\"ImetDetectiveFergusononmywayhere,\"hestated。\"HetoldmethatthepolicewerelookingforRochester。\"
\"What?\"Hardinglookedup,startled。\"Whydidn’tyouinformmeofthat?\"
\"Well,Ithoughtwe’dbetterhearfromMr。ClymerthetruestateofRochester’sfinances,\"respondedTaylor。\"Ineveranticipatedsuchfactsashehasgivenus。\"
\"ButifyouknewthepolicewereafterRochester—\"objectedHarding。
Clymerbrokeintotheconversation;therewasaheavyfrownonhisusuallyplacidcountenance。\"IjudgedfromDetectiveFerguson’sconfidencestous,Kent,attheClubdeVingtthathewaswantedbythepoliceinconnectionwiththeTurnbulltragedy,butthefactsbroughtoutthroughHarding’sactiontoattachRochester’sbankaccount,putsadifferentconstructiononRochester’sdisappearance。\"
\"WhathadRochestertodowithJimmieTurnbull?\"questionedHarding,beforeKentcouldanswerClymer。
\"Theylivedtogether,\"herepliedshortly。
\"Andonediesandtheotherdisappears,\"Hardingwhistleddolefully。
\"Wasn’tMr。Turnbullanofficialofthisbank,Mr。Clymer?\"
\"Yes,ourcashier。\"
\"Werehisaffairsinvolved?\"
\"Notintheleast,\"Clymerspokewithemphasis。\"Amosthonorablefellow,JimmieTurnbull;hismurderwasashockingaffair。\"
\"Havethepolicefoundanymotiveforthecrime,Kent?\"askedTaylor。
\"Ibelievenot。\"
Harding,whohadbeenruminatinginsilence,leanedforward,hisexpressionalightwithasuddenidea。
\"CoulditbethatTurnbullfoundoutthatRochesterwaspassingforgedchecks,andRochesterinsuredhissilencebyPoisoninghim?\"
heasked。
ClymerandKentexchangedglances,asKent’sthoughtsrevertedtotheforgedletterpresentedbyTurnbulltothebank’streasurer,wherebyhehadbeengivenMcIntyre’svaluablenegotiablesecurities。
CoulditbethatRochesterhadwrittentheletter,givenittohisroom—mate,Turnbull,andthelatter,thinkingitgenuine,hadsecuredtheMcIntyresecuritiesandhandedthemovertoRochester?TheideatookKent’sbreathaway;andyet,themorehecontemplatedit,themorefeasibleitappeared。
\"What’sthedateonthosechecks?\"demandedKent。
\"Tuesdayofthisweek—thedayJimmieTurnbulldied。\"Clymerturnedthemover。\"Theyaredrawnpayabletocash,andbearnoendorsement,whichshowsRochestermusthavepresentedthemhimself。\"
HardingandTaylorglancedsignificantlyateachother,butneitherspoke。SuddenlyKentpushedbackhischairandrosewithoutceremony。
\"Don’tgo,Kent。\"Clymertookupsomepapers。\"There’samatter—\"
\"Itwillkeep。\"Kent’smouthwassetanddetermined。\"IgiveyoumywordofhonorthatallRochester’shonestdebtswillbepaidbythefirmifnecessary;Iwillobligatemyselftothatextent,\"hepaused。\"Asforyoufellows,\"turningtoHardingandTaylorwhohadalsorisen。\"Givemetwenty—fourhours—\"
\"Whatfor?\"theychorused。
\"To1ocatePhilipRochester,\"andwaitingfornoanswerKentboltedoutoftheoffice。
CHAPTERXV
WHENTHELIGHTFAILED
ThecitylightswerespringingupblockTafterblockalongPennsylvaniaAvenueasDetectiveFergusonleftthatbusythoroughfareandhurriedtotheSaratoga。Hesteppedinsidethelobbyoftheapartmenthouseafullminutebeforehisappointmentwithitsmanager,andwentatoncetolookhimup。BeforehecouldcarryouthispurposehewasjoinedbyHarryKent。
\"Finleyhadtogoout,\"thelatterexplained。
\"ItoldhimIwouldgouptoRochester’sapartmentwithyou。\"
Fergusonthoughtfullycaressedhisclean—shavenjawforasecond,thencametoarapiddecision。
\"Leadtheway,sir,\"hesaid。\"I’llfollow。\"KentfoundhimasilentcompanionwhileintheelevatorandwhenwalkingdownthecorridortoRochester’sapartment,butonceinsidethelivingroom,withtheouterdoortightlyclosed,Fergusontosseddownhishatandhiswholedemeanorchanged。
\"Sitdown,Mr。Kent。\"HeselectedachairnearRochester’sdeskforhimself,asKentfoundanother。\"Let’sthrashthisthingout;
areyouworkingwithmeoragainstme?\"
\"Whydoyouask?\"Kent’ssurpriseatthequestionwasevident。
\"BecauseeverytimeIarrangetoexaminethisapartmentorinquireintoRochester’swhereaboutsyoushowup。\"Ferguson’ssmalleyesweretryingtoout—stareKent,butthelatter’scleargazedidnotdropbeforehis。\"AreyouaidingPhilipRochesterinhiseffortstoeludearrest?\"
\"Iamnot,\"declaredKentemphatically。\"Whatpromptsthequestion?\"
