little novels-第87节

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in　a　house　which　had　been　the　scene　of　a　murder。　Mr。　Deluc's　nerves　led　also　to　his　removal；　his　rest　was　now　disturbed　by　frightful　dreams。　He　paid　the　necessary　forfeit…money；　and　left　without　notice。　The　first…floor　lodger；　Mr。　Barfield；　kept　his　rooms；　but　obtained　leave　of　absence　from　his　employers；　and　took　refuge　with　some　friends　in　the　country。　Miss　Mybus　alone　remained　in　the　parlors。　〃When　I　am　comfortable；〃　the　old　lady　said；　〃nothing　moves　me；　at　my　age。　A　murder　up　two　pairs　of　stairs　is　nearly　the　same　thing　as　a　murder　in　the　next　house。　Distance；　you　see；　makes　all　the　difference。〃

It　mattered　little　to　the　police　what　the　lodgers　did。　We　had　men　in　plain　clothes　watching　the　house　night　and　day。　Everybody　who　went　away　was　privately　followed；　and　the　police　in　the　district　to　which　they　retired　were　warned　to　keep　an　eye　on　them；　after　that。　As　long　as　we　failed　to　put　Mrs。　Zebedee's　extraordinary　statement　to　any　sort　of　testto　say　nothing　of　having　proved　unsuccessful；　thus　far；　in　tracing　the　knife　to　its　purchaserwe　were　bound　to　let　no　person　living　under　Mr。　Crosscapel's　roof；　on　the　night　of　the　murder；　slip　through　our　fingers。

IV。

IN　a　fortnight　more；　Mrs。　Zebedee　had　sufficiently　recovered　to　make　the　necessary　statementafter　the　preliminary　caution　addressed　to　persons　in　such　cases。　The　surgeon　had　no　hesitation；　now；　in　reporting　her　to　be　a　sane　woman。

Her　station　in　life　had　been　domestic　service。　She　had　lived　for　four　years　in　her　last　place　as　lady's…maid；　with　a　family　residing　in　Dorsetshire。　The　one　objection　to　her　had　been　the　occasional　infirmity　of　sleep…walking；　which　made　it　necessary　that　one　of　the　other　female　servants　should　sleep　in　the　same　room；　with　the　door　locked　and　the　key　under　her　pillow。　In　all　other　respects　the　lady's…maid　was　described　by　her　mistress　as　〃a　perfect　treasure。〃

In　the　last　six　months　of　her　service；　a　young　man　named　John　Zebedee　entered　the　house　（with　a　written　character）　as　a　footman。　He　soon　fell　in　love　with　the　nice　little　lady's…maid；　and　she　heartily　returned　the　feeling。　They　might　have　waited　for　years　before　they　were　in　a　pecuniary　position　to　marry；　but　for　the　death　of　Zebedee's　uncle；　who　left　him　a　little　fortune　of　two　thousand　pounds。　They　were　now；　for　persons　in　their　station；　rich　enough　to　please　themselves；　and　they　were　married　from　the　house　in　which　they　had　served　together；　the　little　daughters　of　the　family　showing　their　affection　for　Mrs。　Zebedee　by　acting　as　her　bridesmaids。

The　young　husband　was　a　careful　man。　He　decided　to　employ　his　small　capital　to　the　best　advantage；　by　sheep…farming　in　Australia。　His　wife　made　no　objection；　she　was　ready　to　go　wherever　John　went。

Accordingly　they　spent　their　short　honeymoon　in　London；　so　as　to　see　for　themselves　the　vessel　in　which　their　passage　was　to　be　taken。　They　went　to　Mrs。　Crosscapel's　lodging…house　because　Zebedee's　uncle　had　always　stayed　there　when　in　London。　Ten　days　were　to　pass　before　the　day　of　embarkation　arrived。　This　gave　the　young　couple　a　welcome　holiday；　and　a　prospect　of　amusing　themselves　to　their　heart's　content　among　the　sights　and　shows　of　the　great　city。

