She turned sharply and left the room, banging the door.
"That's the kind _she_ is," Marbridge commented. "You were lucky to get
rid of her as easy as you did.... Give me more brandy, will you, like a
good fellow--and be stingy with the water. I've got to ... hold out a
couple of hours more."
Matthias served him.
"I presume Venetia knows nothing about this, yet?"
Having drunk, Marbridge shook his head. "Not yet. Now, listen.... You
guessed it: I want you to help hush this up, for Venetia's sake....
Rotten mess--do no good if it gets in the papers--only humiliation for
her. Will you--?"
"What is it you want me to do?"
"Help me home and keep your mouth shut.... You see, this is my place;
I've had it years; very handy--private entrance--all that.... Nella used
to meet me here. That's how she came to have a key. I'd forgotten....
Well, I got tired of her, and she couldn't act, and Arlington was sore
about that. So we planned to get rid of her. I guess you must've heard.
It was a dirty business, all round.... And tonight, when her play went
to pieces, just as we'd planned it should, she saw how she'd been bilked
and lost her head.... Came here, let herself in quietly, without the
maid's hearing her, and shot me when I came in with Joan. I managed to
get the gun away before she could turn it on herself, and locked her up.
Then--hysterics.... Well, I'm finished. I asked for it, and got it....
No: no remorse bunk, no deathbed repentance, nothing like that! But I
realize I've been a pretty rotten proposition, first and last. Never
mind.... What I'm getting at's this: nobody need suffer but me. That's
where _you_ come in. For Venetia's sake. You and Arlington and the
doctor can cover it all up between you. Arlie can quiet that
girl--Joan--and the doctor's all right; he'll want a pretty stiff cheque
to fix the undertaker--and that's all right, too. Then you've got to
scare Nella Cardrow so's she won't give herself away, and buy my
chauffeur and that maid out there, Sara.... But first off, you'll have
to help doctor get me home and in bed. I'm the sort that's got to die in
the house."
His chin dropped again.
"Well ... I guess it's a good job ... at that...."
He shivered.
The hall-door opened and Arlington entered, followed by a lean man with
worried eyes who proved to be the doctor.