She looked at him with her sharp little eyes, and seeing nothing disreputable about him, led the way upstairs, crackling loudly the whole time. This so astonished Mr. Gorby that he cast about in his own mind for an explanation of the phenomenon.
"Wants oiling about the jints," was his conclusion, "but I never heard anything like it, and she looks as if she"d snap in two, she"s that brittle."
Mrs. Sampson took Gorby into Brian"s sitting-room, and having closed the door, sat down and prepared to hear what he had to say for himself.
"I "ope it ain"t bills," she said. "Mr. Fitzgerald "avin" money in the bank, and everythin" respectable like a gentleman as "e is, tho", to be sure, your bill might come down on him unbeknown, "e not "avin" kept it in mind, which it ain"t everybody as "ave sich a good memory as my aunt on my mother"s side, she "avin" been famous for "er dates like a "istory, not to speak of "er multiplication tables, and the numbers of people"s "ouses."
"It"s not bills," answered Mr. Gorby, who, having vainly attempted to stem the shrill torrent of words, had given in, and waited mildly until she had finished; "I only want to know a few things about Mr.
Fitzgerald"s habits."
"And what for?" asked Mrs. Sampson, indignantly. "Are you a noospaper a-putin" in articles about people who don"t want to see "emselves in print, which I knows your "abits, my late "usband "avin" bin a printer on a paper which bust up, not "avin" the money to pay wages, thro"
which, there was doo to him the sum of one pound seven and sixpence halfpenny, which I, bein" "is widder, ought to "ave, not that I expects to see it on this side of the grave--oh, dear, no!" and she gave a shrill, elfish laugh.
Mr. Gorby, seeing that unless he took the bull by the horns, he would never be able to get what he wanted, grew desperate, and plunged in MEDIAS RES.
"I am an insurance agent," he said, rapidly, so as to prevent any interruption, "and Mr. Fitzgerald desires to insure his life in our company. I, therefore, want to find out if he is a good life to insure; does he live temperately? keep early hours? and, in fact, all about him?"
"I shall be "appy to answer any enquiries which may be of use to you, sir," replied Mrs. Sampson; "knowin" as I do, "ow good a insurance is to a family, should the "ead of it be taken off unexpected, leavin" a widder, which, as I know, Mr. Fitzgerald is a-goin" to be married soon, an" I "opes "e"ll be "appy, tho" thro" it I loses a lodger as "as allays paid regler, an" be"aved like a gentleman."
"So he is a temperate man?" said Mr. Gorby, feeling his way cautiously.
"Not bein" a blue ribbing all the same," answered Mrs. Sampson; "and I never saw him the wuss for drink, "e being allays able to use his latch-key, and take "is boots off afore going to bed, which is no more than a woman ought to expect from a lodger, she "avin" to do "er own washin"."
"And he keeps good hours?"
"Allays in afore the clock strikes twelve," answered the landlady; "tho", to be sure, I uses it as a figger of speech, none of the clocks in the "ouse strikin" but one, which is bein" mended, "avin" broke through overwindin"."
"Is he always in before twelve?" asked Mr. Gorby, keenly disappointed at this answer.
Mrs. Sampson eyed him waggishly, and a smile crept over her wrinkled little face.
"Young men, not bein" old men," she replied, cautiously, "and sinners not bein" saints, it"s not nattral as latch-keys should be made for ornament instead of use, and Mr. Fitzgerald bein" one of the "andsomest men in Melbourne, it ain"t to be expected as "e should let "is latch-key git rusty, tho" "avin" a good moral character, "e uses it with moderation."
"But I suppose you are seldom awake when he comes in really late," said the detective.
"Not as a rule," a.s.sented Mrs. Sampson; "bein" a "eavy sleeper, and much disposed for bed, but I "ave "eard "im come in arter twelve, the last time bein" Thursday week."
"Ah!" Mr. Gorby drew a long breath, for Thursday week was the night upon which the murder was committed.
"Bein" troubled with my "ead," said Mrs. Sampson, "thro" "avin" been out in the sun all day a-washin", I did not feel so partial to my bed that night as in general, so went down to the kitching with the intent of getting a linseed poultice to put at the back of my "ead, it being calculated to remove pain, as was told to me, when a nuss, by a doctor in the horspital, "e now bein" in business for hisself, at Geelong, with a large family, "avin" married early. Just as I was leavin" the kitching I "eard Mr. Fitzgerald a-comin" in, and, turnin" round, looked at the clock, that "avin" been my custom when my late "usband came in, in the early mornin", I bein" a-preparin" "is meal."
"And the time was?" asked Mr. Gorby, breathlessly.
"Five minutes to two o"clock," replied Mrs. Sampson. Mr. Gorby thought for a moment.
"Cab was hailed at one o"clock--started for St. Kilda at about ten minutes past--reached Grammar School, say, at twenty-five minutes past--Fitzgerald talks five minutes to cabman, making it half-past--say, he waited ten minutes for other cab to turn up, makes it twenty minutes to two--it would take another twenty minutes to get to East Melbourne--and five minutes to walk up here--that makes it five minutes past two instead of before--confound it. "Was your clock in the kitchen right?"" he asked, aloud.
