delighted if you could accept a little suggestion. He has just become engaged to a delightful young lady and would appreciate the honor if you could come over to spend one or two nights as his guest this weekend. Friday evening was the time suggested."
I could only watch open-mouthed as Tolliver colored and looked around hesitantly.
"Why, I should deem it an honor, Mr. Pons."
"That is settled, then. Shall we say six o'clock Friday evening?"
"That will do admirably."
Pons nodded as though the subject were closed. He looked around with piercing eyes.
"I see you are a herpetologist, Mr. Tolliver."
Our host flushed.
"An amateur only. Zoology has been my passion since college days."
"You seem to have quite a collection. These bird-eating spiders, for example…"
I was already looking at the creatures in question, and my scalp crawled with loathing at the great furry creature which scuttled across the sanded floor of one of the heated glass cages. In another coil after coil of gold-dusted patterning moved lazily across a tree branch.
"Magnificent, aren't they?" Tolliver continued. "I have some notable rarities. Would you care for a tour?"
Pons smilingly declined.
"I think I have seen enough, Mr. Tolliver."
We were descending the stairs again now.
"I trust you and Dr. Parker will visit me again," said our host when we were once more near the door. He shook hands with Pons and then turned to me. Pons spoke again before I could open the door.
"Do you by any chance know Mr. Bradshaw, the solicitor from Tolleshunt D'Arcy?"
"Yes, indeed. He acts for me in certain matters."
Despite my warning frown at Pons, he continued as though he had not seen it.
"By the way, Mr. Tolliver, you have not lost any specimens lately? Spiders, for example. Or snakes?"
I could not help making a small explosive sound of astonishment, but the effect on Tolliver was electrifying. He cast a worried, almost haggard, look about him.
"I could not possibly see how you could know that, Mr. Pons. But the truth is that I have. I do not understand how it could have happened. Several specimens have disappeared of late."
He licked his lips nervously.
would appreciate it if you did not noise the fact abroad. My laboratory, as the locals call it, is little liked hereabouts."
"You have my word, Mr. Tolliver."
Tolliver glanced around uneasily.
"The only relief, Mr. Pons, is that the specimens need tropical heat. They would have died quickly outside these walls."
"That is good to hear," said Solar Pons with a dry laugh, gazing at an anaconda which took up most of a large cage opposite. "Until Friday."
"Until Friday, Mr. Pons."
I could hardly wait until we were back in the car.
"Good heavens, Pons, this man has given himself away. And are you mad, inviting him to stay at The Briars?"
"I fancy it will be an interesting weekend, Parker," said Pons, a faraway expression in his eyes as I turned the car and headed back toward Colonel d'Arcy's house.
"It was a liberty, as you say, but as soon as I have explained the situation to our client, I am sure he will cooperate. And now, if you please, Parker, I would prefer to smoke in silence while I get to grips with the problem."
7
"Your health, Mr. Pons!"
Colonel d'Arcy's bearded face was flushed with pleasure and as I looked around the dining table, I saw nothing but contentment on the features of Miss Mortimer, her mother, and about a dozen other guests who were celebrating our client's engagement. The great paneled dining room was a blaze of light from the chandeliers and from the vast stone fireplace heaped with logs, which cast a mellow glow over the tiled hearth and on the replete form of the dog, Toto, which lay with its paws toward the warmth.
Pons and I occupied positions of honor near the end of the table. The only other people present known to us were solicitor Bradshaw and Pons's invited guest, Tolliver. Colonel d'Arcy himself had welcomed Pons's suggestion, though my friend had given no indication of his inward thoughts on the subject. In truth, there were some half- dozen people already staying for the weekend and The Briars was so vast, the servants so numerous, that Tolliver's presence was hardly noticed.
This Friday evening was the formal engagement dinner, and the Saturday was to be given over to a dance, to which many of the neighboring gentry and their families had been invited. Pons could be an excellent listener on occasion, even though he might be privately bored, and now he smiled encouragingly as a wealthy farmer on his left went on with a tirade about the scandalously low price of potatoes.
Our host and his fiancée were obviously wrapped up in each other, and Bradshaw was engaged in earnest conversation with Mrs. Mortimer, so I was at liberty to study Tolliver. He affected to be listening to a tall, fair girl who had been placed at his right hand, but all the while his eyes were roving restlessly about the apartment, now at the richness of the table decorations, now at the chandeliers, and occasionally at the sullen figure of Vickers who passed to and from the table on various errands.
"An interesting study, is it not, Parker?"
The low voice of Pons was in my ear, his face alert, his eyes missing nothing that went on in the room.
"Indeed, Pons, though I am not quite sure…"
"Of mankind, Parker. Of one's fellow human beings. And there is nothing like a convivial dinner atmosphere, as tonight, for catching them off guard."
"Ah, Pons, you mean Tolliver. And Vicker's attitude…"
Pons's fingers dug into my arm, a warning plainly on his face.
"Hush, Parker, moderate your tones. We do not wish the world to know our business."
He looked around the table coolly, as though enjoying the conversation, while he continued our discourse sotto voce.
"Be on the alert when we retire, Parker. And make sure you have your revolver. If I am not mistaken, something is due to happen this evening."
"So we will not be retiring, Pons?" I said.
He shook his head
"We must keep on the alert. Fetch your revolver from your bedroom after dinner. We had better keep guard in my room since it is the nearest to the colonel's."