XIV. A CONCESSION
"It is true; there seems to be something extraordinary in thecoincidence."
Thus Mr. Brotherson, in the presence of the Inspector.
"But that is all there is to it," he easily proceeded. "I knew MissChalloner and I have already said how much and how little I had to dowith her death. The other woman I did not know at all; I did not evenknow her name. A prosecution based on grounds so flimsy as those youadvance would savour of persecution, would it not?"
The Inspector, surprised by this unexpected attack, regarded the speakerwith an interest rather augmented than diminished by his boldness. Thesmile with which he had uttered these concluding words yet lingered onhis lips, lighting up features of a mould too suggestive of command tobe associated readily with guilt. That the impression thus produced wasfavourable, was evident from the tone of the Inspector's reply:
"We have said nothing about prosecution, Mr. Brotherson. We hope toavoid any such extreme measures, and that we may the more readily doso, we have given you this opportunity to make such explanations as thesituation, which you yourself have characterised as remarkable, seems tocall for."
"I am ready. But what am I called upon to explain? I really cannot see,sir. Knowing nothing more about either case than you do, I fear that Ishall not add much to your enlightenment."
"You can tell us why with your seeming culture and obvious means, youchoose to spend so much time in a second-rate tenement like the one inHicks Street."
Again that chill smile preceding the quiet answer:
"Have you seen my room there? It is piled to the ceiling with books.When I was a poor man, I chose the abode suited to my purse and mypassion for first-rate reading. As I grew better off, my time becamedaily more valuable. I have never seen the hour when I felt like movingthat precious collection. Besides, I am a man of the people. I like theworking class, and am willing to be thought one of them. I can find timeto talk to a hard-pushed mechanic as easily as to such members of themoneyed class as I encounter on stray evenings at the Hotel Clermont. Ihave led--I may say that I am leading--a double life; but of neither amI ashamed, nor have I cause to be. Love drove me to ape the gentlemanin the halls of the Clermont; a broad human interest in the work of theworld, to live as a fellow among the mechanics of Hicks Street."
"But why make use of one name as a gentleman of leisure and quite adifferent one as the honest workman?"
"Ah, there you touch upon my real secret. I have a reason for keeping myidentity quiet till my invention is completed."
"A reason connected with your anarchistic tendencies?"
"Possibly." But the word was uttered in a way to carry littleconviction. "I am not much of an anarchist," he now took the trouble todeclare, with a careless lift of his shoulders. "I like fair play, butI shall never give you much trouble by my manner of insuring it. I havetoo much at stake. My invention is dearer to me than the overthrow ofpresent institutions. Nothing must stand in the way of its success, noteven the satisfaction of inspiring terror in minds shut to every otherspecies of argument. I have uttered my last speech; you can rely on mefor that."
"We are glad to hear it, Mr. Dunn. Physical overthrow carries more thanthe immediate sufferer with it."
If this were meant as an irritant, it did not act successfully. Thesocial agitator, the political demagogue, the orator whose honeyed toneshad rung with biting invective in the ears of the United Brotherhood ofthe Awl, the Plane and the Trowel, simply bowed and calmly waited forthe next attack.
Perhaps it was of a nature to surprise even him.
"We have no wish," continued the Inspector, "to probe too closely intoconcerns seemingly quite removed from the main issue. You say that youare ready, nay more, are even eager to answer all questions. You willprobably be anxious then to explain away a discrepancy between your wordand your conduct, which has come to our attention. You were known tohave expressed the intention of spending the afternoon of Mrs. Spotts'death in New York and were supposed to have done so, yet you werecertainly seen in the crowd which invaded that rear building at thefirst alarm. Are you conscious of possessing a double, or did you failto cross the river as you expected to?"
"I am glad this has come up." The tone was one of self-congratulationwhich would have shaken Sweetwater sorely had he been admitted to thisunofficial examination. "I have never confided to any one the story ofmy doings on that unhappy afternoon, because I knew of no one who wouldtake any interest in them. But this is what occurred. I did mean togo to New York and I even started on my walk to the Bridge at the hourmentioned. But I got into a small crowd on the corner of Fulton Street,in which a poor devil who had robbed a vendor's cart of a few oranges,was being hustled about. There was no policeman within sight, and so Ibusied myself there for a minute paying for the oranges and draggingthe poor wretch away into an alley, where I could have the pleasure ofseeing him eat them. When I came out of the alley the small crowd hadvanished, but a big one was collecting up the street very near my home.I always think of my books when I see anything suggesting fire, andnaturally I returned, and equally naturally, when I heard what hadhappened, followed the crowd into the court and so up to the poorwoman's doorway. But my curiosity satisfied, I returned at once to thestreet and went to New York as I had planned."
