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Page 34
The outraged gentleman riveted his gaze upon me. "In town and out of
town?" demanded he.
I let Mr. Gryce reply. "It is known that you have lately sought to
visit the Schoenmakers," said he.
Mr. Blake drew a deep breath, cast his eyes about the handsome
apartment in which we were, let them rest for a moment upon a
portrait that graced one side of the wall, and which was I have since
learned a picture of his father, and slowly drew forward a chair.
"Let me hear what your suspicions are," said he.
I noticed Mr. Gryce colored at this; he had evidently been met in a
different way from what he expected. "Excuse me," said he, "I do not
say I have any suspicions; my errand is simply to notify you of the
death of the girl you were seen to speak with, and to ask whether or
not you can give us any information that can aid us in the matter
before the coroner."
"You know I have not. If I have been as closely followed as you say,
you must know why I spoke to that girl and others, why I went to the
house of the Schoenmakers and--Do you know?" he suddenly inquired.
Mr. Gryce was not the man to answer such a question as that. He eyed
the rich signet ring that adorned the hand of the gentleman before
him and suavely smiled. "I am ready to listen to any explanations,"
said he.
Mr. Blake's haughty countenance became almost stern. "You consider
you have a right to demand them; let me hear why."
"Well," said Mr. Gryce with a change of tone, "you shall.
Unprofessional as it is, I will tell you why I, a member of the
police force, dare enter the house of such a man as you are, and put
him the questions I have concerning his domestic affairs. Mr. Blake,
imagine yourself in a detective's office. A woman comes in, the
housekeeper of a respected citizen, and informs us that a girl
employed by her as seamstress has disappeared in a very unaccountable
way from her master's house the night before; in fact been abducted
as she thinks from certain evidences, through the window. Her manner
is agitated, her appeal for assistance urgent, though she
acknowledges no relationship to the girl or expresses any especial
cause for her interest beyond that of common humanity. 'She must be
found,' she declares, and hints that any sum necessary will be
forthcoming, though from what source after her own pittance is
expended she does not state. When asked if her master has no
interest in the matter, she changes color and puts us off. He never
noticed his servants, left all such concerns to her, etc.; but shows
fear when a proposition is made to consult him. Next imagine yourself
with the detectives in that gentleman's house. You enter the girl's
room; what is the first thing you observe? Why that it is not only one
of the best in the house, but that it is conspicuous for its comforts
if not for its elegancies. More than that, that there are books of
poetry and history lying around, showing that the woman who inhabited
it was above her station; a fact which the housekeeper is presently
brought to acknowledge. You notice also that the wild surmise of her
abduction by means of the window, has some ground in appearance,
though the fact that she went with entire unwillingness is not made
so apparent. The housekeeper, however, insists in a way that must have
had some special knowledge of the girl's character or circumstances
to back it, that she never went without compulsion; a statement which
the torn curtains and the track of blood over the roof of the
extension, would seem to emphasize. A few other facts are made
known. First, a pen-knife is picked up from the grass plot in the
yard beneath, showing with what instrument the wound was inflicted,
whose drippings made those marks of blood alluded to. It was a
pearl-handled knife belonging to the writing desk found open on her
table, and its frail and dainty character proved indisputably, that it
was employed by the girl herself, and that against manifest enemies;
no man being likely to snatch up any such puny weapon for the purpose
either of offence or defence. That these enemies were two and were
both men, was insisted upon by Mrs. Daniels who overheard their
voices the night before.
"Mr. Blake, such facts as these arouse curiosity, especially when the
master of the house being introduced upon the scene, he fails to
manifest common human interest, while his housekeeper betrays in
every involuntary gesture and expression she makes use of, her horror
if not her fear of his presence, and her relief at his departure.
Yes," he exclaimed, unheeding the sudden look here cast him by Mr.
Blake, "and curiosity begets inquiry, and inquiry elucidated further
facts such as these, that the mysterious master of the house was in
his garden at the hour of the girl's departure, was even looking
through the bars of his gate when she, having evidently escaped from
her captors, came back with every apparent desire to reenter her
home, but seeing him, betrayed an unreasonable amount of fear and fled
back even into the very arms of the men she had endeavored to avoid.
Did you speak sir?" asked Mr. Gryce suddenly stopping, with a sly
look at his left boot tip.
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