The Vanishing Man | Page 3

must have gone straight on
to Eltham.
"That is how the affair stands at present, and, should the missing man
never reappear or should his body never be found, the question, as you
see, which will be required to be settled is, 'What is the exact time and
place, when and where, he was last known to be alive?' As to the place,
the importance of the issues involved in that question are obvious and
we need not consider them. But the question of time has another kind
of significance. Cases have occurred, as I pointed out in the lecture, in
which proof of survivorship by less than a minute has secured
succession to property. Now, the missing man was last seen alive at Mr.
Hurst's house at twenty minutes past five on the twenty-third of
November. But he appears to have visited his brother's house at
Woodford, and, since nobody saw him at that house, it is at present
uncertain whether he went there before or after calling on Mr. Hurst. If
he went there first, then twenty minutes past five on the evening of the
twenty-third is the latest moment at which he is known to have been
alive; but if he went there after, there would have to be added to this

time the shortest possible time in which he could travel from the one
house to the other.
"But the question as to which house he visited first hinges on the scarab.
If he was wearing the scarab when he arrived at Mr. Hurst's house, it
would be certain that he went there first; but if it was not then on his
watch-chain, a probability would be established that he went first to
Woodford. Thus, you see, a question which may conceivably become
of the most vital moment in determining the succession of property
turns on the observation or non-observation by this housemaid of an
apparently trivial and insignificant fact."
"Has the servant made any statement on the subject, sir?" I ventured to
inquire.
"Apparently not," replied Dr. Thorndyke; "at any rate, there is no
reference to any such statement in the newspaper report, though,
otherwise, the case is reported in great detail; indeed, the wealth of
detail, including plans of the two houses, is quite remarkable and well
worth noting as being in itself a fact of considerable interest."
"In what respect, sir, is it of interest?" one of the students asked.
"Ah!" replied Dr. Thorndyke, "I think I must leave you to consider that
question yourself. This is an untried case, and we mustn't make free
with the actions and motives of individuals."
"Does the paper give any description of the missing man, sir?" I asked.
"Yes; quite an exhaustive description. Indeed, it is exhaustive to the
verge of impropriety, considering that the man may possibly turn up
alive and well at any moment. It seems that he has an old Pott's fracture
of the left ankle, a linear, longitudinal scar on each knee--origin not
stated, but easily guessed at--and that he has tattooed on his chest in
vermilion a very finely and distinctly executed representation of the
symbolical Eye of Osiris--or Horus or Ra, as the different authorities
have it. There certainly ought to be no difficulty in identifying the body.
But we will hope that it won't come to that.

"And now I must really be running away, and so must you; but I would
advise you all to get copies of the paper and file them when you have
read the remarkably full details. It is a most curious case, and it is
highly probable that we shall hear of it again. Good afternoon,
gentlemen."
Dr. Thorndyke's advice appealed to all who heard it, for medical
jurisprudence was a live subject at St. Margaret's and all of us were
keenly interested in it. As a result, we sallied forth in a body to the
nearest newsvendor's, and, having each provided himself with a copy of
the Daily Telegraph, adjourned together to the Common Room to
devour the report and thereafter to discuss the bearings of the case,
unhampered by those considerations of delicacy that afflicted our more
squeamish and scrupulous teacher.
CHAPTER II
THE EAVESDROPPER
It is one of the canons of correct conduct, scrupulously adhered to
(when convenient) by all well-bred persons, that an acquaintance
should be initiated by a proper introduction. To this salutary rule,
which I have disregarded to the extent of an entire chapter, I now
hasten to conform; and the more so inasmuch as nearly two years have
passed since my first informal appearance.
Permit me, then, to introduce Paul Berkeley, M.B., etc., recently--very
recently--qualified, faultlessly attired in the professional frock-coat and
tall hat, and, at the moment of introduction, navigating with anxious
care a perilous strait between