I was aroused at about eight o'clock in the morning by the arrival of
the servants of the household whom Lauretta's mother had engaged for
me, They comprised a housekeeper, who was to cook and generally
superintend, and two stout wenches to do the rougher work. In such a
village as Nerac these, in addition to Martin Hartog, constituted an
establishment of importance.
They had been so well schooled by Lauretta's mother before commencing
the active duties of their service, that when I rose I found the
breakfast-table spread, and the housekeeper in attendance to receive
my orders. This augured well, and I experienced a feeling of
satisfaction at the prospect of the happy life before me. Like mother,
like daughter. Lauretta would be not only a sweet and loving
companion, but the same order and regularity would reign in our home
as in the home of her childhood. I blessed the chance, if chance it
was, which had led me to Nerac, and as I paced the room and thought of
Lauretta, I said audibly, "Thank God!"
Breakfast over, I strolled into the grounds, and made a careful
inspection of the work which Martin Hartog had performed. The
conspicuous conscientiousness of his labours added to my satisfaction,
and I gave expression to it. He received my approval in manly fashion,
and said he would be glad if I always spoke my mind, "as I always
speak mine," he added. It pleased me that he was not subservient; in
all conditions of life a man owes it to himself to maintain, within
proper bounds, a spirit of independence. While he was pointing out to
me this and that, and urging me to make any suggestions which occurred
to me, his daughter came up to us and said that a man wished to speak
to me. I asked who the man was, and she replied, "The landlord of the
Three Black Crows." Curious as to his purpose in making so early a
call, and settling it with myself that his errand was on business, in
connection, perhaps, with some wine he wished to dispose of, I told
the young woman to send him to me, and presently he appeared. There
was an expression of awkwardness, I thought, in his face as he stood
before me, cap in hand.
"Well, landlord," I said smiling; "you wish to see me?"
"Yes, sir." And there he stopped.
"Go on," I said, wondering somewhat at his hesitation.
"Can I speak to you alone, sir?"
"Certainly. Hartog, I will see you again presently."
Martin Hartog took the hint, and left us together.
"Now, landlord," I said.
"It's about those two men, sir, you saw in my place last night."
"Those two men?" I said, pondering, and then a light broke upon me,
and I thought it singular--as indeed it was--that no recollection,
either of the men or the incidents in association with them should
have occurred to me since my awaking. "Yes?"
"_You_ are quite safe, sir," said the landlord, "I am glad to find."
"Quite safe, landlord; but why should you be so specially glad?"
"Nothing's happened here then, sir?"
"Nothing."
"That's what brought me round so early this morning, for one thing; I
was afraid something _might_ have happened."
"Kindly explain yourself," I said, not at all impatient, but amused
rather. "What _might_ have happened?"
"Well, sir, they might have found out, somehow or other, that you were
sleeping in the house alone last night"--and here he broke off and
asked, "You _did_ sleep here alone last night?"
"Certainly I did, and a capital night's rest I had."
"Glad to hear that, sir. As I was saying, if they had found out that
you were sleeping here alone, they might have taken it into their
heads to trouble you."
"They might, landlord, but facts are stubborn things. They did not,
evidently."
"I understand that now, sir, but I had my fears, and that's what
brought me round for one thing."
"An expression you have used once before, landlord. 'For one thing.' I
infer there must be another thing in your mind."
"There is, sir. You haven't heard then?"
"As yet I have heard nothing but a number of very enigmatical
observations from you with respect to those men. Ah, yes, I remember;
you had your doubts of them when I visited you on my road home?"
"I had sir; I told you I didn't like the looks of them, and that I was
not easy in my mind about my own family, and the bit of money I had in
my place to pay my rent with, and one or two other accounts."
"That is so; you are bringing the whole affair back to me. I saw the
men after I left the Three Black Crows."
"You did, sir! When? Where?"
"To tell you would be to interrupt what you have come here to say. No
more roundabouts, landlord. Say what you have to say right on."
"Well, sir, this is the way of it. I suspected them from the first,
and you will bear witness of it before the magistrate. They were
strangers in Nerac, but that is no reason why I should have refused to
sell them a bottle of red wine when they asked for it. It's my trade
to supply customers, and the wine was the worst I had, consequently
the cheapest. I had no right to ask their business, and if they chose
to answer me uncivilly, it was their affair. I wouldn't tell everybody
mine on the asking. They paid for the wine, and there was an end of
it. They called for another bottle, and when I brought it I did not
draw the cork till I had the money for it, and as they wouldn't pay
the price--not having it about 'em--the cork wasn't drawn, and the
bottle went back. I had trouble to get rid of them, but they stumbled
out at last, and I saw no more of them. Now, sir, you will remember
that when we were speaking of them Doctor Louis's house was mentioned
as a likely house for rogues to break into and rob."
"A moment," I interrupted in agitation. "Doctor Louis is safe?"
"Quite safe, sir."
"And his wife and daughter?"
"Quite safe, sir."
"Go on."
