the red house mystery-第16节

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at　the　back　of　the　seat。　Then　he　stood　up　with　a　yawn；　stretched　himself　
and　said　carelessly；　〃Well；　don't　worry　yourself　about　it；　Bill；　old　man。　I　
daresay　you're　right。　You　know　Mark；　and　I　don't；　and　that's　the　
difference。　Shall　we　have　a　game　or　shall　we　go　to　bed？〃　

Bill　looked　at　him　for　inspiration；　and；　receiving　it；　said；　〃Oh；　just　let's　
have　one　game；　shall　we？〃　

〃Right　you　are；〃　said　Antony。　

But　Bill　was　much　too　excited　to　take　the　game　which　followed　very　
seriously。　Antony；　on　the　other　hand；　seemed　to　be　thinking　of　nothing　
but　bowls。　He　played　with　great　deliberation　for　ten　minutes；　and　then　
announced　that　he　was　going　to　bed。　Bill　looked　at　him　anxiously。　

〃It's　all　right；〃　laughed　Antony。　〃You　can　talk　if　you　want　to。　Just　
let's　put　'em　away　first；　though。〃　

They　made　their　way　down　to　the　shed；　and　while　Bill　was　putting　the　
bowls　away；　Antony　tried　the　lid　of　the　closed　croquet…box。　As　he　
expected；　it　was　locked。　

〃Now　then；〃　said　Bill；　as　they　were　walking　back　to　the　house　again；　
〃I'm　simply　bursting　to　know。　Who　was　it？〃　

〃Cayley。〃　

〃Good　Lord！　Where？〃　

〃Inside　one　of　the　croquet…boxes。〃　

〃Don't　be　an　ass。〃　

〃It's　quite　true；　Bill。〃　He　told　the　other　what　he　had　seen。　

〃But　aren't　we　going　to　have　a　look　at　it？〃　asked　Bill；　in　great　
disappointment。　〃I'm　longing　to　explore。　Aren't　you？〃　

〃To…morrow　and　to…morrow　and　to…morrow。　We　shall　see　Cayley　

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coming　along　this　way　directly。　Besides；　I　want　to　get　in　from　the　other　
end；　if　I　can。　I　doubt　very　much　if　we　can　do　it　this　end　without　giving　
ourselves　away。　Look；　there's　Cayley。〃　

They　could　see　him　coming　along　the　drive　towards　them。　When　
they　were　a　little　closer；　they　waved　to　him　and　he　waved　back。　

〃I　wondered　where　you　were；　he　said；　as　he　got　up　to　them。　〃I　rather　
thought　you　might　be　along　this　way。　What　about　bed？〃　

〃Bed　it　is；〃　said　Antony。　

〃We've　been　playing　bowls；〃　added　Bill；　〃and　talking；　and　…　and　
playing　bowls。　Ripping　night；　isn't　it？〃　

But　he　left　the　rest　of　the　conversation；　as　they　wandered　back　to　the　
house；　to　Antony。　He　wanted　to　think。　There　seemed　to　be　no　doubt　
now　that　Cayley　was　a　villain。　Bill　had　never　been　familiar　with　a　villain　
before。　It　didn't　seem　quite　fair　of　Cayley；　somehow；　he　was　taking　
rather　a　mean　advantage　of　his　friends。　Lot　of　funny　people　there　were　in　
the　world　funny　people　with　secrets。　Look　at　Tony；　that　first　time　he　had　
met　him　in　a　tobacconist's　shop。　Anybody　would　have　thought　he　was　a　
tobacconist's　assistant。　And　Cayley。　Anybody　would　have　thought　that　
Cayley　was　an　ordinary　decent　sort　of　person。　And　Mark。　Dash　it！　
one　could　never　be　sure　of　anybody。　Now；　Robert　was　different。　
Everybody　had　always　said　that　Robert　was　a　shady　fellow。　

