XVII THE OVERHEARD CONVERSATION
Awaiting the arrival of Anita Frayne, Stone thought rapidly. Forming hisjudgments, as always, more by impressions than by words, he found himselfbelieving in Pauline Stuart. She had bought the paper snake, she had liedabout it, but many women would have done the same. Knowing that thepurchase of the toy meant definite suspicion, wouldn't any innocent girlhave feared and dreaded that exposure? If she had been guilty, she wouldscarcely have dared deny the facts of buying it, lest it be provedagainst her, and make matters worse. Again, it was impossible to connectthat magnificent woman with crime! If she were connected with it, itcould only be as the criminal herself. There was no theory that admittedof her being an accomplice, or a tool. Stay, there was that Loria man.Stone couldn't rid himself of a vague idea of implicating the distantnephew by means of an accomplice on the spot. But the notion was notlogical. If Pauline had killed her aunt under her cousin's instructions,she was just as much a murderer as if she had done it entirely of her owninitiative. And if the two cousins had conspired or worked in collusion,it was Stone's duty to fasten the deed on Pauline, as the available oneof the pair. Stone ran over in his mind the letter from Loria. It gave nohint of greed or cupidity in his nature. He was engrossed in the pursuitof his hobby, archaeology, and was only willing to leave his work if thatwould definitely please his cousin, on whom, he fully appreciated, theresponsibilities of the occasion would fall. He fully trusted GrayHaviland to look after all business affairs, so he was not a suspiciousor over-careful nature. He asked no immediate money and only desiredsome, in the course of time, to further his work. Whatever might be thetruth, there was no reason to cast a glance of suspicion towardCarrington Loria. His opinion of Pauline's possible guilt Stone held inabeyance, and Miss Frayne entering, he greeted her with punctiliouspoliteness and a confidential air, tending to put her at ease.
"Miss Frayne," he began, "the situation is a grave one. I am forced tothe conclusion, tentatively at least, that Miss Carrington wasdeliberately poisoned by some one in her own household. It may have beena servant, but it is difficult to imagine how or why a servant couldaccomplish the deed. At any rate, I must first consider the members ofthe family, and in so doing, I must request absolute truth and sincerityfrom all."
"I'm sure I've no reason to equivocate, Mr. Stone," and Anita's voice wasalmost flippant. "All I've told about what I heard at Miss Carrington'sdoor is absolutely true, and I can repeat it word for word."
"It seems strange you have it so accurately at your tongue's end."
"Not at all. I went to my room and wrote it down as soon as I heard it. Ioften make such memoranda. They are frequently useful later."
Fleming Stone mused. This seemed a strange thing to do, at least in viewof the later events, but then, if Miss Frayne had been the guilty one,and had made up all this story of overheard conversation, surely shewould not have done anything so peculiar as to make that detailedmemorandum; or if she did, would not have told of it.
"I have, of course, a copy of that memorandum," continued Stone; "what Iwant is for you to tell me again why you think it could not have beenentirely a soliloquy on the part of Miss Carrington."
"For two reasons. First, I have lived with the lady for four years, andnever have I known her to talk to herself or soliloquize aloud. Ofcourse, this does not prove that she never did so, but I know it was nother habit. Second, nobody in soliloquy ever would use that definiteintonation which is always used in speaking _to_ a person. You knowyourself, Mr. Stone, that a soliloquy is voiced slowly, mumblingly, andusually in disjointed or partially incoherent sentences. The talk I heardwas in clear concise speeches unmistakably addressed to somebody present.She could not in a soliloquy use that direct form of address, even iftalking to some one in her imagination. She would not keep it up, butwould go off in a reverie or drop into impersonal thought. I wish I couldmake this more clear to you."
"You do make it clear, Miss Frayne. I know just what you mean. I quiteagree that one could easily tell the difference between a spokensoliloquy and remarks addressed to a hearer. But you heard no replies?"
"None at all. But I hold that is not peculiar, for while MissCarrington's voice was especially high and carrying, an ordinarily lowvoice would not be audible through that closed door. You can prove thatby simple experiment."
"I have," said Fleming Stone. "I have tried it, and as you say, anordinary voice in a low tone is not audible. But Miss Carrington's musthave been raised unnecessarily, to allow of its being heard."
Stone watched Anita's face as she listened to this. But she only replied,with a shrug of indifference, "I can't say as to that. I heard every wordclearly, that's all I can tell."
