the darrow enigma-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


contact　with　the　skin；　causes　immediate　death。　　If　a　drop　be　placed
upon　the　end　of　a　glass　rod　and　brought　toward　the　nose　of　a　live
rabbit　he　will　be　dead　before　it　reaches　him。〃

A　profound　silence　…　the　death…like　quiet　which　accompanies　an　almost
breaking　tension　…　reigned　in　the　court…room　as　Maitland　turned　again
to　Latour。

Q。　I　understand　you　to　say　you　used　anhydrous　hydrocyanic　or
cyanhydric　acid。

A。　Yes；　sir。

Q。　Do　you　sufficiently　understand　chemistry　to　use　these　terms　with
accuracy？　　Might　you　not　have　used　potassium　cyanide　or　prussiate
of　potash？

A。　I　am　a　tolerably　good　chemist；　and　have　spoken　understandingly。
Potassium　cyanide；　KCN；　is　a　white；　crystalline　compound；　and　could
hardly　be　used　in　a　hypodermic　syringe　save　in　solution；　in　which
condition　it　would　not　have　been　sufficiently　poisonous　to　have
served　my　purpose。

At　this　reply　many　of　the　audience　exchanged　approving　glances。
They　believed　M。　Latour　had　shown　himself　quite　a　match　for　Maitland
in　not　falling　easily　into　what　they　regarded　as　a　neat　little　trap
which　had　been　set　to　prove　his　lack　of　chemical　knowledge。　　They
attributed　Maitland's　failure　to　further　interrogate　Latour　upon
his　understanding　of　chemistry　as　evidence　that　he　had　met　an　equal。
To　be　sure；　they　were　not　quite　clear　in　their　own　minds　why　Latour's
counsel　should　be　at　such　pains　to　carefully　examine　a　man　who　had
already　confessed；　but　they　believed　they　knew　when　a　lawyer　had　met
his　match；　and　felt　sure　that　this　was　one　such　instance。　　Clinton
Browne；　who　sat　in　one　of　the　front　seats；　seemed　to　find　a　deal
more　to　amuse　him　in　this　incident　than　was　apparent　to　me。　　Some
men　have　such=20a　wonderful　sense　of　humour！

Maitland　continued：

Q。　When　Mr。　Darrow　was　murdered　he　sat　in　the　centre　of　his　parlour；
surrounded　by　his　daughter　and　invited　guests。　　Will　you　tell　the
Court　how　you　entered　and　left　this　room　without　detection？

Again　the　witness　hesitated　and　looked　irresolutely；　almost
tremblingly；　about　him；　but　seemed　finally　to　steady　himself；　as　it
were；　upon　Godin's　glance。　　It's　a　strange　thing　how　the　directness
and　intense　earnestness　of　a　strong　man　will　pull　the　vacillation
of　a　weak　one　into　line　with　it；　even　as　great　ships　draw　lesser
ones　into　their　wakes。　　The　excited　audience　hung　breathlessly　upon
Latour's　utterance。　　At　last　they　were　to　know　how　this　miracle　of
crime　had　been　performed。　　Every　auditor　leaned　forward　in　his　seat；
and　those　who　were　a　trifle　dull　of　hearing　placed　their　hands　to
their　ears；　fearful　lest　some　syllable　of　the　riddle's　solution
should　escape　them。　　　M。　Latour　remained　dumb。　　The　Judge　regarded
him　sternly　and　said：

〃Answer　the　question。　　How　did　you　enter　the　Darrow　parlour？〃

A。　I　…　I　did　…　I　did　not　enter　it。

Again　a　half…suppressed　exclamation　of　surprise　traversed　the　room。

Q。　If　you　did　not　enter　the　room　how　did　you　plunge　the　hypodermic
syringe　into　your　victim's　neck？

It　seemed　for　a　moment　as　if　the　witness　would　utterly　collapse；
but　he　pulled　himself　together；　as　with　a　mighty　effort；　and　fairly
took　our　breath　away　with　his　astounding　answer：

A。　I　…　I　did　not　strike　Mr。　Darrow　with　the　syringe。

The　audience　literally　gasped　in　open…mouthed　amazement；　while　the
Court　turned　fiercely　upon　Latour　and　said：

