Hetty was conscious of a sea of curious eyes and white, eager faces. As the days went on public interest in the corner house mystery had not abated1. All sorts of vague stories had got about, and in some mysterious way the name of Dr. Gordon Bruce was mixed up in it.
Why he had not been arrested Bruce could not imagine. The tale he had volunteered to Prout and his signature on the back of the notes were almost in themselves enough to hang a man. Perhaps a little private conversation between Prout and Lawrence had had the effect of postponing2 matters. Bruce was not in the least likely to run away; on the contrary, he had volunteered to give evidence at the adjourned3 inquest. Hetty also would have something to say that would be in favour of her lover.
"After all, they can't definitely say that those notes were ever in the possession of the murdered man," she whispered to Bruce. "He wrote the letter, of course, but they don't know he really possessed4 the notes."
"I am afraid they do," Bruce replied. "They are going to call a cashier from the National Credit Bank who positively5 identified the deceased as the man who changed ￡400 in gold for notes, part of which notes were numbers 190753 to 190792, or the notes I paid to Capper. That piece of evidence cannot possibly be shaken."
Hetty admitted the fact with a sigh. She had no illusions as to the future. Unless something like a miracle happened Gordon was certain to stand in the dock charged with the murder of a man unknown. Examined in the cold light of day, Gordon Bruce's story was an extraordinary one. Hetty was forced to admit that from the lips of a stranger she would not have believed a word of it.
And Gilbert Lawrence now refused to say anything. He was the one person who seemed to be thoroughly6 satisfied. There was some comfort to be derived7 from this, but not much, as Hetty told herself miserably8.
The inquest was sensational9 from the very start. After the dead man's landlady10 of the house by the docks and her landlord's agent proved the handwriting of the deceased, Sergeant11 Prout told the story of the missing banknotes. A good few of the packed audience knew Bruce by sight, and as the evidence proceeded he found the scrutiny12 of so many eyes quite trying.
Even the most guilty when brought to book are not without some feeling of shame, however defiant14 they may appear, but it is a horrible thing when the innocent has to stand and answer to a criminal charge. A wave of indignation passed over Bruce, to be followed by utter helplessness.
"Courage, dear old boy," Hetty whispered. "It will all come right in the end. Good will come out of this evil."
Bruce shut his teeth tightly and nodded. Still, in Prout's evidence he seemed to hear the voice of his judge passing sentence.
Prout concluded his evidence at length, every word of which told dead against the one man seated there. Not half a dozen people in the room would have acquitted15 him on the criminal charge.
"Do you propose to go any further today?" the coroner asked.
Prout was understood to say no, when Bruce rose. His face was deadly pale, a tiny red spot burning on either cheek. But he had his voice under proper control; there was no look of guilt13 about him.
"If you have no objection, sir, I should like to give evidence," he said.
The presiding official was decidedly taken aback. He looked at Prout, who made no sign. He was not so prejudiced as most of the people there.
"Really if you will be guided by my opinion you will do nothing of the kind," he said, much as a magistrate16 might address a prisoner in the dock. "If you were called it would be a different matter. On the whole the best plan would be for you to be represented by a solicitor17, who would put questions likely to--er--tell in your favour."
Bruce smiled grimly. He knew perfectly18 well what a terrible significance lay behind these formal words. At the same time, he had no desire to take any advantage. There was an electric thrill in the audience as he was sworn. They thrilled with a deeper intensity19 as he proceeded. If ever a man stood up and committed moral and social suicide Dr. Gordon Bruce was that man at this moment.
There was scarcely a sound to be heard till he had finished. People thrust forward, eager that no word should be missed. A sudden sneeze caused the whole court to start violently. It was a strange weird20 story, that only one listener believed in, and that was Hetty.
The coroner had nothing to say. The thing was bad enough, and he did not wish to be too hard on a medical colleague. A curious juryman had a lot of questions to ask, especially about the mysterious Spanish woman and the motor car.
"You left that lady behind you?" he said. "Who is to testify to that? If you can prove such to be the case, why----"
The curious one shrugged21 his shoulders. Then a loud clear voice rang to the roof, the voice of a woman who declared that she could prove it. A ripple22 of amazement23 followed. Before it died away Hetty became conscious of the fact that the voice was hers, and that she had spoken.
In a dreary24 kind of way she found herself answering questions. Somebody had placed a book in her hands and had told her to kiss it.
"I live next door to the corner house," she said. "I could not sleep on the night in question. At a little before five----"
"How do you fix the time?" came from the inquisitive25 juryman,
"Because my bedroom clock struck the hour as I got back. I heard somebody leave the corner house. I looked out of the window and saw a motor car that appeared to be draped in black. As a woman from the house got on to it she seemed to push some of the drapery aside, for I saw the gleam of the rail. She was a fair woman with a mantilla over her head. The car went off without the faintest noise, and that is all I know."
"Are you a friend of the prison----, I mean of Dr. Bruce?" asked the inquisitive one.
Hetty was bound to admit that she was more than that. The interrogative juryman sniffed26 and suggested that Dr. Bruce might have been in the house then.
"Impossible," Bruce cried. "At a quarter to five I was at home. The hall porter and two of the maids were down and will testify to the fact."
A ripple of excitement followed. A reporter rose and held up his hand.
"I desire to be sworn, sir," he said. "It so happens that I can throw a little light on this matter. I did not leave the office of my paper till four in the morning of the day to which this young lady alludes27. The clock on Gregory's store struck five as I reached Garrett Street, which, as you know, runs into Raven28 Street. A few seconds later a fast motor passed me without the slightest noise."
"Perhaps you had better describe this motor," said the coroner.
"It was draped or some way disguised in black. A woman sat by the driver, with a cloud of lace over her head. I could just catch a glimpse of a brass29 rail where the drapery was disturbed."
Prout snapped his note-book together and put it in his pocket.
"After that," he muttered, "I give it up; it's beyond me."
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1
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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postponing
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| v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 ) | |
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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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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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7
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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8
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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9
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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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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11
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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12
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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13
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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14
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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15
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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16
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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17
solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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18
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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21
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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22
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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23
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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24
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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26
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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27
alludes
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| 提及，暗指( allude的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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29
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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