CHAPTER XXV.
FORMS A BEWILDERING ENIGMA.
"Found Drowned" was the verdict of the twelve respectable villagerswho formed the Coroner's jury to inquire into the tragic death ofyoung Mrs. Courtenay. It was the only conclusion that could be arrivedat in the circumstances, there being no marks of violence, and noevidence to show how the unfortunate lady got into the river.
Ambler Jevons, who had seen a brief account of the affair in thepapers, arrived hurriedly in time to attend the inquest; therefore itwas not until the inquiry was over that we were enabled to chat. Hisappearance had changed during the weeks of his absence: his faceseemed thinner and wore a worried, anxious expression.
"Well, Ralph, old fellow, this turns out to be a curious business,doesn't it?" he exclaimed, when, after leaving the public room of theGolden Ball, wherein the inquiry had been held, we had strolled onthrough the long straggling village of homely cottages with thatchedroofs, and out upon the white, level highroad.
"Yes," I admitted. "It's more than curious. Frankly, I have a distinctsuspicion that Mary was murdered."
"That's exactly my own opinion," he exclaimed quickly. "There's beenfoul play somewhere. Of that I'm certain."
"And do you agree with me, further, that it is the outcome of thetragedy at Kew?"
"Most certainly," he said. "That both husband and wife should bemurdered only a few months after one another points to motives ofrevenge. You'll remember how nervous old Courtenay was. He went inconstant fear of his life, it was said. That fact proves conclusivelythat he was aware of some secret enemy."
"Yes. Now that you speak of it, I recollect it quite well," Iremarked, adding, "But where, in the name of Fortune, have you beenkeeping yourself during all these weeks of silence?"
"I've been travelling," he responded rather vaguely. "I've been goingabout a lot."
"And keeping watch on Ethelwynn during part of the time," I laughed.
"She told you, eh?" he exclaimed, rather apprehensively. "I didn'tknow that she ever recognised me. But women are always sharper thanmen. Still, I'm sorry that she saw me."
"There's no harm done--providing you've made some discovery regardingthe seven secrets that compose the mystery," I said.
"Seven secrets!" he repeated thoughtfully, and then was silent a fewmoments, as though counting to himself the various points thatrequired elucidation. "Yes," he said at last, "you're right, Ralph,there are seven of them--seven of the most extraordinary secrets thathave ever been presented to mortal being as part of one and the samemystery."
He did not, of course, enumerate them in his mind, as I had done, forhe was not aware of all the facts. The Seven Secrets, as theypresented themselves to me, were: First, the identity of the secretassassin of Henry Courtenay; second, the manner in which thatextraordinary wound had been caused; thirdly, the secret of Ethelwynn,held by Sir Bernard; fourthly, the secret motive of Ethelwynn inremaining under the roof of the man who had discarded her in favour ofher sister; fifthly, the secret of Courtenay's reappearance afterburial; sixthly, the secret of the dastardly attempt on my life bythose ruffians of Lisson Grove; and, seventhly, the secret of MaryCourtenay's death. Each and every one of the problems was inscrutable.Others, of which I was unaware, had probably occurred to my friend. Tohim, just as to me, the secrets were seven.
"Now, be frank with me, Ambler," I said, after a long pause. "You'vegained knowledge of some of them, haven't you?"
By his manner I saw that he was in possession of information of noordinary character.
He paused, and slowly twisted his small dark moustache, at lastadmitting----
"Yes, Ralph, I have."
"What have you discovered?" I cried, in fierce eagerness. "Tell me theresult of your inquiries regarding Ethelwynn. It is her connectionwith the affair which occupies my chief thoughts."
"For the present, my dear fellow, we must leave her entirely out ofit," my friend said quietly. "To tell you the truth, after announcingmy intention to give up the affair as a mystery impenetrable, I set towork and slowly formed a theory. Then I drew up a deliberate plan ofcampaign, which I carried out in its entirety."
"And the result?"
