the darrow enigma-第7章

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I　desire　that　you　use　your　utmost　endeavour　to　keep　the　incidents
of　this　evening　out　of　your　mind。　　You　cannot；　of　course；　forget
your　loss；　unless　you　sleep；〃　…　and　he　gave　me　a　look　which　said：
〃I　depend　on　you　to　see　to　that；〃　…　〃but　you　must　not　continually
re…enact　the　scene　in　imagination；　In　the　morning　the　Doctor　will
come　here　to　bring　me　my　camera；　microscope；　and　a　few　things　I
shall　require　〃　…　and　he　passed　me　a　list　he　had　written。　　〃If　you
have　slept　well　you　can　be　of　considerable　service；　and　may
accompany　him　…　if　not；　you　must　remain　quietly　at　his　house。〃
With　this　he　turned　to　me；　and　said：　〃She　is　making　a　condenser　of
herself；　Doctor；　and　will　soon　break　through　the　insulation。　　Sparks
will　be　dangerous　…　you　must　secure　the　brush　effect。〃　　He　spoke
quickly；　and　used　electrical　terms；　that　she　might　not　understand
him；　but　either　he　failed　of　his　purpose；　or　the　observation　she
immediately　made　was　a　strange　coincidence。　　I　believe　she
understood；　for；　while　young　women　educated　by　their　mothers　are
usually　ignorant　upon　all　the　more　masculine　subjects；　those　who
have　long　been　their　father's　companions　are　ever　prone　to　startle
one　with　the　most　unexpected　flashes　of　intelligence。　　〃I　am　in
rather　a　high　state　of　tension　now；〃　she　said；　turning　calmly　to
Maitland；　〃but　when　alone　the　expression　which　has　been　denied　me
here　will　afford　relief。〃　　Maitland　glanced　at　her　quickly；　and
then　at　me；　and　I　knew　he　was　wondering　if　she　had　understood。
Then　he　said：　〃It　is　getting　late。　　I　shall　expect　you　to　sleep
well　and　to　come　in　the　morning。　　Please　say　to　the　servants　as
you　go　that　I　shall　stay　here　all　night；　and　that　no　one　must　enter
without　permission。　　Good…night。〃　　She　held　out　her　hand　to　him；
but　made　no　reply；　then　she　fervently　kissed　her　father's　lips；
and　together　we　left　the　chamber　of　death。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IV


　Death　speaks　with　the　tongue　of　Memory；　and　his　ashen　hand　reaches
　out　of　the　great　unknown　to　seize　and　hold　fast　our　plighted　souls。

What　Maitland's　reason　was　for　spending　the　night　with　the　dead　body
of　Darrow；　or　how　he　busied　himself　until　morning；　I　do　not　know。
Perhaps　he　desired　to　make　sure　that　everything　remained　untouched；
or；　it　may　be；　that　he　chose。　　this　method　of　preventing　Gwen　from
performing　a　vigil　by　the　body。　　I　thought　this　latter　view　very
probable　at　the　time；　as　I　had　been　singularly　impressed　with　the
remarkable　foresight　my　friend　had　displayed　in　so　quickly　and
adroitly　getting　Gwen　away　from　everything　connected　with　her
father's　sad　and　mysterious　death。

Arriving　at　my　house　my　sister　took　an　early　opportunity　to　urge
upon　Gwen　a　glass　of　wine；　in　which　I　had　placed　a　generous　sedative。
The　terrible　tension　soon　began　to　relax；　and　in　less　than　half　an
hour　she　was　sleeping　quietly。　　I　dreaded　the　moment　when　she　should
awake　and　the　memory　of　all　that　had　happened　should　descend　like　an
avalanche　upon　her。　　I　told　my　sister　that　this　would　be　a　critical
moment；　cautioning　her　to　stay　by　Gwen　and　to　give　her；　immediately
upon　her　arising；　a　draught　I　had　prepared　for　the　purpose　of
somewhat　deadening　her　sensibilities。　　I　arose　early；　and　went　to
Maitland's　laboratory　to　collect　the　things　he　desired。　　When　I
returned　Gwen　was　awake；　and　to　my　intense　gratification　in　even　a
better　condition　than　I　had　dared　to　hope。

