United States or India ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Bryce turned sharply on this speaker young Archdale, a member of a well-known firm of architects. "You don't?" he exclaimed. "But Varner says he saw him thrown!" "Very likely," answered Archdale. "But it would all happen so quickly that Varner might easily be mistaken. I'm speaking of something I know.
There in the corner formed by the angle of nave and transept, on a broad pavement of flagstones, lay the body of a man crumpled up in a curiously twisted position. And with one glance, even before he reached it, Bryce knew what body it was that of the man who had come, shyly and furtively, to Ransford's door. "Look!" exclaimed Varner, suddenly pointing. "He's stirring!"
"Dead!" he said in a hushed voice. "Died as we got to him. Broken all to pieces, I should say neck and spine certainly. I suppose Varner's told you what he saw." Mitchington, a sharp-eyed, dark-complexioned man, quick of movement, nodded, and after one glance at the body, looked up at the open doorway high above them. "That the door?" he asked, turning to Varner. "And it was open?"
"In the state of mind in which Varner was at that moment," replied Ransford, "he wouldn't be very well able to decide definitely on what he really did see. His vision would retain confused images. Probably he saw the dead man's hand he was wearing a black coat and white linen. The verdict was a most sensible one." No more was said after that, and that evening Ransford was almost himself again.
Give a year's wages if I hadn't seen it and heard him scream." Ransford was watching Varner with a set, concentrated look. "Who flung him?" he asked suddenly. "You say you saw!" "Aye, sir, but not as much as all that!" replied the mason. "I just saw a hand and that was all. But," he added, turning to the police with a knowing look, "there's one thing I can swear to it was a gentleman's hand!
The programme of the Gymnase was constantly being renewed. Scribe, whose verve was inexhaustible, wrote for this theatre alone nearly one hundred and fifty pieces. It is true that he had collaborators, Germain Delavigne, Dupin, Melesville, Brazier, Varner, Carmouche, Bayard, etc. It was to them that he wrote, in the dedication of the edition of his works:
"There's a question I want to put to you strictly between ourselves strictest of confidence, you know. It was you who was called to Braden by Varner, and you were left alone with Braden's body?" "Well?" admitted Bryce, suddenly growing suspicious. "What of it?" Harker edged his chair a little closer to his guest's, and leaned towards him.
I don't care a snap of my fingers that Brake, or Braden's dead, or that Collishaw's dead, nor if one had his neck broken and the other was poisoned, but whose hand was that which the mason, Varner, saw that morning, when Brake was flung out of that doorway? Come, now! whose?" "Not mine, my lad!" answered Folliot, confidently. "That's a fact?" Bryce hesitated, giving Folliot a searching look.
The man swept his hand across his forehead as if he were dazed, and then jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "A man!" he gasped. "Foot of St. Wrytha's Stair there, doctor. Dead or if not dead, near it. I saw it!" Bryce seized Varner's arm and gave it a shake. "You saw what?" he demanded. "Saw him fall. Or rather flung!" panted Varner.
"Bryce was left alone with the dead body of Braden for some minutes, while Varner went to fetch the police. That's one." "That's true," muttered Mitchington. "He was several minutes!" "Bryce it was who discovered Collishaw in Paradise," said Ransford. "That's fact two. And fact three Bryce evidently had a motive in fetching Harker tonight to overlook your operations. What was his motive?
Word Of The Day