the woman in the alcove-第22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！



I　had　rather　she　had　not　uttered　that　last　phrase。　It　did　not　fit　me　at　the　moment；did　not　fit　me；　perhaps；　at　any　time。　Good！　I！　when　my　thoughts　had　not　been　with　her；　but　with　Mr。　Durand；　when　the　dominating　feeling　in　my　breast　was　not　that　of　relief；　but　a　vague　regret　that　I　had　not　been　allowed　to　make　my　great　test　and　so　establish；　to　my　own　satisfaction；　at　least；　the　perfect　innocence　of　my　lover　even　at　the　cost　of　untold　anguish　to　this　confiding　girl　upon　whose　gentle　spirit　the　very　thought　of　crime　would　cast　a　deadly　blight。

I　must　have　flushed；　certainly　I　showed　some　embarrassment；　for　her　eyes　brightened　with　shy　laughter　as　she　whispered：

〃You　do　not　like　to　be　praised；another　of　your　virtues。　You　have　too　many。　I　have　only　oneI　love　my　friends。〃

She　did。　One　could　see　that　love　was　life　to　her。

For　an　instant　I　trembled。　How　near　I　had　been　to　wrecking　this　gentle　soul！　Was　she　safe　yet？　I　was　not　sure。　My　own　doubts　were　not　satisfied。　I　awaited　the　papers　with　feverish　impatience。　They　should　contain　news。　News　of　what？　Ah；　that　was　the　question！

〃You　will　let　me　see　my　mail　this　morning；　will　you　not？〃　she　asked；　as　I　busied　myself　about　her。

〃That　is　for　the　doctor　to　say；〃　I　smiled。　〃You　are　certainly　better　this　morning。〃

〃It　is　so　hard　for　me　not　to　be　able　to　read　his　letters；　or　to　write　a　word　to　relieve　his　anxiety。〃

Thus　she　told　me　her　heart's　secret；　and　unconsciously　added　another　burden　to　my　already　too　heavy　load。

I　was　on　my　way　to　give　some　orders　about　my　patient's　breakfast；　when　Mr。　Grey　came　into　the　sitting…room　and　met　me　face　to　face。　He　had　a　newspaper　in　his　hand　and　my　heart　stood　still　as　I　noted　his　altered　looks　and　disturbed　manner。　Were　these　due　to　anything　he　had　found　in　those　columns？　It　was　with　difficulty　that　I　kept　my　eyes　from　the　paper　which　he　held　in　such　a　manner　as　to　disclose　its　glaring　head…lines。　These　I　dared　not　read　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　mine。

〃How　is　Miss　Grey？　How　is　my　daughter？〃　he　asked　in　great　haste　and　uneasiness。　〃Is　she　better　this　morning；　orworse？〃

〃Better；〃　I　assured　him；　and　was　greatly　astonished　to　see　his　brow　instantly　clear。

〃Really？〃　he　asked。　〃You　really　consider　her　better？　The　doctors　say　so'　but　I　have　not　very　much　faith　in　doctors　in　a　case　like　this；〃　he　added。

〃I　have　seen　no　reason　to　distrust　them；〃　I　protested。　〃Miss　Grey's　illness；　while　severe；　does　not　appear　to　be　of　an　alarming　nature。　But　then　I　have　had　very　little　experience　out　of　the　hospital。　I　am　young　yet；　Mr。　Grey。〃

