AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
Helen was very much upset by the painful scene which had just been
enacted. Its vulgarity appalled her. In a little old-world hamlet like
Sleagill, a riotous cow or frightened horse supplied sensation for a week.
What would happen when it became known that the rector's daughter had been
attacked by the Squire of Beechcroft in the park meadow, and saved from
his embraces only after a vigorous struggle, in which her defender was
David Hume-Frazer, concerning whom the villagers still spoke with bated
breath?
Of course, the girl imagined that many people must have witnessed the
occurrence. The appearance of Brett, of the waiting groom, and of a chance
labourer who now strode up the village street, led her to think so.
She did not realise that the whole affair had barely lasted a minute, that
Brett was Hume's friend, the man-servant a stranger who had seen nothing
and heard little, whilst the villager only wondered, when he touched his
cap, "why Miss Layton was so flustered like."
Brett attributed her agitation to its right cause. He knew that this
healthy, high-minded, and athletic young woman went under no fear of
Capella and his ravings.
"What happened when you jumped the hedge?" he said to Hume.
"I handled that scoundrel somewhat roughly," was the answer. "It was
Nellie here who begged for mercy on his account."
"Ah, well, the incident ended very pleasantly. No one saw what happened
save the principals, a fortunate thing in itself. We want to prevent a
nine days' wonder just now."
"Are you quite sure?" asked Miss Layton, overjoyed at this expression of
opinion, and secretly surprised at the interest taken by the barrister in
the affair, for Hume had not as yet found time to tell her his friend's
name.
"Quite sure, Miss Layton," he said, with the smile which made him such a
prompt favourite with women. "I had nothing to do but observe the
_mise-en-scène_. The stage was quite clear for the chief actors. And now,
may I make a suggestion? The longer we remain here the more likely are we
to attract observation. Mr. Hume and I are going to call on Mrs. Eastham.
May we expect you in an hour's time?"
"Can't you come in with us now?" exclaimed David eagerly.
She laughed excitedly, being yet flurried. The sudden appearance of her
lover tried her nerves more than the Italian's passionate avowal.
"No, indeed," she cried. "I must go home. My father will forget all about
his lunch otherwise, and I am afraid--I--w--ant to cry!"
Without another word she hurried off towards the rectory.
"My dear fellow," murmured Brett to the disconsolate Hume, "don't you
understand? She cannot bear the constraint imposed by my presence at this
moment, nor could she meet Mrs. Eastham with any degree of composure. Now,
this afternoon she will return a mere iceberg. Mrs. Eastham, I am sure,
has tact. I am going to the Hall. You two will be left alone for hours."
He turned aside to arrange with the groom concerning the care of the
horse, as they would be detained some time in the village. Then the two
men approached Mrs. Eastham's residence.
That good person, a motherly old lady of over sixty, was not only
surprised but delighted by the advent of David Hume.
"My dear boy," she cried, advancing to meet him with outstretched hands
when he entered the morning-room. "What fortunate wind has blown you
here?"
"I can hardly tell you, auntie," he said--both Helen and he adopted the
pleasing fiction of a relationship that did not exist--"you must ask Mr.
Brett."
Thus appealed to, the barrister set forth, in a few explicit words, the
object of their visit.
"I hope and believe you will succeed," said Mrs. Eastham impulsively.
"Providence has guided your steps here at this hour. You cannot imagine
how miserable that man Capella makes me."
"Why?" cried Hume, darting a look of surprise at Brett.
"Because he is simply pestering Nellie with his attentions. There! I must
speak plainly. He has gone to extremes that can no longer be
misinterpreted. In our small community, Mr. Brett," she explained, "though
we dearly love a little gossip, we are slow to believe that a man married
to such a charming if somewhat unconventional woman as Margaret
Hume-Frazer--I cannot train my tongue to call her Mrs. Capella--would
deliberately neglect his wife and dare to demonstrate his unlawful
affection for another woman, especially such a girl as Helen Layton."
