the red seal(红印)-第16章
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〃No； sir； I believe not；〃 the butler looked dubious。 〃I recall that
Colonel McIntyre gave Miss Helen her key at the luncheon table； and he
said； then； to Miss Barbara that he couldn't trust her with one because she
would be sure to lose it； she is that careless。〃
The coroner asked the next question with such abruptness that the
butler started。
〃When did you last see Mr。 Turnbull at the house？〃
〃Sunday afternoon。〃 Grimes' reply was spoken with more than his
accustomed quickness of speech。 〃Mr。 Turnbull called twice； after a long
time in the drawing room； he went away taking the police dogs with him；
and later called to bring them back。〃
〃Where were these dogs on Monday night？〃
〃I last saw them in the library；〃 replied Grimes shortly。
〃And where did you find them the next morning？〃 prompted the
coroner。
〃In the cellar；〃 laconically。
〃And what were they doing in the cellar？〃
〃Hunting rats。〃
〃And how did the dogs get in the cellar？〃 inquired the coroner
patiently。 Grimes was not volunteering information； even if he could not
be accused of holding it back。
〃Some one must have let them down the back stairs；〃 the butler
admitted。 〃I don't know who it was。〃
〃Which servant got downstairs ahead of you on Tuesday morning？〃
〃No one； sir； the cook over…slept； and she and the maids came down in
a bunch ten minutes later。〃
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〃And who told you of the attempted burglary and the burglar's arrest？〃
asked Penfield。
〃Miss Barbara。 She asked us to hurry breakfast for her and Miss
Helen 'cause they had to go at once to the police court； she didn't give any
particulars； or nothing；〃 added Grimes in an injured tone。 〃'Twarn't 'til
Thomas and I saw the afternoon papers that we knew what had been going
on in our own house。〃
〃That is all； Grimes；〃 announced Penfield； and the butler left the
platform with the same stolid air he wore when he arrived。 He was
followed in the witness chair by the other McIntyre servants in succession。
Their testimony added nothing to what he had said but simply confirmed
his statements。
Kent； who had grown restless during the servants' monotonous
testimony； forgot the oppressive atmosphere of the room on seeing Mrs。
Brewster enter under the escort of the morgue master。 Spying a vacant
seat several rows ahead of where he was sitting； Kent； with a muttered
apology to the people over whom he crawled in his efforts to get out；
hurried into it just as the vivacious widow had finished taking the oath to
〃tell the truth and nothing but the truth；〃 and seated herself； with much
rustling of silk skirts in the witness chair。
〃State your full name； madam；〃 directed Coroner Penfield； eyeing her
dainty beauty with admiration。
〃Margaret Perry Brewster；〃 she answered。 〃Widow of Louis C。
Brewster。 Both I and my late husband were born and lived in Los
Angeles； California。〃
〃Are you visiting the Misses McIntyre？〃
〃Yes。〃 Mrs。 Brewster spoke in a chatty impersonal manner。 〃I have
been with them since the first of the month。〃
〃Did you attend the Grosvenor dance？〃 asked the coroner。
〃No； the affair was only given for the debutantes of last fall and did
not include married people；〃 she explained。 〃It was a warm night and
Colonel McIntyre asked Mr。 Benjamin Clymer； who was dining with him；
and me； to go for a motor ride； leaving Barbara at the Grosvenors' en route。
We did so； returning to the house about eleven o'clock； and sat talking
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until about midnight in the reception room； then Colonel McIntyre drove
Mr。 Clymer home； and I went to my room。〃
〃Were you awakened by any noises during the night？〃 inquired
Penfield。
〃No； I heard no noises。〃 Mrs。 Brewster's charming smile was
infectious。
〃When did you first learn of the supposed burglary and the death of
James Turnbull？〃
〃The McIntyre twins told me about the tragedy on their return from the
police court；〃 answered Mrs。 Brewster； and settled herself a little more
comfortably in the witness chair。
〃When you were in the reception room； Mrs。 Brewster 〃 … Penfield
