登陆注册
5227000000108

第108章 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH. BACKWARD.(2)

"No! no! Go on! The gentleman, uncle? The gentleman who was with Anne? Who is he? Not Mr. Delamayn?"

"Not Mr. Delamayn," said Sir Patrick. "If I have proved nothing else, I have proved that."

"What need was there to prove it? Mr. Delamayn went to London on the day of the lawn-party. And Arnold--"

"And Arnold went with him as far as the second station from this.

Quite true! But how was I to know what Mr. Delamayn might have done after Arnold had left him? I could only make sure that he had not gone back privately to the inn, by getting the proof from Mrs. Inchbare."

"How did you get it?"

"I asked her to describe the gentleman who was with Miss Silvester. Mrs. Inchbare's description (vague as you will presently find it to be) completely exonerates that man," said Sir Patrick, pointing to Geoffrey still asleep in his chair.

"_He_ is not the person who passed Miss Silvester off as his wife at Craig Fernie. He spoke the truth when he described the case to me as the case of a friend."

"But who is the friend?" persisted Blanche. "That's what I want to know."

"That's what I want to know, too."

"Tell me exactly, uncle, what Mrs. Inchbare said. I have lived with Anne all my life. I _must_ have seen the man somewhere."

"If you can identify him by Mrs. Inchbare's description," returned Sir Patrick, "you will be a great deal cleverer than I am. Here is the picture of the man, as painted by the landlady:

Young; middle-sized; dark hair, eyes, and complexion; nice temper, pleasant way of speaking. Leave out 'young,' and the rest is the exact contrary of Mr. Delamayn. So far, Mrs. Inchbare guides us plainly enough. But how are we to apply her description to the right person? There must be, at the lowest computation, five hundred thousand men in England who are young, middle-sized, dark, nice-tempered, and pleasant spoken. One of the footmen here answers that description in every particular."

"And Arnold answers it," said Blanche--as a still stronger instance of the provoking vagueness of the description.

"And Arnold answers it," repeated Sir Patrick, quite agreeing with her.

They had barely said those words when Arnold himself appeared, approaching Sir Patrick with a pack of cards in his hand.

There--at the very moment when they had both guessed the truth, without feeling the slightest suspicion of it in their own minds--there stood Discovery, presenting itself unconsciously to eyes incapable of seeing it, in the person of the man who had passed Anne Silvester off as his wife at the Craig Fernie inn!

The terrible caprice of Chance, the merciless irony of Circumstance, could go no further than this. The three had their feet on the brink of the precipice at that moment. And two of them were smiling at an odd coincidence; and one of them was shuffling a pack of cards!

"We have done with the Antiquities at last!" said Arnold; "and we are going to play at Whist. Sir Patrick, will you choose a card?"

"Too soon after dinner, my good fellow, for _me_. Play the first rubber, and then give me another chance. By-the-way," he added "Miss Silvester has been traced to Kirkandrew. How is it that you never saw her go by?"

"She can't have gone my way, Sir Patrick, or I must have seen her."

Having justified himself in those terms, he was recalled to the other end of the room by the whist-party, impatient for the cards which he had in his hand.

"What were we talking of when he interrupted us?" said Sir Patrick to Blanche.

"Of the man, uncle, who was with Miss Silvester at the inn."

"It's useless to pursue that inquiry, my dear, with nothing better than Mrs. Inchbare's description to help us."

Blanche looked round at the sleeping Geoffrey.

"And _he_ knows!" she said. "It's maddening, uncle, to look at the brute snoring in his chair!"

同类推荐
  • The Book of Snobs

    The Book of Snobs

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 乙酉扬州城守纪略

    乙酉扬州城守纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大慧度经宗要

    大慧度经宗要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太极拳小序

    太极拳小序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 解脫紀行錄

    解脫紀行錄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 崩坏一人之霜

    崩坏一人之霜

    群号709150679“为什么重启系统要口令啊?”“口令错误。”“好吧”“口令错误”“...........”“崩崩?”“口令错误。”“崩崩崩?”“口令错误。”“............”“崩崩崩崩崩?”“口令正确,系统启动。”“..............”
  • 奥特之英雄

    奥特之英雄

    英雄,不是那么简单的。很多人都觉得我足够担当英雄这一称号,但我很清楚,不是这样的。(比赛迦非彼赛迦哦(?-ω-`)) 不怕寂寞的可以进一下:975311564奥特·英雄
  • 哈佛情商课(大全集)

    哈佛情商课(大全集)

