"We will leave you now," he said."You will find me in my study if you want me.That bell communicates with the servants.The lock of the door was broken when we forced our way in, and has not been mended; but you can close the door if you wish to do so.It has been kept open since and the electric light always turned on at night.""Many thanks.I will consider a point or two here and rejoin you.Was the clumney examined?""No.It would not admit a human being."
Then Sir Walter and his nephew left the room, and Hardeastle, waiting until they were out of earshot, shut the door and thrust a heavy chair against it.
They heard no more of him for an hour, and joined Mary and Septimus May, who were walking on the terrace together.The former was eager to learn the detective's opinions, but her husband's father had already warned her that Peter Hardcastle was doomed to fail.
The four walked up and down together, and Prince, Sir Walter's ancient spaniel, went beside them.
Henry told his cousin the nature of their conversation and the direction in which the professional inquiry seemed to turn.
"He wants to see you and hear everything you can tell him about dear Tom's past," he said.
"Of course I will tell him everything; and what I do not know, Mr.May will remember.""He is very quiet and very open - minded about some things, but jolly positive about others.Your father-in-law won't get far with him.He scoffs at any supernatural explanation of our terrible loss."Mr.May overheard this remark.
"As I have already told Mary, his failure is assured.He is wasting his time, and I knew he probably would do so before he came.Not to such a man, however clever he may be, will an explanation be vouchsafed.I would rather trust an innocent child to discover these things than such a person.He is lost in his own conceit and harbors vain ideas.""There is something about him I cordially dislike already," confessed Sir Walter."And yet it is a most unreasonable dislike on my part, for he is exceedingly well mannered, speaks and conducts himself like a gentleman, and does nothing that can offend the most sensitive.""A prejudice, Uncle Walter."
"Perhaps it is, Henry; yet I rarely feel prejudice.""Call it rather an intuition," said the clergyman."What your antipathetic attitude means is that you already unconsciously know this man is not going to avail, and that his assumption of superiority in the matter of knowledge - his opinions and lack of faith - will defeat him if nothing else does.He approaches his problem in an infidel spirit, and consequently the problem will evade his skill; because such skill is not merely futile in this matter, but actually destructive."Mary left them, and they discussed the probable chances of the detective without convincing each other.Henry, who had been much impressed by Hardcastle, argued in his favor; but Septimus May was obdurate, and Sir Walter evidently inclined to agree with him.
"The young men think the old men fools, and the old men know the young ones are," said Sir Walter.
"But he is not young, uncle; he's forty.He told me so.""I thought him ten years less, and he spoke with the dogmatism of youth.""Only on that subject."
"Which happens to be the one subject of all others on which we have a right to demand an open and reverent mind," said the clergyman.
Henry noticed that Sir Walter spoke almost spitefully.
"Well, at any rate, he thought rather small beer of the Grey Room.He felt quite sure that the secret lay outside it.He was going to exhaust the possibilities of the place in no time."As he spoke the gong sounded, and Prince, pricking his ears, led the way to the open French window of the dining-room.
"Call our friend, Henry," said his uncle.And young Lennox, glad of the opportunity, entered the house.He desired a word with Hardcastle in private, and ascended to join him.
The door of the Grey Room was still closed, and Henry found some obstacle within that prevented it from yielding to his hand.At once disturbed by this incident, he did not stand upon ceremony.He pushed the door, which gave before him, and he perceived that a heavy chair had been thrust against it.His noisy entrance challenged no response, and, looking round, it appeared for an instant that the room was empty; but, lowering his eyes, he saw first the detective's open notebook and stylograph lying upon the ground, then he discovered Peter Hardcastle himself upon his face with his arms stretched out before him.He lay beside the hearth, motionless.
Lennox stooped, supported, and turned him over.He was still warm and relaxed in every limb, but quite unconscious and apparently dead.An expression of surprise marked his face, and the corner of each open eye had not yet lost its lustre, but the pupil was much dilated.
