the red house mystery-第8节

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exactly　what　he　had　said；　and　what　she　had　said。　The　details　were　not　
quite　established　yet；　but　this　much　at　least　was　certain：　that　Mr。　Mark's　
brother　had　shot　himself　and　spirited　Mr。　Mark　away；　and　that　Audrey　had　
seen　at　once　that　he　was　that　sort　of　man　when　she　opened　the　door　to　him。　
She　had　passed　the　remark　to　Mrs。　Stevens。　And　Mrs。　Stevens　…　if　you　
remember；　Audrey　…　had　always　said　that　people　didn't　go　away　to　
Australia　except　for　very　good　reasons。　Elsie　agreed　with　both　of　them；　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

but　she　had　a　contribution　of　her　own　to　make。　She　had　actually　heard　
Mr。　Mark　in　the　office；　threatening　his　brother。　

〃You　mean　Mr。　Robert；〃　said　the　second　parlourmaid。　She　had　been　
having　a　little　nap　in　her　room；　but　she　had　heard　the　bang。　In　fact；　it　had　
woken　her　up　…　just　like　something　going　off；　it　was。　

〃It　was　Mr。　Mark's　voice；〃　said　Elsie　firmly。　

〃Pleading　for　mercy；〃　said　an　eager…eyed　kitchenmaid　hopefully　from　
the　door；　and　was　hurried　out　again　by　the　others；　wishing　that　she　had　not　
given　her　presence　away。　But　it　was　hard　to　listen　in　silence　when　she　
knew　so　well　from　her　novelettes　just　what　happened　on　these　occasions。　

〃I　shall　have　to　give　that　girl　a　piece　of　my　mind；〃　said　Mrs。　Stevens。　
〃Well；　Elsie？〃　

〃He　said；　I　heard　him　say　it　with　my　own　ears；　'It's　my　turn　now；'　he　
said；　triumphant…like。〃　

〃Well；　if　you　think　that's　a　threat；　dear；　you're　very　particular；　I　must　
say。〃　

But　Audrey　remembered　Elsie's　words　when　she　was　in　front　of　
Inspector　Birch。　She　gave　her　own　evidence　with　the　readiness　of　one　
who　had　already　repeated　it　several　times；　and　was　examined　and　cross…
examined　by　the　inspector　with　considerable　skill。　The　temptation　to　say；　
〃Never　mind　about　what　you　said　to　him；〃　was　strong；　but　he　resisted　it；　
knowing　that　in　this　way　he　would　discover　best　what　he　said　to　her。　By　
this　time　both　his　words　and　the　looks　he　gave　her　were　getting　their　full　
value　from　Audrey；　but　the　general　meaning　of　them　seemed　to　be　well…
established。　

〃Then　you　didn't　see　Mr。　Mark　at　all〃　

〃No；　sir；　he　must　have　come　in　before　and　gone　up　to　his　room。　Or　
come　in　by　the　front　door；　likely　enough；　while　I　was　going　out　by　the　
back。〃　

〃Yes。　Well；　I　think　that's　all　that　I　want　to　know；　thank　you　very　
much。　Now　what　about　the　other　servants？〃　

〃Elsie　heard　the　master　and　Mr。　Robert　talking　together；〃　said　Audrey　
eagerly。　〃He　was　saying　…　Mr。　Mark；　I　mean　…〃　

〃Ah！　Well；　I　think　Elsie　had　better　tell　me　that　herself。　Who　is　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

Elsie；　by　the　way？〃　

〃One　of　the　housemaids。　Shall　I　send　her　to　you；　sir？〃　

〃Please。〃　

Elsie　was　not　sorry　to　get　the　message。　It　interrupted　a　few　remarks　
from　Mrs。　Stevens　about　Elsie's　conduct　that　afternoon　which　were　（Elsie　
thought）　much　better　interrupted。　In　Mrs。　Stevens'　opinion　any　crime　
committed　that　afternoon　in　the　office　was　as　nothing　to　the　double　crime　
committed　by　the　unhappy　Elsie。　

