"The explanation is very simple," replied Darrel.
"This image was found beside the body of Grent."
Blake opened his eyes and whistled. "So that explains the mystery of his death," he said under his breath. "The society killed him."
"Oh, I don't know the reason," replied Blake. "How can you expect me to? But if he hadn't been killed by that society the Blue Mummy would not have been left by his corpse as a symbol of its vengeance."
"But what is this society which kills people in this barbarous way?"
"I'll tell you all I know," said Roderick gravely, "and you can judge for yourself. One moment."
He looked into Frank's bedroom, glanced out of the sitting-room windows, and opened the outside door to assure himself that no one was on the stairs. Then he returned to his seat, and found Frank's eyes fixed on him with an expression of amused contempt.
"Why are you making all this theatrical display?" said he sarcastically. "You are quite safe here, I assure you. I suspect this society of yours is only a bogey to scare weak-minded people."
"It did more than scare Grent," retorted Blake significantly.
Darrel shrugged his shoulders. "I shall reserve my opinion until I hear your story," he said good-humouredly. "But first, where does this society you talk of exist?"
"Then how is it Grent has fallen a victim in London?"
"I don't know. Hear my story, and judge for yourself. But I must tell you, Darrel, that this is no fairy tale I relate, but a stubborn fact. People--yourself, for instance--might not believe it, because it is not in the newspapers; but it is true for all that--terribly true, as I have reason to know."
He glanced round the room again, and passed his handkerchief over his dry lips. Then he began his tale, in a hurried, nervous fashion, as though he half repented of his resolution to tell it.
"I was in Peru some two years ago," he said, "very hard up, and quite alone, without friend or foe in the whole country. I managed to get a billet as clerk in the office of a Scotch merchant; and although the pay was not large, still it was sufficient to keep me alive. In my own way, I managed to enjoy myself, and to gain a fair knowledge of the Spanish tongue. As you may guess, I was by no means satisfied with my position, and I wished to improve it. Hearing much about gold and silver mines, and the unexpectedness with which they were discovered, I used to lurk about the low quarters of Lima in the hope of gathering information regarding these discoveries from stray Indians. I knew that these peons frequently knew about mines of great riches, but from detestation of the Spaniards would never reveal their whereabouts."