Part 14 (1/2)
”And do you think the two deaths are linked?”
”I cannot yet say, sir.”
”I see.” There was a pause, and a significant glance for the jury, most of whose members attempted to look sensible of the coroner's meaning, and failed.
”You observed, Mr. Dobbin, the hoofprints by the body.”
”I did, sir.”
”And did they speak with as much meaning to you, you, as to Mr.-er-Crawford?” as to Mr.-er-Crawford?”
”Mr. Crawford's being at the scene empowered that gendeman to share his convictions and fears.”
”Yes, yes. And what did you then?”
”Not wis.h.i.+ng to appear over-hasty in a matter of such gravity,” Mr. Dobbin began smoothly, ”I enquired first of the local blacksmiths, of which there are three; and discovered that none of them had forged a like shoe for anyone. -Excepting, that is, Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth.”
Mr. Carpenter reached a hand to his fleshy jowl, and caressed it reflectively. ”And then?”
”I determined that Sidmouth's horse, at least, must have been at the scene, and deemed it appropriate to enquire of his stable lad whether any mounts had been absent on the evening in question. He a.s.sured me, with some defiance”-at this, I glanced at poor Toby, and saw him starting from his chair, and wincing in pain at his ankle's unequal attempt to bear his weight-”that the horses were well-guarded within the stables the entirety of that night.” Mr. Dobbin paused, the better to unleash his effect. ”All, that is, except Mr. Sidmouth's particular mount-a black stallion by the name of Satan. It seems Mr. Sidmouth departed High Down Grange on horseback just after supper-around eight o'clock-and returned only with the dawn. The stable boy would not, or could not, say where his master had been.”
The sensation aroused at this revelation was decidedly excessive; though I should have thought the crowd to be blessed with such particulars, by way of the intimacy of milliner's stall and publican's room, well before the inquest. I looked for Sidmouth, and found him unbowed in the midst of his captors; but Seraphine, in her chair beyond Mr. Dobbin's men, appeared very unwell indeed. Her golden radiance was dimmed, her gaze unfocussed- the angel's wings as clipped as a captive swan's.
When the stir of interest had died away, the coroner continued. ”And as a result of this information, Mr. Dobbin, ”' he said, ”you arrested Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth, pending the outcome of this jury's deliberation?”
”I did.”
”You may stand down.”
”I would beg to suggest, sir,” the justice interposed, ”that Miss Augusta Crawford be requested to give evidence. She has information that has only lately come to my attention.”
Mr. Carpenter raised an eyebrow in Dobbin's direction. ”Indeed? Then she shall be called. Miss Augusta Crawford!”
It was as I had suspected; Miss Crawford had found a place for her tongue in the midst of the proceedings, and appeared well-satisfied with the fruits of her ingenuity, as she advanced upon the jury in a rusde of black silk. Her high cheekbones were sharp, her mouth severe-but her eyes, I thought, held a sparkle of malice as she stood in her place beside the coroner, and they were fixed upon Mademoiselle LeFevre.
”You are Miss Augusta Crawford, sister to Mr. Cholmondeley Crawford, of Darby?” the coroner began.
”I am.
”And what have you to relate that should be of service in these proceedings?”
”It is in my power to offer an account of the events that occurred at Darby the evening before before the evening when Mr. Sidmouth murdered Captain Fielding,” Miss Crawford replied, with some importance of manner. the evening when Mr. Sidmouth murdered Captain Fielding,” Miss Crawford replied, with some importance of manner.
”Madam!” Mr. Carpenter e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. ”Mr. Sidmouth's guilt in this matter has not yet been determined.” He turned to the foreman. ”Pray disregard the lady's words. Madam?”
”Mr. Crawford and I had several guests to dinner that evening-”
”-being Sat.u.r.day last?”
”-being Sat.u.r.day last; and among them were Captain Fielding, Mr. Sidmouth, and his cousin, Mademoiselle Le-Fevre.” At the mention of Seraphine's name, Miss Crawford could not contain an expression of lively scorn, that should certainly have discredited her intelligence, were / the coroner; but Mr. Carpenter's countenance remained impa.s.sive.
”The deceased and Mr. Sidmouth were on such terms as might encourage social intercourse?” he enquired.
”So my brother and I a.s.sumed/' Miss Crawford replied, ”from understanding that the Captain had preserved the mademoiselle from an adventure of some danger to her person, and was thus due, one would think, the deepest grat.i.tude from all who held her welfare among their dearest concerns; but imagine our amazement, when Mr. Sidmouth betrayed himself as anything but pleased to see the Captain, and went so far as to question my brother's motives in having invited them both!”
