Part 14 (1/2)

I pointed to Marnha-

”That is a question for you to answer

”Oh! drunk again, I suppose,” he said Then he did as I had done, bent down and examined hi as frightened as a -

”Dead as a stone, by God! Dead these three hours or more”

”Quite so,” I answered, ”but what killed hiely ”Do you suspecthim?”

”My mind is open,” I replied; ”but as you quarrelled so bitterly last night, others er

”Probably the old sot died in a fit, or of too much brandy How can one knoithout a post-morteistrate and get hold of another doctor Let the body reht I to let hio or not? If he had any hand in this business, doubtless he intended to escape Well, supposing this were so and he did escapee, that would be a good thing for Heda, and really it was no affair ofthe fellow to justice Moreover there was nothing to show that he was guilty; his whole ht be acting

”Very well,” I replied, ”but return as quickly as possible”

He stood for a few seconds like a ht have come into his mind with Marnham's death that he had lost his hold over Heda But if so he said nothing of it, but only asked-

”Will you go instead of me?”

”On the whole I think not,” I replied, ”and if I did, the story I should have to tell e”

”That's true, damn you!” he exclaialloping towards Pilgrim's Rest Before I departed from the death chamber I examined the place carefully to see if I could find any poison or other deadly thing, but without success One thing I did discover, however Turning the leaf of a blotting-book that was by Marnham's elbow, I came upon a sheet of paper on which ritten these words in his hand, ”Greater love hath no otten the end of the quotation or changed his h weakness to finish the sentence This paper also I put inthe door I returned to the stoep, where I was alone, for as yet no one else was stirring Then I remembered the letter in my pocket and opened it It ran-

”Dear Mr Quatermain,-

”I have remembered that those who quarrel with Dr Rodd are apt to die soon and suddenly; at any rate life at e is always uncertain Therefore, as I know you to be an honestand purpose to send it to your roo Perhaps when you return to Pretoria you will deposit it in the Standard Bank there, and if I am still alive, forwardto h to keep the wolf from her door, besides my share in this property, if it is ever realized

”After all that has passed to-night I do not feel up to writing a long letter, so

”Remain sincerely yours,

”H A Marnham”

”PS-I should like to state clearly upon paper that et clear of that black-hearted, murderous, scoundrel Rodd and marry Mr Ansob, whoood husband”

Thinking to myself this did not look very like the letter of a suicide, I glanced through the will, as the testator seemed to have wished that I should do so It was short, but properly drawn, signed, and witnessed, and bequeathed a suether with all his other property, real and personal, to Heda for her own sole use, free froements of her husband, should she marry Also she was forbidden to spend more than 1,000 of the capital In short the money was strictly tied up With the ere some other papers that apparently referred to certain property in Hungary to which Heda ht become entitled, but about these I did not trouble

Replacing these docu of my waistcoat, I went into our roo soundly, a fact that caused an unreasonable irritation in hly aroused I said to him-

”You are in luck's way, my friend Marnham is dead”

”Oh! poor Heda,” he exclaimed, ”she loved him It will half break her heart”

”If it breaks half of her heart,” I replied, ”it will mend the other half, for now her filial affection can't force her to marry Rodd, and that is where you are in luck's way”