the red house mystery-第42章
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〃'Wonderful；' I said to myself again。 'Nobody could possibly guess。'
〃I peered into the hall。 It was empty。 We hurried across to the
library； he got into the passage and made off。 I went back to the
bedroom； collected all his discarded clothes； did them up in a bundle and
returned with them to the passage。 Then I sat down in the hall and
waited。
〃You heard the evidence of Stevens； the maid。 As soon as she was on
her way to the Temple in search of Mark； I stepped into the office。 My
hand was in my side…pocket； and in my hand was the revolver。
〃He began at once in his character of Robert … some rigmarole about
working his passage over from Australia； a little private performance for
my edification。 Then in his natural voice； gloating over his well…planned
retaliation on Miss Norris； he burst out； 'It's my turn now。 You wait。' It
was this which Elsie heard。 She had no business to be there and she
might have ruined everything； but as it turned out it was the luckiest thing
which could have happened。 For it was the one piece of evidence which I
wanted； evidence； other than my own； that Mark and Robert were in the
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room together。
〃I said nothing。 I was not going to take the risk of being heard to
speak in that room。 I just smiled at the poor little fool； and took out my
revolver； and shot him。 Then I went back into the library and waited
just as I said in my evidence。
〃Can you imagine； Mr。 Gillingham； the shock which your sudden
appearance gave me？ Can you imagine the feelings of a 'murderer' who
has （as he thinks） planned for every possibility； and is then confronted
suddenly with an utterly new problem？ What difference would your
coming make？ I didn't know。 Perhaps none； perhaps all。 And I had
forgotten to open the window！
〃I don't know whether you will think my plan for killing Mark a clever
one。 Perhaps not。 But if I do deserve any praise in the matter； I think I
deserve it for the way I pulled myself together in the face of the
unexpected catastrophe of your arrival。 Yes； I got a window open； Mr。
Gillingham； under your very nose； the right window too； you were kind
enough to say。 And the keys … yes； that was clever of you； but I think I
was cleverer。 I deceived you over the keys； Mr。 Gillingham； as I learnt
when I took the liberty of listening to a conversation on the bowling…green
between you and your friend Beverley。 Where was I？ Ah； you must
have a look for that secret passage； Mr。 Gillingham。
〃But what am I saying？ Did I deceive you at all？ You have found
out the secret … that Robert was Mark … and that is all that matters。 How
have you found out？ I shall never know now。 Where did I go wrong？
Perhaps you have been deceiving me all the time。 Perhaps you knew
about the keys； about the window； even about the secret passage。 You are
a clever man； Mr。 Gillingham。
〃I had Mark's clothes on my hands。 I might have left them in the
passage； but the secret of the passage was now out。 Miss Norris knew it。
That was the weak point of my plan； perhaps； that Miss Norris had to
know it。 So I hid them in the pond； the inspector having obligingly
dragged it for me first。 A couple of keys joined them； but I kept the
revolver。 Fortunate； wasn't it； Mr。 Gillingham？
〃I don't think that there is any more to tell you。 This is a long letter；
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The Red House Mystery
but then it is the last which I shall write。 There was a time when I hoped
that there might be a happy future for me； not at the Red House； not alone。
Perhaps it was never more than an idle day…dream； for I am no more
worthy of her than Mark was。 But I could have made her happy； Mr。
Gillingham。 God； how I would have worked to make her happy！ But
now that is impossible。 To offer her the hand of a murderer would be as
bad as to offer her the hand of a drunkard。 And Mark died for that。 I
saw her this morning。 She was very sweet。 It is a difficult world to
understand。
〃Well； well； we are all gone now … the Abletts and the Cayleys。 I
wonder what old Grandfather Cayley thinks of it all。 Perhaps it is as well
that we have died out。 Not that there was anything wrong with Sarah
except her temper。 And she had the Ablett nose … you can't do much with
that。 I'm glad she left no children。
〃Good…bye； Mr。 Gillingham。 I'm sorry that your stay with us was not
of a pleasanter nature； but you understand the difficulties in which I was
placed。 Don't let Bill think too badly of me。 He is a good fellow； look
after him。 He will he surprised。 The young are always surprised。 And
thank you for letting me end my own way。 I expect you did sympathize a
little； you know。 We might have been friends in another world … you and
I； and I and she。 Tell her what you like。 Everything or nothing。 You
will know what is best。 Good…bye； Mr。 Gillingham。
〃MATTH
EW CAYLEY。
〃I am lonely to…night without Mark。 That's funny； isn't it？〃
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CHAPTER XXII
Mr。 Beverley Moves On
〃Good Lord！〃 said Bill； as he put down the letter。
〃I thought you'd say that；〃 murmured Antony。
〃Tony； do you mean to say that you knew all this？〃
〃I guessed some of it。 I didn't quite know all of it； of course。
〃Good Lord！〃 said Bill again； and returned to the letter。 In a moment
he was looking up again。 〃What did you write to him？ Was that last
night？ After I'd gone into Stanton？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What did you say？ That you'd discovered that Mark was Robert？〃
〃Yes。 At least I said that this morning I should probably telegraph to
Mr。 Cartwright of Wimpole Street； and ask him to …〃
Bill burst in eagerly on the top of the sentence。 〃Yes； now what was
all that about？ You were so damn Sherlocky yesterday all of a sudden。
We'd been doing the thing together all the time； and you'd been telling me
everything； and then suddenly you become very mysterious and private
and talk enigmatically … is that the word？ … about dentists and swimming
and the 'Plough and Horses；' and … well； what was it all about？ You
simply vanished out of sight； I didn't know what on earth we were talking
about。〃
Antony laughed and apologized。
〃Sorry； Bill。 I felt like that suddenly。 Just for the last half…hour； just
to end up with。 I'll tell you everything now。 Not that there's anything to
tell； really。 It seems so easy when you know it … so obvious。 About Mr。
Cartwright of Wimpole Street。 Of course he was just to identify the
body。〃
〃But whatever made you think of a dentist for that？〃
〃Who could do it better？ Could you have done it？ How could you？
You'd never gone bathing with Mark； you'd never seen him stripped。 He
didn't swim。 Could his doctor do it？ Not unless he'd had some
particular operation； and perhaps not then。 But his dentists could …at
any time； always … if he had been to his dentist fairly often。 Hence Mr。
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Cartwright of Wimpole Street。〃
Bill nodded thoughtfully and went back again to the letter。
〃I see。 And you told Cayley that you were telegraphing to Cartwright
to identify the body？〃
〃Yes。 And then of course it was all up for him。 Once we knew that
Robert was Mark we knew everything。〃
〃How did you know？〃
Antony got up from the breakfast table and began to fill his pipe。
〃I'm not sure that I can say； Bill。 You know those problems in
Algebra where you say； 'Let x be the answer；' and then you work it out and
find what x is。 Well； that's one way； and another way； which they never
give you any marks for at school； is to guess the answer。 Pretend the
answer is 4 … well； will that satisfy the conditions of the problem？ No。
Then try 6； and if 6 doesn't either； then what about 5？ … and so on。 Well；
the Inspector and the Coroner and all that lot had guessed their answer；
and it seemed to fit； but you and I knew it didn't really fit； there were
several conditions in the problem which it didn't fit at all。 So we knew
that their answer was wrong； and we had to think of another … an answer
which explained all the things which were puzzling us。 Well； I happened
to guess the
