So the matter stood on the Monday afternoon, and the jury had already been told that they might be released on the following Tuesday — might at any rate hear the judge’s charge on that day — when another discovery was made more wonderful than that of the key. And this was made without any journey to Prague, and might, no doubt, have been made on any day since the murder had been committed. And it was a discovery for not having made which the police force generally was subjected to heavy censure17. A beautiful little boy was seen playing in one of those gardens through which the passage runs with a short loaded bludgeon in his hand. He came into the house with the weapon, the maid who was with him having asked the little lord no question on the subject. But luckily it attracted attention, and his little lordship took two gardeners and a coachman and all the nurses to the very spot at which he found it. Before an hour was over he was standing18 at his father’s knee, detailing the fact with great open eyes to two policemen, having by this time become immensely proud of his adventure. This occurred late on the Monday afternoon, when the noble family were at dinner, and the noble family was considerably disturbed, and at the same time very much interested, by the occurrence. But on the Tuesday morning there was the additional fact established that a bludgeon loaded with lead had been found among the thick grass and undergrowth of shrubs19 in a spot to which it might easily have been thrown by anyone attempting to pitch it over the wall. The news flew about the town like wildfire, and it was now considered certain that the real murderer would be discovered.
But the renewal20 of the trial was again postponed21 till the Wednesday, as it was necessary that an entire day should be devoted22 to the bludgeon. The instrument was submitted to the eyes and hands of persons experienced in such matters, and it was declared on all sides that the thing was not of English manufacture. It was about a foot long, with a leathern thong23 to the handle, with something of a spring in the shaft24, and with the oval loaded knot at the end cased with leathern thongs25 very minutely and skilfully26 cut. They who understood modern work in leather gave it as their opinion that the weapon had been made in Paris. It was considered that Mealyus had brought it with him, and concealed27 it in preparation for this occasion. If the police could succeed in tracing the bludgeon into his hands, or in proving that he had purchased any such instrument, then — so it was thought — there would be evidence to justify a police magistrate28 in sending Mr Emilius to occupy the place so lately and so long held by poor Phineas Finn. But till that had been done, there could be nothing to connect the preacher with the murder. All who had heard the circumstances of the case were convinced that Mr Bonteen had been murdered by the weapon lately discovered, and not by that which Phineas had carried in his pocket — but no one could adduce proof that it was so. This second bludgeon would no doubt help to remove the difficulty in regard to Phineas, but would not give atonement to the shade of Mr Bonteen.
Mealyus was confronted with the weapon in the presence of Major Mackintosh, and was told its story — how it was found in the nobleman’s garden by the little boy. At the first moment, with instant readiness, he took the thing in his hand, and looked at it with feigned29 curiosity. He must have studied his conduct so as to have it ready for such an occasion, thinking that it might some day occur. But with all his presence of mind he could not keep the tell-tale blood from mounting.
“You don’t know anything about it, Mr Mealyus?” said one of the policemen present, looking closely into his face. “Of course you need not criminate yourself.”
“What should I know about it? No — I know nothing about the stick. I never had such a stick, or, as I believe, saw one before.” He did it very well, but he could not keep the blood from rising to his cheeks. The policemen were sure that he was the murderer — but what could they do?
“You saved his life, certainly,” said the Duchess to her friend on the Sunday afternoon. That had been before the bludgeon was found.
“I do not believe that they could have touched a hair of his head,” said Madame Goesler.
“Would they not? Everybody felt sure that he would be hung. Would it not have been awful? I do not see how you are to help becoming man and wife now, for all the world are talking about you.” Madame Goesler smiled, and said that she was quite indifferent to the world’s talk. On the Tuesday after the bludgeon was found, the two ladies met again, “Now it was known that it was the clergyman,” said the Duchess.
“I never doubted it.”
“He must have been a brave man for a foreigner — to have attacked Mr Bonteen all alone in the street, when anyone might have seen him. I don’t feel to hate him so very much after all. As for that little wife of his, she has got no more than she deserved.”
“Mr Finn will surely be acquitted30 now.”
“Of course he’ll be acquitted. Nobody doubts about it. That is all settled, and it is a shame that he should be kept in prison even over today. I should think they’ll make him a peer, and give him a pension — or at the very least appoint him secretary to something. I do wish Plantagenet hadn’t been in such a hurry about that nasty Board of Trade, and then he might have gone there. He couldn’t very well be Privy31 Seal, unless they do make him a peer. You wouldn’t mind — would you, my dear?”
“I think you’ll find that they will console Mr Finn with something less gorgeous than that. You have succeeded in seeing him, of course?”
“Plantagenet wouldn’t let me, but I know who did.”
“Some lady?”
“Oh, yes — a lady. Half the men about the clubs went to him, I believe.”
“Who was she?”
“You won’t be ill-natured?”
“I’ll endeavour at any rate to keep my temper, Duchess.”
“It was Lady Laura.”
“I supposed so.”
“They say she is frantic32 about him, my dear.”
“I never believe those things. Women do not get frantic about men in these days. They have been very old friends, and have known each other for many years. Her brother, Lord Chiltern, was his particular friend. I do not wonder that she should have seen him.”
“Of course you know that she is a widow.”
“Oh, yes — Mr Kennedy had died long before I left England.”
“And she is very rich. She has got all Loughlinter for her life, and her own fortune back again. I will bet you anything you like that she offers to share it with him.”
“It may be so,” said Madame Goesler, while the slightest blush in the world suffused33 her cheek.
“And I’ll make you another bet, and give you any odds34.”
“What is that?”
“That he refuses her. It is quite a common thing nowadays for ladies to make the offer, and for gentlemen to refuse. Indeed, it was felt to be so inconvenient35 while it was thought that gentlemen had not the alternative, that some men became afraid of going into society. It is better understood now.”
“Such things have been done, I do not doubt,” said Madame Goesler, who had contrived36 to avert37 her face without making the motion apparent to her friend.
“When this is all over we’ll get him down to Matching, and manage better than that. I should think they’ll hardly go on with the Session, as nobody has done anything since the arrest. While Mr Finn has been in prison legislation has come to a standstill altogether. Even Plantagenet doesn’t work above twelve hours a day, and I’m told that poor Lord Fawn hasn’t been near his office for the last fortnight. When the excitement is over they’ll never be able to get back to their business before the grouse38. There’ll be a few dinners of course, just as a compliment to the great man — but London will break up after that, I should think. You won’t come in for so much of the glory as you would have done if they hadn’t found the stick. Little Lord Frederick must have his share, you know.”
“It’s the most singular case I ever knew,” said Sir Simon Slope that night to one of his friends. “We certainly should have hanged him but for the two accidents, and yet neither of them brings us a bit nearer to hanging anyone else.”
“What a pity!”
“It shows the danger of circumstantial evidence — and yet without it one never could get at any murder. I’m very glad, you know, that the key and the stick did turn up. I never thought much about the coat.”
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1
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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unravelled
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| 解开，拆散，散开( unravel的过去式和过去分词 )； 阐明； 澄清； 弄清楚 | |
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acquit
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| vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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embitter
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| v.使苦；激怒 | |
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persistency
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| n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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30
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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privy
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| adj.私用的；隐密的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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38
grouse
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| n.松鸡；v.牢骚，诉苦 | |
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