It was such an apt description of Miss Wills’ appearance that Mr. Satterthwaite laughed. Mr. Babbington was peering across the room with amiable shortsighted eyes. He took a sip of his cocktail and choked a little. He was unused to cocktails, thought Mr. Satterthwaite amusedly – probably they represented modernity to his mind – but he didn’t like them. Mr. Babbington took another determined mouthful with a slightly wry face and said:
“Is it the lady over there? Oh dear – ”
His hand went to his throat.
Egg Lytton Gore’s voice rang out:
“Oliver – you slippery Shylock – ”
“Of course,” thought Mr. Satterthwaite, “that’s it – not foreign – Jew!”
What a handsome pair they made. Both so young and good-looking… and quarrelling, too – always a healthy sign…
He was distracted by a sound at his side. Mr. Babbington had risen to his feet and was swaying to and fro. His face was convulsed.
It was Egg’s clear voice that drew the attention of the room, though Lady Mary had risen and stretched out an anxious hand.
“Look,” said Egg’s voice. “Mr. Babbington is ill.”
Sir Bartholomew Strange came forward hurriedly, supporting the stricken man and half lifting him to a couch at one side of the room. The others crowded round, anxious to help, but impotent…
Two minutes later Strange straightened himself and shook his head. He spoke bluntly, aware that it was no use to beat about the bush.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “He’s dead… ”
3
“Come in here a minute, Satterthwaite, will you?”
Sir Charles poked his head out of the door.
An hour and a half had passed. To confusion had succeeded peace. Lady Mary had led the weeping Mrs. Babbington out of the room and had finally gone home with her to the vicarage. Miss Milray had been efficient with the telephone. The local doctor had arrived and taken charge. A simplified dinner had been served, and by mutual consent the house party had retired to their rooms after it. Mr. Satterthwaite had been making his own retreat when Sir Charles had called to him from the door of the Ship-room where the death had taken place.
Mr. Satterthwaite passed in, repressing a slight shiver as he did so. He was old enough not to like the sight of death… For soon, perhaps, he himself… But why think of that?
“I’m good for another twenty years,” said Mr. Satterthwaite robustly to himself.
The only other occupant of the Ship-room was Bartholomew Strange. He nodded approval at the sight of Mr. Satterthwaite.
“Good man,” he said. “We can do with Satterthwaite. He knows life.”
A little surprised, Mr. Satterthwaite sat down in an armchair near the doctor. Sir Charles was pacing up and down. He had forgotten the semi-clenching of his hands and looked definitely less naval.
“Charles doesn’t like it,” said Sir Bartholomew. “Poor old Babbington’s death, I mean.”
Mr. Satterthwaite thought the sentiment ill expressed. Surely nobody could be expected to “like” what had occurred. He realised that Strange had quite another meaning from the bald one the words conveyed.
“It was very distressing,” said Mr. Satterthwaite, cautiously feeling his way. “Very distressing indeed,” he added with a reminiscent shiver.
“H’m, yes, it was rather painful,” said the physician, the professional accent creeping for a moment into his voice.
Cartwright paused in his pacing.
“Ever see anyone die quite like that before, Tollie?”
“No,” said Sir Bartholomew thoughtfully. “I can’t say that I have.”
“But,” he added in a moment or two. “I haven’t really seen as many deaths as you might suppose. A nerve specialist doesn’t kill off many of his patients. He keeps ’em alive and makes his income out of them. MacDougal has seen far more deceases than I have, I don’t doubt.”
Dr. MacDougal was the principal doctor in Loomouth, whom Miss Milray had summoned.
“MacDougal didn’t see this man die. He was dead when he arrived. There was only what we could tell him, what you could tell him. He said it was some kind of seizure,” said Babbington was elderly, and his health was none too good. That doesn’t satisfy me.”
“Probably didn’t satisfy him,” grunted the other. “ But a doctor has to say something. Seizure is a good word – means nothing at all, but satisfies the lay mind. And, after all, Babbington was elderly, and his health had been giving him trouble lately; his wife told us so. There may have been some unsuspected weakness somewhere.”
“Was that a typical fit or seizure, or whatever you call it?”
“Typical of what?”
“Of any known disease?”
“If you’d ever studied medicine,” said Sir Bartholomew, “you’d know that there is hardly any such thing as a typical case.”
“What, precisely, are you suggesting, Sir Charles?” asked Mr. Satterthwaite.
Cartwright did not answer. He made a vague gesture with his hand. Strange gave a slight chuckle.
“Charles doesn’t know himself,” he said. “It’s just this mind turning naturally to the dramatic possibilities.”
Sir Charles made a reproachful gesture. His face was absorbed – thoughtful. He shook his head slightly in an abstracted manner.
An elusive resemblance teased Mr. Satterthwaite – then he got it. Aristide Duval, the head of the Secret Service, unravelling the tangled plot of Underground Wires. In another minute he was sure. Sir Charles was limping unconsciously as he walked. Aristide Duval had been known as The Man With a Limp.
Sir Bartholomew continued to apply ruthless common sense to Sir Charles’s unformulated suspicious.
“Yes, what do you suspect, Charles? Suicide? Murder? Who wants to murder a harmless old clergyman? It’s fantastic. Suicide? Well, I suppose that is a point. One might perhaps imagine reason for Babbington wanting to make away with himself – ”
“What reason?”
Sir Bartholomew shook his head gently.
“How can we tell the secrets of the human mind? Just one suggestion – suppose that Babbington had been told he suffered from an incurable disease – such as cancer. Something of that kind might supply a motive. He might wish to spare his wife the pain of watching his own long-drawn-out suffering. That’s only a suggestion, of course. There’s nothing on earth to make us think that Babbington did want to put an end to himself.”
“I wasn’t thinking so much of suicide,” began Sir Charles.
Bartholomew Strange again gave his low chuckle.
“Exactly. You’re not out for probability. You want sensation – new and untraceable poison in the cocktails.”
Sir Charles made an expressive grimace.
“I’m not so sure I do want that. Damn it all, Tollie, remember I mixed those cocktails.”
“Sudden attack of homicidal mania, eh? I suppose the symptoms are delayed in our case, but we’ll all be dead before morning.”
“Damn it all, you joke, but – ” Sir Charles broke off irritably.
“I’m not really joking,” said the physician.
His voice had altered. It was grave, and not unsympathetic.
“I’m not joking about poor old Babbington’s death. I’m casting fun at your suggestions, Charles, because – well – because I don’t want you, thoughtlessly, to do harm.”
“Harm?” demanded Sir Charles.
“Perhaps you understand what I’m driving at, Mr. Satterthwaite?”
“I think, perhaps, I can guess,” said Mr. Satterthwaite.
“Don’t you see, Charles,” went on Sir Bartholomew, “that those idle suspicions of yours might be definitely harmful? These things get about. A vague suggestion of foul play, totally unfounded, might cause serious trouble and pain to Mrs. Babbington. I’ve known things of that kind happen once or twice. A sudden death – a few idle tongues wagging – rumours flying all round the place – rumours that go on growing – and that no one can stop. Damn it all, Charles, don’t you see how cruel and unnecessary it would be? You’re merely indulging your vivid imagination in a gallop over a wholly speculative course.”