For　Elsie　realized　too　late　that　she　would　have　done　better　to　have　said　
nothing　about　her　presence　in　the　hall　that　afternoon。　She　was　bad　at　
concealing　the　truth　and　Mrs。　Stevens　was　good　at　discovering　it。　Elsie　
knew　perfectly　well　that　she　had　no　business　to　come　down　the　front　stairs；　
and　it　was　no　excuse　to　say　that　she　happened　to　come　out　of　Miss　Norris'　
room　just　at　the　head　of　the　stairs；　and　didn't　think　it　would　matter；　as　there　
was　nobody　in　the　hall；　and　what　was　she　doing　anyhow　in　Miss　Norris'　
room　at　that　time？　Returning　a　magazine？　Lent　by　Miss　Norris；　might　
she　ask？　Well；　not　exactly　lent。　Really；　Elsie！　…　and　this　in　a　respectable　
house！　In　vain　for　poor　Elsie　to　plead　that　a　story　by　her　favourite　author　
was　advertised　on　the　cover；　with　a　picture　of　the　villain　falling　over　the　
cliff。　〃That's　where　you'll　go　to；　my　girl；　if　you　aren't　careful；〃　said　Mrs。　
Stevens　firmly。　

But；　of　course；　there　was　no　need　to　confess　all　these　crimes　to　
Inspector　Birch。　All　that　interested　him　was　that　she　was　passing　through　
the　hall；　and　heard　voices　in　the　office。　

〃And　stopped　to　listen？〃　

〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Elsie　with　dignity；　feeling　that　nobody　really　
understood　her。　〃I　was　just　passing　through　the　hall；　just　as　you　might　
have　been　yourself；　and　not　supposing　they　was　talking　secrets；　didn't　
think　to　stop　my　ears；　as　no　doubt　I　ought　to　have　done。〃　And　she　sniffed　
slightly。　

〃Come；　come；〃　said　the　inspector　soothingly；　〃I　didn't　mean　to　suggest　
…〃　

〃Everyone　is　very　unkind　to　me；〃　said　Elsie　between　sniffs；　〃and　
there's　that　poor　man　lying　dead　there；　and　sorry　they'd　have　been；　if　it　had　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

been　me；　to　have　spoken　to　me　as　they　have　done　this　day。〃　

〃Nonsense；　we're　going　to　be　very　proud　of　you。　I　shouldn't　be　
surprised　if　your　evidence　were　of　very　great　importance。　Now　then；　
what　was　it　you　heard？　Try　to　remember　the　exact　words。〃　

Something　about　working　in　a　passage；　thought　Elsie。　

〃Yes；　but　who　said　it？〃　

〃Mr。　Robert。〃　

〃How　do　you　know　it　was　Mr。　Robert？　Had　you　heard　his　voice　
before？〃　

〃I　don't　take　it　upon　myself　to　say　that　I　had　had　any　acquaintance　with　
Mr。　Robert；　but　seeing　that　it　wasn't　Mr。　Mark；　nor　yet　Mr。　Cayley；　nor　any　
other　of　the　gentlemen；　and　Miss　Stevens　had　shown　Mr。　Robert　into　the　
office　not　five　minutes　before　…〃　

〃Quite　so；〃　said　the　inspector　hurriedly。　〃Mr。　Robert；　undoubtedly。　
Working　in　a　passage？〃　

〃That　was　what　it　sounded　like；　sir。〃　

〃H'm。　Working　a　passage　over　…　could　that　have　been　it？〃　

〃That's　right；　sir；〃　said　Elsie　eagerly。　〃He'd　worked　his　passage　over。〃　

〃Well？〃　

〃And　then　Mr。　Mark　said　loudly　…　sort　of　triumphant…like　…　'It's　my　turn　
now。　You　wait。'〃　

〃Triumphantly？〃　

〃As　much　as　to　say　his　chance　had　come。〃　

〃And　that's　all　you　heard？〃　

〃That's　all；　sir　…　not　standing　there　listening；　but　just　passing　through　
the　hall；　as　it　might　be　any　time。〃　

