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Page 21
"Well, if you think that's a threat, dear, you're very
particular, I must say."
But Audrey remembered Elsie's words when she was in front of
Inspector Birch. She gave her own evidence with the readiness of
one who had already repeated it several times, and was examined
and cross-examined by the Inspector with considerable skill. The
temptation to say, "Never mind about what you said to him," was
strong, but he resisted it, knowing that in this way he would
discover best what he said to her. By this time both his words
and the looks he gave her were getting their full value from
Audrey, but the general meaning of them seemed to be
well-established.
"Then you didn't see Mr. Mark at all."
"No, sir; he must have come in before and gone up to his room.
Or come in by the front door, likely enough, while I was going
out by the back."
"Yes. Well, I think that's all that I want to know, thank you
very much. Now what about the other servants?"
"Elsie heard the master and Mr. Robert talking together," said
Audrey eagerly. "He was saying--Mr. Mark, I mean--"
"Ah! Well, I think Elsie had better tell me that herself. Who
is Elsie, by the way?"
"One of the housemaids. Shall I send her to you, sir?"
"Please."
Elsie was not sorry to get the message. It interrupted a few
remarks from Mrs. Stevens about Elsie's conduct that afternoon
which were (Elsie thought) much better interrupted. In Mrs.
Stevens' opinion any crime committed that afternoon in the office
was as nothing to the double crime committed by the unhappy
Elsie.
For Elsie realized too late that she would have done better to
have said nothing about her presence in the hall that afternoon.
She was bad at concealing the truth and Mrs. Stevens was good at
discovering it. Elsie knew perfectly well that she had no
business to come down the front stairs, and it was no excuse to
say that she happened to come out of Miss Norris' room just at
the head of the stairs, and didn't think it would matter, as
there was nobody in the hall, and what was she doing anyhow in
Miss Norris' room at that time? Returning a magazine? Lent by
Miss Norris, might she ask? Well, not exactly lent. Really,
Elsie!--and this in a respectable house! In vain for poor Elsie
to plead that a story by her favourite author was advertised on
the cover, with a picture of the villain falling over the cliff.
"That's where you'll go to, my girl, if you aren't careful," said
Mrs. Stevens firmly.
But, of course, there was no need to confess all these crimes to
Inspector Birch. All that interested him was that she was
passing through the hall, and heard voices in the office.
"And stopped to listen?"
"Certainly not," said Elsie with dignity, feeling that nobody
really understood her. "I was just passing through the hall,
just as you might have been yourself, and not supposing they was
talking secrets, didn't think to stop my ears, as no doubt I
ought to have done." And she sniffed slightly.
"Come, come," said the Inspector soothingly, "I didn't mean to
suggest--"
"Everyone is very unkind to me," said Elsie between sniffs, "and
there's that poor man lying dead there, and sorry they'd have
been, if it had been me, to have spoken to me as they have done
this day."
"Nonsense, we're going to be very proud of you. I shouldn't be
surprised if your evidence were of very great importance. Now
then, what was it you heard? Try to remember the exact words."
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