John Curran

The Leavenworth Case


Скачать книгу

Leavenworth came in.

      More languid than she was an hour before, but haughty still, she slowly advanced, and, meeting my eye, gently bent her head.

      ‘I have been summoned here,’ said she, directing herself exclusively to Mr Gryce, ‘by an individual whom I take to be in your employ. If so, may I request you to make your wishes known at once, as I am quite exhausted, and am in great need of rest.’

      ‘Miss Leavenworth,’ returned Mr Gryce, rubbing his hands together and staring in quite a fatherly manner at the door-knob, ‘I am very sorry to trouble you, but the fact is I wish to ask you—’

      But here she stopped him. ‘Anything in regard to the key which that man has doubtless told you he saw me drop into the ashes?’

      ‘Yes, Miss.’

      ‘Then I must refuse to answer any questions concerning it. I have nothing to say on the subject, unless it is this’—giving him a look full of suffering, but full of a certain sort of courage, too—‘that he was right if he told you I had the key in hiding about my person, and that I attempted to conceal it in the ashes of the grate.’

      ‘Still, Miss—’

      But she had already withdrawn to the door. ‘I pray you to excuse me,’ said she. ‘No argument you could advance would make any difference in my determination; therefore it would be but a waste of energy on your part to attempt any.’ And, with a flitting glance in my direction, not without its appeal, she quietly left the room.

      For a moment Mr Gryce stood gazing after her with a look of great interest, then, bowing with almost exaggerated homage, he hastily followed her out.

      I had scarcely recovered from the surprise occasioned by this unexpected movement when a quick step was heard in the hall, and Mary, flushed and anxious, appeared at my side.

      ‘What is it?’ she inquired. ‘What has Eleanore been saying?’

      ‘Alas!’ I answered, ‘she has not said anything. That is the trouble, Miss Leavenworth. Your cousin preserves a reticence upon certain points very painful to witness. She ought to understand that if she persists in doing this, that—’

      ‘That what?’ There was no mistaking the deep anxiety prompting this question.

      ‘That she cannot avoid the trouble that will ensue.’

      For a moment she stood gazing at me, with great horror-stricken, incredulous eyes; then sinking back into a chair, flung her hands over her face with the cry:

      ‘Oh, why were we ever born! Why were we allowed to live! Why did we not perish with those who gave us birth!’

      In the face of anguish like this, I could not keep still.

      ‘Dear Miss Leavenworth,’ I essayed, ‘there is no cause for such despair as this. The future looks dark, but not impenetrable. Your cousin will listen to reason, and in explaining—’

      But she, deaf to my words, had again risen to her feet, and stood before me in an attitude almost appalling.

      ‘Some women in my position would go mad! mad! mad!’

