classic mystery and detective stories-第93章

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that　she　should　by　her　own　act　unmask　herself　in　my　sight。　　The

unfortunate　woman　tried　to　bargain　for　some　proof　of　affection　in

return；　and　on　this　occasion　had　first　openly　declared　her　feelings

towards　him。　　He　did　not　believe　her；　he　refused　her　terms；　but

when　as　her　payment　she　asked　for　the　ring　which　was　so　especially

associated　with　himself；　he　agreed　to　give　it　to　her。　　Otherwise

hoping；　no　doubt　against　hope；　dreading　above　all　things　a　quarrel

and　final　separation；　she　submitted　unconditionally。　　And　from　the

time　of　that　evening；　when　Legard　and　I　had　overheard　her　parting

words；　Jack　never　saw　her　again　until　the　last　and　final

catastrophe。



〃It　was　in　July。　　My　parents　had　returned　to　England；　but　had　come

straight　on　here。　　Jack　and　I　were　dining　together　with　Lady　Sylvia

at　her　father's　househer　brother；　young　Grey；　making　the　fourth

at　dinner。　　I　had　arranged　to　go　to　a　party　with　your　mother；　and　I

told　the　servants　that　a　lady　would　call　for　me　early　in　the

evening。　　The　house　stood　in　Park　Lane；　and　after　dinner　we　all

went　out　on　to　the　broad　balcony　which　opened　from　the　drawing…

room。　　There　was　a　strong　wind　blowing　that　night；　and　I　remember

well　the　vague；　disquieted　feeling　of　unreality　that　possessed　me；

sweeping　through　me；　as　it　were；　with　each　gust　of　wind。　　Then；

suddenly；　a　servant　stood　behind　me；　saying　that　the　lady　had　come

for　me；　and　was　in　the　drawing…room。　　Shocked　that　my　aunt　should

have　troubled　herself　to　come　so　far；　I　turned　quickly；　stepped

back　into　the　room；　and　found　myself　face　to　face　with　Delia。　　She

was　fully　dressed　for　the　evening；　with　a　long　silk　opera…cloak

over　her　shoulders；　her　face　as　white　as　her　gown；　her　splendid

eyes　strangely　wide　open　and　shining。　　I　don't　know　what　I　said　or

did；　I　tried　to　get　her　away；　but　it　was　too　late。　　The　others　had

heard　us；　and　appeared　at　the　open　window。　　Jack　came　forward　at

once；　speaking　rapidly；　fiercely；　telling　her　to　leave　the　house　at

once；　promising　desperately　that　he　would　see　her　in　his　own　rooms

on　the　morrow。　　Well　I　remember　how　her　answer　rang　out；



〃'Neither　to…morrow　nor　another　day：　I　will　never　leave　you　again

while　I　live。'



