Chapter 34 Chapter Thirty-Three Unexpected Testimony

Fool: What are you reading, my lord? Hamlet: Words, words, words. Mrs. Belden paused, her eyes glazed over, her face clouded by the words, and there was nothing to say between us.I first broke the silence and asked about some of what she had just mentioned.Exactly how Hannah got into her house without the neighbors knowing. "Well," she said, "it was a bit chilly that night, and I went to bed early, and slept in this room. The Orient train passed R at twelve-fifty—when someone tapped on the head of my bed. I thought it was a neighbor who was sick, so I quickly got up on my elbows and asked who was outside. There was a low and muffled voice outside: "It's Hannah, Miss Leavenworth's maid! Please open the window." The kitchen door let me in.' I was surprised to hear a familiar voice, but at the same time I felt ominous. I lit the oil lamp and hurried to the door. 'Is anyone coming with you?' I Ask. 'No.' She replied. I said: 'Come in quickly.' However, as soon as she entered the door, I felt so weak that I had to sit down. Because I saw her face was extremely pale and strange, and she had no luggage on her body. , looking devastated. 'Hannah!' I said in surprise, 'what's the matter? What happened? Why are you here alone in the middle of the night?' 'Miss Leavenworth called me here.' She Replied in a low, flat tone, as if reciting from a textbook.'She asked me to come here, and said you would take me in, and not allow me to step out of the gate, nor let anyone know that I was here.' 'Why?' I asked Her, there was a thousand fears in her voice. 'What happened?' 'I dare not say,' she whispered, 'I can't tell, I'm just here to stay, I have to keep silent.' I helped her Taking off the shawl, it was exactly as advertised in the paper. 'But you must tell me, she won't forbid you to tell me?' ' She really forbade it, not to anyone. The girl replied. The more she insisted, the paler her face became. "I will never break my promise, even if I set fire to it, I will not say it." Her expression was quite determined, not like herself at all. , because in my impression she is a docile and well-behaved girl, but now I can only look at her blankly. 'Will you take me in?' she asked, 'You won't drive me away, will you?' 'No, ' I said, 'I won't tell you.' 'I won't tell anyone, will I?' she asked again. 'I won't tell anyone,' I repeated.

"She seemed to be relieved by my answer. She thanked me and followed me slowly up the stairs. I let her live in the room where you found her, because it is the least known part of the house .She stayed in it, and as far as I know, she was content, until today when this horrible thing happened." "Is that all?" I asked. "Didn't you hear any explanation from her afterwards? She never gave you any news about why she left?" "No, sir. She kept her mouth shut. She didn't say anything. The next day, with the newspaper in my hand, I asked her whether her escape from the Leavenworth house had anything to do with the murder, and she didn't answer clearly. Either someone silenced her, or What happened made her unwilling to speak. As she said, she set fire to her and tortured her, and she would never say anything."

As soon as we had finished speaking we were silent for a while, and my mind was still circling on a certain point, because I was very interested in this point, I said: "What you just said about Mary Leavenworth's secret marriage and her dilemma, in other words, that unless her uncle dies, she will not be free, plus Hannah said she left home to avoid the limelight, and it was Mary Leavenworth's insistence. You are based on Judgment based on the above doubts, isn’t it?” "Yes, sir, and the letter she sent me yesterday, and the thing you said you had in your hand, is enough to prove that she is quite concerned about the matter."

Oh, that letter! "I know," continued Mrs. Belden, in a trembling voice, "that no conclusion should be jumped to in a case of this magnitude, but, oh, sir, but as far as a person who knows is concerned, what can I do?" ?” I didn't answer.The same previous question lingered in my mind: From these later developments, can it continue to be believed that Mary Leavenworth did not kill her uncle herself? "It's frightening to draw these conclusions," continued Mrs. Belden, "and I wouldn't jump to them if she hadn't written a personal confession with her own hand, but—"

"Sorry," I interrupted her, "you said at the beginning that you didn't believe Mary was directly involved in her uncle's murder. Are you still so sure?" "Yes, I'm sure. I don't rule out that she influenced others to commit the crime, but I can't imagine her committing the murder herself. No! Oh, no! Whatever happened the night of the murder, Mary Leavenworth No pistols or bullets were touched, and she couldn’t even be there when the shots were fired. You can be sure of that. Only those who are in love with her, obsessed with her, and feel that they can’t get her by any means, have the courage to do it cruelly.”

