desperate remedies-第49章

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own　doing。

Abraham　Brown；　of　Hoxton；　Londonan　old　white…headed　man；　without
the　ruddiness　which　makes　white　hairs　so　pleasingwas　sworn；　and
deposed　that　he　kept　a　lodging…house　at　an　address　he　named。　　On　a
Saturday　evening　less　than　a　month　before　the　fire；　a　lady　came　to
him；　with　very　little　luggage；　and　took　the　front　room　on　the　second
floor。　　He　did　not　inquire　where　she　came　from；　as　she　paid　a　week
in　advance；　but　she　gave　her　name　as　Mrs。　Manston；　referring　him；　if
he　wished　for　any　guarantee　of　her　respectability；　to　Mr。　Manston；
Knapwater　Park。　　Here　she　lived　for　three　weeks；　rarely　going　out。
She　slept　away　from　her　lodgings　one　night　during　the　time。　　At　the
end　of　that　time；　on　the　twenty…eighth　of　November；　she　left　his
house　in　a　four…wheeled　cab；　about　twelve　o'clock　in　the　day；
telling　the　driver　to　take　her　to　the　Waterloo　Station。　　She　paid
all　her　lodging　expenses；　and　not　having　given　notice　the　full　week
previous　to　her　going　away；　offered　to　pay　for　the　next；　but　he　only
took　half。　　She　wore　a　thick　black　veil；　and　grey　waterproof　cloak；
when　she　left　him；　and　her　luggage　was　two　boxes；　one　of　plain　deal；
with　black　japanned　clamps；　the　other　sewn　up　in　canvas。

Joseph　Chinney；　porter　at　the　Carriford　Road　Station；　deposed　that
he　saw　Mrs。　Manston；　dressed　as　the　last　witness　had　described；　get
out　of　a　second…class　carriage　on　the　night　of　the　twenty…eighth。
She　stood　beside　him　whilst　her　luggage　was　taken　from　the　van。　　The
luggage；　consisting　of　the　clamped　deal　box　and　another　covered　with
canvas；　was　placed　in　the　cloak…room。　　She　seemed　at　a　loss　at
finding　nobody　there　to　meet　her。　　She　asked　him　for　some　person　to
accompany　her；　and　carry　her　bag　to　Mr。　Manston's　house；　Knapwater
Park。　　He　was　just　off　duty　at　that　time；　and　offered　to　go　himself。
The　witness　here　repeated　the　conversation　he　had　had　with　Mrs。
Manston　during　their　walk；　and　testified　to　having　left　her　at　the
door　of　the　Three　Tranters　Inn；　Mr。　Manston's　house　being　closed。

Next；　Farmer　Springrove　was　called。　　A　murmur　of　surprise　and
commiseration　passed　round　the　crowded　room　when　he　stepped　forward。

The　events　of　the　few　preceding　days　had　so　worked　upon　his
nervously　thoughtful　nature　that　the　blue　orbits　of　his　eyes；　and
the　mere　spot　of　scarlet　to　which　the　ruddiness　of　his　cheeks　had
contracted；　seemed　the　result　of　a　heavy　sickness。　　A　perfect
silence　pervaded　the　assembly　when　he　spoke。

His　statement　was　that　he　received　Mrs。　Manston　at　the　threshold；
and　asked　her　to　enter　the　parlour。　　She　would　not　do　so；　and　stood
in　the　passage　whilst　the　maid　went　upstairs　to　see　that　the　room
was　in　order。　　The　maid　came　down　to　the　middle　landing　of　the
staircase；　when　Mrs。　Manston　followed　her　up　to　the　room。　　He　did
not　speak　ten　words　with　her　altogether。

Afterwards；　whilst　he　was　standing　at　the　door　listening　for　his　son
Edward's　return；　he　saw　her　light　extinguished；　having　first　caught
sight　of　her　shadow　moving　about　the　room。

THE　CORONER：　　'Did　her　shadow　appear　to　be　that　of　a　woman
undressing？'

SPRINGROVE：　　'I　cannot　say；　as　I　didn't　take　particular　notice。　　It
moved　backwards　and　forwards；　she　might　have　been　undressing　or
merely　pacing　up　and　down　the　room。'

Mrs。　Fitler；　the　ostler's　wife　and　chambermaid；　said　that　she
preceded　Mrs。　Manston　into　the　room；　put　down　the　candle；　and　went
out。　　Mrs。　Manston　scarcely　spoke　to　her；　except　to　ask　her　to　bring
a　little　brandy。　　Witness　went　and　fetched　it　from　the　bar；　brought
it　up；　and　put　it　on　the　dressing…table。

THE　CORONER：　　'Had　Mrs。　Manston　begun　to　undress；　when　you　came
back？'

'No；　sir；　she　was　sitting　on　the　bed；　with　everything　on；　as　when
she　came　in。'

'Did　she　begin　to　undress　before　you　left？'

'Not　exactly　before　I　had　left；　but　when　I　had　closed　the　door；　and
was　on　the　landing　I　heard　her　boot　drop　on　the　floor；　as　it　does
sometimes　when　pulled　off？'

'Had　her　face　appeared　worn　and　sleepy？'

'I　cannot　say　as　her　bonnet　and　veil　were　still　on　when　I　left；　for
she　seemed　rather　shy　and　ashamed　to　be　seen　at　the　Three　Tranters
at　all。'

