Roland Yorke: A Sequel to "The Channings"Wood, Henry, Mrs.
General
Roland Yorke: A Sequel to "The Channings"
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
"Did you know him, witness?"
"No, sir, he was a stranger to me. I know him now for Mr. Greatorex.
He was talking to Mr. Ollivera. They were making an appointment for
the next morning."
"Did you hear what was said?"
"Yes, sir. As I looked round at the gentleman he was turning his head
back to the room, and said, 'Yes, you may rely upon my coming early;
I'll be here before nine o'clock. Goodnight, John.' Those were, I
think, the exact words, sir."
"Did you see Mr. Ollivera?"
"No, sir, he did not come out, and the gentleman only pushed the door
back a little while he spoke. If it had been wide open I couldn't have
seen in; I was too far, some two or three steps up the stairs. I
turned back then to attend Mr. Greatorex to the street door. After
that I ran up for my book, and left the house again. I was not two
minutes in it altogether."
"Did you see Mr. Ollivera as you came down?"
"No, sir. The drawing-room door was closed, as Mr. Greatorex had left
it. I never saw or heard of Mr. Ollivera again until Miss Rye's
screams brought me down the next morning. That is all I know."
"At what hour did you go home on Monday evening?"
"It was close upon eleven, sir. We generally disperse at half-past ten
but we stayed late that night. Mrs. Jones and Miss Rye had not long
come in, and were in the sitting-room."
The next witness called was Susan Marks. The young woman, what with
her own heinous offences on the eventful night, the dreadful calamity
itself, and the reproaches of her mistress, had been in a state of
tears ever since, fresh bursts breaking forth at the most unseasonable
times.
Susan Marks, aged nineteen, native of Upton Snodsbury, cook and
servant-of-all-work to Mrs. Jones. Such was the young woman's report
of herself, as well as could be heard for her sobs and tears. She was
attired neatly and well; in a print mourning gown and straw bonnet
trimmed with black; her face, that would otherwise have been fresh and
clear, had small patches of red upon it, the result of the many tears
and of perpetual rubbing.
"Now, young woman," said the coroner briskly, as if he thought time
was being lost, "what have you to tell us of the events of Monday
night?"
"Nothing, sir," replied the young woman, in a fresh burst of grief
that could be called nothing less than a howl. "I never see Mr.
Ollivera at all after I showed the gentleman up to him."
"Well, let us hear about that. What time was it?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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