The Slave of Silence

e was unusually pale and thoughtful; it was evident that he felt himself on no ordinary errand, though the situation appeared to be perfectly prosaic. One does

lways had a love for the study of underground human nature, and that I should have found out so much that appears only normal to the average eye. That innocent patch of salt in the shape

been traversed before the cabman looked down through the little peep

ing out, sir," he said. "He's

house our man enters. After that I will tell you exactly w

a little further, and then sent his own driver away rejoicing, a sovereign the richer for

, with detached houses on the one side looking on to a kind of park. They were expensive houses, Berrington decided, houses that could not have been less than two hundred and fifty a year. They looked prosperous with their ma

cultivate the doctrine that has for its cult a piece of salt in the shape of a bullet, don't as a rule favour desirable family mansions like thes

Common, so that it was really a good way out of town. The policeman was friendly, mainly owing to the fact that he

sir," he said. "There is one colonel, too-Co

ton said. "I followed Colonel Foley in the command

se the liberty, sir, but you must be Colonel Berrington, s

good fortune. Here was th

all see a great deal more of you-by the way, what is your name? Macklin. Thank you. Now t

no men, no ladies so far as I can tell, and the master what you might call a confirmed invalid. Goes about in a bath chair which he hires from a regula

nd his eyebrows contracted. Evidently he w

everything about No. 100, Audley Place. Keep your eyes open and glean all the information you possibly can. Talk to the servants and try to pump th

g under the friendly shadow of the trees till he had left Audley Place behind hi

d health and enviable prospects as he drove along. His moody face was pale, his lips trembled, his eyes were red and bloodshot with the brandy that he had been drinking. The hand that control

"He sent me a messenger-a message to the Royal

ve the place the least touch of originality. The furniture was neat and substantial, as might have befitted the residence of a prosperous City man, the

sage leading to the back of the house into a room that gave on to a great conservatory. It was a fine room, most exquisitely furnished; flowers were everywhere, the big dome-roofed c

Richford, you are here. I was loath to send for you o

Carl Sartoris was as pale as marble and as drawn as parchment, the forehead was hard and tangled with a mass of fair hair upon it, the lips were a little suggestive of cruelty. I

are you upon now?

my own beloved flowers? It was my flowers that I asked you to come and see. Since you were here last, the room has be

"What a cruel, unfeeling fellow you are! Always the sa

"So, we will get to business as soon as possible. I see that Sir Charles Darryll

oo much pleasure. And that's all

vening paper says

u know, I was going to marry his daughter. But, of course, you all knew about that, too. You see if I had made my little discovery public, Beatrice would have known that death had freed her and

nvalid chair rolled abo

credit to your parents and the c

ng Beatrice away. Sir Charles did not turn up, but nobody wondered, as he had n

ttle man shook w

e you'll tell her some day when she is not quite so loving

rest of the story. The little man in the chair became quieter and quieter, his f

double-dyed fool! If that girl chooses to tell her story, suspicion falls on yo

n favour of it from the first, and the family doctor, Oswin, has agreed. The police ca

nk. That senseless act of folly of yours over the telegram bids fair to ruin us all

s was going to die? And if his death took place in a

dence. But there is one thing certain. Listen to me, Richford. Whatever happens between

the speaker's breath. He tried to get up from hi

rary where you have been before. I am going to show you something, and I'm going

ure emerged from behind a great bank of flowers just inside the conservatory. She crossed on tip-toe to the door