the woman in the alcove-第10节

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！



The　inspector　had　come　from　the　room　where　I　had　left　him　with　Mr。　Durand　and　was　showing　to　these　people　the　extraordinary　diamond；　which　he　had　just　recovered　under　such　remarkable　if　not　suspicious　circumstances。　Young　heads　and　old　were　meeting　over　it；　and　I　was　straining　my　ears　to　hear　such　comments　as　were　audible　above　the　general　hubbub；　when　Mr。　Grey　made　a　quick　move　and　I　looked　his　way　again　in　time　to　mark　his　air　of　concern　and　the　uncertainty　he　showed　whether　to　advance　or　retreat。

Unconscious　of　my　watchful　eye；　and　noting；　no　doubt；　that　most　of　the　persons　in　the　group　on　which　his　own　eye　was　leveled　stood　with　their　backs　toward　him；　he　made　no　effort　to　disguise　his　profound　interest　in　the　stone。　His　eye　followed　its　passage　from　hand　to　hand　with　a　covetous　eagerness　of　which　he　may　not　have　been　aware；　and　I　was　not　at　all　surprised　when；　after　a　short　interval　of　troubled　indecision；　he　impulsively　stepped　forward　and　begged　the　privilege　of　handling　the　gem　himself。

Our　host；　who　stood　not　far　from　the　inspector；　said　something　to　that　gentleman　which　led　to　this　request　being　complied　with。　The　stone　was　passed　over　to　Mr。　Grey；　and　I　saw；　possibly　because　my　heart　was　in　my　eyes；　that　the　great　man's　hand　trembled　as　it　touched　his　palm。　Indeed；　his　whole　frame　trembled；　and　I　was　looking　eagerly　for　the　result　of　his　inspection　when；　on　his　turning　to　hold　the　jewel　up　to　the　light；　something　happened　so　abnormal　and　so　strange　that　no　one　who　was　fortunate　（or　unfortunate）　enough　to　be　present　in　the　house　at　that　instant　will　ever　forget　it。

This　something　was　a　cry；　coming　from　no　one　knew　where；　which；　unearthly　in　its　shrillness　and　the　power　it　had　on　the　imagination；　reverberated　through　the　house　and　died　away　in　a　wail　so　weird；　so　thrilling　and　so　prolonged　that　it　gripped　not　only　my　own　nerveless　and　weakened　heart；　but　those　of　the　ten　strong　men　congregated　below　me。　The　diamond　dropped　from　Mr。　Grey's　hand；　and　neither　he　nor　any　one　else　moved　to　pick　it　up。　Not　till　silence　had　come　againa　silence　almost　as　unendurable　to　the　sensitive　ear　as　the　cry　which　had　preceded　itdid　any　one　stir　or　think　of　the　gem。　Then　one　gentleman　after　another　bent　to　look　for　it；　but　with　no　success；　till　one　of　the　waiters；　who　possibly　had　followed　it　with　his　eye　or　caught　sight　of　its　sparkle　on　the　edge　of　the　rug；　whither　it　had　rolled；　sprang　and　picked　it　up　and　handed　it　back　to　Mr。　Grey。

Instinctively　the　Englishman's　hand　closed　on　it；　but　it　was　very　evident　to　me；　and　I　think　to　all；　that　his　interest　in　it　was　gone。　If　he　looked　at　it　he　did　not　see　it；　for　he　stood　like　one　stunned　all　the　time　that　agitated　men　and　women　were　running　hither　and　thither　in　unavailing　efforts　to　locate　the　sound　yet　ringing　in　their　ears。　Not　till　these　various　searchers　had　all　come　together　again；　in　terror　of　a　mystery　they　could　not　solve；　did　he　let　his　hand　fall　and　himself　awake　to　the　scene　about　him。

The　words　he　at　once　gave　utterance　to　were　as　remarkable　as　all　the　rest。

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　he；　〃you　must　pardon　my　agitation。　This　cry　you　need　not　seek　its　sourceis　one　to　which　I　am　only　too　well　accustomed。　I　have　been　the　happy　father　of　six　children。　Five　I　have　buried；　and；　before　the　death　of　each；　this　same　cry　has　echoed　in　my　ears。　I　have　but　one　child　left；　a　daughter；she　is　ill　at　the　hotel。　Do　you　wonder　that　I　shrink　from　this　note　of　warning；　and　show　myself　something　less　than　a　man　under　its　influence？　I　am　going　home；　but；　first；　one　word　about　this　stone。〃　Here　he　lifted　it　and　bestowed；　or　appeared　to　bestow　on　it；　an　anxious　scrutiny；　putting　on　his　glasses　and　examining　it　carefully　before　passing　it　back　to　the　inspector。

〃I　have　heard；〃　said　he；　with　a　change　of　tone　which　must　have　been　noticeable　to　every　one；　〃that　this　stone　was　a　very　superior　one；　and　quite　worthy　of　the　fame　it　bore　here　in　America。　But；　gentlemen；　you　have　all　been　greatly　deceived　in　it；　no　one　more　than　he　who　was　willing　to　commit　murder　for　its　possession。　The　stone；　which　you　have　just　been　good　enough　to　allow　me　to　inspect；　is　no　diamond；　but　a　carefully　manufactured　bit　of　paste　not　worth　the　rich　and　elaborate　setting　which　has　been　given　to　it。　I　am　sorry　to　be　the　one　to　say　this；　but　I　have　made　a　study　of　precious　stones；　and　I　can　not　let　this　bare…faced　imitation　pass　through　my　hands　without　a　protest。　Mr。　Ramsdell；〃　this　to　our　host；　〃I　beg　you　will　allow　me　to　utter　my　excuses；　and　depart　at　once。　My　daughter　is　worse；this　I　know；　as　certainly　as　that　I　am　standing　here。　The　cry　you　have　heard　is　the　one　superstition　of　our　family。　Pray　God　that　I　find　her　alive！〃

