"Yes,sir."
Thegirlranquicklyupthestaircase.MrSatterthwaitereturnedtotheroomhehadjustvacated.
ColonelMelrosewa.s.sayingheavily,"Well,I"mjiggered.There"smoreinthisthanmeetstheeye.It-it"slikethosedashedsillythingsheroinesdoinmanynovels."
"It"sunreal,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."It"slikesomethingonthestage."
MrQuinnodded."Yes,youadmirethedrama,doyounot?Youareamanwhoappreciatesgoodactingwhenyouseeit."
MrSatterthwaitelookedhardathim.
Inthesilencethatfollowedafar-offsoundcametotheirears.
"Soundslikeashot,"saidColonelMelrose."Oneofthekeepers,Idaresay.That"sprobablywhatsheheard.Perhapsshewentdowntosee.Shewouldn"tgocloseorexaminethebody.She"dleapatoncetotheconclusion-"
"MrDelangua,sir."Itwastheoldbutlerwhospoke,standingapologeticallyinthedoorway.
"Eh?"saidMelrose."What"sthat?"
"MrDelanguaishere,sir,andwouldliketospeaktoyouifhemay."
ColonelMelroseleanedbackinhischair."Showhimin,"hesaidgrimly.
AmomentlaterPaulDelanguastoodinthedoorway.AsColonelMelrosehadhinted,therewa.s.somethingun-Englishabouthim-theeasygraceofhismovements,thedark,handsomeface,theeyessetalittletooneartogether.TherehungabouthimtheairoftheRenaissance.HeandLauraDwightonsuggestedthesameatmosphere.
"Goodevening,gentlemen,"saidDelangua.Hemadealittletheatricalbow.
"Idon"tknowwhatyourbusinessmaybe,MrDelangua,"saidColonelMelrosesharply,"butifitisnothingtodowiththematterathand-"
Delanguainterruptedhimwithalaugh."Onthecontrary,"hesaid,"ithaseverythingtodowithit."
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"Imean,"saidDelanguaquietly,"thatIhavecometogivemyselfupforthemurderofSirJamesDwighton."
"Youknowwhatyouaresaying?"saidMelrosegravely.
"Perfectly."
Theyoungman"seyeswererivetedtothetable, "Idon"tunderstand-"
"WhyIgivemyselfup?Callitremorse-callitanythingyouplease.Istabbedhim,rightenough-youmaybequitesureofthat."Henoddedtowardthetable."You"vegottheweaponthere,Isee.Averyhandylittletool.LadyDwightonunfortunatelyleft.i.tlyingaroundinabook,andIhappenedtos.n.a.t.c.hitup."
"Oneminute,"saidColonelMelrose."AmItounderstandthatyouadmitstabbingSirJameswiththis?"Heheldthedaggeraloft.
"Quiteright.Istoleinthroughthewindow,youknow.Hehadhisbacktome.Itwasquiteeasy.Ileftthesameway."
"Throughthewindow?"
"Throughthewindow,ofcourse."
"Andwhattimewasthis?
Delanguahesitated."Letmesee-Iwastalkingtothekeeperfellow-thatwasataquarterpastsix.Iheardthechurchtowerchime.Itmusthavebeen-well,saysomewhereabouthalfpast"
AgrimsmilecametotheColonel"slips.
"Quiteright,youngman,"hesaid."Halfpastsixwasthetime.Perhapsyou"veheardthatalready?b.u.t.thisisaltogetheramostpeculiarmurder!"
"Why?"
"Somanypeopleconfesstoit,"saidColonelMelrose.
Theyheardthesharpintakeoftheother"sbreath.
"Whoelsehasconfessedtoit?"heaskedinavoicethathevainlystrovetorendersteady.
"LadyDwighton."
Delanguathrewbackhisheadandlaughedinratheraforcedmanner."LadyDwightonisapttobehysterical,"hesaidlightly."Ishouldn"tpayanyattentiontowhatshesaysifIwereyou."
"Idon"tthinkIshall,"saidMelrose."b.u.t.there"sanotheroddthingaboutthismurder."
"What"sthat?"