\"ThefactthatyouareRochester’spartner,\"Fergusonpointedout;
hismannerwasstillstiff。\"Itwouldbeonlynaturalforyoutohelphimdisappearoutoffriendship,or\"—withasidelongglance—\"fromadesiretohushupascandal。\"
\"OnthecontraryIwantRochesterfoundandeverybitofevidenceagainsthimsiftedoutandaired,\"retortedKent。\"Twoheadsarebetterthanone,Ferguson;letusworktogether。Rochestermustbelocatedwithinthenexttwenty—fourhours。\"
Fergusondebatedamoment,butKent’sspeechaswellashismannerindicatedhissincerity,andthedetectiveshookoffhissuspicions。
\"Haveyouhadanyfurthernewsofyourpartner?\"heasked。
\"No;thatis\"—recallingthesceneinthebankearlythatafternoon—\"nothingthatrelatestoRochester’spresentwhereabouts。Now,Ferguson,toputyourchargesagainstRochesterinconcreteform,youbelievethathewasinsanelyjealousofJimmieTurnbull,thatherecognizedhiminthePoliceCourtinhisburglardisguise,slippedadoseofaconitineinaglassofwaterwhichTurnbulldrank,andafterdeclaringthathisfriendhaddiedfromanginapectoris,disappeared。Isthatallthecaseyouhaveagainsthim?\"
\"Atpresent,yes,\"admittedthedetectivecautiously。
\"Allcircumstantialevidence—\"
\"Butitwillholdincourt—\"
\"Ah,willit?\"questionedKent。\"There’sonebigflawinyourcase,Ferguson;thepoisonusedtokillTurnbull。\"
\"Aconitine?\"
\"Exactly。YourtheoryisthatRochesterslippedthepoisonintheglassofwateronrecognizingTurnbullinthepolicecourt;now,itisstretchingprobabilitytosupposethatRochester,astronghealthyman,wascarryingthatdrugaroundinhisvestpocket。\"
Fergusonsatforwardinhischair,hiseyesglittering。\"DoyoumeantosaythatyouthinkthemurderofTurnbullwaspremeditatedandnotcommittedonthespurofthemoment?\"heasked。
\"Thefactthataconitinewasusedconvincesmeofthat,\"answeredKent。
Fergusonthoughtamoment。\"Ifthatisthecase,\"hesaid,grudgingly,\"itsortofsquashesthechargeagainstPhilipRochester。\"
\"Itwouldseemto,\"agreedKent。\"ButeveryshredofevidenceI
findpointstoRochesterastheguiltyman。\"
Fergusonedgedhischairforward。\"Whathaveyoudiscovered?\"hedemandedeagerly。
\"This,\"Kentspokewithincreasedearnestness。\"ThatPhilipRochesterisapparentlyabankrupt,thathehasover—drawnhisprivateaccountattheMetropolisTrustCompany,andwithdrawnourpartnershipfundsfromthesamebank。\"
\"Yourpartnershipfunds!\"echoedthedetective,eyeingKentsharply。
\"Howdidyoucometolethimdothat?\"
\"IwasnotawarethathehaddonesountilMr。Clymertoldmeofthetransactionthisafternoon,\"answeredKent。
\"Youdidnotknow\"—Fergusonlookedathimindawningcomprehension。
\"YoumeanRochesterabscondedwiththefunds?\"
\"Someoneforgedmynametochecksdrawnonthefirm’saccount,\"
Kentcontinued。\"IunderstoodtheyweremadepayabletocashandpresentedbyRochesteronthedayofTurnbull’sdeath。\"
Fergusonwhistledasaslightventtohisfeelings。\"SoyoususpectRochesterofbeingaforger?\"Kentmadenoreply,andheadded;
afteramoment’sdeliberation,\"WhatbearinghasthisdiscoveryonTurnbull’sdeath,asidefromRochester’sneedoffundstomakeacleandisappearance?\"
\"IfitistruethatRochesterwasfinanciallyembarrassedandforgedchecksontheMetropolisTrustCompany,itestablishesanothermotiveforthekillingofTurnbull,\"arguedKent。\"Turnbullwascashierofthatbank。\"
\"Isee;hemayhavediscoveredtheforgeries—butholdon。\"
Fergusoncheckedhisrapidspeech。\"Whenweretheseforgedcheckspresentedatthebank?\"
\"Tuesdayafternoon。\"
Ferguson’sfacefell。\"Pshaw!man;thatwasafterTurnbull’sdeath—howcouldhedetecttheforgeries?\"
Kentdidnotreplyatonce;instead,heglancedkeenlyaboutthelivingroom。Thedetectivehadonlyswitchedononeofthereadinglampsandthegreaterpartwasinshadow。Itwasapleasantandhome—likeroom,andKentwasconsciousofakeenerpangforthelossofJimmieTurnbullandthedisappearanceofPhilipRochester,ashegazedaround。Thelawyerandthebankcashierhadbeen,untilthatwinter,congenialcomrades,sharingtheirbusinesssuccessandtheirapartmentincompleteaccord;andnowashadowasblackasthatenvelopingtheunlightedapartmenthungovertheirgoodnames,threateningoneortheotherwiththechargeofforgeryandofmurder。Kentsighedandturnedbacktothesilentdetective。
