Trent's Last Case

colloquialism must be taken literally: he really was thinking about breakfast, as he thought about every conscious act of his life when time allowed deliberation. He reflected that on t

ecided to allow himself a third piece of toast and an additional egg; the rest as usual

r's eye he explored the beauty of the rugged coast, where a great pierced rock rose from a glassy sea, and the ordered loveliness of the vast ti

s, and orderly mind, with little imagination. His father's household had been used to recruit its domestic establishment by means of advertisements in which it was truthfully described as a serious family. From that fortress of gloom he had escaped with two saintly gifts somehow unspoiled: an inexhaustible kindness of heart, and a capacity for innocent gaiety which owed nothing to humour. In an earlier day and with a clerical training he might have risen to the scarlet hat. He was, in fact, a highly regarded m

r turned into the drive before the hotel. 'Who is this?' he enquired of the waiter. 'Id is

y built man, much younger than himself, stepped from the car and mounted the veranda, flinging his hat on a chair. His hig

p. 'My luck is serving me today,' the newcomer went on spasmodically. 'This is the second slice within an hour. How are you, my best of friends? An

les. 'You are looking splendid, my dear fellow. I will tell you all about it. Bu

r dry. Will you get young Siegfried to lay a place for me while I go and wash? I shan't be three minutes.' He dis

hoice of food. 'I expect this to be a hard day for me,' he said, with the curious jerky utterance which see

pples. 'You have come down

ger of blood, to hunt down the guilty, and vindicate the honour of society. That is my line of business. Families waited on at their private residences. I say, Cupples, I have

g me here. It is fame.' He drank a cup of tea and continued: 'Almost his first words were to ask me if I would like to see the body of the murdered man-if so, he thought he could manage it for me. He is as keen as a razor. The body lies in Dr Stock's surgery, you know, down in the village, exactly as it was when found. It's to be post-mortem'd this morning, by the way, so I was on

that the shot in the eye had scarcely disfigured the face at all, and caused scarcely any effusion of blood, apparently. The wrists w

rely odd. Take the wrists, for instance. How was it you could see bruises and scrat

,' Mr. Cup

ou ever see

am reminded that when I interviewed Manderson here he w

e, that there were no cuffs visible, and that they had, indeed, been dragged up inside the coat-sleeves, as

upples mildly. 'You might infer, perhaps, that

Manderson was always specially neat about his footwear. But those shoe-laces were tied in a hurry." I agreed. "And he left his false teeth in his room," said the manager. "Doesn't that prove he was flustered and hurried?" I allowed that it looked like it. But I said, "Look here: if he was so very much pressed, why

ggest that he was hurried only at the end of

at pockets was lined with wash-leather for the reception of his gold watch. But he had put his watch into the pocket on the other side. Anybody who has settled habits can see how odd that is. The fact is, there are signs of great agitation

which I can be of some assistance to you.' Trent glanced up in surprise. 'I told you

ife and fork with a clash. 'Cu

l the truth, it has always been a painful subject to me, and I have avoided discussing it with anybody. To return to what I was about to say: last night, when I was over at the house-by the way, you can

er told me all about it, among other thin

her afterwards. She is bearing up wonderfully well, Trent; she has remarkable fortitude of character. She said she remembered reading your articles about the Abinger case. She has a great horror of the newspaper side of this sad business, and she had entreated me to do anything I could to keep journalists away from the place-I'm sure you can understand her feeling, Trent; it isn't really any re

s by the hand in silence. Mr. Cupples, much deligh

he had rather not see you herself; she is keeping to her own sitting-room. She has already been interviewed by a detective officer who is there, and she feels unequal to any more. She adds that she

and seated himself on the rail of the veranda. 'Cupples,' he said quietly, 'is

turned an astonished gaze on the qu

er set eyes on him, though I understand they've been neighbours every summer for some years. Then you talk about the thing in the coldest of blood. And Mrs. Manderson-well, you won't mind my saying that I have heard of women being more cut up about their husbands being murdered than she seems to be. Is t

