Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
My name is Susan Turner. In August, 1856, I was general servant to
Mrs. Brown in Russell Place. I remember the night that Madame R**
came down-stairs. I had sat up to let Mr. Aldridge in because the
latch was broken. Mistress broke it that afternoon. I don't suppose
the Baron knew anything about it. Mr. Aldridge came in rather late. I
cannot justly say the time. He was quite right. I mean quite sober.
He went straight up to bed. I did not go up to bed. My young man was
in the kitchen. He is a very respectable young man upon a railway. I
don't know what railway. I know he goes to Scotland sometimes with
his engine, that is all. He is what they call a fireman. He was going
down with a luggage-train somewhere that night very late, and came to
see me. Mistress didn't know he was there. He came in after she was
gone to bed. He was to start at two, and we sat till about one. He
was just going away, and we were standing at the kitchen door when we
heard somebody in the hall. I said, "Oh, Lor! that's missis." He said,
"She'll be coming to look for you," and wanted me to go and meet her
while he cut out by the area. I said no, that wouldn't do, by reason of
it being all glass and a gas lamp at top of the area steps.[4] I pulled
him along to the lumber-room. The lumber-room is behind the kitchen and
the cellar. There are some old boxes and things there, but nobody ever
goes into it. I thought my mistress would not think of looking there.
Just as we got to the door we saw somebody come from the hall and
down the stairs. I whispered to John, "Why that's not missis--that's
Madame." My mistress was very tall and stout, and Madame R** was small
and thin. I could see her as she came through the door, because there
was some sort of light in the hall. She came right down-stairs and
past where we were. She went right on into the little place at the end
where the Baron kept all his bottles and stuff. She did not go into the
kitchen. Not at all. I will swear to that. She went into the Baron's
place. The laboratory, I dare say it is; I don't know. It was where
the bottles are. John and me crept to the window and looked out. The
window of the lumber-room looks right into the window of the back room
where the bottles are. You could see in quite plain. It was a bright
moonlight night, and there is a sort of tin looking-glass over the back
room window to make more light like. We saw Madame go into the room
and take a bottle from a shelf. She poured out a glassful and drank
it. Then she put the bottle back in its place. It was the last in the
second shelf. Then she went out again, and when we turned round we saw
a light shining into the room from the kitchen stairs. It stayed there
till Madame had gone past our door again, and then it went up again.
Just as it got to the top of the stairs I peeped out and saw it was
the Baron. Madame was close behind him. I said to John, "Why, John,
there's the Baron." He said he supposed he had come to look after his
wife.
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