'And　did　you　hear　or　see　any　more　of　her？'

'No　more；　sir。'

Mrs。　Crickett；　temporary　servant　to　Mr。　Manston；　said　that　in
accordance　with　Mr。　Manston's　orders；　everything　had　been　made
comfortable　in　the　house　for　Mrs。　Manston's　expected　return　on
Monday　night。　　Mr。　Manston　told　her　that　himself　and　Mrs。　Manston
would　be　home　late；　not　till　between　eleven　and　twelve　o'clock；　and
that　supper　was　to　be　ready。　　Not　expecting　Mrs。　Manston　so　early；
she　had　gone　out　on　a　very　important　errand　to　Mrs。　Leat　the
postmistress。

Mr。　Manston　deposed　that　in　looking　down　the　columns　of　Bradshaw　he
had　mistaken　the　time　of　the　train's　arrival；　and　hence　was　not　at
the　station　when　she　came。　　The　broken　watch　produced　was　his
wife'she　knew　it　by　a　scratch　on　the　inner　plate；　and　by　other
signs。　　The　bunch　of　keys　belonged　to　her：　　two　of　them　fitted　the
locks　of　her　two　boxes。

Mr。　Flooks；　agent　to　Lord　Claydonfield　at　Chettlewood；　said　that　Mr。
Manston　had　pleaded　as　his　excuse　for　leaving　him　rather　early　in
the　evening　after　their　day's　business　had　been　settled；　that　he　was
going　to　meet　his　wife　at　Carriford　Road　Station；　where　she　was
coming　by　the　last　train　that　night。

The　surgeon　said　that　the　remains　were　those　of　a　human　being。　　The
small　fragment　seemed　a　portion　of　one　of　the　lumbar　vertebraethe
other　the　head　of　the　os　femorisbut　they　were　both　so　far　gone
that　it　was　impossible　to　say　definitely　whether　they　belonged　to
the　body　of　a　male　or　female。　　There　was　no　moral　doubt　that　they
were　a　woman's。　　He　did　not　believe　that　death　resulted　from　burning
by　fire。　　He　thought　she　was　crushed　by　the　fall　of　the　west　gable；
which　being　of　wood；　as　well　as　the　floor；　burnt　after　it　had
fallen；　and　consumed　the　body　with　it。

Two　or　three　additional　witnesses　gave　unimportant　testimony。

The　coroner　summed　up；　and　the　jury　without　hesitation　found　that
the　deceased　Mrs。　Manston　came　by　her　death　accidentally　through　the
burning　of　the　Three　Tranters　Inn。

3。　　DECEMBER　THE　SECOND。　　AFTERNOON

When　Mr。　Springrove　came　from　the　door　of　the　Rising　Sun　at　the　end
of　the　inquiry；　Manston　walked　by　his　side　as　far　as　the　stile　to
the　park；　a　distance　of　about　a　stone's…throw。

'Ah；　Mr。　Springrove；　this　is　a　sad　affair　for　everybody　concerned。'

'Everybody；'　said　the　old　farmer；　with　deep　sadness；　''tis　quite　a
misery　to　me。　　I　hardly　know　how　I　shall　live　through　each　day　as　it
breaks。　　I　think　of　the　words；　〃In　the　morning　thou　shalt　say；　Would
God　it　were　even！　and　at　even　thou　shalt　say；　Would　God　it　were
morning！　for　the　fear　of　thine　heart　wherewith　thou　shalt　fear；　and
for　the　sight　of　thine　eyes　which　thou　shalt　see。〃'　　His　voice
became　broken。

'Ahtrue。　　I　read　Deuteronomy　myself；'　said　Manston。

'But　my　loss　is　as　nothing　to　yours；'　the　farmer　continued。

'Nothing；　but　I　can　commiserate　you。　　I　should　be　worse　than
unfeeling　if　I　didn't；　although　my　own　affliction　is　of　so　sad　and
solemn　a　kind。　　Indeed　my　own　loss　makes　me　more　keenly　alive　to
yours；　different　in　nature　as　it　is。'

'What　sum　do　you　think　would　be　required　of　me　to　put　the　houses　in
place　again？'

'I　have　roughly　thought　six　or　seven　hundred　pounds。'

'If　the　letter　of　the　law　is　to　be　acted　up　to；'　said　the　old　man；
with　more　agitation　in　his　voice。

'Yes；　exactly。'

'Do　you　know　enough　of　Miss　Aldclyffe's　mind　to　give　me　an　idea　of
how　she　means　to　treat　me？'

'Well；　I　am　afraid　I　must　tell　you　that　though　I　know　very　little　of
her　mind　as　a　rule；　in　this　matter　I　believe　she　will　be　rather
peremptory；　she　might　share　to　the　extent　of　a　sixth　or　an　eighth
perhaps；　in　consideration　of　her　getting　new　lamps　for　old；　but　I
should　hardly　think　more。'

The　steward　stepped　upon　the　stile；　and　Mr。　Springrove　went　along
the　road　with　a　bowed　head　and　heavy　footsteps　towards　his　niece's
cottage；　in　which；　rather　against　the　wish　of　Edward；　they　had
temporarily　taken　refuge。

The　additional　weight　of　this　knowledge　soon　made　itself
perceptible。　　Though　indoors　with　Edward　or　Adelaide　nearly