Presently out from the wrappings he took a
very beautiful casket of ebony and ivory, cunningly carved and
standing upon four claw-like ivory legs.
"What the devil's this?" he muttered.
He opened the box, which was lined with sandal-wood, and
thereupon started back with a great cry, recoiling from the
casket as though it had contained an adder. My former sentiments
forgotten, I stepped forward and peered into the interior. Then
I, in turn, recoiled.
In the box lay a shrivelled yellow hand--with long tapering and
well-manicured nails--neatly severed at the wrist!
The nail of the index finger was enclosed in a tiny, delicately
fashioned case of gold, upon which were engraved a number of
Chinese characters.
Adderley sank down again upon the settee.
"My God!" he whispered, "his hand! His hand! He has sent me his
hand!"
He began laughing. Whereupon, since I could see that the man was
practically hysterical because of his mysterious fears:
"Stop that," I said sharply. "Pull yourself together, Adderley.
What the deuce is the matter with you?"
"Take it away!" he moaned, "take it away. Take the accursed
thing away!"
"I admit it is an unpleasant gift to send to anybody," I said,
"but probably you know more about it than I do.
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