John Thorndykes Cases | Page 7

"Then, in that case," said the sergeant, looking at his watch, "as I've got
a good deal to see to this evening, I'll leave you here, and make my way
to the station."
With a farewell flourish of his hand he climbed over a stile, and when,
a few moments later, I caught a glimpse of him through an opening in
the hedge, he was running across the meadow like a hare.
The departure of the police-officer was apparently a great relief to Mr.
Draper, who at once fell back and began to talk with us.
"You are Dr. Jervis, I think," said he. "I saw you coming out of Dr.
Cooper's house yesterday. We know everything that is happening in the
village, you see." He laughed nervously, and added: "But I don't know
your friend."
I introduced Thorndyke, at the mention of whose name our new
acquaintance knitted his brows, and glanced inquisitively at my friend.
"Thorndyke," he repeated; "the name seems familiar to me. Are you in
the Law, sir?"
Thorndyke admitted the impeachment, and our companion, having
again bestowed on him a look full of curiosity, continued: "This
horrible affair will interest you, no doubt, from a professional point of
view. You were present when my poor friend's body was found, I

think?"
"No," replied Thorndyke; "we came up afterwards, when they were
removing it."
Our companion then proceeded to question as about the murder, but
received from Thorndyke only the most general and ambiguous replies.
Nor was there time to go into the matter at length, for the footpath
presently emerged on to the road close to Mr. Draper's house.
"You will excuse my not asking you in to-night," said he, "but you will
understand that I am not in much form for visitors just now."
We assured him that we fully understood, and, having wished him
"Good-evening," pursued our way towards the village.
"The sergeant is off to get a warrant, I suppose," I observed.
"Yes; and mighty anxious lest his man should be off before he can
execute it. But he is fishing in deeper waters than he thinks, Jervis. This
is a very singular and complicated case; one of the strangest, in fact,
that I have ever met. I shall follow its development with deep interest."
"The sergeant seems pretty cocksure, all the same," I said.
"He is not to blame for that," replied Thorndyke. "He is acting on the
obvious appearances, which is the proper thing to do in the first place.
Perhaps his notebook contains more than I think it does. But we shall
see."
When we entered the village I stopped to settle some business with the
chemist, who acted as Dr. Cooper's dispenser, suggesting to Thorndyke
that he should walk on to the house; but when I emerged from the shop
some ten minutes later he was waiting outside, with a smallish
brown-paper parcel under each arm. Of one of these parcels I insisted
on relieving him, in spite of his protests, but when he at length handed
it to me its weight completely took me by surprise.

"I should have let them send this home on a barrow," I remarked.
"So I should have done," he replied, "only I did not wish to draw
attention to my purchase, or give my address."
Accepting this hint I refrained from making any inquiries as to the
nature of the contents (although I must confess to considerable
curiosity on the subject), and on arriving home I assisted him to deposit
the two mysterious parcels in his room.
When I came downstairs a disagreeable surprise awaited me. Hitherto
the long evenings had been spent by me in solitary and undisturbed
enjoyment of Dr. Cooper's excellent library, but to-night a perverse fate
decreed that I must wander abroad, because, forsooth, a preposterous
farmer, who resided in a hamlet five miles distant, had chosen the
evening of my guest's arrival to dislocate his bucolic elbow. I half
hoped that Thorndyke would offer to accompany me, but he made no
such suggestion, and in fact seemed by no means afflicted at the
prospect of my absence.
"I have plenty to occupy me while you are away," he said cheerfully;
and with this assurance to comfort me I mounted my bicycle and rode
off somewhat sulkily along the dark road.
My visit occupied in all a trifle under two hours, and when I reached
home, ravenously hungry and heated by my ride, half-past nine had
struck, and the village had begun to settle down for the night.
"Sergeant Payne is a-waiting in the surgery, sir," the housemaid
announced as I entered the hall.
"Confound Sergeant Payne!" I exclaimed. "Is Dr. Thorndyke with
him?"
"No, sir," replied the grinning damsel. "Dr. Thorndyke is hout."
"Hout!" I repeated (my surprise