THE INQUEST
On entering the hall Cyril found that a seat on the right hand of the
coroner had been reserved for him, but he chose a secluded corner from
which he could watch the proceedings unobserved.
On the left of Mr. Tinker sat a tall, imposing-looking man, who, on
inquiry, proved to be Inspector Griggs.
The first part of the inquest developed nothing new. It was only when
Mustapha stepped forward that Cyril's interest revived and he forgot the
problem of his _protegee's_ identity.
The Turk, with the exception of a red fez, was dressed as a European,
but his swarthy skin, large, beak-like nose, and deep, sombre eyes, in
which brooded the mystery of the East, proclaimed his nationality.
Cyril tried in vain to form some estimate of the man's character, to
probe the depths of those fathomless eyes, but ignorant as he was of the
Oriental, he found it impossible to differentiate between Mustapha's
racial and individual characteristics. That he was full of infinite
possibilities was evident--even his calmness was suggestive of potential
passion. A man to be watched, decided Cyril.
Mustapha gave his testimony in a low, clear voice, and although he spoke
with a strong foreign accent, his English was purer than that of his
fellow servants.
That he had nothing to do with the murder seemed from the first
conclusively proved. Several of the servants had seen him enter his
room, which adjoined that of the butler, at about half-past nine--that
is to say, an hour and a half before Lord Wilmersley's death could, in
the doctor's opinion, have taken place--and Douglas on cross--reiterated
his conviction that Mustapha could not have left his room without his
having heard him do so, as he, Douglas, was a very light sleeper.
In answer to questions from the coroner, Mustapha told how he had
entered the late Lord Wilmersley's service some fifteen years
previously, at which time his master owned a house on the outskirts of
Constantinople. As he dressed as a Mussulman and consorted entirely with
the natives, Mustapha did not know that he was a foreigner till his
master informed him of the fact just before leaving Turkey.
When questioned as to Lady Wilmersley, he was rather non-committal. No,
he had never believed her to be dangerous.--Had she seemed happy? No,
she cried often.--Did his lordship ever ill-treat her? Not that he knew
of. His lordship was very patient with her tears.--Did he know how she
could have obtained a pistol? Yes, there was one concealed on his
master's desk. He had discovered that it was missing.--How could a
pistol lie concealed _on_ a desk? It was hidden inside an ancient steel
gauntlet, ostensibly used as a paperweight. Mustapha had found it one
day quite accidentally.--Did he tell his lordship of his discovery? No.
His master was always afraid of being spied upon.--Why? He did not
know.--Did Mustapha know of any enemy of his lordship who was likely to
have sought such a revenge? No. His master's enemies were not in
England.--Then his lordship had enemies? As all men have, so had
he.--But he had no special enemy? An enemy is an enemy, but his master's
enemies were not near.--How could he be so sure of that? He would have
had word.--How? From whom? From his, Mustapha's friends.--Did his
lordship fear his enemies would follow him to England? At first,
perhaps, but not lately.--If his lordship's enemies had found him, would
they have been likely to kill him? Who can tell? The heart of man is
very evil.--But he knew no one who could have done this thing? No
one.--Did he believe his mistress had done it? Mustapha hesitated for
the first time. "They say so," he finally answered.
"But you, what do you think?" insisted the coroner.
"The ways of women are dark."
"Do you believe her ladyship killed your master--Yes or No?" repeated
the coroner impatiently.
"It is not for me to say," replied Mustapha with unruffled dignity.
The coroner, feeling himself rebuked, dismissed the man with a hurried
"That will do."
Mrs. Valdriguez was next called.
She was a tall, thin woman between fifty and sixty. Her black hair,
freely sprinkled with silver, was drawn into a tight knot at the back of
her small head. Her pale, haggard face, with its finely-chiselled nose,
thin-lipped mouth, and slightly-retreating chin, was almost beautified
by her large, sunken eyes, which still glowed with extraordinary
brilliancy. Her black dress was austere in its simplicity and she wore
no ornament except a small gold cross suspended on her bosom.
