It might have been
any one--your cousin as well as another.'
'You have me there, sir,' I admitted. 'I had neglected all
precautions, and you do right to be angry. Apropos, Mr. Romaine,
how did you come yourself, and how long have you been in the
house?' I added, surprised, on the retrospect, not to have heard
him arrive.
'I drove up in a chaise and pair,' he returned. 'Any one might
have heard me. But you were not listening, I suppose? being so
extremely at your ease in the very house of your enemy, and under a
capital charge! And I have been long enough here to do your
business for you. Ah, yes, I did it, God forgive me!--did it
before I so much as asked you the explanation of the paragraph.
For some time back the will has been prepared; now it is signed;
and your uncle has heard nothing of your recent piece of activity.
Why? Well, I had no fancy to bother him on his death-bed: you
might be innocent; and at bottom I preferred the murderer to the
spy.'
No doubt of it but the man played a friendly part; no doubt also
that, in his ill-temper and anxiety, he expressed himself
unpalatably.
'You will perhaps find me over delicate,' said I. 'There is a word
you employed--'
'I employ the words of my brief, sir,' he cried, striking with his
hand on the newspaper.
Pages:
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241