The Red House Mystery

them. In front of them and to the right the park dipped and then rose slowly, shutting ou

before?" said

r. Dozens

now. Or do you stay indoors an

Lord

l the poor devils passing by on the dusty road think how lucky the owners are to have them, and im

, as if a li

een along here, of course, because

; now tell me some

ort of

Cut out the Manners for Men, and tell me what you think of Mark, and how you like staying with him, and how

ed at him

being the comp

new profession,"

there's a man dead in the house, and one's host-" He broke off a little uncertainly, and

Antony. "Ca

I think

es

h had never formed themselves very definitely in his own mind.

u needn't bother about a split infinitive or two. Talk about anything you like, how you like. We

urse, that w

she was there

s ribs. "It's a little difficult to say," he we

es

e. One's room-the food-drinks-cigars-the way everything's arra

es

dea: "They look after you awfully well. Well, that's just what it is ab

g things

sport that's ever been invented, and, as I say, one gets awfully well done; but with it all, Tony, there

o you

d herself to take me on level. I'm rather erratic, you know. Mark saw us going out with our rackets and asked us what we were going to do. Well, he'd got up a little tournament for us after tea-handicaps all arranged by him, and everything ruled out neatly in red and black ink-prizes and all-quite

't quite

a little, I suppose he felt. So we didn't play." He laughed, and adde

ouldn't have been

don't know. Not for

ly, B

orris, did you see her? She's done for herself. I don't m

hy

ghed to

were. There's supposed to be a ghost attached t

ev

hink he wanted all of us to believe in her, and yet he was annoyed with Betty and Mrs. Calladine for believing in ghosts at all. Rum chap. Well, anyhow, Miss Norr

out the

be a silly ass. Knowing Mark. Mrs. Calladine wasn't there-Betty wouldn't

d the gho

unt, you know. We were all down there in the moonlight,

N

it to you a

... Was Mark very

for a whole day. Well

gry with a

sulky,

morn

t's really it, Tony; he's like a child in some ways. As a matter of fa

terd

id we'd never seen

enerally

well, like I've been telling you and self-important; but quite amusing in his way, and-" Bill b

Think of him as a suspected murder

at's all ro

he fact

's a funny thing to say, but well, he's not big enough for it. He

body in a childis

Mark. "All the same," he said, "I can't believ

, as Cayley says, would he

idered fo

He nearly ran away when he saw the ghos

it's a question of obeying your

pped behind, and further conversation was postponed until they were outside the boundary fence and in the high road. The road s

as they stepped out more q

mean, what

hanks to you, Bill. You were wonderful. Now let

rassment, and protested that

avy, quiet people, who might be thinking about anything. Ma

ike that type

ere's one here who does. Rather a pretty girl at

s Jall

a widow called Norbury. Mark and Cayley used to go there a good deal together. Miss Norbury-the girl-has been here once

ort of

ing her if she's been to any theatres lat

ept him

ng something for him. He was quite lost and helpless without

fond o

f course his vanity, his self-importance, his amateurishness and all the

s he on with the guests-you an

to himself. We didn't see so very much of him, except at m

ere when the

house. I expect Cayley stroked down his feathers a bit, and

able later on to remain at the Red House. For he was taking himself seriously as a detective; indeed, he took himself seriously (while getting all the fun out of it which was possible) at every new profession he adopted; and he felt that there might come a time-after the inquest-say when he could not decently remain at the Red House as a guest, a friend of Bill's, enjoying the hospitality of Mark or Cayley, whichever was to be regarded as his host, without forfeiting his independent

er people to know he knew. Antony was one of the "other people"; if, therefore, he was for trying to find out what it was that C

locked office and that this did not fit in with what he had told the Inspector. But it did fit in with the theory that he had been an accessory after the event, and that he wanted (while appearing to be in

all these matters from within The Red House. The car was at the door. He got in with Bil