    哈佛大学,是一座拥有三百多年历史的著名学府,是世界各国学子们梦想的殿堂,哈佛在人们心中已经成为成功的标志。数百年来,这所万人景仰的学府培养出各个领域的高情商名人,共出过8位美国总统、40名诺贝尔奖获得者和30名普利策奖获得者。哈佛大学之所以能在文学、思想、政治、科研、商业等方面都造就出灿若群星的杰出人才,得归功于它在培养和提高学生的情商方面有着一套独特有效的方法。
  • 掠爱:总裁的枕边冷妻

    掠爱:总裁的枕边冷妻

    当纪颜离开莫一阳的时候,莫一阳生不如死。他千方百计的占有她的身心,却将她越推越远。一天,纪颜的身边多了一个老公,莫一阳恼了。他不断掠夺她,终无奈叹息:纪颜,你会离开我吗?纪颜漠然一笑,:“我们原本就不过是一场交易,何必当真?”本文背景娱乐圈,有思想洁癖者,误入。
  • 糖是怎样恋成的

    糖是怎样恋成的

    糖是恋成的,爱也是恋成的。当青涩傻丫头遇上腹黑钻石男,狗血乌龙剧正式上演!
  • 我去末世渡了个劫

    我去末世渡了个劫

    【已完结】叶栗以为只是一场梦,结果梦醒后,身在丧尸横行的末日世界不说,还生了俩爹都不知道是谁的娃。末世太苦,没物资,没关系,反正她祖传是农民,她能自己种农作物!末世人心太坏,斗不过,没关系,反正娃他爹是超级大BOSS,找大BOSS当靠山,谁还敢欺负他们娘三!
  • 宅女罗猫猫的感情生活

    宅女罗猫猫的感情生活

    三流大学毕业的罗猫猫是个资深宅女,性格里有点伪文艺。因为过于“宅”找不到男朋友而被猫猫妈逐出家门,所幸在高中同学宅男陈远清的帮助下顺利找到了合租房,认识了新室友莉莉周。莉莉周是个有点骨感的“干物女”,与罗猫猫的宅相比,有过之而不及。在罗猫猫与她合租的日子里,猫猫渐渐发现原来莉莉周有那么多隐藏在心底里的隐痛,随着交往的深入,一些关于莉莉周的过往渐渐浮出水面……新书流年又名女模三十正式开坑,请大家继续支持。书号1510208,在起点搜书中输入即可。下面也有直通车可达。
  • 九零帝少花样宠

    九零帝少花样宠

    新书指路《异能觉醒后我轰动全球了》,女扮男装+异能+女强逆袭外科圣手顾安宁被丈夫和亲姐联合害死,重生家徒四壁的九十年代。上一世心瞎,眼瞎,这一世外挂金手指绝地反击,引领乡亲们发家致富,带领差生班冲刺,全部考入重点名校,商业界创佳绩,医学界创奇迹。面对养父母,哥哥,她掏心掏肺,把上一世的亏欠千倍百倍奉还。面对亲父母,姐弟的阳奉阴违,她见招拆招,撕下她们虚伪的狼皮。面对前夫呵呵哒!渣男不踩,天理难容。本以为无情无爱潇洒人生,却余生遇到他。薄奕:津城金字塔顶端的存在;顾安宁:垃圾堆里爬出来的伪凤凰。众人说:“薄奕若是看上顾安宁,不是顾安宁投胎再造,就是薄奕眼瞎。”殊不知,从他看到她第一眼,他就认定她,今生疼她入骨。
  • 魔王的极品女人

    魔王的极品女人

    ★白尔尔,身为女警,却被一老头拐卖到一个离奇的世界。一不小心拔出手枪,毙了一头怪,就被当做天山派的弟子。灵力值为零?是因为灵力太过旺盛?被看成一无是处的弟子,却是最危险的人物!师傅不喜欢她?不要紧,谁叫她能拿走祖师爷的拐杖!坑蒙拐骗虽然不是她的风范,但却是她白尔尔混社会的必要手段。◆◆◆◆◆片段一◆◆◆◆◆★花冥:有着冷漠高傲的姿态,天下,唯他独尊,嗜血成性、谜一般的男人,是众多男人的模范,无数女人的假想床伴。某女挂在他的身上,一个不小心吻上了他的唇。“吻你我不是故意的。”“我可以杀你。”不热不冷,却充满霸气。★阴谋诡计,江湖中看似风平浪静,实则暗藏杀机,那是一个怎样的目的,叫人欲罢不能?不黒腹却强大,她,白尔尔,小手一挥,正色道:我的人都敢动,不想‘HE’了!————亲爱们,收藏+礼物+投票,大大魔给大家一鞠躬!
  • 九月十日雨中过张伯

    九月十日雨中过张伯

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。