the filigree ball-第48部分

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to　prepare　or　comfort　you　…　I　hope　so。　　Cora　is　a　noble　woman；　but
the　secret　which　kept　my　thoughts　in　such　a　whirl　has　held　us　apart。

〃You　did　what　I　asked。　　You　found　a　place　for　Rancher's　waiter　in
the　volunteer　corps。　　Surprised　as　you　were　at　the　interest　I
expressed　in　him；　you　honored　my　first　request　and　said　nothing。
Would　you　have　shown　the　same　anxious　eagerness　if　you　had　known　why
I　whispered　those　few　words　to　him　from　the　carriage　door？　　Why　I
could　neither　rest　nor　sleep　till　he　and　the　other　boy　were　safely
out　of　town？

〃I　must　leave　a　line　for　you　to　show　to　people　if　they　should　wonder
why　I　killed　myself　so　soon　after　my　seemingly　happy　marriage。　　You
will　find　it　in　the　same　book　with　this　letter。　　Some　one　will　tell
you　to　look　in　the　book　…　I　can　not　write　any　more。

〃I　can　not　help　writing。　　It　is　all　that　connects　me　now　with　life
and　with　you。　　But　I　have　nothing　more　to　say　except；　forgive　…
forgive　…

〃Do　you　think　that　God　looks　at　his　wretched　ones　differently　from
what　men　do？　　That　He　will　have　tenderness　for　one　so　sorry　…　that
He　will　even　find　place　…　　But　my　mother　is　there！　　my　father！　　Oh；
that　makes　it　fearful　to　go　…　to　meet　…　　But　it　was　my　father　who
led　me　into　this　…　only　he　did　not　know　…　　There！　　I　will　think
only　of　God。

〃Good　by　…　good　by　…　good　…　〃

That　was　all。　　It　ended；　as　it　began；　without　name　and　without　date；
…　the　final　heart…throbs　of　a　soul；　awakened　to　its　own　act　when　it
was　quite　too　late。　　A　piteous　memorial　which　daunted　each　one　of
us　as　we　read　it；　and　when　finished；　drew　us　all　together　in　the
hall　out　of　the　sight　and　hearing　of　the　two　persons　most　intimately
concerned　in　it。

Possibly　because　all　had　one　thought　…　a　thrilling　one；　which　the
major　was　the　first　to　give　utterance　to。

〃The　man　she　killed　was　buried　under　the　name　of　Wallace。　　How's
that；　if　he　was　her　husband；　William？〃

An　officer　we　had　not　before　noted　was　standing　near　the　front　door。
He　came　forward　at　this　and　placed　a　second　telegram　in　the
superintendent's　hand。　　It　was　from　the　same　source　as　the　one
previously　received　and　appeared　to　settle　this　very　question。

〃I　have　just　learned　that　the　man　married　was　not　the　one　who　kept
store　in　Owosso；　but　his　brother　William；　who　afterward　died　in
Klondike。　　It　is　Wallace　whose　death　you　are　investigating。〃

〃What　snarl　is　here？〃　asked　the　major。

〃I　think　I　understand；〃　I　ventured　to　put　in。　　〃Her　husband　was　the
one　left　on　the　road　by　the　brother　who　staggered　into　camp　for　aid。
He　was　a　weak　man　…　the　weaker　of　the　two　she　said　…　and　probably
died；　while　Wallace；　after　seemingly　collapsing；　recovered。　　This
last　she　did　not　know；　having　failed　to　read　the　whole　of　the
newspaper　slip　which　told　about　it；　and　so　when　she　saw　some　one
with　the　Pfeiffer　air　and　figure　and　was　told　later　that　a　Mr。
Pfeiffer　was　waiting　to　see　her；　she　took　it　for　granted　that　it
was　her　husband；　believing　positively　that　Wallace　was　dead。　　The
latter；　moreover；　may　have　changed　to　look　more　like　his　brother
in　the　time　that　had　elapsed。〃

〃A　possible　explanation　which　adds　greatly　to　the　tragic　aspects
of　the　situation。　　She　was　probably　a　widow　when　she　touched　the
fatal　spring。　　Who　will　tell　the　man　inside　there？　　It　will　be　his
crowning　blow。〃