\"IcanbestansweryourquestionbytellingyouthatthedayafterJimmieTurnbulldiedMr。Clymersentforme,\"hebegan。\"IfoundColonelMcIntyrewithhimandwastoldthattheColonelhadlostvaluablesecuritiesleftatthebank。ThesesecuritieshadbeengivenbythetreasurerofthebanktoJimmieTurnbullwhenhepresentedaletterfromColonelMcIntyreinstructingthebanktosurrenderthesecuritiestoJimmie。\"
\"Well?\"questionedFerguson。\"Goon,sir。\"
\"Thatletterwasaforgery。\"Kentsatbackandwatchedthedetective’srapidlychangingexpression。\"AndnotracehasbeenfoundoftheColonel’ssecurities,lastknowntobeinthepossessionofTurnbull。\"
\"Greatheavens!\"ejaculatedFerguson。
\"Whichwastheforger—TurnbullorRochester?\"
Kentshookapuzzledhead。\"Thatisforustodiscover,\"hesaidsoberly。\"ColonelMcIntyrecontendsthatTurnbullforgedtheletterandstolethesecurities,thenfearinghisguiltwouldbecomeknown,committedstillanothercrime—thatofsuicide,hecouldhaveswallowedadoseofaconitinewhileatthepolicecourt。\"
\"Well,I’llbe—blessed!\"ejaculatedFerguson。\"ButifhewastheforgerhowdoesthatsquarewithRochester’speculiarbehavior?
Thechecksbearingyourforgedsignatureswerepresented,mindyou,byRochesterafterTurnbull’sdeath?\"
\"Itdoesn’tsquare,\"acknowledgedKentfrankly。\"ThereisthistobesaidforTurnbull:hewasthesoulofhonor,hisaffairswerefoundtobeinexcellentcondition,hewasdrawingagoodsalary,hisinvestmentspayingwell—hedidnotneedtoacquiresecuritiesormoneybyresortingtoforgery。\"
\"WhereasPhilipRochesterwasonthepointofbankruptcy,\"remarkedFerguson。\"DoyousupposeheforgedColonelMcIntyre’sletterandgaveittoTurnbull,andthelattergotthesecuritiesfromthebanktreasurerandhandedthemovertoRochesteringoodfaith,supposinghisroom—matewouldgivethepaperstoColonelMcIntyre?\"
Kentnoddedinagreement。\"Itlooksthatwaytome,\"hesaidgloomily。\"PhilipRochesterstoodwellinthecommunity,hislawpracticeislargeandlucrative,andifithadnotbeenforhisperiodsofidlenessand—and\"—hesitating—\"passionforgoodliving,hewouldneverhaverunintodebt。\"
\"Buthegotthere。\"Ferguson’slaughwascontemptuous。\"A
desperatemanwilldoanything,Mr。Kent。\"
\"Iknow,\"Kentlookeddubious。\"Iwouldbelievehimguiltyifitwerenotfortheuseofaconitine—thatshowspremeditationonthepartofthemurderer。\"
\"Andwhyshouldn’tRochesterplanTurnbull’smurderaheadofthesceneinthepolicecourt?\"arguedFerguson。\"Wasn’thelivingindeadlyfearofexposure?Ifhedidnotcommitthemurder,whydidherunaway?Andifheisinnocent,whydoesn’thecomeforwardandproveit?\"
\"Hemaynotknowthatheissuspectedofthecrime,\"retortedKent,rising。\"ItisforustofindRochester,andIsuggestthatwesearchthisapartmentthoroughly。\"
\"Ihavealreadydoneso,\"objectedFerguson。\"Andtherewasn’tthefaintestclewtohishidingplace。\"
\"ForallthatIamnotsatisfied。\"Kentwalkedoverandswitchedonanotherlight。\"WhenIcamehereonWednesdaynightIhadatusslewithsomeman,butheescapedinthedarkwithoutmyseeinghim。IbelievehewasRochester。\"
\"Youareprobablyright。\"Fergusoncrossedtheroom。\"Andifhecamebackonce,hemayreturnagain。Comeahead,\"andheplungedintothefirstbedroom。Thetwomensubjectedeachroomtoanexhaustivesearch,buttheirlaborsweretheironlyreward;exceptforanaccumulationofdust,theapartmentwasundisturbed。Theyhadreachedthekitchenette—pantrywhenthegongovertheirheadssoundedloudly,andKent,withamutteredexclamationhastenedtowardthefrontdooroftheapartment。Ferguson,intentonstudyingthe\"L\"ofthebuildingasseenfromthewindow,washardlyconsciousofhisdeparture,andsomesecondselapsedbeforeheturnedtowardthedoor。Ashegainedit,hesawadarkshapedartdownthehall。WithaboundFergusonstartedinpursuit,andthenextsecondgrappledwiththeflyingmanjustastheelectriclightswentoutandtheywereplungedindarkness。
SuddenlyKent’svoiceechoeddownthehall。\"Comeherequick,Ferguson!\"
