"I--I don't understand," he stammered3. "A stiletto made of glass! A long, slender blade like an exaggerated needle, I presume. Yet, now I come to think of it, I recollect5 that, when I was painting a 'Borgia' subject once, my costume dealer6 spoke7 of one of those Corsican daggers8. I did not take much interest in the conversation at the time. And so you have an idea that this is the way in which my poor friend met his death?"
Ravenspur was speaking quietly and easily now. He had altogether regained9 control of himself save for an occasional twitching10 of his lips. He paced up and down the room thoughtfully for some time, utterly11 unconscious of Dallas' sharp scrutiny12.
"I suppose there is nothing more you have to tell me?" he said at length. "This is evidently going to be one of those crimes which thrill a whole community for a week, and then are never heard of again. Still, if there is anything I can do for you, pray do not hesitate to ask for my assistance. I suppose we can do no more till after the inquest is over?"
Without waiting for any reply from his companion Ravenspur quitted the room, and went back to his brougham. He threw himself into a corner, and pulled his hat over his eyes. For a long time he sat there immersed in deep and painful thought, and utterly unconscious of his surroundings. Even when the brougham pulled up in Park Lane he made no attempt to dismount till the footman opened the door and addressed him by name.
"I--I beg your pardon, Walters," he said, "this terrible business prevents my thinking about anything else. I am going into my own room now, and I am not to be disturbed by anybody. If I am dining out tonight, tell Mr. Ford13 to write and cancel the engagement. Oh, here is Ford himself."
The neat, clean-shaven secretary came forward.
"Your lordship seems to have forgotten," he said. "You are giving a dinner here tonight yourself. You gave orders especially to arrange it, because you were anxious for some of the Royal Academicians to meet the young Polish artist----"
"I had clean forgotten it," Ravenspur said, with something like a groan15. "Entertaining people tonight will be like dancing in fetters16. Still, I must make the best of it, for I should not like that talented young foreigner to be disappointed. In the meantime, I am not at home to anybody."
With this admonition Ravenspur passed up to his own private rooms, and carefully locked the door behind him. He took a cigar from his case, and lighted it, only to fling it away a moment later in disgust. He stood just for a moment with his hand on a decanter of brandy, and then with a smile for his own weakness poured out a glassful, which he drank without delay.
"I am a fool and a coward," he muttered. "What can there be to be afraid of after all these years? Why do I hesitate in this way when boldness and decision would avert18 the danger?"
Ravenspur sat there, looking moodily19 into space. He heard the house resounding20 to the sound of the luncheon21 gong, but he made no movement. The mere4 suggestion of food was repulsive22 to him, clean as his habits were and robust23 as his appetite usually was. The Lane and the Park were gay with traffic now; the roar of locomotion24 reached the ears of Ravenspur as he sat there. Presently the noise of the newsboys came again, and the name of Delahay seemed to fill the air to the exclusion25 of everything else. Ravenspur rang his bell, and asked for a paper.
The flimsy, ill-printed sheet fairly reeked26 with the latest and most ghastly of London tragedies. Nothing else seemed to matter for the moment. Seven or eight columns were given over to an account of the affair. Before he set himself down to read it steadily27 through, Ravenspur glanced at the last paragraph, to find that the preliminary inquiry28 had been adjourned29 for a week. Most of the florid sensational30 paragraphs contained nothing new. The only point that interested the reader was the medical evidence.
This was compact and to the point. Death had been undoubtedly31 due to a stab over the heart which had been inflicted33 by some long, pointed17 instrument, not much thicker, apparently34, than a needle. So far as the police doctor could say, the weapon used had been an Italian stiletto. There was practically no blood. Indeed, the whole thing had been accomplished35 in a cool and deliberate manner by a man who was not only master of his art, but who must have possessed36 a considerable knowledge of anatomy37. Evidently he had chosen a spot to inflict32 the wound with careful deliberation, for the deviation38 of half an inch either way might have produced comparatively harmless results. It was the opinion of the doctor that, had the fatal thrust been made through the bare skin, all traces of it might have been overlooked. It was only the adherence39 of the dead man's singlet to the tiny puncture40 that had caused sufficient inflammation to attach suspicion to the point of impact. All this pointed to the fact that the crime had been clearly premeditated and carried out coldly and deliberately41.
