the woman in the alcove-第18节

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r。　Grey。〃



X

I　ASTONISH　THE　INSPECTOR

I　was　not　the　only　one　to　tremble　now。　This　man　of　infinite　experience　and　daily　contact　with　crime　had　turned　as　pale　as　ever　I　myself　had　done　in　face　of　a　threatening　calamity。

〃I　shall　see　about　this；〃　he　muttered；　crumpling　the　paper　in　his　hand。　〃But　this　is　a　very　terrible　business　you　are　plunging　me　into。　I　sincerely　hope　that　you　are　not　heedlessly　misleading　me。〃

〃I　am　correct　in　my　facts；　if　that　is　what　you　mean；〃　said　I。　〃The　stiletto　is　an　English　heirloom；　and　bears　on　its　blade；　among　other　devices；　that　of　Mr。　Grey's　family　on　the　female　side。　But　that　is　not　all　I　want　to　say。　If　the　blow　was　struck　to　obtain　the　diamond；　the　shock　of　not　finding　it　on　his　victim　must　have　been　terrible。　Now　Mr。　Grey's　heart；　if　my　whole　theory　is　not　utterly　false；　was　set　upon　obtaining　this　stone。　Your　eye　was　not　on　him　as　mine　was　when　you　made　your　appearance　in　the　hall　with　the　recovered　jewel。　He　showed　astonishment；　eagerness；　and　a　determination　which　finally　led　him　forward；　as　you　know；　with　the　request　to　take　the　diamond　in　his　hand。　Why　did　he　want　to　take　it　in　his　hand？　And　why；　having　taken　it；　did　he　drop　ita　diamond　supposed　to　be　worth　an　ordinary　man's　fortune？　Because　he　was　startled　by　a　cry　he　chose　to　consider　the　traditional　one　of　his　family　proclaiming　death？　Is　it　likely；　sir？　Is　it　conceivable　even　that　any　such　cry　as　we　heard　could；　in　this　day　and　generation；　ring　through　such　an　assemblage；　unless　it　came　with　ventriloquial　power　from　his　own　lips？　You　observed　that　he　turned　his　back；　that　his　face　was　hidden　from　us。　Discreet　and　reticent　as　we　have　all　been；　and　careful　in　our　criticisms　of　so　bizarre　an　event；　there　still　must　be　many　to　question　the　reality　of　such　superstitious　fears；　and　some　to　ask　if　such　a　sound　could　be　without　human　agency；　and　a　very　guilty　agency；　too。　Inspector；　I　am　but　a　child　in　your　estimation；　and　I　feel　my　position　in　this　matter　much　more　keenly　than　you　do；　but　I　would　not　be　true　to　the　man　whom　I　have　unwittingly　helped　to　place　in　his　present　unenviable　position　if　I　did　not　tell　you　that；　in　my　judgment；　this　cry　was　a　spurious　one；　employed　by　the　gentleman　himself　as　an　excuse　for　dropping　the　stone。〃

〃And　why　should　he　wish　to　drop　the　stone？〃

〃Because　of　the　fraud　he　meditated。　Because　it　offered　him　an　opportunity　for　substituting　a　false　stone　for　the　real。　Did　you　not　notice　a　change　in　the　aspect　of　this　jewel　dating　from　this　very　moment？　Did　it　shine　with　as　much　brilliancy　in　your　hand　when　you　received　it　back　as　when　you　passed　it　over？〃

〃Nonsense！　I　do　not　know；　it　is　all　too　absurd　for　argument。〃　Yet　he　did　stop　to　argue；　saying　in　the　next　breath：　〃You　forget　that　the　stone　has　a　setting。　Would　you　claim　that　this　gentleman　of　family；　place　and　political　distinction　had　planned　this　hideous　crime　with　sufficient　premeditation　to　have　provided　himself　with　the　exact　counterpart　of　a　brooch　which　it　is　highly　improbable　he　ever　saw？　You　would　make　him　out　a　Cagliostro　or　something　worse。　Miss　Van　Arsdale；　I　fear　your　theory　will　topple　over　of　its　own　weight。〃

