Paxton, Coram, myself, and Moris Klaw sat in the studio, and all of us gazed reflectively at the recovered statue.
“It was so evident,” explained Klaw, “that, since you were absent from here but thirty seconds, for any one to have removed the statue during that time was out of the question.”
“But someone did----”
“Not during that time,” rumbled Moris Klaw. “Nicris was removed whilst you all made merry within the house!”
“But, my dear Mr. Klaw, Searles, Coram, and I saw the statue long after that--some time about one o’clock!”
“Wrong, my friend! You saw the model!”
“What! Nina?”
“Madame Colette, whom you knew in Paris as Nina--yes! Listen--when I drop off to sleep here and dream that I am afraid for what may happen to some very large man, I dream, also, that I fear to be touched! I look down at myself, and I am beautiful! I am ivory of limb and decked with gold! I creep, so cautiously, out of the studio (in my dream--you would call it a dream), and I know, when I wake, that I must have been Nicris! Ah, you wonder! Listen.
“At about midnight, whilst your party is amiable together, comes one, Jean Colette, a clever scamp from that metropolis of such perverted genius--Paris. Into Doctor Gleeson’s he goes, supporting Madame--your model. This is seen by Constable Freeman. When the trees hide them they climb over the fence into the lane and over the wall into your garden. Nina has a cast of the studio key. How easy for her to get it!
“Jean, a clever rogue with his hands, and a man who promised to be, once, a great artist, detaches the figure from the throne and arrays it as Madame--in Madame’s outer garb! Beneath her cloak, Madame is Nicris--with copies of the jewels and all complete. He is clever, this Jean! He is, too, a man of vast strength--a modern Crotonian Milo. Not only does he carry that great piece of ivory from the studio, he lifts it over the wall--did Madame assist?--and into Doctor Gleeson’s drive. He bears it to the gate, wrapped in Nina’s furs. He calls a policeman! Ah, genius is here! He gives the wrong address. He is as cool as an orange!
“Do they escape now? Not so! He sees that you, finding Nicris missing, will apply to the point-policeman and get hold upon a thread. He says, ‘I will make it to appear that the robbery took place at a later time. I will thus gain hours! Another policeman will be on duty when the discovery is made; he will know nothing.’ He leaves Nina to pretend to be Nicris!
“Ah! she has courage, but her fears are many. Most of all she dreads that you will touch her! You do not. And Jean, the ivory statue safe at Clapham, returns for Nina. He comes into the doctor’s drive by the farther gate--where the point-policeman cannot see him. He wears rubber shoes. He mounts to the studio roof. He lies flat upon the ledge above the door. His voice is falsetto. He calls, ‘Nicris!’
“Presently, you come out. You peep over the wall. Ah! out, also, is Madame! She stretches up her white arms--so like the real ivory!--he stretches down his steel hands. He raises her beside him! Name of a dog, he is strong!
“Why to the roof and not over the wall? The path is of gravel and her feet are bare. On the roof, to prove me correct, upon the grime are marks of small bare feet; are marks of men’s rubber shoes; are, halfway along, marks of smaller rubber shoes--which he had brought for Nina. He has forethought. They retire by the farther gate of your neighbour’s drive.
“No doubt he bring her furs as well--no doubt. But she contracts a chill, no wonder! Ah! he is cool, he is daring, he is a great man----”
A maid entered the studio.
“A gentleman to see you, sir.”
“Ask him to come along here.”
A short interval--and Jean Colette entered, hat in hand!
“These two wedges, m’sieur”--he bowed to Paxton--“which help to attach the girdle. I forgot to return them. Adieu!”
He placed the wedges on a table and, amid a dramatic silence, withdrew.
Moris Klaw took out the cylindrical scent spray from the lining of the brown bowler.
“A true touch of Paris!” he rumbled. “Did I not say he was a great man?”