Therewasanoteofurgencyabouthisappeal,andFergusonstraininghismusclesuntilthebloodpoundedinhistemples,threwthestrugglingmanintoatuftedarm—chairwhichstoodbytheentrancetothesmalldiningroom,anddrawingouthishandcuffs,slippedthemonsecurely。\"Staythere,\"Fergusonadmonishedhisprisoner。
\"Ortherewillbeworsecomingtoyou,\"andhethrustthemuzzleofhisrevolveragainsttheman’sheavingchesttoillustratehismeaning;thenasKentcalledagain,hespeddownthehallandbroughtupbreathlessatthefrontdoor。Thelightwasstillburninginthecorridor,thoughnotverybrightly,andhesawKenthandthegrinningmessengerboyashinyquarter。Touchinghisbatteredcaptheboywentwhistlingaway。\"TelltheelevatorboytoreportthatafusehasburnedoutinMr。Rochester’sapartment,\"
Fergusoncalledafterhim,andtheladwavedhishandashedashedintotheelevator。
Payingnoattentiontothedetective’scall,Kentshowedhimawhiteenvelopewhichborethesimpleaddress:
PHILIPROCHESTER,ESQ。
THESARATOGA
\"It’stheidenticalenvelopeIfoundinyoursafe,\"declaredFerguson。
\"AndwhichdisappearedlastnightattheClubdeVingt。\"Kentturnedovertheenvelope。\"See,theredseal。\"
Foraminutethemencontemplatedthesealwiththelargedistinctiveletter\"B\"inthecenter。
\"Opentheletter,sir,\"FergusonurgedandKent,hisfingersfairlytrembling,jerkedandtoreatthelinenincasedenvelope;theflaprippedawayandheopenedtheenvelope—itwasempty。
Instinctivelythetwomenglanceddownattheparquetryflooring;
nothingbutathincoatingofdustlaythere,andKentlookedupanddownthecorridor;itwasdeserted。
\"Doyourecognizethehandwriting?\"askedFerguson。
\"No。\"Kentregardedtheenvelopeinbewilderment。\"Whatshallwedo?\"
\"Do?CalluptheDimeMessengerServiceandseewheretheenvelopecamefrom;butfirstcomeandseemyprisoner。
\"Yourprisoner?\"inprofoundastonishment。
\"Yes。Icaughthimchasingupthehallafteryou,\"explainedFergusonastheyhurriedlyretracedtheirsteps。\"Iputhandcuffsonhimandthenwenttoyou。Ah,here’sthelight!\"
\"Thelight,yes;butwhere’syourprisoner?\"andKent,whowasatrifleinadvanceofhiscompanioninreachingthediningroom,stoodasidetoletFergusonpasshim。
Thedetectivehaltedabruptly。Thechairintowhichhehadthrusthisprisonerwasvacant。Themanhaddisappeared。
WithoneaccordFergusonandKentadvancedclosetothechair,andanoathbrokefrom。thedetective。Onthecushionofthechair,stillbearingtheimpressofahumanbody,layapairofshiningnewhandcuffs。
DazedlyFergusonstoopedoverandexaminedthem。Theywerestillsecurelylocked。WheelingaroundKentdashedthroughthedoortohisrightandFerguson,collectinghiswits,searchedtherestoftheapartmentwithminutecare。FiveminuteslaterhecamefacetofacewithKentinthelivingroom。\"Notatraceofanykind,\"
declaredKent。\"It’sthesameastheothernight;theman’sgone。
It’s—it’spositivelyuncanny。\"
Ferguson’sfacewasredfrommortificationandhisexertionscombined。
\"Thefellowmusthaveslippedfromtheroombythatotherdoorandoutthroughthelivingroomaswecamedownthehail,\"hesaid。
\"Didyoushutthedooroftheapartment,Mr。Kent,beforecomingdownheretolookattheprisoner?\"
\"Yes。\"Kentledthewaybacktothediningroom。\"Didyourecognizetheman,Ferguson?\"
\"No。\"Thedetectivesworesoftlyashestaredabouttheroom。
\"ThelightswentoutjustasItackledhim。\"
\"Itwasbeastlyluckthatthefuseburnedoutatthatsecond,\"
groanedKent。\"Fortunewaswithhiminthat;buthowdidthemangetfreeofthehandcuffs?\"pointingtothemstilllyinginthechair。\"Wecan’tattributethattoluck,unless\"—staringkeenlyatFerguson—\"unlessyoudidnotsnapthemontheman’swrists,afterall。\"
\"Idid;Iswearit,\"declaredFerguson。\"I’mnonoviceatthatbusiness。Here,don’ttouchthem,Mr。Kent,\"ashiscompanionbenttowardthechair。\"Theremaybefingermarksonthesteel;ifso\"
—hedrewouthishandkerchief,andtakingcarenottohandletheburnishedmetal,hefoldedthehandcuffscarefullyinitandputtheminhiscoatpocket。\"There’snouselingeringhere,Mr。Kent;
thisapartmentisvacantnowexceptforus。ImustgettoHeadquarters。\"
\"Hadn’tyoubettertelephoneforanoperativeandstationhimhere?\"
suggestedKent。
\"Ididsowhileyouweresearchingthebackrooms,\"repliedFerguson。
\"There,\"asthegongsounded。\"That’sNelson,now。\"
