the queen of hearts-第49节

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At　Number　Thirteen　Rutherford　Street；　Soho；　there　is　a
stationer's　shop。　It　is　kept　by　one　Mr。　Yatman。　He　is　a　married
man；　but　has　no　family。　Besides　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Yatman；　the　other
inmates　in　the　house　are　a　lodger；　a　young　single　man　named　Jay；
who　occupies　the　front　room　on　the　second　floora　shopman；　who
sleeps　in　one　of　the　attics；　and　a　servant…of…all…work；　whose　bed
is　in　the　back　kitchen。　Once　a　week　a　charwoman　comes　to　help
this　servant。　These　are　all　the　persons　who；　on　ordinary
occasions；　have　means　of　access　to　the　interior　of　the　house；
placed；　as　a　matter　of　course；　at　their　disposal。　Mr。　Yatman　has
been　in　business　for　many　years；　carrying　on　his　affairs
prosperously　enough　to　realize　a　handsome　independence　for　a
person　in　his　position。　Unfortunately　for　himself；　he　endeavored
to　increase　the　amount　of　his　property　by　speculating。　He
ventured　boldly　in　his　investments；　luck　went　against　him；　and
rather　less　than　two　years　ago　he　found　himself　a　poor　man　again。
All　that　was　saved　out　of　the　wreck　of　his　property　was　the　sum
of　two　hundred　pounds。

Although　Mr。　Yatman　did　his　best　to　meet　his　altered
circumstances；　by　giving　up　many　of　the　luxuries　and　comforts　to
which　he　and　his　wife　had　been　accustomed；　he　found　it　impossible
to　retrench　so　far　as　to　allow　of　putting　by　any　money　from　the
income　produced　by　his　shop。　The　business　has　been　declining　of
late　years；　the　cheap　advertising　stationers　having　done　it
injury　with　the　public。　Consequently；　up　to　the　last　week；　the
only　surplus　property　possessed　by　Mr。　Yatman　consisted　of　the
two　hundred　pounds　which　had　been　recovered　from　the　wreck　of　his
fortune。　This　sum　was　placed　as　a　deposit　in　a　joint…stock　bank
of　the　highest　possible　character。

Eight　days　ago　Mr。　Yatman　and　his　lodger；　Mr。　Jay；　held　a
conversation　on　the　subject　of　the　commercial　difficulties　which
are　hampering　trade　in　all　directions　at　the　present　time。　Mr。
Jay　（who　lives　by　supplying　the　newspapers　with　short　paragraphs
relating　to　accidents；　offenses；　and　brief　records　of　remarkable
occurrences　in　generalwho　is；　in　short；　what　they　call　a
penny…a…liner）　told　his　landlord　that　he　had　been　in　the　city
that　day　and　heard　unfavorable　rumors　on　the　subject　of　the
joint…stock　banks。　The　rumors　to　which　he　alluded　had　already
reached　the　ears　of　Mr。　Yatman　from　other　quarters；　and　the
confirmation　of　them　by　his　lodger　had　such　an　effect　on　his
mindpredisposed　as　it　was　to　alarm　by　the　experience　of　his
former　lossesthat　he　resolved　to　go　at　once　to　the　bank　and
withdraw　his　deposit。　It　was　then　getting　on　toward　the　end　of
the　afternoon；　and　he　arrived　just　in　time　to　receive　his　money
before　the　bank　closed。

He　received　the　deposit　in　bank…notes　of　the　following　amounts：
one　fifty…pound　note；　three　twenty…pound　notes；　six　ten…pound
notes；　and　six　five…pound　notes。　His　object　in　drawing　the　money
in　this　form　was　to　have　it　ready　to　lay　out　immediately　in
trifling　loans；　on　good　security；　among　the　small　tradespeople　of
his　district；　some　of　whom　are　sorely　pressed　for　the　very　means
of　existence　at　the　present　time。　Investments　of　this　kind　seemed
to　Mr。　Yatman　to　be　the　most　safe　and　the　most　profitable　on
which　he　could　now　venture。

He　brought　the　money　back　in　an　envelope　placed　in　his　breast
pocket；　and　asked　his　shopman；　on　getting　home；　to　look　for　a
small；　flat；　tin　cash…box；　which　had　not　been　used　for　years；　and
which；　as　Mr。　Yatman　remembered　it；　was　exactly　of　the　right　size
to　hold　the　bank…notes。　For　some　time　the　cash…box　was　searched
for　in　vain。　Mr。　Yatman　called　to　his　wife　to　know　if　she　had　any
idea　where　it　was。　The　question　was　overheard　by　the
servant…of…all…work；　who　was　taking　up　the　tea…tray　at　the　time；
and　by　Mr。　Jay；　who　was　coming　downstairs　on　his　way　out　to　the
theater。　Ultimately　the　cash…box　was　found　by　the　shopman。　Mr。
Yatman　placed　the　bank…notes　in　it；　secured　them　by　a　padlock；
and　put　the　box　in　his　coat　pocket。　It　stuck　out　of　the　coat
pocket　a　very　little；　but　enough　to　be　seen。　Mr。　Yatman　remained
at　home；　upstairs；　all　that　evening。　No　visitors　called。　At
eleven　o'clock　he　went　to　bed；　and　put　the　cash…box　under　his
pillow。

When　he　and　his　wife　woke　the　next　morning　the　box　was　gone。
Payment　of　the　notes　was　immediately　stopped　at　the　Bank　of
England；　but　no　news　of　the　money　has　been　heard　of　since　that
time。

