第14章

ASSEENBYDETECTIVESWEETWATER

X

ADIFFERENCEOFOPINION

Atanearlyhourthenextmorning，Sweetwaterstoodbeforethecoroner’sdesk，urgingapleahefearedtohearrefused。HewishedtobepresentattheinterviewsoontobeheldwithMr。Brotherson，andhehadnogoodreasontoadvancewhysuchaprivilegeshouldbeallottedhim。

It’snotcuriosity，”saidhe。”There’saquestionIhopetoseesettled。Ican’tcommunicateit-youwouldlaughatme；butit’sanimportantone，averyimportantone，andIbegthatyouwillletmesitinoneofthecornersandhearwhathesays。Iwon’tbotherandI’llbeverystill，sostillthathe’llhardlynoticeme。Dograntmethisfavour，sir。

Thecoroner，whohadhadsomelittleexperiencewiththisman，surveyedhimwithasmilelessforbiddingthanthepoorfellowexpected。”Youseemtolaygreatstorebyit，”saidhe；”ifyouwanttosortthosepapersoverthere，youmay。””Thankyou。Idon’tunderstandthejob，butIpromiseyounottoincreasetheconfusion。IfIdo；ifIrattletheleavestooloudly，itwillmean，’Presshimfurtheronthisexactpoint，’butIdoubtifIrattlethem，sir。Nosuchluck。”

Thelastthreewordswereutteredsottovoce，butthecoronerheardhim，andfollowedhisungainlyfigurewithaglanceofsomecuriosity，ashesettledhimselfatthedeskontheothersideoftheroom。”Istheman-”hebegan，butatthismomentthemanentered，andDr。

Heathforgottheyoungdetective，inhisinterestinthenewarrival。

NeitherdressedwiththeeleganceknowntothehabituesoftheClermont，noryetintheworkman’soutfitinwhichhehadthoughtbesttoappearbeforetheAssociatedBrotherhood，thenewcomeradvanced，withanaspectofopenrespectwhichcouldnotfailtomakeafavourableimpressionuponthecriticaleyeoftheofficialawaitinghim。Sofavourable，indeed，wasthisimpressionthatthatgentlemanhalfrose，infusingalittlemoreconsiderationintohisgreetingthanhewasaccustomedtoshowtohisprospectivewitnesses。

Suchafearlesseyehehadseldomencountered，norwasitoftenhispleasuretoconfrontsoconspicuousaspecimenofphysicalandintellectualmanhood。”Mr。Brotherson，Ibelieve，”saidhe，ashemotionedhisvisitortosit。”Thatismyname，sir。””OrlandoBrotherson?””Thesame，sir。””I’mgladwehavemadenomistake，”smiledthedoctor。”Mr。

Brotherson，IhavesentforyouunderthesuppositionthatyouwereafriendoftheunhappyladylatelydeadattheHotelClermont。””MissChalloner?””Certainly；MissChalloner。””Iknewthelady。But-”herethespeaker’seyetookonalookasquestioningasthatofhisinterlocutor-”butinawaysodevoidofallpublicitythatIcannotbutfeelsurprisedthatthefactshouldbeknown。”

Atthis，thelisteningSweetwaterhopedthatDr。Heathwouldignorethesuggestionthusconveyedanddeclinetheexplanationitapparentlydemanded。Buttheimpressionmadebythegentleman’sgoodlookshadbeentoostrongforthiscoroner’sproverbialcaution，and，handingovertheslipofanotewhichhadbeenfoundamongMissChalloner’seffectsbyherfather，hequietlyasked：”Doyourecognisethesignature?””Yes，itismine。””Thenyouacknowledgeyourselftheauthoroftheselines?””Mostcertainly。HaveInotsaidthatthisismysignature?””Doyourememberthewordsofthisnote，Mr。Brotherson?””Hardly。Irecollectitstenor，butnottheexactwords。””Readthem。””Excuseme，Ihadrathernot。Iamawarethattheywerebitterandshouldbethecauseofgreatregret。IwasangrywhenIwrotethem。””Thatisevident。Butthecauseofyourangerisnotsoclear，Mr。

Brotherson。MissChallonerwasawomanofloftycharacter，orsuchwastheuniversalopinionofherfriends。Whatcouldshehavedonetoagentlemanlikeyourselftodrawforthsuchatirade?””Youaskthat?””Iamobligedto。Thereismysterysurroundingherdeath；-thekindofmysterywhichdemandsperfectfranknessonthepartofallwhowerenearheronthatevening，orwhoserelationstoherwereinanywaypeculiar。Youacknowledgethatyourfriendshipwasofsuchaguardednaturethatitsurprisedyougreatlytohearitrecognised。

