the red house mystery-第32章

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Disguise？　But　then　what　about　his　face？　That　was　much　more　
important　than　clothes。　His　face；　his　beard　…　he'd　have　to　shave　off　his　
beard　…　and　then　…oh；　idiot！　I　saw　you　looking　at　that　poster。　Mark　
acting；　Mark　made…up；　Mark　disguised。　Oh；　priceless　idiot！　Mark　was　
Robert。。。。　Matches；　please。〃　

Bill　passed　over　the　matches　again；　waited　till　Antony　had　relit　his　

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pipe；　and　then　held　out　his　hand　for　them；　just　as　they　were　going　into　the　
other's　pocket。　

〃Yes；〃　said　Bill　thoughtfully。　〃Yes。。。。　But　wait　a　moment。　What　
about　the　'Plough　and　Horses'？〃　Antony　looked　comically　at　him。　

〃You'll　never　forgive　me；　Bill；〃　he　said。　〃You'll　never　come　clue…
hunting　with　me　again。〃　

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　

Antony　sighed。　

〃It　was　a　fake；　Watson。　I　wanted　you　out　of　the　way。　I　wanted　to　be　
alone。　I'd　guessed　at　my　x；　and　I　wanted　to　test　it　…　to　test　it　every　way；　
by　everything　we'd　discovered。　I　simply　had　to　be　alone　just　then；　So　…〃　
he　smiled　and　added；　〃Well；　I　knew　you　wanted　a　drink。〃　

〃You　are　a　devil；〃　said　Bill；　staring　at　him。　〃And　your　interest　when　I　
told　you　that　a　woman　had　been　staying　there　…〃　

〃Well；　it　was　only　polite　to　be　interested　when　you'd　taken　so　much　
trouble。〃　

〃You　brute！　You　…　you　Sherlock！　And　then　you　keep　trying　to　steal　
my　matches。　Well；　go　on。〃　

〃That's　all。　My　x　fitted。〃　

〃Did　you　guess　Miss　Norris　and　all　that？〃　

〃Well；　not　quite。　I　didn't　realize　that　Cayley　had　worked　for　it　from　
the　beginning　…　had　put　Miss　Norris　up　to　frightening　Mark。　I　thought　
he'd　just　seized　the　opportunity。〃　

Bill　was　silent　for　a　long　time。　Then；　puffing　at　his　pipe；　he　said　
slowly；　〃Has　Cayley　shot　himself？〃　

Antony　shrugged　his　shoulders。　

〃Poor　devil；〃　said　Bill。　〃It　was　decent　of　you　to　give　him　a　chance。　
I'm　glad　you　did。〃　

〃I　couldn't　help　liking　Cayley　in　a　kind　of　way；　you　know。〃　

〃He's　a　clever　devil。　If　you　hadn't　turned　up　just　when　you　did；　he　
would　never　have　been　found　out。〃　

〃I　wonder。　It　was　ingenious；　but　it's　often　the　ingenious　thing　which　
gets　found　out。　The　awkward　thing　from　Cayley's　point　of　view　was　that；　
though　Mark　was　missing；　neither　he　nor　his　body　could　ever　be　found。　

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Well；　that　doesn't　often　happen　with　a　missing　man。　He　generally　gets　
discovered　in　the　end；　a　professional　criminal；　perhaps　not　…　but　an　
amateur　like　Mark！　He　might　have　kept　the　secret　of　how　he　killed　Mark；　
but　I　think　it　would　have　become　obvious　sooner　or　later　that　he　had　killed　
him。〃　

〃Yes；　there's　something　in　that。。。。　Oh；　just　tell　me　one　thing。　Why　
did　Mark　tell　Miss　Norbury　about　his　imaginary　brother？〃　

〃That's　puzzled　me　rather；　too；　Bill。　It　may　be　that　he　was　just　doing　
the　Othello　business　…　painting　himself　black　all　over。　I　mean　he　may　
have　been　so　full　of　his　appearance　as　Robert　that　he　had　almost　got　to　
believe　in　Robert；　and　had　to　tell　everybody。　More　likely；　though；　he　felt　
that；　having　told　all　of　you　at　the　house；　he　had　better　tell　Miss　Norbury；　in　
case　she　met　one　of　you；　in　which　case；　if　you　mentioned　the　approaching　
arrival　of　Robert；　she　might　say；　'Oh；　I'm　certain　he　has　no　brother；　he　
would　have　told　me　if　he　had；'　and　so　spoil　his　joke。　Possibly；　too；　
Cayley　put　him　on　to　it；　Cayley　obviously　wanted　as　many　people　as　
possible　to　know　about　Robert。〃　

〃Are　you　going　to　tell　the　police？〃　

〃Yes；　I　suppose　they'll　have　to　know。　Cayley　may　have　left　another　
confession。　I　hope　he　won't　give　me　away；　you　see；　I've　been　a　sort　of　
accessory　since　yesterday　evening。　And　I　must　go　and　see　Miss　
Norbury。〃　

〃I　asked；〃　explained　Bill；　〃because　I　was　wondering　what　I　should　say　
to　…　to　Betty。　Miss　Calladine。　You　see；　she's　bound　to　ask。〃　

〃Perhaps　you　won't　see　her　again　for　a　long；　long　time；〃　said　Antony　
sadly。　

〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　happen　to　know　that　she　will　be　at　the　
Barringtons。　And　I　go　up　there　to…morrow。〃　

〃Well；　you　had　better　tell　her。　You're　obviously　longing　to。　Only　
don't　let　her　say　anything　for　a　day　or　two。　Ill　write　to　you。〃　

〃Righto！〃　

Antony　knocked　the　ashes　out　of　his　pipe　and　got　up。　

〃The　Barringtons；〃　he　said。　〃Large　party？〃　

〃Fairly；　I　think。〃　

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Antony　smiled　at　his　friend。　

〃Yes。　Well；　if　any　of　'em　should　happen　to　be　murdered；　you　might　
send　for　me。　I'm　just　getting　into　the　swing　of　it。〃　

End　of　Project　Gutenberg　Etext　of　The　Red　House　Mystery；　by　A。　A。　
Milne　

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