the woman in the alcove-第6节

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if　you　deny　me　in　the　future　both　your　sympathy　and　regard。　But　you　must　let　me　assure　you　and　these　gentlemen　also；　one　of　whom　can　make　it　very　unpleasant　for　me；　that　consideration　for　you；　much　more　than　any　miserable　anxiety　about　myself；　lay　at　the　bottom　of　what　must　strike　you　all　as　an　act　of　unpardonable　cowardice。　From　the　moment　I　learned　of　this　woman's　murder　in　the　alcove；　where　I　had　visited　her；　I　realized　that　every　one　who　had　been　seen　to　approach　her　within　a　half…hour　of　her　death　would　be　subjected　to　a　more　or　less　rigid　investigation；　and　I　feared；　if　her　gloves　were　found　in　my　possession；　some　special　attention　might　be　directed　my　way　which　would　cause　you　unmerited　distress。　So；　yielding　to　an　impulse　which　I　now　recognize　as　a　most　unwise；　as　well　as　unworthy　one；　I　took　advantage　of　the　bustle　about　us；　and　of　the　insensibility　into　which　you　had　fallen；　to　tuck　these　miserable　gloves　into　the　bag　I　saw　lying　on　the　floor　at　your　side。　I　do　not　ask　your　pardon。　My　whole　future　life　shall　be　devoted　to　winning　that；　I　simply　wish　to　state　a　fact。〃

〃Very　good！〃　It　was　the　inspector　who　spoke；　I　could　not　have　uttered　a　word　to　save　my　life。　〃Perhaps　you　will　now　feel　that　you　owe　it　to　this　young　lady　to　add　how　you　came　to　have　these　gloves　in　your　possession？〃

〃Mrs。　Fairbrother　handed　them　to　me。〃

〃Handed　them　to　you？〃

〃Yes；　I　hardly　know　why　myself。　She　asked　me　to　take　care　of　them　for　her。　I　know　that　this　must　strike　you　as　a　very　peculiar　statement。　It　was　my　realization　of　the　unfavorable　effect　it　could　not　fail　to　produce　upon　those　who　beard　it；　which　made　me　dread　any　interrogation　on　the　subject。　But　I　assure　you　it　was　as　I　say。　She　put　the　gloves　into　my　hand　while　I　was　talking　to　her；　saying　they　incommoded　her。〃

〃And　you？〃

〃Well；　I　held　them　for　a　few　minutes；　then　I　put　them　in　my　pocket；　but　quite　automatically；　and　without　thinking　very　much　about　it。　She　was　a　woman　accustomed　to　have　her　own　way。　People　seldom　questioned　it；　I　judge。〃

Here　the　tension　about　my　throat　relaxed；　and　I　opened　my　lips　to　speak。　But　the　inspector；　with　a　glance　of　some　authority；　forestalled　me。

〃Were　the　gloves　open　or　rolled　up　when　she　offered　them　to　you？〃

〃They　were　rolled　up。〃

〃Did　you　see　her　take　them　off？〃

〃Assuredly。〃

〃And　roll　them　up？〃

〃Certainly。〃

〃After　which　she　passed　them　over　to　you？〃　

〃Not　immediately。　She　let　them　lie　in　her　lap　for　a　while。〃　

〃While　you　talked？〃

Mr。　Durand　bowed。

〃And　looked　at　the　diamond？〃　

Mr。　Durand　bowed　for　the　second　time。

〃Had　you　ever　seen　so　fine　a　diamond　before？〃

〃No。〃

〃Yet　you　deal　in　precious　stones？〃

〃That　is　my　business。〃

〃And　are　regarded　as　a　judge　of　them？〃　

〃I　have　that　reputation。〃

〃Mr。　Durand；　would　you　know　this　diamond　if　you　saw　it？〃

〃I　certainly　should。〃

〃The　setting　was　an　uncommon　one；　I　hear。〃　

〃Quite　an　unusual　one。〃

The　inspector　opened　his　hand。

〃Is　this　the　article？〃

〃Good　God！　Where〃　

〃Don't　you　know？〃　

〃I　do　not。〃

The　inspector　eyed　him　gravely。

〃Then　I　have　a　bit　of　news　for　you。　It　was　hidden　in　the　gloves　you　took　from　Mrs。　Fairbrother。　Miss　Van　Arsdale　was　present　at　their　unrolling。〃

