the red house mystery-第25章

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him；　which　may　possibly　have　been　overheard。　What　is　he　to　do？　He　
does　the　natural　thing；　the　thing　which　Mark　would　always　do　in　such　
circumstances。　He　consults　Cayley；　the　invaluable；　inevitable　Cayley。　

〃Cayley　is　just　outside；　Cayley　must　have　heard　the　shot；　Cayley　will　
tell　him　what　to　do。　He　opens　the　door　just　as　Cayley　is　coming　to　see　
what　is　the　matter。　He　explains　rapidly。　'What's　to　be　done；　Cay？　
what's　to　be　done？。　It　was　an　accident。　I　swear　it　was　an　accident。　He　
threatened　me。　He　would　have　shot　me　if　I　hadn't。　Think　of　something；　
quick！'　

〃Cayley　has　thought　of　something。　'Leave　it　to　me；'　he　says。　'You　
clear　out　altogether。　I　shot　him；　if　you　like。　I'll　do　all　the　explaining。　
Get　away。　Hide。　Nobody　saw　you　go　in。　Into　the　passage；　quick。　I'll　
come　to　you　there　as　soon　as　I　can。'　

〃Good　Cayley。　Faithful　Cayley！　Mark's　courage　comes　back。　
Cayley　will　explain　all　right。　Cayley　will　tell　the　servants　that　it　was　an　
accident。　He　will　ring　up　the　police。　Nobody　will　suspect　Cayley　…
Cayley　has　no　quarrel　with　Robert。　And　then　Cayley　will　come　into　the　
passage　and　tell　him　that　it　is　all　right；　and　Mark　will　go　out　by　the　other　
end；　and　saunter　slowly　back　to　the　house。　He　will　be　told　the　news　by　
one　of　the　servants。　Robert　accidentally　shot？　Good　Heavens！　

〃So；　greatly　reassured；　Mark　goes　into　the　library。　And　Cayley　goes　

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to　the　door　of　the　office。。。。　and　locks　it。　And　then　he　bangs　on　the　door　

and　shouts；　'Let　me　in！'　

Antony　was　silent。　Bill　looked　at　him　and　shook　his　head。　

〃Yes；　Tony；　but　that　doesn't　make　sense。　What's　the　point　of　Cayley　
behaving　like　that？〃　

Antony　shrugged　his　shoulders　without　answering。　

〃And　what　has　happened　to　Mark　since？〃　

Antony　shrugged　his　shoulders　again。　

〃Well；　the　sooner　we　go　into　that　passage；　the　better；〃　said　Bill。　

〃You're　ready　to　go？〃　

〃Quite；〃　said　Bill；　surprised。　

〃You're　quite　ready　for　what　we　may　find？〃　

〃You're　being　dashed　mysterious；　old　boy。〃　

〃I　know　I　am。〃　He　gave　a　little　laugh；　and　went　on；　〃Perhaps　I'm　
being　an　ass；　just　a　melodramatic　ass。　Well；　I　hope　I　am。〃　He　looked　at　
his　watch。　

〃It's　safe；　is　it？　They're　still　busy　at　the　pond？〃　

〃We'd　better　make　certain。　Could　you　be　a　sleuthhound；　Bill　…　one　of　
those　that　travel　on　their　stomachs　very　noiselessly？　I　mean；　could　you　
get　near　enough　to　the　pond　to　make　sure　that　Cayley　is　still　there；　without　
letting　him　see　you？〃　

〃Rather！〃　He　got　up　eagerly。　〃You　wait。〃　

Antony's　head　shot　up　suddenly。　〃Why；　that　was　what　Mark　said；〃　he　
cried。　

〃Mark？〃　

〃Yes。　What　Elsie　heard　him　say。〃　

〃Oh；　that。〃　

〃Yes　I　suppose　she　couldn't　have　made　a　mistake；　Bill？　She　did　hear　
him？〃　

〃She　couldn't　have　mistaken　his　voice；　if　that's　what　you　mean。　

〃Oh？〃　

〃Mark　had　an　extraordinary　characteristic　voice。〃　

〃Oh！〃　

〃Rather　high…pitched；　you　know；　and　well；　one　can't　explain；　but　…〃　

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〃Yes？〃　

〃Well；　rather　like　this；　you　know；　or　even　more　so　if　anything。〃　He　
rattled　these　words　off　in　Mark's　rather　monotonous；　high…pitched　voice；　
and　then　laughed；　and　added　in　his　natural　voice；　〃I　say；　that　was　really　
rather　good。〃　

Antony　nodded　quickly。　〃That　was　like　it？〃　he　said。　

〃Exactly。〃　

〃Yes。〃　He　got　up　and　squeezed　Bill's　arm。　〃Well　just　go　and　see　
about　Cayley；　and　then　we'll　get　moving。　I　shall　be　in　the　library。〃　

〃Right。〃　

Bill　nodded　and　walked　off　in　the　direction　of　the　pond。　This　was　
glorious　fun；　this　was　life。　The　immediate　programme　could　hardly　be　
bettered。　First　of　all　he　was　going　to　stalk　Cayley。　There　was　a　little　
copse　above　the　level　of　the　pond；　and　about　a　hundred　yards　away　from　it。　
He　would　come　into　this　from　the　back；　creep　cautiously　through　it；　taking　
care　that　no　twigs　cracked；　and　then；　drawing　himself　on　his　stomach　to　
the　edge；　peer　down　upon　the　scene　below　him。　People　were　always　
doing　that　sort　of　thing　in　books；　and　he　had　been　filled　with　a　hopeless　
envy　of　them；　well；　now　he　was　actually　going　to　do　it　himself。　What　
fun！　

