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Page 18
Muller walked thoughtfully through the churchyard. The sexton sat
huddled in an unhappy heap at the gate. He looked up in alarm as he
saw the detective walking towards him. Something in the stranger's
face told the little hunchback that he had made a discovery. The
sexton sprang up, his lips did not dare utter the question that his
eyes asked.
"I have found him," said the detective gravely.
The hunchback sexton staggered, then recovered himself, and hurried
away to fetch the magistrate and the doctor.
An hour later the murdered pastor lay in state in the chief apartment
of his home, surrounded by burning candles and high-heaped masses of
flowers. But he still lay in the simple convent coffin and the little
bunch of roses which his murderer had placed between his stiffening
fingers had not been touched.
Two days later the pastor was buried. The Count and his family led
the train of numerous mourners and among the last was Muller.
A day or two after the funeral the detective sauntered slowly through
the main street of the village. He was not in a very good humour,
his answer to the greeting of those who passed him was short. The
children avoided him, for with the keenness of their kind they
recognised the fact that this usually gentle little man was not in
possession of his habitual calm temper. One group of boys, playing
with a top, did not notice his coming and Muller stopped behind
them to look on. Suddenly a sharp whistle was heard and the boys
looked up from their play, surprised at seeing the stranger behind
them. His eyes were gleaming, and his cheeks were flushed, and a
few bars of a merry tune came in a keen whistle from his lips as
he watched the spirals made by the spinning top.
Before the boys could stop their play the detective had left the
group and hastened onward to the little shop. He left it again
in eager haste after having made his purchase, and hurried back to
the rectory. The shop-keeper stood in the doorway looking in
surprise at this grown man who came to buy a top. And at home in
the rectory the old housekeeper listened in equal surprise to the
humming noise over her head. She thought at first it might be a
bee that had got in somehow. Then she realised that it was not
quite the same noise, and having already concluded that it was of
no use to be surprised at anything this strange guest might do, she
continued reading her scriptures.
Upstairs in the pastor's study, Muller sat in the armchair
attentively watching the gyrations of a spinning top. The little
toy, started at a certain point, drew a line exactly parallel to
the scratch on the floor that had excited his thoughts and absorbed
them day and night.
"It was a top--a top" repeated the detective to himself again and
again. "I don't see why I didn't think of that right away. Why,
of course, nothing else could have drawn such a perfect curve around
the room, unhindered by the legs of the desk. Only I don't see how
a toy like that could have any connection with this cruel and
purposeless murder. Why, only a fool--or a madman--"
Muller sprang up from his chair and again a sharp shrill whistle
came from his lips. "A madman!--" he repeated, beating his own
forehead. "It could only have been a madman who committed this
murder! And the pastor was not the first, there were two other
murders here within a comparatively short time. I think I will take
advantage of Dr. Orszay's invitation."
Half an hour later Muller and the doctor sat together in a
summer-house, from the windows of which one could see the park
surrounding the asylum to almost its entire extent. The park was
arranged with due regard to its purpose. The eye could sweep
through it unhindered. There were no bushes except immediately
along the high wall. Otherwise there were beautiful lawns, flower
beds and groups of fine old trees with tall trunks.
As would be natural in visiting such a place Muller had induced the
doctor to talk about his patients. Dr. Orszay was an excellent
talker and possessed the power of painting a personality for his
listeners. He was pleased and flattered by the evident interest
with which the detective listened to his remarks.
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