"Suppose she had been talking to a picture of some one, say a photographof Miss Stuart or of Mr. Loria, or of Count Charlier, would her tone ofvoice then be explicable?"
"Perhaps. But she would have had to imagine vividly the person therebefore her. And, again, Miss Carrington had no such photographs in herrooms. All her family photographs are in this library, in frames orcases. She was methodical in such matters. She has series of pictures ofMiss Stuart and of Mr. Loria from their childhood to now, but they areall in order in the cases over there." Anita made a slight motion of herhand toward a mahogany cabinet. "No, Mr. Stone, whomever or whatever MissCarrington was talking to, it was not a photograph of any of herrelatives or friends. As you know, there was none discovered in her room,so what could she have done with it?"
"That's true, Miss Frayne. But hasn't the theory of a living person inthere also inexplicable points? If somebody was there, it was, of course,some one well known and whose presence in the house was unquestionablycorrect. But her remarks, as I read them from your notes, imply differentauditors. Granting for a moment that Miss Stuart was there, why wouldMiss Carrington say, 'Henri, Henri, you are the mark I aim at'?"
"I admit that must have been a soliloquy, or an apostrophe to the man shewanted to marry, though he was not present."
"You have no thought, then, that Count Charlier was present?"
"Certainly not! The idea is absurd. Miss Stuart was in there with heraunt, and I'm sure it was some remark of Pauline's, which I, of course,did not hear, that made Miss Carrington speak of the Count as if to him."
"How, then, do you account for the presence of Count Charlier's glove?"
"Miss Stuart put it there as a blind."
"And how did Miss Stuart get it?"
"Easily. The Count had been spending the evening here. He may have lefthis glove by mistake,--or----"
"Or----?"
"Or Pauline may have abstracted it purposely from his coat-pocket duringthe evening with a prearranged plan to do all just as she did do."
"Miss Frayne! you can't mean to assert your belief that Miss Stuart sofar planned the crime as to intend to cast suspicion on Count Charlier bymeans of that glove!"
"Why not? If Pauline Stuart is responsible for her aunt's death, I assureyou, Mr. Stone, she is quite clever enough to prearrange all details, andto plan so adroitly that suspicion should fall on some one else. MissStuart is far more crafty and deep than you can have any idea of! I haveknown her for four years, and I can tell you she is far from ingenuous!"
"Suppose we leave the question of Miss Stuart out of the discussion, andcontinue our first line of thought. Had Miss Carrington ever spoken toyou of changing her will?"
As was his frequent experience, Fleming Stone's quick question caught hiswitness unaware, and she stumbled a little in her speech, as she replied:"N--no. Why should she?"
"Only because her frequent quarrels with Miss Stuart might have made herwish to leave less of her fortune to her niece. And in the conversationyou overheard, Miss Carrington touched on this subject."
"Yes, she did. But except for that reference, spoken to her unknowncompanion, I have never heard anything of such an intention on her part."
"You're fond of pearls, Miss Frayne?"
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p; "Oh, I know what you're getting at now. That speech Miss Lucy made aboutfondness for pearls. Of course, I am. Who isn't? I often told MissCarrington that I admired her pearls far more than all her diamonds orother glittering stones. But I wouldn't commit a crime for all the pearlsin the world! And, if I had, why didn't I steal the pearls?"
Anita's voice rang out triumphantly as she put this question, but FlemingStone said quietly: "I haven't accused you of crime, Miss Frayne, butsince you ask that, let me remind you, that if the crime were done withintent of robbery, the reason that the robbery was never accomplished isthe same that kept the man Bates from stealing. Few people can bringthemselves to take valuables from a dead body. However, I cannot thinkthe poisoning was done with any idea of direct robbery, but for the gainthat would come by the bequests of the will."
"Then your search is limited by the list of inheritors?"
"It is, Miss Frayne."
"Then, Mr. Stone, how can you overlook or undervalue the weight ofevidence against Pauline Stuart? Remember, she bought that snake herself.Miss Lucy never told her to buy it, _never_ in this world! Pauline fearedher aunt would disinherit her----"
"How do you know that?" the question was shot at her, and Anita fairlyjumped as she heard it.
"Why--why, you know I heard reference made to it that night when----"
"When you overheard that conversation; yes, go on." Fleming Stone hadgained his point, which was to prove that Anita _did_ know of theproposed change in the will before that time, and to his own belief hehad proved it.
