the woman in the alcove-第16节

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〃You　do　not　know　of　any　imitation；　then？　It　was　the　real　stone　you　gave　her。　You　are　sure　of　it；　you　would　be　ready　to　swear　to　it　ifsay　just　yes　or　no；〃　she　finished　in　gentle　urgency。

Evidently　he　was　sinking　again　into　unconsciousness；　and　she　was　just　holding　him　back　long　enough　for　the　necessary　word。

It　came　slowly　and　with　a　dragging　intonation；　but　there　was　no　mistaking　the　ring　of　truth　with　which　he　spoke。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；

When　I　heard　the　doctor's　voice　and　felt　a　movement　in　the　canvas　against　which　I　leaned；　I　took　the　warning　and　stole　back　hurriedly　to　my　quarters。

I　was　scarcely　settled；　when　the　same　group　of　three　I　had　before　watched　silhouetted　itself　again　against　the　moonlight。　There　was　some　talk；　a　mingling　and　separating　of　shadows；　then　the　nurse　glided　back　to　her　duties　and　the　two　men　went　toward　the　clump　of　trees　where　the　horse　had　been　tethered。

Ten　minutes　and　the　doctor　was　back　in　his　bunk。　Was　it　imagination；　or　did　I　feel　his　hand　on　my　shoulder　before　he　finally　lay　down　and　composed　himself　to　sleep？　I　can　not　say；　I　only　know　that　I　gave　no　sign；　and　that　soon　all　stir　ceased　in　his　direction　and　I　was　left　to　enjoy　my　triumph　and　to　listen　with　anxious　interest　to　the　strange　and　unintelligible　sounds　which　accompanied　the　descent　of　the　horseman　down　the　face　of　the　cliff；　and　finally　to　watch　with　a　fascination；　which　drew　me　to　my　knees；　the　passage　of　that　sparkling　star　of　light　hanging　from　his　saddle。　It　crept　to　and　fro　across　the　side　of　the　opposite　mountain　as　he　threaded　its　endless　zigzags　and　finally　disappeared　over　the　brow　into　the　invisible　canyons　beyond。

With　the　disappearance　of　this　beacon　came　lassitude　and　sleep；　through　whose　hazy　atmosphere　floated　wild　sentences　from　the　sick　tent；　which　showed　that　the　patient　was　back　again　in　Nevada；　quarreling　over　the　price　of　a　horse　which　was　to　carry　him　beyond　the　reach　of　some　threatening　avalanche。

When　next　morning　I　came　to　depart；　the　doctor　took　me　by　both　hands　and　looked　me　straight　in　the　eyes。

〃You　heard；〃　he　said。

〃How　do　you　know？〃　I　asked。

〃I　can　tell　a　satisfied　man　when　I　see　him；〃　he　growled；　throwing　down　my　hands　with　that　same　humorous　twinkle　in　his　eyes　which　had　encouraged　me　from　the　first。

I　made　no　answer；　but　I　shall　remember　the　lesson。

One　detail　more。　When　I　stared　on　my　own　descent　I　found　why　the　leggings；　with　which　I　had　been　provided；　were　so　indispensable。　I　was　not　allowed　to　ride；　indeed；　riding　down　those　steep　declivities　was　impossible。　No　horse　could　preserve　his　balance　with　a　rider　on　his　back。　I　slid；　so　did　my　horse；　and　only　in　the　valley　beneath　did　we　come　together　again。

VIII

ARREST

The　success　of　this　interview　provoked　other　attempts　on　the　part　of　the　reporters　who　now　flocked　into　the　Southwest。　Ere　long　particulars　began　to　pour　in　of　Mr。　Fairbrother's　painful　journey　south；　after　his　illness　set　in。　The　clerk　of　the　hotel　in　El　Moro；　where　the　great　mine…owner's　name　was　found　registered　at　the　time　of　the　murder；　told　a　story　which　made　very　good　reading　for　those　who　were　more　interested　in　the　sufferings　and　experiences　of　the　millionaire　husband　of　the　murdered　lady　than　in　those　of　the　unhappy　but　comparatively　insignificant　man　upon　whom　public　opinion　had　cast　the　odium　of　her　death。

It　seems　that　when　the　first　news　came　of　the　great　crime　which　had　taken　place　in　New　York；　Mr。　Fairbrother　was　absent　from　the　hotel　on　a　prospecting　tour　through　the　adjacent　mountains。　Couriers　had　been　sent　after　him；　and　it　was　one　of　these　who　finally　brought　him　into　town。　He　had　been　found　wandering　alone　on　horseback　among　the　defiles　of　an　untraveled　region；　sick　and　almost　incoherent　from　fever。　Indeed；　his　condition　was　such　that　neither　the　courier　nor　such　others　as　saw　him　had　the　heart　to　tell　him　the　dreadful　news　from　New　York；　or　even　to　show　him　the　papers。　To　their　great　relief；　he　betrayed　no　curiosity　in　them。　All　he　wanted　was　a　berth　in　the　first　train　going　south；　and　this　was　an　easy　way　for　them　out　of　a　great　responsibility。　They　listened　to　his　wishes　and　saw　him　safely　aboard；　with　such　alacrity　and　with　so　many　precautions　against　his　being　disturbed　that　they　have　never　doubted　that　he　left　El　Moro　in　total　ignorance；　not　only　of　the　circumstances　of　his　great　bereavement；　but　of　the　bereavement　itself。