But　what　on　earth　had　Miss　Norris　got　to　do　with　it？　What　had　Miss　
Norris　got　to　do　with　it？　This　was　a　question　which　Antony　had　already　
asked　himself　that　afternoon；　and　it　seemed　to　him　now　that　he　had　found　
the　answer。　As　he　lay　in　bed　that　night　he　reassembled　his　ideas；　and　
looked　at　them　in　the　new　light　which　the　events　of　the　evening　threw　
upon　the　dark　corners　in　his　brain。　

Of　course　it　was　natural　that　Cayley　should　want　to　get　rid　of　his　
guests　as　soon　as　the　tragedy　was　discovered。　He　would　want　this　for　
their　own　sake　as　well　as　for　his。　But　he　had　been　a　little　too　quick　about　
suggesting　it；　and　about　seeing　the　suggestion　carried　out。　They　had　been　
bustled　off　as　soon　as　they　could　be　packed。　The　suggestion　that　they　were　
in　his　hands；　to　go　or　stay　as　he　wished；　could　have　been　left　safely　to　
them。　As　it　was；　they　had　been　given　no　alternative；　and　Miss　Norris；　

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who　had　proposed　to　catch　an　after…dinner　train　at　the　junction；　in　the　
obvious　hope　that　she　might　have　in　this　way　a　dramatic　cross…
examination　at　the　hands　of　some　keen…eyed　detective；　was　encouraged　
tactfully；　but　quite　firmly；　to　travel　by　the　earlier　train　with　the　others。　
Antony　had　felt　that　Cayley；　in　the　tragedy　which　had　suddenly　befallen　
the　house；　ought　to　have　been　equally　indifferent　to　her　presence　or　
absence。　But　he　was　not；　and　Antony　assumed　from　this　that　Cayley　was　
very　much　alive　to　the　necessity　for　her　absence。　

Why？　

Well；　that　question　was　not　to　be　answered　off…hand。　But　the　fact　that　
it　was　so　had　made　Antony　interested　in　her；　and　it　was　for　this　reason　that　
he　had　followed　up　so　alertly　Bill's　casual　mention　of　her　in　connexion　
with　the　dressing…up　business。　He　felt　that　he　wanted　to　know　a　little　
more　about　Miss　Norris　and　the　part　she　had　played　in　The　Red　House　
circle。　By　sheer　luck；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　he　had　stumbled　on　the　
answer　to　his　question。　

Miss　Norris　was　hurried　away　because　she　knew　about　the　secret　
passage。　

The　passage；　then；　had　something　to　do　with　the　mystery　of　Robert's　
death。　Miss　Norris　had　used　it　in　order　to　bring　off　her　dramatic　
appearance　as　the　ghost。　Possibly　she　had　discovered　it　for　herself；　
possibly　Mark　had　revealed　it　to　her　secretly　one　day；　never　guessing　that　
she　would　make　so　unkind　a　use　of　it　later　on；　possibly　Cayley；　having　
been　let　into　the　joke　of　the　dressing…up；　had　shown　her　how　she　could　
make　her　appearance　on　the　bowling…green　even　more　mysterious　and　
supernatural。　One　way　or　another；　she　knew　about　the　secret　passage。　
So　she　must　be　hurried　away。　

Why？　Because　if　she　stayed　and　talked；　she　might　make　some　
innocent　mention　of　it。　And　Cayley　did　not　want　any　mention　of　it。　

Why；　again？　Obviously　because　the　passage；　or　even　the　mere　
knowledge　of　its　existence；　might　provide　a　clue。　

〃I　wonder　if　Mark's　hiding　there；〃　thought　Antony；　and　he　went　to　
sleep。　

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CHAPTER　X　

Mr。　Gillingham。　Talks　Nonsense　

Antony　came　down　in　a　very　good　humour　to　breakfast　next　morning；　
and　found　that　his　host　was　before　him。　Cayley　looked　up　from　his　
letters　and　nodded。　