ButthepersonwhostoodintheoutercorridorwhentheyopenedthefrontdoorwasnotNelson,theoperative,butDr。Stone。
\"CanIseeMr。Rochester?\"heasked,thencatchingsightofKentstandingjustbackofthedetective,headded,\"Hello,Kent;I
thoughtIheardsomeonewalkingaboutinherefrommyapartmentnextdoor,andconcludedRochesterhadreturned。CanIseehim?\"
\"N—no,\"Kentspokeslowly,withaside—glanceatthesilentdetective。\"Rochesterhasbeenhere—andleft。\"
CHAPTERXVI
THECRIMSONOUTLINE
BarbaraMcIntyremadetheroundofthelibraryforthefifthtime,testingeachofthesevendoorsopeningintoittoseethattheyereclosedbehindtheirportieres,thensheturnedbacktohersister,whosatcross—loggedbeforeasmallsafe。
\"Anyluck?\"sheaskedInsteadofreplyingHelenremovedthekeyfromthelockofthesteeldoorandregardeditattentively。Thesafewasofanobsoletepatternandinplaceofthecustomarycombinationlock,wasopenedbymeansofakey,uniqueinappearance。
\"Itiscertainlythekeywhichfathermislaidsixmonthsago,\"shedeclared。\"Grimesfounditjustafterfatherhadanewkeymadeandgaveittome。AndyetIcan’tgetthedooropen。\"
\"Letmetry。\"Barbaracroucheddownbyhersisterandinsertedthekeyagaininthelock,buthereffortsmetwithnoresults,andafterfiveminutes’steadymanipulationshegaveuptheattempt。
\"Iamafraiditisimpossible,\"sheadmitted。\"SeemstomeIhaveheardthatthelostkeywillnotopenasafeafteranewkeyhasbeensupplied。\"
Helenroseslowlytoherfeet,stretchinghercrampedlimbscarefullyasshedidso,andsankdowninthenearestchair。Herattitudeindicateddejection。
\"Thenwecan’tfindtheenvelope,\"shemuttered。\"Hurry,Babs,andclosetheouterdoor;fathermayreturnatanymoment。\"
Barbaraobeyedtheinjunctionwithsuchalacritythatthedoor,concealingthespaceinthewallwherestoodthesafe,flewtowithabangandthetwinsjumpednervously。
\"Takecare!\"exclaimedHelensharply。\"Doyouwishtoarousethehousehold?\"
\"Nodangerofthat。\"ButBarbaraglancedapprehensivelyaboutthelibraryinspiteofherreassuringstatement。\"Theservantsareeitheroutorupstairs,andMargaretBrewsteriswritinglettersinoursittingroom。\"
\"Hadn’tyoubettergoupstairsandjoinher?\"Helensuggested。\"Do,Babs,\"ashersisterhesitated。\"Icannotfeelsurethatshewillnotinterruptus。\"
\"Butmyjoiningherwon’tkeepMargaretupstairs,\"objectedBarbara。
\"No,butyoucancallandwarnmeifsheisonherwaydown,andthatwillgivemetimeto—tostraightenfather’spapers,\"goingovertoalargecarvedtablelitteredwithmagazines,letters,andsilverornaments。Hersisterdidnotmove,andsheglancedatherwithanirritatedair,veryforeigntohercustomarymanner。
\"Go,Barbara。\"
ThecurtcommandbroughtastarefromBarbara,butitdidnotaccelerateherhaltingfootsteps;insteadshemovedwithevengreaterslownesstowardthehalldoor;heractivebraintormentedwithanunspokenandunansweredquestion。WhywasHelensoanxiousforherdeparture?ShehadacceptedherofferofassistanceinhersearchofthelibrarywithsuchmarkedreluctancethatBarbarahadmarveledatthetime,andnow……
\"Areyouquitesure,Helen,thatfatherhadtheenvelopeinhispocketthismorning?\"sheaskedforthethirdtimesincethesearchbegan。
\"Hehadanenvelope—Icaughtaglimpseoftheredseal,\"answeredHelen。\"Then,justbeforedinnerhewasputtingsomepapersinthesafe。Oh,ifGrimeshadonlycomeinamomentsoonertoannouncedinner,Imighthavehadachancetolookinthesafebeforefatherclosedthedoor。\"
WhateverreplyBarbaraintendedmakingwascheckedbytherattlingoftheknobofthehalldoor;itturnedslowly,thedooropenedand,pushingasidetheportieresdrawnacrosstheentrance,MargaretBrewsterglidedin。\"Sogladtofindyou,\"shecooed。\"Butwhyhaveyoucloseduptheroomandturnedonallthelights?\"
\"Toseebetter,\"retortedBarbarapromptlyasthewidow’seyesrovedaroundthelargeroom,takingsilentnoteofthedrawncurtainsandportieres,andthesomewhatdisarrangedfurniture。\"Comeinside,Margaret,andhelpusinoursearch。\"
\"Forwhat?\"Thewidowtriedtokeephertonenatural,butacertainshrillalertnesscreptintoitandBarbara,whowaswatchingherclosely,wasquicktodetectthechange。Helen’scoloralteredatthequestion,andsheobservedthewidow’sentrancewithveiledhostility。