"Do you mind telling us where you went in New York?"
"Not at all. I went shopping. I wanted a certain very fine wire, foran experiment I had on hand, and I found it in a little shop in FourthAvenue. If I remember rightly, the name over the door was Grippus. Itsoddity struck me."
There was nothing left to the Inspector but to dismiss him. He hadanswered all questions willingly, and with a countenance inexpressive ofguile. He even indulged in a parting shot on his own account, as full offrank acceptance of the situation as it was fearless in its attack.As he halted in the doorway before turning his back upon the room, hesmiled for the third time as he quietly said:
"I have ceased visiting my friend's apartment in upper New York. If youever want me again, you will find me amongst my books. If my inventionhalts and other interests stale, you have furnished me this day with aproblem which cannot fail to give continual occupation to my energies.If I succeed in solving it first, I shall be happy to share my knowledgewith you. Till then, trust the laws of nature. No man when once on theoutside of a door can button it on the inside, nor could any one withoutthe gift of complete invisibility, make a leap of over fifteen feet fromthe sill of a fourth story window on to an adjacent fire escape, withoutattracting the attention of some of the many children playing downbelow."
He was half-way out the door, but his name quickly spoken by theInspector drew him back.
"Anything more?" he asked.
The Inspector smiled.
"You are a man of considerable analytic power, as I take it, Mr.Brotherson. You must have decided long ago how this woman died."
"Is that a question, Inspector?"
"You may take it as such."
"Then I will allow myself to say that there is but one common-sense viewto take of the matter. Miss Challoner's death was due to suicide; sowas that of the washerwoman. But there I stop. As for the means--themotive--such mysteries may be within your province but they are totallyoutside mine! God help us all! The world is full of misery. Again I wishyou good-day."
The air seemed to have lost its vitality and the sun its sparkle when hewas gone.
"Now, what do you think, Gryce?"
The old man rose and came out of his corner.
"This: that I'm up against the hardest proposition of my lifetime.Nothing in the man's appearance or manner evinces guilt, yet I believehim guilty. I must. Not to, is to strain probability to the point ofbreakage. But how to reach him is a problem and one of no ordinarynature. Years ago, when I was but little older than Sweetwater, I hadjust such a conviction concerning a certain man against whom I had evenless to work on than we have here. A murder had been committed by anenvenomed spring contained in a toy puzzle. I worked upon the
conscienceof the suspect in that case, by bringing constantly before his eyesa facsimile of that spring. It met him in the folded napkin which heopened at his restaurant dinner. He stumbled upon it in the street,and found it lying amongst his papers at home. I gave him no relief andfinally he succumbed. He had been almost driven mad by remorse. But thisman has no conscience. If he is not innocent as the day, he's as hard asunquarried marble. He might be confronted with reminders of his crimeat every turn without weakening or showing by loss of appetite orinterrupted sleep any effect upon his nerves. That's my opinion ofthe gentleman. He is either that, or a man of uncommon force andself-restraint."
"I'm inclined to believe him the latter."
"And so give the whole matter the go-by?"
"Possibly."
"It will be a terrible disappointment to Sweetwater."
"That's nothing."
"And to me."
"That's different. I'm disposed to consider you, Gryce--after all theseyears."
"Thank you; I have done the state some service."
"What do you want? You say the mine is unworkable."
"Yes, in a day, or in a week, possibly in a month. But persistence anda protean adaptability to meet his moods might accomplish something.I don't say will, I only say might. If Sweetwater had the job, withunlimited time in which to carry out any plan he may have, or even fora change of plans to suit a changed idea, success might be his, and bothtime, effort and outlay justified."
"The outlay? I am thinking of the outlay."
"Mr. Challoner will see to that. I have his word that no reasonableamount will daunt him."
"But this Brotherson is suspicious. He has an inventor's secret to hide,if none other. We can't saddle him with a guy of Sweetwater's appearanceand abnormal loquaciousness."
"Not readily, I own. But time will bring counsel. Are you willing tohelp the boy, to help me and possibly yourself by this venture in thedark? The Department shan't lose money by it; that's all I can promise."
"But it's a big one. Gryce, you shall have your way. You'll be the onlyloser if you fail; and you will fail; take my word for it."
"I wish I could speak as confidently to the contrary, but I can't. I cangive you my hand though, Inspector, and Sweetwater's thanks. I can meetthe boy now. An hour ago I didn't know how I was to do it."