Christopher Quarles: College Professor and Master DetectiveBrebner, Percy James
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Christopher Quarles: College Professor and Master Detective
Brebner, Percy James
College teachers -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories
"Had out the punt and went up to Boulter's, where she would be certain
to meet a lot of friends. I dare say you know the mistress is a famous
dancer. That kind of people are a bit unconventional."
"Do you happen to know the Honorable Percival Marsh?" asked Quarles.
"Yes. He's been here, but not lately. The mistress lunches with him in
town sometimes. She seems to think more of him than I do. There's
nothing in it. I've heard her laugh at him with the master."
"Is that the only dog about the place?" said Quarles.
"Yes. He's a pet; usually goes up to the opera with the mistress. He
went on Saturday, and came back like that on Sunday. He snapped at her
in a frightened way when she came in here in the morning and got a
hiding for it. I was afraid he'd go for her."
Quarles gave a short exclamation underneath his breath, and then he
said in rather an agitated way: "Well go in and see Mrs. Seligmann,
Wigan." And as we left the yard he went on: "You must make the servant
show us in to her mistress without announcing us. We must take Mrs.
Seligmann unawares."
The servant proved difficult to persuade, and I had to explain who I
was before she yielded. Mrs. Seligmann sprang from the sofa as we
entered. She looked wild, almost mad, as the chauffeur had said, but
she recognized us and forced herself to welcome us.
"What are you here for?" she said, and I started. There was the
suggestion of a snarl in her voice.
"We believe your husband was murdered by Percival Marsh," said Quarles
quietly.
"It's a lie!" she shrieked.
"How comes it, then, that he has those papers which were in your
husband's possession?"
In a moment she had hurled herself upon the professor, and had snapped
at the hand which he threw out to protect himself. Her strength was
awful, and all the time we were struggling with her she fought with
her nails and teeth, and growled like an infuriated animal. Her
clothes were partly torn from her in the struggle, and--but it was too
ghastly to enlarge upon. She was an animal in the form of a beautiful
woman. The house was quickly roused, and we had to have the
chauffeur's help before we could bind her securely. Then I telephoned
to Maidenhead for the police.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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