Chapter 3 third chapter

Hester pushed back the black hair on his forehead, and slowly climbed up the stairs.Kirsty Lindstrom was waiting for her first on the stairs. "he's gone?" "Yes, he's gone." "You are frightened, Hester," said Kirsty Lindstrom, resting her hand tenderly on her shoulder. "Come with me. I'll get you some brandy. It's all too much." "I don't think I want a brandy, Kirsty." "Maybe you don't want to, but it's good for you." The young girl made no resistance, allowing Kirsty Lindstrom to lead her down the passage into the latter's small living room.She accepted the brandy offered to her and sipped it slowly.Kirsty Lindstrom said in an exasperated tone:

"It's all so sudden that it should have been announced. Why didn't Mr. Marshall write first?" "I think Dr. Calgary won't let him write it. He wants to come and tell us himself." "Come and tell us in person, really! What does he think the news will do to us?" "I think," said Hester, in a strange, flat voice, "that he thinks we ought to be happy." "If Gao is not happy, it must be a shock anyway. He shouldn't have done this." "But he was brave, in another way," said Hester.A blush appeared on her face. "I mean, it's not going to be easy. To tell a family that one of their members who died in prison for murder was innocent. Yes, I think he's brave - but I still wish he hadn't come."

She added. "That—we all hope so," said Miss Lindstrom briskly. Hester awoke suddenly from his old thoughts, and gazed at her with interest. "So you feel the same way, Kirsty? I thought maybe it was just me." "I'm not a fool," snapped Miss Lindstrom. "I can foresee several possibilities that your Dr. Calgary does not seem to have considered." Hester stood up. "I have to see my father," she said. Kirsty Lindstrom agrees. "Yes. He should have had time now to think about what's best." Gwenda Fern was busy on the phone when Hester entered the study.Her father beckoned to her, and Hester sat down on the arm of his chair.

"We're trying to talk to Mary and Michael," he said. "They should have known about it immediately." "Hello," said Gwenda Fern, "is that Mrs. Durrant? Mary? I'm Gwenda Fern. Your father wants to speak to you." Leo went over and took the receiver. "Mary? How are you? How is Philip? Well. Something rather unusual has happened... I thought I should tell you right away. A Dr. Calgary has just come to see us. He has a letter from Andrew Marshall with him." It's about Jack. It looks like—it's a very unusual thing—it seems like what Jack said in court, about hitchhiking with somebody to Drymouth, was Totally true. This Dr. Calgary is the one who gave him a ride..." He broke off; listening to what his daughter was saying to him on the other end of the phone. "Yes, oh Mary, I won't go into details now why he didn't show up at the time. He had a car accident - a concussion. The whole thing sounds like it's totally true. I'm calling you to tell you we should Have a meeting here as soon as possible. Maybe we can get Marshall to come over and talk it over with us. We should, I think, get the best legal advice. Can you and Philip come? ... Yes ... Yes, I Yes. But I do think it's important, honey... yes... call me again if you want to. I've got to try and find Michael."

He put the microphone back. Gwenda Fern walked to the telephone. "Shall I try calling Michael now?" Hester said: "If it's going to take me a minute, can I give you a call, Gwenda? I want to call Donald." "Of course," Leo said. "You're going out with him tonight, aren't you?" "It would have been," said Hester. Her father gave her a sharp look. "Does this disturb you very much, dear?" "I don't know," said Hester. "I don't quite know how I feel." Gwenda stepped aside from the telephone, and Hester dialed.

"Dr. Craig, please. Yes. Yes. This is Hester Argyle." There was a pause, and then she said: "Is that you, Donald? ... I called to tell you I can't go to the lecture with you tonight ... No, I'm not sick - not that, just - er, just us - we got a Pretty strange news." Dr. Craig spoke again. Hester turned her head to her father.She covered the microphone with her hand and said to him: "It's not a secret, is it?" "No," Leo said slowly. "No, not exactly a secret—oh, I'll just let Donald know for a while, and keep it out, maybe. You know how rumors spread, and they get bigger and bigger."

"Yes, I know." She spoke into the microphone again. "On the one hand I guess it's probably good news, Donald, but—it's pretty upsetting. I don't want to talk on the phone...no, no, don't come here...please—don't. Not tonight .Find a time tomorrow. It's about—Jack. Yes—yes—my brother—only we found out he didn't kill my mother after all...but please don't say it, Donald, don't tell anyone , I'll tell you tomorrow... No, Donald, no... I just can't see you tonight—and neither can you. Please. And, don't say anything." She put down the phone and signaled for Gwenda to take over.

