The Greatest Works of Anna Katharine Green. Анна Грин
Читать онлайн книгу.
voice? Was her tone refined and her language good?”
“They were, sir.”
“When did they leave? How long did they remain in your house?”
“They left in the evening; after tea, I should say.”
“How? On foot or in a carriage?”
“In a carriage; one of the hacks that stand in front of the door.”
“Did they bring any baggage with them?”
“No, sir.”
“Did they take any away?”
“The lady carried a parcel.”
“What kind of a parcel?”
“A brown-paper parcel, like clothing done up.”
“And the gentleman?”
“I did not see him.”
“Was she dressed the same in going as in coming?”
“To all appearance, except her hat. That was smaller.”
“She had the gossamer on still, then?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And a veil?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Only that the hat it covered was smaller?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And now, how did you account to yourself for the parcel and the change of hat?”
“I didn’t account for them. I didn’t think anything about them at the time; but, since I have had the subject brought to my mind, I find it easy enough. She had a package delivered to her while she was in our house, or rather packages; they were quite numerous, I believe.”
“Can you recall the circumstances of their delivery?”
“Yes, sir; the man who brought the packages said that they had not been paid for, so I allowed him to carry them to Mrs. James Pope’s room. When he went away, he had but one small parcel with him; the rest he had left.”
“And this is all you can tell us about this singular couple? Had they no meals in your house?”
“No, sir; the gentleman—or I suppose I should say the lady, sir, for the order was given in her voice—sent for two dozen oysters and a bottle of ale, which were furnished to them in their rooms; but they didn’t come to the dining-room.”
“Is the boy here who carried up those articles?”
“He is, sir.”
“And the chambermaid who attended to their rooms?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you may answer this question, and we will excuse you. How was the gentleman dressed when you saw him?”
“In a linen duster and a felt hat.”
“Let the jury remember that. And now let us hear from Richard Clapp. Is Richard Clapp in the room?”
“I am, sir,” answered a cheery voice; and a lively young man with a shrewd eye and a wide-awake manner popped up from behind a portly woman on a side seat and rapidly came forward.
He was asked several questions before the leading one which we all expected; but I will not record them here. The question which brought the reply most eagerly anticipated was this:
“Do you remember being sent to the Hotel D——with several packages for a Mrs. James Pope?”
“I do, sir.”
“Did you deliver them in person? Did you see the lady?”
A peculiar look crossed his face and we all leaned forward. But his answer brought a shock of disappointment with it.
“No, I didn’t, sir. She wouldn’t let me in. She bade me lay the things down by the door and wait in the rear hall till she called me.”
“And you did this?”
“Yes, sir.”
“But you kept your eye on the door, of course?”
“Naturally, sir.”
“And saw——”
“A hand steal out and take in the things.”
“A woman’s hand?”
“No; a man’s. I saw the white cuff.”
“And how long was it before they called you?”
“Fifteen minutes, I should say. I heard a voice cry ‘Here!’ and seeing their door open, I went toward it. But by the time I reached it, it was shut again, and I only heard the lady say that all the articles but the shoes were satisfactory, and would I thrust the bill in under the door. I did so, and they were some minutes counting out the change, but presently the door opened slightly, and I saw a man’s hand holding out the money, which was correct to the cent. ‘You need not receipt the bill,’ cried the lady from somewhere in the room. ‘Give him the shoes and let him go.’ So I received the shoes in the same mysterious way I had the money, and seeing no reason for waiting longer, pocketed the bills and returned to the store.”
“Has the jury any further questions to ask the witness?”
Of course not. They were ninnies, all of them, and——But, contrary to my expectation, one of them did perk up courage, and, wriggling very much on his seat, ventured to ask if the cuff he had seen on the man’s hand when it was thrust through the doorway had a button in it.
The answer was disappointing. The witness had not noticed any.
The juror, somewhat abashed, sank into silence, at which another of the precious twelve, inspired no doubt by the other’s example, blurted out:
“Then what was the color of the coat sleeve? You surely can remember that.”
But another disappointment awaited us.
“He did not wear any coat. It was a shirt sleeve I saw.”
A shirt sleeve! There was no clue in that. A visible look of dejection spread through the room, which was not dissipated till another witness stood up.
This time it was the bell-boy of the hotel who had been on duty that day. His testimony was brief, and added but little to the general knowledge. He had been summoned more than once by these mysterious parties, but only to receive his orders through a closed door. He had not entered the room at all.
He was followed by the chambermaid, who testified that she was in the room once while they were there; that she saw them both then, but did not catch a glimpse of their faces; Mr. Pope was standing in the window almost entirely shielded by the curtains, and Mrs. Pope was busy hanging up something in the wardrobe. The gentleman had on his duster and the lady her gossamer; it was but a few minutes after their arrival.
Questioned in regard to the state of the room after they left it, she said that there was a lot of brown paper lying about, marked B. Altman, but nothing else that did not belong there.
“Not a tag, nor a hat-pin, nor a bit of memorandum, lying on bureau or table?”
“Nothing, sir, so far as I mind. I wasn’t on the look-out for anything, sir. They were a queer couple, but we have lots of queer couples at our house, and the most I notices, sir, is those what remember the chambermaid and those what don’t. This couple was of the kind what don’t.”
“Did you sweep the room after their departure?”
“I always does. They went late, so I swept the room the next morning.”
“And threw the sweepings away, of course?”