There is little more to be said.I shall meet death as I have stated - I am sure of it - and no man will see the blow given.
Remember, as I loved that Indian maiden with a passion which death has not chilled, so I loathe my rival with a hatred infinite and all-consuming; for, somehow, I know that demon crushed out the life of my fragile lotus-flower.He will work his will upon me, but if his cunning enable him to escape the gallows, my soul, if there be a conscious hereafter, will never rest in peace.Remember this, my dear child, and your promise, that God may bless you even as Ibless you.
It was some time after Gwen had finished this interesting document before any of us spoke.The narrative, and the peculiar circumstances under which it had been read, deeply impressed us.
At length Maitland said in a subdued voice, as if he feared to break some spell:
"The Indian girl's letter; let us find that, and also the will."Gwen went to the drawer in which her father kept his private papers, and soon produced them both.Maitland glanced hastily at the letter, and said: "You have already heard its contents"; then turning to Gwen, he said: "I will keep it with your permission.Now for the will." It was handed to him, and his face fell as he read it.In a moment he turned to us, and said: "The interest on the insurance money is to go to Miss Darrow, the entire principal to be held in trust and paid to the person bringing the assassin to justice, unless said person shall wed Miss Darrow, in which case half of the fund shall go to the husband, and the other half to the wife in her own right.The balance of the estate, which, by the way, is considerable, despite the reports given to Osborne, is to go to Miss Darrow.This is all the will contains having any bearing upon the case in hand.
Let us proceed with the rest of the papers." We made a long and diligent search, but nothing of importance came to light.When we had finished Maitland said:
"Our friend Osborne would say the document we have just perused made strongly for his theory, and was simply another fabrication to blind the eyes of the insurance company.That's what comes of wedding one's self to a theory founded on imperfect data.""And what do you think?" Gwen inquired.
"That Rama Ragobah has small hands and feet," he replied."That his left foot has met with an injury, and is probably deformed; that most likely he is lame in the left leg; that he had the motive for which we have been looking; that he may or may not have the habit of biting his nails; that he is crafty, and that if he were to do murder it is almost certain his methods would be novel and surprising, as well as extremely difficult to fathom - in short, that suspicion points unmistakably to Rama Ragobah.That is easily said, but to bring the deed home to him is quite another thing.I shall analyse the poison of the wound and microscopically examine the nature of the abrasion this afternoon.To-night I take the midnight train for New York.
To-morrow I shall sail for Bombay, via London and the Continent.Iwill keep you informed of my address.While I am away I would ask that you close the house here, leaving everything just as it is now dismiss the servants, and take up your abode with the Doctor and his sister." He rose to go as he said this, and then continued, as he turned to me: "I shall depend upon you to look after Miss Darrow's immediate interests in my absence." I knew this meant that I was to guard her health, not permitting her to be much by herself, and I readily acquiesced.
The look of amazement which had at first overspread Gwen's face at the mention of this precipitate departure gave place to one of modest concern, as she said softly to Maitland: "Is it necessary that you should encounter the dangers of such a journey, to say nothing, of the time and inconvenience it will cost?" He looked down at her quickly, and then said reassuringly: "Do you know one is, by actual statistics, safer in an English railway carriage than when walking the crowded streets of London? I am daily subjecting myself to laboratory dangers which, I believe, are graver than any I am likely to meet between here and Bombay, or, for that matter, even at Bombay in the presence of our recent acquaintance Ragobah.""I deeply appreciate," she replied, "the generous sacrifice you would make in my interests - hut Bombay is such a long way - and ""If suspicion directed me to the North Pole," he interrupted, "Ishould start with equal alacrity," and he held out his hand to her to bid her farewell.She took it in a way that bespoke a world of gratitude, if nothing more.He retained the small hand, while he said: "Have you forgotten, my friend, your promise to your father?
Do you not see in what terrible relations it may place you? How important, then, that no effort should be spared to prevent you from becoming indebted to one unmanly enough to take advantage of your position.I shall use every means within my power to myself discover your father's murderer, and you may comfort yourself with the assurance that, if successful, I shall make no demand of any kind whatsoever upon your gratitude.I think you understand me."As he said this Gwen looked him full in the face.A little nervous tremor seized the corners of her mouth, and the tears sprang to her eyes."Good-bye" was all she could say before she was compelled to turn aside to conceal her emotion.
Maitland, observing her agitation, said to her tenderly: "Your gratitude for the little that I have already done is reward, more than ample, for all I shall ever be able to do.Good-bye," and he left the room.
Oh, man with your microscope! How is it that you find the smallest speck of dust, yet miss the mountain? Does the time seem too short?
It would not if you realised that events, not clocks, were the real measure thereof.
