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
"It was past six, sir; I don't know how much. I had washed up Mr.
Ollivera's dinner things, and was putting the plates and dishes on the
dresser shelves, when Mr. Ollivera's bell rang. It was for his lamp,
which I lighted and took in: he always wanted it afore daylight was
well over when he was busy. He seemed in a hurry, and drew down
the window-blinds himself. I lighted the gas-burner outside the
drawing-room door, and went back to the kitchen. No sooner was I
there--leastways it couldn't have been five minutes--when there came a
ring at the street door bell. I went to answer it, and saw a tall
gentleman, who asked for Mr. Ollivera, and I showed him upstairs to
the drawing-room."
"Who was that gentleman?"
"It was Mr. Greatorex. But I didn't know him then, sir. I thought it
was a barrister; he didn't give no name."
"Did you see Mr. Ollivera when you took this gentleman up?"
"Yes, sir. He was sitting with his back towards us, writing at the
table, and I see the things on it. I hadn't noticed them much when I
took the lamp in. I see the papers put together tidy, which had been
all about when he was at his dinner. I think he was very busy that
evening," urged the witness, as if the fact might plead an excuse for
what afterwards took place: "when I removed the dinner things he told
me to put the sherry wine away on the sideboard; sometimes if he
wanted to drink any, he'd have it left on the table."
"Did he seem glad to see Mr. Greatorex?"
"Yes, sir, very. They shook hands, and Mr. Greatorex began telling him
what he had come down about, and said his father had sent him in place
of telegrumming. I asked Mr. Ollivera what time he'd like to have tea,
but he said he didn't know whether he should take any, he might be
going out; if he wanted it, he'd ring. How was I to think, after that,
that I ought to have went up to him, to see how he might be getting
on, which missis has been a going on at me ever since for not doing?"
demanded the witness with a stream of tears.
"Come, come! there, wipe your face," said one of the jury, with gruff
kindness. And the questions went on, and the witness's replies.
It was about an hour that Mr. Greatorex stayed, she thought She saw
him come out at the street door, and go away. Well, yes, she _was_ a
yard or two off, at a neighbour's door, next house but one. After
missis went out and the shop was shut, and Alfred Jones went out, and
there wasn't nobody indoors to want her, she thought it no harm to
stand at the street door a bit: and if she did go a step or two away
from it, she never took her eyes off the door, and no person could go
in or out without her seeing them and that she'd swear. She saw Mr.
Greatorex come out and walk away up High Street; and she never heard
no sound in the house whatsoever.
"Did any one go in?" the coroner asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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