On　their　first　evening　in　London　they　went　to　the　theater。　They　were　both　accustomed　to　the　fresh　air　of　the　country；　and　they　felt　half　stifled　by　the　heat　and　the　gas。　However；　they　were　so　pleased　with　an　amusement　which　was　new　to　them　that　they　went　to　another　theater　on　the　next　evening。　On　this　second　occasion；　John　Zebedee　found　the　heat　unendurable。　They　left　the　theater；　and　got　back　to　their　lodgings　toward　ten　o'clock。

Let　the　rest　be　told　in　the　words　used　by　Mrs。　Zebedee　herself。　She　said：

〃We　sat　talking　for　a　little　while　in　our　room；　and　John's　headache　got　worse　and　worse。　I　persuaded　him　to　go　to　bed；　and　I　put　out　the　candle　（the　fire　giving　sufficient　light　to　undress　by）；　so　that　he　might　the　sooner　fall　asleep。　But　he　was　too　restless　to　sleep。　He　asked　me　to　read　him　something。　Books　always　made　him　drowsy　at　the　best　of　times。

〃I　had　not　myself　begun　to　undress。　So　I　lit　the　candle　again；　and　I　opened　the　only　book　I　had。　John　had　noticed　it　at　the　railway　bookstall　by　the　name　of　'The　World　of　Sleep。'　He　used　to　joke　with　me　about　my　being　a　sleepwalker；　and　he　said；　'Here's　something　that's　sure　to　interest　you'and　he　made　me　a　present　of　the　book。

〃Before　I　had　read　to　him　for　more　than　half　an　hour　he　was　fast　asleep。　Not　feeling　that　way　inclined；　I　went　on　reading　to　myself。

〃The　book　did　indeed　interest　me。　There　was　one　terrible　story　which　took　a　hold　on　my　mindthe　story　of　a　man　who　stabbed　his　own　wife　in　a　sleep…walking　dream。　I　thought　of　putting　down　my　book　after　that；　and　then　changed　my　mind　again　and　went　on。　The　next　chapters　were　not　so　interesting；　they　were　full　of　learned　accounts　of　why　we　fall　asleep；　and　what　our　brains　do　in　that　state；　and　such　like。　It　ended　in　my　falling　asleep；　too；　in　my　armchair　by　the　fireside。

〃I　don't　know　what　o'clock　it　was　when　I　went　to　sleep。　I　don't　know　how　long　I　slept；　or　whether　I　dreamed　or　not。　The　candle　and　the　fire　had　both　burned　out；　and　it　was　pitch　dark　when　I　woke。　I　can't　even　say　why　I　wokeunless　it　was　the　coldness　of　the　room。

〃There　was　a　spare　candle　on　the　chimney…　piece。　I　found　the　matchbox；　and　got　a　light。　Then　for　the　first　time；　I　turned　round　toward　the　bed；　and　I　saw〃

She　had　seen　the　dead　body　of　her　husband；　murdered　while　she　was　unconsciously　at　his　sideand　she　fainted；　poor　creature；　at　the　bare　remembrance　of　it。

The　proceedings　were　adjourned。　She　received　every　possible　care　and　attention；　the　chaplain　looking　after　her　welfare　as　well　as　the　surgeon。

I　have　said　nothing　of　the　evidence　of　the　landlady　and　servants。　It　was　taken　as　a　mere　formality。　What　little　they　knew　proved　nothing　against　Mrs。　Zebedee。　The　police　made　no　discoveries　that　supported　her　first　frantic　accusation　of　herself。　Her　master　and　mistress；　where　she　had　been　last　in　service；　spoke　of　her　in　the　highest　terms。　We　were　at　a　complete　deadlock。