〃At　the　same　instant　she　drew　something　swiftly　from　under　her

cloak；　there　was　the　sound　of　a　pistol　shot　and　she　lay　dead　at　our

feet；　her　blood　splashing　upon　Jack's　shirt　and　hands　as　she　fell。〃



Alan　paused　in　his　recital。　　He　was　trembling　from　head　to　foot；

but　he　kept　his　eyes　turned　steadily　downwards；　and　both　face　and

voice　were　coldalmost　expressionless。



〃Of　course　there　was　an　inquest；〃　he　resumed；　〃which；　as　usual；

exercised　its　very　ill…defined　powers　in　inquiring　into　all

possible　motives　for　the　suicide。　　Young　Grey；　who　had　stepped　into

the　room　just　before　the　shot　had　been　fired；　swore　to　the　last

words　Delia　had　uttered；　Legard　to　those　he　had　overheard　the　night

of　that　dreadful　supper：　there　were　scores　of　men　to　bear　witness

to　the　intimate　relations　which　had　existed　between　her　and　Jack

during　the　whole　of　the　previous　spring。　　I　had　to　give　evidence。

A　skillful　lawyer　had　been　retained　by　one　of　her　sisters；　and　had

been　instructed　by　her　on　points　which　no　doubt　she　had　originally

learnt　from　Delia　herself。　　In　his　hands；　I　had　not　only　to

corroborate　Grey　and　Legard；　and　to　give　full　details　of　that　last

interview；　but　also　to　swear　to　the　peculiar　value　which　Jack

attached　to　the　talisman　ring　which　he　had　given　Delia；　to　the

language　she　had　held　when　I　saw　her　after　my　return　from　Oxford；

to　her　subsequent　letter；　and　Jack's　fatal　silence　on　the　occasion。

The　story　by　which　Jack　and　I　strove　to　account　for　the　facts　was

laughed　at　as　a　clumsy　invention；　and　my　undisguised　reluctance　in

giving　evidence　added　greatly　to　its　weight　against　my　brother's

character。



〃The　jury　returned　a　verdict　of　suicide　while　of　unsound　mind；　the

result　of　desertion　by　her　lover。　　You　may　imagine　how　that　verdict

was　commented　upon　by　every　Radical　newspaper　in　the　kingdom；　and

for　once　society　more　than　corroborated　the　opinions　of　the　press。

The　larger　public　regarded　the　story　as　an　extreme　case　of　the

innocent　victim　and　the　cowardly　society　villain。　　It　was　only

among　a　comparatively　small　set　that　Delia's　reputation　was　known；

and　there；　in　view　of　Jack's　notorious　and　peculiar　intimacy；　his

repudiation　of　all　relations　with　her　was　received　with

contemptuous　incredulity。　　That　he　should　have　first　entered　upon

such　relations　at　the　very　time　when　he　was　already　courting　Lady

Sylvia　was　regarded　even　in　those　circles　as　a　'strong　order；'　and

they　looked　upon　his　present　attitude　with　great　indignation；　as　a

cowardly　attempt　to　save　his　own　character　by　casting　upon　the　dead

woman's　memory　all　the　odium　of　a　false　accusation。　　With　an　entire

absence　of　logic；　too；　he　was　made　responsible　for　the　suicide

having　taken　place　in　Lady　Sylvia's　presence。　　She　had　broken　off

the　engagement　the　day　after　the　catastrophe；　and　her　family；　a

clan　powerful　in　the　London　world；　furious　at　the　mud　through　which

her　name　had　been　dragged；　did　all　that　they　could　to　intensify　the

feeling　already　existing　against　Jack。



〃Not　a　voice　was　raised　in　his　defense。　　He　was　advised　to　leave

the　army；　he　was　requested　to　withdraw　from　some　of　his　clubs；

turned　out　of　others；　avoided　by　his　fast　acquaintances；　cut　by　his

respectable　ones。　　It　was　enough　to　kill　a　weaker　man。



〃He　showed　no　resentment　at　the　measure　thus　dealt　out　to　him。

Indeed；　at　the　first；　except　for　Sylvia's　desertion　of　him；　he

seemed　dully　indifferent　to　it　all。　　It　was　as　if　his　soul　had　been

stunned；　from　the　moment　that　that　wretched　woman's　blood　had

splashed　upon　his　fingers；　and　her　dead　eyes　had　looked　up　into　his

own。



〃But　it　was　not　long　before　he　realized　the　full　extent　of　the

social　damnation　which　had　been　inflicted　upon　him；　and　he　then

resolved　to　leave　the　country　and　go　to　America。　　The　night　before

he　started　he　came　down　here　to　take　leave。　　I　was　here　looking

after　my　parentsGeorge；　whose　mind　was　almost　unhinged　by　the

family　disgrace；　having　gone　abroad　with　his　wife。　　My　mother　at

the　first　news　of　what　had　happened　had　taken　to　her　bed；　never　to

leave　it　again；　and　thus　it　was　in　my　presence　alone；　up　there　in

my　father's　little　study；　that　Jack　gave　him　that　night　the　whole

story。　　He　told　it　quietly　enough；　but　when　he　had　finished；　with　a

sudden　outburst　of　feeling　he　turned　upon　me。　　It　was　I　who　had

been　the　cause　of　it　all。　　My　insensate　folly　had　induced　him　to

make　the　unhappy　woman's　acquaintance；　to　allow　and　even　encourage

her　fatal　love；　to　commit　all　the　blunders　and　sins　which　had

brought　about　her　miserable　ending　and　his　final　overthrow。　　It　was

by　means　of　me　that　she　had　obtained　access　to　him　on　that　dreadful

night；　my　evidence　which　most　utterly　damned　him　in　public　opinion；

through　me　he　had　lost　his　reputation；　his　friends；　his　career；　his

country；　the　woman　he　loved；　his　hopes　for　the　future；　through　me；

above　all；　that　the　burden　of　that　horrible　death　would　lie　for

ever　on　his　soul。　　He　was　lashing　himself　to　fury　with　his　own

words　as　he　spoke；　and　I　stood　leaning　against　the　wall　opposite　to

him；　cold；　dumb；　unresisting；　when　suddenly　my　father　interrupted。

I　think　that　both　Jack　and　I　had　forgotten　his　presence；　but　at　the

sound　of　his　voice；　changed　from　what　we　had　ever　heard　it；　we

turned　to　him；　and　I　then　for　the　first　time　saw　in　his　face　the

death…look　which　never　afterwards　quitted　it。



〃'Stop；　Jack；'　he　said；　'Alan　is　not　to　blame；　and　if　it　had　not

been　in　this　way；　it　would　have　been　in　some　other。　　I　only　am

guilty；　who　brought　you　both　into　existence　with　my　own　hell…

stained　blood　in　your　veins。　　If　you　wish　to　curse　anyone；　curse

your　family；　your　name；　me　if　you　will；　and　may　God　forgive　me　that

you　were　ever　born　into　the　world！'〃



Alan　stopped　with　a　shudde