The woman was obviously nervous. She held her hands tightly clasped in
front of her, and her lips twitched from time to time. She spoke so low
that Cyril had to lean forward to catch her answers, but her English was
perfectly fluent. It was chiefly her accent and intonation which
betrayed her foreign birth.
"You lived here in the time of the late Lady Wilmersley, did you not?"
began the coroner.
"Yes, sir."
"In what capacity?"
"As lady's maid, sir."
"When did you leave here, and why?"
"I left when her ladyship died."
"Did you return to Spain?"
"Yes, sir."
"How did you happen to enter the present Lady Wilmersley's service?"
"Lord Wilmersley sent for me when he was on his wedding journey."
"Had you seen him after you left Geralton?"
"From time to time."
"Do you know whether his lordship had any enemies?"
"Not of late years."
"Then you did know some. Who were they?"
"Those that he had are either dead or have forgiven," Valdriguez
answered, and as she did so, she fingered the cross on her breast.
"So that you can think of no one likely to have resorted to such a
terrible revenge?"
"No one, sir."
"On the night of the murder you did not assist her ladyship to undress,
so I understand?"
"I never did. From the time her ladyship left her room to go to dinner I
never saw her again till the following morning."
"And you noticed nothing unusual that evening?"
"I can't say that. Her ladyship was very much excited. She cried and
begged me to help her to escape."
A murmur of excitement ran through the hall.
"What did you say to her?"
"I told her that she was his lordship's lawful wife; that she had vowed
before God to honour and obey him in all things."
"Had she ever made an attempt to escape?"
"No, sir."
"Did she ever give you any reason for wishing to do so?"
"She told me that his lordship threatened to shut her up in a lunatic
asylum, but I assured her he would never do so. He loved her too much."
"You consider that he was very devoted to her?"
The woman closed her eyes for a second.
"He loved her as I have never before known a man love a woman," she
answered, with suppressed vehemence.
"Why then did he send for the doctors to commit her to an institution?"
"I do not know."
At this point of the interrogation Cyril scribbled a few words, which he
gave to one of the footmen to carry to the coroner. When the latter had
read them, he asked:
"Did you consider her ladyship a dangerous lunatic?"
"No, sir."
"Why, then, did you prophesy that she would kill your master?"
The woman trembled slightly and her hand again sought the cross.
"I--I believed Lord Wilmersley's time had come, but I knew not how he
would die. I did not know that she would be the instrument--only I
feared it."
"Why did you think his lordship's days were numbered?"
"Sir, if I were to tell you my reasons, you would say that they were not
reasons. You would call them superstitions and me a foolish old woman. I
believe what I believe, and you, what you have been taught. God shall
judge. Suffice it, sir, that my reasons for believing that his lordship
would die soon are not such as would appeal to your common-sense."
"H'm, well--I confess that signs and omens are not much in my line, but
I must really insist upon your giving some explanation as to why you
feared that your mistress would murder Lord Wilmersley."
The woman's lips twitched convulsively and her eyes glowed with sombre
fire.
"Because--if you will know it--he loved her more than was natural--he
loved her more than his God; and the Lord God is a jealous God."
"And this is really your only reason for your extraordinary
supposition?"
"For me it is enough," she replied.
"Well, well--very curious indeed!" said the coroner, regarding the woman
intently.
He paused for a moment.
"How did you pass the evening of the murder?" he asked.
"In my room. I had a headache and went early to bed."
"I suppose somebody saw you after you left Lady Wilmersley's room who
can support your statement?"
"I do not know. I do not remember seeing any one," answered Valdriguez,
throwing her head back and looking a little defiantly at Mr. Tinker.
"Ah, really? That is a pity," said the coroner. "However, there is no
reason to doubt your word--as yet," he added.
Mrs. Eversley was next called. The coroner questioned her exhaustively
as to the missing Priscilla Prentice. He seemed especially anxious to
know whether the girl had owned a bicycle. She had not.--Did she know
how to ride one? Yes, Mrs. Eversley had seen her try one belonging to
the under-housemaid.--Did many of the servants own bicycles? Yes.--Had
one of them been taken? She did not know.
