Part 16 (1/2)

”Hugh,” he said, his eyes pitiful with fear, ”you--you don't think Muriel Tredworth had anything to do with Henshaw's death?”

Gifford turned away, and leaned on the mantelpiece.

”I don't know what to think,” he said gloomily.

CHAPTER XI

GIFFORD'S COMMISSION

Next morning directly after breakfast Kelson started for Wynford Place.

As the result of deliberating fully upon the anxious problem before them, he and Gifford had come to the conclusion that it might be a grave mistake to try to keep secret the maid's discovery. It would doubtless by this time have become a subject of gossip and speculation in the household and consequently would very soon become public. Accordingly it was arranged that Kelson should arrive first and have a private interview with Muriel Tredworth with a view to ascertaining finally and for certain whether she could in any way account for the stain on her dress. Gifford was to follow half an hour later, when they would have a conference with the Morristons and afterwards, with their approval, go into the town and see the chief constable on the subject. If Gifford was doubtful as to the expediency of the plan, and it was with a considerable amount of hesitation that he brought himself to agree to it, he seemed to have no good reason to urge against it. And, after all, it appeared, in the circ.u.mstances, the only politic course to follow. Secrecy was practically now out of the question, and any attempt in that direction would inevitably fail and would in all probability produce results unpleasant to contemplate.

When Gifford arrived at Wynford Place he found Kelson pacing the drive and impatiently expecting him.

”Come along,” he exclaimed, ”the Morristons are waiting for us.”

”Miss Tredworth--?”

”Is utterly unable to account for the state of her dress,” Kelson declared promptly. ”She is positive that if she noticed the man she never spoke a word to him, nor danced with him. She says that if she ever met him before, as according to that girl the other day was the case, she had quite forgotten the circ.u.mstance. So the sooner we communicate this discovery to the police the better. As it is, they say the servants are talking of it; so the present position is quite intolerable.”

In the library they found Morriston and his sister with the Tredworths.

The situation was discussed and there seemed no doubt in the mind of any one of the party that the only thing to be done was to inform the police at once.

”The whole affair is so mysterious,” Morriston said, ”that all sorts of absurd rumours will be afloat if we don't take a strong, straightforward line at once. Don't you agree, Edith?”

”Certainly I do,” Miss Morriston answered with decision. ”I don't suppose,” she added with a smile, ”that any one would be mad enough to suggest, my dear Muriel, that you were in any way implicated in the affair; but the world is full of stupid and ill-natured people and one can't be too careful to put oneself in the right. Don't you agree, Captain Kelson?”

”Most decidedly,” Kelson replied, with a troubled face. Charlie Tredworth was also quite emphatically of opinion that his sister should make no secret of what had been found.

”The inspector, who is here,” Morriston said, ”tells me that Major Freeman, our chief constable, intends to come here this morning. I'll say we want to see him directly he arrives.”

It was not long before the chief constable was shown into the library.

Morriston lost no time in telling him of the mysterious circ.u.mstance which had come to light. Major Freeman, a keen soldierly man, with the stern expression and uncompromising manner naturally acquired by those whose business is to deal with crime, received the information with grave perplexity. He turned a searching look upon Muriel Tredworth.

”I understand you are quite unable to account for the stains on your dress, Miss Tredworth?” he asked in a tone of courteous insistence.

”Quite,” she answered. ”I did not speak to Mr. Henshaw or even notice him in the ball-room.”

”You had--pardon these questions; I am putting this in your own interest--you had at no time any acquaintance with Mr. Clement Henshaw?”

”I can hardly say that I had,” the girl replied; ”although a friend has told me that I played tennis with him at a garden-party some years ago.”

”A circ.u.mstance which you do not recollect?” The question was put politely, even sympathetically, yet with a certain uncomfortable directness.

”No,” Muriel answered. ”Even when I was reminded of it, my recollection was of the vaguest description. So far as that goes I could neither admit nor deny it with any certainty.”

”And naturally you never, to your knowledge, saw or communicated with the deceased man since?”