It was eleven o'clock before I succeeded in finding him. As I was certain that a direct question would bring no answer, I dissembled my real intention as much as my principles would allow, and accosted1 him with the eager look of one who has great news to impart.
"O, Mr. Gryce!" I impetuously cried, just as if I were really the weak woman he thought me, "I have found something; something in connection with the Van Burnam murder. You know I promised to busy myself about it if you arrested Howard Van Burnam."
His smile was tantalizing2 in the extreme. "Found something?" he repeated. "And may I ask if you have been so good as to bring it with you?"
He was playing with me, this aged3 and reputable detective. I subdued4 my anger, subdued my indignation[Pg 261] even, and smiling much in his own way, answered briefly5:
"I never carry valuables on my person. A half-dozen expensive rings stand for too much money for me to run any undue6 risk with them."
He was caressing7 his watch-chain as I spoke8, and I noticed that he paused in this action for just an infinitesimal length of time as I said the word rings. Then he went on as before, but I knew I had caught his attention.
"Of what rings do you speak, madam? Of those missing from Mrs. Van Burnam's hands?"
"O, no," I remonstrated10, "not those rings, of course. The Queen of Siam's rings, any rings but those in which we are specially11 interested."
This meeting him on his own ground evidently puzzled him.
"You are facetious12, madam. What am I to gather from such levity13? That success has crowned your efforts, and that you have found a guiltier party than the one now in custody15?"
"Possibly," I returned, limiting my advance by his. "But it would be going too fast to mention that yet. What I want to know is whether you have found the rings belonging to Mrs. Van Burnam?"
My triumphant16 tone, the almost mocking accent I purposely gave to the word you, accomplished17 its purpose. He never dreamed I was playing with him; he thought I was bursting with pride; and casting me a sharp glance (the first, by the way, I had received from him), he inquired with perceptible interest:[Pg 262]
"Have you?"
Instantly convinced that the whereabouts of these jewels was as little known to him as to me, I rose and prepared to leave. But seeing that he was not satisfied, and that he expected an answer, I assumed a mysterious air and quietly remarked:
"If you will come to my house to-morrow I will explain myself. I am not prepared to more than intimate my discoveries to-day."
But he was not the man to let one off so easily.
"Excuse me," said he, "but matters of this kind do not admit of delay. The grand jury sits within the week, and any evidence worth presenting them must be collected at once. I must ask you to be frank with me, Miss Butterworth."
"And I will be, to-morrow."
"To-day," he insisted, "to-day."
Seeing that I should gain nothing by my present course, I reseated myself, bestowing18 upon him a decidedly ambiguous smile as I did so.
"You acknowledge then," said I, "that the old maid can tell you something after all. I thought you regarded all my efforts in the light of a jest. What has made you change your mind?"
"Madam, I decline to bandy words. Have you found those rings, or have you not?"
"I have not," said I, "but neither have you, and as that is what I wanted to make sure of, I will now take my leave without further ceremony."
Mr. Gryce is not a profane20 man, but he allowed a word to slip from him which was not entirely21 one of blessing22. He made amends23 for it next moment, however, by remarking:[Pg 263]
"Madam, I once said, as you will doubtless remember, that the day would come when I should find myself at your feet. That day has arrived. And now is there any other little cherished fact known to the police which you would like to have imparted to you?"
I took his humiliation24 seriously.
"You are very good," I rejoined, "but I will not trouble you for any facts,—those I am enabled to glean25 for myself; but what I should like you to tell me is this: Whether if you came upon those rings in the possession of a person known to have been on the scene of crime at the time of its perpetration, you would not consider them as an incontrovertible proof of guilt14?"
"Undoubtedly," said he, with a sudden alteration26 in his manner which warned me that I must muster27 up all my strength if I would keep my secret till I was quite ready to part with it.
"Then," said I, with a resolute28 movement towards the door, "that's the whole of my business for to-day. Good-morning, Mr. Gryce; to-morrow I shall expect you."
He made me stop though my foot had crossed the threshold; not by word or look but simply by his fatherly manner.
"Miss Butterworth," he observed, "the suspicions which you have entertained from the first have within the last few days assumed a definite form. In what direction do they point?—tell me."
Some men and most women would have yielded to that imperative29 tell me! But there was no yielding in Amelia Butterworth. Instead of that I treated him to a touch of irony30.
"Is it possible," I asked, "that you think it worth[Pg 264] while to consult me? I thought your eyes were too keen to seek assistance from mine. You are as confident as I am that Howard Van Burnam is innocent of the crime for which you have arrested him."
A look that was dangerously insinuating31 crossed his face at this. He came forward rapidly and, joining me where I stood, said smilingly:
"Let us join forces, Miss Butterworth. You have from the first refused to consider the younger son of Silas Van Burnam as guilty. Your reasons then were slight and hardly worth communicating. Have you any better ones to advance now? It is not too late to mention them, if you have."
"It will not be too late to-morrow," I retorted.
Convinced that I was not to be moved from my position, he gave me one of his low bows.
"I forgot," said he, "that it was as a rival and not as a coadjutor you meddled32 in this matter." And he bowed again, this time with a sarcastic33 air I felt too self-satisfied to resent.
"To-morrow, then?" said I.
"To-morrow."
At that I left him.
I did not return immediately to Miss Althorpe. I visited Cox's millinery store, Mrs. Desberger's house, and the offices of the various city railways. But I got no clue to the rings; and finally satisfied that Miss Oliver, as I must now call her, had not lost or disposed of them on her way from Gramercy Park to her present place of refuge, I returned to Miss Althorpe's with even a greater determination than before to search that luxurious34 home till I found them.
But a decided19 surprise awaited me. As the door[Pg 265] opened I caught a glimpse of the butler's face, and noticing its embarrassed expression, I at once asked what had happened.
"Not much, ma'am; only Miss Althorpe is afraid you may not be pleased. Miss Oliver is gone, ma'am; she ran away while Crescenze was out of the room."
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1
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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2
tantalizing
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| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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3
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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4
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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5
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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6
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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7
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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8
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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9
banter
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| n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑 | |
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10
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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11
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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12
facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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13
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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14
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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15
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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16
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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17
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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18
bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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21
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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22
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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23
amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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24
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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glean
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| v.收集(消息、资料、情报等) | |
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alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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27
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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28
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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30
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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31
insinuating
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| adj.曲意巴结的，暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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32
meddled
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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34
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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35
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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