Chapter 22

MISS CORK EXPLAINS

The housekeeper looked lean and shadowy as usual. She was still dressed in grey, and wore her hair screwed into the same door-knob that Jarman knew so well. But her face wore a smile, and she was staring at Tilly with passionate affection. When she heard Jarman's foot on the pavement, she turned round with the look of a tigress ready to defend her cubs. But at the sight of her old master she changed colour, and made as if to run away. But Eustace caught her by the elbow, and prevented her departure. Tilly, who wore the blue dress and the picture-hat, looked amazed and indignant.

"'Ere, sir," she said shrilly, "jes leave my mother be, d'ye see!"

"Your mother?" said Eustace, recalling Miss Cork's mention of a stolen child.

"Jus' so," snapped Tilly, making warlike demonstration with the yellow umbrella. "I'll call the policeman round the corner, an' he's a friend o' mine. It's bad enough for that old Betts to keep m' box, without m' mother being hit," and she again began to weep.

"Hush, child," said Miss Cork, sharply, and removing her arm from the grasp of Eustace. "I must speak with this gentleman. I had hoped never to see you again, Mr. Jarman"--with a curtsey--"as I have behaved ungrateful. But if you will put temptation in poor folks' way, you must take the consequence."

"But what temptation are you speaking of?"

"That's a long story," said Miss Cork. "We can't talk here, and Mrs. Betts, who employed my child, has turned her out of the house."

"Without m' box," snivelled Tilly, wiping her eyes with a pair of cotton lavender gloves. "Alt's presents is in it, too."

At that moment, looking very small and very fierce, and very like that celebrated Mrs. Raddle who persecuted Bob Sawyer, the mistress of the discharged servant appeared at the door. "Don't stop the road up before my house," she cried, shaking a mittened fist. "Not a box or a character will you get till you give up your wages for giving me only three days' notice."

"That's the way she goes on, sir," sobbed Tilly, "as if m' mother didn't want to take me away and make a real lady of me."

"Wait a moment," said Jarman, who knew the landlady, having once or twice visited Starth at these rooms. "I can arrange this. Now, Mrs. Betts," he said, striding to the door, "what is the matter?"

"Oh Mr. Jarman, I'm that ashamed, really, so unpleasant, what must you think?" simpered Mrs. Betts, becoming suave.

"I think that I want to have a talk with this young lady and her mother," said Eustace, grimly. "And I'll be glad if you'll let us have a room for half-an-hour."

"Lady! Mother!" gurgled Mrs. Betts. "Well, I'm sure, and what's the world coming to I'd like to know, when gentlemen--"

"Oh, allow me to know my own business best," interrupted Jarman, impatiently. "Tilly's mother was my housekeeper."

"That alters the case," said Mrs. Betts, blandly. "A room is at your service, sir, but I don't give box or character until--"

"I'll pay you Tilly's wages, and you can give both."

Tilly set up a shrill cry of triumph over Mrs. Betts, and would have darted into the house, but that she was withheld by Miss Cork. "We must speak to Mr. Jarman first," said the ex-housekeeper.

"And I must have the money--fifteen shillings--before the box--"

Eustace nodded. "I am in a hurry, Mrs. Betts," he said, walking into the passage. "Let me have a room and half-an-hour with these two."

Quite satisfied, though rather perplexed, the landlady showed her visitor into a small room on the ground floor. It was badly furnished and worse lighted. But at least it was a place where Eustace felt he could talk privately to Miss Cork. Tilly and her mother entered, and Jarman closed the door.

"I shouldn't tork loud," said the small servant, pointing to the key-hole; "her ear's allays there."

A shrill voice through the key-hole replied that this was untrue, and bestowed several unflattering epithets on Tilly. Afterwards the retreating footsteps of Mrs. Betts were heard, and Tilly giggled over her success in detecting the old lady. But Eustace was too worried to take any interest in this comedy. He stationed Tilly near the door that she might give notice if Mrs. Betts returned, and then addressed himself to his old housekeeper.

"Well, Miss Cork, and what have you to say?"

"I beg your pardon, I am not Miss Cork. As I have found my child, I can take my real name, which is Selina Burl--Mrs. Burl. I now go out charing, and never will I be parted from my child again!"

"You need not be, so far as I am concerned. But now explain. Why did you leave me without notice?"

"I saw a picture of the black woman who stole my child."

"You mean Balkis?"

"Yes. I mean the woman who keeps an opium shop at the Docks."

"Did she steal your child?" asked Eustace, wondering.

"Years ago," sighed Mrs. Burl, while Tilly looked on intelligently.

"Why should she steal your child?"

"Ah, that's a long story. I'll tell it to you if you like, sir."

"I'm ready to hear it," answered Eustace, wondering at the coincidence which had brought his former housekeeper into contact with Balkis.

"Burl drank," began the lady, abruptly. "He was a house-painter, and earned wages of the highest when not at the bottle. He turned me out into the street one night with Tilly." Mrs. Burl pointed to her newly-found offspring, who giggled. "We lived near the Docks, by reason of the cheap rents. I had nowhere to go, and was found by that black woman, who called herself Balkis."