〃What　do　you　mean　by　first　telling　us　you　killed　Mr。　Darrow　by
injecting　poison　into　his　circulation　from　a　specially　prepared
hypodermic　syringe；　and　then　telling　us　that　you　did　not　strike　him
with　this　syringe。　　What　do　you　mean；　sir？　　Answer　me！〃

A　sudden　change　came　over　M。　Latour。　　All　his　timidity　seemed　to
vanish　in　a　moment；　as　he　drew　himself　up　to　his　full　height　and
faced　the　Judge。　　It　seemed　to　me　as　if　till　now　he　had　cherished
a　hope　that　he　might　not　be　forced　to　give　the　details　of　his　awful
crime；　but　that　he　had　at　last　concluded　he　would　be　obliged　to
disclose　all　the　particulars；　and　had　decided　to　manfully　face　the
issue。

Every　eye　was　fixed　upon　him；　and　every　ear　strained　to　its　utmost
as　he　turned　slowly　toward　the　Judge　and　said　with　a　calm　dignity
which　surprised
us　all：

A。　Your　Honour　is　in　error。　　I　said　that　I　made　use　of　a　specially
constructed　hypodermic　syringe。　　I　have　not　said　that　I　struck　Mr。
Darrow　with　it。　　There　is；　therefore；　nothing　contradictory　in　my
statements。

Again　the　prisoner　had　scored；　and　again　the　audience　exchanged
approving　glances　which　plainly　said：　〃He's　clever　enough　for　them
all！〃

Then　the　Court　continued　the　examination。

Q。　Were　you　upon　the　Darrow　estate　when　Mr。　Darrow　met　his　death？

A。　Yes；　your　Honour。

Q。　Where？

A。　Just　outside　the　eastern　parlour…window；　your　Honour。

Q。　Did　you　strike　the　blow　which　caused　Mr。　Darrow's　death？

A。　No；　your　Honour。　=20

Q。　What！　　Have　you　not　said　you　are　responsible　for　his　murder？

A。　Yes；　your　Honour。

Q。　Ah；　I　see！　　You　had　some　other　person　for　an　accomplice？

A。　No；　your　Honour。

Q。　Look　here；　sir！　　Do　you　propose　to　tell　us　anything　of　your
own　accord；　or　must　we　drag　it　out　of　you　piecemeal？

A。　No　power　can　make　me　speak　if　I　do　not　elect　to；　and　I　only　elect
to　answer　questions。　　　Commission　for　contempt　will　hardly　discipline
a　man　in　my　position；　and　may　lead　me　to　hold　my　peace　entirely。

The　Court　turned　away　with　an　expression　of　disgust　and　engaged
Jenkins　and　Maitland　in　a　whispered　conversation。　　The　prisoner　had
again　scored。　　There　is　enough　of　the　bully　in　many　judges　to　cause
the　public　to　secretly　rejoice　when　they　are　worsted。　　It　was　plain
to　be　seen　that　the　audience　was　pleased　with　Latour's　defiance。

Maitland　now　resumed　the　examination　with　his　accustomed　ease。　　One
would　have　thought　he　was　addressing　a　church　sociable；　…　if　he
judged　by　his　manner。

Q。　You　have　testified　to　being　responsible　for　the　death　of　John
Darrow。　　The　instrument　with　which　he　was　killed　was　directly　or
indirectly　your　handiwork；　yet　you　did　not　strike　the　blow；　and　you
have　said　you　had　no　other　person　for　an　accomplice。　　Am　I
substantially　correct　in　all　this？

A。　You　are　quite　correct。

Q。　Very　good。　　Did　John　Darrow's　death　result　from　a　poisoned　wound
made　by　the　instrument　you　have　described？

A。　It　did。

This　reply　seemed　to　nonplus　us　all　with　the　exception　of　Maitland
and　Godin。　　These　two　seemed　proof　against　all　surprises。　　The　rest
of　us　looked　helplessly　each　at　his　neighbour　as　if　to　say；　〃What
next？〃　and　we　all　felt；　…　at　least　I　did　and　the　others　certainly
looked　it；　…　as　if　the　solution　of　the　enigma　were　farther　away
than　ever。

Maitland　proceeded　in　the　same　methodical　strain。

Q。　A　blow　was　given；　yet　neither　you　nor　any　person　acting　as　your
accomplice　gave　it。　　Did　Mr。　Darrow　himself　give　the　blow？

