The Gold Bag Part 6

"But yes. When I lay out his clothes for dinner, he then tell me so."

Although the man seemed sure enough of his statements he was evidently troubled in his mind. It might have been merely that his French nature was more excitable than the stolid indifference of the English butler.

But at the same time I couldn't help feeling that the man had not told all he knew. This was merely surmise on my part, and I could not persuade myself that there was enough ground for it to call it even an intuition. So I concluded it best to ask no questions of the valet at present, but to look into his case later.

Parmalee, however, seemed to have concluded differently. He looked at Louis with an intent gaze as he said, "Had your master said or done anything recently to make you think he was despondent or troubled in any way?"

"No, sir," said the man; but the answer was not spontaneous, and Louis's eyes rolled around with an expression of fear. I was watching him closely myself, and I could not help seeing that against his will his glance sought always Florence Lloyd, and though he quickly averted it, he was unable to refrain from furtive, fleeting looks in her direction.

"Do you know anything more of this matter than you have told us?"

inquired the coroner of the witness.

"No, sir," replied Louis, and this time he spoke as with more certainty.

"After Lambert and I came out of Mr. Crawford's office, we did just exactly as Lambert has tell you."

"That's all, Louis.... But, Lambert, one other matter. Tell us all you know of Mr. Joseph Crawford's movements last evening."

"He was at dinner, as usual, sir," said the butler, in his monotonous drawl. "There were no guests, only the family. After dinner Mr. Crawford went out for a time. He returned about nine o'clock. I saw him come in, with his own key, and I saw him go to his office. Soon after Mr. Porter called."

"Mr. Lemuel Porter?" asked the coroner.

"Yes, sir," said the butler; and Mr. Porter, who was one of the jurors, gravely nodded his head in acquiescence.

"He stayed until about ten, I should say," went on the butler, and again Mr. Porter gave an affirmative nod. "I let him out myself," went on Lambert, "and soon after that I went to the library to see if Mr.

Crawford had any orders for me. He told me of some household matters he wished me to attend to to-day, and then he said he would sit up for some time longer, and I might go to bed if I liked. A very kind and considerate man, sir, was Mr. Crawford."

"And did you then go to bed?"

"Yes, sir. I locked up all the house, except the office. Mr. Crawford always locks those windows himself, when he sits up late. The ladies had already gone to their rooms; Mr. Hall was away for the night, so I closed up the front of the house, and went to bed. That's all I know about the matter, sir--until I came down-stairs this morning."

"You heard no sound in the night--no revolver shot?"

"No, sir. But my room is on the third floor, and at the other end of the house, sir. I couldn't hear a shot fired in the office, I'm sure, sir."

"And you found no weapon of any sort in the office this morning?"

"No, sir; Louis and I both looked for that, but there was none in the room. Of that I'm sure, sir."

"That will do, Lambert."

"Yes, sir; thank you, sir."

"One moment," said I, wis.h.i.+ng to know the exact condition of the house at midnight. "You say, Lambert, you closed up the front of the house.

Does that mean there was a back door open?"

"It means I locked the front door, sir, and put the chain on. The library door opening on to the veranda I did not lock, for, as I said, Mr. Crawford always locks that and the windows in there when he is there late. The back door I left on the night latch, as Louis was spending the evening out."

"Oh, Louis was spending the evening out, was he?" exclaimed Mr. Orville.

"I think that should be looked into, Mr. Coroner. Louis said nothing of this in his testimony."

Coroner Monroe turned again to Louis and asked him where he was the evening before.

The man was now decidedly agitated, but by an effort he controlled himself and answered steadily enough:

"I have tell you that Mr. Crawford say I may go wherever I like. And so, last evening I spend with a young lady."

"At what time did you go out?"

"At half after the eight, sir."

"And what time did you return?"

"I return about eleven."

"And did you then see a light in Mr. Crawford's office?"

Louis hesitated a moment. It could easily be seen that he was pausing only to enable himself to speak naturally and clearly, but it was only after one of those darting glances at Miss Lloyd that he replied:

"I could not see Mr. Crawford's office, because I go around the other side of the house. I make my entree by the back door; I go straight to my room, and I know nothing of my master until I go to his room this morning and find him not there."

"Then you didn't go to his room last night on your return?"

"As I pa.s.s his door, I see it open, and his light low, so I know he is still below stair."

"And you did not pa.s.s by the library on your way round the house?"

Louis's face turned a shade whiter than usual, but he said distinctly, though in a low voice, "No, sir."

An involuntary gasp as of amazement was heard, and though I looked quickly at Miss Lloyd, it was not she who had made the sound. It was one of the maidservants, a pretty German girl, who sat behind Miss Lloyd. No one else seemed to notice it, and I realized it was not surprising that the strain of the occasion should thus disturb the girl.

"You heard Louis come in, Lambert?" asked Mr. Monroe, who was conducting the whole inquiry in a conversational way, rather than as a formal inquest.

"Yes, sir; he came in about eleven, and went directly to his room."

The butler stood with folded hands, a sad expression in his eyes, but with an air of importance that seemed to be inseparable from him, in any circ.u.mstances.

Doctor Fairchild was called as the next witness.

He testified that he had been summoned that morning at about quarter before eight o'clock. He had gone immediately to Mr. Crawford's house, was admitted by the butler, and taken at once to the office. He found Mr. Crawford dead in his chair, shot through the left temple with a thirty-two calibre revolver.

"Excuse me," said Mr. Lemuel Porter, who, with the other jurors, was listening attentively to all the testimony. "If the weapon was not found, how do you know its calibre?"

"I extracted the bullet from the wound," returned Doctor Fairchild, "and those who know have p.r.o.nounced it to be a ball fired from a small pistol of thirty-two calibre."

"But if Mr. Crawford had committed suicide, the pistol would have been there," said Mr. Porter; who seemed to be a more acute thinker than the other jurymen.

"Exactly," agreed the coroner. "That's why we must conclude that Mr.

Crawford did not take his own life."

"Nor would he have done so," declared Doctor Fairchild. "I have known the deceased for many years. He had no reason for wis.h.i.+ng to end his life, and, I am sure, no inclination to do so. He was shot by an alien hand, and the deed was probably committed at or near midnight."