The Valley of Fear Part 4 (1/2)
”What sort ofcrowd They came up to the claione to Europe and that I did not knohere to find hiood--it was easy to see that”
”Were these men Americans--Californians?”
”Well, I don't know about Californians They were Aht But they were not lad to see their backs”
”That was six years ago?”
”Nearer seven”
”And then you were together five years in California, so that this business dates back not less than eleven years at the least?”
”That is so”
”It must be a very serious feud that would be kept up with such earnestness for as long as that It would be no light thing that would give rise to it”
”I think it shadowed his whole life It was never quite out of hisover him, and knehat it was, don't you think he would turn to the police for protection?”
”Maybe it was soainst There's one thing you should know He alent about armed His revolver was never out of his pocket But, by bad luck, he was in his dressing gown and had left it in the bedrooht he was safe”
”I should like these dates a little clearer,” said MacDonald ”It is quite six years since Douglas left California You followed him next year, did you not?”
”That is so”
”And he had been married five years You e”
”About a month before I was his best e?”
”No, I did not I had been away froood deal of her since”
Barker looked sternly at the detective ”I have seen a good deal of HIM since,” he answered ”If I have seen her, it is because you cannot visit a ine there is any connection--”
”I i, Mr Barker I am bound to make every inquiry which can bear upon the case But I mean no offense”
”Sorily
”It's only the facts that ant It is in your interest and everyone's interest that they should be cleared up Did Mr Douglas entirely approve your friendshi+p with his wife?”
Barker grew paler, and his great, strong hands were clasped convulsively together ”You have no right to ask such questions!” he cried ”What has this to do with the ?”
”I must repeat the question”
”Well, I refuse to answer”
”You can refuse to answer; but you must be aware that your refusal is in itself an answer, for you would not refuse if you had not so to conceal”
Barker stood for ablack eyebrows dra in intense thought Then he looked up with a s your clear duty after all, and I have no right to stand in the way of it I'd only ask you not to worry Mrs Douglas over this h upon her just now I las had just one fault in the world, and that was his jealousy He was fond of me--no man could be fonder of a friend And he was devoted to his wife He lovedfor ether or there seemed any sympathy between us, a kind of wave of jealousy would pass over his in afor that reason, and then he would writeletters that I just had to But you can take it froentlemen, if it was , faithful wife--and I can say also no friend could be more loyal than I!”
It was spoken with fervour and feeling, and yet Inspector MacDonald could not dismiss the subject
”You are aware,” said he, ”that the dead er?”
”So it appears,” said Barker
”What do you mean by 'appears'? You know it as a fact”
The man seemed confused and undecided ”When I said 'appears' I meant that it was conceivable that he had hi should be absent, whoever est to anyone's edy were connected?”
Barker shrugged his broad shoulders ”I can't profess to say what it means,” he answered ”But if you mean to hint that it could reflect in any way upon this lady's honour”--his eyes blazed for an instant, and then with an evident effort he got a grip upon his own e track, that's all”
”I don't know that I've anything else to ask you at present,” said MacDonald, coldly
”There was one small point,” remarked Sherlock Holhted on the table, was there not?”
”Yes, that was so”
”By its light you saw that some terrible incident had occurred?”
”Exactly”
”You at once rang for help?”
”Yes”
”And it arrived very speedily?”
”Within a minute or so”
”And yet when they arrived they found that the candle was out and that the laain Barker showed sons of indecision ”I don't see that it was remarkable, Mr Holmes,” he answered after a pause ”The candle threw a very bad light My first thought was to get a better one The lamp was on the table; so I lit it”
”And blew out the candle?”
”Exactly”
Holmes asked no further question, and Barker, with a deliberate look from one to the other of us, which had, as it see of defiance in it, turned and left the room