Three Blind Mice and Other Stories - BestLightNovel.com
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"Yes,sir."
Thegirlranquicklyupthestaircase.MrSatterthwaitereturnedtotheroomhehadjustvacated.
ColonelMelrosewa.s.sayingheavily,"Well,I'mjiggered.There'smoreinthisthanmeetstheeye.It-it'slikethosedashedsillythingsheroinesdoinmanynovels."
"It'sunreal,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."It'slikesomethingonthestage."
MrQuinnodded."Yes,youadmirethedrama,doyounot?Youareamanwhoappreciatesgoodactingwhenyouseeit."
MrSatterthwaitelookedhardathim.
Inthesilencethatfollowedafar-offsoundcametotheirears.
"Soundslikeashot,"saidColonelMelrose."Oneofthekeepers,Idaresay.That'sprobablywhatsheheard.Perhapsshewentdowntosee.Shewouldn'tgocloseorexaminethebody.She'dleapatoncetotheconclusion-"
"MrDelangua,sir."Itwastheoldbutlerwhospoke,standingapologeticallyinthedoorway.
"Eh?"saidMelrose."What'sthat?"
"MrDelanguaishere,sir,andwouldliketospeaktoyouifhemay."
ColonelMelroseleanedbackinhischair."Showhimin,"hesaidgrimly.
AmomentlaterPaulDelanguastoodinthedoorway.AsColonelMelrosehadhinted,therewa.s.somethingun-Englishabouthim-theeasygraceofhismovements,thedark,handsomeface,theeyessetalittletooneartogether.TherehungabouthimtheairoftheRenaissance.HeandLauraDwightonsuggestedthesameatmosphere.
"Goodevening,gentlemen,"saidDelangua.Hemadealittletheatricalbow.
"Idon'tknowwhatyourbusinessmaybe,MrDelangua,"saidColonelMelrosesharply,"butifitisnothingtodowiththematterathand-"
Delanguainterruptedhimwithalaugh."Onthecontrary,"hesaid,"ithaseverythingtodowithit."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"Imean,"saidDelanguaquietly,"thatIhavecometogivemyselfupforthemurderofSirJamesDwighton."
"Youknowwhatyouaresaying?"saidMelrosegravely.
"Perfectly."
Theyoungman'seyeswererivetedtothetable, "Idon'tunderstand-"
"WhyIgivemyselfup?Callitremorse-callitanythingyouplease.Istabbedhim,rightenough-youmaybequitesureofthat."Henoddedtowardthetable."You'vegottheweaponthere,Isee.Averyhandylittletool.LadyDwightonunfortunatelyleft.i.tlyingaroundinabook,andIhappenedtos.n.a.t.c.hitup."
"Oneminute,"saidColonelMelrose."AmItounderstandthatyouadmitstabbingSirJameswiththis?"Heheldthedaggeraloft.
"Quiteright.Istoleinthroughthewindow,youknow.Hehadhisbacktome.Itwasquiteeasy.Ileftthesameway."
"Throughthewindow?"
"Throughthewindow,ofcourse."
"Andwhattimewasthis?
Delanguahesitated."Letmesee-Iwastalkingtothekeeperfellow-thatwasataquarterpastsix.Iheardthechurchtowerchime.Itmusthavebeen-well,saysomewhereabouthalfpast"
AgrimsmilecametotheColonel'slips.
"Quiteright,youngman,"hesaid."Halfpastsixwasthetime.Perhapsyou'veheardthatalready?b.u.t.thisisaltogetheramostpeculiarmurder!"
"Why?"
"Somanypeopleconfesstoit,"saidColonelMelrose.
Theyheardthesharpintakeoftheother'sbreath.
"Whoelsehasconfessedtoit?"heaskedinavoicethathevainlystrovetorendersteady.
"LadyDwighton."
Delanguathrewbackhisheadandlaughedinratheraforcedmanner."LadyDwightonisapttobehysterical,"hesaidlightly."Ishouldn'tpayanyattentiontowhatshesaysifIwereyou."
"Idon'tthinkIshall,"saidMelrose."b.u.t.there'sanotheroddthingaboutthismurder."