And　then；　when　he　had　got　back　unobserved　to　the　house　and　reported　
to　Antony；　they　were　going　to　explore　the　secret　passage！　Again；　what　
fun！　Unfortunately　there　seemed　to　be　no　chance　of　buried　treasure；　but　
there　might　be　buried　clues。　Even　if　you　found　nothing；　you　couldn't　get　
away　from　the　fact　that　a　secret　passage　was　a　secret　passage；　and　
anything　might　happen　in　it。　But　even　that　wasn't　the　end　of　this　exciting　
day。　They　were　going　to　watch　the　pond　that　night；　they　were　going　to　
watch　Cayley　under　the　moonlight；　watch　him　as　he　threw　into　the　silence　
of　the　pond　what？　The　revolver？　Well；　anyhow；　they　were　going　to　
watch　him。　What　fun！　

To　Antony；　who　was　older　and　who　realized　into　what　deep　waters　
they　were　getting；　it　did　not　seem　fun。　But　it　was　amazingly　interesting。　
He　saw　so　much；　and　yet　somehow　it　was　all　out　of　focus。　It　was　like　
looking　at　an　opal；　and　discovering　with　every　movement　of　it　some　new　

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colour；　some　new　gleam　of　light　reflected；　and　yet　never　really　seeing　the　
opal　as　a　whole。　He　was　too　near　it；　or　too　far　away；　he　strained　his　eyes　
and　he　relaxed　his　eyes；　it　was　no　good。　His　brain　could　not　get　hold　of　it。　

But　there　were　moments　when　he　almost　had　it。。。。　and　then　turned　
away　from　it。　He　had　seen　more　of　life　than　Bill；　but　he　had　never　seen　
murder　before；　and　this　which　was　in　his　mind　now；　and　to　which　he　was　
afraid　to　listen；　was　not　just　the　hot…blooded　killing　which　any　man　may　
come　to　if　he　lose　control。　It　was　something　much　more　horrible。　Too　
horrible　to　be　true。　Then　let　him　look　again　for　the　truth。　He　looked　
again　but　it　was　all　out　of　focus。　

〃I　will　not　look　again；〃　he　said　aloud；　as　he　began　to　walk　towards　the　
house。　〃Not　yet；　anyway。〃　He　would　go　on　collecting　facts　and　
impressions。　Perhaps　the　one　fact　would　come　along；　by　itself　which　
would　make　everything　clear。　

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CHAPTER　XIV　

Mr。　Beverley　Qualifies　for　the　Stage　

Bill　had　come　back；　and　had　reported；　rather　breathless；　that　Cayley　
was　still　at　the　pond。　
〃But　I　don't　think　they're　getting　up　much　except　mud；〃　he　said。　〃I　

ran　most　of　the　way　back　so　as　to　give　us　as　much　time　as　possible。〃　

Antony　nodded。　

〃Well；　come　along；　then；〃　he　said。　〃The　sooner；　the　quicker。〃　

They　stood　in　front　of　the　row　of　sermons。　Antony　took　down　the　

Reverend　Theodore　Ussher's　famous　volume；　and　felt　for　the　spring。　Bill　

pulled。　The　shelves　swung　open　towards　them。　

〃By　Jove！〃　said　Bill；　〃it　is　a　narrow　way。　

There　was　an　opening　about　a　yard　square　in　front　of　them；　which　had　

something　the　look　of　a　brick　fireplace；　a　fireplace　raised　about　two　feet　
from　the　ground。　But；　save　for　one　row　of　bricks　in　front；　the　floor　of　it　
was　emptiness。　Antony　took　a　torch　from　his　pocket　and　flashed　it　down　
into　the　blackness。　

〃Look；〃　he　whispered　to　the　eager　Bill。　〃The　steps　begin　down　there。　
Six　feet　down。〃　

He　flashed　his　torch　up　again。　There　was　a　handhold　of　iron；　a　sort　of　
large　iron　staple；　in　the　bricks　in　front　of　them。　

〃You　swing　off　from　there；〃　said　Bill。　〃At　least；　I　suppose　you　do。　I　

wonder　how　Ruth　Norris　liked　doing　it。〃　

〃Cayley　helped　her；　I　should　think。。。。　It's　funny。〃　

〃Shall　I　go　first？〃　asked　Bill；　obviously　longing　to　do　so。　Antony　

shook　his　head　with　a　smile。　

〃I　think　I　will；　if　you　don't　mind　very　much；　Bill。　Just　in　case。　

〃In　case　of　what？〃　

〃Well　in　case。〃　

Bill；　had　to　be　content　with　that；　but　he　was　too　much　excited　to　

wonder　what　Antony　meant。　

〃Righto；〃　he　said。　〃Go　on。〃　

〃Well；　we'll　just　make　sure　we　can　get　back　again；　first。　It　really　

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wouldn't　be　fair　on　the　Inspector　if　we　got　stuck　down　here　for　the　rest　of　
our　lives。　He's　got　enough　to　do　trying　to　find　Mark；　but　if　he　has　to　find　
you　and　me　as　well　…〃　

〃We　can　always　get　out　at　the　other　end。〃　

〃Well；　we're　not　certain　yet。　I　think　I'd　better　just　go　down　and　back。　
I　promise　fa