第10章

THELETTERS

Beforeatablestrewnwithpapers，intheroomwehavealreadymentionedasgivenovertotheuseofthepolice，satDr。HeathinamoodtoothoughtfultonoticetheentranceofMr。GryceandSweetwaterfromthedining-roomwheretheyhadbeenhavingdinner。

Howeverastheformer’streadwassomewhatlumbering，thecoroner’sattentionwascaughtbeforetheyhadquitecrossedtheroom，andSweetwater，withhisquickeye，notedhowhisarmandhandimmediatelyfellsoastocoverupaportionofthepaperslyingnearesttohim。”Well，Gryce，thisisadarkcase，”heobserved，asathisbiddingthetwodetectivestooktheirseats。

Mr。Grycenodded；sodidSweetwater。”Thedarkestthathasevercometomyknowledge，”pursuedthecoroner。

Mr。Gryceagainnodded；butnotso，Sweetwater。Forsomereasonthissimpleexpressionofopinionseemedtohavegivenhimamentalstart。”Shewasnotshot。Shewasnotstruckbyanyotherhand；yetsheliesdeadfromamortalwoundinthebreast。Thoughthereisnotangibleproofofherhavinginflictedthiswounduponherself，thejurywillhavenoalternative，Ifear，thantopronouncethecaseoneofsuicide。””I’msorrythatI’vebeenabletodosolittle，”remarkedMr。Gryce。

Thecoronerdartedhimaquicklook。”Youarenotsatisfied?Youhavesomedifferentidea?”heasked。

Thedetectivefrownedathishandscrossedoverthetopofhiscane，thenshakinghishead，replied：”Theverdictyoumentionistheonlynaturalone，ofcourse。I

seethatyouhavebeentalkingwithMissChalloner’sformermaid?””Yes，andshehassettledanimportantpointforus。Therewasapossibility，ofcourse，thatthepaper-cutterwhichyoubroughttomynoticehadnevergonewithherintothemezzanine。Thatshe，orsomeotherperson，haddroppeditinpassingthroughthelobby。

Butthisgirlassuresmethathermistressdidnotenterthelobbythatnight。Thatsheaccompaniedherdownintheelevator，andsawherstepoffatthemezzanine。Shecanalsoswearthatthecutterwasinabookshecarried-thebookwefoundlyingonthedesk。

Thegirlremembersdistinctlyseeingitspeculiarlychasedhandleprojectingfromitspages。Couldanythingbemoresatisfactoryif-Iwasgoingtosay，iftheyoungladyhadbeenoftheimpulsivetypeandtheprovocationgreater。ButMissChalloner’snaturewascalm，andwereitnotfortheseletters-”herehisarmshiftedalittle-”Ishouldnotbesosureofmyjury’sfutureverdict。

Love-”hewenton，afteramomentofsilentconsiderationofaletterhehadchosenfromthosebeforehim，”disturbsthemostequablenatures。Whenitentersasafactor，wecanexpectanything-asyouknow。AndMissChallonerevidentlywasmuchattachedtohercorrespondent，andnaturallyfeltthereproachconveyedintheselines。”

AndDr。Heathread：”DearMissChalloner：”OnlyamanofsmallspiritcouldendurewhatIenduredfromyoutheotherday。Lovesuchasminewouldberespectableinaclod-hopper，andIthinkthatevenyouwillacknowledgethatI

standsomewhathigherthanthat。ThoughIwassilentunderyourdisapprobation，youshallyethaveyouranswer。Itwillnotlackpointbecauseofitsnecessarydelay。”

