Part 12 (1/2)
”I must have done so. The one found in the room belonged to me.”
”Did you by any chance observe whether or not any of the windows in the room were open?”
”I did. They were all closed. I noticed it instinctively, because, when I first entered the room, I was conscious of the heavy, oppressive atmosphere of the place and, knowing that the room had been long closed, wondered that Mr. Ashton had not opened the windows. I suppose it was because his long stay in the East had rendered him sensitive to our cold English weather.”
”After you left Mr. Ashton's room, what did you do?”
”I retired to my own room, partially undressed, and again threw myself upon the bed.”
”Did you sleep?”
”No. I could not.”
”When did you again leave your room?”
”About five o'clock. I had been thinking all night about leaving the house. I felt that, after the scene the night before with Mr. Ashton, I could not endure another meeting with him. I got up, put on a walking suit and boots, and, throwing a few things into a satchel, stole quietly down stairs, opened the front door and went out.”
”Where did you go?”
”I--I left the porch, and set out across the lawns, taking a short cut to the main road to the town.”
I observed that Miss Temple was showing a greater and greater appearance of distress as the magistrate pursued inexorably the line of questioning that would lead her to the disclosures which I knew she feared to make.
Her face, white and drawn, twitched pathetically under the stress of her emotions. She spoke in a low, penetrating voice, little more than a whisper, yet so silent was the court-room that what she said was audible to its furthermost corner. As I gazed at her in silent pity, I heard the Magistrate ask the next question.
”How far did you go?”
”I went--I--I think it must have been about thirty yards--as far as the corner of the house.”
”The corner of the west wing?”
”Yes.” Her voice was growing more and more faint.
”Why did you not go further? What caused you to stop?”
”I--I saw somebody upon the roof of the porch.”
”Was it light?”
”There was a faint light in the sky, of early dawn. I walked over toward the path, and looked up at the porch roof.”
”What did you see?”
”I saw someone get out of the window from the hall, on to the roof.
I--I--They walked over to Mr. Ashton's window and seemed to be trying to open it.”
”Who was it?” The crucial question of all that had been asked her came like the snapping of a lash, and, as she comprehended it, her face became flushed, then ghastly pale.
”I--I--must I answer that question?”
”You must.”
”But--I--I cannot!” she burst into sobs, and buried her face in her hands. I feared that she was going to faint.