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Never you mind," replied Mrs. Burl, drawing her shawl closely round her. "I'll tell what I can, and that which I don't tell don't matter. Balkis (as she called herself) said she wanted a servant, and took me in. She gave no wages, but a comfortable home. We--Tilly and me--stopped with her for some time. Then I left."

"Why did you leave a comfortable place?" asked Jarman.

Mrs. Burl pursed up her lips, and shook her head. "It weren't respectable," she said, nodding. "No; though in one way it were. I haven't a word to say against Balkis, who always kept herself like a lady, though she was the colour of the tea-kettle. But you see, Mr. Jarman, she kept an opium shop, and a gambling den."

"Ah! did she. What did the police say?"

"Now you come to the reason of my leaving, sir. The police knew nothing about the gambling. I don't think they minded the opium smoking. Such people came there!" Mrs. Burl shuddered. "Chinamen and Lascars, and low sailors, and sometimes gentlemen who were fond of the pipe. But all that was almost public, as you might say. The gambling"--here Mrs. Burl lowered her voice--"it took place in the secret rooms."

"What do you mean by the secret rooms?"

"What I do say, Mr. Jarman," replied Mrs. Burl, with several nods, and an air of mystery. "The opium shop was near the river, and respectable to look at outside, being painted and kept clean. But the rooms--which I cleaned--were almost under the river, and furnished like Buckingham Palace. Balkis used to boast that if the police ever found out her rooms they would never leave them alive."

"Did she mean to murder them?"

"Ah, that's just what I don't know. She's a terrible woman, and has all kinds of ideas--very wicked ideas, though I must say that she is respectable for the most part. All she wanted was to make money, and she made it quicker out of the gambling rooms than in any other way. The piles of gold and notes I've seen there, sir, you wouldn't believe. And the Chinamen played an evil game called Fan-tan--"

"I know it," said Eustace, who had been in Canton.

"Then you know a wicked thing, Mr. Jarman, begging your pardon. But I had a quarrel with Balkis, as she would not give me money to dress Tilly, and I threatened to leave. Balkis said that I could go, and then like a fool, knowing the terrible woman she was, I said I'd tell the police about the secret rooms, and the gambling."

"That was indeed foolish, Mrs. Burl."

"Ah, it was, sir, and soon I found it. Balkis, when I was asleep, took Tilly--who was then a child--from my side, and hid her away."

"In effect, she kidnapped her?"

"Yes, Mr. Jarman, she did; and when I woke fair distracted, she said I would never see my child again until she made her money out of the gambling. When she shut them up and returned to America--"

"Ah!" said Eustace, "she came from America."

"She did, Mr. Jarman, from a West Indian island. But when she went I was to have Tilly again. I implored her to give me my child, but she only laughed. She declared if I said a word about the gambling rooms that I would never see Tilly again. Then she turned me out, and I went searching for Tilly, for many a long month, till I was taken up for vagrancy, and you found me."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" asked Eustace. "I could have told the police and have recovered your child."

"That's just why I held my tongue," said Mrs. Burl, quickly. "If the police had been informed, I would never have got Tilly again. When I was with you I several times went to ask Balkis about Tilly, and she assured me that she was well."

"I was brought up in a wurk-hus," put in Tilly, "and then Mrs. Betts took me, so I've bin 'ere since, though the situation ain't worth much."

"I see," said Eustace. "Well, Mrs. Burl, and how did you recover Tilly?"

Mrs. Burl moved uneasily. "Now I'm coming to my ingratitude, sir. I was afraid when I saw the picture of Balkis which Mr. Lancaster left."

"Hullao!" cried Eustace, with sudden suspicion. "How did you know my secretary was Lancaster? And what do you know of him?"

"I know all that I read in the papers," said Mrs. Burl, with hanging head, "and when I went sometimes to see Balkis I heard Captain Berry talk of how he wished to get Mr. Lancaster."

"Captain Berry? You know the whole gang?"

"Ah, that I do, sir, and will give you any information I can, now that I have my Tilly safe. Balkis wanted to catch Mr. Lancaster also, because he had killed Mr. Starth, of whom she thought much."

"She was in love with him?"

"Well, sir, you might go so far as that. She loved him, and thought Mr. Lancaster guilty. So when I found out that you were hiding Mr.--"

"Wait," said Eustace. "How did you learn that?"

"I listened and then I knew," murmured Mrs. Burl.

"I see," said Eustace, sternly, "and you betrayed the poor wretch."

Mrs. Burl began to weep. "I am ashamed of myself--"

"You may well be," said Jarman, bitterly. "I can guess what you did. Having told Balkis that you could inform her and Berry where the man they wanted was to be found, you promised to denounce him if Balkis gave you Tilly."

"Yes," faltered Mrs. Burl. "I told her, and she said that Tilly was with Mrs. Betts. So I came here, and Tilly gave notice, and now we are going away. But I am ashamed."

"I don't want any apologies," said Jarman, coldly. "It is worse than useless to hear them from so ungrateful a woman as you are. Come to the facts. Balkis told Berry."