A。　No；　sir。

Q。　I　thought　not。　　Did　any　person　give　it？

A。　No；　sir。

The　audience　drew　a　deep　inspiration；　as　if　with　one　accord！　　They
had　ceased　to　reason。　　Again　and　again　had　we　been　brought；　as　we
all　felt　sure；　within　a　single　syllable　of　the　truth；　only　to　find
ourselves　at　the　next　word　more　mystified　than　ever。　　It　would
hardly　have　surprised　us　more　if　the　prisoner　had　informed　us　that
Mr。　Darrow　still　lived。　　The　excitement　was　so　intense　that　thought
was　impossible；　so　we　could　only　listen　with　bated　breath　for　someone
else　to　solve　the　thing　for　our　beleaguered　and　discouraged　minds。
After　a　word　with　his　colleague；　Maitland　resumed。

Q。　A　blow　was　given；　yet　no　person　gave　it。　　Was　it　given　by　anything
which　is　alive？

A。　It　was　not。

You　could　have　heard　a　pin　drop；　so　silent　was　the　room　during　the
pause　which　preceded　Maitland's　next　question。

Q。　Did　you　arrange　some　inanimate　object　or　objects　outside　the
eastern　window；　or　elsewhere；　on　the　Darrow　estate　so　that　it　or
they　might　wound　Mr。　Darrow？

A。　No；　…　no　inanimate　object　other　than　the　hypodermic　syringe
already　referred　to。

Q。　　To　my　question：　〃A　blow　was　given；　yet　no　person　gave　it。　　Was
it　given　by　anything　which　is　alive？〃　you　have　answered：　〃It　was
not。〃　　Let　me　now　ask：　Was　it　given　by　anything　which　was　at　that
time　alive？

A。　It　was。

There　was　a　stir　all　over　the　court…room。　　Here　at　last　was　a
suggestive　admission。　　The　examination　was　approaching　a　crisis！

Q。　　And　you　have　said　it　was　not　a　person。　　Was　it　not　an　animal？

A。　It　was。

〃An　animal！〃　we　all　ejaculated　with　the　unanimity　of　a　Greek　chorus。
So　audible　were　the　exclamations　of　incredulity　which　arose　from　the
spellbound　audience　that　the　crier's　gavel　had　to　be　brought　into
requisition　before　Maitland　could　proceed。

Q。　Did　you　train　a　little　Capucin　monkey　to　strike　this　blow？

A。　I　did。

A　great　sigh；　the　result　of　suddenly　relieved　tension；　liberally
interlarded　with　unconscious　exclamations；　swept　over　the　court…room
and　would　not　be　gavelled　into　silence　until　it　had　duly　spent　itself。

Even　the　Judge　so　far　forgot　his　dignity　as　to　give　vent　to　a
half…stifled　exclamation。

Maitland　proceeded：

Q。　In　order　that　this　monkey　might　not　attack　the　wrong　man　after　you
had　armed　him；　you　taught　him　to　obey　certain　signals　given　by　little
twitches　upon　the　cord　by　which　you　held　him。　　　A　certain　signal　was
to　creep　stealthily　forward；　another　to　strike；　and　still　another　to
crawl　quickly　back　with　the　weapon。　　When　circumstances　seemed　most
favourable　to　the　success　of　your　designs；　…　that　is；　when　Miss
Darrow's　voice　and　the　piano　prevented　any　slight　sound　from
attracting　attention；　…　you　gently　dropped　the　monkey　in　at　the
window　and　signalled　him　what　to　do。　　When　Mr。　Darrow　sprang　to　his
feet　you　recalled　the　monkey　and　hastened　away。　　Is　not　this　a　fairly
correct　description　of　what　occurred？

A。　It　is　true　to　the　letter。

Q。　And　subsequently　you　killed　the　monkey　lest　he　should　betray　you
by　exhibiting　his　little　tricks；　at　an　inopportune　moment　in　a　way
to　compromise　you。　　Is　it　not　so？

A。　It　is。　　I　killed　him；　though　he　was　my　daughter's　pet。

We　were　stricken　aghast　at　Maitland's　sudden　grasp　of　the　case。
Even　Godin　was　surprised。　　What　could　it　all　mean？　　Had　Maitland
known　the　facts　all　along？　　Had　he　simply　been　playing　with　the
witness　for　reasons　which　we　could　not　divine？