Sister Guan asked to be connected to a dry phone number.Leo said gently: "Why don't you go to the lecture with Donald? It'll let you relax." "I don't want to go, Dad. I can't." Leo says: "You say--you give him the impression that it's not good news. But you know, Hester, it's not. We're all surprised. But we're all very happy--very glad... What can we do? " "That's exactly what we're talking about, isn't it?" said Hester. Leo warns: "My dear boy—" "But it's not true, is it?" said Hester. "Not good news. Just very distressing news."

Guan Xu said: "Michael is connected." Leo went over to take the microphone again.He spoke to his son as he had just spoken to his daughter.But the reaction of the other party who received the news was quite different from that of Mary Durant.This one was not dissenting, surprised or disbelieving.Instead, accept quickly. "What plane!" Michel said. "It's been so long? Missing witnesses! Why, Jack had the worst luck that night." Leo spoke again.Michael listened. "Yes," he said, "I agree with you. We'd better get together as soon as possible, and get Marshall to give us advice." He gave a short laugh, and Leo remembered that he was playing in the garden outside the window. Laughter I remember so well from my boyhood. "Guess what?" he said. "Which one of us did it?"

Leo put down the receiver and left the phone abruptly. "What did he say?" Gwenda said. Leo told her. "The way I see it, that's a stupid joke," said Gwenda. Leo shot her a quick glance. "Perhaps," he said mildly, "it's not a joke at all." Mary crossed the floor of the room and plucked the petals of a few chrysanthemums that were hanging in a vase.She carefully put them into the wastebasket.She was a tall, calm-looking young woman of twenty-seven, who, despite her unlined face, looked older than she was, perhaps because of her serious, mature character.She has good looks, but no charm that makes one's heart flutter.Normal features, good skin, bright blue eyes, blond hair brushed away from her face in a big knot at the back of her neck; a hairstyle that happened to be in fashion at the time, though she didn't wear it that way because it was in fashion.She is a woman who has always stuck to her own style.Her appearance is like her house: neat and well-kept.Anything dusty or messy made her uneasy.

