‘S blood, there is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out.
Hamlet.
“The coat is here, too,” whispered Sweetwater, after a moment of considerate silence. “I had searched the hall-rack for them; I had searched his closets; and was about owning myself to be on a false trail, when I spied this little door. We had better lock it, now, had we not, till you make up your mind what to do with this conclusive1 bit of evidence.”
“Yes, lock it. I’m not quite myself, Sweetwater. I’m no stranger to this house, or to the unfortunate young people in it. I wish I had not been re-elected last year. I shall never survive the strain if —” He turned away.
Sweetwater carefully returned the hat to its peg2, turned the key in the door, and softly followed his superior back into the dining-room, and thence to their former retreat.
“I can see that it’s likely to be a dreadful business,” he ventured to remark, as the two stood face to face again. “But we’ve no choice. Facts are facts, and we’ve got to make the best of them. You mean me to go on?”
“Go on?”
“Following up the clews which you have yourself given me? I’ve only finished with one; there’s another —”
“The bottles?”
“Yes, the bottles. I believe that I shall not fail there if you’ll give me a little time. I’m a stranger in town, you remember, and cannot be expected to move as fast as a local detective.”
“Sweetwater, you have but one duty — to follow both clews as far as they will take you. As for my duty, that is equally plain, to uphold you in all reasonable efforts and to shrink at nothing which will save the innocent and bring penalty to the guilty. Only be careful. Remember the evidence against Ranelagh. You will have to forge an exceedingly strong chain to hold your own against the facts which have brought this recreant3 lover to book. You see — O, I wish that poor girl could get ease!” he impetuously cried, as “Lila! Lila!” rang again through the house.
“There can never be any ease for her,” murmured Sweetwater. “Whatever the truth, she’s bound to suffer if ever she awakens4 to reality again. Do you agree with the reporters that she knew why and for what her unhappy sister left this house that night?”
“If not, why this fever?”
“That’s sound.”
“She—” the coroner was emphatic5, “she is the only one who is wholly innocent in this whole business. Consider her at every point. Her life is invaluable6 to every one concerned. But she must not be roused to the fact; not yet. Nor must he be startled either; you know whom I mean. Quiet does it, Sweetwater. Quiet and a seeming deference7 to his wishes as the present head of the house.”
“Is the place his? Has Miss Cumberland made a will?”
“Her will will be read to-morrow. For to-night, Arthur Cumberland’s position here is the position of a master.”
“I will respect it, sir, up to all reasonable bounds. I don’t think he meditates8 giving any trouble. He’s not at all impressed by our presence. All he seems to care about is what his sister may be led to say in her delirium9.”
“That’s how you look at it?” The coroner’s tone was one of gloom. Then, after a moment of silence: “You may call my carriage, Sweetwater. I can do nothing further here to-day. The atmosphere of this house stifles10 me. Dead flowers, dead hopes, and something worse than death lowering in the prospect11. I remember my old friend — this was his desk. Let us go, I say.”
Sweetwater threw open the door, but his wistful look did not escape the older man’s eye.
“You’re not ready to go? Wish to search the house, perhaps.”
“Naturally.”
“It has already been done in a general way.”
“I wish to do it thoroughly12.”
The coroner sighed.
“I should be wrong to stand in your way. Get your warrant and the house is yours. But remember the sick girl.”
“That’s why I wish to do the job my self.”
“You’re a good fellow, Sweetwater.” Then as he was passing out, “I’m going to rely on you to see this thing through, quietly if you can, openly and in the public eye if you must. The keys tell the tale — the keys and the hat. If the former had been left in the club-house and the latter found without the mark set on it by the mechanic’s wife, Ranelagh’s chances would look as slim to-day as they did immediately after the event. But with things as they are, he may well rest easily to-night; the clouds are lifting for him.”
Which shows how little we poor mortals realise what makes for the peace even of those who are the nearest to us and whose lives and hearts we think we can read like an open book.
The coroner gone, Sweetwater made his way to the room where he had last seen Mr. Clifton. He found it empty and was soon told by Hexford that the lawyer had left. This was welcome news to him; he felt that he had a fair field before him now; and learning that it would be some fifteen minutes yet before he could hope to see the carriages back, he followed Hexford upstairs.
“I wish I had your advantages,” he remarked as they reached the upper floor.
“What would you do?”
“I’d wander down that hall and take a long look at things.”
“You would?”
“I’d like to see the girl and I’d like to see the brother when he thought no one was watching him.”
“Why see the girl?”
“I don’t know. I’m afraid that’s just curiosity. I’ve heard she was a wonder for beauty.”
“She was, once.”
“And not now?”
“You cannot tell; they have bound up her cheeks with cloths. She fell on the grate and got burned.”
“But I say that’s dreadful, if she was so beautiful.”