After　this；　what　could　be　said？　Though　no　one　who　had　heard　him；　not　even　my　own　romantic　self；　showed　any　belief　in　this　interpretation　of　the　remarkable　sound　that　had　just　gone　thrilling　through　the　house；　yet；　in　face　of　his　declared　acceptance　of　it　as　a　warning；　and　the　fact　that　all　efforts　had　failed　to　locate　the　sound；　or　even　to　determine　its　source；　no　other　course　seemed　open　but　to　let　this　distinguished　man　depart　with　the　suddenness　his　superstitious　fears　demanded。

That　this　was　in　opposition　to　the　inspector's　wishes　was　evident　enough。　Naturally；　he　would　have　preferred　Mr。　Grey　to　remain；　if　only　to　make　clear　his　surprising　conclusions　in　regard　to　a　diamond　which　had　passed　through　the　hands　of　some　of　the　best　judges　in　the　country；　without　a　doubt　having　been　raised　as　to　its　genuineness。

With　his　departure　the　inspector's　manner　changed。　He　glanced　at　the　stone　in　his　hand；　and　slowly　shook　his　head。　

〃I　doubt　if　Mr。　Grey's　judgment　can　be　depended　on；　to…night；〃　said　he；　and　pocketed　the　gem　as　carefully　as　if　his　belief　in　its　real　value　had　been　but　little　disturbed　by　the　assertions　of　this　renowned　foreigner。

I　have　no　distinct　remembrance　of　how　I　finally　left　the　house；　or　of　what　passed　between　my　uncle　and　myself　on　our　way　home。　I　was　numb　with　the　shock；　and　neither　my　intelligence　nor　my　feelings　were　any　longer　active。　I　recall　but　one　impression；　and　that　was　the　effect　made　on　me　by　my　old　home　on　our　arrival　there；　as　of　something　new　and　strange；　so　much　had　happened；　and　such　changes　had　taken　place　in　myself　since　leaving　it　five　hours　before。　But　nothing　else　is　vivid　in　my　remembrance　till　that　early　hour　of　the　dreary　morning；　when；　on　waking　to　the　world　with　a　cry；　I　beheld　my　uncle's　anxious　figure；　bending　over　me　from　the　foot…board。

Instantly　I　found　tongue；　and　question　after　question　leaped　from　my　lips。　He　did　not　answer　them；　he　could　not；　but　when　I　grew　feverish　and　insistent；　he　drew　the　morning　paper　from　behind　his　back；　and　laid　it　quietly　down　within　my　reach。　I　felt　calmed　in　an　instant；　and　when；　after　a　few　affectionate　words；　he　left　me　to　myself；　I　seized　on　the　sheet　and　read　what　so　many　others　were　reading　at　that　moment　throughout　the　city。

I　spare　you　the　account　so　far　as　it　coincides　with　what　I　had　myself　seen　and　heard　the　night　before。　A　few　particulars　which　had　not　reached　my　ears　will　interest　you。　The　instrument　of　death　found　in　the　place　designated　by　Mr。　Durand　was　one　of　note　to　such　as　had　any　taste　or　knowledge　of　curios。　It　was　a　stiletto　of　the　most　delicate　type；　long；　keen　and　slender。　Not　an　American　product；　not　even　of　this　century's　manufacture；　but　a　relic　of　the　days　when　deadly　thrusts　were　given　in　the　corners　and　by…ways　of　medieval　streets。

This　made　the　first　mystery。

The　second　was　the　as　yet　unexplainable　presence；　on　the　alcove　floor；　of　two　broken　coffee…cups；　which　no　waiter　nor　any　other　person；　in　fact；　admitted　having　carried　there。　The　tray；　which　had　fallen　from　Peter　Mooney's　hand；the　waiter　who　had　been　the　first　to　give　the　alarm　of　murder；　had　held　no　cups；　only　ices。　This　was　a　fact；　proved。　But　the　handles　of　two　cups　had　been　found　among　the　debris；　cups　which　must　have　been　full；　from　the　size　of　the　coffee　stain　left　on　the　rug　where　they　had　fallen。

In　reading　this　I　remembered　that　Mr。　Durand　had　mentioned　stepping　on　some　broken　pieces　of　china　in　his　escape　from　the　fatal　scene；　and；　struck　with　this　confirmation　of　a　theory　which　was　slowly　taking　form　in　my　own　mind；　I　passed　on　to　the　next　paragraph；　with　a　sense　of　expectation。

The　result　was　a　surprise。　Others　may　have　been　told；　I　was　not；　that　Mrs。　Fairbrother　had　received　a　communication　from　outside　only　a　few　minutes　previous　to　her　death。　A　Mr。　Fullerton；　who　had　preceded　Mr。　Durand　in　his　visit　to　the　alcove；　owned　to　having　opened　the　window　for　her　at　some　call　or　signal　from　outside；　and　taken　in　a　small　piece　of　paper　which　he　saw　lifted　up　from　below　on　the　end　of　a　whip　handle。　He　could　not　see　who　held　the　whip；　but　at　Mrs。　Fairbrother'S　entreaty　he　unpinned　the　note　and　gave　it　to　her。　While　she　was　puzzling　over　it；　for　it　was　apparently　far　from　legible；　he　took　another　look　out　in　time　to　mark　a　figure　rush　from　below　toward　the　carriage　drive。　He　did　not　recognize　the　figure　nor　would　he　know　it　again。　As　to　the　nature　of　the　communication　itself　he　could　say　nothing；　save　that　Mrs。　Fairbrother　did　not　seem　to　be　affected　favorably　by　it。　She　frowned　and　was　looking　very　gloom