Then, yet another thought had occurred to me. She might have worn the
shawl when she entered after the raising of the alarm. In order to
clear up that point I had questioned the servants, one by one, and all
had told me the same story, namely, that Miss Ethelwynn had not
entered the room at all. She had only come to the door and glanced in,
then turned away in horror and shut herself in her own room. As far as
anyone knew, she had not summoned sufficient courage to go in and look
upon the dead man's face. She declared herself horrified, and dared
not to enter the death chamber.
In the light of my discovery all these facts as related to me made the
truth only too apparent. She had entered there unknown to anyone, and
that her presence had been with a fell purpose I could no longer
doubt.
If I gave the clue into Ambler Jevons' hands he would, I knew, quickly
follow it, gathering up the threads of the tangled skein one by one,
until he could openly charge her with the crime. I stood undecided
how to act. Should I leave my friend to make his own investigations
independently and unbiassed, or should I frankly tell him of my own
startling discovery?
I carefully went through the whole of the circumstances, weighing
point after point, and decided at last to still retain the knowledge I
had gained. The point which outbalanced my intention was that curious
admission of Short regarding the possession of the knife. So I
resolved to say nothing to my friend until after the inquest.
As may be imagined, the London papers that afternoon were full of the
mystery. Nothing like a first-class "sensation," sub-editors will tell
you. There is art in alliterative headlines and startling
"cross-heads." The inevitable interview with "a member of the
family"--who is generally anonymous, be it said--is sure to be eagerly
devoured by the public. The world may sneer at sensational journalism,
but after all it loves to have its curiosity excited over the tragic
denouement of some domestic secret. As soon as the first information
reached the Central News and Press Association, therefore, reporters
crowded upon us. Representatives, not only of the metropolitan press,
but those of the local newspapers, the "Richmond and Twickenham
Times," the "Independent," over at Brentford, the "Middlesex
Chronicle" at Hounslow, and the "Middlesex Mercury," of Isleworth, all
vied with each other in obtaining the most accurate information.
"Say nothing," Jevons urged. "Be civil, but keep your mouth closed
tight. There are one or two friends of mine among the crowd. I'll see
them and give them something that will carry the story further.
Remember, you mustn't make any statement whatsoever."
I obeyed him, and although the reporters followed me about all the
morning, and outside the house the police had difficulty in preventing
a crowd assembling, I refused to express any opinion or describe
anything I had witnessed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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