the woman in the alcove-第11节

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t。　She　frowned　and　was　looking　very　gloomy　when　he　left　the　alcove。　Asked　if　he　had　pulled　the　curtains　together　after　closing　the　window；　he　said　that　he　had　not；　that　she　had　not　requested　him　to　do　so。

This　story；　which　was　certainly　a　strange　one；　had　been　confirmed　by　the　testimony　of　the　coachman　who　had　lent　his　whip　for　the　purpose。　This　coachman；　who　was　known　to　be　a　man　of　extreme　good　nature；　had　seen　no　harm　in　lending　his　whip　to　a　poor　devil　who　wished　to　give　a　telegram　or　some　such　hasty　message　to　the　lady　sitting　just　above　them　in　a　lighted　window。　The　wind　was　fierce　and　the　snow　blinding；　and　it　was　natural　that　the　man　should　duck　his　head；　but　he　remembered　his　appearance　well　enough　to　say　that　he　was　either　very　cold　or　very　much　done　up　and　that　he　wore　a　greatcoat　with　the　collar　pulled　up　about　his　ears。　When　he　came　back　with　the　whip　he　seemed　more　cheerful　than　when　he　asked　for　it；　but　had　no　〃thank　you〃　for　the　favor　done　him；　or　if　he　had；　it　was　lost　in　his　throat　and　the　piercing　gale。

The　communication；　which　was　regarded　by　the　police　as　a　matter　of　the　highest　importance；　had　been　found　in　her　hand　by　the　coroner。　It　was　a　mere　scrawl　written　in　pencil　on　a　small　scrap　of　paper。　The　following　facsimile　of　the　scrawl　was　given　to　the　public　in　the　hope　that　some　one　would　recognize　the　handwriting。

The　first　two　lines　overlapped　and　were　confused；　but　the　last　one　was　clear　enough。　Expect　trouble　ifIf　what？　Hundreds　were　asking　the　question　and　at　this　very　moment。　I　should　soon　be　asking　it；　too；　but　first；　I　must　make　an　effort　to　understand　the　situation；a　situation　which　up　to　now　appeared　to　involve　Mr。　Durand；　and　Mr。　Durand　only；　as　the　suspected　party。

This　was　no　more　than　I　expected；　yet　it　came　with　a　shock　under　the　broad　glare　of　this　wintry　morning；　so　impossible　did　it　seem　in　the　light　of　every…day　life　that　guilt　could　be　associated　in　any　one's　mind　with　a　man　of　such　unblemished　record　and　excellent　standing。　But　the　evidence　adduced　against　him　was　of　a　kind　to　appeal　to　the　common　mindwe　all　know　that　evidencenor　could　I　say；　after　reading　the　full　account；　that　I　was　myself　unaffected　by　its　seeming　weight。　Not　that　my　faith　in　his　innocence　was　shaken。　I　had　met　his　look　of　love　and　tender　gratitude　and　my　confidence　in　him　had　been　restored；　but　I　saw；　with　all　the　clearness　of　a　mind　trained　by　continuous　study；　how　difficult　it　was　going　to　be　to　counteract　the　prejudice　induced；　first；　by　his　own　inconsiderate　acts；　especially　by　that　unfortunate　attempt　of　his　to　secrete　Mrs。　Fairbrother's　gloves　in　another　woman's　bag；　and　secondly；　by　his　peculiar　explanationsexplanations　which　to　many　must　seem　forced　and　unnatural。

I　saw　and　felt　nerved　to　a　superhuman　task。　I　believed　him　innocent；　and　if　others　failed　to　prove　him　so；　I　would　undertake　to　clear　him　myself；I；　the　little　Rita；　with　no　experience　of　law　or　courts　or　crime；　but　with　simply　an　unbounded　faith　in　the　man　suspected　and　in　the　keenness　of　my　own　insight；an　insight　which　had　already　served　me　so　well　and　would　serve　me　yet　better；　once　I　had　mastered　the　details　which　must　be　the　prelude　to　all　intelligent　action。

The　morning's　report　stopped　with　the　explanations　given　by　Mr。　Durand　of　the　appearances　against　him。　Consequently　no　word　appeared　of　the　after　events　which　had　made　such　an　impression　at　the　time　on　all　the　persons　present。　Mr。　Grey　was　mentioned；　but　simply　as　one　of　the　guests；　and　to　no　one　reading　this　early　morning　issue　would　any　doubt　come　as　to　the　genuineness　of　the　diamond　which；　to　all　appearance；　had　been　the　leading　motive　in　the　commission　of　this　great　crime。

The　effect　on　my　own　mind　of　this　suppression　was　a　curious　one。　I　began　to　wonder　if　the　whole　event　had　not　been　a　chimera　of　my　disturbed　braina　nightmare　which　had　visited　me；　and　me　alone；　and　not　a　fact　to　be　reckoned　with。　But　a　moment's　further　thought　served　to　clear　my　mind　of　all　such　doubts；　and　I　perceived　that　the　police　had　only　exercised　common　prudence　in　withholding　Mr。　Grey's　sensational　opinion　of　the　stone　till　it　could　be　verified　by　experts。

