Detective and mystery stories; England -- Fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Nobility -- Fiction; Romanies -- Fiction
"Ah, my lord, that was a mistake. His lordship was informed of the
forged letter by Chaldea the gypsy girl, who found it in Sir Hubert's
tent, and for the sake of your family wished to get Silver out of the
country. It would have been dreadful--as Lord Garvington rightly
considered--that the name of his sister and your name should be
mentioned in connection with an elopement even though it was untrue. He
therefore went to induce Silver to leave the country, but the man,
instead of being grateful, stunned his lordship with a blow from a poker
which he had picked up."
"How was that known, Mr. Inspector?"
"Miss Greeby had the truth from his own lips. Silver threatened to
denounce her, and knowing this Chaldea went to London to warn her."
"Oh," muttered Lambert, thinking of what Gentilla Stanley had said, "how
did she find out?"
"She overheard a conversation between Silver and Lord Garvington in the
cottage."
Lambert was relieved again, since Miss Greeby had not evidently
mentioned him as being mixed up with the matter. "Yes, Mr. Inspector, I
can guess the rest. This unfortunate woman came down to get Silver, who
could have hanged her, out of the country, and he set fire to the
cottage."
"She set fire to it," corrected Darby quickly, "by chance, as she told
me, she overturned a lamp. Of course, Lord Garvington, being senseless,
was burned to death. Gentilla Stanley was also burned."
"How did she come to be there?"
"Oh, it seems that Gentilla followed Hearne--he was her grandson I hear
from the gypsies--to The Manor on that night and saw the shooting. But
she said nothing, not feeling sure if her unsupported testimony would be
sufficient to convict Miss Greeby. However, she watched that lady and
followed her to the cottage to denounce her and prevent the escape of
Silver--who knew the truth also, as she ascertained. Silver knocked the
old woman down and stunned her, so she also was burned to death. Then
Silver ran for the motor car and crushed Miss Greeby--since he could not
manage the machine."
"Did he crush her on purpose, do you think?"
"No," said Darby after a pause, "I don't think so. Miss Greeby was rich,
and if the pair of them had escaped Silver would have been able to
extort money. He no more killed her than he killed himself by dashing
into that chalk pit near the road. It was mismanagement of the motor in
both cases."
Lambert was quiet for a time. "Is that all?" he asked, looking up.
"All, my lord," answered the inspector, gathering his papers together.
"Is anything else likely to appear in the papers?"
"No, my lord."
"I noted," said Lambert slowly, "that there was no mention of the forged
letter made at the inquest."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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