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Page 49
"Yes!"
"He said: 'You must.' I told him Sir Charles was in the dining
room, and he said: 'I'll get him away. Directly he goes, don't
fail to do what I told you.'"
"And then?"
"Another 'phone call came--for Sir Charles. I knew who it was,
because I had told Sidney about the case Sir Charles was
attending in the square. When Sir Charles went out I changed the
serviettes. Mrs. Howett found me in the dining room and played
hell. But afterward I managed to burn the box in the kitchen.
That's all I know. What harm was there?"
"Harm enough!" said Harley, grimly. "And now--what was it that
'Sidney' stole from Sir Charles's bureau in the study?"
The girl started and bit her lip convulsively. "It wasn't
stealing," she muttered. "It wasn't worth anything."
"Answer me. What did he take?"
"He took nothing."
"For the last time: answer."
"It wasn't Sidney who took it. I took it."
"You took what?"
"A paper."
"You mean that you stole Sir Charles's keys and opened his
bureau?"
"There was no stealing. He was out and they were lying on his
dressing table. Sidney had told me to do it the first time I got
a chance."
"What had he told you to do?"
"To search through Sir Charles's papers and see if there was
anything with the word 'Fire-Tongue' in it!"
"Ah!" exclaimed Harley, a note of suppressed triumph in his
voice. "Go on."
"There was only one paper about it," continued the girl, now
speaking rapidly, "or only one that I could find. I put the
bureau straight again and took this paper to Sidney."
"But you must have read the paper?"
"Only a bit of it. When I came to the word 'Fire-Tongue,' I
didn't read any more."
"What was it about--the part you did read?"
"The beginning was all about India. I couldn't understand it. I
jumped a whole lot. I hadn't much time and I was afraid Mrs.
Howett would find me. Then, further on, I came to 'Fire-Tongue'."
"But what did it say about 'Fire-Tongue'?"
"I couldn't make it out, sir. Oh, indeed I'm telling you the
truth! It seemed to me that Fire-Tongue was some sort of mark."
"Mark?"
"Yes--a mark Sir Charles had seen in India, and then again in
London--"
"In London! Where in London?"
"On someone's arm."
"What! Tell me the name of this person!"
"I can't remember, sir! Oh, truly I can't."
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