“Yes, it’s bad, but there are worse things than that. I wonder what she meant by that wild cry of ‘Tear it open! See if her heart is there?’ Tear what open? the coffin13?”
“Of course. What else could she have meant?”
“Well! delirium is a queer thing; makes a fellow feel creepy all over. I don’t reckon on my nights here.”
“Hexford, help me to a peep. I’ve got a difficult job before me and I need all the aid I can get.”
“Oh, there’s no trouble about that! Walk boldly along; he won’t notice —”
“He won’t notice?”
“No, he notices nothing but what comes from the sick room.”
“I see.” Sweetwater’s jaw14 had fallen, but it righted itself at this last word.
“Listening, eh?”
“Yes — as a fellow never listened before.”
“Expectant like?”
“Yes, I should call it expectant.”
“Does the nurse know this?”
“The nurse is a puzzler.”
“How so?”
“Half nurse and half — but go see for yourself. Here’s a package to take in,— medicine from the drug store. Tell her there was no one else to bring it up. She’ll show no surprise.”
Muttering his thanks, Sweetwater seized the proffered15 package, and hastened with it down the hall. He had been as far as the turn before, but now he passed the turn to find, just as he expected, a closed door on the left and an open alcove16 on the right. The door led into Miss Cumberland’s room; the alcove, circular in shape and lighted by several windows, projected from the rear of the extension, and had for its outlook the stable and the huge sycamore tree growing beside it.
Sweetwater’s fingers passed thoughtfully across his chin as he remarked this and took in the expressive17 outline of its one occupant. He could not see his face; that was turned towards the table before which he sat. But his drooping18 head, rigid19 with desperate thinking; his relaxed hand closed around the neck of a decanter which, nevertheless, he did not lift, made upon Sweetwater an impression which nothing he saw afterwards ever quite effaced20.
“When I come back, that whiskey will be half gone,” thought he, and lingered to see the tumbler filled and the first draught21 taken.
But no. The hand slowly unclasped and fell away from the decanter; his head sank forward until his chin rested on his breast; and a sigh, startling to Sweetwater, fell from his lips. Hexford was right; only one thing could arouse him.
Sweetwater now tried that thing. He knocked softly on the sick-room door.
This reached the ear oblivious22 to all else. Young Cumberland started to his feet; and for a moment Sweetwater saw again the heavy features which, an hour before, had produced such a repulsive23 effect upon him in the rooms below. Then the nerveless figure sank again into place, with the same constraint24 in its lines, and the same dejection.
Sweetwater’s hand, lifted in repetition of his knock, hung suspended. He had not expected quite such indifference25 as this. It upset his calculations just a trifle. As his hand fell, he reminded himself of the coroner’s advice to go easy. “Easy it is,” was his internal reply. “I’ll walk as lightly as if eggshells were under my feet.”
The door was opened to him, this time. As it swung back, he saw, first, a burst of rosy26 color as a room panelled in exquisite27 pink burst upon his sight; then the great picture of his life — the bloodless features of Carmel, calmed for the moment into sleep.
Perfect beauty is so rare, its effect so magical! Not even the bandage which swathed one cheek could hide the exquisite symmetry of the features, or take from the whole face its sweet and natural distinction. Frenzy28, which had distorted the muscles and lit the eyes with a baleful glare, was lacking at this moment. Repose29 had quieted the soul and left the body free to express its natural harmonies.
Sweetwater gazed at the winsome30, brown head over the nurse’s shoulder, and felt that for him a new and important factor had entered into this case, with his recognition of this woman’s great beauty. How deep a factor, he was far from suspecting, or he would not have met the nurse’s eye with quite so cheery and self-confident a smile.
“Excuse the intrusion,” he said. “We thought you might need these things. Hexford signed for them.”
“I’m obliged to you. Are you — one of them?” she sharply asked.
“Would it disturb you if I were? I hope not. I’ve no wish to seem intrusive31.”
“What do you want? Something, I know. Give it a name before there’s a change there.”
She nodded towards the bed, and Sweetwater took advantage of the moment to scrutinise more closely the nurse herself. She was a robust32, fine-looking woman, producing an impression of capability33 united to kindness. Strength of mind and rigid attendance to duty dominated the kindness, however. If crossed in what she considered best for her patient, possibly for herself, she could be severe, if not biting, in her speech and manner. So much Sweetwater read in the cold, clear eye and firm, self-satisfied mouth of the woman awaiting his response to the curt34 demand she had made.
“I want another good look at your patient, and I want your confidence since you and I may have to see much of each other before this matter is ended. You asked me to speak plainly and I have done so.”
“You are from headquarters?”
“Coroner Perry sent me.” Throwing back his coat, he showed his badge. “The coroner has returned to his office. He was quite upset by the outcry which came from this room at an unhappy moment during the funeral.”