This　ignorance；　which　he　appeared　to　have　carried　with　him　to　the　Placide；　was　regarded　by　those　who　knew　him　best　as　proving　the　truth　of　the　affirmation　elicited　from　him　in　the　pauses　of　his　delirium　of　the　genuineness　of　the　stone　which　had　passed　from　his　hands　to　those　of　his　wife　at　the　time　of　their　separation；　and；　further　despatches　coming　in；　some　private　and　some　official；　but　all　insisting　upon　the　fact　that　it　would　be　weeks　before　he　would　be　in　a　condition　to　submit　to　any　sort　of　examination　on　a　subject　so　painful；　the　authorities　in　New　York　decided　to　wait　no　longer　for　his　testimony；　but　to　proceed　at　once　with　the　inquest。

Great　as　is　the　temptation　to　give　a　detailed　account　of　proceedings　which　were　of　such　moment　to　myself；　and　to　every　word　of　which　I　listened　with　the　eagerness　of　a　novice　and　the　anguish　of　a　woman　who　sees　her　lover's　reputation　at　the　mercy　of　a　verdict　which　may　stigmatize　him　as　a　possible　criminal；　I　see　no　reason　for　encumbering　my　narrative　with　what；　for　the　most　part；　would　be　a　mere　repetition　of　facts　already　known　to　you。

Mr。　Durand's　intimate　and　suggestive　connection　with　this　crime；　the　explanations　he　had　to　give　of　this　connection；　frequently　bizarre　and；　I　must　acknowledge；　not　always　convincing；nothing　could　alter　these　nor　change　the　fact　of　the　undoubted　cowardice　he　displayed　in　hiding　Mrs。　Fairbrother's　gloves　in　my　unfortunate　little　bag。

As　for　the　mystery　of　the　warning；　it　remained　as　much　of　a　mystery　as　ever。　Nor　did　any　better　success　follow　an　attempt　to　fix　the　ownership　of　the　stiletto；　though　a　half…day　was　exhausted　in　an　endeavor　to　show　that　the　latter　might　have　come　into　Mr。　Durand's　possession　in　some　of　the　many　visits　he　was　shown　to　have　made　of　late　to　various　curio…shops　in　and　out　of　New　York　City。*

I　had　expected　all　this；　just　as　I　had　expected　Mr。　Grey　to　be　absent　from　the　proceedings　and　his　testimony　ignored。　But　this　expectation　did　not　make　the　ordeal　any　easier；　and　when　I　noticed　the　effect　of　witness　after　witness　leaving　the　stand　without　having　improved　Mr。　Durand's　position　by　a　jot　or　offering　any　new　clue　capable　of　turning　suspicion　into　other　directions；　I　felt　my　spirit　harden　and　my　purpose　strengthen　till　I　hardly　knew　myself。　I　must　have　frightened　my　uncle；　for　his　hand　was　always　on　my　arm　and　his　chiding　voice　in　my　ear；　bidding　me　beware；　not　only　for　my　own　sake　and　his；　but　for　that　of　Mr。　Durand；　whose　eye　was　seldom　away　from　my　face。

The　verdict；　however；　was　not　the　one　I　had　so　deeply　dreaded。　While　it　did　not　exonerate　Mr。　Durand；　it　did　not　openly　accuse　him；　and　I　was　on　the　point　of　giving　him　a　smile　of　congratulation　and　renewed　hope　when　I　saw　my　little　detective　the　one　who　had　spied　the　gloves　in　my　bag　at　the　balladvance　and　place　his　hand　upon　his　arm。

The　police　had　gone　a　step　further　than　the　coroner's　jury；　and　Mr。　Durand　was　arrested；　before　my　eyes；　on　a　charge　of　murder。


*Mr。　Durand's　visits　to　the　curio…shops；　as　explained　by　him；　were　made　with　a　view　of　finding　a　casket　in　which　to　place　his　diamond。　This　explanation　was　looked　upon　with　as　much　doubt　as　the　others　he　had　offered　where　the　situation　seemed　to　be　of　a　compromising　character。



IX

THE　MOUSE　NIBBLES　AT　THE　NET

The　next　day　saw　me　at　police　headquarters　begging　an　interview　from　the　inspector；　with　the　intention　of　confiding　to　him　a　theory　which　must　either　cost　me　his　sympathy　or　open　the　way　to　a　new　inquiry；　which　I　felt　sure　would　lead　to　Mr。　Durand's　complete　exoneration。

I　chose　this　gentleman　for　my　confidant；　from　among　all　those　with　whom　I　had　been　brought　in　contact　by　my　position　as　witness　in　a　case　of　this　magnitude；　first；　because　he　had　been　present　at　the　most　tragic　moment　of　my　life；　and　secondly；　because　I　was　conscious　of　a　sympathetic　bond　between　us　which　would　insure　me　a　kind　hearing。　However　ridiculous　my　idea　might　appear　to　him；　I　was　assured　that　he　would　treat　me　with　consideration　and　not　visit　whatever　folly　I　might　be　guilty　of　on　the　head　of　him　for　whom　I　risked　my　reputation　for　good　sense。

Nor　was　I　disappointed　in　this。　Inspector　Dalzell's　air　was　fatherly　and　his　tone　altogether　gentle　as；　in　reply　to　my　excuses　for　troubling　him　with　my　opinions；　he　told　me　that　in　a　case　of　such　importance　he　was　glad　to　receive　the　impressions　even　of　such　a　prejudiced　little　partizan　as　myself。　The　word　fired　me；　and　I　spoke。

〃You　consider　Mr。　Durand　guilty；　and　so　do　many　others；　I　fear；　in　spite　of　his　long　record　for　honesty　and　uprightness。　And　why？　Because　you　will　not　admit　the　possibility　of　another　person's　guilt；a　person　standing　so　high　in　private　and　public　estimation　that　the　very　idea　seems　preposterous　and　little　short　of　insulting　to　the　country　of　which　he　is　an　acknowledged　ornament。〃

〃My　dear！〃

The　insp