第20章

Ifthisweremeantasanirritant，itdidnotactsuccessfully。Thesocialagitator，thepoliticaldemagogue，theoratorwhosehoneyedtoneshadrungwithbitinginvectiveintheearsoftheUnitedBrotherhoodoftheAwl，thePlaneandtheTrowel，simplybowedandcalmlywaitedforthenextattack。

Perhapsitwasofanaturetosurpriseevenhim。”Wehavenowish，”continuedtheInspector，”toprobetoocloselyintoconcernsseeminglyquiteremovedfromthemainissue。Yousaythatyouareready，naymore，areeveneagertoanswerallquestions。

Youwillprobablybeanxiousthentoexplainawayadiscrepancybetweenyourwordandyourconduct，whichhascometoourattention。

YouwereknowntohaveexpressedtheintentionofspendingtheafternoonofMrs。Spotts’deathinNewYorkandweresupposedtohavedoneso，yetyouwerecertainlyseeninthecrowdwhichinvadedthatrearbuildingatthefirstalarm。Areyouconsciousofpossessingadouble，ordidyoufailtocrosstheriverasyouexpectedto?””Iamgladthishascomeup。”Thetonewasoneofself-congratulationwhichwouldhaveshakenSweetwatersorelyhadhebeenadmittedtothisunofficialexamination。”Ihaveneverconfidedtoanyonethestoryofmydoingsonthatunhappyafternoon，becauseIknewofnoonewhowouldtakeanyinterestinthem。Butthisiswhatoccurred。IdidmeantogotoNewYorkandIevenstartedonmywalktotheBridgeatthehourmentioned。ButIgotintoasmallcrowdonthecornerofFultonStreet，inwhichapoordevilwhohadrobbedavendor’scartofafeworanges，wasbeinghustledabout。Therewasnopolicemanwithinsight，andsoI

busiedmyselfthereforaminutepayingfortheorangesanddraggingthepoorwretchawayintoanalley，whereIcouldhavethepleasureofseeinghimeatthem。WhenIcameoutofthealleythesmallcrowdhadvanished，butabigonewascollectingupthestreetverynearmyhome。IalwaysthinkofmybookswhenIseeanythingsuggestingfire，andnaturallyIreturned，andequallynaturally，whenIheardwhathadhappened，followedthecrowdintothecourtandsouptothepoorwoman’sdoorway。Butmycuriositysatisfied，IreturnedatoncetothestreetandwenttoNewYorkasIhadplanned。””DoyoumindtellinguswhereyouwentinNewYork?””Notatall。Iwentshopping。Iwantedacertainveryfinewire，foranexperimentIhadonhand，andIfounditinalittleshopinFourthAvenue。IfIrememberrightly，thenameoverthedoorwasGrippus。Itsodditystruckme。”

TherewasnothinglefttotheInspectorbuttodismisshim。Hehadansweredallquestionswillingly，andwithacountenanceinexpressiveofguile。Heevenindulgedinapartingshotonhisownaccount，asfulloffrankacceptanceofthesituationasitwasfearlessinitsattack。Ashehaltedinthedoorwaybeforeturninghisbackupontheroom，hesmiledforthethirdtimeashequietlysaid：”Ihaveceasedvisitingmyfriend’sapartmentinupperNewYork。

Ifyoueverwantmeagain，youwillfindmeamongstmybooks。Ifmyinventionhaltsandotherinterestsstale，youhavefurnishedmethisdaywithaproblemwhichcannotfailtogivecontinualoccupationtomyenergies。IfIsucceedinsolvingitfirst，I

shallbehappytosharemyknowledgewithyou。Tillthen，trustthelawsofnature。Nomanwhenonceontheoutsideofadoorcanbuttonitontheinside，norcouldanyonewithoutthegiftofcompleteinvisibility，makealeapofoverfifteenfeetfromthesillofafourthstorywindowontoanadjacentfireescape，withoutattractingtheattentionofsomeofthemanychildrenplayingdownbelow。”

Hewashalf-wayoutthedoor，buthisnamequicklyspokenbytheInspectordrewhimback。”Anythingmote?”heasked。

TheInspectorsmiled。”Youareamanofconsiderableanalyticpower，asItakeit，Mr。

Brotherson。Youmusthavedecidedlongagohowthiswomandied。””Isthataquestion，Inspector?””Youmaytakeitassuch。””ThenIwillallowmyselftosaythatthereisbutonecommon-senseviewtotakeofthematter。MissChalloner’sdeathwasduetosuicide；sowasthatofthewasherwoman。ButthereIstop。Asforthemeans-themotive-suchmysteriesmaybewithinyourprovincebuttheyaretotallyoutsidemine！Godhelpusall！Theworldisfullofmisery。AgainIwishyougood-day。”

Theairseemedtohavelostitsvitalityandthesunitssparklewhenhewasgone。”Now，whatdoyouthink，Gryce?”

