the darrow enigma-第10章

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something　which　may　bear　upon　the　case　in　hand。　　You　will　remember
that　part　of　the　gravel　for　redressing　the　croquet　ground　was　dumped
under　the　east　window　there。　　The　painters；　I　learn；　finished
painting　that　side　of　the　house　yesterday　forenoon　before　the　gravel
was　removed　and　placed　upon　the　ground；　so　that　any　footprints　they
may　have　made　in　it　while　about　their　work　were　obliterated。　　As　you
see；　there　was　loose　gravel　left　under　the　window　to　the　depth　of
about　two　inches。　　I　carefully　examined　this　gravel　this　morning　…=20
there　were　no　footprints。〃

I　glanced　at　Gwen；　her　face　had　a　set　expression；　and　she　was　deathly
pale。　　〃There　were；　however；〃　he　continued；　〃places　where　the　gravel
had　been　tamped　down　as　if　by　the　pressure　of　a　rectangular　board。
I　examined　these　minutely　and；　by　careful　measurement　and　close
scrutiny　of　some　peculiar　markings　suggestive　of　the　grain　of　wood；
satisfied　myself　that　the　depressions　in　the　gravel　were　made　by　two；
and　not；　as　I　had　at　first　thought；　by　one　small　piece　of　wood。　　I
found　further　that　these　two　boards　had　always　borne　certain　relative
relations　to　each　other；　and　that　when　one　had　been　turned　around
the　other　had　undergone　a　similar　rotation。　　This　last　is；　in　my　mind；
a　most　important　point；　for；　when　coupled　with　the　fact　that　between
any　two　impressions　of　the　same　board　the　distance　was　sensibly
constant；　and　was　that　of　a　short　stride；　there　could　be　no　reasonable
doubt　but　these　boards　had　been　worn　upon　some　person's　feet。　　They
could　not　have　been　thrown　down　merely　to　be　stepped　upon；　for；　in
that　case；　they　would　not　have　borne　fixed　relations　to　each　other
　…　probably　would　not　have　been　turned　end　for　end　at　all　…　and
certainly；　both　would　not　always　have　happened　to　get　turned　at　the
same　time。　　I　procured　a　board　of　the　combined　area　of　the　two
supposed　to　have　made　the　impressions　in　the　gravel；　and　weighted　it
down　until；　as　nearly　as　I　could　measure；　it　impacted　the　soil　to
the　same　extent　the　others　had。　　The　weight　was　one　hundred　and
thirty…five　pounds；　which　is　about　right　for　a　man　five　feet　five
inches　tall。　　The　position　of　the　depressions　in　the　gravel　indicated
a　stride　just　about　right　for　a　man　of　that　height。

〃There　was　one　other　most　important　discovery　which　I　made　after　I
had　divided　the　impressions　into　two　classes　…　according　as　they
were　produced　by　the　right　or　left　board　…　which　was　that　when　the
right　foot　was　thrown　forward　the　stride　was　from　three　to　four
inches　longer　than　when　the　left　foot　led。　　Directly　under　the
window　there　was　a　deep　impression　in　the　sand。　　I　took　a　plaster
cast　of　it；　and　here　it　is；〃　he　said；　producing　an　excellent
facsimile　of　a　closed　hand。　　〃There　can　be　little　doubt；〃　he
continued；　〃from　the　position　occupied　by　the　depression；　of　which
this　is　a　reverse　copy；　that　it　was　either　accidentally　made　by
someone　who；　stooping　before　the　east　window　to　avoid　obstructing
its　light；　suddenly　lost　his　balance　and　regained　his　equilibrium
by　thus　thrusting　out　his　hand；　or　…　and　this　seems　far　more　likely
to　me　…　that　the　hand　was　deliberately　placed　in　the　gravel　in　order
to　steady　its　possessor　while　he　performed　some　peculiar　operation。〃

At　this　point　I　ventured　to　ask　why　he　regarded　the　latter　view　as
so　much　more　tenable　than　the　former。　　〃There　are　several　reasons；〃
he　replied；　〃which　render　the　view　I　prefer　to　take　all　but　certain。
First；　the　impression　was　made　by　the　left　hand。　　Second；　it　is　the
impression　of　a　closed　hand；　with　the　upper　joints　of　the　fingers
undermost。　　Did　you　ever　know　one　to　save　himself　from　falling　by
thrusting　out　a　closed　hand？　　Certainly　not。　　There　is　a　certain
amount　of　fear；　however　slight；　invariably　associated　with　losing
one's　balance。　　This　sentiment；　so　far　as　the　hand　is　concerned；　is
expressed　by　opening　it　and　spreading　the　fingers。　　This　he　would
instinctively　have　done；　if　falling。　　Then　there　is　the　position　of
the　impression　relative　to　the　window　and　some　slight　testimony　upon
the　sill　and　glass；　for　the　thorough　investigation　of　which　I　have
been　obliged　to　await　my　microscope。　　I　have　worked　diligently；　but
that　is　all　I　have　been　able　to　accomplish。〃

