Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-24
CHAPTER XII.
A Speaking Likeness.

1t was some little time before Lord
Ravenspur replied. For a moment or two
he seemed to be bereft of the gift of
speech.
TT sounds almost incredible" he man.
aged to stammer at length. You are alb
solutely certain you not Mistaken
NO 1 am not mistaken Mrs. Delahay's
face Is far too striking one to be taken
for that of anybody else OF course, am
not asking you to give me any information
I am not seeking to pry into your secrets,
but this mystery maddens me. The most
extraordinary part of the whole affair Is
this-for three years on and off l have
known Mrs. Delahay intimately. l saw
great deal of her in Florence, also IN Paris
last year. And she has always given me
the impression of being absolutely straight
forward and sngle-mnded. And now. for
some reason or another. she has taken 1t
into her head to tell deliberate lies which
appear to have no point or meaning. If
she had only said that she went to call
upon friend after her husband had gone
out. no further question would have been
asked OF course. 1 had not forgotten the
evidence Of the man Stevens. i must con-
fess l should like to see him and ask him
a few pointed questions. But apart from
all that, you must see the necessity of get
ting Mrs. Delahay to tell the truth. 1t Is
body. 1t is just possible that the whole
thing is capable Of explanation. But of
that you are the best Judge"
1T Is a miserable business altogether,
Ravenspur groaned. Il am obliged to you
for the straightforward way in which you
have told me everything, and l will do my
best with Maria Delahay. She refused to
see me this morning, but l will go round
after dinner and make another attempt to
get an interview.
1t was somewhat later in the evening
that Walter looked up his friend Venables
again. AS he expected, he found the jour
nalist to be greatly interested in the Della
hay case. Walter had debated the matter
over in his mind. He could see no harm
In telling Venables what he had discovered
1T is certainly a curious case the lat
ter remarked. And professional interests
apart. should like to get to the bottom of
this mystery. But / see you have some
suggestion to make in connection with It.
What is your dea?'
We'll. l have been thinking it out as
came along" Walter explained, land it
seems to me that we might get good deal
out of the witness John Stevens. He Is the
sort of man who would do anything for
money, and a sovereign or two ought to
loosen his tongue. l don't want to say
anything unkind about Louis Delahay, be-
cause he was great friend OF ours, and,
so far as l know, his past Is a clean and
honorable But then you never can
tell What Is a man like that doing to
make enemy who is prepared to run the
FISK or DelnS ndngeO lot RllIinS MIN! Anu
why does he want to go round to his studio
at such an hour in the morning."
Il thought of all that" Venables said
grimly. Depend upon it, your unfortunate
friend had some secret chapters in his life
of which the world will probably never
know anything. But what has all this got
to do with that fellow Stevens?"
II was just coming to that point If
had been the coroner l should have asked
Stevens great many more questions this
morning. AS it was, the authorities seemed
content to let him go alter he had given
evidence to the effect that he had seen
Mrs. Delahay with her husband. He told
the court that he had been prowling and
spying about FitZjohn Square for some
months. and he gave pretty plain hint to
the effect that he could tell a story or two
about some of the inhabitants there. Now,
for six months or more before Delahay
went to Florence to be married he lived q
bachelor life at this house, and all this time
Stevens was prowling about the neighbor-
hood after dark. 1t is not very pleasant
thing to have to do, but l should Ike to
talk the matter over with Stevens and see
II he can give any information as re-
CARDS Delahay. If you will telephone to
Scotland Yard and get them to give you
Stevens address, we will go round to his
rooms and interview him at once"
1t was no difficult matter to get the adj
dress in question, and presently the two
friends reached the shabby house in the
dingy street where Stevens lived. An ex-
ceedingly dirty child informed the visitors
that Mr. Stevens was out at present, but
him In case he might be required profess