"How long has this been going on?" inquired Brett, for Hume was too
furious to speak.
"For some months, but it is only a fortnight ago since Helen first
complained of it to me I promptly told Mr. Capella that I could not
receive him again at my house. He discovered that Nellie came here a good
deal, and managed to call about the same time as she did. Then he found
that she was interested in Japanese art, and as he is really clever in
that respect--"
"Clever," interrupted the barrister. "Do you mean that he understands
lacquer work, Satsuma ware, painting or inlaying? Is he a connoisseur or a
student?"
"It is all Greek to me!" exclaimed the old lady, "but unquestionably the
bits of china and queer carvings he often brought here were very
beautiful. Nellie did not like him personally, but she could not deny his
knowledge and enthusiasm. Margaret, too, used to invite her to the Hall,
for Miss Layton has great taste as an amateur gardener, Mr. Brett. But
this friendship suddenly ceased. Mr. Capella became very strange and
gloomy in his manner. At last Nellie told me that the wretched man had
dared to utter words of love to her, hinting that his wife could not live
long, and that he would come in for her fortune. Now, as my poor girl has
been the most faithful soul that ever lived, never for an instant doubting
that some day the cloud would lift from Davie, you may imagine what a
shock this was to her."
"Mrs. Eastham," said Brett, suddenly switching the conversation away from
the Italian's fantasy, "you are well acquainted with all the circumstances
connected with Sir Alan's murder. Have you formed any theory about the
crime, its motive, or its possible author?"
"God forgive me if I do any man an injury, but in these last few days I
have had my suspicions," she exclaimed.
"Tell me your reasons."
"It arose out of a chance remark by Nellie. She was discussing with me her
inexplicable antipathy to Mr. Capella, even during the time when they were
outwardly good friends. She said that once he showed her a Japanese sword,
a most wonderful piece of workmanship, with veins of silver and gold let
into the handle and part of the blade. To the upper part of the scabbard
was attached a knife--a small dagger--similar--"
"Yes, I understand. An implement like that used to kill Sir Alan
Hume-Frazer."
"Exactly. Nellie at first hardly realised its significance. Then she
hastily told Capella to take it away, but not before she noticed that he
seemed to understand the dreadful thing. It is fastened in its sheath by a
hidden spring, and he knew exactly how to open it. Any person not
accustomed to such weapons would endeavour to pull it out by main force."
Brett did not press Mrs. Eastham to pursue her theory. It was plain that
she regarded the Italian as a man who might conceivably be the murderer of
his wife's brother. This was enough for feminine logic.
Hume, too, shared the same belief, and had not scrupled to express it
openly.
There were, it was true, reasons in plenty, why Capella should have
committed this terrible deed. He was, presumably, affianced to Margaret at
the time. Apparently her father's will had contemplated the cutting down
of her annual allowance. The young heir had, on the other hand, made up
the deficit. But why did these artificial restrictions exist? Why were
precautions taken by the father to diminish his daughter's income? She had
been extravagant. Both father and brother quarrelled with her on this
point. Indeed, there was a slight family disturbance with reference to it
during Sir Alan's last visit to London. Was Capella mixed up with it?
At last there was a glimmering perception of motive for an otherwise
fiendishly irrational act. Did it tend to incriminate the Italian?
A summons to luncheon dispelled the momentary gloom of their thoughts.
Before the meal ended Miss Layton joined them.
Brett looked at his watch. "Fifty minutes!" he said.
Then they all laughed, except Mrs. Eastham, who marvelled at the coolness
of the meeting between the girl and David. But the old lady was
quick-witted.
"Have you met before?" she cried.
"Dearest," said the girl, kissing her; "do you mean to say they have not
told you what happened in the park?"
"That will require a special sitting," said Brett gaily. "Meanwhile, I am
going to the Hall. I suppose you do not care to accompany me, Hume?"