The man in the wheelchair watched her carefully throw away the withered petals, and smiled slightly distorted. "Still the same love of tidiness," he said. "Everything is in place and in order." He laughed out loud, with a hint of malice in his laughter.Mary Durant, however, was completely undisturbed. "I do like tidiness," she agrees. "You know, Fee, you wouldn't like it yourself if the house was as messy as a meat stand." Her husband resentfully said: "Well, I never got a chance to mess it up anyway." Not long after their marriage, Philip Durant fell victim to polio.To Mary, who loved him dearly, he became both her child and her husband.He was sometimes slightly embarrassed by her possessive love.His wife had no imagination, and it sometimes distressed him not to understand the pleasure she derived from his dependence on her. He went on quickly, as if afraid that she would speak sympathetically. "I must say the news of your father is indescribable! It's been so long! How can you be so calm?" "I guess I could hardly understand it... so unusual. At first I couldn't believe what Dad said. If it was Hester, I must think she imagined it. You know what Hester is like. " The resentment on Philip Durant's face faded a little.He said softly: "A passionate woman who deliberately seeks troubles in life, and of course she finds troubles." Mary waved at the analysis.She is not interested in other people's personalities. She said incredulously, "I suppose it's real? You don't think this man could be imagined?" "Absent-minded scientist? That's a good idea," said Philip, "but it seems Andrew Marshall is taking it seriously. And Marshall's a very shrewd lawyer, I'll tell you." Mary Durant frowned and said, "What's the point of this actually, Fee?" Philip said: "It means that Jack will be fully exonerated. That is, if the authorities are satisfied with the job - and I presume that there will be no problem." "Oh," said Mary, with a slight sigh, "I guess that's all very well." Philip Durant laughed again, the same twisted, resentful laugh. "Polly!" said he, "you're going to kill me." Only Mary Durant's husband had ever called her Polly, a name ridiculously inappropriate for her stately appearance.She looked at Philip a little surprised. "I don't understand what I said that made you laugh so much." "You are so noble!" said Philip. "It's as if a noble lady is appraising the handicrafts of village women." Mary said perplexedly, "But it's all very well! You can't pretend it's comforting to have a murderer in your family." "Not really at home." "Oh, it's all the same actually. I mean, it's all very worrisome and very uncomfortable. Everyone's so excited and curious. I hate it." "You're doing well," Philip said. "Frozen their mouths with those cold blue eyes of yours. Silenced them and acted ashamed. The way you never showed your inner feelings was amazing." "I hate it all. It's all very unpleasant," said Mary Durant, "but he's dead anyway. And now—now, I think it's going to be stirred up again. So annoying." "Yes," Philip Durant said thoughtfully.He turned his shoulders slightly, and a pained expression appeared on his face.His wife walked quickly towards him. "Trapped? Wait a minute. Let me remove this bolster. Okay, better?" "You should be a hospital nurse," said Philip. "I don't want to watch many people at all, just you." This sentence is simple, but there is a deep feeling behind it. The phone rang and Mary went to answer it. "Hey... yes... I'm... oh, it's you..." She turned to Philip and said, "It's Michael." "Yes... yes, we heard. Dad called... oh, of course... yes... yes... Philip said it would be all right if the solicitors were happy... Really, Mike Well, I don't know why you're so upset...I don't know I'm so stupid...Really, Michel, I really think you—hey...hey...' She frowned angrily. "He hung up." She put the receiver back. "Really, Philip, I don't know Michael." "What the hell did he say?" "Oh, he seems excited. He says I'm stupid, and doesn't understand--the implications of things. Trouble is coming! He said it. But why? I don't understand." "He's nervous, isn't he?" said Philip thoughtfully. "But why?" "Oh, he's right, you know. It does matter." Mary looked a little flustered. "You mean there's going to be a revival of interest in the case? Of course I'm glad Jack's cleared, but it'd be rather unpleasant if people started talking about it again." "It's not just what the neighbors say. There are more serious things." She looked at him questioningly. "The police will be interested too!" "The police?" Mary said suddenly. "What does this have to do with them?" "My dear," said Philip. "Think about it." Mary came slowly and sat beside him. "It's another unsolved crime now, you know," said Philip. "But of course they don't bother—after all this time?" "Very good wishful thinking," said Philip, "but basically unreasonable, I'm afraid." "Of course," said Mary, "after they've been so stupid—and made such a terrific mistake with Jack—they won't want to bring the whole thing up again, will they?" "They may not want to - but they may have to! Responsibility is responsibility." "Oh, Philip, I believe you are wrong, there will be a little gossip, and then things will settle down." "Then we'll live happily ever after," Philip said sarcastically. "Why not?" He shook his head. "It's not that simple... Your father was right. We've got to get together and talk it over. Get Marshall with him, as he said." "You mean—to Sunny Point?" "yes." "Oh, we can't do that." "why?" "It won't work. You're a patient and—" "I'm not a patient," Philip said angrily. "I'm strong and fine. I just can't use my legs. I can even go to Africa with proper transportation." "I'm sure going to Sunny Point is very bad for you. To bring up such an unpleasant affair—" "I'm not affected." "—and I don't see how we can get out of the house. So many thieves lately." "Find someone to sleep here at night." "Put it well—like it's the easiest thing in the world." "The old lady with what's her name can come every day. Don't bring up these housewife objections, Polly. Actually, you don't want to go at all." "I don't want to go." "We won't be there long," Philip reassured her, "but I think we must. This is a time when the family has to come together, and we have to figure out where we are." Calgary retired to his room after an early dinner