A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story — John Shaqi
A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective StoryHume, Fergus
Philosophy
A Coin of Edward VII: A Detective Story
Hume, Fergus
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction
Giles fancied that his servant had dropped asleep in the inn or had
forgotten the appointed hour. In his heart he could not blame the man,
for the weather was arctic in its severity. However, he determined to
wend his way to the inn and reprove him for his negligence. Stepping out
of the gate he began to walk against the driving snow with bent head,
when he ran into the arms of a man who was running hard. In the light
of the lamp over the gate he recognized him as Trim, his servant.
"Beg pardon, sir, I could not get here any sooner. The car----" The man
stopped and stared round in amazement. "Why, sir, where's the machine?"
he asked, with astonishment.
"In your charge, I suppose," replied Ware angrily. "Why were you not
here at the time I appointed?"
"I was, begging your pardon, sir," said Trim hotly; "but the lady told
me you had gone to see Miss Kent back to The Elms and that you wanted to
see me. I left the car here in charge of the lady and ran all the way to
The Elms; but they tell me there that Miss Daisy hasn't arrived and that
nothing has been seen of you, sir."
Ware listened to this explanation with surprise. "I sent no such
message," he said; "and this lady, who was she?"
"Why, Miss Denham, sir. She said she would look after the car till I
came back, and knowing as she was a friend of yours, sir, I thought it
was all right." Trim stared all round him. "She's taken the car away, I
see, sir."
The matter puzzled Giles. He could not understand why Anne should have
behaved in such a manner, and still less could he understand why the car
should have disappeared. He knew well that she could drive a motor, for
he had taught her himself; but that she should thus take possession of
his property and get rid of his man in so sly a way perplexed and
annoyed him. He and Trim stood amidst the falling snow, staring at one
another, almost too surprised to speak.
Suddenly they heard a loud cry of fear, and a moment afterward an
urchin--one of the choir lads--came tearing down the path as though
pursued by a legion of fiends. Giles caught him by the collar as he ran
panting and white-faced past him.
"What's the matter?" he asked harshly. "Why did you cry out like that?
Where are you going?"
"To mother. Oh, let me go!" wailed the lad. "I see her lying on the
grave. I'm frightened. Mother! mother!"
"Saw who lying on the grave?"
"I don't know. A lady. Her face is down in the snow, and she is
bleeding. I dropped the lantern mother gave me and scudded, sir. Do let
me go! I never did it!"
"Did what?" Giles in his nervous agitation shook the boy.
"Killed her! I didn't! She's lying on Mr. Kent's grave, and I don't know
who she is."
He gave another cry for his mother and tried to get away, but Giles,
followed by Trim, led him up the path. "Take me to the grave," he said
in a low voice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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