"So you think—" "Is Mr. Claflin the murderer? I think so. Oh, sir, come to think of it, isn't the fact that he's her husband rather terrible in itself?" "It's scary, yes." I got up to hide the impact of her conclusions.And my tone or expression seemed to surprise her. "I hope I'm not talking nonsense, and I believe I'm not talking nonsense." She said loudly, with distrust in her eyes, "There is a maid's body lying in my home, I should be more careful in my words and deeds, I I know, but—” "You didn't say anything!" I assured her seriously.At this time, I was slowly walking towards the door, and I was anxious to get out of here, even for a while, because the atmosphere in the room really made me breathless. "What you said or did today, no one can use it against you. But—" I stopped here and hurried back, "I want to ask you another question. One What reason do you have for calling Henry Claflin suspicious except that most people would not believe a young and pretty lady when she commits a heinous crime? Besides, you have shown respect for this gentleman from the first moment. "

"There's no other reason," she said quietly, with the excitement that was always there in her tone. This reason was insufficient, and I felt suffocated for a while.I felt the same way when I heard that the missing key had been found on Eleanor Leavenworth. "With all due respect," I said, "I would like to be alone for a while to reflect on some of what I have just heard. I will be right back." I left in a hurry without saying any polite words. Immediately, under the influence of a strange impulse, I went upstairs and stood before the west window of the great room opposite Mrs. Belden's bedroom.The shutters were closed, and the room was filled with the gloomy atmosphere of a funeral, but there was no solemnity or fear at this time.I have a heated debate with myself.In the murder, did Mary Leavenworth play the role of mastermind or accomplice?Might Mr. Gritz's firm prejudices, Eleanor's view of the facts, and all the circumstantial evidence we know have any effect on Mrs. Belden's chances of telling the truth?All detectives with an interest in the case would consider these issues settled, no doubt about that, but shouldn't there be suspicion?Is it utterly impossible to find evidence of Henry Claflin's murder of Mr. Leavenworth?

With these questions in my mind, I looked across the room at the bed where Hannah's body lay.From all inferences she must have known what was going on, and I was very sorry.Oh, why can't the living make the dead talk?Why can she lie here quietly, without pulse or movement, and yet she can answer these terrible questions with just one word?Is there no power to open the dead lips to speak? My heart suddenly became hot, and I walked to her side.Oh, God, she is as still as water!Facing my aggressive gaze, her tightly closed eyelids and lips were mocking me!Even a stone is more responsive than this corpse.

I stood up, feeling almost annoyed, when I saw something stick out from under her shoulders, which were pressing against the bed.Is it an envelope?Or a letter?Great. The suddenness of the discovery made me a little dizzy, but it also inspired wild hopes, and I stooped and pulled out the letter with excitement.The envelope was glued, but the addressee was not marked.I quickly opened it and glanced at the contents.God!This letter is from Hannah!It can be seen from the handwriting that this is obviously Hannah's handwritten letter!Feeling like a miracle, I hurried to another room to concentrate on deciphering the awkward handwriting.

The letter, scrawled and printed in pencil on a piece of plain writing paper, read as follows: I am a bad girl.I knew from the beginning that I should tell the truth, but I dared not, and he said he would kill me if I told.I'm talking about the tall dashing gentleman with the black mustache.On the night Mr. Leavenworth was killed, I saw him come out of Mr. Leavenworth's room with a key in his hand.He was scared, so he gave me money to make me run away, to come here, to cover everything up, but I can't pretend anymore.I have often seen Miss Elinor weeping, and she asked me if I wished to see her in prison.I promise God I'd rather die than have her in a cell.These are the facts and my last words. I hope everyone can forgive me, I hope everyone will not blame me, and I hope they will stop harassing Miss Eleanor, and hurry to find that handsome man with a black mustache.