"That he meant to kill Mr. Eaton?"
"Yes."
She watched her father's face; often when relating things to him, she
was aware from his expression that she was telling him only something
he already had figured out and expected or even knew; she felt that now.
"Father, did you expect Mr. Eaton to be attacked?"
"Expect? Not that exactly; it was possible; I suspected something like
this might occur."
"And you did not warn him?"
The blind man's hands sought each other on the coverlet and clasped
together. "It was not necessary to warn him, Harriet; Mr. Eaton
already knew. Who was in the car?"
"Three men."
"Had you seen any of them before?"
"Yes, one--the man who drove."
"Where?"
"On the train."
The color on Santoine's face grew brighter. "Did you know who he was?"
"No, Father."
"Describe him, dear," Santoine directed.
He waited while she called together her recollections of the man.
"I can't describe him very fully, Father," she said. "He was one of
the people who had berths in the forward sleeping-car. I can recall
seeing him only when I passed through the car--I recall him only twice
in that car and once in the diner."
"That is interesting," said Santoine.
"What, Father?"
"That in five days upon the train you saw the man only three times."
"You mean he must have kept out of sight as much as possible?"
"Have you forgotten that I asked you to describe him, Harriet?"
She checked herself. "Height about five feet, five," she said,
"broad-shouldered, very heavily set; I remember he impressed me as
being unusually muscular. His hair was black; I can't recall the color
of his eyes; his cheeks were blue with a heavy beard closely shaved. I
remember his face was prognathous, and his clothes were spotted with
dropped food. I--it seems hard for me to recall him, and I can't
describe him very well."
"But you are sure it was the same man in the motor?"
"Yes."
"Did he seem a capable person?"
"Exactly what do you mean?"
"Would he be likely to execute a purpose well, Harriet--either a
purpose of his own, or one in which he had been instructed?"
"He seemed an animal sort of person, small, strong, and not
particularly intelligent. It seems hard for me to remember more about
him than that."
"That is interesting."
"What?"
"That it is hard for you to remember him very well."
"Why, Father?"
Her father did not answer. "The other men in the motor?" he asked.
"I can't describe them. I--I was excited about Mr. Eaton."
"The motor itself, Harriet?"
"It was a black touring car."
"Make and number?"
"I don't know either of those. I don't remember that I saw a number;
it--it may have been taken off or covered up."
"Thank you, dear."
"You mean that is all, then?"
"No; bring Eaton to me."
"He has gone to his room to fix himself up."
"I'll send for him, then." Santoine pressed one of the buttons beside
his bed to call a servant; but before the bell could be answered,
Harriet got up.
"I'll go myself," she said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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