The Loring Mystery

The clock of St. Clement Danes was chiming the hour of eleven as Mr.
Gillespie, folding up the brief which had engaged his attention all the
evening, yawned, drained the last of his toddy and rose to betake
himself to bed; indeed he had just taken up his chamber candle and was
in the act of extinguishing the candelabrum upon the table when he
paused and stood staring beneath puckered brows as a sudden knocking
sounded upon the outer door.

For maybe a full minute Mr. Gillespie stood, his lank figure stooped a
little forward, eyes fixed, grim lips close-set, listening to this soft
yet very persistent rapping; then he crossed the cosy room to a bureau
in a corner and opening a drawer took thence a ponderous horse-pistol;
thus armed he reached for the candle and approached the front door, his
age-worn slippers flip-flapping resolutely over the uneven flooring.

"Hullo!" cried he loudly, "Who is there?"

Here a hoarse murmur from beyond the stout oak.

"Who is it?" he demanded, "You must speak up!"

At this, the voice waxed louder and hoarser; whereupon Mr. Gillespie,
as if reassured, set his unwieldy weapon upon the floor and proceeded
to draw bolts, loose chains, unbar and turn massive key; whereupon the
heavy door swung open to discover a shortish, thick-set man who beamed
and blinked upon Mr. Gillespie from the shadow of a hat extremely
shaggy as to nap and wide as to brim.

"You keeps yourself werry partickler secure, Mr. Gillespie sir!" said
he, touching hat-brim with the knob of a stout and remarkably knobby
stick. "Ay, secure is the vord, sir, v'ich ain't to be vondered at
con-sidering that you, like me, are a objec' o' windictiveness to the
wicious and per-werted, sir----"

"Ha, Shrig--confound it all!" exclaimed Mr. Gillespie reproachfully,
"What i' the name o' reason should bring you down on me at this time o'
night?"

"Business, Mr. Gillespie sir,--and Capital business at that!"

"Capital business, Shrig----?"

"Vith a capital C, sir."

"Ha, d'ye mean--Murder?"

"As ever vas, sir."

"Why then, step in, man, step in and let me fasten the door ... though
you might ha' chosen a better time----"

"V'ich, sir, I vould take the liberty to remark, the better the deed
the better the hour, for this here is a murder as should inter-est you
oncommon, sir!"

"Hum!" quoth Mr. Gillespie dubiously; and, having shot the last bolt,
led the way into his small, comfortable parlour and motioned his
visitor to be seated. Mr. Shrig forthwith drew the second elbow-chair
to the hearth, in doing which he dropped his hat, which gave forth a
metallic clang.