russell stood by the side of uzali waiting for developments. they were still in the shade of the portico outside the music-hall, and it was uzali's part to play the next card. but he remained perfectly motionless, though russell could see his eyes gleaming and that he was moved by some strong feeling. at the same time, russell had no fear and no anxiety. he felt the thing was in capable hands and that uzali would not spoil the situation by undue haste.
"what are you going to do?" he whispered.
"for the moment, nothing," uzali said grimly. "we are going to pursue what one of your greatest statesmen used to call a policy of masterly inactivity. in other words, we will follow mr. jansen and my countryman and ascertain what deep scheme they have on hand. unless i am mistaken jansen is as much in my debt as samuel flower. but we can go into that later. just now we have to keep those fellows in view and watch them all night if necessary."
russell had no objection. he felt that action was blessed and that his dogged patience and perseverance were about to be rewarded. few words were spoken as he and his companion turned and followed jansen at a respectful distance until gray's inn road was reached. here jansen paused and appeared to take a latch-key from his pocket. a door was quietly opened and shut and then the watchers had the street to themselves. uzali turned eagerly to russell.
"you marked the right house?" he asked.
"oh, i think i know the house," russell replied. "i have had a very good description of it and here comes goatley to see that we are on the right track. well, what is it, goatley?"
"i ventured to follow you, gentlemen," goatley said, "in fact, i have been following you all the evening. i was afraid you might make some mistake. some description of the house where jansen is lodging will be of assistance to you."
"you know all about it?" uzali said.
"well, yes, sir," goatley proceeded to explain. "it is a shop where a man named giles deals in birds and animals. he is a queer, solitary old man and does for himself in a small room behind the shop. he has a horror of women, and i don't suppose one has been in the place for years. you can understand how lodgings like that would suit jansen. he has the two upstairs rooms where he cooks for himself, so that there is no one to spy upon his movements. he might commit half a dozen murders and no one be the wiser."
"is there any way into the house?" uzali asked.
"certainly, sir," goatley went on. "behind the shops is a kind of tom tiddler's ground where children come and play. it is easy to get over the fence and into the back yard on to which giles' room looks. above this room is a dilapidated glass house where a former tenant tried to grow flowers. by way of this little glass house one could readily get into the premises. i am sure of my ground because i have been over it before. i will show you the way so that there can be no mistake."
goatley had spoken the truth when he had said that it would be easy to burgle the premises by way of the little glass house. russell surveyed the whole carefully and nodded his head approvingly.
"the thing can be managed," he said. "and now, what i want you to do, goatley, is to hang about the front and see if anybody leaves the house. if jansen himself leaves come round at once and whistle softly."
there were no further instructions for goatley, so they disappeared to the side street. russell turned to his companion somewhat eagerly.
"i think i had better understand what you want," he said. "your idea is to get into the house. what do you expect to see?"
"well, i expect to see jansen and one of my fellow-countrymen to begin with," uzali said grimly. "and if i am not mistaken i shall find the other conspirator there, too. i don't think you appreciate how clever jansen is. to begin with, he is an exceedingly skilful chemist and can produce the most extraordinary results from apparently innocent experiments. i have never met the man, but i know that he was in my country years ago, and at one time managed to exert a deal of influence over certain people there. it was much the same as in the early days when white settlers first appeared. the natives used to take them for gods and all that kind of thing, and that is what has happened with those two fellow-countrymen of mine who have done their best to put an end to samuel flower. i expect to find them under the thumb of jansen."
"well, that can be easily ascertained," russell cried. "the question is, who is going first? as you are the lightest, perhaps you had better get on my shoulders and try to wriggle yourself through that broken framework into the glass house. i can pull myself up afterwards. are you ready?"
uzali climbed up russell like a cat and wormed his way through the broken woodwork until he stood upright in the place where plants had once grown. russell followed a little more slowly, but just as surely, until he stood by the side of his more agile companion.
"so far, so good," he said. "now, what next? i don't suppose there are more than two rooms over a small shop like this, so that we must be careful how we move. it won't be safe to light a match."
uzali agreed and there was nothing for it but to feel their way along the passage until they came to the top of the stairs. it was so dark that a slit of light shining under a closed door stood out like an edge of flame. voices could be heard on the other side of the door, voices in earnest confabulation, though it was almost impossible to hear what was said. uzali chuckled.
"what did i tell you?" he whispered. "there are three people there—jansen and two others. you wouldn't notice it, but knowing the language i can discriminate between those other two voices."
they could only wait until jansen chose to open the door. a quarter of an hour passed and gradually the voices died away to a murmur and then ceased altogether. after that there was the sound of a heavy footstep on the floor and the door was flung open. jansen stood on the threshold, glancing back with an evil grin upon his face. it was so dark on the landing that it was impossible for him to detect the figures standing so close beside him. the dutchman seemed to be on exceedingly good terms with himself, for he kissed his hand gaily.
"that is well," he said. "that is exceedingly well. i do not think, my friends, that you are likely to trouble me for many hours to come, so i will go about my business. there is no chance of anybody coming in, no chance of anybody discovering what has happened. strange that men, in some ways so clever, should be so innocent in matters outside their understanding."
jansen uttered the last words in a tone of regret. he went quietly down the stairs as if fearful of arousing his landlord. the door closed softly behind him and he was gone. uzali strode into the stuffy little sitting-room and applied his foot vigorously to two little yellow men lying like logs on the carpet. in spite of the rough punishment nothing came from either except a suppressed grunt or two.
"what did i tell you?" uzali said in disgust. "did i not say that i should find my other fellow-countrymen here. they have become tools of jansen. you can see for yourself what has happened to them."
"they have smoked themselves into a state of torpor," russell said.
"yes, and been drugged into the bargain. you heard what jansen said before he went out. they will lie here like logs, perhaps for the next twenty-four hours, until jansen has accomplished his deep scheme. but i am going to frustrate all that. let us get out of here at once."
"i am ready," russell said. "where do you want to go?"
"maldon grange," uzali replied. "we are going there at once. you can ask questions on the way."