paused and studied his notes a second …〃 did you observe if the window
was open or closed？〃
〃It was not open when we entered；〃 she responded。 〃But the air in
the room was stuffy and at my request Mr。 Clymer raised the window。〃
〃Did he close it later？〃
She considered the question。 〃I really do not recall；〃 she admitted
finally。 Her eyes strayed toward the door through which she had entered；
and Penfield answered her unspoken thought。
〃Just one more question；〃 he said hurriedly。 〃Did you see the dogs on
Monday night？〃
〃Yes。 I heard them scratching at the door leading to the basement as I
went upstairs； and so I turned around and went down and opened the door
and let them run down into the cellar。〃
Penfield snapped shut his notebook。 〃I am greatly obliged； Mrs。
Brewster； we will not detain you longer。〃
The morgue master stepped forward and helped the pretty widow
down from the platform。
〃Colonel McIntyre is here now；〃 he told the coroner。
〃Ah； then bring him in；〃 and Penfield； while awaiting the arrival of the
new witness； straightened the papers on his desk。
McIntyre looked straight ahead of him as he walked down the room
and stood frowning heavily while the oath was being administered； but his
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manner； when the coroner addressed him； had regained all the suavity and
polish which had first captivated Washington society。
〃I have been a resident of Washington for about five years；〃 he said in
answer to the coroner's question。 〃My daughters attended school here
after their return from Paris； where they were in a convent for four years。
They made their debut last November at our home in this city。〃
〃Were you aware of the wager between your daughter Barbara and
James Turnbull？〃 asked Penfield。
〃I heard of it Sunday afternoon but paid little attention；〃 admitted
McIntyre。 〃My daughter Barbara's vagaries I seldom take seriously。〃
〃Was Mr。 Turnbull a frequent visitor at your house？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
〃Was he engaged to your daughter Helen？〃
〃No。〃 McIntyre's denial was prompt and firmly spoken。 Penfield
and Kent； from his new seat nearer the platform； watched the colonel
narrowly； but learned nothing from his expression。
〃I have heard otherwise；〃 observed the coroner dryly。
〃You have been misinformed；〃 McIntyre's manner was short。 〃I
would suggest； Mr。 Coroner； that you confine your questions and
conjectures to matters pertinent to this inquiry。〃
Penfield flushed as one of the jurors snickered； but he did not repeat
his previous question； asking instead； 〃Was there good feeling between
you and Mr。 Turnbull？〃
〃I never quarreled with him；〃 replied McIntyre。 〃I really saw little of
him as； whenever he called at the house； he came to see one or the other of
my daughters； or both。〃
〃When did you last see Mr。 Turnbull？〃 inquired Penfield。
〃He was at the house on Sunday and I had quite a talk with him；〃
McIntyre leaned back in his chair and regarded the neat crease in his
trousers with critical eyes。 〃I last saw Turnbull going out of the street
door。〃
〃Were you disturbed by the burglar's entrance on Monday night？〃
McIntyre shook his head。 〃I am a heavy sleeper；〃 he said。 〃I regret
very much that my daughter Helen did not at once awaken me on finding
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the burglar； as she supposed； hiding in the closet。 I knew nothing of the
affair until Grimes informed me of it； and only reached the police court in
time to bring my daughters home from the distressing scene following the
identification of the dead burglar as Jimmie Turnbull。〃
〃Colonel McIntyre；〃 Penfield turned over several papers until he found
the one he sought。 〃Mrs。 Brewster has testified that while you and she
were sitting in the reception room； Mr。 Clymer opened the window。 Did
you close it on leaving the room？〃
McIntyre reflected before answering。 〃I cannot remember doing so；〃
he stated finally。 〃Clymer was in rather a hurry to leave； and after
bidding Mrs。 Brewster good night； we went straight out to the car and I
drove him to the Saratoga。〃
〃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 hou
