human
If I must hear it! sighed he.
gpt
Such a pity, too, when I was so comfortable. Ah! Man is born to trouble. Go on, my dear lad!
human
You will find it really interesting, said Thorold encouragingly, and told his story in as concise a way as he could. The narrative was interrupted frequently by the Rector. When it was ended he was too much astonished to make any remark, and the other had to stir up his intelligence.
gpt
What do you think of it, sir?
human
Really--bless me!--I hardly know. Do you believe it, Alan?
gpt
There are so many things in it which I know to be true, that I can't help thinking the man is honest, in so far as his story goes, said Alan gloomily.
human
Whether Sophy is really his child I can't say. She is certainly very like him, and the certificate appears to be genuine. Again, Mr. Phelps, you heard Warrender call Marlow 'Beauchamp,' and, as I told you, a sum of two thousand a year is by Marlow's will to be paid to a Herbert Beauchamp. What if he should be Marlow himself?
gpt
I can't--I won't believe it! cried the Rector, rubbing his bald head.
human
The man is as dead as a doornail--you saw the corpse yourself, Alan. The body was put in a leaden casing, hermetically sealed, and that in a tightly-screwed-down oaken coffin. Even if Marlow had been in a trance--if that is what you mean--he could not have survived that! He would have died of suffocation--he would have been asphyxiated. Bless my soul! I don't believe it for one moment.
gpt
But how do you account for the income left to Herbert Beauchamp?
human
He must be a relative,
gpt
But the same Christian name, Mr. Phelps? Still, of course, that is not impossible--he might be a relative. I will see the manager of the bank, and insist upon knowing the address of this man.
human
Supposing he won't give it?
gpt
Then I shall call in the police. I must get to the bottom of this affair. Why should that body have been stolen?
human
Perhaps Lestrange can tell you, Alan. The little parson jumped up in a state of wild excitement.
gpt
What if he should be the Quiet Gentleman--Brown?
human
Impossible--he landed at Southampton only two days ago.
gpt
Oh! so he says, but you must find out if it is true.
human
I will examine the passenger-list of the last steamer.
gpt
It is strange, said the Rector--
human
Yes; I believe that was written to warn him against Lestrange. To escape being arrested on a charge of murder, he--he--well, what did he do.
gpt
He didn't feign death, at all events, said Mr. Phelps.
human
Bless me, Alan! I know the feel and the look of a corpse. I've seen dozens! Besides, you studied for medicine--your knowledge must tell you----
gpt
Yes, I could have sworn he was, as you say, dead as a doornail. Of course --Alan cast about in his mind for some hypothesis--
human
Humph! You didn't attend him?
gpt
I--a layman! My dear sir, Warrender attended him.
human
And Warrender was his bosom friend in Jamaica. Alan, Warrender must have recognized him as Beauchamp--must have known Sophy was not his daughter--must have known that he had been accused of murder in Jamaica.
gpt
Quite so, said Alan composedly,
human
Then the murder of--of Warrender?
gpt
Ah! we are still in the dark about that. Marlow, being dead, could not have killed him. Humph! I wonder if Lestrange is the Quiet Gentleman after all!
human
Alan! said Phelps suddenly.
gpt
Joe Brill!
human
What about him?
gpt
Do you think he is guilty? He was devoted to his master. Warrender possessed his master's secret, and Joe might have killed him, and have run away to escape arrest.
human
There was no suspicion against Joe, he said.
gpt
Why should he have run away?
human
His guilty conscience, perhaps.
gpt
A man who had nerve enough to commit such a murder and take the corpse of his victim back to the vault wouldn't have any conscience to speak of. Besides, the boy who slept in Joe's room says he was not out on that night.
human
No, no--of course not, said the Rector.
gpt
Then it can't be Joe. Well, I give it up!
human
I don't, said Alan grimly.
gpt
I go to London to-morrow to solve the mystery.