The Cheyne Mystery · Chapter
XVIII: A Visitor from India explained
Inspector French, while analyzing the tracing, suddenly recalls that Joan Merrill had a camera and may have photographed the document before her abduction.
What happens
Inspector French, while analyzing the tracing, suddenly recalls that Joan Merrill had a camera and may have photographed the document before her abduction. He retrieves her camera from her flat and develops the film, finding three exposures of the tracing. However, comparing the photographs to the original tracing reveals they are nearly identical, leading to disappointment. Later, French meets Cheyne at Victoria station, who reports that Arnold Price has written from Bombay, explaining his disappearance due to an accident. French shares news that Joan Merrill is alive and aboard a tramp steamer, the L'Escaut. The group then discusses the cipher, with Dangle's story of hard copper being debunked as a fabrication. French realizes the tracing is a map of England, with Nelson's phrase as a title and blind, and they prepare to decode it.
Themes in this chapter
Cunning and Intellect
French's deduction about Joan's camera and his analysis of the cipher demonstrate intellectual prowess and cunning in solving the mystery.
Deception and Identity
Dangle's fabricated story about hard copper and the false tracing highlight themes of deception and hidden identities.
Adventure and Detection
The pursuit of the gang, the sea voyage of the L'Escaut, and the decoding of the map underscore the adventure and detection elements.
Characters to notice
- Inspector French
French deduces Joan may have photographed the tracing, retrieves her camera, develops the film, and later meets Cheyne. He concludes the tracing is a map of England.
- Maxwell Cheyne
Cheyne meets French at Victoria, reports Arnold Price's letter from Bombay, and participates in the discussion about the cipher and the tracing being a map.
- Arnold Price
Price is mentioned as having written to Cheyne from Bombay, explaining his disappearance due to an accident in Agra.
- Joan Merrill
Joan is referenced as having photographed the tracing before her abduction and is reported to be alive and aboard the L'Escaut.
- M. Dangle
Dangle is mentioned as having invented the story of hard copper to mislead Cheyne about the cipher's contents.
Key passages
“He had suddenly remembered a statement made by Cheyne when he was giving his first rather incoherent account of his adventures. The young man said that it had been arranged between himself and Joan Merrill that if either were lucky enough to get the tracing into his or her possession, the first thing he or she would do would be to photograph it.”
French recalls Cheyne's earlier statement that he and Joan had agreed to photograph the tracing if they got it.
This memory leads French to check Joan's camera for the photograph.
“The camera contained a roll of films of which the first seven had been exposed, and a short immersion in the developer showed that numbers 5, 6, and 7 bore the hoped for impress.”
The camera had seven exposed frames, and developing revealed that frames 5, 6, and 7 contained the tracing image.
French confirms Joan photographed the tracing before her abduction.
“And then he suddenly experienced one of the most bitter disappointments of his life. To all intents and purposes the two were the same!”
French is bitterly disappointed to find the photograph and the original tracing are nearly identical.
The photograph does not immediately reveal new information.
“By Jemima! I've got you. That blessed tracing is a map!”
Price exclaims that the tracing is actually a map.
This realization comes after French connects the U-boat commander's message with the sea expedition.
“A map of England!”
French declares the tracing is a map of England.
He interprets 'England' in Nelson's phrase as the title of the map.