XXVI

RUDGE

I　never　saw　any　good　reason　for　my　changing　the　opinion　just
expressed。　　Indeed；　as　time　went　on　and　a　further　investigation
was　made　into　the　life　and　character　of　these　two　brothers；　I　came
to　think　that　not　only　had　the　unhappy　Veronica　mistaken　the　person
of　Wallace　Pfeiffer　for　that　of　her　husband　William；　but　also　the
nature　of　the　message　he　sent　her　and　the　motives　which　actuated
it；　that　the　interview　he　so　peremptorily　demanded　before　she
descended　to　her　nuptials　would；　had　she　but　understood　it　properly；
have　yielded　her　an　immeasurable　satisfaction　instead　of　rousing
in　her　alarmed　breast　the　criminal　instincts　of　her　race；　that　it
was　meant　to　do　this；　that　he；　knowing　William's　secret　…　a　secret
which　the　latter　naturally　would　confide　to　him　at　a　moment　so
critical　as　that　which　witnessed　their　parting　in　the　desolate
Klondike　pass　…　had　come；　not　to　reproach　her　with　her　new　nuptials；
but　to　relieve　her　mind　in　case　she　cherished　the　least　doubt　of
her　full　right　to　marry　again；　by　assurances　of　her　husband's　death
and　of　her　own　complete　freedom。　　To　this　he　may　have　intended　to
add　some　final　messages　of　love　and　confidence　from　the　man　she
had　been　so　ready　to　forget；　but　nothing　worse。　　Wallace　Pfeiffer
was　incapable　of　anything　worse；　and　if　she　had　only　resigned
herself　to　her　seeming　fate　and　consented　to　see　this　man　…

But　to　return　to　fact　and　leave　speculation　to　the　now　doubly
wretched　Jeffrey。

On　the　evening　of　the　day　which　saw　our　first　recognition　of　this
crime　as　the　work　of　Veronica　Moore；　the　following　notice　appeared
in　the　Star　and　all　the　other　local　journals：

〃Any　person　who　positively　remembers　passing　through　Waverley
Avenue　between　N　and　M　Streets　on　the　evening　of　May　the　eleventh
at　or　near　the　hour　of　a　quarter　past　seven　will　confer　a　favor　on
the　detective　force　of　the　District　by　communicating　the　same　to　F。
at　the　police　headquarters　in　C　street。〃

I　was　〃F。；〃　and　I　was　soon　deep　in　business。　　But　I　was　readily
able　to　identify　those　who　came　from　curiosity；　and　as　the　persons
who　had　really　fulfilled　the　conditions　expressed　in　my　advertisement
were　few；　an　evening　and　morning's　work　sufficed　to　sift　the　whole
matter　down　to　the　one　man　who　could　tell　me　just　what　I　wanted　to
know。　　With　this　man　I　went　to　the　major；　and　as　a　result　we　all
met　later　in　the　day　at　Mr。　Moore's　door。

This　gentleman　looked　startled　enough　when　he　saw　the　number　and
character　of　his　visitors；　but　his　grand　air　did　not　forsake　him
and　his　welcome　was　both　dignified　and　cordial。　　But　I　did　not　like
the　way　his　eye　rested　on　me。

But　the　slight　venom　visible　in　it　at　that　moment　was　nothing　to
what　he　afterwards　displayed　when　at　a　slight　growl　from　Rudge；
who　stood　in　an　attitude　of　offense　in　the　doorway　beyond；　I　drew
the　attention　of　all　to　the　dog　by　saying　sharply：

〃There　is　our　witness；　sirs。　　There　is　the　dog　who　will　not　cross
the　street　even　when　his　master　calls　him；　but　crouches　on　the
edge　of　the　curb　and　waits　with　eager　eyes　but　immovable　body；
till　that　master　comes　back。　　Isn't　that　so；　Mr。　Moore？　　Have　I
not　heard　you　utter　more　than　one　complaint　in　this　regard？〃

〃I　can　not　deny　it；〃　was　the　stiff　reply；　〃but　what　…　〃

I　did　not　wait　for　him　to　finish。

〃Mr。　Correan；''　I　asked；　〃is　this　the　animal　you　gassed　between　the
hours　of　seven　and　eight　on　the　evening　of　May　the　eleventh；
crouching　in　front　of　this　house　with　his　nose　to　the　curbstone？〃

