第48章

Maitland had been gone, I think, about three weeks when my sister and I hit upon a plan which we thought might have the desired effect upon Gwen.Before her father's death she had been one of the most active members of a Young People's Club which devoted every Wednesday evening to the study of Shakespeare.She had attended none of its meetings since her bereavement, but Alice and I soon persuaded her to accompany us on the following week and I succeeded, by a little quiet wire-pulling, in getting her appointed to take charge of the following meeting, which was to be devoted to the study of "Antony and Cleopatra." When informed of the task which had been imposed upon her Gwen was for declining the honour at once, and the most Alice and I were able to do was to get her to promise to think it over a day or so before she refused.

The next morning Maitland walked in upon us.He had found both of Mr.Darrow's former servants and satisfied himself that they were in San Francisco on the night of the murder.So that ended my Chinese clue.While Alice and Gwen were discussing the matter, I took occasion to draw Maitland aside, and told him of Gwen's appointment to take charge of the Cleopatra night, and how necessary it was to her health that she should be aroused from her torpor.It doesn't take long for Maitland to see a thing, and before I had whispered a dozen sentences he had completely grasped the situation.He crossed the room, drew a chair up beside Gwen, and sat down."Miss Darrow," he began, "I am afraid you will have a poor opinion of me as a detective.This is the second time I have failed.I feel that I should remind you again of our compact, at least, that part of it which permits you to dispense with my services whenever you shall see fit to do so, and, at the same time, to relieve you from your obligation to let meorder your actions.I tell you frankly it will be necessary for you to discharge me, if you would be rid of me, for, unless you do so, or I find the assassin, I shall never cease my search so long as I have the strength and means to conduct it.What do you say? Have I not proved my uselessness?" This was said in a tentative, half-jesting tone.Gwen answered it very seriously.

"You have done for me," she said, in the deep, vibrating tones of her rich contralto voice, "all that human intelligence could suggest.You have examined the evidence and conducted the whole affair with a thoroughness which I never could have obtained elsewhere.That your search has been unavailing is due, not to any fault of yours, but rather to the consummate skill of the assassin, who, I think, we may conclude, is no ordinary criminal.I do not know much of the abilities of Messrs.Osborne and Allen, but I understand that M.Godin has the reputation of being the cleverest detective in America.I cannot learn that he has made any progress whatsoever in the solution of this terrible mystery.I do not feel, therefore, that you have any right to reproach yourself.Such hope as I have that my father's murderer may ever be brought to justice rests in your efforts; else I should feel bound to relieve you of a task, which, though self-imposed, is, none the less, onerous and ill-paid.Do not consider me altogether selfish if I ask that you still continue the search, and that I - that I still be held to my covenant.I am aware that I can never fully repay the kindness I am asking of you, but - "Maitland did not wait for her to finish."Let us not speak of that," he said."It is enough to know that you are still satisfied with my, thus far, unsuccessful efforts in your behalf.There is nothing affords me keener pleasure than to struggle with and solve an intricate problem, whether it be in algebra, geometry, or the mathematics of crime; and then - well, even if I succeed, I shall quit the work your debtor."He had spoken this last impulsively, and when he had finished he remained silent, as if surprised and a bit nettled at his own failure to control himself.Gwen made no reply, not even raising her eyes; but I noticed that her=20fingers at once busied themselves with the entirely uncalled-for labour of readjusting the tidy upon the arm of her chair, and Ithought that, if appearances were to be trusted, she was very happy and contented at the change she had made in the bit of lacework beneath her hands.With singular good sense, with which she was always surprising me, Alice now introduced the subject of the Young People's Club, and mentioned incidentally that Gwen was to have charge of the next meeting.Before Gwen had time to inform Maitland that she intended to decline this honour, he congratulated her upon it, and rendered her withdrawal difficult by saying: "I feel that I should thank you, Miss Darrow, for the faithful way in which you fulfil the spirit of your agreement to permit me to order your actions.I know, if you consulted your own desires, you would probably decline the honour conferred upon you, and that in accepting it, you are influenced by the knowledge that you are pursuing just the course I most wish you to follow.Verily, you make my office of tyrant over you a perfect sinecure.I had expected you to chafe a little under restraint, but, instead, I find you voluntarily yielding to my unexpressed desires."Gwen made no reply, but we heard no more of her resignation.She applied herself at once to the preparation of her paper upon "Antony and Cleopatra." Maitland, who, like all vigorous, healthy, and informed intellects, was an ardent admirer of Shakespeare, found time to call on Gwen and to discuss the play with her.This seemed to please her very much, and I am sure his interest in the play was abnormal.He confessed to me that every morning, as he awoke, the first thing which flashed into his mind, even before he had full possession of his senses, was these words of Antony:

"I am dying, Egypt, dying."