"Yes, I cannot doubt now that Pauline knew her aunt intended to changeher will, and so she was so desperate at the idea of losing her fortune,she--I cannot bear to put it in words----"
"She poisoned the lady," said Fleming Stone, very gravely.
"Yes." Anita's voice choked, but she enunciated the word. "Mr. Stone, youmust think me dreadful to hold these suspicions, but you asked me to befrank----"
"And I wish you to be so. I am here, Miss Frayne, to discover thepoisoner of Miss Carrington. It is my duty to get all possible light onthe matter from any one I can. It is the duty of those whom I question totell all they know, truthfully and straightforwardly. If these truthsimplicate or seem to implicate a member of the household, none the lessmust the investigation be carried on and the case be pushed to itsinevitable conclusion. The great danger lies in mistaking opinions orimaginations for facts. Now you are telling facts as to the words youoverheard, but you are giving only opinions as to whom those words wereaddressed."
"That is so," and Anita's gaze was a wondering one. "But, Mr. Stone,since the _fact_ of that person in the room is undiscoverable, one can'thelp forming an opinion. Haven't you one?"
"I have."
"Oh, what is it?"
"I think those words were spoken to some inanimate object, not to aperson. Suppose the remark thought to be said to Count Charlier wasaddressed to his glove, which she was undoubtedly holding at the time."
"I never thought of that, because I have assumed that Pauline put thatglove in her hand after--after it was all over, to implicate the Count.And, any way, that's only that one remark,--or two. To what inanimateobject was she talking when she said 'To-morrow all these jewels may beyours'?"
"That I cannot answer. That whole conversation is most mysterious."
"Indeed it is, Mr. Stone, under any other hypothesis than that of thepresence of Pauline Stuart in her aunt's room at the time!"
"May I come in?" and Gray Haviland's good-natured face appeared, as heknocked and opened the door almost simultaneously.
"Yes," said Stone, "and I will ask you, Miss Frayne, to leave us. I amgetting to work in earnest now, and I want to push things a little."
Stone watched the effect of this speech on Anita and was not surprised tosee her look at him with startled eyes, as she unwillingly went throughthe door he held open for her.
"What's doing?" asked Haviland, in his breezy way; and Stone replied,frankly: "Lots. Those two girls are sworn foes, aren't they?"
"Of late they have seemed to be. The break came a month or more beforeMiss Carrington died. Two beauties never can remain friends."
"They are both beautiful women," agreed Stone. "Which do you think had ahand in the tragedy?"
"Good Lord! Neither of them! What are you talking about? That Count manis responsible for the whole thing, Bates and all."
"I know you think so, Mr. Haviland, but I can't agree with you. Now, lookhere, we've got to face things squarely. Take the story Miss Fraynetells, about that mysterious conversation. If it were all a figment ofher brain,----"
"What! Man, you're crazy! Anita Frayne make that all up out of the solid!Never, in a thousand years! If she said that talk was talked, it _was_talked, and that's all there is about that! Why or by whom it was talked,is another matter, and as I understand it, that's what you're here tofind out. And, between you and me and the arc light, I don't believe youever will find out."
"No?"
"No! And this is no aspersion on your powers. I believe that fool Countwas in there, and as he'll never admit it, and you'll never believe it,how can it be proved?"
"Never mind that, now. Prepare yourself, Mr. Haviland, for some unwelcomequestions. You don't want to, but I must insist on your answering them.Which do you consider the more truthful and honest of the two young womenI've just been talking to?"
"Nixie! You can't get an answer to that question out of me! Why, I'd be acad to say anything but that they are both impeccably truthful andhonest."
"So you would, in ordinary circumstances. But you must realize, Mr.Haviland, that I'm here for the definite purpose of solving the mysteryof a terrible crime, and I can only do it by inquiry and investigation.If you really refuse to help me I must learn what I want to know in otherways."
"But, hang it, man," and Haviland, impressed by Stone's manner,considered the question; "I do think they're both truthful,--that is, oneof them--Oh, I can't say it! I can't talk against a woman!"
"You'll be obliged to tell all you know, sooner or later. If you tell menow, I truly believe it will be better all round."
"Well, then,--now wait, I've got to think this thing out; Ibelieve,--why, blessed if I don't believe either of them would lie if shewas in a tight place! There! you've made me say a nice, honorable thing,haven't you?" and Haviland looked utterly disgusted with Stone and withhimself too.
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