Part 16 (1/2)
The house-boy corroborated in general the statements made by Campion. He had admitted the peddler at the back entrance, and had taken him to the butler's pantry. Campion had asked to see Mr. Graeme, and had been told that he was engaged.
”Were you with Campion all the time he was in the house?” asked Judge Hendricks.
”Ya.s.sah, 'cept when Mr. Effingham done call me into the dining room to help him turn ober the rug.”
”Five minutes perhaps?”
But Marcus could not be positive about the elapsed period. He could only a.s.sert that when he returned to the pantry Campion had gone; presumably he had let himself out.
”But there is a door from the pantry into the short pa.s.sage that leads to the library, isn't there?”
”Ya.s.sah.”
”How about Effingham's master-key; did you ever hear of it?”
Marcus grinned all over with the irresistible comedy of his race.
”Eberybody know all about 'um,” he chuckled throatily. ”Mr. Effingham hid 'um behind clock like old dog wif bone. Yah! yah!”
”Then it was no particular secret, the master-key and its hiding place?”
”Nossah.”
”That will do. Let's have the prisoner again.”
Campion remained perfectly cool and self-possessed. He readily agreed that he had been left alone in the pantry for a period of five minutes; it might even have been longer. He admitted that he had gone to the library door, and had knocked two or three times.
”That may have been what disturbed Eunice Trevor,” whispered Warriner in my ear. ”Just at that moment she must have been in the room with the despatch-box in her hand.”
”You got no reply to your knock?” continued Judge Hendricks.
”No, sir.”
”Did you know of the master-key?”
”Yes, sir. Marcus showed me its hiding place behind the clock, and we had been laughing at old Effingham's simplicity.”
”Then it didn't occur to you that you might use the master-key?”
”Well, I didn't fancy the idea of actually intruding upon Mr. Graeme.
You remember, sir, that he had forbidden me to come on the place.”
”Yet you summoned enough courage to knock?”
”That was a little different, sir, from walking in on him unannounced.
Besides, I really did wish to see him.”