"The villains couldn't hear what we said, no more than we could hear
what they were whispering about. But they had laid their plans, and
tried to hatch them--worse luck for one, if not for both the
scoundrels; but the other will be caught and made to pay for it. What
they did between the time they left the Three Black Crows and the time
they made an attempt to break into Doctor Louis's is at present a
mystery. Don't be alarmed, sir; I see that my news has stirred you,
but they have only done harm to themselves. No one else is a bit the
worse for their roguery. Doctor Louis and his good wife and daughter
slept through the night undisturbed; nothing occurred to rouse or
alarm them. They got up as usual, the doctor being the first--he is
known as an early riser. As it happened, it was fortunate that he was
outside his house before his lady, for although we in Nerac have an
idea that she is as brave as she is good, a woman, after all, is only
a woman, and the sight of blood is what few of them can stand."
"The sight of blood!" I exclaimed. But that I was assured that
Lauretta was safe and well, I should not have wasted a moment on the
landlord, eager as I was to learn what he had come to tell. My mind,
however, was quite at ease with respect to my dear girl, and the next
few minutes were not so precious that I could not spare them to hear
the landlord's strange story.
"That," he resumed, "is what the doctor saw when he went to the back
of his house. Blood on the ground--and what is more, what would have
given the ladies a greater shock, there before him was the body of a
man--dead."
"What man?" I asked.
"That I can't for a certainty say, sir, because I haven't seen him as
yet. I'm telling the story second-hand, as it was told to me a while
ago by one who had come straight from the doctor's house. There was
the blood, and there the man; and from the description I should say it
was one of the men who were drinking in my place last night. It is not
ascertained at what time of the night he and his mate tried to break
into the doctor's house, but the attempt was made. There is the
evidence of it. They commenced to bore a hole in one of the shutters
at the back; the hole made, it would have been easy to enlargen it,
and so to draw the fastenings. However, they did not get so far as
that. They could scarcely have been at their scoundrelly work a minute
or two before it came to an end."
"How and by whom were they interrupted, landlord? That, of course, is
known?"
"It is not known, sir, and it's just at this point that the mystery
commences. There they are at their work, and likely to be successful.
A dark night, and not a watchman in the village. Never a need for one,
sir. Plenty of time before them, and desperate men they. Only one man
in the house, the good doctor; all the others women, easily dealt
with. Robbery first--if interfered with, murder afterwards. They
wouldn't have stuck at it, not they! But there it was, sir, as God
willed. Not a minute at work, and something occurs. The question is,
what? The man lies dead on the ground, with a gimlet in his hand, and
Doctor Louis, in full sunlight, stands looking down on the strange
sight."
"The man lies dead on the ground," I said, repeating the landlord's
words; "but there were two."
"No sign of the other, sir; he's a vanished body. People are out
searching for him."
"He will be found," I said----
"It's to be hoped," interrupted the landlord.
"And then what you call a mystery will be solved."
"It's beyond me, sir," said the landlord, with a puzzled air.
"It is easy enough. These two scoundrels, would-be murderers, plan a
robbery, and proceed to execute it. They are ill-conditioned
creatures, no better than savages, swayed by their passions, in which
there is no show of reason. They quarrel, perhaps, about the share of
the spoil which each shall take, and are not wise enough to put aside
their quarrel till they are in possession of the booty. They continue
their dispute, and in such savages their brutal passions once roused,
swell and grow to a fitting climax of violence. So with these.
Probably the disagreement commenced on their way to the house, and had
reached an angry point when one began to bore a hole in the shutter.
This one it was who was found dead. The proof was in his hand--the
gimlet with which he was working."
"Well conceived, sir," said the landlord, following with approval my
speculative explanation.
"This man's face," I continued, "would be turned toward the shutter,
his back to his comrade. Into this comrade's mind darts, like a
lightning flash, the idea of committing the robbery alone, and so
becoming the sole possessor of the treasure."
"Good, sir, good," said the landlord, rubbing his hands.
"No sooner conceived than executed. Out comes his knife, or perhaps he
has it ready in his hand, opened."
"Why opened, sir? Would it not be a fixed blade?"
"No; such men carry clasp-knives. They are safest, and never attract
notice."
"You miss nothing, sir," said the landlord admiringly. "What a
magistrate you would have made!"
"He plunges it into his fellow-scoundrel's back, who falls dead, with
the gimlet in his hand. The murder is explained."
The landlord nodded excitedly, and continued to rub his hands; then
suddenly stood quite still, with an incredulous expression on his
face.
"But the robbery is not committed," he exclaimed; "the house is not
broken into, and the scoundrel gets nothing for his pains."
With superior wisdom I laid a patronising hand upon his shoulder.
"The deed done," I said, "the murderer, gazing upon his dead comrade,
is overcome with fear. He has been rash--he may be caught red-handed;
the execution of the robbery will take time. He is not familiar with
the habits of the village, and does not know it has no guardians of
the night. One may stroll that way and make discovery. Fool that he
was! He has not only committed murder, he has robbed himself. Better
to have waited till they had possession of the treasure; but this kind
of logic always comes afterwards to ill-regulated minds. Under the
influence of his newly-born fears he recognises that every moment is
precious; he dare not linger; he dare not carry out the scheme.
Shuddering, he flies from the spot, with rage and despair in his
heart. Unhappy wretch! The curse of Cain is upon him."