the musgrave ritual-第3章

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conduct　has　been　most　infamous。　However；　as　you　have　been　a　long

time　in　the　family；　I　have　no　wish　to　bring　public　disgrace　upon

you。　A　month；　however；　is　too　long。　Take　yourself　away　in　a　week；

and　give　what　reason　you　like　for　going。〃

　　〃'〃Only　a　week；　sir？〃　he　cried　in　a　despairing　voice。　〃A

fortnight…say　at　least　a　fortnight！〃

　　〃'〃A　week；〃　I　repeated；　〃and　you　may　consider　yourself　to　have

been　very　leniently　dealt　with。〃

　　〃'He　crept　away；　his　face　sunk　upon　his　breast；　like　a　broken　man；

while　I　put　out　the　light　and　returned　to　my　room。

　　〃'For　two　days　after　this　Brunton　was　most　assiduous　in　his

attention　to　his　duties。　I　made　no　allusion　to　what　had　passed　and

waited　with　some　curiosity　to　see　how　he　would　cover　his　disgrace。

On　the　third　morning；　however；　he　did　not　appear；　as　was　his　custom；

after　breakfast　to　receive　my　instructions　for　the　day。　As　I　left

the　dining…room　I　happened　to　meet　Rachel　Howells；　the　maid。　I　have

told　you　that　she　had　only　recently　recovered　from　an　illness　and

was　looking　so　wretchedly　pale　and　wan　that　I　remonstrated　with　her

for　being　at　work。

　　〃'〃You　should　be　in　bed；〃　I　said。　〃Come　back　to　your　duties　when　you

are　stronger。〃

　　〃'She　looked　at　me　with　so　strange　an　expression　that　I　began　to

suspect　that　her　brain　was　affected。

　　〃'〃I　am　strong　enough；　Mr。　Musgrave；〃　said　she。

　　〃'〃We　will　see　what　the　doctor　says；〃　I　answered。　〃You　must　stop

work　now；　and　when　you　go　downstairs　just　say　that　I　wish　to　see

Brunton。〃

　　〃'〃The　butler　is　gone；〃　said　she。

　　〃'〃Gone！　Gone　where？〃

　　〃'〃He　is　gone。　No　one　has　seen　him。　He　is　not　in　his　room。　Oh；

yes；　he　is　gone；　he　is　gone！〃　She　fell　back　against　the　wall　with

shriek　after　shriek　of　laughter；　while　I；　horrified　at　this　sudden

hysterical　attack；　rushed　to　the　bell　to　summon　help。　The　girl　was

taken　to　her　room；　still　screaming　and　sobbing；　while　I　made　inquiries

about　Brunton。　There　was　no　doubt　about　it　that　he　had　disappeared。

His　bed　had　not　been　slept　in；　he　had　been　seen　by　no　one　since　he　had

retired　to　his　room　the　night　before；　and　yet　it　was　difficult　to

see　how　he　could　have　left　the　house；　as　both　windows　and　doors　were

found　to　be　fastened　in　the　morning。　His　clothes；　his　watch；　and

even　his　money　were　in　his　room；　but　the　black　suit　which　he　usually

wore　was　missing。　His　slippers；　too；　were　gone；　but　his　boots　were

left　behind。　Where　then　could　butler　Brunton　have　gone　in　the　night

and　what　could　have　become　of　him　now？

　　〃'Of　course　we　searched　the　house　from　cellar　to　garret；　but　there

was　no　trace　of　him。　It　is；　as　I　have　said；　a　labyrinth　of　an　old

house；　especially　the　original　wing；　which　is　now　practically

uninhabited；　but　we　ransacked　every　room　and　cellar　without

discovering　the　least　sign　of　the　missing　man。　It　was　incredible　to　me

that　he　could　have　gone　away　leaving　all　his　property　behind　him；

and　yet　where　could　he　be？　I　called　in　the　local　police；　but　without

success。　Rain　had　fallen　on　the　night　before；　and　we　examined　the　lawn

and　the　paths　all　round　the　house；　but　in　vain。　Matters　were　in　this

state；　when　a　new　development　quite　drew　our　attention　away　from　the

original　mystery。

　　〃'For　two　days　Rachel　Howells　had　been　so　ill；　sometimes

delirious；　sometimes　hysterical；　that　a　nurse　had　been　employed　to　sit

up　with　her　at　night。　On　the　third　night　after　Brunton's

disappearance；　the　nurse；　finding　her　patient　sleeping　nicely；　had

dropped　into　a　nap　in　the　armchair；　when　she　woke　in　the　early　morning

to　find　the　bed　empty；　the　window　open；　and　no　signs　of　the　invalid。　I

was　instantly　aroused；　and；　with　the　two　footmen；　started　off　at

once　in　search　of　the　missing　girl。　It　was　not　difficult　to　tell　the

direction　which　she　had　taken；　for；　starting　from　under　her　window；　we

could　follow　her　footmarks　easily　across　the　lawn　to　the　edge　of　the

mere；　where　they　vanished　close　to　the　gravel　path　which　leads　out

of　the　grounds。　The　lake　there　is　eight　feet　deep；　and　you　can　imagine

