the red house mystery- 第30部分

〃Oh；　no；　sir。　I　just　went　in　to　Mrs。　Stevens；　and　she　said；　'Oh；　what　
was　that？'　frightened…like。　And　I　said；　'That　was　in　the　house；　Mrs。　
Stevens；　that　was。'　Just　like　something　going　off；　it　was。〃　

〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　Coroner。　

There　was　another　emotional　disturbance　in　the　room　as　Cayley　went　
into　the　witness…box；　not　〃Sensation〃　this　time；　but　an　eager　and；　as　it　
seemed　to　Antony；　sympathetic　interest。　Now　they　were　getting　to　grips　
with　the　drama。　

He　gave　his　evidence　carefully；　unemotionally　…　the　lies　with　the　same　
slow　deliberation　as　the　truth。　Antony　watched　him　intently；　wondering　
what　it　was　about　him　which　had　this　odd　sort　of　attractiveness。　For　
Antony；　who　knew　that　he　was　lying；　and　lying　（as　he　believed）　not　for　
Mark's　sake　but　his　own；　yet　could　not　help　sharing　some　of　that　general　
sympathy　with　him。　

〃Was　Mark　ever　in　possession　of　a　revolver？〃　asked　the　Coroner。　

〃Not　to　my　knowledge。　I　think　I　should　have　known　if　he　had　been。〃　

〃You　were　alone　with　him　all　that　morning。　Did　he　talk　about　this　
visit　of　Robert's　at　all？〃　

〃I　didn't　see　very　much　of　him　in　the　morning。　I　was　at　work　in　my　
room；　and　outside；　and　so　on。　We　lunched　together　and　he　talked　of　it　
then　a　little。〃　

〃In　what　terms？〃　

〃Well…〃　he　hesitated；　and　then　went　on。　〃I　can't　think　of　a　better　word　
than　'peevishly。'　Occasionally　he　said；　'What　do　you　think　he　wants？'　or　
'Why　couldn't　he　have　stayed　where　he　was？'　or　'I　don't　like　the　tone　of　his　

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letter。　Do　you　think　he　means　trouble？'　He　talked　rather　in　that　kind　of　

way。　

〃Did　he　express　his　surprise　that　his　brother　should　be　in　England？〃　

〃I　think　he　was　always　afraid　that　he　would　turn　up　one　day。〃　

〃Yes。。。。　You　didn't　hear　any　conversation　between　the　brothers　when　
they　were　in　the　office　together？〃　

〃No。　I　happened　to　go　into　the　library　just　after　Mark　had　gone　in；　
and　I　was　there　all　the　time。〃　

〃Was　the　library　door　open？〃　

〃Oh；　yes。〃　

〃Did　you　see　or　hear　the　last　witness　at　all？〃　

〃No。〃　

〃If　anybody　had　come　out　of　the　office　while　you　were　in　the　library；　
would　you　have　heard　it？〃　

〃I　think　so。　Unless　they　had　come　out　very　quietly　on　purpose。〃　

〃Would　you　call　Mark　a　hasty…tempered　man？〃　

Cayley　considered　this　carefully　before　answering。　

〃Hasty…tempered；　yes；〃　he　said。　〃But　not　violent…tempered。〃　

〃Was　he　fairly　athletic？　Active　and　quick？〃　

〃Active　and　quick；　yes。　Not　particularly　strong。〃　

〃Yes。。。。　One　question　more。　Was　Mark　in　the　habit　of　carrying　any　
considerable　sum　of　money　about　with　him？〃　

〃Yes。　He　always　had　one　100　pound　note　on　him；　and　perhaps　ten　or　
twenty　pounds　as　well。〃　

〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Cayley。〃　

Cayley　went　back　heavily　to　his　seat。　〃Damn　it；〃　said　Antony　to　
himself；　〃why　do　I　like　the　fellow？〃　

〃Antony　Gillingham！〃　

Again　the　eager　interest　of　the　room　could　be　felt。　Who　was　this　
stranger　who　had　got　mixed　up　in　the　business　so　mysteriously？　

Antony　smiled　at　Bill　and　stepped　up　to　give　his　evidence。　

He　explained　how　he　came　to　be　staying　at　the　〃George〃　at　Waldheim；　
how　he　had　heard　that　the　Red　House　was　in　the　neighbourhood；　how　he　
had　walked　over　to　see　his　friend　Beverley；　and　had　arrived　just　after　the　

