Bernard Capes

“ William Brash deposed to his pleasant intimacy with the deceased, who, he declared, with some hesitancy of emotion, was as handsome-spoken a young gentleman as one might wish to serve. The visit of the young lady and gentleman had extended to a fortnight when the disaster happened. During the last week of this fortnight Master Harry had developed an extraordinary interest in butterfly hunting, and, latterly, had got him, Brash, to procure him a poison-bottle, the one in question, from the local chemist in Footover. ”

“ Moved by one of those reckless explorative appetites to which youth is subject, attracted, no doubt, by the sweet almondy or peach-stony savour of the stuff, he had dared to taste, and had paid with his life for his mad temerity. ”

“ The supposition was quite plausible. Indeed it is a frequent matter for wonder with me that unconsidering youth does not more often than happens fall a victim to the thousand temptations, in the way of insidious foods and drinks, which assail it.
My evidence, I say, was clear and unequivocal. The only other, of local importance, was contributed by William Brash, Sir Hugh's butler. It is necessary, before detailing this man's sworn testimony, to say a word as to the circumstances surrounding the case. ”

“ He had returned rather late, and had gone straight, by direction, to Master Harry's bedroom, where he found the boy busy in writing letters. He had placed the bottle on the dressing-table, and was about to withdraw, when Master Harry had detained him with a request for stamps, having none of his own, and it being too late to disturb his uncle. He had gone and procured the stamps desired from his own room, had returned with them to the young gentleman, and had seen him place them on his letters, which he had handed over to him, Brash, there and then, to put with the night post. ”

“ Langdon Court lies pretty sunk and secluded among the heathy environs of the New Forest. Its owner, at the period of the calamity, was living in a considerably self-restricted state, and much of the house was shut up. Visitors, the few. who came, were accommodated in a wing of the building remote from the neighbourhood of the nervous and suffering invalid, and but few servants were kept. Of these few, William Brash was the principal. He had been in Sir Hugh's service some two years when I saw him. He was a slow, large man, reserved of speech and with a very quiet manner. ”

“ There are wicked powers that can be exerted from a distance—even half across the world. It has never occurred to you, I am sure, that by the removal of our darling, this man, this Uncle Francis, becomes the heir presumptive to the title and estates? ”

“ The train began to slow down. She leaned forward a little.
"If," she repeated low, "He will condescend to make a woman His instrument. Mad I may be—such grief could not keep its reason—but the mad can hate. ”

“ I started with two equipments for my task—an utter incredulity as to the deceased's inclination to so insane a deed; an instinctive prejudice or antipathy against the butler. They should have disqualified me, you will say. That is for the defence to prove.
"It was very shortly after—no farther than the next day—that I got upon my clue. I had occasion to go into the butler's pantry, and found William Brash there, smoking. ”

“ Pressed as to her last statement, the witness referred to the little girl's vision. "She dreamt it," she said, "on the very night of the occurrence. I implied otherwise at the inquest; but that was for a purpose. I designed to lead those interested off the scent I was following." Cross-examined, she admitted that her antipathy to Uncle Francis, born into existence on the one and only occasion when they had met, was inexplicable according to natural laws. ”

“ This bottle had been found upon the poor young fellow's dressing-table, incident upon the discovery of its owner's body lying dead in an arm-chair near the fire-place. The cork was out; the stuff at the bottom showed unmistakable signs of having been prodded and raked at, and the boy's own penknife, smeared with the poison, lay beside. ”

“ Langdon, never willingly parted with a scrap of her son's writing. In that one instance the envelope had been preserved, and its testimony was sufficient. As I held it before me, in the privacy of my room, I knew that my theory was justified, and that I had hit upon the truth. The stamp was much discoloured, and it still emitted a faint scent of peach-stones. I maintain that William Brash never delivered the bottle at all to Henry Langdon living ”

“ It was given with a curious deadly precision—the matter of which I can reproduce, but hardly the manner—and is to be summed up as follows:
"William Brash, arraigned before Mr. ... on a charge of procuring the death of Henry Langdon by poison, Barbara Roper, witness for the prosecution, gave evidence:
"In the horror of the discovery we had all come into the room, the butler, the other servants and myself. After the first paralysing shock was overcome, I began quietly to take notes. The uncorked bottle stood on the dressing-table, and I looked into it. ”