Athreat！

ThewordssprangfromSweetwater，andwereevidentlyinvoluntary。

Dr。Heathpaidnonotice，butMr。Gryce，inshiftinghishandsonhiscanetop，gavethemasidelonglookwhichwasnotwithoutahintoffreshinterestinacaseconcerningwhichhehadbelievedhimselftohavesaidhislastword。”Itistheonlyletterofthemallwhichconveysanythinglikeareproach，”proceededthecoroner。”Therestareardentenoughand，Imustacknowledgethat，sofarasIhaveallowedmyselftolookintothem，sufficientlyrespectful。Hersurprisemustconsequentlyhavebeengreatatreceivingtheselines，andherresentmentequallyso。Ifthetwometafterwards-ButIhavenotshownyouthesignature。Tothepoorfatheritconveyednothing-somefactshavebeenkeptfromhim-buttous-”herehewhirledtheletteraboutsothatSweetwater，atleast，couldseethename，”itconveysahopethatwemayyetunderstandMissChalloner。””Brotherson！”exclaimedtheyoungdetectiveinloudsurprise。”Brotherson！Themanwho-””ThemanwholeftthisbuildingjustbeforeorsimultaneouslywiththealarmcausedbyMissChalloner’sfall。Itclearsawaysomeofthecloudsbefoggingus。Sheprobablycaughtsightofhiminthelobby，andinthepassionofthemomentforgotherusualinstinctsanddrovethesharp-pointedweaponintoherheart。”Brotherson！”Thewordcamesoftlynow，andwithathoughtfulintonation。”Hesawherdie。””Whydoyousaythat?””Wouldhehavewashedhishandsinthesnowifhehadbeeninignoranceoftheoccurrence?Hewasthereal，ifnotactive，causeofherdeathandheknewit。Eitherhe-Excuseme，Dr。HeathandMr。Gryce，itisnotformetoobtrudemyopinion。””HaveyousettleditbeyonddisputethatBrothersonisreallythemanwhowasseendoingthis?””No，sir。Ihavenothadaminuteforthatjob，butI’mreadyforthebusinessanytimeyouseefittospareme。””Letitbeto-morrow，or，ifyoucanmanageit，to-night。Wewantthemanevenifheisnottheheroofthatromanticepisode。Hewrotetheseletters，andhemustexplainthelastone。Hisinitials，asyousee，arenotordinaryones，andyouwillfindthematthebottomofallthesesheets。Hewasbraveenoughorarrogantenoughtosignthequestionableonewithhisfullname。Thismayspeakwellforhim，anditmaynot。Itisforyoutodecidethat。Wherewillyoulookforhim，Sweetwater?Noonehereknowshisaddress。””NotMissChalloner’smaid?””No；thenameisanewonetoher。Butshemadeitveryevidentthatshewasnotsurprisedtohearthathermistresswasinsecretcorrespondencewithamemberofthemalesex。Muchcanbehiddenfromservants，butnotthat。””I’llfindtheman；Ihaveadoublereasonfordoingthatnow；heshallnotescapeme。”

Dr。Heathexpressedhissatisfaction，andgavesomeorders。

Meanwhile，Mr。Grycehadnotutteredaword。

STRANGEDOINGSFORGEORGE

ThateveningGeorgesatsolongoverthenewspapersthatinspiteofmyabsorbinginterestinthetopicengrossingme，Ifellasleepinmycozylittlerockingchair。Iwasawakenedbywhatseemedlikeakissfallingverysoftlyonmyforehead，though，tobesure，itmayhavebeenonlytheflapofGeorge’scoatsleeveashestoopedoverme。”Wakeup，littlewoman，”Iheard，”andtrotawaytobed。I’mgoingoutandmaynotbeintilldaybreak。””You！goingout！atteno’clockatnight，tiredasyouare-aswebothare！Whathashappened-Oh！”

ThisbrokenexclamationescapedmeasIperceivedinthedimbackgroundbythesitting-roomdoor，thefigureofamanwhocalleduprecent，butverythrillingexperiences。”Mr。Sweetwater，”explainedGeorge。”Wearegoingouttogether。Itisnecessary，oryoumaybesureIshouldnotleaveyou。

Iwasquitewideawakeenoughbynowtounderstand。”Oh，Iknow。

Youaregoingtohuntuptheman。HowIwish-”

ButGeorgedidnotwaitformetoexpressmywishes。HegavemealittlegoodadviceastohowIhadbetteremploymytimeinhisabsence，andwasoffbeforeIcouldfindwordstoanswer。

ThisendsallIhavetosayaboutmyself；buttheeventsofthatnightcarefullyrelatedtomebyGeorgeareimportantenoughformetodescribethem，withallthedetailwhichistheirrightfuldue。

IshalltellthestoryasIhavealreadybeenledtodoinotherportionsofthisnarrative，asthoughIwerepresentandsharedtheadventure。

Assoonasthetwowereinthestreet，thedetectiveturnedtowardsGeorgeandsaid：”Mr。Anderson，Ihaveagreatdealtoaskofyou。Thebusinessbeforeusisnotasimpleone，andIfearthatIshallhavetosubjectyoutomoreinconveniencethaniscustomaryinmatterslikethis。Mr。Brothersonhasvanished；thatis，inhisownproperperson，butIhaveanideathatIamonthetrackofonewhowillleadusverydirectlytohimifwemanagetheaffaircarefully。

WhatIwantofyou，ofcourse，ismereidentification。Yousawthefaceofthemanwhowashedhishandsinthesnow，andwouldknowitagain，yousay。Doyouthinkyoucouldbequitesureofyourself，ifthemanweredifferentlydressedanddifferentlyoccupied?”Ithinkso。There’shisheightandacertainstronglookinhisface。Icannotdescribeit。””Youdon’tneedto。Come！we’reallright。Youdon’tmindmakinganightofit?””Notifitisnecessary。”Thatwecan’ttellyet。”Andwithacharacteristicshrugandsmile，thedetectiveledthewaytoataxicabwhichstoodinwaitingatthecorner。