Yetyoucouldwriteheraletterofthisnature。Why?””Because-”thewordcameglibly；butthenextonewaslonginfollowing。”Because，”herepeated，lettingthefireofsomestrongfeelingdisturbforamomenthisdignifiedreserve，”IofferedmyselftoMissChalloner，andshedismissedmewithgreatdisdain。””Ah！andsoyouthoughtathreatwasdueher?””Athreat?””Thesewordscontainathreat，dotheynot?””Theymay。Iwashardlymasterofmyselfatthetime。Imayhaveexpressedmyselfinanunfortunatemanner。””Readthewords，Mr。Brotherson。Ireallymustinsistthatyoudoso。”

Therewasnohesitancynow。Rising，heleanedoverthetableandreadthefewwordstheotherhadspreadoutforhisperusal。Thenheslowlyrosetohisfullheight，asheanswered，withsomeslightdisplayofcompunction：”Irememberitperfectlynow。Itisnotalettertobeproudof。

Ihope-””Prayfinish，Mr。Brotherson。””Thatyouarenotseekingtoestablishaconnectionbetweenthisletterandherviolentdeath?””Lettersofthissortareoftenverymischievous，Mr。Brotherson。

TheharshnesswithwhichthisiswrittenmighteasilyrouseemotionsofamostunhappynatureinthebreastofawomanassensitiveasMissChalloner。””Pardonme，Dr。Heath；Icannotflattermyselfsofar。Youoverratemyinfluencewiththeladyyouname。””Youbelieve，then，thatshewassincereinherrejectionofyouraddresses?

Astart，tooslighttobenotedbyanyonebutthewatchfulSweetwater，showedthatthisquestionhadgonehome。Buttheself-poiseandmentalcontrolofthismanwereperfect，andinaninstanthewasfacingthecoroneragain，withadignity。whichgavenoclewtothedisturbanceintowhichhisthoughtshadjustbeenthrown。Norwasthisdisturbanceapparentinhistoneswhenhemadehisreply：”Ihaveneverallowedmyselftothinkotherwise。IhaveseennoreasonwhyIshould。Thesuggestionyouwouldconveybysuchaquestionishardlywelcome，now。Iprayyoutobecarefulinyourjudgmentofsuchawoman’simpulses。Theyoftenspringfromsourcesnottobesoundedevenbyherdearestfriends。”

Just；buthowcold！Dr。Heath，eyeinghimwithadmirationratherthansympathy，hesitatedhowtoproceed；whileSweetwater，peeringupfromhispapers，soughtinvainforsomeevidenceofthebereavedloverintheimpressivebutwhollydispassionatefigureofhimwhohadjustspoken。Hadpridegotthebetterofhisheart?orhadthatorganalwaysbeensubordinatetothewillinthismanofinstinctssovarying，thatatonetimeheimpressedyousimplyasatypicalgentlemanofleisure；atanother，asnomorethanafieryagitatorwithpowersabsorbedby，ifnotlimitedtotheonecauseheadvocated；andagain-andthisseemedthemostcontradictoryofall-justtheardentinventor，livinginatenement，withScienceforhisgoddessandworkalwaysunderhishand?Astheyoungdetectiveweighedthesepossibilitiesandmarvelledoverthecontradictionstheyoffered，heforgotthepapersnowlyingquietunderhishand。Hewastoointerestedtorememberhisownpart-somethingwhichcouldnotoftenbesaidofSweetwater。

Meantime，thecoronerhadcollectedhisthoughts。Withanapologyfortheextremelypersonalnatureofhisinquiry，heaskedMr。

BrothersonifhewouldobjecttogivinghimsomefurtherdetailsofhisacquaintanceshipwithMissChalloner；wherehefirstmetherandunderwhatcircumstancestheirfriendshiphaddeveloped。”Notatall，”wasthereadyreply。”Ihavenothingtoconcealinthematter。Ionlywishthatherfatherwerepresentthathemightlistentotherecitalofmyacquaintanceshipwithhisdaughter。HemightpossiblyunderstandherbetterandregardwithmoreleniencythepresumptionintowhichIwasledbymyignoranceoftheprideinherentingreatfamilies。””Yourwishcanveryeasilybegratified，”returnedtheofficial，pressinganelectricbuttononhisdesk；”Mr。Challonerisintheadjoiningroom。”Then，asthedoorcommunicatingwiththeroomhehadmentionedswungajarandstoodso，Dr。Heathadded，withoutapparentconsciousnessofthedramaticcharacterofthisepisode，”Youwillnotneedtoraiseyourvoicebeyonditsnaturalpitch。Hecanhearperfectlyfromwherehesits。””Thankyou。Iamgladtospeakinhispresence，”cameinundisturbedself-possessionfromthisnoteasilysurprisedwitness。”Ishallrelatethefactsexactlyastheyoccurred，addingnothingandconcealingnothing。IfImistookmyposition，orMissChalloner’sposition，itisnotformetoapologise。Ineverhidmybusinessfromher，northemoderateextentofmyfortune。Ifsheknewmeatall，sheknewmeforwhatIam；amanofthepeoplewhogloriesinworkandwhohasrisenbyittoapositionsomewhatuniqueinthiscity。IfeelnolackofequalityevenwithsuchawomanasMissChalloner。”