Do　we　live；　move；　breathe　at　certain　moments？　It　hardly　seems　so。　I　know　that　I　was　conscious　of　but　one　sense；　that　of　seeing；　and　of　but　one　faculty；　that　of　judgment。　Would　he　flinch；　break　down；　betray　guilt；　or　simply　show　astonishment？　I　chose　to　believe　it　was　the　latter　feeling　only　which　informed　his　slowly　whitening　and　disturbed　features。　Certainly　it　was　all　his　words　expressed；　as　his　glances　flew　from　the　stone　to　the　gloves；　and　back　again　to　the　inspector's　face。

〃I　can　not　believe　it。　I　can　not　believe　it。〃　And　his　hand　flew　wildly　to　his　forehead。

〃Yet　it　is　the　truth；　Mr。　Durand；　and　one　you　have　now　to　face。　How　will　you　do　this？　By　any　further　explanations；　or　by　what　you　may　consider　a　discreet　silence？〃

〃I　have　nothing　to　explain；the　facts　are　as　I　have　stated。〃

The　inspector　regarded　him　with　an　earnestness　which　made　my　heart　sink。

〃You　can　fix　the　time　of　this　visit；　I　hope；　tell　us；　I　mean；　just　when　you　left　the　alcove。　You　must　have　seen　some　one　who　can　speak　for　you。〃

〃I　fear　not。〃

Why　did　he　look　so　disturbed　and　uncertain？

〃There　were　but　few　persons　in　the　hall　just　then；〃　he　went　on　to　explain。　〃No　one　was　sitting　on　the　yellow　divan。〃

〃You　know　where　you　went；　though？　Whom　you　saw　and　what　you　did　before　the　alarm　spread？〃

〃Inspector；　I　am　quite　confused。　I　did　go　somewhere；　I　did　not　remain　in　that　part　of　the　hall。　But　I　can　tell　you　nothing　definite；　save　that　I　walked　about；　mostly　among　strangers；　till　the　cry　rose　which　sent　us　all　in　one　direction　and　me　to　the　side　of　my　fainting　sweetheart。〃

〃Can　you　pick　out　any　stranger　you　talked　to；　or　any　one　who　might　have　noted　you　during　this　interval？　You　see；　for　the　sake　of　this　little　woman；　I　wish　to　give　you　every　chance。〃

〃Inspector；　I　am　obliged　to　throw　myself　on　your　mercy。　I　have　no　such　witness　to　my　innocence　as　you　call　for。　Innocent　people　seldom　have。　It　is　only　the　guilty　who　take　the　trouble　to　provide　for　such　contingencies。〃

This　was　all　very　well；　if　it　had　been　uttered　with　a　straightforward　air　and　in　a　clear　tone。　But　it　was　not。　I　who　loved　him　felt　that　it　was　not；　and　consequently　was　more　or　less　prepared　for　the　change　which　now　took　place　in　the　inspector's　manner。　Yet　it　pierced　me　to　the　heart　to　observe　this　change；　and　I　instinctively　dropped　my　face　into　my　hands　when　I　saw　him　move　toward　Mr。　Durand　with　some　final　order　or　word　of　caution。

Instantly　（and　who　can　account　for　such　phenomena？）　there　floated　into　view　before　my　retina　a　reproduction　of　the　picture　I　had　seen；　or　imagined　myself　to　have　seen；　in　the　supper…room；　and　as　at　that　time　it　opened　before　me　an　unknown　vista　quite　removed　from　the　surrounding　scene；　so　it　did　now；　and　I　beheld　again　in　faint　outlines；　and　yet　with　the　effect　of　complete　distinctness；　a　square　of　light　through　which　appeared　an　open　passage　partly　shut　off　from　view　by　a　half…lifted　curtain　and　the　tall　figure　of　a　man　holding　back　this　curtain　and　gazing；　or　seeming　to　gaze；　at　his　own　breast；　on　which　he　had　already　laid　one　quivering　finger。

