the darrow enigma- 第35部分

　　　John　Darrow　was　murdered。　　…　The　assassin's　inability　to　pay　a
　　　gambling　debt　the　motive　for　the　crime。　　…　Extraordinary　work
　　　of　a　French　detective！　…　The　net　…=20

But　at　this　juncture　the　paper　had　dropped　from　Gwen's　hands；　and
she　had　fallen　upon　the　floor　before　Alice　could　reach　her。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　EPISODE　OF　THE　TELLTALE　THUMB


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　I

　　When　Disaster　is　bigger　than　its　victim　its　bolt　o'erlaps　the
　　innocent。

It　was　some　time　after　Gwen　had　fallen　before　Alice　had　succeeded
in　getting　her　upon　the　lounge；　and　then　all　her　efforts　to　revive
her　had　failed。　　She　had　remained　in　the　same　nerveless　stupor　as
that　in　which　I　had　found　her。　　I　asked　Alice　if　she　knew　why　this
announcement　had　produced　such　an　effect　upon　Gwen；　and　she　returned
my　question　with　a　look　of　amazement。

〃Have　you　forgotten　Gwen's　promise　to　her　father　in　this　matter？〃
she　replied。　　〃Has　she　not　already　told　you　that　she　should　keep
that　promise；　whatever　the　sacrifice　cost　her？　　She　is；　therefore；
entirely　at　the　mercy　of　this　M。　Godin；　and　she　is　also　obliged　to
advise　him　of　this　fact；　if　she　would　carry　out　her　father's　wishes。
Is　this　nothing　for　a　sensitive　nature　like　hers？　　If　she　has　any
love　for　anyone　else　she　must　crush　it　out　of　her　heart；　for　she　is
M。　Godin's　now。　　Surely；　Ned；　you　are　not　so　stupid　as　your　question
would　indicate。〃

〃We　won't　discuss　that；〃　I　rejoined。　　〃Let　us　go　to　Gwen　and　get
her　to　bed。〃

This　done；　and　the　sufferer　made　easy　for　the　night；　I　glanced　at
the　article　which　had　so　upset　her；　and　read　its　sensational
〃scare…head。〃　　In　full　it　ran　as　follows：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　DARROW　MYSTERY　SOLVED！
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　DARROW　WAS　MURDERED！

　　　　　　The　Assassin's　Inability　to　Pay　a　Gambling　Debt　the
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Motive　for　the　Crime。

　　　　　　　　　　EXTRAORDINARY　WORK　OF　A　FRENCH　DETECTIVE！

　　　　　　The　Net　so　Completely　Woven　About　the　Alleged
　　　　　　　Assassin　That　it　is　Thought　He　Will　Confess。

　　　　　　The　Arrest　Entirely　Due　to　the　Unassisted　Efforts　of
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　M。　LOUIS　GODIN！


I　did　not　stop　to　read　the　article；　but　seized　my　hat　and　hastened
at　once　to　Maitland。

A　copy　of　the　Herald　lay　upon　his　table；　advising　me　that　he　was
already　acquainted　with　the　strange　turn　affairs　had　taken。　　He
told　me　that　he　had　heard　the　newsboys　in　the　street　calling　out
〃The　Darrow　Mystery　Solved！〃　and　had　at　once　rushed　out　and　bought
a　paper。

I　informed　him　of　Gwen's　condition　and　he　wished　to　go　to　her　at
once；　but　I　told　him　he　must　wait　until　the　morrow；　as　she　had
already　retired；　and　was；　I　had　reason　to　hope；　fast　asleep。　　I
reassured　him　with　the　information　that　a　night's　sleep　and　the
medicine　I　had　given　her　would　probably　put　Gwen　in　full　possession
of　her　faculties。　　Having　thus　satisfied　his　fears；　I　thought　it
fitting　he　should　satisfy　mine。　　I　asked　him　what　had　become　of　the
young　woman　in　the　next　room。　　He　did　not　reply；　but　quietly　led　me
into　his　camera　obscura　that　I　might　see　for　myself。　　She　was
sitting　at　the　table　in　the　centre　of　the　room；　with　her　face　buried
in　her　hands。　　I　watched　her　for　a　long　time；　and　the　only　movement
I　could　discern　was　that　occasioned　ever　and　anon　by　a　convulsive
catching　of　her　breath。　　The　pet　monkey　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。