\"Formyseal,\"Barbaraanswered。\"Theonewiththebigletter’B。’
Haveyouseenit?\"
\"I?—No。\"ThewidowtookachairuninvitednearHelen。\"Youlooktired,Helendear;whydon’tyougotobed?\"
\"IcouldnotsleepifIdid。\"Helenpassedanervousfingeracrosshereyes。\"Butdon’tletmekeepyouandBabsup;itwon’ttakemelongtoarrangeto—morrow’smarketorderforGrimes。\"
UnderpretenseofsearchingforpencilandpaperHelencontrivedtoseetheaddressofeveryletterlyingonthetable,buttheenvelopeshesought,withitsredseal,wasnotamongthem。Whenshelookedupagain,pencilandpaperinhand,shefoundMrs。Brewsterleaninglazilybackandregardingherfromunderhalf—closedlids。\"Youareverylikeyourfather,Helen,\"shecommentedsoftly。
Thegirlstiffened。\"AmI?BabsandIaregenerallythoughttoresembleourmother。\"
\"Inappearance,yes;butImeanmannerisms—forinstance,thewayofholdingyourpencil,yourhandwriting,even,closelyresemblesyourfather’s。\"Mrs。BrewsterpointedtothenotesHelenwasscribblingonthepaperandtoanopenletterbearingColonelMcIntyre’ssignatureatthebottomofthesheetlyingbesidethepadtoillustratehermeaning。\"Thesearealmostidentical。\"
\"Youareacloseobserver。\"Helencompletedhermemorandumandlaiditaside。\"Whatbecameoffather?\"
\"HewenttoastagsupperattheWillard,\"chimedinBarbara,stoppingheraimlesswalkaboutthelibrary。\"Hesaidwewerenottowaitupforhim。\"
Helenpushedbackherchairandrosewithsomeabruptness。
\"IammoretiredthanIrealized,\"sheremarkedandinvoluntarilystretchedherwearymuscles。\"Come,Margaret,\"layingapersuasivehandonthewidow’sshoulder。\"BeatrumpandrubmyforeheadwithcologneasyouusedtodoabroadwhenIhadaheadache。Italwaysputmetosleepthen;and,oh,howIlongforsleepnow!\"
TherewasinfinitepathosinhervoiceandMrs。Brewstersprangupandthrewherarmaboutherinreadysympathy。
\"Youpoordarling!\"sheexclaimed。\"Letmeputyoutobed;Mammytaughtmetheartofsoothingfrayednerves。Comewithus,Babs,\"
holdingoutherlefthandtoBarbara。Butthelatter,withadexteroustwist,slippedawayfromhertouch。
\"Imuststayandstraightenthelibrary,\"sheannounced。
Mrs。Brewster’sdelicatecolorhaddeepened。\"Itwouldbeaswelltoopensomeofthedoors,\"sheagreedcoldly。\"Thelibrarylooksodd,nottosayfunereal,\"sheglanceddownthespaciousroomandshiveredeversoslightly。\"Do,Babs,putoutsomeofthelights;
theyareblinding。\"
\"Oh,I’llturnthemallout\"—Barbarasoughttheelectricswitch。
\"Butyourfather—\"
\"Noneedtoworryaboutfather;hecanfindhiswayaboutinthedarklikeacat,\"respondedBarbarawithunabatedcheerfulness。
\"Seemstome,Margaret,youandfatheraregettingmightychummythesedays。\"
ThesuddendarknessintowhichBarbara’simpatientfingers,pressingagainsttheelectriclightbuttons,plungedthelibraryanditsoccupants,preventedherseeingthecuriousglancewhichMrs。
Brewstershotather。Helen,whohadlistenedtotheirchatterwithgrowingimpatience,lookedbackoverhershoulder。
\"Hurry,Barbara,andcomeupstairs。Now,Margaret,\"andshepilotedthewidowalongthehalltowardthestaircasewithoutgivingheranopportunitytoanswerBarbara’slastremark。Barbara,pausingonlylongenoughtopullbacktheportieresofthehalldoorandarrangethemastheyhungcustomarily,turnedtogoupstairsjustasGrimescamedownthehallfromthediningroomcarryingalargetraywithpitchersoficewaterandglasses。
\"Ithoughtyouhadgonetoyourroom,Grimes,\"sheremarked,asthebutlerwaitedrespectfullyforhertopasshim。
\"I’vejustcomein,miss,andfoundMurrayhadleftthetrayinthediningroom,\"explainedGrimeshurriedly。\"Ihope,miss,I’llnotdisturbtheladiesbyknockingattheirdoorsnowwiththisicewater。\"
\"Oh,no,Mrs。BrewsterandMissHelenhaveonlyjustgoneupstairs。\"
Barbarapausedinfrontofthebutlerandpouredoutaglassofwater。
\"Ican’twait,Grimes,Iamtoothirsty。\"
\"Certainly,miss,that’sallright。\"Grimescranedhisheadaroundandlookedupanddownthehail,thenleaningoverheplacedthetrayonaconvenienttableandsteppedclosetoBarbara。
\"I’vebeenreadingthenewspapersverycarefully,miss,\"hebegan,takingcaretokeephisvoicelowered。\"EspeciallythatpartofMr。
