"My master seemed in his usual spirits," the good woman had said in an
interview with a member of the staff of the _Westminster Gazette_. "He
gave me permission at once to go to the theatre, and said that he
himself would be out that evening. There was no trace of anything
unusual in his manner. When I arrived in the morning and opened the
outer doors of the chambers with my pass key, I went into the study and
the sitting-room as usual, lit two fires, turned on the bath, made a cup
of tea and took it to Mr. Rathbone's bedroom. There was no answer to my
knock, and when I opened the door and went in, thinking he was
over-sleeping himself, I found the bed had not been slept in. This was
very unusual in a gentleman of Mr. Rathbone's regular habits. It would
not have attracted my notice in the case of some gentlemen I have been
in the habit of doing for, who were accustomed to stay out without any
intimation of the fact. But I did think it strange in the case of Mr.
Guy, always a very steady gentleman. I waited about till nearly one
o'clock, and he did not return. I then went home, and did not go to the
chambers again till six o'clock, when I found things in the same state
as before, the fires burnt out, and no trace of anybody having entered.
As I left the Inn I asked the porter if he had seen Mr. Rathbone, and he
replied that he had not returned. The same thing happened for the next
two days, when the porter communicated with the authorities of the Inn,
and an inspector of police was called in."
The interview disclosed few more facts of importance, save only one.
This was that Mr. Rathbone had dressed for dinner on the night of his
disappearance. His evening clothes were not in the wardrobe, and the
morning suit he had been wearing at breakfast was neatly folded and
placed upon a chest of drawers ready for Mrs. Baker to brush it.
This seemed to show indubitably that the barrister had no thought of
being absent from home that night.
There the matter had rested at first. Meanwhile, as no new discovery was
made, and not the slightest ray of light seemed to be forthcoming, the
public interest was worked up to fever heat. Rathbone had few relations,
though many friends. His only surviving relative appeared to be his
uncle, a brother of his mother, who was the Dean of Bexeter. The
clergyman was interviewed, and stated that he generally received a
letter from his nephew every three weeks or so, but nothing in the most
recent letter had been unusual, and that he was as much in the dark as
any ordinary member of the public.
This much was known to the man in the street. But in society, while the
comment and amazement was no less in intensity, much more was known than
the outside world suspected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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