”Miss Crawford,” the coroner probed with the faintest suggest of irritation, ”what is it you would wish this panel to understand?”
The lady stared at him open-mouthed, as though dumbfounded the fellow should be so obtuse. ”Why, my good sir!” she rejoined. ”Is not it apparent? Mr. Sidmouth bore the Captain a grudge! The mademoiselle treated her cousin with excessive coldness-the result, I imagine, of his having caused caused the very misadventure which required the gallant Captain's a.s.sistance, or so I understood, from something the Captain once dropped; and that she the very misadventure which required the gallant Captain's a.s.sistance, or so I understood, from something the Captain once dropped; and that she preferred preferred Captain Fielding to Mr. Sidmouth, caused in him an enormity of rage, the result of which we saw first in our drawing-room, and not two days later, upon the Charmouth road!” Captain Fielding to Mr. Sidmouth, caused in him an enormity of rage, the result of which we saw first in our drawing-room, and not two days later, upon the Charmouth road!”
”And how would you explain the fact of the dead man's purse having been stolen? Surely you would not suggest that a crime of pa.s.sion was also one of calculation?”
”I suppose Mr. Sidmouth to have been covering his tracks, by suggesting some common footpad had killed the Captain”
”But, my dear lady,” Mr. Carpenter said smoothly, ”it would appear that covering his tracks, covering his tracks, is exacdy what Mr. Sidmouth did is exacdy what Mr. Sidmouth did not not do.” He paused to appreciate the full effect of his little joke, then took up his pen with an air of dismissal. ”I fear this is all conjecture, Miss Crawford. It cannot put our enquiries any for warder.” do.” He paused to appreciate the full effect of his little joke, then took up his pen with an air of dismissal. ”I fear this is all conjecture, Miss Crawford. It cannot put our enquiries any for warder.”
”You ridiculous man!” that lady cried. ”Do not you see that Fielding was killed in a duel over the mademoiselle's honour?”
”You may stand down, madam,” the coroner replied distantly. ”Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth!”
Miss Crawford spluttered, and looked all her outrage; but she was conducted from her place nonetheless, and suffered a momentary quailing of her courage, in being forced to pa.s.s quite close to the very Mr. Sidmouth she had just maligned, as he approached the coroner's table. He gave her neither a look nor a word, being intent, it appeared, on the maintenance of his gravity, amidst the tide of chatter his pa.s.sage engendered. I could not detect in the noise, however, any evidence of ill-will towards the gendeman, despite his d.a.m.ning appearance of guilt; and it struck me forcibly that Geoffrey Sidmouth retained his reputation among the folk of Lyme, and a measure of grat.i.tude, however heinous his offences. A curious community, indeed, that could treat a Maggie Tibbit with such contempt, and a Geoffrey Sidmouth with unrelenting tolerance.
Mr. Carpenter gave the gendeman at his right hand a cursory glance, neither severe nor benign. ”You are Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth, of High Down Grange, are you not?”
I am.
”And what answer can you give, Mr. Sidmouth, to the conjectures so lately put forward by Miss Augusta Crawford?”
”I would suggest that the lady pay greater heed to her own affairs, and less to those of her neighbours, or she shall utterly lack for dinner partners,” he rejoined mildly, to some laughter; but from knowing Sidmouth a little, I judged him to be checking his temper only with the greatest difficulty. A muscle at his temple had commenced to pulse, in a distractingly involuntary fas.h.i.+on.
”And did you, sir, bear a grudge grudge towards Captain Fielding?” towards Captain Fielding?”
”I certainly bore him little affection.”
”That is frankness indeed, from a man so imperilled by circ.u.mstance as yourself,” Mr. Carpenter said, in some surprise.
”I make it a practise, sir, to offer honesty when such is possible.”
”When it is possible possible-but not, you would have us understand, on every occasion?”
”Can any man a.s.sert such consistency?”
”It is a common-enough profession.”
”But to profess profess honesty, and to practise it without fail, are entirely different talents. Rare is the gendeman who allies them both.” honesty, and to practise it without fail, are entirely different talents. Rare is the gendeman who allies them both.”
My father leaned towards me and winked. ”One for my philosopher,” he observed sofdy.
”So we may take it as setded that you harboured towards the Captain a healthy dislike. On what was it predicated?”