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pubOne.info present you this new edition. It was not my husband speaking, but some passerby. However, I looked up at George with a smile, and found him looking down at me with much the same humour. We had often spoken of the odd phrases one hears in the street, and how interesting it would be sometimes to hear a little more of the conversation.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819935186
Langue	English

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INITIALS ONLY
by Anna Katharine Green
BOOK I. AS SEEN BY TWO STRANGERS
I. POINSETTIAS
“A remarkable man! ”
It was not my husband speaking, but some passerby.However, I looked up at George with a smile, and found him lookingdown at me with much the same humour. We had often spoken of theodd phrases one hears in the street, and how interesting it wouldbe sometimes to hear a little more of the conversation.
“That's a case in point, ” he laughed, as he guidedme through the crowd of theatre-goers which invariably block thispart of Broadway at the hour of eight. “We shall never know whoseeulogy we have just heard. 'A remarkable man! ' There are not manyof them. ”
“No, ” was my somewhat indifferent reply. It was akeen winter night and snow was packed upon the walks in a way tothrow into sharp relief the figures of such pedestrians as happenedto be walking alone. “But it seems to me that, so far as generalappearance goes, the one in front answers your description mostadmirably. ”
I pointed to a man hurrying around the corner justahead of us.
“Yes, he's remarkably well built. I noticed him whenhe came out of the Clermont. ” This was a hotel we had justpassed.
“But it's not only that. It's his height, his verystriking features, his expression— ” I stopped suddenly, grippingGeorge's arm convulsively in a surprise he appeared to share. Wehad turned the corner immediately behind the man of whom we werespeaking and so had him still in full view.
“What's he doing? ” I asked, in a low whisper. Wewere only a few feet behind. “Look! look! don't you call thatcurious? ”
My husband stared, then uttered a low, “Rather. ”The man ahead of us, presenting in every respect the appearance ofa gentleman, had suddenly stooped to the kerb and was washing hishands in the snow, furtively, but with a vigour and purpose whichcould not fail to arouse the strangest conjectures in any chanceonlooker.
“Pilate! ” escaped my lips, in a sort of nervouschuckle. But George shook his head at me.
“I don't like it, ” he muttered, with unusualgravity. “Did you see his face? ” Then as the man rose and hurriedaway from us down the street, “I should like to follow him. I dobelieve— ”
But here we became aware of a quick rush and suddenclamour around the corner we had just left, and turning quickly,saw that something had occurred on Broadway which was fast causinga tumult.
“What's the matter? ” I cried. “What can havehappened? Let's go see, George. Perhaps it has something to do withour man. ”
My husband, with a final glance down the street atthe fast disappearing figure, yielded to my importunity, andpossibly to some new curiosity of his own.
“I'd like to stop that man first, ” said he. “Butwhat excuse have I? He may be nothing but a crank, with somecrack-brained idea in his head. We'll soon know; for there'scertainly something wrong there on Broadway. ”
“He came out of the Clermont, ” I suggested.
“I know. If the excitement isn't there, what we'vejust seen is simply a coincidence. ” Then, as we retraced our stepsto the corner “Whatever we hear or see, don't say anything aboutthis man. It's after eight, remember, and we promised Adela that wewould be at the house before nine. ”
“I'll be quiet. ”
“Remember. ”
It was the last word he had time to speak before wefound ourselves in the midst of a crowd of men and women, jostlingone another in curiosity or in the consternation following a quickalarm. All were looking one way, and, as this was towards theentrance of the Clermont, it was evident enough to us that thealarm had indeed had its origin in the very place we hadanticipated. I felt my husband's arm press me closer to his side aswe worked our way towards the entrance, and presently caught awarning sound from his lips as the oaths and confused crieseverywhere surrounding us were broken here and there by articulatewords and we heard:
“Is it murder? ”
“The beautiful Miss Challoner! ”
“A millionairess in her own right! ”
“Killed, they say. ”
“No, no! suddenly dead; that's all. ”
“George, what shall we do? ” I managed to cry intomy husband's ear.
“Get out of this. There is no chance of our reachingthat door, and I can't have you standing round any longer in thisicy slush. ”
“But— but is it right? ” I urged, in an importunatewhisper. “Should we go home while he— ”
“Hush! My first duty is to you. We will go make ourvisit; but to-morrow— ”
“I can't wait till to-morrow, ” I pleaded, wild tosatisfy my curiosity in regard to an event in which I naturallyfelt a keen personal interest.
He drew me as near to the edge of the crowd as hecould. There were new murmurs all about us.
