the red seal-第18章

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〃Then　you　cannot　swear　to　the　window　having　been　re…locked？〃

〃I　cannot。〃

Penfield　paused　a　moment。　　〃Did　you　return　immediately　to　your　house　from　the　Saratoga　apartment？〃

〃I　did〃　promptly。　　〃My　chauffeur；　Harris；　wasn't　well；　and　I　wanted　him　to　get　home。〃

Penfield　thought　a　moment　before　putting　the　next　question。

〃How　did　Miss　Barbara　return　from　the　Grosvenor　dance？〃　he　asked。

〃She　was　brought　home　by　friends；　Colonel　and　Mrs。　Chase。〃　McIntyre　in　turning　about　in　his　chair　knocked　down　his　walking　stick　from　its　resting　place　against　its　side；　and　the　unexpected　clatter　made　several　women；　nervously　inclined；　jump　in　their　seats。　　Observing　them；　McIntyre　smiled　and　was　still　smiling　amusedly　when　Penfield　addressed　him。

〃Did　you　observe　many　lights　burning　in　your　house　when　you　returned？〃　asked　Penfield。

〃No；　only　those　which　are　usually　left　lit　at　night。〃

〃Was　your　daughter　Helen　awake？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　　Her　room　was　in　darkness　when　I　walked　past　her　door　on　my　way　to　bed。〃

Penfield　removed　his　eye…glasses　and　polished　them　on　his　silk　handkerchief。　　〃I　have　no　further　questions　to　ask。　　Colonel；　you　are　excused。〃

McIntyre　bowed　gravely　to　him　and　as　he　left　the　platform　came　face　to　face　with　his　family　physician；　Dr。　Stone。

Penfield；　who　was　an　old　acquaintance　of　the　physician's；　signed　to　him　to　come　on　the　platform。　　After　the　preliminaries　had　been　gone　through；　he　shifted　his　chair　around；　the　better　to　face　Stone。

〃Did　you　accompany　the　Misses　McIntyre　to　the　police　court　on　Tuesday　morning？〃　he　asked。

〃I　did；〃　responded　the　physician；　〃at　Miss　Barbara's　request。　　She　said　her　sister　was　not　very　well　and　they　disliked　going　alone　to　the　police　court。〃

〃Did　she　state　why　she　did　not　ask　her　father　to　go　with　them？〃

〃Only　that　he　had　not　fully　recovered　from　an　attack　of　tonsilitis；　which　I　knew　to　be　a　fact；　and　they　did　not　want　him　to　over…tax　his　strength。〃

There　was　a　moment's　pause　as　the　coroner；　his　attention　diverted　by　a　whispered　word　or　two　from　the　morgue　master；　referred　to　his　notes　before　resuming　his　examination。

〃Did　you　know　James　Turnbull？〃　he　asked　a　second　later。

〃Yes；　slightly。〃

〃Did　you　recognize　him　in　his　burglar's　disguise？〃

〃I　did　not〃

〃Had　you　any　suspicion　that　the　burglar　was　other　than　he　seemed？〃

〃No。〃

Penfield　picked　up　a　memorandum　handed　him　by　Dr。　Mayo　and　referred　to　it。　　〃I　understand；　doctor；　that　you　were　the　first　to　go　to　the　burglar's　aid　when　he　became　ill；〃　he　said。　　〃Is　that　true？〃

〃Yes；〃　Stone　spoke　with　more　animation。　　〃Happening　to　glance　inside　the　cage　where　the　prisoner　sat；　I　saw　he　was　struggling　convulsively　for　breath。　　With　Mr。　Clymer's　assistance　I　carried　him　into　an　ante…room　off　the　court；　but　before　I　had　crossed　its　threshold　Turnbull　expired　in　my　arms。〃

〃Was　he　conscious　before　he　died？〃

At　the　question　Kent　bent　eagerly　forward。　　What　would　be　the　reply？

〃I　am　not　prepared　to　answer　that　with　certainty；〃　replied　Dr。　Stone　cautiously。　　〃As　I　picked　him　up　I　heard　him　stammer　faintly：　'B…b…b。'〃

Kent　started　so　violently　that　the　man　next　to　him　turned　and　regarded　him　for　a　moment；　then；　more　interested　in　what　was　transpiring　on　the　platform；　promptly　forgot　his　agitated　neighbor。

〃Was　Turnbull　delirious；　doctor？〃　asked　the　coroner。

Stone　shook　his　head　in　denial。　　〃No；〃　he　stated。　　〃I　take　it　that　he　started　to　say　'Barbara；'　and　his　breath　failed　him；　at　any　rate　I　only　caught　the　stuttered　'B…b…b。'〃

Penfield　did　not　immediately　continue　his　examination；　but　when　he　did　so　his　manner　was　stern。

〃Doctor；　what　in　your　opinion　caused　Mr。　Turnbull's　death？〃

〃Judging　superficially　…　I　made　no　thorough　examination；〃　Stone　explained　parenthetically；　〃I　should　say　that　Mr。　Rochester　was　right　when　he　stated　that　Turnbull　died　from　an　acute　attack　of　angina　pectoris。〃

〃How　did　Mr。　Rochester　come　to　make　that　assertion　and　where？〃

〃Immediately　after　Turnbull's　death；〃　replied　Stone。　　〃Mr。　Rochester；　who　shared　his　apartment；　defended　him　in　court。　　Mr。　Rochester　was　aware　that　Turnbull　suffered　from　the　disease；　and　Mr。　Clymer；　who　was　present；　also　knew　it。〃

