Miss Silver’s needles clicked again.
“Mr. Wadlow has a worried manner. Small things appear important to him. This kind of character is confusing even to the trained observer. Trifles are so much in evidence that one is tempted to assume that there is nothing behind them. This may be the case-or not. I reserve judgment about Mr. Wadlow.”
“And Cosmo?”
“Mr. Frith is a very charming person. I was particularly struck with the fact that he took the trouble to be charming to me.”
Rachel’s heart warmed to Cosmo, all the more because she had felt a little nervous. He didn’t always take the trouble to make himself agreeable to a dull visitor. She said,
“I’m glad you like Cosmo. He’s a bit of a spoilt child, but he has the kindest heart in the world.”
Miss Silver smiled brightly.
“Kind hearts are indeed more than coronets, as dear Lord Tennyson says.”
Rachel felt a wild desire to finish the quotation, but she restrained herself.
“How did you get on with Ella Comperton?” she asked.
“She seems very much interested in slum clearance.”
Rachel laughed.
“She is always very much interested in something. It is never the same thing for very long. All very worthy objects, but she rather does them to death.”
Miss Silver looked up shrewdly.
“She collects for them?”
“Most zealously. Did she collect from you?”
“A mere half-crown. And from you?”
Rachel laughed again.
“I’m afraid I don’t get off with half-a-crown.”
Miss Silver laid down her knitting and produced notebook and pencil from the black satin bag.
“Forgive me, Miss Treherne, but I should be glad to have the name of any society or charitable institution to which you have contributed through Miss Comperton during the past year, together with the amount contributed.”
Rachel bit her lip.
“Miss Silver, I hardly think-”
Miss Silver’s eyes brightened.
“An attempt has been made on your life. I suspect no one-yet. But until I suspect someone it is my business to check up on everyone. If they are innocent, no harm is done. If one of them is guilty-are you a religious woman, Miss Treherne?”
Rachel said, “Yes.”
Miss Silver nodded approvingly.
“Then you will agree with me that the best thing that can happen to anyone who is doing wrong is to be found out. If he is not found out he will do more wrong and earn a heavier punishment. And now-those particulars if you please.”
Rachel gave them.
Chapter Eighteen
When Miss Silver reached her own room she sat down on a small upright chair and plunged into thought for the space of about ten minutes. Then she glanced at her own little clock, a loudly ticking contraption of Swiss origin in a wooden case freely decorated with carved edelweiss, which she had placed in the exact center of the mantelpiece, and observing that it was still not quite ten o’clock, rose up and rang the bell.
She was just thinking of ringing it again, when a plump, rosy-faced girl arrived in a hurry.
“Now I wonder,” said Miss Silver, “whether I might speak to Louisa. That is her name, is it not-Miss Treherne’s maid?”
“Oh, yes, miss. But if there’s anything I can do-”
“Not at the moment, thank you. Was it you who unpacked for me?… And your name?… Ivy? Thank you very much, Ivy. Now if you will just ask Louisa to look in for a few moments on her way upstairs. I suppose her room is somewhere near Miss Treherne’s… Oh, the door beyond Miss Treherne’s sitting-room? Then I shall only be taking her a step out of her way.”
When Ivy had departed, Miss Silver retraced her steps. She passed the doors of Rachel Treherne’s bedroom and sitting-room, and then stood listening for a moment before tapping lightly on what she now knew to be Louisa Barnet’s door. Receiving no answer, she turned the handle and went in.
About ten minutes later she was back in her own room saying, “Come in!” to Louisa’s knock. But Louisa was by no means anxious to enter. She remained upon the threshold.
“Were you wanting anything, miss?”
Miss Silver said, “Yes,” and added in a tone of authority,
“Please come in and shut the door.”
Louisa complied ungraciously. Her manner made it plain that it was not her place to wait upon the bedrooms.
Miss Silver indicated a chair at a slight distance from her own.
“Will you sit down. I want to talk to you.”
“It’s getting late, miss.”
“Sit down please. I am a private enquiry agent, and I am here in that capacity. I want to talk to you about your mistress-about the attempts which are being made upon her life.”
Louisa took the chair and sat down upon it. After a moment she said in a stumbling voice,
“Miss Rachel has told you-”
“She told me about a number of attempts, and I would like to go over them with you, because I am sure there is no one who can help me as much as you can.”
Louisa’s eyes dwelt on her. They were dark with feeling.
“If you can help Miss Rachel, I’ll help you. It’s time someone did.”
Miss Silver nodded.
“Very well put. You shall help me, and together we will help Miss Treherne.” She produced a shiny exercisebook. “Now, Louisa-this first attempt-the slippery stairs. Do you remember that?”
Louisa nodded.
“I shan’t never forget it. She might have been killed.”
“Well, Louisa, I don’t want to worry Miss Treherne, but I would like to know who else was in the house, and what rooms they were occupying.”
“Same as they always do. And they was all here, the whole lot of them. Mr. and Mrs. Wadlow, they have Mr. Treherne’s suite on the ground floor because of Miss Mabel having palpitations. Bedroom, dressing-room, bathroom and sitting-room they’ve got, and right underneath Miss Rachel-the same rooms as you might say, only on the ground floor. Then Mr. Frith and Mr. Maurice, they’re in the bachelors’ quarters when they’re here-on the ground floor too, and their own entrance next the garage. Miss Caroline, she has the room opposite Miss Rachel, and Miss Cherry Wadlow next door. And Miss Comperton is next door to you here. And Mr. Richard, he’s got the two over Mr. Frith and Mr. Maurice because of having a lot of office work to do with his architecting.”
Miss Silver nodded.
“And where were all these people when Miss Treherne was washing her dog?”
Louisa tossed her head.
“I know where one of them was,” she said, “for she was coming out of her room as I went by, and that was Miss Caroline Ponsonby. She shut the door quick, but I’ll take my Bible oath I saw her-and she’d been crying too.”
“Did you see anyone else in the neighborhood of the stairs that afternoon?”
“Mr. Richard come up a half hour later, and he was knocking at Miss Caroline’s door wanting her to come out, but she wouldn’t, and maybe she’d her own reasons.”
“You didn’t see anyone else?” inquired Miss Silver.
She got a look.
“No, I didn’t. I’d something else to do than watch the stairs.”
Miss Silver turned a page in the shiny notebook.
“In the matter of the burning curtains-what time of day was it, and who discovered them to be alight?”
“Round about seven o’clock in the evening, and I found them myself. All alight they were and blazing. I come up to put out Miss Rachel’s things, and who should come out of the sitting-room but Miss Caroline and Mr. Richard? And when I went through into the bedroom, there were the curtains all alight and blazing.”
“Very suspicious indeed,” said Miss Silver. “Fortunately Miss Treherne was in no real danger. I am sure you were most prompt.” She turned another leaf. “And now we come to something a good deal more serious-the affair of the chocolates.”
Louisa’s mouth twitched.