太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the red house mystery >

第35节

the red house mystery-第35节

小说: the red house mystery 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



out if they had a visitor who slept there on Monday night。 A stranger。 If 
so; then any particulars you can get of him; without letting the landlord 
know that you are interested …〃 

〃Leave it to me;〃 broke in Bill。 〃I know just what you want。〃 

〃Don't assume that it was Robert … or anybody else。 Let them 
describe the man to you。 Don't influence them unconsciously by 

164



The Red House Mystery 

suggesting that he was short or tall; or anything of that sort。 Just get them 

talking。 If it's the landlord; you'd better stand him a drink or two。〃 

〃Right you are;〃 said Bill confidently。 〃Where do I meet you again?〃 

〃Probably at the 'George。' If you get there before me; you can order 
dinner for eight o'clock。 Anyhow we'll meet at eight; if not before。〃 

〃Good。〃 He nodded to Antony and strode off back to Stanton again。 

Antony stood watching him with a little smile at his enthusiasm。 Then 
he looked round slowly; as if in search of something。 Suddenly he saw 
what he wanted。 Twenty yards farther on a lane wandered off to the left; 
and there was a gate a little way up on the right…hand side of it。 Antony 
walked to the gate; filling his pipe as he went。 Then he lit his pipe; sat on 
the gate; and took his head in his hands。 

〃Now then;〃 he said to himself; 〃let's begin at the beginning。〃 

It was nearly eight o'clock when William Beverley; the famous sleuthhound; arrived; tired and dusty; at the 〃George;〃 to find Antony; cool and 
clean; standing bare…headed at the door; waiting for him。 

〃Is dinner ready?〃 were Bill's first words。 

〃Yes。〃 

〃Then I'll just have a wash。 Lord; I'm tired。〃 

〃I never ought to have asked you;〃 said Antony penitently。 

〃That's all right。 I shan't be a moment。〃 Half…way up the stairs he 
turned round and asked; 〃Am I in your room?〃 

〃Yes。 Do you know the way?〃 

〃Yes。 Start carving; will you? And order lots of beer。〃 He 
disappeared round the top of the staircase。 Antony went slowly in。 

When the first edge of his appetite had worn off; and he was able to 
spare a little time between the mouthfuls; Bill gave an account of his 
adventures。 The landlord of the 〃Plough and Horses〃 had been sticky; 
decidedly sticky … Bill had been unable at first to get anything out of him。 
But Bill had been tactful; lorblessyou; how tactful he had been。 

〃He kept on about the inquest; and what a queer affair it had been; and 
so on; and how there'd been an inquest in his wife's family once; which he 
seemed rather proud about; and I kept saying; 'Pretty busy; I suppose; just 
now; what?' and then he'd say; 'Middlin';' and go on again about Susan 

165



The Red House Mystery 

that was the one that had the inquest … he talked about it as if it were a 
disease … and then I'd try again; and say; 'Slack times; I expect; just now; 
eh?' and he'd say 'Middlin' again; and then it was time to offer him another 
drink; and I didn't seem to be getting much nearer。 But I got him at last。 
I asked him if he knew John Borden … he was the man who said he'd seen 
Mark at the station。 Well; he knew all about Borden; and after he'd told 
me all about Borden's wife's family; and how one of them had been burnt 
to death … after you with the beer; thanks … well; then I said carelessly that 
it must be very hard to remember anybody whom you had just seen once; 
so as to identify him afterwards; and he agreed that it would be 'middlin' 
hard;' and then …〃 

〃Give me three guesses;〃 interrupted Antony。 〃You asked him if he 
remembered everybody who came to his inn?〃 

〃That's it。 Bright; wasn't it?〃 

〃Brilliant。 And what was the result?〃 

〃The result was a woman。〃 

〃A woman?〃 said Antony eagerly。 

〃A woman;〃 said Bill impressively。 〃Of course I thought it was going 
to be Robert … so did you; didn't you? … but it wasn't。 It was a woman。 
Came quite late on Monday night in a car … driving herself … went off early 
next morning。〃 

〃Did he describe her?〃 

〃Yes。 She was middlin'。 Middlin' tall; middlin' age; middlin' colour; 
and so on。 Doesn't help much; does it? But still … a woman。 Does that 
upset your theory?〃 