"Well,"saidMelrose,"LadyDwightonhasconfessedtohavingshotSirJames,andyouhaveconfessedtohavingstabbedhim.Butluckilyforbothofyou,hewasn"tshotorstabbed,yousee.Hisskullwa.s.smashedin."
"MyG.o.d!"criedDelangua."Butawomancouldn"tpossiblydothat-"
Hestopped,bitinghislip.Melrosenoddedwiththeghostofasmile.
"Oftenreadofit,"hevolunteered."Neverseenithappen."
"What?"
"Coupleofyoungidiotseachaccusingthemselvesbecausetheythoughttheotherhaddoneit,"saidMelrose."Nowwe"vegottobeginatthebeginning."
"Thevalet,"criedMrSatterthwaite."Thatgirljustnow-Iwasn"tpayinganyattentionatthetime."Hepaused,strivingforcoherence."Shewasafraidofoursuspectinghim.Theremustbesomemotivethathehadandwhichwedon"tknow,butshedoes."
ColonelMelrosefrowned,thenherangthebell.Whenitwasanswered,hesaid,"PleaseaskLadyDwightonifshewillbegoodenoughtocomedownagain."
Theywaitedinsilenceuntilshecame.AtsightofDelanguashestartedandstretchedoutahandtosaveherselffromfalling.ColonelMelrosecamequicklytotherescue.
"It"squiteallright,LadyDwighton.Pleasedon"tbealarmed."
"Idon"tunderstand.WhatisMrDelanguadoinghere?"
Delanguacameovertoher,"Laura-Laura-whydidyoudoit?"
"Doit?"
"Iknow.Itwasforme-becauseyouthoughtthatI-Afterall,itwasnatural,Isuppose.But,oh!Youangel!"
ColonelMelroseclearedhisthroat.Hewasamanwhodislikedemotionandhadahorrorofanythingapproachinga"scene."
"Ifyou"llallowmetosayso,LadyDwighton,bothyouandMrDelanguahavehadaluckyescape.Hehadjustarrivedinhisturnto"confess"tothemurder-oh,it"squiteallright,hedidn"tdoit!Butwhatwewanttoknowisthetruth.Nomoreshillyshallying.Thebutlersaysyouwentintothelibraryathalfpastsix-isthatso?"
LauralookedatDelangua.Henodded.
"Thetruth,Laura,"hesaid."Thatiswhatwewantnow."
Shebreathedadeepsigh."Iwilltellyou."
ShesankdownonachairthatMrSatterthwaitehadhurriedlypushedforward.
"Ididcomedown.IopenedthelibrarydoorandIsaw-"
Shestoppedandswallowed.MrSatterthwaiteleanedforwardandpattedherhandencouragingly.
"Yes,"hesaid."Yes.Yousaw?"
"Myhusbandwaslyingacrossthewriting-table.Isawhishead-theblood-oh!"
Sheputherhandstoherface.Thechiefconstableleanedforward.
"Excuseme,LadyDwighton.YouthoughtMrDelanguahadshothim?"
Shenodded."Forgiveme,Paul,"shepleaded."Butyousaid-yousaid-"
"ThatI"dshoothimlikeadog,"saidDelanguagrimly."Iremember.ThatwasthedayIdiscoveredhe"dbeenill-treatingyou."
Thechiefconstablekeptsternlytothematterinhand.
"ThenIamtounderstand,LadyDwighton,thatyouwentupstairsagainand-er-saidnothing.Weneedn"tgointoyourreason.Youdidn"ttouchthebodyorgonearthewriting-table?"
Sheshuddered.
"No,no.Iranstraightoutoftheroom."
"Isee,Isee.Andwhattimewasthis.e.xactly?Doyouknow?"
"ItwasjusthalfpastsixwhenIgotbacktomybedroom."
"Thenat-sayfive-and-twentypastsix,SirJameswasalreadydead."Thechiefconstablelookedattheothers."Thatclock-itwasfaked,eh?Wesuspectedthatallalong.Nothingeasierthantomovethehandstowhatevertimeyouwished,b.u.t.theymadeamistaketolayitdownonitssidelikethat.Well,thatseemstonarrowitdowntothebutlerorthevalet,andIcan"tbelieveit"sthebutler.Tellme,LadyDwighton,didthismanJenningshaveanygrudgeagainstyourhusband?"