He　was　very　patient　with　me；　he　did　not　show　me　the　door。

〃Yet　such　a　substitution　took　place；　and　took　place　that　evening；〃　I　insisted。　〃The　bit　of　paste　shown　us　at　the　inquest　was　never　the　gem　Mrs。　Fairbrother　wore　on　entering　the　alcove。　Besides；　where　all　is　sensation；　why　cavil　at　one　more　improbability？　Mr。　Grey　may　have　come　over　to　America　for　no　other　reason。　He　is　known　as　a　collector；　and　when　a　man　has　a　passion　for　diamond…getting〃

〃He　is　known　as　a　collector？〃

〃In　his　own　country。〃

〃I　was　not　told　that。〃

〃Nor　I。　But　I　found　it　out。〃

〃How；　my　dear　child；　how？〃

〃By　a　cablegram　or　so。〃

〃Youcabledhis　nameto　England？〃

〃No；　Inspector；　uncle　has　a　code；　and　I　made　use　of　it　to　ask　a　friend　in　London　for　a　list　of　the　most。　noted　diamond　fanciers　in　the　country。　Mr。　Grey's　name　was　third　on　the　list。〃

He　gave　me　a　look　in　which　admiration　was　strangely　blended　with　doubt　and　apprehension。

〃You　are　making　a　brave　struggle；〃　said　he；　〃but　it　is　a　hopeless　one。〃

〃I　have　one　more　confidence　to　repose　in　you。　The　nurse　who　has　charge　of　Miss　Grey　was　in　my　class　in　the　hospital。　We　love　each　other；　and　to　her　I　dared　appeal　on　one　point。　Inspector〃　here　my　voice　unconsciously　fell　as　he　impetuously　drew　nearer〃a　note　was　sent　from　that　sick　chamber　on　the　night　of　the　ball；a　note　surreptitiously　written　by　Miss　Grey；　while　the　nurse　was　in　an　adjoining　room。　The　messenger　was　Mr。　Grey's　valet；　and　its　destination　the　house　in　which　her　father　was　enjoying　his　position　as　chief　guest。　She　says　that　it　was　meant　for　him；　but　I　have　dared　to　think　that　the　valet　would　tell　a　different　story。　My　friend　did　not　see　what　her　patient　wrote；　but　she　acknowledged　that　if　her　patient　wrote　more　than　two　words　the　result　must　have　been　an　unintelligible　scrawl；　since　she　was　too　weak　to　hold　a　pencil　firmly；　and　so　nearly　blind　that　she　would　have　had　to　feel　her　way　over　the　paper。〃

The　inspector　started；　and；　rising　hastily；　went　to　his　desk；　from　which　he　presently　brought　the　scrap　of　paper　which　had　already　figured　in　the　inquest　as　the　mysterious　communication　taken　from　Mrs。　Fairbrother's　hand　by　the　coroner。　Pressing　it　out　flat；　he　took　another　look　at　it；　then　glanced　up　in　visible　discomposure。

〃It　has　always　looked　to　us　as　if　written　in　the　dark；　by　an　agitated　hand；　but〃

I　said　nothing；　the　broken　and　unfinished　scrawl　was　sufficiently　eloquent。

〃Did　your　friend　declare　Miss　Grey　to　have　written　with　a　pencil　and　on　a　small　piece　of　unruled　paper？〃

〃Yes；　the　pencil　was　at　her　bedside；　the　paper　was　torn　from　a　book　which　lay　there。　She　did　not　put　the　note　when　written　in　an　envelope；　but　gave　it　to　the　valet　just　as　it　was。　He　is　an　old　man　and　had　come　to　her　room　for　some　final　orders。〃

〃The　nurse　saw　all　this？　Has　she　that　book？〃

〃No；　it　went　out　next　morning；　with　the　scraps。　It　was　some　pamphlet；　I　believe。〃

