In her reply Miss Silver had got no farther than, My dear Gladys, I really cannot say how much your letter shocks me-when, interrupted by Frederick with his version of Inspector Abbott’s message, she laid down her pen with a sigh of relief, closed the blotter, and proceeded at once to the study.
Frank Abbott was alone. Coming forward to meet her, he inquired immediately,
‘Where is the magnifying-glass? I suppose you have it?’
Her glance reproved him. Her sedate ‘Good-morning, Frank’ was a reminder that the formalities had not been observed.
When he had responded and replied to a solicitous hope that he had slept well, she answered his question by diving into her knitting-bag and handing him the magnifying-glass.
‘I thought it best to take charge of it. In the circumstances it seemed inadvisable to leave it lying about.’
‘Oh, quite.’
He took it to the window, turning it this way and that until the initials came into view. Then he came back and set it down upon the writing-table.
‘Z.R. it is. And scratched on by his own amateur hand, I should say. Throws a sinister light upon Collectors’ morality. You wouldn’t think this sort of thing would be in any danger of being pinched, would you? But the Professor thinks it’s safer to put his initials on it. By the way, I was right about the minor prophets-Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah. Malachi. Professor Richardson is Zechariah. And so what?’
She seated herself and took out her knitting. Little Josephine’s second vest was well on its way. It was in a very thoughtful manner that she said,
‘It would be easy to attribute too much importance to the fact that the Professor’s magnifying-glass has been found in this room. I think you said that it had rolled under the table. I suppose you mean the writing-table?’
‘Yes.’
‘It may have been mislaid on some occasion previous to the murder.’
He shook his head.
‘I’m afraid not. The room was thoroughly turned out the day before Whitall and his party came down here. And Richardson wasn’t any where near the place until he came to dinner on the night of the murder.’
‘Did he not come into the study before dinner?’
‘I don’t know-it hasn’t been mentioned. But we can easily find out.’ He went over to the bell and pressed it. ‘There are one or two other points I’d like to take up with the butler.’
It was Marsham’s habit to answer the study bell. He answered it now.
‘Come in and shut the door. There are just one or two points where I think you can help me. The dinner-party on the night of Sir Herbert’s death-can you tell me in what order the guests arrived?’
‘Certainly, sir. Mr. Haile came early, just before half past seven. He had an appointment with Sir Herbert and he was shown in here. Mr. and Mrs. Considine came next, and then Professor Richardson. They were all asked for a quarter to eight.’
‘And did the Professor come out here?’
‘Oh, no sir. Sir Herbert and Mr. Haile were having their talk. The Professor went into the drawing-room.’
‘Then Sir Herbert was not in the drawing-room when his guests arrived?’
‘No, sir-he was in the study. It was gone eight o’clock before Sir Herbert and Mr. Haile came through.’
‘I see. And when the guests were going away, Mr. and Mrs. Considine went first, didn’t they?’
‘Yes, sir-at half past ten. They gave Miss Whitaker a lift as far as the bus.’
‘Ah, yes-Miss Whitaker. That was arranged beforehand?’
‘No, sir. Miss Whitaker came up to Sir Herbert in the hall. She said she had had a message to say her sister was ill, and she asked Mrs. Considine if she would give her a lift to catch the bus.’
Abbott’s eyebrows rose.
‘You mean that was the first Sir Herbert heard about it?’
‘It would seem so. He didn’t seem very pleased about it. He said suppose he was to say no, and Miss Whitaker said that she would go all the same.’
Inspector Abbott made a mental note to the effect that Miss Whitaker did not appear to be popular with the staff. He said,
‘Oh, he said that. Just how did he say it-angrily?’
Marsham hesitated.
‘It is not very easy to say. Sir Herbert wasn’t one to get heated, sir.’
‘And Miss Whitaker, when she said she would go all the same-how did she sound? Was it said lightly?’
‘Oh, no, sir.’
‘She was angry?’
‘I certainly thought so.’
‘There was no more said?’
‘No, sir.’
‘And she went with Mr. and Mrs. Considine?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Was Professor Richardson in the hall all this time?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘He didn’t go into the study-you’re sure about that?’
‘Quite sure.’
‘How long afterwards did he leave?’
‘As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Considine had driven off.’
‘Then you are quite sure that he wasn’t out here in this room at any time during the evening?’
Question and answer had followed one another rapidly. Marsham had hesitated only once and then very briefly. Now there was a pause. He did not hesitate. He remained silent. Miss Silver’s steady attention became a little more marked. Her fingers were busy, her eyes on Marsham’s face. It remained expressionless.
Frank said sharply.
‘That is what you said, you know.’
‘I beg pardon, sir-you asked whether Professor Richardson came out here before dinner or when the party was breaking up, and I said that he did not. Now you ask whether he was out here at any time during the evening.’
‘Well-was he?’
‘I don’t know, sir.’
‘And just what do you mean by that?’
‘It’s not very easy to say, sir-not in just a few words.’
Frank Abbott, sitting sideways to the writing-table in a negligent attitude, allowed his cool blue eyes to scan the impassive face.
‘Take as many words as you like,’ he said.
Marsham took them.
‘You’ll be aware, sir, that I made a statement to Inspector Newbury. I was asked a good many of the questions that you have asked me, and I answered them to the best of my ability. I was asked when I last saw Sir Herbert alive. I replied that it was just after Lady Dryden, Miss Lila, and Mr. Grey had gone upstairs.’
Abbott nodded.
‘I have the statement here.’
He picked up a paper from the table, turned a page, and read:
‘Sir Herbert came out of the drawing-room and went towards the study. I set the drawing-room to rights and went out to my pantry. At eleven o’clock I made the round of the downstairs rooms to make sure that all the fastenings were secure. When I came to the study I did not go in, because I heard voices. It was Sir Herbert’s habit to sit up late. I thought Mr. Haile might be with him-’
‘Why did you think it might be Mr. Haile?’
‘He was spending the night. I had seen Mr. Grey go upstairs, but not Mr. Haile. I thought he might be continuing his talk with Sir Herbert.’
‘You did not identify his voice?’
‘No, sir.’
‘You know that Mr. Haile says he did go to the study for a drink, but that he only stayed a few minutes and was up in his room before eleven o’clock?’
‘No, sir, I didn’t know that.’