〃Any　word　of　Mr。　Ablett　…　of　Mark？〃　said　Antony；　as　he　poured　out　his　
coffee。　

〃No。　The　inspector　wants　to　drag　the　lake　this　afternoon。　

〃Oh！　Is　there　a　lake？〃　

There　was　just　the　flicker　of　a　smile　on　Cayley's　face；　but　it　
disappeared　as　quickly　as　it　came。　

〃Well；　it's　really　a　pond；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　was　called　'the　lake。'〃　

〃By　Mark；〃　thought　Antony。　Aloud　he　said；　〃What　do　they　expect　to　
find？〃　

〃They　think　that　Mark　…〃　He　broke　off　and　shrugged　his　shoulders。　

〃May　have　drowned　himself；　knowing　that　he　couldn't　get　away？　
And　knowing　that　he　had　compromised　himself　by　trying　to　get　away　at　
all？〃　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so；〃　said　Cayley　slowly。　

〃I　should　have　thought　he　would　have　given　himself　more　of　a　run　for　
his　money。　After　all；　he　had　a　revolver。　If　he　was　determined　not　to　be　
taken　alive；　he　could　always　have　prevented　that。　Couldn't　he　have　
caught　a　train　to　London　before　the　police　knew　anything　about　it？〃　

〃He　might　just　have　managed　it。　There　was　a　train。　They　would　
have　noticed　him　at　Waldheim；　of　course；　but　he　might　have　managed　it　at　
Stanton。　He's　not　so　well…known　there；　naturally。　The　inspector　has　
been　inquiring。　Nobody　seems　to　have　seen　him。〃　

〃There　are　sure　to　be　people　who　will　say　they　did；　later　on。　There　
was　never　a　missing　man　yet　but　a　dozen　people　come　forward　who　swear　
to　have　seen　him　at　a　dozen　different　places　at　the　same　time。〃　

Cayley　smiled。　

〃Yes。　That's　true。　Anyhow；　he　wants　to　drag　the　pond　first。〃　He　
added　dryly；　〃From　what　I've　read　of　detective　stories；　inspectors　always　
do　want　to　drag　the　pond　first。〃　

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〃Is　it　deep？〃　

〃Quite　deep　enough；〃　said　Cayley　as　he　got　up。　On　his　way　to　the　
door　he　stopped；　and　looked　at　Antony。　〃I'm　so　sorry　that　we're　keeping　
you　here　like　this；　but　it　will　only　be　until　to…morrow。　The　inquest　is　tomorrow　afternoon。　Do　amuse　yourself　how　you　like　till　then。　Beverley　
will　look　after　you。〃　

〃Thanks　very　much。　I　shall　really　be　quite　all　right。〃　

Antony　went　on　with　his　breakfast。　Perhaps　it　was　true　that　
inspectors　liked　dragging　ponds；　but　the　question　was；　Did　Cayleys　like　
having　them　dragged？　Was　Cayley　anxious　about　it；　or　quite　indifferent？　
He　certainly　did　not　seem　to　be　anxious；　but　he　could　hide　his　feelings　
very　easily　beneath　that　heavy；　solid　face；　and　it　was　not　often　that　the　real　
Cayley　peeped　out。　Just　a　little　too　eager　once　or　twice；　perhaps；　but　
there　was　nothing　to　be　learnt　from　it　this　morning。　Perhaps　he　knew　that　
the　pond　had　no　secrets　to　give　up。　After　all；　inspectors　were　always　
dragging　ponds。　

Bill　came　in　noisily。　

Bill's　face　was　an　open　book。　Excitement　was　written　all　over　it。　

〃Well；〃　he　said　eagerly；　as　he　sat　down　to　the　business　of　the　meal；　
〃what　are　we　going　to　do　this　morning？〃　

〃Not　talk　so　loudly；　for　one　thing；〃　said　Antony。　Bill　looked　about　
him　apprehensively。　Was　Cayley　under　the　table；　for　example？　After　
last　night　one　never　knew。　

〃Is　er　…〃　He　raised　his　eyebrows。　

〃No。　But　one　doesn't　want　to　shout。　One　should　modulate　the　voice；　
my　dear　William；　while　breathing　gently　fro