The　inspector　turned　the　morsel　of　paper　over　and　over　in　his　hand。

〃What　is　this　nurse's　name？〃

〃Henrietta　Pierson。〃

〃Does　she　share　your　doubts？〃

〃I　can　not　say。〃

〃You　have　seen　her　often？〃

〃No；　only　the　one　time。〃

〃Is　she　discreet？〃

〃Very。　On　this　subject　she　will　be　like　the　grave　unless　forced　by　you　to　speak。〃

〃And　Miss　Grey？〃

〃She　is　still　ill；　too　ill　to　be　disturbed　by　questions；　especially　on　so　delicate　a　topic。　But　she　is　getting　well　fast。　Her　father's　fears　as　we　heard　them　expressed　on　one　memorable　occasion　were　ill　founded；　sir。〃

Slowly　the　inspector　inserted　this　scrap　of　paper　between　the　folds　of　his　pocketbook。　He　did　not　give　me　another　look；　though　I　stood　trembling　before　him。　Was　he　in　any　way　convinced　or　was　he　simply　seeking　for　the　most　considerate　way　in　which　to　dismiss　me　and　my　abominable　theory？　I　could　not　gather　his　intentions　from　his　expression；　and　was　feeling　very　faint　and　heart…sick　when　he　suddenly　turned　upon　me　with　the　remark：

〃A　girl　as　ill　as　you　say　Miss　Grey　was　must　have　had　some　very　pressing　matter　on　her　mind　to　attempt　to　write　and　send　a　message　under　such　difficulties。　According　to　your　idea；　she　had　some　notion　of　her　father's　designs　and　wished　to　warn　Mrs。　Fairbrother　against　them。　But　don't　you　see　that　such　conduct　as　this　would　be　preposterous；　nay；　unparalleled　in　persons　of　their　distinction？　You　must　find　some　other　explanation　for　Miss　Grey's　seemingly　mysterious　action；　and　I　an　agent　of　crime　other　than　one　of　England's　most　reputable　statesmen。〃

〃So　that　Mr。　Durand　is　shown　the　same　consideration；　I　am　content；〃　said　I。　〃It　is　the　truth　and　the　truth　only　I　desire。　I　am　willing　to　trust　my　cause　with　you。〃

He　looked　none　too　grateful　for　this　confidence。　Indeed；　now　that　I　look　back　on　this　scene；　I　do　not　wonder　that　he　shrank　from　the　responsibility　thus　foisted　upon　him。

〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃　he　asked。

〃Prove　something。　Prove　that　I　am　altogether　wrong　or　altogether　right。　Or　if　proof　is　not　possible；　pray　allow　me　the　privilege　of　doing　what　I　can　myself　to　clear　up　the　matter。〃

〃You？〃

There　was　apprehension；　disapprobation；　almost　menace　in　his　tone。　I　bore　it　with　as　steady　and　modest　a　glance　as　possible；　saying；　when　I　thought　he　was　about　to　speak　again：

〃I　will　do　nothing　without　your　sanction。　I　realize　the　dangers　of　this　inquiry　and　the　disgrace　that　would　follow　if　our　attempt　was　suspected　before　proof　reached　a　point　sufficient　to　justify　it。　It　is　not　an　open　attack　I　meditate；　but　one〃

Here　I　whispered　in　his　ear　for　several　minutes。　when　I　had　finished　he　gave　me　a　prolonged　stare；　then　he　laid　his　hand　on　my　head。

〃You　are　a　little　wonder；〃　he　declared。　〃But　your　ideas　are　very　quixotic；　very。　However；〃　he　added；　suddenly　growing　grave；　〃something；　I　must　admit；　may　be　excused　a　young　girl　who　finds　herself　forced　to　choose　between　the　guilt　of　her　lover　and　that　of　a　man　esteemed　great　by　the　world；　but　altogether　removed　from　her　and　her　natural　sympathies。〃

〃You　acknowledge；　then；　that　it　lies　between　these　two？〃

〃I　see　no　third；〃　said　he。

I　drew　a　breath　of　relief。

〃Don't　de