He　looked　as　if　he　quite　agreed　with　me　in　this　estimate　of　myself；　and；　with　a　brow　still　clouded；　passed　into　his　daughter's　room；　the　paper　in　his　hand。　Before　I　joined　them　I　found　and　scanned　another　journal。　Expecting　great　things；　I　was　both　surprised　and　disappointed　to　find　only　a　small　paragraph　devoted　to　the　Fairbrother　case。　In　this　it　was　stated　that　the　authorities　hoped　for　new　light　on　this　mystery　as　soon　as　they　had　located　a　certain　witness；　whose　connection　with　the　crime　they　had　just　discovered。　No　more；　no　less　than　was　contained　in　Inspector　Dalzell's　letter。　How　could　I　bear　it；the　suspense；　the　doubt；and　do　my　duty　to　my　patient！　Happily；　I　had　no　choice。　I　had　been　adjudged　equal　to　this　business　and　I　must　prove　myself　to　be　so。　Perhaps　my　courage　would　revive　after　I　had　had　my　breakfast；　perhaps　then　I　should　be　able　to　fix　upon　the　identity　of　the　new　witness；something　which　I　found　myself　incapable　of　at　this　moment。

These　thoughts　were　on　my　mind　as　I　crossed　the　rooms　on　my　way　back　to　Miss　Grey's　bedside。　By　the　time　I　reached　her　door　I　was　outwardly　calm；　as　her　first　words　showed：

〃Oh；　the　cheerful　smile！　It　makes　me　feel　better　in　spite　of　myself。〃

If　she　could　have　seen　into　my　heart！

Mr。　Grey；　who　was　leaning　over　the　foot　of　the　bed；　cast　me　a　quick　glance　which　was　not　without　its　suspicion。　Had　he　detected　me　playing　a　part；　or　were　such　doubts　as　he　displayed　the　product　simply　of　his　own　uneasiness？　I　was　not　able　to　decide；　and；　with　this　unanswered　question　added　to　the　number　already　troubling　me；　I　was　forced　to　face　the　day　which；　for　aught　I　knew；　might　be　the　precursor　of　many　others　equally　trying　and　unsatisfactory。

But　help　was　near。　Before　noon　I　received　a　message　from　my　uncle　to　the　effect　that　if　I　could　be　spared　he　would　be　glad　to　see　me　at　his　home　as　near　three　o'clock　as　possible。　What　could　he　want　of　me？　I　could　not　guess；　and　it　was　with　great　inner　perturbation　that；　having　won　Mr。　Grey's　permission；　I　responded　to　his　summons。

I　found　my　uncle　awaiting　me　in　a　carriage　before　his　own　door；　and　I　took　my　seat　at　his　side　without　the　least　idea　of　his　purpose。　I　supposed　that　he　had　planned　this　ride　that　he　might　talk　to　me　unreservedly　and　without　fear　of　interruption。　But　I　soon　saw　that　he　had　some　very　different　object　in　view；　for　not　only　did　he　start　down　town　instead　of　up；　but　his　conversation；　such　as　it　was；　confined　itself　to　generalities　and　studiously　avoided　the　one　topic　of　supreme　interest　to　us　both。

At　last；　as　we　turned　into　Bleecker　Street；　I　let　my　astonishment　and　perplexity　appear。

〃Where　are　we　bound？〃　I　asked。　〃It　can　not　be　that　you　are　taking　me　to　see　Mr。　Durand？〃

〃No；〃　said　he；　and　said　no　more。

〃Ah；　Police　Headquarters！〃　I　faltered　as　the　carriage　made　another　turn　and　drew　up　before　a　building　I　had　reason　to　remember。　〃Uncle；　what　am　I　to　do　here？〃

〃See　a　friend；〃　he　answered；　as　he　helped　me　to　alight。　Then　as　I　followed　him　in　some　bewilderment；　he　whispered　in　my　ear：　〃Inspector　Dalzell。　He　wants　a　few　minutes　conversation　with　you。〃

Oh；　the　weight　which　fell　from　my　shoulders　at　these　words！　I　was　to　hear；　then；　what　had　intervened　between　me　and　my　purpose。　The　wearing　night　I　had　anticipated　was　to　be　lightened　with　some　small　spark　of　knowledge。　I　had　confidence　enough　in　the　kind…hearted　inspector　to　be　sure　of　that。　I　caught　at　my　uncle's　arm　and　squeezed　it　delightedly；　quite　oblivious　of　the　curious　glances　I　must　have　received　from　the　various　officials　we　passed　on　our　way　to　the　inspector's　office。