our　feelings　when　we　saw　that　the　trail　of　the　poor　demented　girl　came

to　an　end　at　the　edge　of　it。

　　〃'Of　course；　we　had　the　drags　at　once　and　set　to　work　to　recover　the

remains；　but　no　trace　of　the　body　could　we　find。　On　the　other　hand；　we

brought　to　the　surface　an　object　of　a　most　unexpected　kind。　It　was　a

linen　bag　which　contained　within　it　a　mass　of　old　rusted　and

discoloured　metal　and　several　dull…coloured　pieces　of　pebble　or　glass。

This　strange　find　was　all　that　we　could　get　from　the　mere；　and；

although　we　made　every　possible　search　and　inquiry　yesterday；　we

know　nothing　of　the　fate　either　of　Rachel　Howells　or　of　Richard

Brunton。　The　county　police　are　at　their　wit's　end；　and　I　have　come

up　to　you　as　a　last　resource。'

　　〃You　can　imagine；　Watson；　with　what　eagerness　I　listened　to　this

extraordinary　sequence　of　events；　and　endeavoured　to　piece　them

together；　and　to　devise　some　common　thread　upon　which　they　might　all

hang。　The　butler　was　gone。　The　maid　was　gone。　The　maid　had　loved　the

butler；　but　had　afterwards　had　cause　to　hate　him。　She　was　of　Welsh

blood；　fiery　and　passionate。　She　had　been　terribly　excited　immediately

after　his　disappearance。　She　had　flung　into　the　lake　a　bag

containing　some　curious　contents。　These　were　all　factors　which　had

to　be　taken　into　consideration；　and　yet　none　of　them　got　quite　to

the　heart　of　the　matter。　What　was　the　starting…point　of　this　chain

of　events？　There　lay　the　end　of　this　tangled　line。

　　〃'I　must　see　that　paper；　Musgrave；'　said　I；　'which　this　butler　of

yours　thought　it　worth　his　while　to　consult；　even　at　the　risk　of　the

loss　of　his　place。'

　　〃'It　is　rather　an　absurd　business；　this　ritual　of　ours；'　he

answered。　'But　it　has　at　least　the　saving　grace　of　antiquity　to　excuse

it。　I　have　a　copy　of　the　questions　and　answers　here　if　you　care　to　run

your　eye　over　them。'

　　〃He　handed　me　the　very　paper　which　I　have　here；　Watson；　and　this

is　the　strange　catechism　to　which　each　Musgrave　had　to　submit　when

he　came　to　man's　estate。　I　will　read　you　the　questions　and　answers

as　they　stand。

　　〃'Whose　was　it？'

　　〃'His　who　is　gone。'

　　〃'Who　shall　have

　　〃'He　who　will　come。'

　　〃'Where　was　the　sun？'

　　〃'Over　the　oak。'

　　〃'Where　was　the　shadow？'

　　〃'Under　the　elm。'

　　〃'How　was　it　stepped？'

　　〃'North　by　ten　and　by　ten；　east　by　five　and　by　five；　south　by　two

and　by　two；　west　by　one　and　by　one；　and　so　under。'

　　〃'What　shall　we　give　for　it？'

　　〃'All　that　is　ours。'

　　〃'Why　should　we　give　it？'

　　〃'For　the　sake　of　the　trust。'

　　〃'The　original　has　no　date；　but　is　in　the　spelling　of　the　middle

of　the　seventeenth　century；'　remarked　Musgrave。　'I　am　afraid；　however；

that　it　can　be　of　little　help　to　you　in　solving　this　mystery。'

　　〃'At　least；'　said　I；　'it　gives　us　another　mystery；　and　one　which

is　even　more　interesting　than　the　first。　It　may　be　that　the　solution

of　the　one　may　prove　to　be　the　solution　of　the　other。　You　will

excuse　me；　Musgrave；　if　I　say　that　your　butler　appears　to　me　to　have

been　a　very　clever　man；　and　to　have　had　a　clearer　insight　than　ten

generations　of　his　masters。'

　　〃'I　hardly　follow　you；'　said　Musgrave。　'The　paper　seems　to　me　to

be　of　no　practical　importance。'

　　〃'But　to　me　it　seems　immensely　practical；　and　I　fancy　that　Brunton

took　the　same　view。　He　had　probably　seen　it　before　that　night　on　which

you　caught　him。'

　　〃'It　is　very　possible。　We　took　no　pains　to　hide　it。'

　　〃'He　simply　wished；　I　should　imagine；　to　refresh　his　memory　upon

that　last　occasion。　He　had；　as　I　understand；　some　sort　of　map　or　chart

which　he　was　comparing　with　the　manuscript；　and　which　he　thrust　into

his　pocket　when　you　appeared。'

　　〃'That　is　true。　But　what　could　he　have　to　do　with　this　old　family

custom　of　ours；　and　what　does　this　rigimarole　mean？'

　　〃'I　don't　think　that　we　should　have　much　difficulty　in　determining

that；'　said　I；　'with　your　permission　we　will　take　the　first　train　down

to　Sussex　and　go　a　little　more　deeply　into　the　matter　upon　the　spot。'

　　〃The　same　afternoon　saw　us　both　at　Hurlstone。　Possibly　you　have　seen

pictures　and　read　descriptions　of　the　famous　old　buil