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tragedy。　Thinking　it　over　afterwards　be　was　fairly　certain　that　he　had　
heard　the　shot；　but　it　had　not　made　any　impression　on　him　at　the　time。　
He　had　come　to　the　house　from　the　Waldheim　end　and　consequently　had　
seen　nothing　of　Robert　Ablett；　who　had　been　a　few　minutes　in　front　of　him。　
From　this　point　his　evidence　coincided　with　Cayley's。　

〃You　and　the　last　witness　reached　the　French　windows　together　and　
found　them　shut？〃　

〃Yes。〃　

〃You　pushed　them　in　and　came　to　the　body。　Of　course　you　had　no　
idea　whose　body　it　was？〃　

〃No。〃　

〃Did　Mr。　Cayley　say　anything？〃　

〃He　turned　the　body　over；　just　so　as　to　see　the　face；　and　when　he　saw　it；　
he　said；　'Thank　God。'　

Again　the　reporters　wrote　〃Sensation。〃　〃Did　you　understand　what　he　
meant　by　that？〃　

〃I　asked　him　who　it　was；　and　he　said　that　it　was　Robert　Ablett。　Then　he　
explained　that　he　was　afraid　at　first　it　was　the　cousin　with　whom　he　lived　
Mark。〃　

〃Yes。　Did　he　seem　upset？〃　

〃Very　much　so　at　first。　Less　when　he　found　that　it　wasn't　Mark。〃　

There　was　a　sudden　snigger　from　a　nervous　gentleman　in　the　crowd　at　
the　back　of　the　room；　and　the　Coroner　put　on　his　glasses　and　stared　sternly　
in　the　direction　from　which　it　came。　The　nervous　gentleman　hastily　
decided　that　the　time　had　come　to　do　up　his　bootlace。　The　Coroner　put　
down　his　glasses　and　continued。　

〃Did　anybody　come　out　of　the　house　while　you　were　coming　up　the　
drive？〃　

〃No。〃　

〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Gillingham。〃　

He　was　followed　by　Inspector　Birch。　The　Inspector；　realizing　that　
this　was　his　afternoon；　and　that　the　eyes　of　the　world　were　upon　him；　
produced　a　plan　of　the　house　and　explained　the　situation　of　the　different　
rooms。　The　plan　was　then　handed　to　the　jury。　

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Inspector　Birch；　so　he　told　the　world；　had　arrived　at　the　Red　House　at　

4。42　p。m。　on　the　afternoon　in　question。　He　had　been　received　by　Mr。　
Matthew　Cayley；　who　had　made　a　short　statement　to　him；　and　he　had　then　
proceeded　to　examine　the　scene　of　the　crime。　The　French　windows　had　
been　forced　from　outside。　The　door　leading　into　the　hall　was　locked；　he　
had　searched　the　room　thoroughly　and　had　found　no　trace　of　a　key。　In　
the　bedroom　leading　out　of　the　office　he　had　found　an　open　window。　
There　were　no　marks　on　the　window；　but　it　was　a　low　one；　and；　as　he　
found　from　experiment；　quite　easy　to　step　out　of　without　touching　it　with　
the　boots。　A　few　yards　outside　the　window　a　shrubbery　began。　There　
were　no　recent　footmarks　outside　the　window；　but　the　ground　was　in　a　
very　hard　condition　owing　to　the　absence　of　rain。　In　the　shrubbery；　
however；　he　found　several　twigs　on　the　ground；　recently　broken　off；　
together　with　other　evidence　that　some　body　had　been　forcing　its　way　
through。　He　had　questioned　everybody　connected　with　the　estate；　and　
none　of　them　had　been　into　the　shrubbery　recently。　By　forcing　a　way　
through　the　shrubbery　it　was　possible　for　a　person　to　make　a　detour　of　the　
house　and　get　to　the　Stanton　end　of　the　park　without　ever　being　in　sight　of　
the　house　itself。　
He　had　made　inquiries　about　the　deceased。　Deceased　had　left　for　
Australia　some　fifteen　years　ago；　owing　to　some　financial　trouble　at　home。　
Deceased　was　not　well　spoken　of　in　the　village　from　which　he　and　his　
brother　had　come。　Deceased　and　his　brother　had　never　been　on　good　
terms；　and　the　fact　that　Mark　Ablett　had　come　into　money　had　been　a　
cause　of　great　bitterness　between　them。　It　was　shortly　after　this　that　
Robert　had　left　for　Australia。　