It　was　quite　late　when　we　reached　her　house；　and　Maitland　had
evidently　been　at　work　several　hours。　　He　looked　sharply　at　Gwen
when　she　entered；　and　seemed　much　pleased　at　her　condition。　　〃You
have　obeyed　my　instructions；　I　see；　and　slept；〃　he　said；　as　he　gave
her　his　hand。　　〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃I　was　very　tired；　and　the
doctor's　cordial　quite　overcame　me；〃　and　she　cast　an　inquiring
glance　at　the　network　of　white　string　which　Maitland　had　stretched
across　the　carpet；　dividing　it　into　squares　like　an　immense
checker…board。　　In　reply　to　her　questioning　look；　he　said：　〃French
detectives　are　the　most　thorough　in　the　world；　and　I　am　about　to
make　use　of　their　method　of　instituting　an　exhaustive　search。　　Each
one　of　the　squares　formed　by　these　intersecting　strings　is　numbered；
and　represents　one　square　foot　of　carpet；　the　numbers　running　from
one　to　two　hundred　and　eighty…eight。　　Every　inch　of　every　one　of
these　squares　I　shall　examine　under　a　microscope；　and　anything　found
which　can　be　of　any　possible　interest　will　be　carefully　preserved；
and　its　exact　location　accurately　marked　upon　this　chart　I　have
prepared；　which；　as　you　will　see；　has　the　same　number　of　squares　as
the　room；　the　area　of　each　square　being　reduced　from　one　square　foot
to　one　square　inch。　　You　will　note　that　I　have　already　marked　the
location　of　all　doors；　windows；　and　furniture。　　The　weapon；　if　there
be　one；　may　be　very　minute；　but　if　it　be　on　the　floor　we　may　be
assured　the　microscope　will　find　it。　　The　walls　of　the　room；
especially　any　shelving　projections；　and　the　furniture；　I　shall
examine　with　equal　thoroughness；　though　I　have　now　some　additional
reasons　for　believing　the　weapon　is　not　here。〃

〃Have　you　discovered　anything　new？〃　Gwen　exclaimed；　unable　to　control
the　excitement　caused　by　this　last　remark。　　〃You　must　pardon　me；〃
Maitland　rejoined；　〃if　I　ask　you　and　the　Doctor　a　question　before
replying。〃　　She　nodded　assent；　and　he　continued：　〃I　wish　to　know　if
you　agree　with　me　that　we　shall　be　more　likely　to　arrive　at　a
solution　of　the　problem　before　us　if　we　keep　our　own　counsel　than
if　we　take　the　officers　of　the　law；　or；　for　that　matter；　anyone
else；　into　our　confidence。　　You　undoubtedly　noticed　how　carefully　M。
Godin　kept　his　own　counsel。　　Official　methods；　and　the　hasty
generalisations　which　form　a　part　thereof　…　to　say　nothing　of　the
petty　rivalries　and　the　passion　for　notoriety　…　can　do　much　to　hinder
our　own　work；　and；　I　believe；　nothing　to　help　it。　　What　say　you？〃
〃That　we　keep　our　work　to　ourselves；〃　Gwen　quickly　rejoined；　and　I
signified　that　I　was　of　the　same　opinion。　　〃Then；〃　Maitland　continued；
〃I　may　say　this　in　answer　to　your　question。　　I　have　ascertained
something　which　may　bear　upon　the　case　in　hand。　　You　will　remember
that　part　of　the　gravel　for　redressing　the　croquet　ground　was　dumped
under　the　east　window　there。　　The　painters；　I　learn；　finished
painting　that　side　of　the　house　yesterday　forenoon　before　the　gravel
was　removed　and　placed　upon　the　ground；　so　that　any　footprints　they
may　have　made　in　it　while　about　their　work　were　obliterated。　　As　you
see；　there　was　loose　gravel　left　under　the　window　to　the　depth　of
about　two　inches。　　I　carefully　examined　this　gravel　this　morning　…=20
there　were　no　footprints。〃

