The Master of the Shell Part 49

"In the second place, he found that the door, which closes by itself when not propped open, had been held open by a twisted piece of paper, which, on being unrolled, was found to be part of a newspaper, addressed to Mark Railsford, Esquire, Grandcourt."

This made rather more impression than the last; except on Railsford, who still faced his accuser scornfully.

"In the third place, a match-box was discovered on the ledge above the door, placed there, to judge by its freedom from dust, very recently. I ask you to notice three things in connection with this, gentlemen. A match was struck while I was being dragged into the cupboard; a match found on the floor that morning corresponds exactly with the matches in the box placed up on the ledge; and finally, the height of that ledge from the ground shows that it could only have been placed there by someone over six feet high; and the only person of that height in the house is the master, Mr Mark Railsford."

A dead silence followed this, and masters present wondered how Railsford could still sit so indifferent and unmoved.

"Now, gentlemen," continued Mr Bickers, after having allowed a due interval for this last shot to go home, "I should not be justified in repeating these a.s.sertions unless I were also prepared to lay before you the proofs on which those a.s.sertions are based. I therefore requested my informant to let me have these. He has done this, and this parcel,"--here he took up a brown-paper parcel from the seat beside him--"containing the articles I have mentioned, was placed in my hands just as I came to this meeting. I have not even examined them myself, so that I am sure you will do me the credit of believing that when I place them just as they are in your hands, Mr Chairman, I cannot be charged with having tampered with my evidence in any way."

Here he handed the parcel up to Mr Roe, amid dead silence.

"Had you not better open it yourself?" asked the chairman, who evidently did not like the business.

"No, sir; I request you will do so, and that Mr Railsford will confront the contents first in your hands, not mine."

"There is a letter here addressed to you," said Mr Roe.

"Please read that also," said Mr Bickers, declining to take it.

Mr Roe knitted his brow and tore open the envelope.

His brows went up with a start as his eyes fell on the opening words.

He read the letter through, and then, turning to Mr Bickers, said, "This letter is not intended for reading aloud, Mr Bickers."

"Yes it is. I insist on your reading it, Mr Chairman."

"If you insist, I will do it; but I think you would be wiser to put it in your pocket."

"Read it, Mr Chairman," repeated Mr Bickers excitedly.

Mr Roe accordingly read, in a voice which betrayed some emotion:--

"'Sir,-- I'm a cad, and a liar and a thief. Don't believe a word I say.

You can tell anyone you like; most of them know already.

"'Yours truly,

"'Jerry Sneak.'"

The effect of the letter may be more easily imagined than expressed.

The audience received it first with astonishment, then with consternation, and finally, as the light dawned in on their minds, with laughter. Railsford alone looked serious and bewildered.

As for Mr Bickers, his face turned white, and he looked for a moment as if he would spring at Mr Roe's throat. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the letter from the chairman's hand and looked at it, and then stared round him, on the amused faces of his colleagues.

"You have been hoaxed, I fear," said Mr Roe.

Mr Bickers said nothing, but pointed to the parcel.

"Am I to open it?" asked the chairman.

"Yes, yes!" said the master hoa.r.s.ely.

Mr Roe obeyed, and disclosed the turf amid another general laugh, in which all but Railsford and Mr Bickers joined.

The latter had by this time lost his self-control. He glared round him like a baited animal, and then, rounding suddenly on Railsford, exclaimed, "This is your doing! You are at the bottom of this!"

Railsford vouchsafed no reply but a contemptuous shrug. He was in no humour to see the joke. Disgust was his one sensation.

"Order, please," said the chairman. "These meetings, if they are to be of any value, must be conducted without any quarrelling. Mr Bickers, may we consider this unpleasant affair now at an end?"

"No!" shouted Mr Bickers. "I have been insulted! I don't care by whom! The matter is _not_ at an end--not till I have received an answer from this Railsford here to my question! Let him get up like a man and say he did not attack me like a coward last term, and allow the blame and suspicion to fall on others; let him even get up and declare that he does not know anything about the affair. I defy him to do it! He dare not!"

A silence followed this violent tirade, and everyone turned to Railsford. He sat, motionless and pale, with his eyes on his accuser.

"Have you anything to say, Mr Railsford, or shall we consider the matter at an end?"

"I have nothing to say," said the Master of the Sh.e.l.l, sitting, "except that I refuse to answer these questions."

"Very good! Quite right!" said monsieur, springing to his feet. "When Meester Beekaire can speak like a gentleman, he--"

Here the chairman interrupted.

"I addressed my question to Mr Railsford," said he. "I can understand he declines, under present circ.u.mstances, to make any reply to these accusations. But may I suggest it would be most unfortunate if we had to adjourn this disagreeable question again? (Hear, hear.) I imagine it can be very easily terminated to-night. We are all ready, I am sure, to make allowance for a gentleman who is suffering from the irritation of a practical joke. His questions were undoubtedly offensively put, and Mr Railsford, as I say, was ent.i.tled to refuse to answer them. But I ask him, in order to close this painful controversy finally, to allow me as chairman of this meeting, to repeat those questions myself, so that he may have an opportunity, as no doubt he desires, of formally placing on record his denial of the charges which have been brought against him."

Railsford gasped inwardly. The long-expected blow was coming, and he felt it was no use to run from it any longer.

"The questions resolve themselves to two. First. Is there any foundation for the charge that you committed or in any way partic.i.p.ated in the a.s.sault on Mr Bickers last term? And second, Is there any truth in the statement that you know who the culprit or culprits are? Mr Bickers, have I stated your questions correctly?"

"Yes," growled Mr Bickers. "Let him answer them if he can."

Every one now turned to Railsford, who rose slowly to his feet and fixed his eyes full on the chairman. His friends thought they had rarely seen a finer-looking man than he appeared at that moment, and looked forward with pleasure to applauding his denial, and greeting him as finally clear of the odious suspicions under which he had laboured for so long.

His reply was brief and clear:--

"Mr Roe and gentlemen,--The first question I answer with an emphatic negative. The second question I do not answer at all."

A bombsh.e.l.l exploding in the hall could not have caused greater consternation and astonishment than this avowal.

Grover, monsieur, and his other friends turned pale, and wondered if they were dreaming; others frowned; Mr Bickers smiled.

"I knew it!" said he. "I knew it!"

Mr Roe said,--

"You can hardly have heard the question properly, Mr Railsford; may I repeat it?"

"I heard it perfectly well," said Railsford.