"Drink this, darling, and you will feel better," he said anxiously.
This time Audrey did not refuse, as she felt that she needed to be sustained at the moment. Without a word she drank half the wine, and then motioned Ralph to remove the glass. In a minute or so the colour came back to her face, and she sat up with renewed strength.
"I am all right now," she declared firmly. "Ralph, sit down and explain."
"What is there to explain?" said Shawe, replacing the wine-glass on the table and resuming his former seat. "You know that I suspect Sir Joseph, and why I suspect him."
"Yes," said the barrister, frankly4. "After Perry Toat told me what Parizade had said, and after what you mentioned about your father going out at night--ostensibly to help the poor--I suspected him. You mentioned your father's prowling before our Kensington Gardens conversation. I knew if I told you face to face that you would either be indignant with me or you would go straight to your father and make trouble. It was my desire to keep my suspicions quiet, since they are difficult to verify. For this reason I wrote you anonymously5, and advised you to stop the search. I knew what grief it would cause you."
Audrey leant back and looked at her lover. "I have no reason to love my father, as you know," she said dully. "He has always been unkind to me, and he was unkind to my poor mother; but I can't think that he killed her."
"The evidence is slight, I admit," replied Ralph, gravely; "and perhaps it is evidence that would not stand in a court of law. All the same, to my mind, it certainly lays Sir Joseph open to suspicion."
"Parizade might have mistaken the smell?"
"No. Being blind, she has particularly keen olfactory6 nerves--her sense of smell is almost as highly developed as that of a dog. And the perfume of Harris tweed--if it can be called a perfume--that peaty smell, I mean--is so strong and so characteristic that even an ordinary person could guess that,--"
"Other people besides my father wear Harris tweed suits," interrupted Audrey, trying to find excuses.
"Quite so. Ladies wear tailor-made dresses of it and men wear suits. But as a rule that particular kind of cloth is mostly worn by those who shoot, and is worn as a rule in the country. It is rarely that one sees it in London--at all events amongst people of your father's class."
"Yes," admitted Audrey, "father is always particular about his dress. He goes to the City in a frock-coat and a silk hat, and invariably dresses for dinner. In fact, he does what most people in Society do in the way of dress. But remember that I told you how he went on the prowl."
"Which people in Society do not do, as a rule," said Ralph. "Quite so, my dear. But why I suspect your father is that he has quite a craze for Harris tweed, and once or twice told me that for ordinary suits he wears no other cloth. Besides, he certainly wants to marry Miss Pearl, and--"
"Yes, yes, yes! I quite understand, and I admit that he might have been lurking7 in the passage on that night. Certainly he was in Walpole Lane during the evening."
"How do you know?" demanded Shawe, rather startled.
"Mrs. Mellop saw him. He was on the hither side of the lane when I came to ask if my mother intended to remain for the night."
"Could Mrs. Mellop have been mistaken?"
"I don't think so, unfortunately," said Audrey, with a mournful look. "She knew him so well, and also she saw him in his tweed suit early in the evening when she came to take me to the theatre."
"I thought you told me that he was not at dinner, and went out very early?"
"So he did," said the girl, quickly; "but Mrs. Mellop came early also, and she passed him in the hall when he was going out. He did not stay to dinner. It was six o'clock when he went out--about the time Mrs. Mellop arrived. She mentioned the fact to me."
"And when did she say that she saw Sir Joseph in the lane?"
"To-day. That was one reason why I wished to see you. Mrs. Mellop has been trying hard to get my father to marry her. Yesterday she learnt from his own lips that he intended to marry Rosy8 Pearl, and lost her temper. My father asked her to leave, and she returned to her own home this afternoon. At our last interview she hinted that she believed my father had something to do with the death of my mother, and stated that she had seen him in the lane."
"Has she any other grounds upon which to base such a statement?"
"I don't think so. And I don't believe she believes what she says. It is simply the petty spite of a woman who has been disappointed. She can do no harm to my father in any way."
"Singly, I don't think she can," assented10 the barrister, thoughtfully; "but if Parizade's evidence became public property there would be trouble if it were taken in conjunction with what Mrs. Mellop saw."
