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Page 63
"Have you anything further that you would care to tell us?"
"Only this, that I think Mr. Hardcastle, with whom I had a long
conversation on his arrival, gave it as his opinion that it was
not in the Grey Room we must look for an explanation. I believe
he regarded his visit to the room itself as a comparatively
unimportant part of the case. He was really more interested in
the life of my son-in-law and his relations with other people.
I think he regarded May's death as a matter which had been
determined outside the Grey Room. But, if I may presume to
advise you, this view of his is surely proved mistaken in the light
of his own destruction and what has happened since. It is certain
now that the cause of danger lies actually in the room itself, and
equally certain that what killed my son-in-law also killed Mr.
Hardcastle and, last night, killed the Reverend Septimus May."
"On the fact of it, yes," admitted Frith. "I think, after we have
considered the situation now developed and visited the Grey Room,
we shall agree that there, at any rate, we may begin the work that
has brought us. You understand we rule out the possibility of any
supernatural event, as Hardcastle, of course, did. While he very
properly centred on the history of Captain May, and, from his point
of view, did not expect to find the accident of the captain's death
in this particular place would prove important, we shall now assume
otherwise, and give the room, or somebody with access to it, the
credit for this destruction of human life. We shall fasten on the
room therefore. Our inquiry is fairly simple at the outset, simpler
than poor Hardcastle's. It will lie along one of two channels, and
it depends entirely upon which channel we have to proceed whether
the matter is going to take much time, and possibly fail of
explanation at the end, or but a short time, and be swiftly cleared
up. I hope the latter."
"I shall be glad if you can explain that remark," answered Sir
Walter; but Mr. Frith was not prepared immediately to do so.
"Fully when the time comes, Sir Walter; but for the moment, no--
not even to you. You will understand that our work must be
entirely secret, and the lines on which we proceed known only to
ourselves."
"That is reasonable, for you cannot tell yet whether I, who speak
to you, may not be responsible for everything. At least, command
me. I only hope to Heaven you are not going to discover a great
crime."
"I share your hope. That is why I speak of two channels for
inquiry," answered the detective. "Needless to say, we four men
shall discuss the new light thrown upon the situation very fully.
At present the majority of us are inclined to believe there is no
crime, and the death of Mr. May does not, to my mind, increase the
likelihood of such a thing. Indeed, it supports me, I should judge,
in my present opinion. What that is will appear without much delay.
We'll get to our quarters now, and ask to see the Grey Room later
on."
"May I inquire concerning Mr. Hardcastle? I hope he had no wife
or family to mourn him."
"He was a bachelor, and lived with his mother, who keeps a shop.
The intention is to examine his body this morning, and submit it
to certain conclusive tests. Nobody expects much from them, but
they're not going to lose half a chance. He was a great man."
"You will hear at once from London if anything transpires to help
you?"
"We shall hear by noon at latest."
Sir Walter left them then, and Masters took the four to their
accommodation. Their rooms were situated together in the corridor,
as near the east end of it as possible. But the four were not yet
of one mind, and when they met presently, and walked together in
the garden for an hour, it appeared that while two of them agreed
with Inspector Frith, under whom all acted, the fourth held to a
contrary view, and desired to take the second of the two channels
his chief had mentioned.
Thus three men believed some extraordinary concatenation of
circumstances, probably mechanical in operation, was responsible
for all that had happened in the Grey Room; but the fourth, a man
older than Frith, and in some sort his rival for many years, held
to it that the reason of these things must be sought in an active
and conscious agency. He trusted in a living cause, but felt
confident that it was not a sane one. He had known a case when a
madman, unsuspected of madness, had operated with extraordinary
skill to destroy innocent persons and escape detection, and
already he was disposed to believe that among the household of
Chadlands might hide such an insane criminal.
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