〃And　what　is　your　opinion；　doctor？〃　questioned　Penfield。

Stone　hesitated。　　〃There　was　a　distinct　odor　of　amyl　nitrite　noticeable　when　I　went　to　Turnbull's　aid；　and　I　concluded　then　that　he　had　some　heart　trouble　and　had　inhaled　the　drug　to　ward　off　an　attack。　　It　bears　out　Mr。　Rochester's　theory　of　death　from　angina　pectoris。〃

〃I　see。　　Thank　you；　doctor。　　Please　wait　with　the　other　witnesses；　we　may　call　you　again；〃　and　with　a　sigh　the　busy　physician　resigned　himself　to　spending　another　hour　in　the　room　reserved　for　the　witnesses。

The　next　to　take　the　witness　stand　was　Deputy　Marshal　Grant。　　His　testimony　was　short　and　concise；　…　and　his　description　of　the　scene　in　the　police　court　preceding　Turnbull's　death　was　listened　to　with　deep　attention　by　every　one。

〃Did　the　prisoner　show　any　symptoms　of　illness　before　his　heart　attack？〃　asked　Penfield。

〃Not　exactly　illness；〃　replied　Grant　slowly。　　〃I　noticed　he　didn't　move　very　quickly；　sort　of　shambled；　as　if　he　was　weak　in　his　legs。　I've　seen　'drunk　and　disorderlies'　act　just　that　way；　and　paid　no　particular　attention　to　him。　　He　did　ask　for　a　drink　of　water　just　after　he　returned　to　the　cage。〃

〃Did　you　give　it　to　him？〃

〃No；　an　attendant　gave　the　glass　to　Mr。　Rochester　who　handed　it　to　Mr。　Turnbull。〃

Penfield　regarded　Grant　in　silence　for　a　minute。　　〃That　is　all；〃　he　announced；　and　with　a　polite　bow　the　deputy　marshal　withdrew。

Detective　Ferguson　recognized　Kent　as　he　passed　up　the　room　to　the　platform　and　gave　him　a　slight　bow　and　smile；　but　the　smile　had　disappeared　when；　at　the　coroner's　request；　he　told　of　his　arrival　just　after　the　discovery　of　the　burglar's　identity。

〃I　searched　the　cage　where　the　prisoner　had　been　seated　and　found　this　handkerchief；〃　he　went　on　to　say。　　〃It　had　been　dropped　by　Turnbull　and　was　saturated　with　amyl　nitrite。　　I　had　it　examined　by　a　chemist；　who　said　that　this　amyl　nitrite　was　given　to　patients　with　heart　trouble　in　little　pearl　capsules　to　be　crushed　in　handkerchiefs　and　the　fumes　inhaled。

〃The　chemist　also　told　me　that〃　…　the　detective　spoke　with　impressive　seriousness；　〃judging　from　the　number　of　particles　of　capsules　adhering　to　the　linen；　more　than　one　capsule　had　been　crushed　by　Turnbull。　　Here　is　the　handkerchief；〃　and　he　laid　it　on　the　table　with　great　care。

Kent's　heart　sank；　the　moment　he　had　dreaded　all　that　long　afternoon　had　come。　　Penfield　inspected　the　handkerchief　with　interest；　and　then　passed　it　to　the　jurors；　cautioning　them　to　handle　it　carefully。

〃I　note；〃　he　stated；　turning　again　to　Detective　Ferguson；　〃that　it　is　a　woman's　handkerchief。〃

〃It　is；〃　replied　Ferguson。　　〃And　embroidered　in　one　corner　is　the　initial　'B。'〃

Penfield　ran　his　fingers　through　his　gray　hair。　　〃You　may　go；　Ferguson；〃　he　said；　and　beckoned　to　the　morgue　master。　　〃Ask　Miss　Barbara　McIntyre　to　return。〃

The　girl　was　quick　in　answering　the　summons。　　Kent；　more　and　more　worried；　was　watching　the　scene　with　painful　attention。

〃Did　Mr。　Turnbull　have　one　of　your　handkerchiefs？〃　asked　Penfield。

Her　surprise　at　the　question　was　manifest　in　her　manner。

〃He　might　have；〃　she　said。　　〃I　have　a　dreadful　habit　of　dropping　my　handkerchiefs　around。〃

〃Did　you　miss　one　after　his　visit　to　your　house　on　Monday　night？〃

〃Miss　McIntyre；〃　Penfield　took　up　the　handkerchief　which　the　foreman　replaced　on　his　desk　a　moment　before；　and　holding　it　with　care　extended　it　toward　the　girl。　　〃Is　this　your　handkerchief？〃

She　inspected　the　handkerchief　and　the　initial　with　curiosity；　but　with　nothing　more；　Kent　was　convinced；　and　in　his　relief　was　almost　guilty　of　disturbing　the　decorum　of　the　inquest　with　a　shout　of　joy。

〃It　is　not　my　handkerchief；〃　she　stated　clearly。

Penfield　replaced　the　handkerchief　on　the　table　with　the　same　care　he　had　picked　it　up；　and　turned　again　to　her。

〃Thank　you；　Miss　McIntyre；　I　won't　detain　you　longer。　　Logan；〃　to　the　morgue　master；　〃ask　Dr。　Stone　to　step　here。〃

Almost　immediately　Stone　reentered　the　room　and　hurried　to　the　platform。

〃Would　two　or