So　far　the　circumstances　of　the　case　are　perfectly　clear。　They
point　unmistakably　to　the　conclusion　that　the　robbery　must　have
been　committed　by　some　person　living　in　the　house。　Suspicion
falls；　therefore；　upon　the　servant…of…all…work；　upon　the　shopman；
and　upon　Mr。　Jay。　The　two　first　knew　that　the　cash…box　was　being
inquired　for　by　their　master；　but　did　not　know　what　it　was　he
wanted　to　put　into　it。　They　would　assume；　of　course；　that　it　was
money。　They　both　had　opportunities　（the　servant　when　she　took
away　the　tea；　and　the　shopman　when　he　came；　after　shutting　up；　to
give　the　keys　of　the　till　to　his　master）　of　seeing　the　cash…box
in　Mr。　Yatman's　pocket；　and　of　inferring　naturally；　from　its
position　there；　that　he　intended　to　take　it　into　his　bedroom　with
him　at　night。

Mr。　Jay；　on　the　other　hand；　had　been　told；　during　the　afternoon's
conversation　on　the　subject　of　joint…stock　banks；　that　his
landlord　had　a　deposit　of　two　hundred　pounds　in　one　of　them。　He
also　knew　that　Mr。　Yatman　left　him　with　the　intention　of　drawing
that　money　out；　and　he　heard　the　inquiry　for　the　cash…box
afterward；　when　he　was　coming　downstairs。　He　must；　therefore；
have　inferred　that　the　money　was　in　the　house；　and　that　the
cash…box　was　the　receptacle　intended　to　contain　it。　That　he　could
have　had　any　idea；　however；　of　the　place　in　which　Mr。　Yatman
intended　to　keep　it　for　the　night　is　impossible；　seeing　that　he
went　out　before　the　box　was　found；　and　did　not　return　till　his
landlord　was　in　bed。　Consequently；　if　he　committed　the　robbery；
he　must　have　gone　into　the　bedroom　purely　on　speculation。

Speaking　of　the　bedroom　reminds　me　of　the　necessity　of　noticing
the　situation　of　it　in　the　house；　and　the　means　that　exist　of
gaining　easy　access　to　it　at　any　hour　of　the　night。

The　room　in　question　is　the　back　room　on　the　first　floor。　In
consequence　of　Mrs。　Yatman's　constitutional　nervousness　on　the
subject　of　fire；　which　makes　her　apprehend　being　burned　alive　in
her　room；　in　case　of　accident；　by　the　hampering　of　the　lock　if
the　key　is　turned　in　it；　her　husband　has　never　been　accustomed　to
lock　the　bedroom　door。　Both　he　and　his　wife　are；　by　their　own
admission；　heavy　sleepers；　consequently；　the　risk　to　be　run　by
any　evil…disposed　persons　wishing　to　plunder　the　bedroom　was　of
the　most　trifling　kind。　They　could　enter　the　room　by　merely
turning　the　handle　of　the　door；　and；　if　they　moved　with　ordinary
caution；　there　was　no　fear　of　their　waking　the　sleepers　inside。
This　fact　is　of　importance。　It　strengthens　our　conviction　that
the　money　must　have　been　taken　by　one　of　the　inmates　of　the
house；　because　it　tends　to　show　that　the　robbery；　in　this　case；
might　have　been　committed　by　persons　not　possessed　of　the
superior　vigilance　and　cunning　of　the　experienced　thief。

Such　are　the　circumstances；　as　they　were　related　to　Sergeant
Bulmer；　when　he　was　first　called　in　to　discover　the　guilty
parties；　and；　if　possible；　to　recover　the　lost　bank…notes。　The
strictest　inquiry　which　he　could　institute　failed　of　producing
the　smallest　fragment　of　evidence　against　any　of　the　persons　on
whom　suspicion　naturally　fell。　Their　language　and　behavior　on
being　informed　of　the　robbery　was　perfectly　consistent　with　the
language　and　behavior　of　innocent　people。　Sergeant　Bulmer　felt
from　the　firs　t　that　this　was　a　case　for　private　inquiry　and
secret　observation。　He　began　by　recommending　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Yatman
to　affect　a　feeling　of　perfect　confidence　in　the　innocence　of　the
persons　living　under　their　roof；　and　he　then　opened　the　campaign
by　employing　himself　in　following　the　goings　and　comings；　and　in
discovering　the　friends；　the　habits；　and　the　secrets　of　the
maid…of…all…work。

Three　days　and　nights　of　exertion　on　his　own　part；　and　on　that　of
others　who　were　competent　to　assist　his　investigations；　were
enough　to　satisfy　him　that　there　was　no　sound　cause　for　suspicion
against　the　girl。

He　next　practiced　the　same　precaution　in　relation　to　the　shopman。
There　was　more　difficulty　and　uncertainty　in　privately　clearing
up　this　person's　character　without　his　knowledge；　but　the
obstacles　were　at　last　smoothed　away　with　tolerable　success；　and；
though　there　is　not　the　same　amount　of　certainty　in　this　case
which　there　was　in　the　case　of　the　girl；　there　is　still　fair
reason　for　supposing　that　the　shopman　has　had　nothing　to　do　with
the　robbery　of　the　cash…box。

As　a　necessary　consequence　of　these　proceedings；　the　range　of
suspicion　now　becomes　limited　to　the　lodger；　Mr。　Jay。

When　I　presented　your　letter　of　introduction　to　Sergeant　Bulmer；
he　had　already　made　some　inquiries　on　the　subject　of　this　young
man。　The　result；　so　far；　has　not　been　at　all　favorable。　Mr。　Jay's
habits　are　irregular；　he　frequents　public　houses；　and　seems　to　be
familiarly　acquainted　with　a　great　many　diss