〃Yes。　Well；　that's　really　very　important；　Elsie。　Thank　you。〃　

Elsie　gave　him　a　smile；　and　returned　eagerly　to　the　kitchen。　She　was　
ready　for　Mrs。　Stevens　or　anybody　now。　

Meanwhile　Antony　had　been　exploring　a　little　on　his　own。　There　was　
a　point　which　was　puzzling　him。　He　went　through　the　hall　to　the　front　of　
the　house　and　stood　at　the　open　door；　looking　out　on　to　the　drive。　He　and　
Cayley　had　run　round　the　house　to　the　left。　Surely　it　would　have　been　
quicker　to　have　run　round　to　the　right？　The　front　door　was　not　in　the　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

middle　of　the　house；　it　was　to　the　end。　Undoubtedly　they　went　the　
longest　way　round。　But　perhaps　there　was　something　in　the　way；　if　one　
went　to　the　right　…　a　wall；　say。　He　strolled　off　in　that　direction；　followed　a　
path　round　the　house　and　came　in　sight　of　the　office　windows。　Quite　
simple；　and　about　half　the　distance　of　the　other　way。　He　went　on　a　little　
farther；　and　came　to　a　door；　just　beyond　the　broken…in　windows。　It　opened　
easily；　and　he　found　himself　in　a　passage。　At　the　end　of　the　passage　was　
another　door。　He　opened　it　and　found　himself　in　the　hall　again。　

〃And；　of　course；　that's　the　quickest　way　of　the　three；〃　he　said　to　
himself。　〃Through　the　hall；　and　out　at　the　back；　turn　to　the　left　and　there　
you　are。　Instead　of　which；　we　ran　the　longest　way　round　the　house。　
Why？　Was　it　to　give　Mark　more　time　in　which　to　escape？　Only；　in　that　
case　…　why　run？　Also；　how　did。　Cayley　know　then　that　it　was　Mark　
who　was　trying　to　escape？　If　he　had　guessed　…　well；　not　guessed；　but　
been　afraid　…that　one　had　shot　the　other；　it　was　much　more　likely　that　
Robert　had　shot　Mark。　Indeed；　he　had　admitted　that　this　was　what　he　
thought。　The　first　thing　he　had　said　when　he　turned　the　body　over　was；　
'Thank　God！　I　was　afraid　it　was　Mark。'　But　why　should　he　want　to　give　
Robert　time　in　which　to　get　away？　And　again　…　why　run；　if　he　did　want　
to　give　him　time？〃　

Antony　went　out　of　the　house　again　to　the　lawns　at　the　back；　and　sat　
down　on　a　bench　in　view　of　the　office　windows。　

〃Now　then；〃　he　said；　〃let's　go　through　Cayley's　mind　carefully；　and　see　
what　we　get。〃　

Cayley　had　been　in　the　hall　when　Robert　was　shown　into　the　office。　
The　servant　goes　off　to　look　for　Mark；　and　Cayley　goes　on　with　his　book。　
Mark　comes　down　the　stairs；　warns　Cayley　to　stand　by　in　case　he　is　
wanted；　and　goes　to　meet　his　brother。　What　does　Cayley　expect？　
Possibly　that　he　won't　be　wanted　at　all；　possibly　that　his　advice　may　be　
wanted　in　the　matter；　say；　of　paying　Robert's　debts；　or　getting　him　a　
passage　back　to　Australia；　possibly　that　his　physical　assistance　may　be　
wanted　to　get　an　obstreperous　Robert　out　of　the　house。　Well；　he　sits　there　
for　a　moment；　and　then　goes　into　the　library。　Why　not？　He　is　still　
within　reach；　if　wanted。　Suddenly　he　hears　a　pistol…shot。　A　pistol…shot　is　

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The　Red　House　Mystery　

the　last　noise　you　expect　to　hear　in　a　country…house；　very　natural；　then；　
that　for　the　moment　he　would　hardly　realize　what　it　was。　He　listens　…　and　
hears　nothing　more。　Perhaps　it　wasn't　a　pistol…shot　after　all。　After　a　
moment　or　two　he　goes　to　the　library　door　again。　T