reason,' he said, 'why I shouldn't tell you as between ourselves, my dear fellow. I need not say that this must not be referred t

e other i

ot sacrifice in the pursuit of his schemes, in his task of imposing himself and his will upon the world. Perhaps that was fanciful, but I think not altogether so. However, the point is that Mabel, I am sorry to say, was very unhappy. I am nearly twice your age, my dear boy, though you always so kindly try to make me feel as if we were contemporaries-I am getting to be an old man, and a great many people have been g

asked Trent, as

at point was that he had no cause in the world for his attitude. I think she knew what was in his mind, whatever it was; but she is full of pride. This seems to have gone on for months. At last, a week ago, she wrote to me. I am the only near

me tea. Trent smoked and stared

im, apart from an all personal dislike, in the light of a criminal and a disgrace to society. I came to this hotel, and I saw my niece here. She told me what I have more briefly told you. She said that the worry and the humiliation of it, and the strain of trying to keep up appearances before the world, were telling upon her, and she asked for my advice. I said I thought she should face him and demand

y. Mr. Cupples did not reply at once. 'Had

woman, Trent. No power on earth would have persuaded her to admit that to any one-even to herself, perhaps-so long as she considere

at she refused to h

otel. I asked him to favour me with a few minutes' conversation, and he stepped inside the gate down there. We had held no communication of any kind since my niece's marriage, but he remembered me, of course. I put the matter to him at once and quite definitely.

y at the landscape. The picture of this mildest of men

ly quiet-you know he was said never to lose control of himself-though there was a light in his eyes that would have frightened a man who was in the wrong, I dare say. But I had been thoroughly roused by his last remark, and the tone of it, which I cannot reproduce. You see,' s

ed Trent in a low tone. 'You a

me, and I could see a vein on his forehead swelling-an unpleasant sight. Then he

interview?' Trent

upples's tone was mildly apologetic-'and said a number of foolish things. I reminded him that the law allowed a measure of freedom to wives who received intolerable treatment. I made some utterly irrelevant references to his public record, and expressed the view that such men as he were unfit to live. I said these things,

on? Did he s

as before. When I stopped he smiled very slightly, and at once t

is happ

Sunday m

you never saw

later in the day, on the golf-course. But I did no

up the steps and seated themselves, with much chattering, at a table near them. The waiter approache

u all this,' began Mr. Cupples

his pipe again. He lit it, smoked a little, and then sai

emnity relaxed into a sli

he Mandersons. You thought that my unwholesome imagination would begin at once to play with the idea of Mrs. Manderson having something to do with the crime. Rather than that I should lose myself in barre

making a desert of the life of one who was like my own child to me. But I am under an intolerable dread of Mabel being involved in suspicion with regard to the murder. It is horrible to me to think of her delicacy and goodness being in contact, if only for a time, with the brutalities of the

ing misses that used to surround me as a child. She has plenty of brains; she is full of character; her mind and her tastes are cultivated; but it is all mixed up'-Mr. Cupples waved his

aced the length of the lawn before he

,' said Mr. C

I suppose,' su

s a financial great power, and she had no idea-she had lived mostly among people of artistic or literary propensities-how much soulless inhumanity that might involve. For all I know, she has no adequate idea of it to this day. When I first heard of the affair the mischief was done, and I knew better than to interpose my unsought opinions. She was of age, and there was absolutely nothing against him from the conventional point of view. Then I dare say his immense weal

ain business. I mustn't waste my morning. I am going down the road to White Gables at once, and I dare say I shall be poking about ther

ourse, The Three Tuns. You had better join me there. It's further along the road, about a quarter of a mile beyond W

se, and oh, may Heaven our simple lives prevent from luxury's contagion, weak and vile! Till then,

nd his head and gazed up into the speckless blue sky. 'He is a dear fellow,' he murmur