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Page 65
They came with full powers, and designed to search the house
without warning on the following morning, and examine all who
dwelt in it.
Sir Walter invited them to dine with him, and they did so. There
were present the master of Chadlands, Dr. Mannering--who asked
to spend the night there--and Henry Lennox; while Masters and
Fred Caunter waited upon them. The detectives heard with interest
the result of the post-mortem conducted during the morning, and
related incidents in the life of Peter Hardcastle. They were all
unfeignedly amazed that a man with such a record--one who had
carried his life in his hand on many occasions--should have lost
it thus, at noonday and without a sound of warning to his
fellow-creatures. Dr. Mannering told how he had watched the
medical examination, but not assisted at it. All attempts to
galvanize back life failed, as the experts engaged immediately
perceived they must upon viewing the corpse; and during the
subsequent autopsy, when the dead man's body had been examined
by chemist and microscopist, the result was barren of any
pathological detail. No indication to explain his death rewarded
the search. Not a clue or suspicion existed. He was healthy in
every particular, and his destruction remained, so far, inexplicable
to science. Hardcastle had died in a syncope, as the other victims;
that was all the most learned could declare.
Impressed by these facts, the four made ready, and Lennox observed
that they neither drank during their meal nor smoked after it.
At nine o'clock they began their work of the night, but invited
nobody to assist them, and begged that they might not be approached
until daylight on the following morning.
Dr. Mannering took it upon himself earnestly to beg they would
abandon the vigil. Indeed, he argued strongly against it.
"Consider, gentlemen," he said, "you are now possibly convinced in
your own minds that the source of these horrible things is to be
found outside the Grey Room, and not in it. I agree with you, so
far. We have reached a pitch where, in my judgment, we are
justified in believing that some motiveless malignity is at work.
But by going into that room, are you not giving somebody another
opportunity to do what has already been done? Evil performed
without motive, as you know better than I can tell you, must be the
work of a maniac, and there may exist in this house, unsuspected
and unguessed, a servant afflicted in this awful way. One has
heard of such things."
The eldest of his listeners felt unspeakable interest in these
remarks, since his own opinion inclined in the same direction. He
was, however, none the less chagrined that another should thus
voice his secret theory. He did not answer, but his chief replied.
"It is proved," said Frith, "that no violence overtakes those
subjected to this ordeal. And I have decided that we shall not
be in danger, for this reason. We shall be armed as none of the
dead were. Our precautions will preclude any possibility of foul
play from a material assault. And, needless to say, we contemplate
no other. We are free agents, and I should not quarrel with any
among us who shirked; but duty is duty, and we have all faced
dangers as great as this--probably far greater. What you say is
most interesting, doctor, and I agree with you, that outside the
room we must look for the explanation of these murders--if murders
they are. Upon that business we shall start to-morrow. Forgive
me for not going into details, because we have our personal methods.
They embrace the element of surprise, and, of course, prevent any
conversation concerning what we are going to do until we have
done it."
"Supposing you are all found dead to-morrow?" asked Dr. Mannering
bluntly.
"Then we are all found dead to-morrow; and others will have the
satisfaction of finding out why."
"You suspect somebody, yet can absolve nobody?"
"Exactly, Sir Walter. I said pretty much that to the pressmen, who
forced themselves in this afternoon. The accursed daily Press of
this country has saved the skin of more blackguards than I like to
count. Keep them and the photographers away. It ought to be
criminal--their interference."
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