The Mystery of M. FelixFarjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
General
The Mystery of M. Felix
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
"Sixth--The circumstantial evidence upon which this assumption is
based: In the first place, Mrs. Weston last night, believing herself
to be unobserved, threw a bundle into the River Thames. She refused to
state what this bundle contained. I asked her. 'Will you tell them'
(the policemen) 'what it was you threw into the river?' She replied, 'I
cannot tell them. It might injure--it might ruin me.' Deduction--that
if it were proved that the suit of clothes found in the river this
morning belonged to her she would be placed in a position of extreme
danger. The second piece of circumstantial evidence in connection with
this suit of man's clothing comes from the establishment in Tottenham
Court Road at which it was purchased. The salesman says that the
purchaser was a lady. Mrs. Weston is a lady. She paid for it with a
bank note, the number of which can be traced. The suit would fit a
person of her height and build. In the third place--She gave a false
name. This circumstance, supposing that she has committed a wrongful
act, would weigh heavily against her. In the fourth place--She carried
about with her an advertisement relating to the death of M. Felix, in
which the proprietors of the _Evening Moon_ pledged themselves to give
the best legal assistance to any person or persons who are in any way
interested in the death of M. Felix. Reasonable deduction--That this
lady, having taken the trouble to cut out and preserve the
advertisement with such conspicuous care, must be interested in his
death.
"There are other items which I will set down and consider later on.
Meanwhile----
"Do I believe Mrs. Weston, otherwise E. B., to be guilty of any
wrongful act in connection with M. Felix? I do not. I believe her to
be a perfectly innocent woman. Upon what grounds? Upon the grounds of
sympathy--which would not count with such weighty circumstantial
evidence against her.
"Do I believe that she paid a visit to M. Felix on the night of his
death, disguised in man's clothes? I do; and I believe that the visit
was paid without the slightest intention of doing him a personal
injury. She is delicate and fragile, destitute of the strength
necessary to carry out a deed of violence. M. Felix must have
possessed at least to some slight extent a man's strength, more than
amply sufficient to successfully oppose any design of violence on the
part of a lady of Mrs. Weston's feeble frame.
"For what object, then, was this visit paid? To right some wrong which
Mrs. Weston was suffering at his hands. I declare myself to be her
champion, and the champion of her lovely daughter.
"In conclusion: The most extraordinary feature in the case remains
still without any light being thrown upon it. Where is his body, and
for what reason was it stolen from the house in Gerard Street?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account