Miss Arnott's Marriage
Copyright© 2024 by Richard Marsh
Chapter 30: Miss Arnott Is Examined
Mr Stacey put a question to Mr Gilbert.
“Have you got rid of her?”
“Very much so. Stacey, I must see Miss Arnott at once, the sooner the safer. I’m afraid she did it.”
“Do you mean that she killed that fellow in Cooper’s Spinney? I don’t believe a word of it. What’s that woman been saying?”
“It’s not a question of belief but of fact. I’ll tell you afterwards what she’s been saying. What we want to do is to get at the truth. I fancy we shall do it if you let me have a few minutes’ conversation with your young friend. If she didn’t do it I’ll do my level best to prevent a hair of her head from being injured, and if she did I may be able to save her. This is one of those cases in which, before I’m able to move, I must know just where I am standing.”
“You seem to have an ethical standard of your own.”
“A man in my line of business must have. Where’s Miss Arnott?”
“I’ll take you to her. She’s expecting you. I told her you’d like to have a little talk with her. But, mind this, she’s anything but well, poor girl! I believe she’s been worried half out of her mind.”
“I shouldn’t wonder.”
“I didn’t bring you down here to subject her to a hostile cross-examination. I won’t let you do it--especially in her present condition.”
“When you’ve finished perhaps you’ll take me to her; you don’t want her to hang.”
“Hang! Gilbert! God forbid! Whatever she may have done she’s only a child, and I’m persuaded that at heart she’s as innocent as you or me.”
“If she isn’t more innocent than I am I’m sorry for her. Will you take me to see this paragon of all the feminine virtues?”
“You wear your cynicism like a cloak; it’s not such an essential part as you choose to imagine.”
Ernest Gilbert smiled as if he would show his teeth.
Mr Stacey led the way to an apartment which was called the red drawing-room, where already that afternoon Miss Arnott had interviewed Hugh Morice and Mrs Forrester. It was a pleasant, well-lighted room, three windows ran up one side of it almost from floor to ceiling. The girl was standing in front of one of these as the two men entered, looking out on to the Italian garden, which was a blaze of sunshine and of flowers. Mr Stacey crossed to her with his somewhat exuberant, old-fashioned courtesy.
“Permit me, my dear young lady, to offer you a chair. I think you will find this a comfortable one. There, how is that?” She had seated herself, at his invitation, in a large, straight-backed armchair covered with a fine brocade, gold on a crimson background, whose age only enhanced its beauty. “As I was telling you just now, I have heard, to my great distress, that several things have happened recently, hereabouts, which could hardly tend to an increase of your comfort.”
“No, indeed.”
“Part of my information came from my very good friend here, and he will be your very good friend also if you will let him. Let me introduce you to Mr Ernest Gilbert.”
In acknowledgment of the introduction the girl inclined her head. Mr Gilbert gave his a perfunctory little shake, as if he had a stiff neck.
“I am glad to meet you, Mr Gilbert. I was sorry to learn from Mr Morice that you have sent me back my money and refused to defend Jim Baker.”
Mr Stacey interposed before the other had a chance to answer.
“Quite so, my dear young lady, quite so; we will come to that presently. Mr Gilbert came to see me this morning on that very subject. It is in consequence of certain communications which he then made to me that we are here. You instructed him, from what I understand, to defend this unfortunate man.”
“Which he at first consented, and then declined to do.”
This time it was Mr Gilbert who interposed, before Mr Stacey was ready with his reply.
“Stacey, if you don’t mind, I’ll speak. I think it’s possible that Miss Arnott and I may understand each other in half a dozen sentences.”
Mr Gilbert was leaning over the back of a chair, right in front of her. The girl eyed him steadily. There was a perceptible interval, during which neither spoke, as if each was taking the other’s measure. Then the girl smiled, naturally, easily, as if amused by some quality which she discerned either in the lawyer’s terrier-like countenance or in the keenness of his scrutiny. It was she who was the first to speak, still with an air of amusement.
“I will try to understand you, and I should like you to understand me. At present I’m afraid you don’t.”
“I’m beginning to.”
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.