Antony shook his head。 

〃No; Bill; not at all;〃 he said。 

〃You knew all the time? At least; you guessed?〃 

〃Wait till to…morrow。 I'll tell you everything to…morrow。〃 

〃To…morrow!〃 said Bill in great disappointment。 

〃Well; I'll tell you one thing to…night; if you'll promise not to ask any 
more questions。 But you probably know it already。〃 

〃What is it?〃 

〃Only that Mark Albett did not kill his brother。〃 

166



The Red House Mystery 

〃And Cayley did?〃 

〃That's another question; Bill。 However; the answer is that Cayley 
didn't; either。〃 

〃Then who on earth …〃 

〃Have some more beer;〃 said Antony with a smile。 And Bill had to 
be content with that。 

They were early to bed that evening; for both of them were tired。 Bill 
slept loudly and defiantly; but Antony lay awake; wondering。 What was 
happening at the Red House now? Perhaps he would hear in the morning; 
perhaps he would get a letter。 He went over the whole story again from 
the beginning … was there any possibility of a mistake? What would the 
police do? Would they ever find out? Ought he to have told them? Well; 
let them find out; it was their job。 Surely he couldn't have made a 
mistake this time。 No good wondering now; he would know definitely in 
the morning。 

In the morning there was a letter for him。 

167



The Red House Mystery 

CHAPTER XXI 

Cayley's Apology 

〃My Dear Mr。 Gillingham; 

〃I gather from your letter that you have made certain discoveries 
which you may feel it your duty to communicate to the police; and that in 
this case my arrest on a charge of murder would inevitably follow。 Why; 
in these circumstances; you should give me such ample warning of your 
intentions I do not understand; unless it is that you are not wholly out of 
sympathy with me。 But whether or not you sympathize; at any rate you 
will want to know … and I want you to know … the exact manner in which 
Ablett met his death and the reasons which made that death necessary。 If 
the police have to be told anything; I would rather that they too knew the 
whole story。 They; and even you; may call it murder; but by that time I 
shall be out of the way。 Let them call it what they like。 

〃I must begin by taking you back to a summer day fifteen years ago; 
when I was a boy of thirteen and Mark a young man of twenty…five。 His 
whole life was make…believe; and just now he was pretending to be a 
philanthropist。 He sat in our little drawing…room; flicking his gloves 
against the back of his left hand; and my mother; good soul; thought what 
a noble young gentleman he was; and Philip and I; hastily washed and 
crammed into collars; stood in front of him; nudging each other and 
kicking the backs of our heels and cursing him in our hearts for having 
interrupted our game。 He had decided to adopt one of us; kind Cousin 
Mark。 Heaven knows why he chose me。 Philip was eleven; two years 
longer to wait。 Perhaps that was why。 

〃Well; Mark educated me。 I went to a public school and to 
Cambridge; and I became his secretary。 Well; much more than his 
secretary as your friend Beverley perhaps has told you: his land agent; his 
financial adviser; his courier; his …but this most of all … his audience。 
Mark could never live alone。 There must always be somebody to listen 
to him。 I think in his heart he hoped I should be his Boswell。 He told 
me one day that he had made me his literary executor … poor devil。 And 
he used to write me the absurdest long letters when I was away from him; 

168



The Red House Mystery 

letters which I read once and then tore up。 The futility of the man! 

〃It was three years ago that Philip got into trouble。 He had been 
hurried through a cheap grammar school and into a London office; and 
discovered there that there was not much fun to be got in this world on 
two pounds a week。 I had a frantic letter from him one day; saying that 
he must have a hundred at once; or he would be ruined; and I went to 
Mark for the money。 Only to borrow it; you understand; he gave me a 
good salary and I could have paid it back in three months。 But no。 He 
saw nothing for himself in it; I suppose; no applause; no admiration。 
Philip's gratitude would be to me; not to him。 I begged; I threatened; we 
argued; and while we were arguing; Philip was arrested。 It killed my 
mother … he was always her favourite … but Mark; as usual; got his 
satisfaction out of it。 He preened himself on his judgment of character in 
having chosen me and not Philip twelve years before! 

〃Later on I apologized to Mark for the reckless things I had said to him; 
and he played the part of a magnanimous gentleman with his accustomed 
skill; but; though outwardly we were as before to each other; from that day 
forward; though his vanity would never let him see it; I was his bitterest 
enemy。 If that had been all; I wonder if I should have killed him? To 
live on terms of intimate friendship with a man whom you hate is 
dangerous work for your friend。 Because of his belief i

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的