Theoldmanroseandcameoutofhiscorner。”This：thatI’mupagainstthehardestpropositionofmylifetime。

Nothingintheman’sappearanceormannerevincesguilt，yetI

believehimguilty。Imust。Notto，istostrainprobabilitytothepointofbreakage。Buthowtoreachhimisaproblemandoneofnoordinarynature。Yearsago，whenIwasbutlittleolderthanSweetwater，IhadjustsuchaconvictionconcerningacertainmanagainstwhomIhadevenlesstoworkonthanwehavehere。Amurderhadbeencommittedbyanenvenomedspringcontainedinatoypuzzle。

Iworkedupontheconscienceofthesuspectinthatcase，bybringingconstantlybeforehiseyesafacsimileofthatspring。Itmethiminthefoldednapkinwhichheopenedathisrestaurantdinner。Hestumbleduponitinthestreet，andfounditlyingamongsthispapersathome。Igavehimnoreliefandfinallyhesuccumbed。Hehadbeenalmostdrivenmadbyremorse。Butthismanhasnoconscience。Ifheisnotinnocentastheday，he’sashardasunquarriedmarble。Hemightbeconfrontedwithremindersofhiscrimeateveryturnwithoutweakeningorshowingbylossofappetiteorinterruptedsleepanyeffectuponhisnerves。That’smyopinionofthegentleman。Heiseitherthat，oramanofuncommonforceandself-restraint。””I’minclinedtobelievehimthelatter。””Andsogivethewholematterthego-by?””Possibly。””ItwillbeaterribledisappointmenttoSweetwater。””That’snothing。””Andtome。””That’sdifferent。I’mdisposedtoconsideryou，Gryce-afteralltheseyears。””Thankyou；Ihavedonethestatesomeservice。””Whatdoyouwant?Yousaythemineisunworkable。””Yes，inaday，orinaweek，possiblyinamonth。Butpersistenceandaproteanadaptabilitytomeethismoodsmightaccomplishsomething。Idon’tsaywill，Ionlysaymight。IfSweetwaterhadthejob，withunlimitedtimeinwhichtocarryoutanyplanhemayhave，orevenforachangeofplanstosuitachangedidea，successmightbehis，andbothtime，effortandoutlayjustified。””Theoutlay?Iamthinkingoftheoutlay。””Mr。Challonerwillseetothat。Ihavehiswordthatnoreasonableamountwilldaunthim。””ButthisBrothersonissuspicious。Hehasaninventor’ssecrettohide，ifnoneother。Wecan’tsaddlehimwithaguyofSweetwater’sappearanceandabnormalloquaciousness。””Notreadily，Iown。Buttimewillbringcounsel。Areyouwillingtohelptheboy，tohelpmeandpossiblyyourselfbythisventureinthedark?TheDepartmentshan’tlosemoneybyit；that’sallIcanpromise。””Butit’sabigone。Gryce，youshallhaveyourway。You’llbetheonlyloserifyoufail；andyouwillfail；takemywordforit。””IwishIcouldspeakasconfidentlytothecontrary，butIcan’t。

Icangiveyoumyhandthough，Inspector，andSweetwater’sthanks。

Icanmeettheboynow。AnhouragoIdidn’tknowhowIwastodoit。”

THAT’STHEQUESTION”Howmanytimeshasheseenyou?””Twice。””Sothatheknowsyourfaceandfigure?””I’mafraidso。Hecannothelprememberingthemanwhofacedhiminhisownroom。””That’sunfortunate。””Damnedunfortunate；butonemustexpectsomesortofahandicapinagamelikethis。BeforeI’mdonewithhim，he’lllookmefullinthefaceandwonderifhe’severseenmebefore。Iwasn’talwaysadetective。Iwasacarpenteronce，asyouknow，andI’lltaketothetoolsagain。AssoonasI’mhandywiththemI’llhuntuplodgingsinHicksStreet。Hemaysuspectmeatfirst，butbewon’tlong；I’llbesuchaconfoundedgoodworkman。IonlywishIhadn’tsuchpronouncedfeatures。They’vestoodawfullyinmyway，Mr。Gryce。