Turnbull’sinquestwhichtellsaboutthepost—mortem。\"
\"Well,whatthen?\"askedBarbaraquicklyasthebutlerpausedandagainglancedupanddownthehall。
\"Justthis,miss,\"hespokealmostinawhisper。\"ThedoctorsdosaypoorMr。Turnbullwaspoisonedbyacca—aconitine,\"stumblingovertheword。\"It’sacuriousthing,miss,thatIbroughtsomeofthatverydrugintothishouselastSunday。\"
\"Youdid!\"Barbara’sfreshyoungvoiceroseinastonishment。
\"Hush,miss!\"Thebutlerraisedbothhands。\"Hush!\"Heglancedcautiouslyaround,thencontinued。\"ColonelMcIntyresentmetothedruggistwithaprescriptionfromDr。StoneforMrs。Brewsterwhenshehadromanticneuralgia。\"
\"Hadwhat?\"Barbaralookedpuzzled,thengiggled,buthermirthquicklyalteredtoseriousnessatsightofthebutler’sexpression。
\"Mrs。Brewsterhadatouchofrheumaticneuralgiathefirstofthemonth;doyourefertothat?\"
\"Yes,miss。\"Grimesspokemorerapidly,butkepthisvoicelowered。
\"ThedruggisttoldmewhatthepillswerewhenIexclaimedattheirsize—regularlittlepellets,nobiggerthanthat,\"hedemonstratedthesizewiththetipofhislittlefinger,andwouldhaveaddedmorebutthegongoverthefrontdoorrangoutwithsuchsuddennessthatbothheandBarbarastartedviolently。
\"Justamoment,miss,\"andhehurriedtothefrontbell,toreturnafterabriefcolloquywithamessengerboy,bearingaletter。
\"It’sforMrs。Brewster,miss,\"heexplained,asBarbaraheldoutherhand。
\"I’llgiveittoherandthisalso,\"Barbaratooktheenvelopeandasmallicepitcherandglass。\"Goodnight,Grimes。Oh,\"shestoppedmidwayupthestaircaseandwaitedforthebutlertoovertakeher,\"Grimes,towhomdidyougivetheaconitineonSunday?\"
\"Ididn’tgiveittonobody,miss。\"Thebutlerwasatrifleshortofbreath;hisyearsdidnotpermithimtokeeppacewiththetwins。
\"Iwasinagreathurryasthedruggistkeptmewaiting,andIhadtoserveteaatonce。\"
\"Butwhatdidyoudowiththeaconitinepills?\"demandedBarbara。
\"Ilefttheboxonthehailtable,miss—\"
\"Greatheavens!\"Barbarastaredatthebutler,thenwithoutawordsheracedupthestaircaseanddisappearedthroughtheopendoorofMrs。Brewster’sbedroom。
Thelightfromthehallshonethroughthetransomanddoorwayinsufficientvolumetoclearlyindicatethedifferentpiecesoffurniture,andBarbaraputthepitcherandglassonthebedstandandlaidtheletterwhichGrimeshadgivenheronthedressingtable,thenwentslowlyintoherownbedroom。Shecouldhearvoices,whichsherecognizedasthoseofhersisterandMrs。Brewster,comingfromHelen’sbedroom,butabsorbedinherownthoughtssheundressedinthedarkandcreptintobedjustasMrs。Brewsterpasseddownthehallwayandenteredherownroom。Thewidowhadtakenoffhereveninggownandslippersanddonnedabecomingwrapperbeforeshediscoveredtheletterlyingonthedresser。
Drawingupachairshedroppedintoit,letdownherlongdarkhair,andsettledbackinluxuriantcomfortagainstthetuftedupholsterybeforesheranherwell—manicuredfingerundertheflapoftheenvelope。AslipofpaperfellintoherlapasshetookoutthecontentsoftheenvelopeandsheletitresttherewhilescanningthecloselytypewrittenlinesontheMetropolisTrustCompanystationery。
DearMrs。Brewster,sheread。Ourbankteller,Mr。McDonald,hasquestionedthegenuinenessofthesignatureontheinclosedcheck。
Animportantbusinessengagementpreventsmycallingto—night,butpleasestopatthebankearlyto—morrowmorning。
Ifeelthatyouwouldprefertohaveapersonalinvestigationmaderatherthanhaveusplacethematterinthehandsofthepolice。
Yoursfaithfully,BENJAMINA。CLYMER。
Thewidowreadthenoteanumberoftimes,thenbethinkingherself,shepickedupthecanceledcheckstilllyinginherlap,andturneditover。Longandintentlyshestudiedthesignature—thepeculiarlycharacteristicformationoftheletter\"B\"caughtandheldherattention。Asthesecondstickedthemselvesintominutesshesatimmovable,herfaceaswhiteasthehandonwhichshehadbowedherhead。
AcrossthehallHelenMcIntyretossedfromonesidetotheotherinhersoftbed;herrestlesslongingtogetupwasgrowingstrongerandstronger。WhileMrs。Brewster’sdeftfingersandthecoolingcolognehadstoppedthethrobbinginhertemples,theyhadbroughtonlytemporaryreliefintheirtrainandnotthesleepwhichHelencraved。