"Well, I think so," answered Mrs. Sampson. "It does get a little slow sometimes, not "avin" been cleaned for some time, which my nevy bein" a watchmaker I allays "ands it over to "im."
"Of course it was slow on that night," said Gorby, triumphantly.
"He must have come in at five minutes past two--which makes it right."
"Makes what right?" asked the landlady, sharply. "And "ow do you know my clock was ten minutes wrong?"
"Oh, it was, was it?" asked Gorby, eagerly.
"I"m not denyin" of it," replied Mrs. Sampson; "clocks ain"t allays to be relied on more than men an" women--but it won"t be anythin" agin "is insurance, will it, as in general "e"s in afore twelve?"
"Oh, all that will be quite safe," answered the detective, delighted with the information he had obtained. "Is this Mr. Fitzgerald"s room?"
"Yes, it is," replied the landlady; "but "e furnished it "imself, bein"
of a luxurus turn of mind, not but what "is taste is good, tho" far be it from me to deny I "elped "im to select; but "avin" another room of the same to let, any friends as you might "ave in search of a "ome "ud be well looked arter, my references bein" very "igh, an" my cookin"
tasty--an" if--"
Here a ring at the front door bell called Mrs. Sampson away, so with a hurried word to Gorby she crackled downstairs. Left to himself, Mr.
Gorby arose and looked round the room. It was excellently furnished, and the pictures were good. At one end of the room, by the window, there was a writing-table covered with papers.
"It"s no good looking for the papers he took out of Whyte"s pocket, I suppose," said the detective to himself, as he turned over some letters, "as I don"t know what they are, and I couldn"t tell them if I saw them; but I"d like to find that missing glove and the bottle that held the chloroform--unless he"s done away with them. There doesn"t seem any sign of them here, so I"ll have a look in his bedroom."
There was no time to lose, as Mrs. Sampson might return at any moment, so Mr. Gorby walked quickly into the bedroom, which opened off the sitting-room. The first thing that caught the detective"s eye was a large photograph, in a plush frame, of Madge Frettlby. It stood on the dressing-table, and was similar to that one which he had already seen in Whyte"s alb.u.m. He took it up with a laugh.
"You"re a pretty girl," he said, apostrophising the picture, "but you give your photograph to two young men, both in love with you, and both hot-tempered. The result is that one is dead, and the other won"t survive him long. That"s what you"ve done."
He put it down again, and looking round the room, caught sight of a light covert coat hanging behind the door and also a soft hat.
"Ah," said the detective, going up to the door, "here is the very coat you wore when you killed that poor fellow. Wonder what you have in the pockets," and he plunged his hand into them in turn. There were an old theatre programme and a pair of brown gloves in one, but in the second pocket Mr. Gorby made a discovery--none other than that of the missing glove. There it was--a soiled white glove for the right hand, with black bands down the back; and the detective smiled in a gratified manner as he put it carefully in his pocket.
"My morning has not been wasted," he said to himself. "I"ve found out that he came in at a time which corresponds to all his movements after one o"clock on Thursday night, and this is the missing glove, which clearly belonged to Whyte. If I could only get hold of the chloroform bottle I"d be satisfied."
But the chloroform bottle was not to be found, though he searched most carefully for it. At last, hearing Mrs. Sampson coming upstairs again, he gave up the search, and came back to the sitting-room.
"Threw it away, I suspect," he said, as he sat down in his, old place; "but it doesn"t matter. I think I can form a chain of evidence, from what I have discovered, which will be sufficient to convict him.
Besides, I expect when he is arrested he will confess everything; he seems to feel remorse for what he has done."
The door opened, and Mrs. Sampson entered the room in a state of indignation.
"One of them Chinese "awkers," she explained, ""e"s bin a-tryin" to git the better of me over carrots--as if I didn"t know what carrots was--and "im a-talkin" about a shillin" in his gibberish, as if "e "adn"t been brought up in a place where they don"t know what a shillin"
is. But I never could abide furreigners ever since a Frenchman, as taught me "is language, made orf with my mother"s silver tea-pot, unbeknown to "er, it bein" set out on the sideboard for company."
Mr. Gorby interrupted these domestic reminiscences of Mrs. Sampson"s by stating that, now she had given him all necessary information, he would take his departure.
"An" I "opes," said Mrs. Sampson, as she opened the door for him, "as I"ll "ave the pleasure of seein" you again should any business on be"alf of Mr. Fitzgerald require it."
"Oh, I"ll see you again," said Mr. Gorby, with heavy jocularity, "and in a way you won"t like, as you"ll be called as a witness," he added, mentally. "Did I understand you to say, Mrs. Sampson," he went on, "that Mr. Fitzgerald would be at home this afternoon?"
"Oh, yes, sir, "e will," answered Mrs. Sampson, "a-drinkin" tea with his young lady, who is Miss Frettlby, and "as got no end of money, not but what I mightn"t "ave "ad the same "ad I been born in a "igher spear."
"You need not tell Mr. Fitzgerald I have been here," said Gorby, closing the gate; "I"ll probably call and see him myself this afternoon."