the red seal(红印)-第18部分
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comfortably in the witness chair。
〃When you were in the reception room； Mrs。 Brewster 〃 … Penfield
paused and studied his notes a second …〃 did you observe if the window
was open or closed？〃
〃It was not open when we entered；〃 she responded。 〃But the air in
the room was stuffy and at my request Mr。 Clymer raised the window。〃
〃Did he close it later？〃
She considered the question。 〃I really do not recall；〃 she admitted
finally。 Her eyes strayed toward the door through which she had entered；
and Penfield answered her unspoken thought。
〃Just one more question；〃 he said hurriedly。 〃Did you see the dogs on
Monday night？〃
〃Yes。 I heard them scratching at the door leading to the basement as I
went upstairs； and so I turned around and went down and opened the door
and let them run down into the cellar。〃
Penfield snapped shut his notebook。 〃I am greatly obliged； Mrs。
Brewster； we will not detain you longer。〃
The morgue master stepped forward and helped the pretty widow
down from the platform。
〃Colonel McIntyre is here now；〃 he told the coroner。
〃Ah； then bring him in；〃 and Penfield； while awaiting the arrival of the
new witness； straightened the papers on his desk。
McIntyre looked straight ahead of him as he walked down the room
and stood frowning heavily while the oath was being administered； but his
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manner； when the coroner addressed him； had regained all the suavity and
polish which had first captivated Washington society。
〃I have been a resident of Washington for about five years；〃 he said in
answer to the coroner's question。 〃My daughters attended school here
after their return from Paris； where they were in a convent for four years。
They made their debut last November at our home in this city。〃
〃Were you aware of the wager between your daughter Barbara and
James Turnbull？〃 asked Penfield。
〃I heard of it Sunday afternoon but paid little attention；〃 admitted
McIntyre。 〃My daughter Barbara's vagaries I seldom take seriously。〃
〃Was Mr。 Turnbull a frequent visitor at your house？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
〃Was he engaged to your daughter Helen？〃
〃No。〃 McIntyre's denial was prompt and firmly spoken。 Penfield
and Kent； from his new seat nearer the platform； watched the colonel
narrowly； but learned nothing from his expression。
〃I have heard otherwise；〃 observed the coroner dryly。
〃You have been misinformed；〃 McIntyre's manner was short。 〃I
would suggest； Mr。 Coroner； that you confine your questions and
conjectures to matters pertinent to this inquiry。〃
Penfield flushed as one of the jurors snickered； but he did not repeat
his previous question； asking instead； 〃Was there good feeling between
you and Mr。 Turnbull？〃
〃I never quarreled with him；〃 replied McIntyre。 〃I really saw little of
him as； whenever he called at the house； he came to see one or the other of
my daughters； or both。〃
〃When did you last see Mr。 Turnbull？〃 inquired Penfield。
〃He was at the house on Sunday and I had quite a talk with him；〃
McIntyre leaned back in his chair and regarded the neat crease in his
trousers with critical eyes。 〃I last saw Turnbull going out of the street
door。〃
〃Were you disturbed by the burglar's entrance on Monday night？〃
McIntyre shook his head。 〃I am a heavy sleeper；〃 he said。 〃I regret
very much that my daughter Helen did not at once awaken me on finding
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the burglar； as she supposed； hiding in the closet。 I knew nothing of the
affair until Grimes informed me of it； and only reached the police court in
time to bring my daughters home from the distressing scene following the
identification of the dead burglar as Jimmie Turnbull。〃
〃Colonel McIntyre；〃 Penfield turned over several papers until he found
the one he sought。 〃Mrs。 Brewster has testified that while you and she
were sitting in the reception room； Mr。 Clymer opened the window。 Did
you close it on leaving the room？〃
McIntyre reflected before answering。 〃I cannot remember doing so；〃
he stated finally。 〃Clymer was in rather a hurry to leave； and after
bidding Mrs。 Brewster good night； we went straight out to the car and I
drove him to the Saratoga。〃
〃Then you cannot swear to the window having been re…locked？〃
〃I cannot。〃
Penfield paused a moment。 〃Did you return immediately to your
house from the Saratoga apartment？〃
〃I did〃 promptly。 〃My chauffeur； Harris； wasn't well； and I wanted
him to get home。〃
Penfield thought a moment before putting the next question。
〃How did Miss Barbara return from the Grosvenor dance？〃 he asked。
〃She was brought home by friends； Colonel and Mrs。 Chase。〃
McIntyre in turning about in his chair knocked down his walking stick
from its resting place against its side； and the unexpected clatter made
several women； nervously inclined； jump in their seats。 Observing them；
McIntyre smiled and was still smiling amusedly when Penfield addressed
him。
〃Did you observe many lights burning in your house when you
returned？〃 asked Penfield。 〃No； only those which are usually left lit at
night。〃
〃Was your daughter Helen awake？〃
〃I do not know。 Her room was in darkness when I walked past her
door on my way to bed。〃
Penfield removed his eye…glasses and polished them on his silk
handkerchief。 〃I have no further questions to ask。 Colonel； you are
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excused。〃
McIntyre bowed gravely to him and as he left the platform came face
to face with his family physician； Dr。 Stone。
Penfield； who was an old acquaintance of the physician's； signed to
him to come on the platform。 After the preliminaries had been gone
through； he shifted his chair around； the better to face Stone。
〃Did you accompany the Misses McIntyre to the police court on
Tuesday morning？〃 he asked。
〃I did；〃 responded the physician； 〃at Miss Barbara's request。 She said
her sister was not very well and they disliked going alone to the police
court。〃
〃Did she state why she did not ask her father to go with them？〃
〃Only that he had not fully recovered from an attack of tonsilitis；
which I knew to be a fact； and they did not want him to over…tax his
strength。〃
There was a moment's pause as the coroner； his attention diverted by a
whispered word or two from the morgue master； referred to his notes
before resuming his examination。
〃Did you know James Turnbull？〃 he asked a second later。
〃Yes； slightly。〃
〃Did you recognize him in his burglar's disguise？〃
〃I did not〃
〃Had you any suspicion that the burglar was other than he seemed？〃
〃No。〃
Penfield picked up a memorandum handed him by Dr。 Mayo and
referred to it。 〃I understand； doctor； that you were the first to go to the
burglar's aid when he became ill；〃 he said。 〃Is that true？〃
〃Yes；〃 Stone spoke with more animation。 〃Happening to glance
inside the cage where the prisoner sat； I saw he was struggling
convulsively for breath。 With Mr。 Clymer's assistance I carried him into
an ante…room off the court； but before I had crossed its threshold Turnbull
expired in my arms。〃
〃Was he conscious before he died？〃
At the question Kent bent eagerly forward。 What would be the reply？
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〃I am not prepared to answer that with certainty；〃 replied Dr。 Stone
cautiously。 〃As I picked him up I heard him stammer faintly： 'B…b…b。'〃
Kent started so violently that the man next to him turned and regarded
him for a moment； then； more interested in what was transpiring on the
platform； promptly forgot his agitated neighbor。
〃Was Turnbull delirious； doctor？〃 asked the coroner。
Stone shook his head in denial。 〃No；〃 he stated。 〃I take it that he
started to say 'Barbara；' and his breath failed him； at any rate I only caught
the stuttered 'B…b…b。'〃
Penfield did not immediately continue his examination； but when he
did so his manner was stern。
〃Doctor； what in your opinion caused Mr。 Turnbull's death？〃
〃Judging superficially … I made no thorough examination；〃 Stone
explained parenthetically； 〃I should say that Mr。 Rochester was right when
he stated that Turnbull died from an acute attack of angina pectoris。