Shestrainedherearstodiscoverthetimebythetickingofherclock,buteitheritwasbetweenthehalforquartersofanhour,orithadstopped,fornochimessounded。Withagaspofexasperation,Helenflungbackthebedclothesandsatup。Switchingonthelightbythesideofherbedshehuntedforabook,butnotfindingany,shecontemplatedforashortspaceoftimeapairofrubber—heeledshoesjustshowingthemselvesundertheedgeofachair。
Withsuddendecisionsheleftthebedanddressedrapidly。Itwasnotuntilshehadputonherrubber—heeledshoesthatshepaused。
Herhesitation,however,wasbutbrief。Steppingtothebureau,shepulledoutalowerdrawerandrunningherhandinside,touchedaconcealedspring。Fromthecavitythusexposedshetookasmallautomaticpistol,andwithastealthyglanceabouther,creptfromtheroom。
Thelibraryhadbeenvacantfullyanhourwhenamouse,intentonmakingaraidonthecandywhichBarbarahadcarelesslyleftlyinglooseononeofthetables,pausedasafaintcreakingsoundbrokethestillness,thenasthenoiseincreased,themousescurriedbacktoitshole。Thenoiseresembledtheturningofrustyhingesandthesoftthudofonepieceofwoodstrikinganother。Therewasastrainedsilence,then,fromoutofthedarknessappearedatinystreamoflightdirectedfullonawhiteenvelopebearingalargeredseal。
Thenextinstanttheenvelopewaspluckedfromthehandholdingit,andafigurelaycrumpledonthefloorfromtheblowofadescendingweapon。
Itwascloselyapproachingoneo’clockinthemorningbeforeMrs。
Brewsterstirredfromhercomfortablebedroomchair。Takingupherelectrictorch,whichshekeptalwaysbythesideofherbed,shewalkedquicklydownthestaircaseandintothepitchdarklibrary。
Directinghertorch—lightsothatshesteeredasafecourseamongthechairsandtables,sheapproachedoneofthepiecesofcarvedVenetianfurnitureandreachedoutherhandtotouchatrap—door。
Asshelookedforthespringshewashorrifiedtoseeathinstreamofbloodoozingthroughthecarvinguntil,reachingtheletter\"B,\"itoutlinedthatinitialinsinisterred。
ScreamafterscreambrokefromMrs。Brewster。ShewasswayinguponherfeetbythetimeColonelMcIntyreandhisdaughterHelenreachedthelibrary。
\"Margaret!Whatisit?\"McIntyredemanded。\"Calmyourself,mydarling。\"
Thefrenziedwomanshookoffhissoothinghand。
\"See,see!\"shecriedandpointedwithhertorch。
\"ShemeanstheVenetiancasket,\"explainedHelen,whohadpausedbeforejoiningthemtoswitchonthelight。
ColonelMcIntyregazedinamazementatthepieceoffurniture;
thencatchingsightoftheblood—stain,heraisedthesmalltrap—doororpeephole,inthetopoftheoblongboxwhichstoodbreasthigh,supportedonabeautifullycarvedbase。
Therewasabreathlesspause;thenMcIntyreunceremoniouslyjerkedtheelectrictorchfromMrs。Brewster’snervousfingersandturneditsraysoftheinteriorofthecasket。Stretchedatfulllengthlaythefigureofaman,andfromawoundinhistempleflowedasteadystreamofblood。
\"GoodGod!\"McIntyrestaggeredbackagainstHelen。\"Grimes!\"
CHAPTERXVII
AQUESTIONOFH0USE—BREAKING
ThegenialpresidentoftheMetropolisTrustCompanywaslate。
Mrs。Brewster,waitinginhiswell—appointedoffice,restrainedherill—temperonlybyanexertionofwill—power。Shedetestedbeingkeptwaiting,andthatmorningshehadmanyerrandstoattendtobeforetheluncheonhour。
\"MayIuseyourtelephone?\"sheaskedMr。Clymer’ssecretary,andtheyoungmanrosewithalacrityfromhisdesk。Mrs。Brewsterneverknewwhatitwastolackattention,evenherownsexwereknownonoccasionstogivehergownsand,(whatcaptiouscriticstermedher\"frivolousconduct\")undividedattention。
\"CanIlookupthenumberforyou?\"thesecretaryaskedasMrs。
Brewstertookupthetelephonebookandfumbledforthegoldchainofherlorgnette。
\"Oh,thankyou,\"hersmileshowedeachprettydimple。\"IwishtospeaktoMr。Kent,ofthefirmofRochesterandKent。\"
\"HarryKent?\"Theyoungsecretarydroppedthebookwithoutlookingatit,andgaveanumbertotheoperator,andthenhandedtheinstrumenttoMrs。Brewster。
\"Mr。Kentnotin,didyousay?\"askedthewidow。\"Whoisspeaking?
Ah,Mr。Sylvester—hasMr。Rochesterreturned?—Bothpartnersaway\"……shepaused……\"I’llcalllater—Mrs。Brewster,goodmorning。\"
Mrs。Brewsterhungupthereceiverandturnedtothesecretary。