"What'sthat?"
"Well,"saidMelrose,"LadyDwightonhasconfessedtohavingshotSirJames,andyouhaveconfessedtohavingstabbedhim.Butluckilyforbothofyou,hewasn'tshotorstabbed,yousee.Hisskullwa.s.smashedin."
"MyG.o.d!"criedDelangua."Butawomancouldn'tpossiblydothat-"
Hestopped,bitinghislip.Melrosenoddedwiththeghostofasmile.
"Oftenreadofit,"hevolunteered."Neverseenithappen."
"What?"
"Coupleofyoungidiotseachaccusingthemselvesbecausetheythoughttheotherhaddoneit,"saidMelrose."Nowwe'vegottobeginatthebeginning."
"Thevalet,"criedMrSatterthwaite."Thatgirljustnow-Iwasn'tpayinganyattentionatthetime."Hepaused,strivingforcoherence."Shewasafraidofoursuspectinghim.Theremustbesomemotivethathehadandwhichwedon'tknow,butshedoes."
ColonelMelrosefrowned,thenherangthebell.Whenitwasanswered,hesaid,"PleaseaskLadyDwightonifshewillbegoodenoughtocomedownagain."
Theywaitedinsilenceuntilshecame.AtsightofDelanguashestartedandstretchedoutahandtosaveherselffromfalling.ColonelMelrosecamequicklytotherescue.
"It'squiteallright,LadyDwighton.Pleasedon'tbealarmed."
"Idon'tunderstand.WhatisMrDelanguadoinghere?"
Delanguacameovertoher,"Laura-Laura-whydidyoudoit?"
"Doit?"
"Iknow.Itwasforme-becauseyouthoughtthatI-Afterall,itwasnatural,Isuppose.But,oh!Youangel!"
ColonelMelroseclearedhisthroat.Hewasamanwhodislikedemotionandhadahorrorofanythingapproachinga"scene."
"Ifyou'llallowmetosayso,LadyDwighton,bothyouandMrDelanguahavehadaluckyescape.Hehadjustarrivedinhisturnto'confess'tothemurder-oh,it'squiteallright,hedidn'tdoit!Butwhatwewanttoknowisthetruth.Nomores.h.i.+llyshallying.Thebutlersaysyouwentintothelibraryathalfpastsix-isthatso?"
LauralookedatDelangua.Henodded.
"Thetruth,Laura,"hesaid."Thatiswhatwewantnow."
Shebreathedadeepsigh."Iwilltellyou."
ShesankdownonachairthatMrSatterthwaitehadhurriedlypushedforward.
"Ididcomedown.IopenedthelibrarydoorandIsaw-"
Shestoppedandswallowed.MrSatterthwaiteleanedforwardandpattedherhandencouragingly.
"Yes,"hesaid."Yes.Yousaw?"
"Myhusbandwaslyingacrossthewriting-table.Isawhishead-theblood-oh!"
Sheputherhandstoherface.Thechiefconstableleanedforward.
"Excuseme,LadyDwighton.YouthoughtMrDelanguahadshothim?"
Shenodded."Forgiveme,Paul,"shepleaded."Butyousaid-yousaid-"
"ThatI'dshoothimlikeadog,"saidDelanguagrimly."Iremember.ThatwasthedayIdiscoveredhe'dbeenill-treatingyou."
Thechiefconstablekeptsternlytothematterinhand.
"ThenIamtounderstand,LadyDwighton,thatyouwentupstairsagainand-er-saidnothing.Weneedn'tgointoyourreason.Youdidn'ttouchthebodyorgonearthewriting-table?"
Sheshuddered.
"No,no.Iranstraightoutoftheroom."
"Isee,Isee.Andwhattimewasthis.e.xactly?Doyouknow?"
"ItwasjusthalfpastsixwhenIgotbacktomybedroom."