“If it's a case of heart-failure, why send for thepolice? ” asked one.
“It is better to have an officer or two here, ”grumbled another.
“Here comes a cop. ”
“Well, I'm going to vamoose. ”
“I'll tell you what I'll do, ” whispered George,who, for all his bluster was as curious as myself. “We will try therear door where there are fewer persons. Possibly we can make ourway in there, and if we can, Slater will tell us all we want toknow. ”
Slater was the assistant manager of the Clermont,and one of George's oldest friends.
“Then hurry, ” said I. “I am being crushed here.”
George did hurry, and in a few minutes we werebefore the rear entrance of the great hotel. There was a mobgathered here also, but it was neither so large nor so rough as theone on Broadway. Yet I doubt if we should have been able to workour way through it if Slater had not, at that very instant, shownhimself in the doorway, in company with an officer to whom he wasgiving some final instructions. George caught his eye as soon as hewas through with the man, and ventured on what I thought a ratheruncalled for plea.
“Let us in, Slater, ” he begged. “My wife feels alittle faint; she has been knocked about so by the crowd. ”
The manager glanced at my face, and shouted to thepeople around us to make room. I felt myself lifted up, and that isall I remember of this part of our adventure. For, affected morethan I realised by the excitement of the event, I no sooner saw theway cleared for our entrance than I made good my husband's words byfainting away in earnest.
When I came to, it was suddenly and with perfectrecognition of my surroundings. The small reception room to which Ihad been taken was one I had often visited, and its familiarfeatures did not hold my attention for a moment. What I did see andwelcome was my husband's face bending close over me, and to him Ispoke first. My words must have sounded oddly to those about. “Havethey told you anything about it? ” I asked. “Did he— ”
A quick pressure on my arm silenced me, and then Inoticed that we were not alone. Two or three ladies stood near,watching me, and one had evidently been using some restorative, forshe held a small vinaigrette in her hand. To this lady, George madehaste to introduce me, and from her I presently learned the causeof the disturbance in the hotel.
It was of a somewhat different nature from what Iexpected, and during the recital, I could not prevent myself fromcasting furtive and inquiring glances at George.
Edith, the well-known daughter of Moses Challoner,had fallen suddenly dead on the floor of the mezzanine. She was notknown to have been in poor health, still less in danger of a fatalattack, and the shock was consequently great to her friends,several of whom were in the building. Indeed, it was likely toprove a shock to the whole community, for she had great claims togeneral admiration, and her death must be regarded as a calamity topersons in all stations of life.
I realised this myself, for I had heard much of theyoung lady's private virtues, as well as of her great beauty anddistinguished manner. A heavy loss, indeed, but—
“Was she alone when she fell? ” I asked.
“Virtually alone. Some persons sat on the other sideof the room, reading at the big round table. They did not even hearher fall. They say that the band was playing unusually loud in themusicians' gallery. ”
“Are you feeling quite well, now? ”
“Quite myself, ” I gratefully replied as I roseslowly from the sofa. Then, as my kind informer stepped aside, Iturned to George with the proposal we should go now.
He seemed as anxious as myself to leave and togetherwe moved towards the door, while the hum of excited comment whichthe intrusion of a fainting woman had undoubtedly interrupted,recommenced behind us till the whole room buzzed.
In the hall we encountered Mr. Slater, whom I havebefore mentioned. He was trying to maintain order while himself ina state of great agitation. Seeing us, he could not refrain fromwhispering a few words into my husband's ear.
“The doctor has just gone up— her doctor, I mean.He's simply dumbfounded. Says that she was the healthiest woman inNew York yesterday— I think— don't mention it, that he suspectssomething quite different from heart failure. ”
“What do you mean? ” asked George, following theassistant manager down the broad flight of steps leading to theoffice. Then, as I pressed up close to Mr. Slater's other side,“She was by herself, wasn't she, in the half floor above? ”
“Yes, and had been writing a letter. She fell withit still in her hand. ”
“Have they carried her to her room? ” I eagerlyinquired, glancing fearfully up at the large semi-circular openingsoverlooking us from the place where she had fallen.
“Not yet. Mr. Hammond insists upon waiting for thecoroner. ” (Mr. Hammond was the proprietor of the hotel. ) “She islying on one of the big couches near which she fell. If you like, Ican give you a glimpse of her. She looks beautiful. It's terribleto think that she is dead. ”
I don't know why we consented. We were under aspell, I think. At all events, we accepted his offer and followedhim up a narrow staircase open to very few that night. At the top,he turned upon us with a warning gesture which I hardly think weneeded, and led us down a narrow hall flanked by