〃They　took　her　father　away　early　this　morning；〃　Maitland　said；　〃and；
after　the　first　shock；　she　sank　into　this　condition。　　She　has　not
moved　since。　　When　I　see　the　despair　her　father's　arrest　has
occasioned　I　am　almost　tempted　to　rejoice　that　I　had　no　hand　in　it；
and　yet　…　well；　there's　no　great　harm　without　some　small　good　…　no
one　will　say　now　that　John　Darrow　took　his　own　life；　eh？　　What　do
you　think　our　friends；　Osborne　and　Allen；　will　say　now？　　They　were
so　sure　their　theory　was　the　only　tenable　one。　　Ah；　well！　　we　should
ever　hold　ourselves　in　readiness=20
for　surprises。〃

〃And　for　emergencies　too；〃　I　continued；　〃and　this　strikes　me　as
being　very　like　one。　　That　young　woman　needs　attention；　if　I　am　any
judge　of　appearances；　and　I'm　going　in　there。〃　　〃No　use；　Doc；〃
Maitland　replied；　〃the　door　is　locked；　and　she　either　cannot　or
will　not　open　it。　　I　knocked　there　for　an　hour；　hoping　to　be　able
to　comfort　her。　　It's　no　use　for　you　to　try；　she　won't　open　the
door。〃　〃Won't；　eh！　　then　I'll　go　through　it！〃　I　exclaimed；　in　a
tone　that　so　amazed　Maitland　that　he　seized　me　by　the　shoulders　and
gazed　fixedly　into　my　face。　　〃It's　all　right；　George；〃　I　said；
answering　his　look。　　〃I'm　going　in　there；　and　I'm　not　going　to　be
at　all　delicate　about　my　entrance　either。〃

He　looked　at　me　a　little　doubtfully；　but　I　could　see　that；　on　the
whole；　he　was　pleased　with　my　decision。　　I　went　into　the　hall　and
knocked　loudly　on　the　door。　　There　was　no　response。　　I　kicked　it
till　I　must　have　been　heard　all　over　the　house；　but　still　there
was　no　response。　　It　was　now　clear　I　should　not　enter　by　invitation；
so　I　went　up　four　or　five　stairs　of　the　flight　opposite　the　door　and
from　that　position　sprang　against　it。　　I　am　not；　if　you　remember；　a
heavy　man；　but　momentum　is　MV　and　I　made　up　in　the　'V'　what　I　lacked
in　the　'M。'　　The　door　opened　inwardly；　and　I　tore　it　from　its　hinges
and　precipitated　both　myself　and　it　into　the　centre　of　the　apartment。
As　I　look　back　upon　this　incident　I　regard　it　as　the　most　precipitous
thing　I　ever　did　in　the　way　of　a　professional　visit。　　If　the　young
lady　started　at　all；　she　did　so　before　I　had　gathered　myself　together
sufficiently　to　notice　it。　　I　spoke　to　her；　but　she　gave　no　evidence
of　hearing　me。　　I　raised　her　head。　　Her　eyes　were　wide　open　and
stared　full　at　me；　yet　in　such　a　blank　way　that　I　knew　she　did　not
hear　me。　　The　contraction　of　the　brows；　the　knotted　appearance　of
the　forehead；　and　the　rigor　of　the　face　told　me　she　was　under　an
all…but…breaking　tension。　　There　were　tear…stains　from　tears　which
long　since　had　ceased　to　flow。　　The　fire　of　fever　had　dried　them　up。
I　regarded　her　case　as　far　more　desperate　than　Gwen's　and　determined
to　lose　no　time　in　taking　charge　of　it。　　It　seemed　to　me　so　like
sacrilege　to　touch　her　without　an　explanation　that；　though　I　knew
she　could　not　understand　me；　I　said　to　her；　as　I　took　her　in　my　arms。
〃You　are　ill；　and　I　must　take　you　away　from　here。〃