"Its result--" he laughed. "Well, when I'd spent several anxious weeksin making the most careful inquiries, I found, to my chagrin, that Iwas upon an entirely wrong scent, and that the person I suspected ofbeing the assassin at Kew was innocent. There was no help for it butto begin all over again, and I did so. My inquiries then led me in anentirely opposite direction. I followed my new and somewhat startlingtheory, and found to my satisfaction that I had at length struck theright trail. Through a whole fortnight I worked on night and day,often snatching a few hours of sleep in railway carriages, andsometimes watching through the whole night--for when one pursuesinquiries alone it is frequently imperative to keep watchful vigil. ToBath, to Hereford, to Edinburgh, to Birmingham, to Newcastle, and alsoto several places far distant in the South of England I travelled inrapid succession, until at last I found a clue, but one soextraordinary that at first I could not give it credence. Ten dayshave passed, and even now I refuse to believe that such a thing couldbe. I'm absolutely bewildered by it."
"Then you believe that you've at last gained the key to the mystery?"I said, eagerly drinking in his words.
"It seems as though I have. Yet my information is so very vague andshadowy that I can really form no decisive opinion. It is thismysterious death of Mrs. Courtenay that has utterly upset all mytheories. Tell me plainly, Ralph, what causes you to suspect foulplay? This is not a time for prevarication. We must be open andstraightforward to each other. Tell me the absolute truth."
Should I tell him frankly of the amazing discovery I had made? Ifeared to do so, lest he should laugh me to scorn. The actualexistence of Courtenay seemed too incredible. And yet as he wasworking to solve the problem, just as I was, there seemed every reasonwhy we should be aware of each other's discoveries. We had bothpursued independent inquiries into the Seven Secrets until thatmoment, and it was now high time we compared results.
"Well, Jevons," I exclaimed, hesitatingly, at last, "I have during theweek elucidated one fact, a fact so strange that, when I tell you, Iknow you will declare that I was dreaming. I myself cannot account forit in the least. But that I was witness of it I will vouch. Themystery is a remarkable one, but what I've discovered adds to itsinscrutability."
"Tell me," he urged quickly, halting and turning to me in eagerness."What have you found out?"
"Listen!" I said. "Hear me through, until you discredit my story."Then, just as I have already written down the strange incidents in theforegoing chapters, I related to him everything that had occurredsince the last evening he sat smoking with me in Harley Place.
He heard me in silence, the movements of his face at one momentbetraying satisfaction, and at the next bewilderment. Once or twice hegrunted, as though dissatisfied, until I came to the midnight incidentbeside the river, and explained how I had watched and what I hadwitnessed.
"What?" he cried, starting in sudden astonishment. "You actually sawhim? You recognised Henry Courtenay!"
"Yes. He was walking with his wife, sometimes arm-in-arm."
He did not reply, but stood in silence in the centre of the road,drawing a geometrical design in the dust with the ferrule of hisstick. It was his habit when thinking deeply.
I watched his dark countenance--that of a man whose whole thought andenergy were centred upon one object.
"Ralph," he said at last, "what time is the next train to London?"
"Two-thirty, I think."
"I must go at once to town. There's work for me there--delicate work.What you've told me presents a new phase of the affair," he said in astrange, anxious tone.
"Does it strengthen your clue?" I asked.
"In a certain degree--yes. It makes clear one point which was hithertoa mystery."
"And also makes plain that poor Mrs. Courtenay met with foul play?" Isuggested.
"Ah! For the moment, t
his latest development of the affair is quitebeyond the question. We must hark back to that night at Richmond Road.I must go at once to London," he added, glancing at his watch. "Willyou come with me?"
"Most willingly. Perhaps I can help you."
"Perhaps; we will see."
So we turned and retraced our steps to the house of mourning, where,having pleaded urgent consultations with patients, I took leave ofEthelwynn. We were alone, and I bent and kissed her lips in order toshow her that my love and confidence had not one whit abated. Hercountenance brightened, and with sudden joy she flung her arms aroundmy neck and returned my caress, pleading--"Ralph! You willforgive--you will forgive me, won't you?"
"I love you, dearest!" was all that I could reply; and it was thehonest truth, direct from a heart overburdened by mystery andsuspicion.
Then with a last kiss I turned and left her, driving with AmblerJevons to catch the London train.
The Seven Secrets Page 26
