第26章

This，naturallyenough，tookmecompletelybysurprise。IwaitedeagerlytohearwhyweweretosendtoAmerica。

"Itrestswithyou，"heproceeded，"whenyouhearwhatIhavetotellyou，tosaywhetheryouwillgototheexpenseofsendingamantoNewYork，ornot。Icanfindtherightmanforthepurpose；andIestimatetheexpense（includingatelegram）——"

"Nevermindtheexpense！"Iinterposed，losingallpatiencewiththeeminentlyScotchviewofthecasewhichputmypurseinthefirstplaceofimportance。"Idon’tcarefortheexpense；Iwanttoknowwhatyouhavediscovered。"

Hesmiled。"Shedoesn’tcarefortheexpense，"hesaidtohimself，pleasantly。"Howlikeawoman！"

Imighthaveretorted，"Hethinksoftheexpensebeforehethinksofanythingelse。HowlikeaScotchman！"Asitwas，Iwastooanxioustobewitty。Ionlydrummedimpatientlywithmyfingersonthetable，andsaid，"Tellme！tellme！"

HetookoutthefaircopyfromBenjamin’snote—bookwhichIhadsenttohim，andshowedmetheseamongDexter’sclosingwords：

"Whatabouttheletter？Burnitnow。Nofireinthegrate。Nomatchesinthebox。Housetopsy—turvy。Servantsallgone。"

"Doyoureallyunderstandwhatthosewordsmean？"Iasked。

"Ilookbackintomyownexperience，"heanswered，"andI

understandperfectlywhatthewordsmean。"

"Andcanyoumakemeunderstandthemtoo？"

"Easily。InthoseincomprehensiblesentencesDexter’smemoryhascorrectlyrecalledcertainfacts。Ihaveonlytotellyouthefacts，andyouwillbeaswiseasIam。AtthetimeoftheTrial，yourhusbandsurprisedanddistressedmebyinsistingontheinstantdismissalofallthehouseholdservantsatGleninch。I

wasinstructedtopaythemaquarter’swagesinadvance，togivethemtheexcellentwrittencharacterswhichtheirgoodconductthoroughlydeserved，andtoseethehouseclearofthematanhour’snotice。Eustace’smotiveforthissummaryproceedingwasmuchthesamemotivewhichanimatedhisconducttowardyou。’IfI

amevertoreturntoGleninch，’hesaid，’Icannotfacemyhonestservantsaftertheinfamyofhavingstoodmytrialformurder。’

Therewashisreason。NothingthatIcouldsaytohim，poorfellow，shookhisresolution。Idismissedtheservantsaccordingly。Atanhour’snotice，theyquittedthehouse，leavingtheirworkforthedayallundone。TheonlypersonsplacedinchargeofGleninchwerepersonswholivedontheoutskirtsofthepark——thatistosay，thelodge—keeperandhiswifeanddaughter。

OnthelastdayoftheTrialIinstructedthedaughtertodoherbesttomaketheroomstidy。Shewasagoodgirlenough，butshehadnoexperienceasahousemaid：itwouldneverenterherheadtolaythebedroomfiresreadyforlighting，ortoreplenishtheemptymatch—boxes。ThosechancewordsthatdroppedfromDexterwould，nodoubt，exactlydescribethestateofhisroomwhenhereturnedtoGleninch，withtheprisonerandhismother，fromEdinburgh。Thathetoreupthemysteriousletterinhisbedroom，and（findingnomeansimmediatelyathandforburningit）thathethrewthefragmentsintotheemptygrate，orintothewaste—paperbasket，seemstobethemostreasonableconclusionthatwecandrawfromwhatweknow。Inanycase，hewouldnothavemuchtimetothinkaboutit。Everythingwasdoneinahurryonthatday。