She　was　just　blossoming　into　womanhood　and　her　form　had　that
exquisite　roundness　and　grace　which　it　is　the　particular　function
of　fashion　to　annihilate。　　If　I　held　her　closely；　I　think　all
bachelors　will　agree　that　it　was　because　this　very　roundness　made
her　heavy；　if　I　did　not　put　her　down　immediately　I　reached　Maitland's
room；　it　is　because；　as　a　doctor　of　medicine；　I　have　my　own　ideas　as
to　how　a　couch　should　be　fixed　before　a　patient　is　laid　upon　it。
Maitland　may　say　what　he　pleases；　but　I　know　how　important　these
things　are　in　sickness；　and　you　know；　quick　as　he　is　in　most　things；
George　has　moments　when　his　head　is　so　much　in　the　clouds　that　he
doesn't　know　what　he　is　doing；　and　moves　as　if　he　were　in　a　dream
set　to　dirge　music。　　He　kept　telling　me　to　〃put　her　on　the　couch！
…　put　her　on　the　couch！〃　　To　this　day；　he　fondly　believes　that　when
I　finally　did　release　her；　it　was　as　the　result　of　his　advice；　rather
than　because　he　had　at　last　made　a　suitable　bed　for　her。

I　sent　Maitland　for　some　medicine；　which　I　knew　would　relax　the
tension　she　was　under　and　make　it　possible　for　her　to　sleep。　　When
I　had　administered　this；　Maitland　and　I　talked　the　matter　over　and
we　decided　to　take　her　at　once　to　my　house；　where；　with　Gwen；　she
could　share　the　watchful　care　of　my　sister　Alice。　　This　we　did；
though　I　was　not　without　some　misgivings　as　to　Gwen's　attitude　in
the　matter　when　she　should　recover　sufficiently　to　know　of　it。　　I
expressed　my　doubts　to　Maitland　and　he　replied：　〃Give　yourself　no
uneasiness　on　that　score；　Miss　Darrow　is　too　womanly　to　visit　the
sins　of　a　guilty　father　upon　an　unoffending　daughter；　and；　besides；
this　man；　…　it　seems　that　his　real　name　is　Latour；　not　Cazenove；　…=20
has　a　right　to　be　judged　innocent　until　his　guilt　is　proved。〃

I　found　this　to　be　sage　counsel；　for；　when　Gwen　was　able　to
understand　what　I　had　done；　she　exhibited　no　antipathy　toward　the
new　member　of　our　household；　but；　on　the　contrary；　became　exceedingly
interested　in　her。　　I　was　especially　glad　of　this；　not　only　on
account　of　Miss　Latour；　the　suspect's　daughter；　but　also　because　the
one　thing　Gwen　needed　above　all　others　was　something　to　challenge
her　interest。　　She　had　again　relapsed　into　the　old；　state　of　passive
endurance；　wherein　nothing　seemed　to　reach　her　consciousness。　　Her
actions　appeared　to　flow　more　from　her　nerve…centres　than　from　her
mind。　　She　moved　like　an　automaton。　　There　is　scarcely　any　condition
of　which　I　am　more　fearful　than　this。　　The　patient　becomes　wax　in
one's　hands。　　She　will　do　anything　without　a　murmur；　or　as　willingly
refrain　from　anything。　　She　simply　is　indifferent　to　life　and　all
that　therein　is。　　Is　it　any　wonder；　then；　that　I　rejoiced　to　see
Gwen　interest　herself　in　poor　Jeannette？　　It　was　a　long　time；
however；　before　Jeannette　repaid　this　interest　with　anything　more
than　a　dreamy；　far…off　gaze；　that　refu