"I don't think that Perry Toat suspects my father," said Audrey, after a lengthy11 pause; "at least, she did not say that she did. She told me to ask you for an explanation, as she declared that you seemed disturbed by Parizade's evidence."
"And with good reason," said the barrister. "No one but you and I know how important that evidence is, seeing that we are aware of your father's liking12 for Harris tweed."
"I can't think that he is guilty, all the same," said Audrey, tearfully.
Shawe walked up and down the room thoughtfully. "Well," he said finally, "I have kept my suspicions from you as long as I could; but now that you know, Audrey, I think you should question your father."
"Oh!"--she shrank back in her chair--"I dare not."
"If you don't Perry Toat may get to know what we have discovered, and as she is anxious to gain the reward she will certainly go to Sir Joseph herself."
Audrey shivered. "Oh, how angry he would be!"
"If he is innocent he certainly would show Miss Toat no mercy; on the other hand, if he is guilty, he would make terms."
"I can't think that he is guilty," cried the girl, in despair. "With all his faults, he surely would not strangle his own wife." She rose to her feet.
"It seems incredible, but--look at the evidence. Audrey, you must speak to your father or let me speak. But tell me one thing"--he took her in his arms--"have you forgiven me for my strange conduct, for I know that it seemed strange in your dear eyes?"
"Yes. I know why you acted as you did. It was to save me from grief. And if my father is guilty," said the girl, shivering, "it certainly will be the greatest grief of my life, as you said in the letter. How can I marry you should my father turn out to be a murderer?"
"My darling"--Ralph held her to his heart--"I don't visit the sins of the father on the child. If he murdered a dozen women I should still make you my wife; and I wish you would leave the whole of this horrible affair alone and marry me at once."
"Unless my father can exonerate13 himself I shall have to leave it alone. I dare not go on with a matter which involves his honour."
"And more than that. It involves his liberty and life, and--hush!"
He stopped short to listen, and Audrey listened also. It seemed for the moment, so still were they, that they had been changed into stone. "It's a ring at the front door," said Ralph, anxiously.
"Don't bring anyone in," pleaded Audrey, hastily letting down her veil.
"Trust me," replied Ralph, and left the room. He had only been gone two minutes and Audrey heard him open the door, when there came the sound of a loud and domineering voice. The girl recognised it at once.
"Oh"--she clasped her hands and shrank against the wall--"my father!"
It was indeed Sir Joseph who burst into the room, looking as furious as a mad bull. Ralph was trying to detain him, but in vain. "I'll break your head if you try to stop me," bellowed14 Sir Joseph, who was beside himself with rage. "Oh, there you are, you shameless girl. It is no use your hiding your face with that veil. I know you. I have followed you here."
"And what if you have?" demanded Audrey, throwing up the veil and looking at the intruder with flashing eyes.
"What if I have--what if I have," roared her father, clenching15 his big hands. "You jade16, do you ask me that when I find you here in this scoundrel's rooms at ten o'clock in the evening?"
Ralph closed the door with a crash and faced the millionaire. "I am not a scoundrel."
"You are. Because I declined to allow you to see Audrey at my house you have decoyed her here."
"I came here of my own free will," said Audrey, who was deadly pale but quite firm.
"Then you go away at my free will," said her father, advancing. "I have a cab below. Come away at once. Oh, you minx! You little thought that I told Ranger17 to watch you." (Ranger was one of Sir Joseph's footmen.) "Yes, he did watch you, and by my orders. He saw you leave the house, and followed you to hear you tell the cabman to drive to the Temple. When he informed me I guessed that you had come to see this--this--" Branwin could not think of a name bad enough to call this barrister, so contented18 himself by shaking his fist furiously.
"You set one of your servants to spy on your daughter?" said Audrey, with a look of profound scorn.
"Yes, I did, and it is lucky for you that I took such care of your reputation, you hussy! I can silence the man, but if anyone else came to know of your presence here, think what the world would say."
"I don't care what the world says," said Audrey, contemptuously.
"I care. It is my good name you are dragging through the mud."
"What of your own good name which your own wicked actions are dragging in the mud?" cried Ralph, suddenly, and faced the millionaire defiantly19.
"What the deuce do you mean?"
