The Classic Mystery Collection - Arthur Conan Doyle [5695]
"It may possibly be Tibetan," interrupted Stuart; "but it comes to the same thing."
"Very well," continued Max. "It is Chinese. We hope, very shortly, to identify a house situated somewhere within this red ink circle"--he placed his finger on a map of London which lay open on the table--"and which I know to be used as a meeting-place by members of this mysterious group. That circle, my friends, surrounds what is now known as 'Chinatown'! For the third time I return to the man of the Wu-Men Bridge; for the man of the Wu-Men Bridge was, apparently, a _Chinaman!_ Do I make myself clear?"
"Remarkably so," declared the Assistant Commissioner, taking a fresh cigarette. "Pray continue, M. Max."
"I will do so. One of my most important investigations, in which I had the honour and the pleasure to be associated with Inspector Dunbar, led to the discovery of a dangerous group controlled by a certain 'Mr. King'----"
"Ah!" cried Dunbar, his tawny eyes sparkling with excitement, "I was waiting for that!"
"I knew you would be waiting for it, Inspector. Your powers of deductive reasoning more and more are earning my respect. You recall that singular case? The elaborate network extending from London to Buenos Ayres, from Peking to Petrograd? Ah! a wonderful system. It was an opium syndicate, you understand,"--turning again to the Assistant Commissioner.
"I recall the case," replied the Commissioner, "although I did not hold my present appointment at the time. I believe there were unsatisfactory features?"
"There were," agreed Max. "We never solved the mystery of the identity of 'Mr. King,' and although we succeeded in destroying the enterprise I have since thought that we acted with undue precipitation."
"Yes," said Dunbar rapidly; "but there was that poor girl to be rescued, you will remember? We couldn't waste time."
"I agree entirely, Inspector. Our hands were forced. Yet, I repeat, I have since thought that we acted with undue precipitation. I will tell you why. Do you recall the loss--not explained to this day--of the plans of the Haley torpedo?"
"Perfectly," replied the Commissioner; and Dunbar also nodded affirmatively.
"Very well. A similar national loss was sustained about the same time by my own Government. I am not at liberty to divulge its exact nature, as in the latter case the loss never became known to the public. But the only member of the French Chamber who had seen this document to which I refer was a certain 'M. Blank,' shall we say? I believe also that I am correct in stating that the late Sir Brian Malpas was a member of the British Cabinet at the time that the Haley plans were lost?"
"That is correct," said the Assistant Commissioner, "but surely the honour of the late Sir Brian was above suspicion?"
"Quite," agreed Max; "so also was that of 'M. Blank.' But my point is this: Both 'M. Blank' and the late Sir Brian were clients of the opium syndicate!"
Dunbar nodded again eagerly.
"Hard work I had to hush it up," he said. "It would have finished his political career."
The Assistant Commissioner looked politely puzzled.
"It was generally supposed that Sir Brian Malpas was addicted to drugs," he remarked; "and I am not surprised to learn that he patronised this syndicate to which you refer. But----" he paused, smiling satanically. "Ah!" he added--"I see! I see!"
"You perceive the drift of my argument?" cried Max. "You grasp what I mean when I say that we were too hasty? This syndicate existed for a more terrible purpose than the promulgating of a Chinese vice; it had in its clutches