“I know. It was my fault; I opened the door just for an instant, and in that instant my patient broke through her torpor35 and spoke36.”
She had drawn37 him in, by this time, and, after another glance at her patient, softly closed the door behind him.
“I have nothing to report,” said she, “but the one sentence everybody heard.”
Sweetwater took in the little memorandum38 book and pencil which hung at her side, and understood her position and extraordinary amenability39 to his wishes. Unconsciously, a low exclamation40 escaped him. He was young and had not yet sunk the man entirely41 in the detective.
“A cruel necessity to watch so interesting a patient, for anything but her own good,” he remarked. Yet, because he was a detective as well as a man, his eye went wandering all over the room as he spoke until it fell upon a peculiar-looking cabinet or closet, let into the wall directly opposite the bed. “What’s that?” he asked.
“I don’t know; I can’t make it out, and I don’t like to ask.”
Sweetwater examined it for a moment from where he stood; then crossed over, and scrutinised it more particularly. It was a unique specimen42. What it lacked in height — it could not have measured more than a foot from the bottom to the top — it made up in length, which must have exceeded five feet. The doors, of which it had two, were both tightly locked; but as they were made of transparent43 glass, the objects behind them were quite visible. It was the nature of these objects which made the mystery. The longer Sweetwater examined them, the less he understood the reason for their collection, much less for their preservation44 in a room which in all other respects, expressed the quintessence of taste.
At one end he saw a stuffed canary, not perched on a twig45, but lying prone46 on its side. Near it was a doll, with scorched47 face and limbs half-consumed. Next this, the broken pieces of a china bowl and what looked like the torn remnants of some very fine lace. Further along, his eye lighted on a young girl’s bonnet48, exquisite in colour and nicety of material, but crushed out of all shape and only betraying its identity by its dangling49 strings50. The next article, in this long array of totally unhomogeneous objects, was a metronome, with its pendulum51 wrenched52 half off and one of its sides lacking. He could not determine the character of what came next, and only gave a casual examination to the rest. The whole affair was a puzzle to him, and he had no time for puzzles disconnected with the very serious affair he was engaged in investigating.
“Some childish nonsense,” he remarked, and moved towards the door. “The servants will be coming back, and I had rather not be found here. You’ll see me again — I cannot tell just when. Perhaps you may want to send for me. If so, my name is Sweetwater.”
His hand was on the knob, and he was almost out of the room when he started and looked back. A violent change in the patient had occurred. Disturbed by his voice or by some inner pulsation53 of the fever which devoured54 her, Carmel had risen from the pillow and now sat, staring straight before her with every feature working and lips opened as if to speak. Sweetwater held his breath, and the nurse leaped towards her and gently encircled her with protecting arms.
“Lie down,” she prayed; “lie down. Everything is all right: I am looking after things. Lie down, little one, and rest.”
The young girl drooped55, and, yielding to the nurse’s touch, sank slowly back on the pillow; but in an instant she was up again, and flinging out her hand, she cried out loudly just as she had cried an hour before:
“Break it open! Break the glass and look in. Her heart should be there — her heart — her heart!”
“Go, or I cannot quiet her!” ordered the nurse, and Sweetwater turned to obey.
But a new obstacle offered. The brother had heard this cry, and now stood in the doorway56.
“Who are you?” he impatiently demanded, surveying Sweetwater in sudden anger.
“I brought up the drugs,” was the quiet explanation of the ever-ready detective. “I didn’t mean to alarm the young lady, and I don’t think I did. It’s the fever, sir, which makes her talk so wildly.”
“We want no strangers here,” was young Cumberland’s response. “Remember, nurse, no strangers.” His tone was actually peremptory57.
Sweetwater observed him in real astonishment58 as he slid by and made his quiet escape. He was still more astonished when, on glancing towards the alcove, he perceived that, contrary to his own prognostication, the whiskey stood as high in the decanter as before.
“I’ve got a puzzler this time,” was his comment, as he made his way downstairs. “Even Mr. Gryce would say that. I wonder how I’ll come out. Uppermost!” he finished in secret emphasis to himself. “Uppermost! It would never do for me to fail in the first big affair I’ve undertaken on my own account.”
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1
conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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recreant
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| n.懦夫；adj.胆怯的 | |
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awakens
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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meditates
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的第三人称单数 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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stifles
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的第三人称单数 )； 镇压，遏制 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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alcove
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| n.凹室 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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18
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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effaced
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| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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intrusive
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| adj.打搅的；侵扰的 | |
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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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capability
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| n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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torpor
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| n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠 | |
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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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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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memorandum
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| n.备忘录，便笺 | |
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amenability
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| n.服从的义务 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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pendulum
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| n.摆，钟摆 | |
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52
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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53
pulsation
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| n.脉搏，悸动，脉动；搏动性 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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