For the moment, however, the great puzzle was to discover how the murderer had been aware that he would be in a position to find his victim at Fitzjohn Square. It was proved conclusively42 enough that Louis Delahay had come back to England on the spur of the moment, and that equally on the spur of the moment he had made up his mind to visit his house, and, therefore, nobody could possibly have known besides his wife when he had left the Grand Hotel. On this point public curiosity would have to wait, seeing that Mrs. Delahay was in no condition to explain. In fact, she was in the hands of a medical man who had prescribed absolute quiet for the present.
Ravenspur tossed the paper impatiently aside, and rang for his tea. The slow day dragged along until it was time for him to dress and prepare for the reception of his guests. He came down presently to the drawing-room, where one or two of the men had already assembled. His old pleasant smile was on his face now. He was once more the polished, courtly man of the world. He steeled himself for what he knew was coming. Practically the whole of his guests were artists of distinction. And the death of Louis Delahay would be the one topic of conversation. The blinds were down now, for the young spring night had drawn43 in rapidly and it was perfectly44 dark outside. The clock struck the hour of eight, and the butler glanced in inquiringly. Ravenspur shook his head.
"Not quite yet, Simmonds," he said; "we are waiting for Sir James Seton. As he is usually the soul of punctuality he is not likely to detain us."
"You can take his place if necessary," one of the guests laughed. "When I see Seton and our host together I always feel quite bewildered. Two such public men had no business to be so absurdly alike."
"There is no real 'resemblance,'" Ravenspur laughed, "though people are constantly making absurd mistakes. It is excusable to mistake one for the other in the dark, but not in the daylight. Besides, Seton is a much taller man than I am, and much slimmer. We should hear nothing about this likeness45, but for certain gentlemen of the Press who make their living out of little paragraphs."
"Well, they have got plenty to occupy their attention now," another guest remarked. "This business of poor Delahay's is likely to give them occupation for some time. Tell us all about it, Ravenspur. I hear that you were down at Fitzjohn Square this morning. Is there anything fresh?"
Ravenspur groaned46 in his spirit. All the same, his manner was polished and easy as he turned to the speaker. But before he had time to give any details there was a sound of excited voices in the hall outside, the banging of a door or two, and then a tall, elderly man staggered into the room, and fell into a seat. There was an ugly scar on the side of his face, a few drops of blood stained his immaculate shirt-front.
"Good Heavens!" Ravenspur cried. "My dear Seton, what is the matter? Simmonds, bring the brandy here at once."
"No, no," the newcomer gasped47; "I shall be all right in a minute or two. A most extraordinary thing happened to me just now. I was coming towards the Lane by the back of Lord Fairhaven's house on my way here when a man came out from under the shadow of the trees, and commenced a violent attack upon me. Fortunately, I was able to ward14 him off with my stick, but not before he had marked me in the way you see. Somebody happened to be coming along, and my assailant vanished. Still, it was a nasty adventure, and all the more extraordinary because the fellow evidently mistook me for our friend Ravenspur. He actually called me by that name."
All eyes were turned in the host's direction, for a strange, choking cry burst from his lips.
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1
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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5
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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6
dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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7
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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8
daggers
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| 匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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14
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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15
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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16
fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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18
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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26
reeked
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的过去式和过去分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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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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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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32
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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33
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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38
deviation
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| n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题 | |
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39
adherence
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| n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着 | |
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40
puncture
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| n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破 | |
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41
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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42
conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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43
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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44
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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45
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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46
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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47
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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