The　two　columns　of　gossip　devoted　to　the　family　differences　which　had　led　to　the　separation　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Fairbrother；　I　shall　compress　into　a　few　lines。　They　had　been　married　three　years　before　in　the　city　of　Baltimore。　He　was　a　rich　man　then；　but　not　the　multimillionaire　he　is　to…day。　Plain…featured　and　without　manner；　lie　was　no　mate　for　this　sparkling　coquette；　whose　charm　was　of　the　kind　which　grows　with　exercise。　Though　no　actual　scandal　was　ever　associated　with　her　name；　he　grew　tired　of　her　caprices；　and　the　conquests　which　she　made　no　endeavor　to　hide　either　from　him　or　from　the　world　at　large；　and　at　some　time　during　the　previous　year　they　had　come　to　a　friendly　understanding　which　led　to　their　living　apart；　each　in　grand　style　and　with　a　certain　deference　to　the　proprieties　which　retained　them　their　friends　and　an　enviable　place　in　society。　He　was　not　often　invited　where　she　was；　and　she　never　appeared　in　any　assemblage　where　he　was　expected；　but　with　this　exception；　little　feeling　was　shown；　matters　progressed　smoothly；　and　to　their　credit；　let　it　be　said；　no　one　ever　heard　either　of　them　speak　otherwise　than　considerately　of　the　other。　He　was　at　present　out　or　town；　having　started　some　three　weeks　before　for　the　southwest；　but　would　probably　return　on　receipt　of　the　telegram　which　had　been　sent　him。

The　comments　made　on　the　murder　were　necessarily　hurried。　It　was　called　a　mystery；　but　it　was　evident　enough　that　Mr。　Durand's　detention　was　looked　on　as　the　almost　certain　prelude　to　his　arrest　on　the　charge　of　murder。

I　had　had　some　discipline　in　life。　Although　a　favorite　of　my　wealthy　uncle；　I　had　given　up　very　early　the　prospects　he　held　out　to　me　of　a　continued　enjoyment　of　his　bounty；　and　entered　on　duties　which　required　self…denial　and　hard　work。　I　did　this　because　I　enjoy　having　both　my　mind　and　heart　occupied。　To　be　necessary　to　some　one；　as　a　nurse　is　to　a　patient；　seemed　to　me　an　enviable　fate　till　I　came　under　the　influence　of　Anson　Durand。　Then　the　craving　of　all　women　for　the　common　lot　of　their　sex　became　my　craving　also；　a　craving；　however；　to　which　I　failed　at　first　to　yield；　for　I　felt　that　it　was　unshared；　and　thus　a　token　of　weakness。　Fighting　my　battle；　I　succeeded　in　winning　it；　as　I　thought；　just　as　the　nurse's　diploma　was　put　in　my　hands。　Then　came　the　great　surprise　of　my　life。　Anson　Durand　expressed　his　love　for　me　and　I　awoke　to　the　fact　that　all　my　preparation　had　been　for　home　joys　and　a　woman's　true　existence。　One　hour　of　ecstasy　in　the　light　of　this　new　hope；　then　tragedy　and　something　approaching　chaos！　Truly　I　had　been　through　a　schooling。　But　was　it　one　to　make　me　useful　in　the　only　way　I　could　be　useful　now？　I　did　not　know；　I　did　not　care；　I　was　determined　on　my　course；　fit　or　unfit；　and；　in　the　relief　brought　by　this　appeal　to　my　energy；　I　rose　and　dressed　and　went　about　the　duties　of　the　day。

One　of　these　was　to　determine　whether　Mr。　Grey；　on　his　return　to　his　hotel；　had　found　his　daughter　as　ill　as　his　fears　had　foreboded。　A　telephone　message　or　two　satisfied　me　on　this　point。　Miss　Grey　was　very　ill；　but　not　considered　dangerously　so；　indeed；　if　anything；　her　condition　was　improved；　and　if　nothing　happened　in　the　way　of　fresh　complications；　the　prospects　were　that　she　would　be　out　in　a　fortnight。

I　was　not　surprised。　It　was　more　than　I　had　expected。　The　cry　of　the　banshee　in　an　American　house　was　past　belief；　even　in　an　atmosphere　surcharged　with　fear　and　all　the　horror　surrounding　a　great　crime；　and　in　the　secret　reckoning　I　was　making　against　a　person　I　will　not　even　name　at　this　juncture；　I　added　it　as　another　suspicious　circumstance。



VI

SUSPENSE

To　relate　the　full　experiences　of　the　next　few　days　would　be　to　encumber　my　narrative　with　unnecessary　detail。　

I　did　not　see　Mr。　Durand　again。　My　uncle；　so　amenable　in　most　matters；　proved　Inexorable　on　this　point。　Till　Mr。　Durand's　good　name　should　be　restored　by　the　coroner's　verdict；　or　such　evidence　brought　to　light　as　should　effectually　place　him　beyond　all　suspicion；　I　was　to　hold　no　communication　with　him　of　any　sort　whatever。　I　remember　the　very　words　with　which　my　uncle　ended　the　one　exhaustive　conversation　we　had　on　the　subject。　They　were　these：　

〃You　have　fully　expressed　to　Mr。　Durand　your　entire　confidence　In　his　Innocence。　That　must　suffice　him　for　the　present。　If　he　Is　the　honest　gentleman　you　think　him；　It　will。〃　

As　uncle　seldom　asserted　himself；　and　as　he　is　very　much　in　earnest　when　he　does；　I　made　no　attempt　to　combat　this　resolution；　especially　as　it　met　the　approval　of　my　better　judgment。　But　though　my　power　to　convey　sympathy　fell　thus　under　a　yoke；　my　thoughts　and　feelings　remained　free；　and　these　were　all　consecrated　to　the　man　struggling　under　an　imputation；　the　disgrace　and　humiliation　of　which　he　was　but　poorly　prepared；　by　his　former　easy　life　of　social　and　business　prosperity；　to　meet。　

For　Mr。　Durand；　in　spite　of　the　few　facts　which　came　up　from　time　to　time　in　confirmation　of　his　story；　continued　to　be　almost　universally　regarded　as　a　suspect。　

This　seemed　to　me　very　unjust。　What