Lauraliftedherfacefromherhands."Notexactlyagrudge,but-wellJamestoldmeonlythismorningthathe"ddismissedhim.He"dfoundhimpilfering."
"Ah!Nowwe"regettingat.i.t.Jenningswouldhavebeendismissedwithoutacharacter.Aseriousmatterforhim."
"Yousaidsomethingaboutaclock,"saidLauraDwighton."There"sjustachance-ifyouwanttofixthetime-Jameswouldhavebeensuretohavehislittlegolfwatchonhim.Mightn"tthathavebeensmashed,too,whenhefellforward?"
"It"sanidea,"saidtheColonelslowly."ButI"mafraid-Curtis!"
Theinspectornoddedinquickcomprehensionandlefttheroom.Hereturnedaminutelater.Onthepalmofhishandwasasilverwatchmarkedlikeagolfball,thekindthataresoldforgolferstocarrylooseinapocketwithb.a.l.l.s.
"Hereitis,sir,"hesaid,"butIdoubtifitwillbeanygood.They"retough,thesewatches."
TheColoneltookitfromhimandheldittohisear.
"Itseemstohavestopped,anyway,"heobserved.
Hepressedwithhisthumb,andthelidofthewatchflewopen.Insidethegla.s.swascrackedacross.
"Ah!"hesaidexultantly.
Thehandpointedtoexactlyaquarterpastsix.
"Averygoodgla.s.sofport,ColonelMelrose,"saidMrQuin.
Itwashalfpastnine,andthethreemenhadjustfinishedabelateddinneratColonelMelrose"shouse.MrSatterthwaitewasparticularlyjubilant.
"Iwasquiteright,"hechuckled."Youcan"tdenyit,MrQuin.Youturneduptonighttosavetwoabsurdyoungpeoplewhowerebothbentonputtingtheirheadsintoanoose."
"DidI?"saidMrQuin."Surelynot.Ididnothingatall."
"Asitturnedout,itwasnotnecessary,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."But.i.tmighthavebeen.Itwastouchandgo,youknow.IshallneverforgetthemomentwhenLadyDwightonsaid,"Ikilledhim."I"veneverseenanythingonthestagehalfasdramatic."
"I"minclinedtoagreewithyou,"saidMrQuin.
"Wouldn"thavebelievedsuchathingcouldhappenoutsideanovel,"declaredthecolonel,forperhapsthetwentiethtimethatnight.
"Doesit?"askedMrQuin.
Thecolonelstaredathim,"d.a.m.nit,ithappenedtonight."
"Mindyou,"interposedMrSatterthwaite,leaningbackandsippinghisport,"LadyDwightonwasmagnificent,quitemagnificent,butshemadeonemistake.Sheshouldn"thaveleapedtotheconclusionthatherhusbandhadbeenshot.InthesamewayDelanguawasafooltoa.s.sumethathehadbeenstabbedjustbecausethedaggerhappenedtobelyingonthetableinfrontofus.ItwasamerecoincidencethatLadyDwightonshouldhavebrought.i.tdownwithher."
"Wasit?"askedMrQuin.
"Nowifthey"donlyconfinedthemselvestosayingthatthey"dkilledSirJames,withoutparticularizinghow-"wentonMrSatterthwaite-"whatwouldhavebeentheresult?"
"Theymighthavebeenbelieved,"saidMrQuinwithanoddsmile.
"Thewholethingwas.e.xactlylikeanovel,"saidtheColonel.
"That"swheretheygottheideafrom,Idaresay,"saidMrQuin.
"Possibly,"agreedMrSatterthwaite."Thingsonehasreaddocomebacktooneintheoddestway."HelookedacrossatMrQuinn."Ofcourse,"hesaid,"theclockreallylookedsuspiciousfromthefirst.Oneoughtnevertoforgethoweasyitistoputthehandsofaclockorwatchforwardorback."