It　had　been　thought　best　not　to　surprise　Mr。　Deluc；　as　yet；　by　citing　him　as　a　witness。　The　action　of　the　law　was；　however；　hurried　in　this　case　by　a　private　communication　received　from　the　chaplain。

After　twice　seeing；　and　speaking　with；　Mrs。　Zebedee；　the　reverend　gentleman　was　persuaded　that　she　had　no　more　to　do　than　himself　with　the　murder　of　her　husband。　He　did　not　consider　that　he　was　ju　stified　in　repeating　a　confidential　communicationhe　would　only　recommend　that　Mr。　Deluc　should　be　summoned　to　appear　at　the　next　examination。　This　advice　was　followed。

The　police　had　no　evidence　against　Mrs。　Zebedee　when　the　inquiry　was　resumed。　To　assist　the　ends　of　justice　she　was　now　put　into　the　witness…box。　The　discovery　of　her　murdered　husband；　when　she　woke　in　the　small　hours　of　the　morning；　was　passed　over　as　rapidly　as　possible。　Only　three　questions　of　importance　were　put　to　her。

First；　the　knife　was　produced。　Had　she　ever　seen　it　in　her　husband's　possession？　Never。　Did　she　know　anything　about　it？　Nothing　whatever。

Secondly：　Did　she；　or　did　her　husband；　lock　the　bedroom　door　when　they　returned　from　the　theater？　No。　Did　she　afterward　lock　the　door　herself？　No。

Thirdly：　Had　she　any　sort　of　reason　to　give　for　supposing　that　she　had　murdered　her　husband　in　a　sleep…walking　dream？　No　reason；　except　that　she　was　beside　herself　at　the　time；　and　the　book　put　the　thought　into　her　head。

After　this　the　other　witnesses　were　sent　out　of　court　The　motive　for　the　chaplain's　communication　now　appeared。　Mrs。　Zebedee　was　asked　if　anything　unpleasant　had　occurred　between　Mr。　Deluc　and　herself。

Yes。　He　had　caught　her　alone　on　the　stairs　at　the　lodging…house；　had　presumed　to　make　love　to　her；　and　had　carried　the　insult　still　farther　by　attempting　to　kiss　her。　She　had　slapped　his　face；　and　had　declared　that　her　husband　should　know　of　it；　if　his　misconduct　was　repeated。　He　was　in　a　furious　rage　at　having　his　face　slapped；　and　he　said　to　her：　〃Madam；　you　may　live　to　regret　this。〃

After　consultation；　and　at　the　request　of　our　Inspector；　it　was　decided　to　keep　Mr。　Deluc　in　ignorance　of　Mrs。　Zebedee's　statement　for　the　present。　When　the　witnesses　were　recalled；　he　gave　the　same　evidence　which　he　had　already　given　to　the　Inspectorand　he　was　then　asked　if　he　knew　anything　of　the　knife。　He　looked　at　it　without　any　guilty　signs　in　his　face；　and　swore　that　he　had　never　seen　it　until　that　moment。　The　resumed　inquiry　ended；　and　still　nothing　had　been　discovered。

But　we　kept　an　eye　on　Mr。　Deluc。　Our　next　effort　was　to　try　if　we　could　associate　him　with　the　purchase　of　the　knife。

Here　again　（there　really　did　seem　to　be　a　sort　of　fatality　in　this　case）　we　reached　no　useful　result。　It　was　easy　enough　to　find　out　the　wholesale　cutlers；　who　had　manufactured　the　knife　at　Sheffield；　by　the　mark　on　the　blade。　But　they　made　tens　of　thousands　of　such　knives；　and　disposed　of　them　to　retail　dealers　all　over　Great　Britainto　say　nothing　of　foreign　parts。　As　to　finding　out　the　person　who　had　engraved　the　imperfect　inscription　（without　knowing　where；　or　by　whom；　the　knife　had　been　purchased）　we　might　as　well　have　looked　for　the　proverbial　needle　in　the