the red house mystery-第13章

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〃No。　It　spoilt　the　effect　of　his　tournament。　Took　the　edge　off　it　just　
a　little；　I　suppose　he　felt。　So　we　didn't　play。〃　He　laughed；　and　added；　
〃It　would　have　been　as　much　as　our　place　was　worth　to　have　played。〃　

〃Do　you　mean　you　wouldn't　have　been　asked　here　again？〃　

〃Probably。　Well；　I　don't　know。　Not　for　some　time；　anyway。〃　

〃Really；　Bill？〃　

〃Oh；　rather！　He's　a　devil　for　taking　offence。　That　Miss　Norris　did　
you　see　her？　she's　done　for　herself。　I　don't　mind　betting　what　you　like　
that　she　never　comes　here　again。〃　

〃Why？〃　

Bill　laughed　to　himself。　

〃We　were　all　in　it；　really　…　at　least；　Betty　and　I　were。　There's　
supposed　to　be　a　ghost　attached　to　the　house。　Lady　Anne　Patten。　Ever　
heard　of　her？〃　

〃Never。〃　

〃Mark　told　us　about　her　at　dinner　one　night。　He　rather　liked　the　idea　
of　there　being　a　ghost　in　his　house；　you　know；　except　that　he　doesn't　
believe　in　ghosts。　I　think　he　wanted　all　of　us　to　believe　in　her；　and　yet　he　
was　annoyed　with　Betty　and　Mrs。　Calladine　for　believing　in　ghosts　at　all。　
Rum　chap。　Well；　anyhow；　Miss　Norris　…　she's　an　actress；　some　actress　
too　…　dressed　up　as　the　ghost　and　played　the　fool　a　bit。　And　poor　Mark　
was　frightened　out　of　his　life。　Just　for　a　moment；　you　know。〃　

〃What　about　the　others？〃　

〃Well；　Betty　and　I　knew；　in　fact；　I'd　told　her　…　Miss　Norris　I　mean　…　not　
to　be　a　silly　ass。　Knowing　Mark。　Mrs。　Calladine　wasn't　there　…　Betty　
wouldn't　let　her　be。　As　for　the　Major；　I　don't　believe　anything　would　

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frighten　him。〃　

〃Where　did　the　ghost　appear？〃　

〃Down　by　the　bowling…green。　That's　supposed　to　be　its　haunt；　you　
know。　We　were　all　down　there　in　the　moonlight；　pretending　to　wait　for　it。　
Do　you　know　the　bowling…green？〃　

〃No。〃　

〃I'll　show　it　to　you　after　dinner。〃　

〃I　wish　you　would。。。。　Was　Mark　very　angry　afterwards？〃　

〃Oh；　Lord；　yes。　Sulked　for　a　whole　day。　Well；　he's　just　like　that。〃　

〃Was　he　angry　with　all　of　you？〃　

〃Oh；　yes　sulky；　you　know。〃　

〃This　morning。？〃　

〃Oh；　no。　He　got　over　it　he　generally　does。　He's　just　like　a　child。　
That's　really　it；　Tony；　he's　like　a　child　in　some　ways。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　
he　was　unusually　bucked　with　himself　this　morning。　And　yesterday。〃　

〃Yesterday？〃　

〃Rather。　We　all　said　we'd　never　seen　him　in　such　form。〃　

〃Is　he　generally　in　form？〃　

〃He's　quite　good　company；　you　know；　if　you　take　him　the　right　way。　
He's　rather　vain　and　childish　well；　like　I've　been　telling　you　and　self…
important；　but　quite　amusing　in　his　way；　and　…〃　Bill　broke　off　suddenly。　
〃I　say；　you　know；　it　really　is　the　limit；　talking　about　your　host　like　this。〃　

〃Don't　think　of　him　as　your　host。　Think　of　him　as　a　suspected　
murderer　with　a　warrant　out　against　him。〃　

〃Oh！　but　that's　all　rot；　you　know。〃　

〃It's　the　fact；　Bill。〃　

〃Yes；　but　I　mean；　he　didn't　do　it。　He　wouldn't　murder　anybody。　It's　a　
funny　thing　to　say；　but　well；　he's　not　big　enough　for　it。　He's　got　his　faults；　
like　all　of　us；　but　they　aren't　on　that　scale。〃　

〃One　can　kill　anybody　in　a　childish　fit　of　temper。〃　

Bill　grunted　assent；　but　without　prejudice　to　Mark。　〃All　the　same；〃　
he　said；　〃I　can't　believe　it。　That　he　would　do　it　deliberately；　I　mean。〃　

〃Suppose　it　was　an　accident；　as　Cayley　says；　would　he　lose　his　head　
and　run　away？〃　

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Bill　considered　for　a　moment。　

〃Yes；　I　really　think　he　might；　you　know。　He　nearly　ran　away　when　he　
saw　the　ghost。　Of　course；　that's　different；　rather。〃　

〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　In　each　case　it's　a　question　of　obeying　your　
instinct　instead　of　your　reason。〃　

They　had　left　the　open　land　and　were　following　a　path　through　the　
bordering　trees：　Two　abreast　was　uncomfortable；　so　Antony　dropped　
behind；　and　further　conversation　was　postponed　until　they　were　outside　
the　boundary　fence　and　in　the　high　road。　The　road　sloped　gently　down　to　
the　village　of　Waldheim　a　few　red…roofed　cottages；　and　the　grey　tower　of　a　
church　showing　above　the　green。　

