wn,untilquarterpasteleven,whentheyrangthebellandsummonedtheservants.Whatweretheydoing,andwhydidtheynotinstantlygivethealarm?Thatisthequestionwhichfacesus,andwhenithasbeenansweredweshallsurelyhavegonesomewaytosolveourproblem.”
“Iamconvincedmyself,”saidI,“thatthereisanunderstandingbetweenthosetwopeople.Shemustbeaheartlesscreaturetositlaughingatsomejestwithinafewhoursofherhusband'smurder.”
“Exactly.Shedoesnotshineasawifeeveninherownaccountofwhatoccurred.Iamnotawhole-souledadmirerofwomankind,asyouareaware,Watson,butmyexperienceoflifehastaughtmethattherearefewwives,havinganyregardfortheirhusbands,whowouldletanyman'sspokenwordstandbetweenthemandthathusband'sdeadbody.ShouldIevermarry,Watson,Ishouldhopetoinspiremywifewithsomefeelingwhichwouldpreventherfrombeingwalkedoffbyahousekeeperwhenmycorpsewaslyingwithinafewyardsofher.Itwasbadlystage-managedforeventherawestinvestigatorsmustbestruckbytheabsenceoftheusualfeminineululation.Iftherehadbeennothingelse,thisincidentalonewouldhavesuggestedaprearrangedconspiracytomymind.”
“Youthinkthen,definitely,thatBarkerandMrs.Douglasareguiltyofthemurder?”
“Thereisanappallingdirectnessaboutyourquestions,Watson,”saidHolmes,shakinghispipeatme.“Theycomeatmelikebullets.IfyouputitthatMrs.DouglasandBarkerknowthetruthaboutthemurder,andareconspiringtoconcealit,thenIcangiveyouawhole-souledanswer.Iamsuretheydo.Butyourmoredeadlypropositionisnotsoclear.Letusforamomentconsiderthedifficultieswhichstandintheway.
“Wewillsupposethatthiscoupleareunitedbythebondsofaguiltylove,andthattheyhavedeterminedtogetridofthemanwhostandsbetweenthem.Itisalargesuppositionfordiscreetinquiryamongservantsandothershasfailedtocorroborateitinanyway.Onthecontrary,thereisagooddealofevidencethattheDouglaseswereveryattachedtoeachother.”
“That,Iamsure,cannotbetrue,”saidI,thinkingofthebeautifulsmilingfaceinthegarden.
“Wellatleasttheygavethatimpression.However,wewillsupposethattheyareanextraordinarilyastutecouple,whodeceiveeveryoneuponthispoint,andconspiretomurderthehusband.Hehappenstobeamanoverwhoseheadsomedangerhangs—”
“Wehaveonlytheirwordforthat.”
Holm