"Thenat-sayfive-and-twentypastsix,SirJameswasalreadydead."Thechiefconstablelookedattheothers."Thatclock-itwasfaked,eh?Wesuspectedthatallalong.Nothingeasierthantomovethehandstowhatevertimeyouwished,b.u.t.theymadeamistaketolayitdownonitssidelikethat.Well,thatseemstonarrowitdowntothebutlerorthevalet,andIcan'tbelieveit'sthebutler.Tellme,LadyDwighton,didthismanJenningshaveanygrudgeagainstyourhusband?"
Lauraliftedherfacefromherhands."Notexactlyagrudge,but-wellJamestoldmeonlythismorningthathe'ddismissedhim.He'dfoundhimpilfering."
"Ah!Nowwe'regettingat.i.t.Jenningswouldhavebeendismissedwithoutacharacter.Aseriousmatterforhim."
"Yousaidsomethingaboutaclock,"saidLauraDwighton."There'sjustachance-ifyouwanttofixthetime-Jameswouldhavebeensuretohavehislittlegolfwatchonhim.Mightn'tthathavebeensmashed,too,whenhefellforward?"
"It'sanidea,"saidtheColonelslowly."ButI'mafraid-Curtis!"
Theinspectornoddedinquickcomprehensionandlefttheroom.Hereturnedaminutelater.Onthepalmofhishandwasasilverwatchmarkedlikeagolfball,thekindthataresoldforgolferstocarrylooseinapocketwithb.a.l.l.s.
"Hereitis,sir,"hesaid,"butIdoubtifitwillbeanygood.They'retough,thesewatches."
TheColoneltookitfromhimandheldittohisear.
"Itseemstohavestopped,anyway,"heobserved.
Hepressedwithhisthumb,andthelidofthewatchflewopen.Insidethegla.s.swascrackedacross.
"Ah!"hesaidexultantly.
Thehandpointedtoexactlyaquarterpastsix.
"Averygoodgla.s.sofport,ColonelMelrose,"saidMrQuin.
Itwashalfpastnine,andthethreemenhadjustfinishedabelateddinneratColonelMelrose'shouse.MrSatterthwaitewasparticularlyjubilant.
"Iwasquiteright,"hechuckled."Youcan'tdenyit,MrQuin.Youturneduptonighttosavetwoabsurdyoungpeoplewhowerebothbentonputtingtheirheadsintoanoose."
"DidI?"saidMrQuin."Surelynot.Ididnothingatall."
"Asitturnedout,itwasnotnecessary,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."But.i.tmighthavebeen.Itwastouchandgo,youknow.IshallneverforgetthemomentwhenLadyDwightonsaid,'Ikilledhim.'I'veneverseenanythingonthestagehalfasdramatic."
"I'minclinedtoagreewithyou,"saidMrQuin.
"Wouldn'thavebelievedsuchathingcouldhappenoutsideanovel,"declaredthecolonel,forperhapsthetwentiethtimethatnight.
"Doesit?"askedMrQuin.
Thecolonelstaredathim,"d.a.m.nit,ithappenedtonight."
"Mindyou,"interposedMrSatterthwaite,leaningbackandsippinghisport,"LadyDwightonwasmagnificent,quitemagnificent,butshemadeonemistake.Sheshouldn'thaveleapedtotheconclusionthatherhusbandhadbeenshot.InthesamewayDelanguawasafooltoa.s.sumethathehadbeenstabbedjustbecausethedaggerhappenedtobelyingonthetableinfrontofus.ItwasamerecoincidencethatLadyDwightonshouldhavebrought.i.tdownwithher."
"Wasit?"askedMrQuin.
"Nowifthey'donlyconfinedthemselvestosayingthatthey'dkilledSirJames,withoutparticularizinghow-"wentonMrSatterthwaite-"whatwouldhavebeentheresult?"
"Theymighthavebeenbelieved,"saidMrQuinwithanoddsmile.
"Thewholethingwas.e.xactlylikeanovel,"saidtheColonel.
"That'swheretheygottheideafrom,Idaresay,"saidMrQuin.
"Possibly,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."Thingsonehasreaddocomebacktooneintheoddestway."HelookedacrossatMrQuinn."Ofcourse,"hesaid,"theclockreallylookedsuspiciousfromthefirst.Oneoughtnevertoforgethoweasyitistoputthehandsofaclockorwatchforwardorback."
