But he went on his way, unconscious of the men and women he met, and not thinking where he went, crossing Oxford Street and then turning down Regent Street and following it to Piccadilly and the Haymarket.  Just before he reached the theatre, he slackened his pace and looked about him, as if he were waking up; and there, in the cross street, just behind the theatre, he saw a telegraph office.

He entered, pushed his hat still a little farther back, and wrote a cable message.  It was as short as it could be, for it consisted of one word only besides the address, and that one word had only two letters: 

‘Go.’

That was all, and there was nothing mysterious about the syllable, for almost any one would understand that it was used as in starting a footrace, and meant, ‘Begin operations at once!’ It was the word agreed upon between Isidore Bamberger and his lawyer.  The latter had been allowed all the latitude required in such a case, for he had instructions to lay the evidence before the District Attorney-General without delay, if anything happened to make immediate action seem advisable.  In any event, he was to do so on receiving the message which had now been sent.

The evidence consisted, in the first place, of certain irrefutable proofs that Miss Bamberger had not died from shock, but had been killed by a thin and extremely sharp instrument with which she had been stabbed in the back.  Isidore Bamberger’s own doctor had satisfied himself of this, and had signed his statement under oath, and Bamberger had instantly thought of a certain thin steel letter-opener which Van Torp always had in his pocket.

Next came the affidavit of Paul Griggs.  The witness knew the Opera House well.  Had been in the stalls on the night in question.  Had not moved from his seat till the performance was over, and had been one of the last to get out into the corridor.  There was a small door in the corridor on the south side which was generally shut.  It opened upon a passage communicating with the part of the building that is let for business offices.  Witness’s attention had been attracted by part of a red silk dress which lay on the floor outside the door, the latter being ajar.  Suspecting an accident, witness opened door, found Miss Bamberger, and carried her to manager’s room not far off.  On reaching home had found stains of blood on his hands.  Had said nothing of this, because he had seen notice of the lady’s death from shock in next morning’s paper.  Was nevertheless convinced that blood must have been on her dress.

The murder was therefore proved.  But the victim had not been robbed of her jewellery, which demonstrated that, if the crime had not been committed by a lunatic, the motive for it must have been personal.