Eustaceandhismother，accompaniedbyDexter，leftforEnglandthesameeveningbythenighttrain。Imyselflockedupthehouse，andgavethekeystothelodge—keeper。Itwasunderstoodthathewastolookafterthepreservationofthereception—roomsontheground—floor；andthathiswifeanddaughterweretoperformthesameservicebetweenthemintheroomsupstairs。Onreceivingyourletter，IdroveatoncetoGleninchtoquestiontheoldwomanonthesubjectofthebedrooms，andofDexter’sroomespecially。Sherememberedthetimewhenthehousewasshutupbyassociatingitwiththetimewhenshewasconfinedtoherbedbyanattackofsciatica。Shehadnotcrossedthelodgedoor，shewassure，foratleastaweek（ifnotlongerafterGleninchhadbeenleftinchargeofherhusbandandherself。Whateverwasdoneinthewayofkeepingthebedroomsairedandtidyduringherillnesswasdonebyherdaughter。She，andsheonly，musthavedisposedofanyletterwhichmighthavebeenlyingaboutinDexter’sroom。Notavestigeoftornpaper，asIcanmyselfcertify，istobediscoveredinanypartoftheroomnow。Wheredidthegirlfindthefragmentsoftheletter？andwhatdidshedowiththem？Thosearethequestions（ifyouapproveofit）

whichwemustsendthreethousandmilesawaytoask——forthissufficientreason，thatthelodge—keeper’sdaughterwasmarriedmorethanayearsince，andthatsheissettledwithherhusbandinbusinessatNewYork。Itrestswithyoutodecidewhatistobedone。Don’tletmemisleadyouwithfalsehopes！Don’tletmetemptyoutothrowawayyourmoney！Evenifthiswomandoesrememberwhatshedidwiththetornpaper，thechances，atthisdistanceoftime，areenormouslyagainstoureverrecoveringasinglemorselofit。Beinnohastetodecide。Ihavemyworktodointhecity——Icangiveyouthewholedaytothinkitover。"

"SendthemantoNewYorkbythenextsteamer，"Isaid。"Thereismydecision，Mr。Playmore，withoutkeepingyouwaitingforit！"

Heshookhishead，ingravedisapprovalofmyimpetuosity。Inmyformerinterviewwithhimwehadneveroncetouchedonthequestionofmoney。Iwasnow，forthefirsttime，tomakeacquaintancewithMr。PlaymoreonthepurelyScotchsideofhischaracter。

"Why，youdon’tevenknowwhatitwillcostyou！"heexclaimed，takingouthispocket—bookwiththeairofamanwhowasequallystartledandscandalized。"WaittillItotitup，"hesaid，"inEnglishandAmericanmoney。"

"Ican’twait！Iwanttomakemorediscoveries！"

Hetooknonoticeofmyinterruption；hewentonimpenetrablywithhiscalculations。

"Themanwillgosecond—class，andwilltakeareturn—ticket。

Verywell。Histicketincludeshisfood；and（being，thankGod，ateetotaler）hewon’twasteyourmoneyinbuyingliquoronboard。

ArrivedatNewYork，hewillgotoacheapGermanhouse，wherehewill，asIamcrediblyinformed，beboardedandlodgedattherate——"

Bythistime（mypatiencebeingcompletelywornout）Ihadtakenmycheck—bookfromthetable—drawer，hadsignedmyname，andhadhandedtheblankcheckacrossthetabletomylegaladviser。

"Fillitinwithwhateverthemanwants，"Isaid。"AndforHeaven’ssakeletusgetbacktoDexter！"

Mr。Playmorefellbackinhischair，andliftedhishandsandeyestotheceiling。Iwasnotintheleastimpressedbythatsolemnappealtotheunseenpowersofarithmeticandmoney。I

insistedpositivelyonbeingfedwithmoreinformation。

"Listentothis，"Iwenton，readingfromBenjamin’snotes。"WhatdidDextermeanwhenhesaid，’NumberNine，Caldershaws。AskforDandie。Youshan’thavetheDiary。Asecretinyourear。TheDiarywillhanghim？’HowcameDextertoknowwhatwasinmyhusband’sDiary？Andwhatdoeshemeanby’NumberNine，Caldershaws，’andtherestofit？Factsagain？"

"Factsagain！"Mr。Playmoreanswered，"muddleduptogether，asyoumaysay——butpositivefactsforallthat。Caldershaws，youmustknow，isoneofthemostdisreputabledistrictsinEdinburgh。Oneofmyclerks（whomIaminthehabitofemployingconfidentially）volunteeredtoinquirefor’Dandie’at’NumberNine。’Itwasaticklishbusinessineveryway；andmymanwiselytookapersonwithhimwhowasknownintheneighborhood。’NumberNine’turnedouttobe（ostensibly）ashopforthesaleofragsandoldiron；and’Dandie’wassuspectedoftradingnowandthen，additionally，asareceiverofstolengoods。Thankstotheinfluenceofhiscompanion，backedbyabank—note（whichcanberepaid，