"I do not."
The reply was so emphatic that it created further merriment.
"Well, tell me quickly what this new secret is," exclaimed Mrs. Eastham,
"because in five minutes I must have a long talk with my cook. She has to
prepare pies and pastry sufficient to feed nearly a hundred school
children next Monday, and it is a matter of much calculation."
Brett took his leave.
"I knew that good old soul would be tactful," he said to himself. "Now I
wonder how Winter made such a colossal mistake as to imagine that Hume
murdered his cousin. He was sure of the affections of a delightful girl;
he could not succeed to the property; he has declined to take up the
title. What reason could he have for committing such a crime?"
Then a man walked up the road--a man dressed like a farmer or grazier,
rotund, strongly-built, cheerful-looking. He halted opposite Mrs.
Eastham's house, where the barrister still stood drawing on his gloves on
the doorstep.
"Yes," said Brett aloud, "you _are_ an egregious ass, Winter."
"Why, Mr. Brett?" asked the unabashed detective. "Isn't the make-up good?"
"It is the make-up that always leads you astray. You never theorise above
the level of the _Police Gazette_."
Mr. Winter yielded to not unnatural annoyance. With habitual caution, he
glanced around to assure himself that no other person was within earshot;
then he said vehemently:
"I tell you, Mr. Brett, that swine killed Sir Alan Hume-Frazer."
"You use strong language."
"Not stronger than he deserves."
"What are you doing here?"
"I heard he was in London, and watched him. I saw him go to your chambers
and guessed what was up, so I came down here to see you and tell you what
I know."
"Out of pure good-nature?"
"You can believe it or not, Mr. Brett. It is the truth."
"He has been tried and acquitted. He cannot be tried again. Does Scotland
Yard--"
"I'm on my holidays."
Brett laughed heartily.
"I see!" he cried. "A 'bus-driver's holiday! For how long?"
"Fourteen days."
"You are nothing if not professional. I suppose it was not your first
offence, or they might have let you off with a fine."
The detective enjoyed this departmental joke. He grinned broadly.
"Anyhow, Mr. Brett," he said, "you and I have been engaged on too many
smart bits of work for me to stand quietly by and let you be made a fool
of."
The barrister came nearer, and said, in a low tone:
"Winter, you have never been more mistaken in your life. Now, attend to my
words. If you help me you will, in the first place, be well paid for your
services. Secondly, you will be able to place your hand on the true
murderer of Sir Alan Hume-Frazer, or I will score my first failure.
Thirdly, Scotland Yard will give you another holiday, and I can secure you
some shooting in Scotland. What say you?"
The detective looked thoughtful. Long experience had taught him not to
argue with Brett when the latter was in earnest.
"I will do anything in my power," he said, "but there is more in this
business than perhaps you are aware of--more than ever transpired at the
Assizes."
"Quite so, and a good deal that has transpired since. Now. Winter, don't
argue, there's a good fellow. Go and engage the landlord of the local inn
in a discussion on crops. I am off to Beechcroft Hall. Mr. Hume and I will
call for you on our way back to Stowmarket. In our private sitting-room at
the hotel there I will explain everything."
They parted. Brett was promptly admitted by Mrs. Crowe, and walked rapidly
up the avenue.
Winter watched his retreating figure.
"He's smart, I know he's smart," mused the detective. "But he doesn't know
everything about this affair. He doesn't know, I'll be bound, that David
Hume-Frazer waited for his cousin that night outside the library. I didn't
know it--worse luck!--until after he was acquitted. And he doesn't know
that Miss Nellie Layton didn't reach home until 1.30 a.m., though she left
the ball at 12.15, and her house is, so to speak, a minute's walk distant.
And she was in a carriage. Oh, there's more in this case than meets the
eye! I can't say which would please me most, to find out the real
murderer, if Hume didn't do it, or prove Mr. Brett to be in the wrong!"