On further inquiry, however, it was found that all the machines were
accounted for.
It had not occurred to Cyril to speculate as to how, if Prentice had
really aided her mistress to escape, she had been able to cover the nine
miles which separated the castle from Newhaven. Eighteen miles in one
evening on foot! Not perhaps an impossible feat, but very nearly so,
especially as on her way back she would have been handicapped by Lady
Wilmersley, a delicate woman, quite unaccustomed--at all events during
the last three years--to any form of exercise.
It was evident, however, that this difficulty had not escaped the
coroner, for all the servants and more especially the gardeners
and under-gardeners were asked if they had seen in any of the
less-frequented paths traces of a carriage or bicycle. But no one had
seen or heard anything suspicious.
The head gardener and his wife, who lived at the Lodge, swore that the
tall, iron gates had been locked at half-past nine, and that they had
heard no vehicle pass on the highroad during the night.
At this point in the proceedings whispering was audible in the back of
the hall. The coroner paused to see what was the matter. A moment later
Douglas stepped up to him and said something in a low voice. The coroner
nodded.
"Mrs. Willis," he called.
A middle-aged woman, very red in the face, came reluctantly forward.
"Well, Mrs. Willis, I hear you have something to tell me?"
"Indeed no, sir," exclaimed the woman, picking nervously at her gloves.
"It is nothing at all. Only when I 'eard you asking about carriages in
the night, I says to Mrs. Jones--well, one passed, I know that.
Leastways, it didn't exactly pass; it stayed."
"The carriage stayed; where?"
"It wasn't a carriage."
"It wasn't a carriage and it stayed? Can't you explain yourself more
clearly, Mrs. Willis? This isn't a conundrum, is it?"
"It was a car, a motor-car," stammered the woman.
"A car! And it stopped? Where?"
"I couldn't say exactly, but not far from our cottage."
"And where is your cottage?"
"On the 'ighroad near the long lane."
"I see." The coroner was obviously excited. "Your husband is one of the
gardeners here, isn't he?"
"Yes, sir."
"So there is doubtless a path connecting your cottage with the castle
grounds?"
"Yes, sir."
"About how far from your cottage was the car?"
"I didn't see it, sir; I just 'eard it; but it wasn't far, that I know,"
reiterated the woman.
"Did you hear any one pass through your garden?"
"No, sir."
"Could they have done so without your hearing them?"
"They might."
"Was the car going to or coming from Newhaven?"
"It was coming from Newhaven."
"Then it must have stopped at the foot of the long lane."
"Yes, sir; that's just about where I thought it was."
"Is there a path connecting Long Lane with the highroad?"
"Yes, a narrow one."
"What time was it when you heard the car? Now try and be very accurate."
"I wouldn't like to swear, sir, but I think it was between eleven and
twelve."
"Did your husband hear it also?"
"No, sir, 'e was fast asleep, but I wasn't feeling very well, so I had
got up thinking I'd make myself a cup of tea, and just then I 'eard a
car come whizzing along, and then there was a bang. Oh, says I, they've
burst their wheel, that's what they've done, me knowing about cars. I
know it takes a bit of mending, a wheel does, so I wasn't surprised when
I 'eard no more of them for a time--and I 'ad just about forgotten all
about them, so I had, when I 'ears them move off."
"And they did not pass your cottage?"
"No, sir, I'm sure of that."
"Did you hear anything else?"
"Well, sir"--the woman fidgeted uneasily, "I thought--but I shouldn't
like to swear to it--not on the Bible--but I fancied I 'eard a cry."
"What sort of a cry? Was it a man or a woman's?"
"I really couldn't say--and perhaps what I 'eard was not a cry at
all----"
"Well, well--this is most important. A motor-car that is driven at
half-past eleven at night to the foot of a lane which leads nowhere but
to the castle grounds, and then returns in the direction it came
from--very extraordinary--very. We must look into this," exclaimed the
coroner.
And with this the inquest was adjourned.