I　glanced　at　Gwen；　her　face　had　a　set　expression；　and　she　was　deathly
pale。　　〃There　were；　however；〃　he　continued；　〃places　where　the　gravel
had　been　tamped　down　as　if　by　the　pressure　of　a　rectangular　board。
I　examined　these　minutely　and；　by　careful　measurement　and　close
scrutiny　of　some　peculiar　markings　suggestive　of　the　grain　of　wood；
satisfied　myself　that　the　depressions　in　the　gravel　were　made　by　two；
and　not；　as　I　had　at　first　thought；　by　one　small　piece　of　wood。　　I
found　further　that　these　two　boards　had　always　borne　certain　relative
relations　to　each　other；　and　that　when　one　had　been　turned　around
the　other　had　undergone　a　similar　rotation。　　This　last　is；　in　my　mind；
a　most　important　point；　for；　when　coupled　with　the　fact　that　between
any　two　impressions　of　the　same　board　the　distance　was　sensibly
constant；　and　was　that　of　a　short　stride；　there　could　be　no　reasonable
doubt　but　these　boards　had　been　worn　upon　some　person's　feet。　　They
could　not　have　been　thrown　down　merely　to　be　stepped　upon；　for；　in
that　case；　they　would　not　have　borne　fixed　relations　to　each　other
　…　probably　would　not　have　been　turned　end　for　end　at　all　…　and
certainly；　both　would　not　always　have　happened　to　get　turned　at　the
same　time。　　I　procured　a　board　of　the　combined　area　of　the　two
supposed　to　have　made　the　impressions　in　the　gravel；　and　weighted　it
down　until；　as　nearly　as　I　could　measure；　it　impacted　the　soil　to
the　same　extent　the　others　had。　　The　weight　was　one　hundred　and
thirty…five　pounds；　which　is　about　right　for　a　man　five　feet　five
inches　tall。　　The　position　of　the　depressions　in　the　gravel　indicated
a　stride　just　about　right　for　a　man　of　that　height。

〃There　was　one　other　most　important　discovery　which　I　made　after　I
had　divided　the　impressions　into　two　classes　…　according　as　they
were　produced　by　the　right　or　left　board　…　which　was　that　when　the
right　foot　was　thrown　forward　the　stride　was　from　three　to　four
inches　longer　than　when　the　left　foot　led。　　Directly　under　the
window　there　was　a　deep　impression　in　the　sand。　　I　took　a　plaster
cast　of　it；　and　here　it　is；〃　he　said；　producing　an　excellent
facsimile　of　a　closed　hand。　　〃There　can　be　little　doubt；〃　he
continued；　〃from　the　position　occupied　by　the　depression；　of　which
this　is　a　reverse　copy；　that　it　was　either　accidentally　made　by
someone　who；　stooping　before　the　east　window　to　avoid　obstructing
its　light；　suddenly　lost　his　balance　and　regained　his　equilibrium
by　thus　thrusting　out　his　hand；　or　…　and　this　seems　far　more　likely
to　me　…　that　the　hand　was　deliberately　placed　in　the　gravel　in　order
to　steady　its　possessor　while　he　performed　some　peculiar　operation。〃

At　this　point　I　ventured　to　ask　why　he　regarded　the　latter　view　as
so　much　more　tenable　than　the　former。　　〃There　are　several　reasons；〃
he　replied；　〃which　render　the　view　I　prefer　to　take　all　but　certain。
First；　the　impression　was　made　by　the　left　hand。　　Second；　it　is　the
impression　of　a　closed　hand；　with　the　upper　joints　of　the　fingers
undermost。　　Did　you　ever　know　one　to　save　himself　from　falling　by
thrusting　out　a　closed　hand？　　Certainly　not。　　There　is　a　certain
amount　of　fear；　however　slight；　invariably　associated　with　losing
one's　balance。　　This　sentiment；　so　far　as　the　hand　is　concerned；　is
expressed　by　opening　it　and　spreading　the　fingers。　　This　he　would
instinctively　have　done；　if　falling。　　Then　there　is　the　position　of
the　impression　relative　to　the　window　and　some　slight　testimony　upon
the　sill　and　glass；　for　the　thorough　investigation　of　which　I　have
been　obliged　to　await　my　microscope。　　I　have　worked　diligently；　but
that　is　all　I　have　been　able　to　accomplish。〃

〃All！〃　exclaimed　Gwen；　regarding　him　with　ill…concealed　admiration。
〃It　seems　to　me　a　very　great　deal。　　The　thoroughness；　the　minuteness
of　it　all；　overwhelms　me；　but；　tell　me；　have　your　discoveries　led
you　to　any　conclusion？〃　〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃nothing　definite　yet；　I
must　not　allow　myself　to　become　wedded　to　any　theory；　so　long　as
there　is　anything　further　to　be　learned。　　If　I　were　to　hazard　a　few
idle　guesses；　I　should　say　your　father　was　murdered　in　some
mysterious　way　…　by　a　person　about　five　feet　five　inches　tall；
weighing；　say；　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　pounds；　and　having　a　lame
leg；　or；　perhaps；　one　limb　shorter　than　the　other；　…　at　all　events
having　some　deformity　or　ailment　causing　a　variation　in　the　length
of　the　strides。　　I　should　guess　also　that　this　person's　feet　had　some
marked　peculiarity；　since　such　pains　had　been　taken　to　conceal　the
footprints。　　Then　the　cast　of　the