"Yes, sir," whimpered the woman. "And she told Miss Berry, who also came to the opium shop--but not to smoke. I will say--"

"That's enough," said Jarman, cutting her short in disgust. "I know now how Berry and his niece came to find Lancaster. You have got your child as the price of your treachery, so there is no more to be said. But the least you can do is to give me the address of Balkis."

"Oh, I'll do that," said Mrs. Burl, sobbing. "I ain't afraid of her now I have my Tilly. But don't go into them secret rooms, sir, for you'll never leave them alive. I should be sorry to see any trouble come upon you, Mr. Jarman."

"That comes well from you!" retorted Eustace, ironically. "However, here is a piece of paper and a pencil. Write down the address of Balkis while I talk to your daughter."

Mrs. Burl obeyed with sighs and sobs, but seemed glad to be let off so easily. Tilly looked up alertly.

"Wotever 'ave you to say to me?" she asked, with wonder expressed on her wizened face.

"This," said Eustace, sharply. "At the inquest you said that all the windows and doors were bolted. You know that one of the front windows was open."

Tilly began to whimper in her turn. "I was afraid of Mrs. Betts," she cried. "She's such a 'ard woman, and would 'ave given me beans, if she'd found as I'd gone out leaving the winder ajar."

"Then the window was open?"

"Yes, sir. The right-'and winder, but the blind was down."

"That wouldn't keep out anyone. Have you any idea who got in and murdered Mr. Starth?"

"Why, sir"--Tilly's eyes opened widely--"didn't that yeller-'aired--"

"No, he didn't, and you know he didn't."

"S'elp me, sir, I never--"

"You know more than you said at the inquest," said Eustace. "Tilly," interpolated her mother in severe tones, having written the address, "tell all. It's the least we can do to this kind gentleman after the way we've treated him."

"You needn't blame Tilly," said Eustace, drily. "You are in fault, not she. Come now"--to Tilly--"do you suspect anyone?"

"No," said Tilly, defiantly. "I don't!"

Eustace thought for a moment. Then he took out a sovereign, and tossed it to Mrs. Burl, "Go and get the box," he said, "and call a cab. I'll speak with Tilly alone."

Mrs. Burl, accustomed to obey Eustace, went out at once, with a final recommendation to Tilly to tell all.

"Now then," said Jarman, when alone with the small servant. "Did you pick up anything?"

"Yes," said Tilly, in a frightened voice, and fished in the pocket of her blue dress. "This and this. One was in the kitchen, the ribbon, and t'other was on the sitting-room floor."

The object found on the sitting-room floor was the invitation sent by Starth to Lancaster asking him to call. Probably Starth, for the furtherance of the plot, had taken it out of Frank's pocket when he lay insensible, intending to destroy it, but had forgotten to do so. It must have lain unnoticed on the floor till picked up by Tilly. "And you found this before the police came?"

"Yes, sir. I should have told 'em, but I was that scared as I didn't."

"You did very wrong," said Eustace, severely. "The coroner insisted that the deceased did not ask Lancaster to see him, and this is the proof that he did. What about the ribbon?"

"I found it in the kitchen," said Tilly, in a subdued voice. "It is a tarting ribbon, and I thought it pretty."

"Have you worn it?"

"No, sir, and I ain't told anyone of it."

"I'll take charge of these," said Eustace, putting the articles into his pocket. "Say nothing about them. Now, did you find the window as you left it when you returned?"

"No," whimpered Tilly. "When I went in to lock it for the night it wos close shut and locked."

"Did Mrs. Betts do that?"

"No. She weren't in the room."

"Observe," said Eustace, "how foolish you have been not to state this. The person who killed Starth must have entered by the window, and have locked it when within. He afterwards left by the door."

"She couldn't have got in through the winder."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sir," said Tilly, with hesitation, "that tarting ribbon wos worn by a woman, as it ain't a necktie."

Eustace was also of this opinion after some reflection, and wondered if Starth could have been killed by a woman. He asked Tilly several other questions, but could learn nothing new from her. Then, having taken possession of the address--that written by his former housekeeper--he left the house. The last he saw of Mrs. Burl, she and Tilly were struggling with Mrs. Betts for the possession of a very small green trunk, and the waiting cabman was applauding the fight. Evidently some new trouble in connection with the three days' notice was taking place.

However, Eustace had more serious things to think of, and washed his hands completely of Mrs. Burl, after her ungrateful behaviour. He lost no time in taking the Underground to the City, and thence departed for the Docks. After a dull journey he repaired to the address mentioned in the paper. It was a certain number in a narrow lane which led down to the water's edge. On the right-hand side of this Eustace found a respectable-looking house, painted a spotless white, and with green shutters. It would not have disgraced a new suburb. The doorstep was also white, and the brass knocker polished to a painful brilliancy. Amidst all the other frowsy houses that of Balkis looked fresh and clean and genteel.

The door was opened by a lean Chinaman dressed in blue. He made no remark, but conducted Eustace into a room furnished in the Chinese manner. Jarman was left alone for a few minutes, then a huge negress entered the room, and he recognised her as Balkis from the picture. It was not her looks that made him start but her garb. She was dressed in a brilliant tartan gown, and the ribbon picked up in the Sand Lane house by Tilly was of the same pattern.