〃All！〃　exclaimed　Gwen；　regarding　him　with　ill…concealed　admiration。
〃It　seems　to　me　a　very　great　deal。　　The　thoroughness；　the　minuteness
of　it　all；　overwhelms　me；　but；　tell　me；　have　your　discoveries　led
you　to　any　conclusion？〃　〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃nothing　definite　yet；　I
must　not　allow　myself　to　become　wedded　to　any　theory；　so　long　as
there　is　anything　further　to　be　learned。　　If　I　were　to　hazard　a　few
idle　guesses；　I　should　say　your　father　was　murdered　in　some
mysterious　way　…　by　a　person　about　five　feet　five　inches　tall；
weighing；　say；　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　pounds；　and　having　a　lame
leg；　or；　perhaps；　one　limb　shorter　than　the　other；　…　at　all　events
having　some　deformity　or　ailment　causing　a　variation　in　the　length
of　the　strides。　　I　should　guess　also　that　this　person's　feet　had　some
marked　peculiarity；　since　such　pains　had　been　taken　to　conceal　the
footprints。　　Then　the　cast　of　the　hand　here　encourages　speculation。
Fingers　long；　slim；　and　delicate；　save　at　the　nails；　where；　with　the
exception　of　the　little　finger；　are　to　be　found　unmistakable　signs
of　the　habit　of　biting　the　nails；　…　see；　here　are　the　hang…nails；
　…　but；　strange　to　say；　the　nail　of　the　little　finger　has　been
spared；　and　suffered　to　grow　to　an　unusual　length。　　I　ask　myself　why
this　particular　nail　has　been　so　favoured；　and　can　only　answer；
'because　it　has　some　peculiar　use。'　　It　is　clear　this　is　not　the　hand
of　a　manual　labourer；　the　joints　are　too　small；　the　fingers　too
delicate；　the　texture　of　the　skin；　which　is　clearly　visible；　much　too
fine　…　in　short；　wouldn't　it　pass　anywhere　for　a　woman's　hand？　　Say　a
woman　who　bit　her　nails。　　If　it　were　really　such　there　would　be　a
pair　of　feminine　feet　also　to　be　concealed；　and　boards　would　do　it
very　nicely　…　but　this　is　all　guesswork；　and　must　not　be　allowed　to
affect　any　subsequent　conclusions。　　If　you　will　excuse　me　a　few
minutes　I　will　use　the　microscope　a　little　on　the　sill　of　the　east
window　before　we　are　interrupted　by　our　friends　the　officers；　who
will　be　sure　to　be　here　soon。〃

While　Maitland　was　thus　engaged　I　did　all　in　my　power　to　distract
Gwen's　attention；　as　much　as　possible；　from　her　father's　body。
Whenever　she　regarded　it；　the　same　intense　and　set　expression
overspread　her　countenance　as　that　which　at　first　had　alarmed　me。
I　was　glad　when　Maitland　returned　from　the　window　and　began　mixing
some　of　the　chemicals　I　had　brought　him；　for　Gwen　invariably
followed　all　his　movements；　as　if　her　very　existence　depended　upon
her　letting　nothing　escape　her。　　Maitland；　who　had　asked　me　for　a
prescription　blank；　now　dipped　it　in　the　chemicals　he　had　mixed
and；　this　accomplished；　put　the　paper　in　his　microscope　box　to　dry。

〃I　have　something　here；〃　；he　said；　〃which　I　desire　to　photograph
quite　as　much　as　this　room　and　some　of　its　larger　objects；〃　and　he
pinned　a　tiny；　crumpled　mass　against　the　wall；　and　made　an　exposure
of　it　in　that　condition。　　〃Do　you　know　what　this　is？〃　he　said；　as
he　carefully　smoothed　it　out　for　another　picture。　　〃I　haven't　the
slightest　idea；〃　I　said。　　〃It　is　plain　enough　under　the　microscope；〃
he　continued；　placing　it　upon　the　slide；　and　adjusting　the　focus。
〃Would　you　like　to　examine　it；　Miss　Darrow？〃　　Gwen　had　scarcely　put
her　eye　to　the　instrument　before　she　exclaimed：　〃Why；　it's　a　piece
of　thin　outside　bark　from　a　twig　of　alder。〃　　Maitland's　face　was　a
study。。。　　〃Would　you　mind　telling　me；〃　he　said　deliberately；　〃how
you　found　that　out　so　quickly？〃　　She　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then
said　methodically；　pointing　toward　the　water；　〃I　know　the　alder　well
…　our　boat　is　moored　near　a　clump　of　them。〃　　〃You　are　a　keen
observer；〃　he　replied；　as　he　took　the　prepared　paper　from　his　box
and　spread　the　film　of　bark　upon　it　to　take　a　blue　print　of　it。
〃There　is　one　other　object　upon　the　sill　which；　unfortunately；　I
cannot　take　away　with　me；〃　he　continued；　〃but　shall　have　to　content
myself　with　photographing。　　I　refer　to　a　sinuous　line　made　in　the
paint