the inspector closed the door behind him. "what has brought you back into the arena?" he asked quietly.
"a riddle," the frenchman answered, in an equally low tone.
"it must have been something pretty big to have tempted you," the inspector remarked, coming closer to him.
"it was," monsieur dupont admitted.
the other glanced cautiously towards the curtains at the far end of the room.
"why are you here—in this house?" he demanded softly.
"by chance," monsieur dupont replied.
"did you know copplestone before?"
"i did not. i had never seen him. i came with my friend, tranter."
"you were here all the evening?"
"yes."
[pg 66]"anything to tell me?" the inspector asked, looking at him intently.
monsieur dupont smiled.
"only, my friend, that i imagine you will find it an interesting and somewhat unusual case."
"that's not enough—from you," the inspector retorted.
"if i may be permitted to advise—it is a case in which you would do well to ignore the obvious."
"i want more than that," insisted the inspector.
the huge frenchman remained silent.
"you are not a man to waste your time on this kind of entertainment," said the inspector slowly. "is there any connection between the crime to-night, and your so-called 'riddle'?"
"the connection of death," said monsieur dupont.
there was something of awe in his voice and manner.
"for two years," he said, "i have been following in the track of something, which, in [pg 67]the words of our great dumas—'must have passed this way, for i see a corpse.'"
"that quotation referred to a woman," said the inspector quickly.
"from me," returned monsieur dupont evenly, "it is sexless—at present."
the inspector frowned.
"come," he said impatiently—"in what way are you mixed up in this?"
"in the way of my quotation—a corpse. i started my quest two years ago—over a dead body, torn and mutilated. at the end of the first year i found another dead body, torn and mutilated. i follow on and on—from one point to the next point—often with no more than the instinct of the hunter to guide me. and here, at the end of the second year, there is yet another dead body, torn and mutilated. it is horrible. i sicken. i wish i had remained in my retirement."
"what were the two previous crimes?" the inspector asked.
"two women—two very beautiful women."
inspector fay started, staring at him.
[pg 68]"miss manderson was a beautiful woman," he said slowly.
monsieur dupont's enormous head nodded several times.
"she was," he agreed deliberately. "the most beautiful of the three."
there was silence for a moment. then the inspector laid a hand on the frenchman's shoulder.
"we have worked together a good many times in the past," he said, with more cordiality than before.
"we have, indeed," monsieur dupont responded pleasantly.
"and though your methods were always fanciful compared with our's, i know enough of your powers to ask you a simple, straight question."
"i am at your service," said monsieur dupont.
"you were here on the spot when this crime was committed. who, or what, smashed the body of that unfortunate woman to pulp in this garden to-night?"
monsieur dupont's gigantic form seemed to [pg 69]acquire a new, strange dignity—a solemnity—as though he were in the presence, or speaking, of something before which humanity must bow its head.
"a destroyer," he whispered. "a destroyer who strikes with neither fear nor compunction—and passes on without pity or remorse. a destroyer who is as old as the sins of men, and as young as the futures of their children."
"you always spoke in parables," the inspector exclaimed irritably. "what do you mean?"
"i mean," said monsieur dupont, "that i believe the thing which passed through this crooked garden to-night, leaving death so horribly behind it, is the same thing that has already passed on twice before me, and left the same death in its wake. i cannot tell you any more. let us both go our own ways, as we have done so many times before. i do not wish to take any credit in this affair. if i am able to prove its connection with my own case, and to solve it, i shall hand the whole matter over to you."
[pg 70]the inspector appeared somewhat relieved.
monsieur dupont's eyes were fixed on an unframed photograph of christine manderson, which stood on a small cabinet in front of him.
"please compound a felony," he said softly—and slipped it into his pocket.
"where are you to be found?" the inspector asked.
"at the hotel savoy." he yawned. "i am very sleepy," he complained. "if you will finish with mr. tranter as soon as possible, he will take me back in his car."
he turned to the door.
"stay," said the inspector.
he stopped.
"you have not lost your old fantastic kink," said the inspector, with a faint smile. "the last time we ran together you were five minutes ahead of me at the finish. this time—we will see who is the first to pass the post."
"my friend," said monsieur dupont, "i will do my best to give you a good race."
he passed out of the room. the inspector followed him to the door, and called for mr. tranter.