      I surveyed her with growing wonder. I thought I knew what she meant. She was conscious of having given the cue which had led to this suspicion of her cousin, and that in this way the trouble which hung over their heads was of her own making. I endeavoured to soothe her, but my efforts were all unavailing. Absorbed in her own anguish, she paid but little attention to me. Satisfied at last that I could do nothing more for her, I turned to go. The movement seemed to arouse her.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QNxaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBNTTpPcmlnaW5hbERvY3VtZW50SUQ9 InhtcC5kaWQ6QzgyMjQzRTAxRTIwNjgxMThDMTRCNTNCRkQyMjU2RDEiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50 SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6MUZDRTM2NkYwNjQyMTFFNkIxRDdENjQwMDFFQzgyN0IiIHhtcE1NOkluc3Rh bmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6MUZDRTM2NkUwNjQyMTFFNkIxRDdENjQwMDFFQzgyN0IiIHhtcDpDcmVh dG9yVG9vbD0iQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVk RnJvbSBzdFJlZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOkUwREMzMTRCQ0QyMDY4MTE4NzFGRkYwRUYy MUMyMUY1IiBzdFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOkM4MjI0M0UwMUUyMDY4MTE4QzE0QjUz QkZEMjI1NkQxIi8+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8 P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+IMWElDQ19QUk9GSUxFAAEBAAAMSExpbm8CEAAAbW50clJHQiBY WVogB84AAgAJAAYAMQAAYWNzcE1TRlQAAAAASUVDIHNSR0IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPbWAAEAAAAA 0y1IUCAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARY3By dAAAAVAAAAAzZGVzYwAAAYQAAABsd3RwdAAAAfAAAAAUYmtwdAAAAgQAAAAUclhZWgAAAhgAAAAU Z1hZWgAAAiwAAAAUYlhZWgAAAkAAAAAUZG1uZAAAAlQAAABwZG1kZAAAAsQAAACIdnVlZAAAA0wA AACGdmlldwAAA9QAAAAkbHVtaQAAA/gAAAAUbWVhcwAABAwAAAAkdGVjaAAABDAAAAAMclRSQwAA BDwAAAgMZ1RSQwAABDwAAAgMYlRSQwAABDwAAAgMdGV4dAAAAABDb3B5cmlnaHQgKGMpIDE5OTgg SGV3bGV0dC1QYWNrYXJkIENvbXBhbnkAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAA AAAAAAAAAAASc1JHQiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0yLjEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFhZWiAAAAAAAADzUQABAAAAARbMWFlaIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AABYWVogAAAAAAAAb6IAADj1AAADkFhZWiAAAAAAAABimQAAt4UAABjaWFlaIAAAAAAAACSgAAAP hAAAts9kZXNjAAAAAAAAABZJRUMgaHR0cDovL3d3dy5pZWMuY2gAAAAAAAAAAAAAABZJRUMgaHR0 cDovL3d3dy5pZWMuY2gAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAuSUVDIDYxOTY2LTIuMSBEZWZhdWx0IFJHQiBjb2xvdXIgc3BhY2UgLSBz UkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAuSUVDIDYxOTY2LTIuMSBEZWZhdWx0IFJHQiBjb2xvdXIgc3BhY2UgLSBz UkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALFJlZmVyZW5jZSBWaWV3aW5nIENv bmRpdGlvbiBpbiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0yLjEAAAAAAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25k aXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB2aWV3AAAAAAAT pP4AFF8uABDPFAAD7cwABBMLAANcngAAAAFYWVogAAAAAABMCVYAUAAAAFcf521lYXMAAAAAAAAA AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKPAAAAAnNpZyAAAAAAQ1JUIGN1cnYAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAUACgAP ABQAGQAeACMAKAAtADIANwA7AEAARQBKAE8AVABZAF4AYwBoAG0AcgB3AHwAgQCGAIsAkACVAJoA nwCkAKkArgCyALcAvADBAMYAywDQANUA2wDgAOUA6wDwAPYA+wEBAQcBDQETARkBHwElASsBMgE4 AT4BRQFMAVIBWQFgAWcBbgF1AXwBgwGLAZIBmgGhAakBsQG5AcEByQHRAdkB4QHpAfIB+gIDAgwC FAIdAiYCLwI4AkECSwJUAl0CZwJxAnoChAKOApgCogKsArYCwQLLAtUC4ALrAvUDAAMLAxYDIQMt AzgDQwNPA1oDZgNyA34DigOWA6IDrgO6A8cD0wPgA+wD+QQGBBMEIAQtBDsESARVBGMEcQR+BIwE mgSoBLYExATTBOEE8AT+BQ0FHAUrBToFSQVYBWcFdwWGBZYFpgW1BcUF1QXlBfYGBgYWBicGNwZI BlkGagZ7BowGnQavBsAG0QbjBvUHBwcZBysHPQdPB2EHdAeGB5kHrAe/B9IH5Qf4CAsIHwgyCEYI WghuCIIIlgiqCL4I0gjnCPsJEAklCToJTwlkCXkJjwmkCboJzwnlCfsKEQonCj0KVApqCoEKmAqu CsUK3ArzCwsLIgs5C1ELaQuAC5gLsAvIC+EL+QwSDCoMQwxcDHUMjgynDMAM2QzzDQ0NJg1ADVoN dA2ODakNww3eDfgOEw4uDkkOZA5/DpsOtg7SDu4PCQ8lD0EPXg96D5YPsw/PD+wQCRAmEEMQYRB+ EJsQuRDXEPURExExEU8RbRGMEaoRyRHoEgcSJhJFEmQShBKjEsMS4xMDEyMTQxNjE4MTpBPFE+UU BhQnFEkUahSLFK0UzhTwFRIVNBVWFXgVmxW9FeAWAxYmFkkWbBaPFrIW1hb6Fx0XQRdlF4kXrhfS F/cYGxhAGGUYihivGNUY+hkgGUUZaxmRGbcZ3RoEGioaURp3Gp4axRrsGxQbOxtjG4obshvaHAIc KhxSHHscoxzMHPUdHh1HHXAdmR3DHeweFh5AHmoelB6+HukfEx8+H2kflB+/H+ogFSBBIGwgmCDE IPAhHCFIIXUhoSHOIfsiJyJVIoIiryLdIwojOCNmI5QjwiPwJB8kTSR8JKsk2iUJJTglaCWXJccl 9yYnJlcmhya3JugnGCdJJ3onqyfcKA0oPyhxKKIo1CkGKTgpaymdKdAqAio1KmgqmyrPKwIrNitp K50r0SwFLDksbiyiLNctDC1BLXYtqy3hLhYuTC6CLrcu7i8kL1ovkS/HL/4wNTBsMKQw2zESMUox gjG6MfIyKjJjMpsy1DMNM0YzfzO4M/E0KzRlNJ40