〃Well；　now；〃　said　Antony；　as　they　stepped　out　more　quickly；　〃what　
about　Cayley？〃　

〃How　do　you　mean；　what　about　him？〃　

〃I　want　to　see　him。　I　can　see　Mark　perfectly；　thanks　to　you；　Bill。　You　
were　wonderful。　Now　let's　have　Cayley's　character。　Cayley　from　
within。〃　

Bill　laughed　in　pleased　embarrassment；　and　protested　that　he　was　not　a　
blooming　novelist。　

〃Besides；〃　he　added；　〃Mark's　easy。　Cayley's　one　of　these　heavy；　quiet　
people；　who　might　be　thinking　about　anything。　Mark　gives　himself　
away。。。。　Ugly；　black…jawed　devil；　isn't　he？〃　

〃Some　women　like　that　type　of　ugliness。〃　

〃Yes；　that's　true。　Between　ourselves；　I　think　there's　one　here　who　
does。　Rather　a　pretty　girl　at　Jallands〃　he　waved　his　left　hand　〃down　that　
way。〃　

〃What's　Jallands？〃　

〃Well；　I　suppose　it　used　to　be　a　farm；　belonging　to　a　bloke　called　
Jalland；　but　now　it's　a　country　cottage　belonging　to　a　widow　called　
Norbury。　Mark　and　Cayley　used　to　go　there　a　good　deal　together。　Miss　
Norbury　…　the　girl　…　has　been　here　once　or　twice　for　tennis；　seemed　to　
prefer　Cayley　to　the　rest　of　us。　But　of　course　he　hadn't　much　time　for　
that　sort　of　thing。〃　

〃What　sort　of　thing？〃　

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〃Walking　about　with　a　pretty　girl　and　asking　her　if　she's　been　to　any　
theatres　lately。　He　nearly　always　had　something　to　do。〃　

〃Mark　kept　him　busy？〃　

〃Yes。　Mark　never　seemed　quite　happy　unless　he　had　Cayley　doing　
something　for　him。　He　was　quite　lost　and　helpless　without　him。　And；　
funnily　enough；　Cayley　seemed　lost　without　Mark。〃　

〃He　was　fond　of　him？〃　

〃Yes；　I　should　say　so。　In　a　protective　kind　of　way。　He'd　sized　Mark　
up；　of　course　his　vanity；　his　self…importance；　his　amateurishness　and　all　the　
rest　of　it　but　he　liked　looking　after　him。　And　he　knew　how　to　manage　
him。〃　

〃Yes。。。。　What　sort　of　terms　was　he　on　with　the　guests　…　you　and　Miss　
Norris　and　all　of　them？〃　

〃Just　polite　and　rather　silent；　you　know。　Keeping　himself　to　himself。　
We　didn't　see　so　very　much　of　him；　except　at　meals。　We　were　here　to　
enjoy　ourselves；　and　well；　he　wasn't。〃　

〃He　wasn't　there　when　the　ghost　walked？〃　

〃No。　I　heard　Mark　calling　for　him　when　he　went　back　to　the　house。　I　
expect　Cayley　stroked　down　his　feathers　a　bit；　and　told　him　that　girls　will　
be　girls。。。。　…　Hallo；　here　we　are。　

They　went　into　the　inn；　and　while　Bill　made　himself　pleasant　to　the　
landlady；　Antony　went　upstairs　to　his　room。　It　appeared　that　he　had　not　
very　much　packing　to　do；　after　all。　He　returned　his　brushes　to　his　bag；　
glanced　sound　to　see　that　nothing　else　had　been　taken　out；　and　went　down　
again　to　settle　his　bill。　He　had　decided　to　keep　on　his　room　for　a　few　
days；　partly　to　save　the　landlord　and　his　wife　the　disappointment　of　losing　
a　guest　so　suddenly；　partly　in　case　he　found　it　undesirable　later　on　to　
remain　at　The　Red　House。　For　he　was　taking　himself　seriously　as　a　
detective；　indeed；　he　took　himself　seriously　（while　getting　all　the　fun　out　
of　it　which　was　possible）　at　every　new　profession　he　adopted；　and　he　felt　
that　there　might　come　a　time　after　the　inquest；　say　when　he　could　not　
decently　remain　at　The　Red　House　as　a　guest；　a　friend　of　Bill's；　enjoying　
the　hospitality　of　Mark　or　Cayley；　whichever　was　to　be　regarded　as　his　
host；　without　forfeiting　his　independent　attitude　towards　the　events　of　that　

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afternoon。　At　present　he　was　staying　in　the　house　merely　as　a　necessary　
witness；　and；　since　he　was　there；　Cayley　could　not　object　to　him　using　his　
eyes；　but　if；　after　the　inquest；　it　appeared　that　there　was　still　work　for　a　
pair　of　independent　and　very　keen　eyes　to　do；　then　he　must　investigate；　
either　with　his　host's　approval　or　from　beneath　the　roof　of　some　other　host；　
the　landlord　of　〃The　George；〃　for　instance；　who　had　no　feelings　in　the　
matter。　

For　of　one　thing　Antony　was　certain。　Cayley　knew　more　than　he　
professed　to　know。　That　is　to　say；　he　knew　more　than　he　wanted　other　
people　to　know　he　knew。　Antony　was　one　of　the　〃other　people〃；　if；　
therefore；　he　was　for　trying　to　find　out　what　it　was　that　Cayley　knew；　he　
could　hardly　expect　Cayley's　approval　of　his　labours。　It　would　be　〃