He　had　made　inquiries　at　Stanton　station。　It　had　been　market…day　at　
Stanton　and　the　station　had　been　more　full　of　arrivals　than　usual。　
Nobody　had　particularly　noticed　the　arrival　of　Robert　Ablett；　there　had　
been　a　good　many　passengers　by　the　2。10　train　that　afternoon；　the　train　by　
which　Robert　had　undoubtedly　come　from　London。　A　witness；　however；　
would　state　that　he　noticed　a　man　resembling　Mark　Ablett　at　the　station　at　

3。53　p。m。　that　afternoon；　and　this　man　caught　the　3。55　up　train　to　town。　
There　was　a　pond　in　the　grounds　of　the　Red　House。　He　had　dragged　
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this；　but　without　result。。。。　

Antony　listened　to　him　carelessly；　thinking　his　own　thoughts　all　the　
time。　Medical　evidence　followed；　but　there　was　nothing　to　be　got　from　
that。　He　felt　so　close　to　the　truth；　at　any　moment　something　might　give　
his　brain　the　one　little　hint　which　it　wanted。　Inspector　Birch　was　just　
pursuing　the　ordinary。　Whatever　else　this　case　was；　it　was　not　ordinary。　
There　was　something　uncanny　about　it。　

John　Borden　was　giving　evidence。　He　was　on　the　up　platform　seeing　
a　friend　off　by　the　3。55　on　Tuesday　afternoon。　He　had　noticed　a　man　on　
the　platform　with　coat　collar　turned　up　and　a　scarf　round　his　chin。　He　
had　wondered　why　the　man　should　do　this　on　such　a　hot　day。　The　man　
seemed　to　be　trying　to　escape　observation。　Directly　the　train　came　in；　he　
hurried　into　a　carriage。　And　so　on。　

〃There's　always　a　John　Borden　at　every　murder　case；　said　Antony　to　
himself。　

〃Have　you　ever　seen　Mark　Ablett？〃　

〃Once　or　twice；　sir。〃　

〃Was　it　he？〃　

〃I　never　really　got　a　good　look　at　him；　sir；　what　with　his　collar　turned　
up　and　the　scarf　and　all。　But　directly　I　heard　of　the　sad　affair；　and　that　
Mr。　Ablett　was　missing；　I　said　to　Mrs。　Borden；　'Now　I　wonder　if　that　was　
Mr。　Ablett　I　saw　at　the　station？'　So　then　we　talked　it　over　and　decided　
that　I　ought　to　come　and　tell　Inspector　Birch。　It　was　just　Mr。　Ablett's　
height；　sir。〃　

Antony　went　on　with　his　thoughts。。。。　

The　Coroner　was　summing　up。　The　jury；　he　said；　had　now　heard　all　
the　evidence　and　would　have　to　decide　what　had　happened　in　that　room　
between　the　two　brothers。　How　had　the　deceased　met　his　death？　The　
medical　evidence　would　probably　satisfy　them　that　Robert　Ablett　had　died　
from　the　effects　of　a　bullet…wound　in　the　head。　Who　had　fired　that　bullet？　
If　Robert　Ablett　had　fired　it　himself；　no　doubt　they　would　bring　in　a　
verdict　of　suicide；　but　if　this　had　been　so；　where　was　the　revolver　which　
had　fired　it；　and　what　had　become　of　Mark　Ablett？　If　they　disbelieved　in　
this　possibility　of　suicide；　what　remained？　Accidental　death；　justifiable。　

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homicide；　and　murder。　Could　the　deceased　have　been　killed　accidentally？　
It　was　possible；　but　then　would　Mark　Ablett　have　run　away？　The　
evidence　that　he　had　run　away　from　the　scene　of　the　crime　was　strong。　
His　cousin　had　seen　him　go　into　the　room；　the　servant　Elsie　Wood　had　
heard　him　quarrelling　with　his　brother　in　the　room；　the　door　had　been　
locked　from　the　inside；　and　there　were　signs　that　outside　the　open　window　
some　one　had　pushed　his　way　very　recently　through　the　shrubbery。　Who；　if　
not　Mark？　They　would　have　then　to　consider　whether　he　would　have　run　
away　if　he　had　been　guiltless　of　his　brother's　death。　No　doubt　innocent