him just as I was coming home. He was on the
terrace half-way up the road. He talked to me. He seemed so lonely. He looked
terribly unhappy.’
Rowley looked down at his feet. He was embarrassed. Mary
was the last woman in the world he would have expected to do what he could not
but suspect that she had done.
`Mary dear, you know I'd do anything in the world for
you. I want to help you’
`He was hungry. I gave him something to eat.’
Rowley frowned.
`And after you'd given him a snack he just went and shot
himself with your revolver. Is that the idea?' Mary began to cry.
`Here, have a drink of wine. You can cry later.’
She shook her head.
`No, I'm all right. I won't cry. I know now it was
madness, but it seemed different then. I suppose for a minute I was crazy. You
know what I told you in the car, just before you got out.’
He suddenly understood what she meant.
`I thought it was a lot of romantic tripe. I never
guessed you could be mad enough to do such a damn-fool thing. Why did he kill
himself?’
`I don't know. I don't know.’
He reflected a minute and then began to gather the plates
and glasses together and put them on the tray.
`What are you doing?' she asked.
`Don't you think it's just as well to leave no trace that
you had a gentleman in to supper? Where's the kitchen?”
‘Through that door and down a flight of
stairs.’
He took the tray out. When he came back Mary was sitting
at the table with her head in her hands.
`It's lucky I went down; you'd left all the lights on.
You're evidently not used to covering up your tracks. Your servants hadn't
washed up after their dinner. I just put the things with the rest. The chances
are they won't notice. Now we must send for the police' She almost screamed.
`Rowley!’
`Listen to me, dear. You've got to keep your head. I've
been thinking a lot and I'll tell you what I suggest. You must say that you
were asleep and you were awakened by a man, obviously a burglar, coming into
your room. You put on the light and snatched up the gun, which was on the bed
table. There was a struggle and the gun went off. If you shot
him or if he shot himself doesn't matter. It's probable enough that when
he found himself cornered and was afraid your screams would bring along the
servants he shot himself.’
`Who's going to believe a story like that? It's
incredible.’
`Anyhow it's more credible than the truth. If you stick
to it no one can prove it's a lie.’
`Nina heard the shot. She came along to my room and asked
if anything was the matter. I said no. She'll tell them that, when the police
question her. How am I going to explain then? The story will fall to pieces.
Why should I have told her nothing was the matter when a man was lying dead in
my room? It's hopeless.’
`You can't bring yourself to tell me the truth?”
‘It's so disgraceful. And yet - at the time - I thought I
was doing something rather beautiful.’
She said no more and he stared at her, half
understanding, but still puzzled. She gave a deep sigh.
`Oh, yes, let's send for the police and get it over with.
It means ruin. Well, I suppose I've deserved it. I shall never be able to look
anyone in the face again. The newspapers. And Edgar. That's the end of that.’
Then she said a surprising thing.
`After all, he wasn't a thief. I did him harm enough
without casting a slur like that on the poor boy. I'm to blame for everything
and I must take what's coming to me.’
Rowley looked at her intently.
`Yes, it means ruin, you're
right there, and a hell of a scandal. You're in for an awful time, dear, and if
it comes out nobody can help you. Are you willing to take a risk? I warn you,
it's a great risk and if it doesn't come off it'll make it all the worse for
you.’
`I'll take any risk.’
`Why can't we get the body away from here? Who could
suspect then that his death had anything to do with you?’
`How can we? It's impossible.’
`No, it isn't. If
terrace half-way up the road. He talked to me. He seemed so lonely. He looked
terribly unhappy.’
Rowley looked down at his feet. He was embarrassed. Mary
was the last woman in the world he would have expected to do what he could not
but suspect that she had done.
`Mary dear, you know I'd do anything in the world for
you. I want to help you’
`He was hungry. I gave him something to eat.’
Rowley frowned.
`And after you'd given him a snack he just went and shot
himself with your revolver. Is that the idea?' Mary began to cry.
`Here, have a drink of wine. You can cry later.’
She shook her head.
`No, I'm all right. I won't cry. I know now it was
madness, but it seemed different then. I suppose for a minute I was crazy. You
know what I told you in the car, just before you got out.’
He suddenly understood what she meant.
`I thought it was a lot of romantic tripe. I never
guessed you could be mad enough to do such a damn-fool thing. Why did he kill
himself?’
`I don't know. I don't know.’
He reflected a minute and then began to gather the plates
and glasses together and put them on the tray.
`What are you doing?' she asked.
`Don't you think it's just as well to leave no trace that
you had a gentleman in to supper? Where's the kitchen?”
‘Through that door and down a flight of
stairs.’
He took the tray out. When he came back Mary was sitting
at the table with her head in her hands.
`It's lucky I went down; you'd left all the lights on.
You're evidently not used to covering up your tracks. Your servants hadn't
washed up after their dinner. I just put the things with the rest. The chances
are they won't notice. Now we must send for the police' She almost screamed.
`Rowley!’
`Listen to me, dear. You've got to keep your head. I've
been thinking a lot and I'll tell you what I suggest. You must say that you
were asleep and you were awakened by a man, obviously a burglar, coming into
your room. You put on the light and snatched up the gun, which was on the bed
table. There was a struggle and the gun went off. If you shot
him or if he shot himself doesn't matter. It's probable enough that when
he found himself cornered and was afraid your screams would bring along the
servants he shot himself.’
`Who's going to believe a story like that? It's
incredible.’
`Anyhow it's more credible than the truth. If you stick
to it no one can prove it's a lie.’
`Nina heard the shot. She came along to my room and asked
if anything was the matter. I said no. She'll tell them that, when the police
question her. How am I going to explain then? The story will fall to pieces.
Why should I have told her nothing was the matter when a man was lying dead in
my room? It's hopeless.’
`You can't bring yourself to tell me the truth?”
‘It's so disgraceful. And yet - at the time - I thought I
was doing something rather beautiful.’
She said no more and he stared at her, half
understanding, but still puzzled. She gave a deep sigh.
`Oh, yes, let's send for the police and get it over with.
It means ruin. Well, I suppose I've deserved it. I shall never be able to look
anyone in the face again. The newspapers. And Edgar. That's the end of that.’
Then she said a surprising thing.
`After all, he wasn't a thief. I did him harm enough
without casting a slur like that on the poor boy. I'm to blame for everything
and I must take what's coming to me.’
Rowley looked at her intently.
`Yes, it means ruin, you're
right there, and a hell of a scandal. You're in for an awful time, dear, and if
it comes out nobody can help you. Are you willing to take a risk? I warn you,
it's a great risk and if it doesn't come off it'll make it all the worse for
you.’
`I'll take any risk.’
`Why can't we get the body away from here? Who could
suspect then that his death had anything to do with you?’
`How can we? It's impossible.’
`No, it isn't. If
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