Bathurst, Anthony (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories; England -- Fiction
“I fancied I was told by Mr. Stewart here that he saw you in there.”
“No, Sergeant. Your memory has failed you! I said nothing of the
kind.” Charles Stewart appeared anxious to clear up this
misunderstanding. It seemed to him that Marjorie needed protection.
“Sorry, sir.” Sergeant Clegg made his apology.
But it didn’t deceive Miss Lennox. Just as Clegg had realized her
insincerity, so she in her turn knew that this rather lame explanation
of his question to her had not been the truth. She immediately put
herself on the defensive. Inclined as she had been in the first place
to under-rate this policeman, she effected a mental readjustment.
She awaited his next question—outwardly unchanged, but inwardly more
vigilant. When it came it surprised her.
“Did you hear anything unusual in the night, Miss Lennox?” Somewhat
relieved, she breathed more freely, but her defensive tension remained
unrelaxed.
“Nothing! I slept like a top.” The blue eyes regarded him ingenuously.
“Thank you. One last question, Miss Lennox. You have lived a long time
with Mr. Laurence Stewart, almost as long I suppose as Mr. Charles
Stewart here—and ladies, if you’ll excuse me saying such a thing, are
very often more in a man’s confidence than gentlemen! For instance,
you were as a daughter to the poor gentleman”—he broke off
suddenly—and Marjorie Lennox began to sob quietly—her handkerchief
pressed to her eyes. There was genuine sorrow here—Sergeant Clegg had
sufficient sense to recognize it when it came his way—and it was
reflected in young Stewart as well. His white face grew whiter—the
ordeal of this dreadful day was oppressing him more and more—and
Marjorie’s convulsive sobbing tore his heart-strings. He knew he must
have help. He would get it as soon as he could. This was too much.
Sergeant Clegg felt his courage sink into his boots. This sobbing was
more than a Romantic could stand—the more so because he himself had
provoked it. He must do something to stop it. He placed his hand on
her shoulder—an act that he was always to remember.
“Come, come. What I mean is this. If Mr. Stewart regarded you in the
light of a daughter—did he ever _confide_ in you? Any secret? Any
trouble? Had he any enemies that might have wanted to do him harm?”
She looked up. “He had no secrets at all. He wasn’t the kind. But
since you’ve asked me—I’ll tell you—something.”
She sprang to her feet. Her eyes shone like stars and her hands were
clenched together. Her whole manner altered.
“There _is_ a man who wanted to do him harm. A man none of you would
ever suspect. He’s in the house now—why should I shield him?”
Charles Stewart threw out his hand and attempted to restrain her. But
she flung the proffered hand away imperiously, while Stewart looked at
her reproachfully.
“Sergeant Clegg asked me,” she asserted vehemently. “Sergeant Clegg
shall know. The man is Morgan Llewellyn!!!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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