What　did　it　mean？　In　the　excitement　of　the　horrible　occurrence　which　had　engrossed　us　all；　I　had　forgotten　this　curious　experience；　but　on　feeling　anew　the　vague　sensation　of　shock　and　expectation　which　seemed　its　natural　accompaniment；　I　became　conscious　of　a　sudden　conviction　that　the　picture　which　had　opened　before　me　in　the　supper…room　was　the　result　of　a　reflection　in　a　glass　or　mirror　of　something　then　going　on　in　a　place　not　otherwise　within　the　reach　of　my　vision；　a　reflection；　the　importance　of　which　I　suddenly　realized　when　I　recalled　at　what　a　critical　moment　it　had　occurred。　A　man　in　a　state　of　dread　looking　at　his　breast；　within　five　minutes　of　the　stir　and　rush　of　the　dreadful　event　which　had　marked　this　evening！

A　hope；　great　as　the　despair　in　which　I　had　just　been　sunk；　gave　me　courage　to　drop　my　hands　and　advance　impetuously　toward　the　inspector。

〃Don't　speak；　I　pray；　don't　judge　any　of　us　further　till　you　have　heard　what　I　have　to　say。〃

In　great　astonishment　and　with　an　aspect　of　some　severity；　he　asked　me　what　I　had　to　say　now　which　I　had　not　had　the　opportunity　of　saying　before。　I　replied　with　all　the　passion　of　a　forlorn　hope　that　it　was　only　at　this　present　moment　I　remembered　a　fact　which　might　have　a　very　decided　bearing　on　this　case；　and；　detecting　evidences；　as　I　thought；　of　relenting　on　his　part；　I　backed　up　this　statement　by　an　entreaty　for　a　few　words　with　him　apart；　as　the　matter　I　had　to　tell　was　private　and　possibly　too　fanciful　for　any　ear　but　his　own。

He　looked　as　if　he　apprehended　some　loss　of　valuable　time；　but；　touched　by　the　involuntary　gesture　of　appeal　with　which　I　supplemented　my　request；　he　led　me　into　a　corner；　where；　with　just　an　encouraging　glance　toward　Mr。　Durand；　who　seemed　struck　dumb　by　my　action；　I　told　the　inspector　of　that　momentary　picture　which　I　had　seen　reflected　in　what　I　was　now　sure　was　some　window…pane　or　mirror。

〃It　was　at　a　time　coincident；　or　very　nearly　coincident；　with　the　perpetration　of　the　crime　you　are　now　investigating；〃　I　concluded。　〃Within　five　minutes　afterward　came　the　shout　which　roused　us　all　to　what　had　happened　in　the　alcove。　I　do　not　know　what　passage　I　saw　or　what　door　or　even　what　figure；　but　the　latter；　I　am　sure；　was　that　of　the　guilty　man。　Something　in　the　outline　（and　it　was　the　outline　only　I　could　catch）　expressed　an　emotion　incomprehensible　to　me　at　the　moment；　but　which；　in　my　remembrance；　impresses　me　as　that　of　fear　and　dread。　It　was　not　the　entrance　to　the　alcove　I　beheldthat　would　have　struck　me　at　oncebut　some　other　opening　which　I　might　recognize　if　I　saw　it。　Can　not　that　opening　be　found；　and　may　it　not　give　a　clue　to　the　man　I　saw　skulking　through　it　with　terror　and　remorse　in　his　heart？〃

〃Was　this　figure；　when　you　saw　it；　turned　toward　you　or　away？〃　the　inspector　inquired　with　unexpected　interest。

〃Turned　partly　away。　He　was　going　from　me。〃

〃And　you　satwhere？〃

〃Shall　I　show　you？