"I shall tell you what I mean. I would not do so but that you are treating Audrey so vilely20. You were in the Pink Shop on the night your wife was murdered. Deny it if you can."
Branwin staggered against the wall, and glared at the speaker. "Deny it if I can!" he echoed wrathfully. "Of course I can deny it. You fool, what do you mean by saying such a thing?"
"I was not."
"At all events, you were in the lane," said Audrey, suddenly.
"You also! You also!" Sir Joseph raised his big arm, and would have struck his daughter, but that Audrey swerved22 and Ralph caught him by the wrist. "Let me go! Let me go, hang, you!" cried Sir Joseph, only he used a much worse oath.
Ralph was the slighter man, but by a clever trick he succeeded in taking the millionaire off his guard and sent him spinning across the room.
"If you dare to lay a finger on Audrey I'll throw you out of the window!" said the barrister, and flung his arm round the weeping girl.
Branwin glared, and wiped his heated forehead. "She and you accuse me of--of murder?" he gasped23, trembling with rage.
"No. We simply say that you were in Walpole Lane and in the Pink Shop on the night of the murder. Perhaps you can explain?"
"I was not there, confound you! In the lane--yes, I was in the lane, but I did not enter the shop. By what right do you accuse me of the crime?"
"I say again, as I said before, that I do not accuse you of the crime," replied Ralph, firmly. "But you wore a suit of Harris tweed on that night?"
"I did. I always wear Harris tweed. It is my favourite cloth. Well?"
"One of the girls in the Pink Shop--a blind girl who has a very keen sense of smell--told the detective that I am employing to learn the truth how on the night of the murder she smelt24 the peaty scent25 of Harris tweed."
"What has that got to do with me? Plenty of people wear Harris tweed suits."
"Plenty of people don't wish to get rid of their wives," snapped Shawe.
"Ah! so you do accuse me?" said Sir Joseph, who was now calming down. "And my motive26 for wishing to get rid of my wife?"
"Miss Rosy Pearl can best answer that question."
"What do you know of Miss Pearl? Speak of her with respect, as she is to be my wife."
"So I said," answered Ralph, calmly; "and she was stopping in the Pink Shop also on that night."
Branwin winced27 and became very calm. It was wonderful to see how rapidly he cooled down from his hot anger. "Miss Pearl was in the shop as a client of Madame Coralie's," he said with an attempt at dignity. "You can have no grounds for saying that she had anything to do with the matter."
"I never said so," rejoined Ralph, drily, "and I only suspect you because of your wearing Harris tweed. Someone clothed in such a cloth certainly lurked28 in the passage on that night. Was that person you?"
"No," said Sir Joseph, coolly; "and I defy you to prove it."
"Oh! papa, we don't wish to prove it," said Audrey, quickly. "Your word denying your presence there is sufficient."
Branwin turned on his daughter with a great show of courtesy. "Pardon me, but I have not the honour of your acquaintance," he said politely. "You are a stranger to me."
"Papa, what do you mean?"
"I mean that you have left my house to see your lover against my wishes. I now cast you off, and you can stay here. You shall never re-enter the home you have disgraced."
Audrey sank into a chair with a cry of dismay, and Ralph advanced furiously on the millionaire.
"Sir Joseph, you can't mean this?"
"I do mean it. Audrey has disobeyed me, and, moreover, in conjunction with you, she has accused me of committing a murder."
"Pardon me, but you did," said Branwin, still ironically polite. "You can take your own way henceforth, and I should advise you to change your name as speedily as possible. You can't possibly care to keep my name, when I am in danger of arrest as the murderer of my own wife. Mr. Shawe"--he bowed to the barrister--"I congratulate you on your approaching marriage."
"But, Sir Joseph--"
"Not a word more. My doors are closed on that woman"--he pointed9 insultingly to Audrey. "Good-night--both of you!" and with a final bow he walked heavily out of the room. A moment later, and they heard the door bang.
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1
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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3
anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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anonymously
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| ad.用匿名的方式 | |
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olfactory
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| adj.嗅觉的 | |
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7
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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exonerate
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| v.免除责任，确定无罪 | |
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14
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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15
clenching
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的现在分词 ) | |
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16
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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18
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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vilely
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| adv.讨厌地，卑劣地 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
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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24
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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25
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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