Читать книгу The Thief in the Night and Other Stories - Edgar Wallace - Страница 8

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BARBARA was one of the first down next morning, a cool healthy figure in grey; and Jack who had just come in from his morning stroll seemed to be the only other guest about.

"Good-morning, Miss May, you're a very early riser," he greeted her.

"Aren't I," she said. "But there isn't much virtue in early rising, you know. The worm is an earlier riser, or the bird wouldn't have got him."

They strolled out again on to the drive and stood looking across the glorious landscape at the meadow-land that sloped down to the river and the forest of lordly oaks which crowned the ridge on the far side of the Stour.

"It's good to be alive," said Barbara May.

"I wish I had sufficient energy to walk to the post office."

"I'll encourage you," said Barbara May, "wait till I get my hat."

They swung down the drive together, past the lodge gates and through the quaint village street. Jack had a sealed packet to send.

"A report to his chief," thought Barbara.

They had left the shop when suddenly she stopped.

"I must get some stamps," she said and turned back. "No, don't come with me; I won't be a second."

She walked back into the shop and drew a packet from the pocket of her sports coat.

"This is to be expressed," she said, "it is stamped and weighed."

"Very good, miss," said the postmaster.

He examined the address and dropped the packet into a bag.

"I'm capricious and decided not to buy any stamps at all," she said as she rejoined Jack. "I feared to keep you waiting, as the masculine temper before breakfast is notoriously savage."

"When are you going to London?" he asked.

"This afternoon, I think," she replied.

"I would have gone this morning, but it would have looked so suspicious leaving the house, supposing a burglar had come—and one doesn't know whether there has been a burglar until all these lazy people wake up."

He smiled.

"I don't think there was a burglar last night," he said rashly.

They went into breakfast together and found Lord and Lady Widdicombe were down. Two or three other guests strolled in.

"Where's Diana?" asked Lord Widdicombe, attacking a kidney.

"Diana. doesn't wake till twelve," said Lady Widdicombe. "Surely you know that."

"I wish Diana would take a little more cheerful view of things," grumbled his lordship, with whom Diana was no great favourite, though she was ward and cousin.

Diana did not, in fact, wake until one o'clock, and she woke feeling exceptionally refreshed. She had slept the clock round and that was really an unusual experience for her.

"I must get Barbara to give me the recipe for that chocolate," she said as she sipped her morning tea, whilst her maid prepared her bath. "Are there any letters, Amile?"

A budget of letters was placed on the coverlet, and Diana glanced through them. Half-an-hour later she was dressed. She wore during the day a pearl necklace and her rings, and she unlocked her little strong-box to get these, and stared into the interior with a white face.

"Amile, quickly," she called. "Where is my plaque?"

"You put it into the box last night. I saw you."

"Are you sure?"

"Certain, madame," said the agitated maid.

Diana made a quick search. No other jewellery was missing, though there was an emerald ring in the box which was worth a fortune. Only the diamonds! She rang the bell and then, remembering she was dressed, she ran down the stairs and met Lord Widdicombe in the hall.

"Willie," she said rapidly, "somebody has taken my diamond plaque."

"Oh damn!" said Lord Widdicombe. He caught the eye of the young man talking to Barbara May, and Danton came across.

"Diana has been robbed of a diamond plaque," said Lord Widdicombe in a low voice. "I wish you'd see her and search the rooms."

His search produced no results. The plaque had gone, and Jack, greatly perturbed, joined his lordship in the library.

"I can't understand it," he said. "She tells me that she always locks her door at night and leaves the key on the inside. This morning the door was locked."

"Could it be unlocked by an instrument used outside?"

"I tried that," said Danton, "and I found it is impossible."

"Then how the devil could it have happened?" demanded the exasperated peer. "Didn't Diana hear any kind of noise?"

"None whatever," said Jack; "and it is obviously impossible to get into the house from the outside unless one of the guests occupying a room on the same floor walked along the parapet."

"That's unlikely. He would want the nerve of a steeplejack to do that."

"There's no doubt about the nerve of the gentleman who's stolen this plaque," said Jack grimly. "I can only suggest that you see the guests and put the matter before them, and say that it is possible that one of the servants may have taken the plaque and concealed it in his mistress's or master's room. Under those circumstances, they will not object to a search."

"That is a good idea," nodded his lordship, and proceeded to interview his guests, who readily acquiesced.

The search, conducted ostensibly by Lord Widdicombe, but in reality by Jack who had "volunteered to help," was thorough but fruitless.

Diana, revelling in an unaccustomed atmosphere of sympathy, treated the matter lightly. "I don't mind the loss of the plaque, because it is insured," she said. "It was a beautiful thing. I only bought it a month ago from Streetley's."

"That's queer," said Widdicombe with a frown.

His wife looked at him in surprise.

"What is that, Widdicombe?" she asked.

"Why, that Crewe-Sanders woman who lost her diamonds had only bought them a month or so before at Streetley's."

"Well, that is not remarkable," said a guest.

They were taking tea in the big drawing-room in the afternoon when the exchange of views occurred.

"Streetley's is the biggest of the fashionable jewellers, and I suppose half the stuff one sees women wearing came from that firm."

"What I worry about," said Diana, bringing attention back to her own misfortune, "is the knowledge that this wretched man was in my room whilst I was asleep."

"I wonder he had the heart to do it, Diana," said his lordship sarcastically, and then seriously: "I'm very annoyed it has happened. I thought we should get through our week without this kind of trouble."

"I wonder the thief had the heart to do it," said Diana sarcastically.