〃It　is；　I　noted　him　particularly；　he　seemed　to　be　watching　the
opposite　house。〃

Instantly　I　turned　upon　Mr。　Moore。

〃Is　Rudge　the　dog　to　do　that；〃　I　asked；　〃if　his　master　were　not
there？　　Twice　have　I　myself　seen　him　in　the　self…same　place　and
with　the　self…same　air　of　expectant　attention；　and　both　times
you　had　crossed　to　the　house　which　you　acknowledge　he　will
approach　no　nearer　than　the　curb　on　this　side　of　the　street。〃

〃You　have　me；〃　was　the　short　reply　with　which　Mr。　Moore　gave　up
the　struggle。　　〃Rudge；　go　back　to　your　place。　　When　you　are　wanted
in　the　court…room　I　will　let　you　know。〃

The　smile　with　which　he　said　this　was　sarcastic　enough；　but　it　was
sarcasm　directed　mainly　against　himself。　　We　were　not　surprised
when；　after　some　sharp　persuasion　on　the　part　of　the　major；　he
launched　into　the　following　recital　of　his　secret　relation　to　what
he　called　the　last　tragedy　ever　likely　to　occur　in　the　Moore　family。

〃I　never　thought　it　wrong　to　be　curious　about　the　old　place；　I　never
thought　it　wrong　to　be　curious　about　its　mysteries。　　I　only
considered　it　wrong；　or　at　all　events　ill　judged；　to　annoy　Veronica；
in　regard　to　them；　or　to　trouble　her　in　any　way　about　the　means　by
which　I　might　effect　an　entrance　into　its　walls。　　So　I　took　the　one
that　offered　and　said　nothing。

〃I　have　visited　the　old　house　many　times　during　my　sojourn　in　this
little　cottage。　　The　last　time　was；　as　one　of　your　number　has　so
ably　discovered　on　the　most　memorable　night　in　its　history；　the　one
in　which　Mrs。　Jeffrey's　remarkable　death　occurred　there。　　The
interest　roused　in　me　by　the　unexpected　recurrence　of　the　old
fatality　attending　the　library　hearthstone　reached　its　culmination
when　I　perceived　one　night　the　glint　of　a　candle　burning　in　the
southwest　chamber。　　I　did　not　know　who　was　responsible　for　this
light；　but　I　strongly　suspected　it　to　be　Mr。　Jeffrey；　for　who　else
would　dare　to　light　a　candle　in　this　disused　house　without　first
seeing　that　all　the　shutters　were　fast？　　I　did　not　dislike　Mr。
Jeffrey　or　question　his　right　to　do　this。　　Nevertheless　I　was　very
angry。　　Though　allied　to　a　Moore　he　was　not　one　himself　and　the
difference　in　our　privileges　affected　me　strongly。　　Consequently　I
watched　till　he　came　out　and　upon　positively　recognizing　his　figure
vowed　in　my　wrath　and　jealous　indignation　to　visit　the　old　house
myself　on　the　following　night　and　make　one　final　attempt　to　learn
the　secret　which　would　again　make　me　the　equal　of　this　man；　if　not
his　superior。

〃It　was　early　when　I　went；　indeed　it　was　not　quite　dark；　but　knowing
the　gloom　of　those　old　halls　and　the　almost　impenetrable　nature　of
the　darkness　that　settles　over　the　library　the　moment　the　twilight
set　in；　I　put　in　my　pocket　two　or　three　candles；　sirs；　about　which
you　have　made　such　a　coil。　　My　errand　was　twofold。　　I　wanted　first
to　see　what　Mr。　　Jeffrey　had　been　up　to　the　night　before；　and　next；
to　spend　an　hour　over　a　certain　book　of　old　memoirs　which　in
recalling　the　past　might　explain　the　present。　　You　remember　a　door
leading　into　the　library　from　the　rear　room。　　It　was　by　this　door
I　entered；　bringing　with　me　from　the　kitchen　the　chair　you　afterwards
found　there。

I　knew　where　the　volume　of　memoirs　I　speak　of　was　to　be　found　…　you
do；　too；　I　see　…　for　it　was　my　hand　which　had　placed　it　in　its
present　concealment。　　Quite　determined　to　reread　such　portions　of
it；　as