M. R. James

“ But he set in front, sir, and only the boxes inside behind him. And do you reely think, sir, as his name weren’t Henderson at all? Oh dear me, what a dreadful thing! Why fancy what trouble it might bring to a innocent person that might never have set foot in the place but for that!’
They left Mrs. Porter in tears. On the way home there was much discussion as to the best means of keeping watch upon possible sales. ”

“ Porter with the real need for silence, and were forced to make a concession only in the case of Mr. Avery, who was expected on a visit shortly: ‘But you may be safe with father, sir,’ said Mrs. Porter. ‘Father ain’t a talkin’ man.’
It was not quite Mr. Davidson’s experience of him; still, there were no neighbours at Brockstone, and even Mr. Avery must be aware that gossip with anybody on such a subject would be likely to end in the Porters having to look out for another situation.
A last question was whether Mr. Henderson, so-called, had anyone with him. ”

“ If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.’
Meanwhile the two men had been examining the books, and now Davidson spoke.
‘I’m sorry to say I’m afraid there’s something wrong here, Mrs. Porter. These are not the same books.’
It would make too long a business to detail all Mrs. Porter’s outcries, and the questionings that followed. The upshot was this. Early in January the gentleman had come to see over the chapel and thought a great deal of it and said he must come back in the spring weather and take some photografts. ”

“ Davidson.
‘Oh indeed, sir! do you know that part?’
‘No, I’m only going for the sake of taking a walk back to Longbridge, and seeing a bit of the country.’
‘Oh indeed, sir! Well, ’tis a beautiful day for a gentleman as enjoys a bit of a walk.’
‘Yes, to be sure. Have you got far to go when you get to Kingsbourne?’
‘No, sir, I ain’t got far to go, once I get to Kingsbourne Junction. I’m agoin’ to see my daughter, sir. She live at Brockstone. That’s about two mile across the fields from what they call Kingsbourne Junction, that is. ”

“ Clark, he’s the agent, he come over once in so many weeks to see to things, and my daughter’s husband he’s the keeper.’
‘And who uses the chapel? just the people round about, I suppose.’
‘Oh no, no one don’t use the chapel. Why, there ain’t no one to go. All the people about, they go to Stanford St. Thomas Church; but my son-in-law he go to Kingsbourne Church now, because the gentleman at Stanford he have this Gregory singin’, and my son-in-law he don’t like that ”

“ Screen-work, pulpit, seating, and glass—all were of the same period; and as he advanced into the nave and sighted the organ-case with its gold embossed pipes in the western gallery, his cup of satisfaction was filled. The glass in the nave windows was chiefly armorial; in the chancel were figure-subjects, of the kind that may be seen at Abbey Dore, of Lord Scudamore’s work. ”

“ But I never yet see nothin’ worse than myself, as the sayin’ goes, and I kindly hope I never may.’
In the conversation that followed (there was not much of it) nothing was added to the statement of the case. Having parted on good terms with Mr. Avery and his daughter, Mr. Davidson addressed himself to his eight-mile walk. The little valley of Brockstone soon led him down into the broader one of the Tent, and on to Stanford St. Thomas, where he found refreshment.
We need not accompany him all the way to Longbridge. ”

“ Mr. Davidson also laughed as honestly as he could, thinking meanwhile that Brockstone Court and chapel would probably be worth including in his walk, for the map showed that from Brockstone he could strike the Tent Valley quite as easily as by following the main Kingsbourne—Longbridge road. ”

“ But as Harry says,—that’s my son-in-law, sir,—’whoever it can be,’ he says, ‘as does it, because there ain’t only the one door, and we keeps the key locked up,’ he says, ‘and the winders is barred, every one on ’em. ”

“ The preceding narrative shows that there was in fact plenty of material for constructing a case; and when once Messrs, Davidson and Witham had brought their end to Scotland Yard, the join-up was soon made, and the circle completed.
To the relief of Mrs. Porter, the owners of Brockstone decided not to replace the books in the chapel: they repose, I believe, in a safe-deposit in town. The police have their own methods of keeping certain matters out of the newspapers: otherwise it can hardly be supposed that Watkins’s evidence about Mr. ”

“ That’s the first time ever I’ve found ’em so. But it’s not for want of care on my part, I do assure you, gentlemen, if they wasn’t, for I felt the cloths the last thing before I shut up last week, when the gentleman had done photografting the heast winder, and every one was shut, and where there was ribbons left I tied ’em. ”