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Page 50
"Well, as I was saying, as soon as I thought of Burwell I made up
my mind at once to borrow one of his hounds. It was late when I got
to his house. When I knocked at the door both Pompey and Caesar
began sub-bass solos of growls, and Burwell was awake in a minute.
I told him I wanted a dog for private business and took Caesar off
with me. He found the trail with no difficulty, and followed it in
a bee-line down to the water, where he raised his big muzzle and
howled in dismal impotency. The assassin had taken to the water.
I took the dog up and down the shore to see if he had returned to
land, but all I found of interest was a clump of alders from
which a pole had been cut. I knew by the dog's actions that the
assassin had been there, for Caesar immediately took a new trail
back to the house. Try as I might I could learn nothing further,
and I at once returned the dog. There is no doubt that the
murderer made his escape in a boat and took with him the pole he
had cut, the boards he had worn, and everything else, I dare say,
connected with his crime. One thing seems clear, and that is that
we are dealing with no ordinary criminal. I would wager a good
deal that this fellow, if ever he is caught, will be found to be
a man of brains. I don't place much confidence in the Chinese
theory, Doc, but as I have nothing better to offer, let us go see
Miss Darrow. If her father has ever had any dealings with Chinamen,
we shall probably deem it wise to look the Orientals up a bit."
We immediately acted upon this suggestion, waiting upon Gwen at my
house. She said she and her father had spent a year in San
Francisco when she was about seven years of age. While there their
household was looked after by two Chinese servants, named Wah Sing
and Sam Lee. The latter had been discharged by her father because
of his refusal to perform certain minor duties which, through
oversight, had not been set down as part of his work when he was
engaged. So far as she knew no altercation had taken place and
there were no hard feelings on either side. Sam Lee had bade her
good-bye and had seemed sorry to leave, notwithstanding which,
however, he refused, with true Chinese pertinacity, to assume the
new duties. She did not think it likely that either of these
Chinamen had been instrumental in her father's death, yet she
agreed with Maitland that it would be a point gained to be assured
of this fact. Maitland accordingly determined to depart at once
for San Francisco, and the next day he was off.
We received no letters from him during his absence and were,
accordingly, unable to tell when he expected to get back. Since
his return from India Gwen had given evidence of a reviving interest
in life, but now that he was again away, she relapsed into her old
listless condition, from which we found it impossible to arouse her.
Alice, who did her utmost to please her, was at her wit's end. She
could never tell which of two alternatives Gwen preferred, since
that young lady would invariably express herself satisfied with
either and did not seem to realise why she should be expected to have
any choice in the matter. Alice was quite at a loss to understand
this state of affairs, until I told her that Gwen was in a condition
of semi-torpor in which even the effort of choice seemed an
unwarrantable outlay. She simply did not care what happened. She
felt nothing, save a sense of fatigue, and even what she saw was
viewed as from afar,--and seemed to her a drama in which she took
no other part than that of an idle, tired, and listless spectator.
Clearly she was losing her hold on life. I told Alice we must do
our utmost to arouse her, to stimulate her will, to awaken her
interest, and we tried many things in vain.
Maitland had been gone, I think, about three weeks when my sister
and I hit upon a plan which we thought might have the desired effect
upon Gwen. Before her father's death she had been one of the most
active members of a Young People's Club which devoted every
Wednesday evening to the study of Shakespeare. She had attended
none of its meetings since her bereavement, but Alice and I soon
persuaded her to accompany us on the following week and I succeeded,
by a little quiet wire-pulling, in getting her appointed to take
charge of the following meeting, which was to be devoted to the
study of "Antony and Cleopatra." When informed of the task which
had been imposed upon her Gwen was for declining the honour at once,
and the most Alice and I were able to do was to get her to promise
to think it over a day or so before she refused.
The next morning Maitland walked in upon us. He had found both of
Mr. Darrow's former servants and satisfied himself that they were
in San Francisco on the night of the murder. So that ended my
Chinese clue. While Alice and Gwen were discussing the matter, I
took occasion to draw Maitland aside, and told him of Gwen's
appointment to take charge of the Cleopatra night, and how necessary
it was to her health that she should be aroused from her torpor. It
doesn't take long for Maitland to see a thing, and before I had
whispered a dozen sentences he had completely grasped the situation.
He crossed the room, drew a chair up beside Gwen, and sat down.
"Miss Darrow," he began, "I am afraid you will have a poor opinion
of me as a detective. This is the second time I have failed. I
feel that I should remind you again of our compact, at least, that
part of it which permits you to dispense with my services whenever
you shall see fit to do so, and, at the same time, to relieve you
from your obligation to let me order your actions. I tell you
frankly it will be necessary for you to discharge me, if you would be
rid of me, for, unless you do so, or I find the assassin, I shall
never cease my search so long as I have the strength and means to
conduct it. What do you say? Have I not proved my uselessness?"
This was said in a tentative, half-jesting tone. Gwen answered it
very seriously.
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