We　found　him　waiting　for　us；　and　I　experienced　such　pleasure　at　sight　of　his　kind　and　earnest　face　that　I　hardly　noticed　uncle's　sly　retreat　till　the　door　closed　behind　him。

〃Oh；　Inspector；　what　has　happened？〃　I　impetuously　exclaimed　in　answer　to　his　greeting。　〃Something　that　will　help　Mr。　Durand　without　disturbing　Mr。　Greyhave　you　as　good　news　for　me　as　that？〃

〃Hardly；〃　he　answered；　moving　up　a　chair　and　seating　me　in　it　with　a　fatherly　air　which；　under　the　circumstances；　was　more　discouraging　than　consolatory。　〃We　have　simply　heard　of　a　new　witness；　or　rather　a　fact　has　come　to　light　which　has　turned　our　inquiries　into　a　new　direction。〃

〃Andandyou　can　not　tell　me　what　this　fact　is？〃　I　faltered　as　he　showed　no　intention　of　adding　anything　to　this　very　unsatisfactory　explanation。

〃I　should　not；　but　you　were　willing　to　do　so　much　for　us　I　must　set　aside　my　principles　a　little　and　do　something　for　you。　After　all；　it　is　only　forestalling　the　reporters　by　a　day。　Miss　Van　Arsdale；　this　is　the　story：　Yesterday　morning　a　man　was　shown　into　this　room；　and　said　that　he　had　information　to　give　which　might　possibly　prove　to　have　some　bearing　on　the　Fairbrother　case。　I　had　seen　the　man　before　and　recognized　him　at　the　first　glance　as　one　of　the　witnesses　who　made　the　inquest　unnecessarily　tedious。　Do　you　remember　Jones；　the　caterer；　who　had　only　two　or　three　facts　to　give　and　yet　who　used　up　the　whole　afternoon　in　trying　to　state　those　facts？〃

〃I　do；　indeed；〃　I　answered。

〃Well；　he　was　the　man；　and　I　own　that　I　was　none　too　delighted　to　see　him。　But　he　was　more　at　his　ease　with　me　than　I　expected；　and　I　soon　learned　what　he　had　to　tell。　It　was　this：　One　of　his　men　had　suddenly　left　him；　one　of　his　very　best　men；　one　of　those　who　had　been　with　him　in　the　capacity　of　waiter　at　the　Ramsdell　ball。　It　was　not　uncommon　for　his　men　to　leave　him；　but　they　usually　gave　notice。　This　man　gave　no　notice；　he　simply　did　not　show　up　at　the　usual　hour。　This　was　a　week　or　two　ago。　Jones；　having　a　liking　for　the　man；　who　was　an　excellent　waiter；　sent　a　messenger　to　his　lodging…house　to　see　if　he　were　ill。　But　he　had　left　his　lodgings　with　as　little　ceremony　as　he　had　left　the　caterer。

〃This；　under　ordinary　circumstances；　would　have　ended　the　business；　but　there　being　some　great　function　in　prospect；　Jones　did　not　feel　like　losing　so　good　a　man　without　making　an　effort　to　recover　him；　so　he　looked　up　his　references　in　the　hope　of　obtaining　some　clue　to　his　present　whereabouts。

〃He　kept　all　such　matters　in　a　special　book　and　expected　to　have　no　trouble　in　finding　the　man's　name；　James　Wellgood；　or　that　of　his　former　employer　But　when　he　came　to　consult　this　book；　he　was　astonished　to　find　that　nothing　was　recorded　against　this　man's　name　but　the　date　of　his　first　employmentMarch　15。

〃Had　he　hired　him　without　a　recommendation？　He　would　not　be　likely　to；　yet　the　page　was　clear　of　all　reference；　only　the　name　and　the　date。　But　the　date！　You　have　already　noted　its　significance；　and　later　he　did；　too。　The　day　of　the　Ramsdell　ball！　The　day　of　the　great　murder！　As　he　recalled