in the dry-mouthed hotel. He felt deeply affected by what he had experienced in Sunny Point.He had expected that it would be a painful task, and he completed it with the utmost determination. The whole thing, however, distressed him in a way quite different from what he had expected, and he flung himself on the bed, lit a cigarette, and turned it over and over in his mind. The clearest image in his mind was Hester's face at parting.Her disdainful refutation of his fair claims!What is she saying? "It's not the guilty that counts, it's the innocent." Then: "Don't you understand what you've done to us?" But, what has he done?He doesn't understand. There are others.The woman they call her Kirsty (Why Kirsty? It's a Scottish name. She's not Scots--Danish, maybe, or Norwegian?) Why does she speak so decidedly--then Blame someone? Leo Argyle is also kind of weird - withdrawn, wary.There is no natural "thank goodness my son is innocent" response! And that girl—Leo's secretary.She kindly helped him.But her reaction was also weird.He remembered her kneeling beside Argyle's chair.As if—as if—she was sympathizing with him, comforting him.Why comfort him?Innocent for his son?And of course—yes. , of course - it's not just the secretary's feelings - even if it's a secretary for many years... What's the matter?why they- The phone on the bedside table rang.He picked up the receiver. "Hey?" "Dr. Calgary? Someone's looking for you." "Find me?" He was surprised.As far as he knew, no one knew he was spending the night in dry mouth. "Who?" Pause.Then the hotel clerk said: "Mr. Argyle." "Oh, tell him—" Arthur Calgary was about to say that he would go downstairs when he broke off.If Leo Argyle had followed him to Drymouth for some reason and managed to find out that he had spent the night there, it would have been embarrassing to confer in the crowded foyer downstairs. He changed his words and said: "Ask him to come upstairs to my room, will you?" He got up and paced back and forth until there was a knock on the door. He went over and opened the door. "Come in, Mr. Argyle, I—" He stopped, startled.Not Leo Argyll.It was a young man, with a dark, handsome face marred by resentment.A cruel, angry, unhappy face. "Didn't expect it to be me," said the young man. "Thought it was me—Father. I'm Michael Argyle." "Come in." After the visitor entered, Calgary closed the door. "How do you know I'm here?" he asked the young man, handing the cigarette case. Michael Argyle picked up a cigarette and let out a short, unpleasant laugh. "That's easy! Call up every big hotel and ask. The second one will find it." "Then why do you want to see me?" Michael Argyle says: "Want to see what kind of person you are..." He looked up and down Calgary, noticing slightly arched shoulders, graying hair, and a thin, sensitive face. "So you were part of the Hayes Bentley expedition to the Pole. You don't look very strong." Arthur Calgary smiled. "Appearances can be deceiving," he said. "I'm strong enough. It's not all about strength. There are other important things: stamina, patience, expertise." "How old are you, forty-five?" "thirty eight." "It looks more than that." "Yes—yes, probably." For a moment he felt a surge of intense sadness, facing this young and strong young man. He asked a little abruptly: "Why do you want to see me?" The other party frowned. "Naturally, isn't it? When I heard the news you brought. News of my dear brother." Calgary made no reply. Mike Argyle continued: "It's a little too late for him, isn't it?" "Yes," Calgary whispered. "It's too late for him." "Why have you kept your mouth shut? What's the matter with the concussion?" Calgary told him patiently.Oddly enough, the young lad's roughness lifted his spirits.In any case, this is a young man who is very considerate of his brother. "Giving Jack an alibi, that's the whole point, isn't it? How do you know it's the time you say it is?" "I'm pretty sure it's about that time," said Calgary with certainty. "You might be wrong. You science guys sometimes get lost in little things like time and place." Calgary looked a little amused. "What do you have in mind is the absent-minded professor in the novel - wearing trousers of different colors, not quite sure what year and day he is in? My dear young man, the work of science requires a high degree of precision: Quantity , time, and calculations are all right, I assure you that I can't forget that I let your brother get on the bus just before seven o'clock, and then let him get off at Gankou five minutes after half past seven." "Your watch may be wrong. Or you're relying on the clock in your car." "My watch and the clock in the car are perfectly in sync." "Jack may have managed to outwit you. He's good at tricks." "No tricks. Why are you so eager to prove me wrong?" Calgary went on, a little agitatedly, "I expected it might not be easy to convince the authorities that they had convicted a My family believed it would be so difficult!" "So you've found it a little hard to convince us?" "The reaction seemed a little — unusual." Mike stared at him. "They don't want to believe you?" "It seems—somewhat like that..." "Not just as if. But indeed. It's natural enough, too, if you put your mind to it." "But why? Why is it natural? Your mother was killed. Your brother was charged and sentenced. Now it turns out he's innocent. You should be happy—grateful. Your own brother." "He's not my brother. And she's not my mother." "what?" "Didn't anyone tell you? We were all adopted. All of us. Mary, my eldest 'sister', was in New York. The rest were at the time of the Great War. My 'mother', as you call her, didn't So she made a nice family by adoption. Mary, myself, Tina, Hester, Jack. Comfortable, luxurious home and full of motherly love! I think she forgot later that we were not Her own child. But she was unlucky when she chose Jack as one of her dear little boys." "I don't know," said Calgary. "So don't talk to me about your 'mother, brother'! Jack is a bitch!" "But not the murderer," Calgary said. His tone was strong.Michel looked at him and nodded. "Well. You said it—and you insisted. Jack didn't kill her. Well then—who did it? You haven't thought about that, have you? Now think about it. Think about it—and then you'll start Understand what good you are doing to us..." He turned around abruptly and walked out the door abruptly.