"You met this mysterious Mr Basden?"
"Almost at once on my return, Mr Pons. He was quite an ordinary little man, an Englishman obviously, and rather ill at ease, I thought, among the foreign-sounding employees among his retinue."
Solar Pons tented his fingers and stared at me sombrely.
"Does not that strike you as strange also, Parker?" "Perhaps he had served in India, Pons?"
Solar Pons shook his head with a thin smile.
"I believe the young lady referred to Central Europeans, Parker."
'That is correct, Mr Pons. There were other extraordinary requirements in my new duties also. For example, I was asked by the housekeeper to leave my own clothes in my room. She supplied me with a new ward- robe. They were very expensive clothes, Mr Pons, but I had no objection, of course."
"Indeed," I put in.
"But then Mrs Dresden asked me to put my hair up in a different style and gave me expensive jewellery to wear. I was a little apprehensive in case I lost any but was told not to worry as Mr Basden was a very wealthy man. I was given the run of the magnificent house and was told I would be treated as a member of the family.
"I dined with Mr Basden that evening and my impression of him being ill at ease in his own house was reinforced. He said little and after two days at The Priory I knew very little more about the post than when I arrived. I noticed one other odd thing, also. I could go almost anywhere I liked in the house, but there was a wing stretching off the main landing. I was forbidden to go there by Mrs Dresden, as it was private.
"But I could not help seeing what went on, Mr Pons. There were disturbances in the night once and I have seen what looked like nurses with trays of medicine. One morning also I surprised a tall, dark man on the stairs, with a little black bag. He looked grave and I was convinced he was a doctor."
Solar Pons leaned forward and his deepset eyes stared steadily at the tall, fair girl.
"Just what do you think is in that wing, Miss Helstone?"
"Some sort of invalid, evidently, Mr Pons. I did not enquire, naturally."
Solar Pons leaned back again in his chair and half-closed his eyes.
"And you have not seen the bearded man again since that first accidental glimpse at the interview?"
"Not at all, Mr Pons. I had another shock when my two charges arrived. The children were attractive enough, but their voices were low and husky and I was told by Mrs Dresden they had colds. They seemed rather odd and sly and I was completely non-plussed when I found that neither spoke a word of English."
Solar Pons gave a low chuckle.
"Excellent, Miss Helstone."
The fair girl stared at my companion with very bright eyes.
"And what is more, Mr Pons, I am convinced their father cannot speak their language either!"
"Better and better, Parker."
Miss Helstone stared at my companion in astonishment.
"I do not follow you, Mr Pons."
"No matter, Miss Helstone. What was the next thing that happened in this extraordinary ménage?"
"Well, it was obvious, Mr Pons, that I could not begin to conduct any lessons. When I pointed this out to Mrs Dresden she said it was of no consequence as they had a tutor in their own tongue. I would be required for companionship; to take them on walks in the grounds; on motor-rides and to control their deportment."
"An unusual list of requirements and one which apparently commands a salary of five hundred pounds, Parker," said Pons, a dreamy expression on his face. "It gives one pause to think, does it not?"
"My words exactly, Pons."
"And when you hear that the walks were mostly conducted at night in the floodlit grounds of The Priory, you will begin to realise my perplexity, Mr Pons."
My companion's eyes had narrowed to mere slits and he leaned forward, an intent expression on his face.
"The grounds were floodlit, Miss Helstone? And the walks were how many times a week?"
"About three times on average, Mr Pons. Between ten o'clock and midnight."
"Unusual hours for small children, Parker."
"There is something wrong somewhere."
"For once you do not exaggerate, my dear fellow." "The last three months have been strange ones for me, gentlemen," said our visitor, whose paleness had gone and whose natural vivacity had evidently returned, for her eyes were sparkling and her manner more animated.
"I took occasional meals with my employer; walked or drove with the children; read and played patience. I soon found that I was not allowed outside the gates alone, but I have learned that the art treasures in the house are so valuable that Mr Basden is scared of burglars. I think myself he is afraid that his employees will be approached by criminal elements, for he insists that if one goes outside, then one does not go alone."
"Another curious circumstance which gives one much food for thought," observed Solar Pons.
"This was the odd routine of my life until a few weeks ago," Miss Helstone continued. "The people in the house were kind to me and I was well treated, but I felt circumscribed; almost imprisoned. The sealed wing was still barred to me and medicines and medical staff were in evidence from time to time, but nothing was explained and I did not think it circumspect to ask. But there was another peculiar circumstance; my employer does not smoke, or at least I have never seen him do so, yet I have on several occasions smelt strong cigar smoke in the children's room when I go to collect them for their walks. On one occasion there was a half-smoked cigar end on the window sill and the little girl looked distinctly uneasy. I myself think that the bearded man had something to do with it."
Solar Pons looked searchingly at the girl.
"You think he may be the real father and not Mr Basden?"
Miss Helstone looked astonished.
"Those were my exact thoughts, Mr Pons! You see, there is no genuine resemblance to Mr Basden and the man with the beard had a foreign look."
"You may have stumbled on to something, Miss Helstone," Pons went on. "It is a most intriguing tangle that you have described. But you mentioned life and death?" The girl swallowed once or twice and her eyes looked bleak.
"Twice in the past fortnight we have been accosted on our walks abroad, by strange, bearded men in a car. They spoke first to the children and then became very excited when I approached. I could swear they were all speaking the same language together. Yesterday a big black car tried to force ours off the road near Clitherington when we were out driving. Our chauffeur accelerated and drove back to the estate like a madman. We were all considerably shaken, I can tell you."
"Mr Basden was informed of this?"
"At once. He looked white and ill and came down to apologise to me immediately."
Solar Pons pulled once or twice at the lobe of his right ear and looked at me quizzically.
"Which brings us to the early hours of this morning, Miss Helstone."
"I was walking in the grounds with the children last night, Mr Pons. They sleep much during the day and their parent does not seem to mind their nocturnal habits. We had left the floodlit portion and followed the drive as it curved around. It was nearly midnight or a little after and we were about to turn back when there was a shot. It gave me such a shock, Mr Pons! The bullet glanced off a tree-trunk only a few feet from my head. I could hear guttural cries and I told the children to run."
"Highly commendable, Miss Helstone," I put in.
"Unfortunately, in their panic to escape they ran toward the voices," the girl went on. "Naturally, I had to go after them as they were my charges. We all got lost in the darkness, blundering about. I heard two more shots and then the same guttural voices I had heard from the men who had questioned the children on the road. I was so frightened, Mr Pons, that I hid. I must have been in the woods for hours.