第 39 节
作者:上网找工作      更新:2022-04-12 11:59      字数:9322
  I think he will enlighten us upon a few points。  M。 Godin will
  please take the stand。〃
  At this there was much whispering in the courtroom。。  Maitland's
  course seemed decidedly anomalous。  Everyone wondered why he should
  be at such pains to prove that which had been already admitted and
  which; moreover; since he was representing Latour; it would seem he
  would most naturally wish to disprove。  M。 Godin; however; took the
  stand and Maitland proceeded to examine him in a way which only
  added amazement to wonder。
  Q。 How long have you been at work on this case?
  A。 Ever since the murder。
  Q。 When did you first visit M。 Latour's rooms?
  A。 Do you mean to enter them?
  Q。 Yes。
  A。 I did not enter his rooms until the day he was arrested。  I went
  to other rooms of the same tenement…house on previous occasions。
  Q。 Have you reason to believe M。 Latour ever saw you prior to the
  day of his arrest?
  A。 No。  I am sure he did not。  I was especially careful to keep out
  of his way。
  Q。 You are certain that on the several occasions when you say you
  entered his rooms you were not observed by him while there?
  A。 I did not say I entered his rooms on several occasions。
  Q。 What did you say?
  A。 I said I never was in his rooms but once; and that was upon the
  day of his arrest。
  Q。 I understand。  Were you not assisted in your search for Mr。
  Darrow's murderer by certain library books which you discovered M。
  Latour had been reading?
  A。 I … I don't quite understand。
  Q。 M。 Latour obtained some books from the Public Library for hall
  use; giving his name as … as …=20
  A。 Weltz。  Yes; they did assist me。  There were some also taken under
  the name of Rizzi。
  Q。  Exactly。  Those are the names; I think。  How was your attention
  called to these books?
  A。 I met Latour at the library by accident; and he at once struck me
  as a man anxious to avoid observation。  This made it my business to
  watch him。  I saw that he signed his name as 〃Weltz〃 on the slips。
  The next day I saw him there again; and this time he signed the
  slips 〃Rizzi。〃  This was long before the murder; and I was not at
  work upon any case into which I could fit this 〃Weltz〃 or 〃Rizzi。〃
  I was convinced in my own mind; however; that he was guilty of some
  crime; and so put him down in my memory for future reference。  During
  my work upon this present case this incident recurred to me; and I
  followed up the suggestion as one which might possibly throw some
  light upon the subject。
  Q。 Did you peruse the books M。 Latour borrowed under the names of
  Weltz and Rizzi?
  A。 I did not。
  Q。 Did you not look at any of them?
  A。 No。  It did not occur to me to examine their names。
  Q。 You probably noticed that there were several of them。   Among the
  pile was one by Alexander Wynter Blyth entitled; 〃Poisons; Their
  Effects and Detection。〃  Did you notice that?
  A。 No。  I did not notice any of them。
  Q。 But after you became suspicious of M。 Latour; did you not then
  look up the slips; find this work; and read it?
  A。 No。  I have never seen the book in my life and did not even know
  such a work existed。
  Q。 Oh!  Then the perusal of the books had no part in the tracking of
  M。 Latour。
  A。 None whatever。
  Q。 Do you ever play cards?
  A。 Yes; sometimes; to pass the time。
  Q。 Do you play for money?
  A。 Sometimes for a small stake … just enough to make it interesting。
  Q。 Are you familiar with the house in which Mr。 Darrow was murdered?
  A。 I have only such knowledge of it as I acquired at the examination
  immediately after the murder。  You will remember I entered but the
  one room。
  Q。 And the grounds about the house?  Surely you examined them?
  A。 On the contrary; I did not。
  Q。 Did you not even examine the eastern side of the house?
  A。 I did not。  I have never been within the gate save on the night in
  question; and then only to traverse the front walk to and from the
  house in company with Messieurs Osborne and Allen。  I was convinced
  that the solution of the problem was to be found within the room in
  which the murder was committed; and that my notes taken the night
  of the tragedy contained all the data I could hope to get。
  Q。 Was not this rather a singular assumption?
  A。 For many doubtless it would be; but I have my own methods; and I
  think I may say they have been measurably successful in most cases。
  'This last was said with a good…natured smile and a modest dignity
  that completely won the audience。'
  At this point Maitland dismissed M。 Godin and the court adjourned
  for the day。  That night M。 Godin made his first call upon Gwen。
  Their interview was private; and Gwen had nothing to say about it
  further than that her caller had not hesitated to inform her that
  he was aware a reward had been offered and that he considered he
  had earned it。  Maitland questioned her as to what he had claimed
  as his due; but Gwen; with her face alternately flushed and ashen;
  begged to be permitted to keep silence。
  This attitude was; of course; not without its significance to
  Maitland; and it was easy to see that M。 Godin's visit had much
  displeased him。   But he was not the only one who was displeased
  that night。  I regret that my promise of utter candour compels me
  to bear witness to my own foolishness; for when Maitland found it
  necessary to take Jeannette into the back parlour and to remain
  there alone with her in earnest conversation one hour and twelve
  minutes … I happened to notice the exact time … it seemed to me he
  was getting unpleasantly confidential; and it nettled me。  You may
  fancy that I was jealous; but it was; most likely; only pique; or;
  at the worst; envy。  I was provoked at the nonchalant ease with
  which this fellow did offhand a thing I had been trying to work
  myself up to for several days; and had finally abandoned from sheer
  lack of courage。  Why couldn't I carelessly say to her; 〃Miss
  Jeannette; a word with you if you please;〃 and then take her into
  the parlour and talk a 〃whole history。〃  Oh; it was envy; that's
  what it was!  And then the change in Jeannette!  If he had not been
  making love to her … well; I have often wondered since if it were
  all envy; after all
  The next morning M。 Latour's trial was resumed; and Maitland again
  put M。 Godin upon the stand。  The object of this did not appear at
  the time; though I think the Judge fully understood it。  Maitland's
  first act was to show the Judge and Jury a glass negative and a
  letter; which he asked them to examine carefully as he held the
  articles before them。   He then passed the negative to M。 Godin;
  saying:
  〃Please take this by the lower corner; between your thumb and
  forefinger; so that you may be sure not to touch the sight of the
  picture; hold it to the light; and tell me if you recognise the
  face。〃  M。 Godin did as directed and replied without hesitancy: 〃It
  is a picture of M。 Latour。〃  〃Good;〃 rejoined Maitland; taking back
  the negative and passing him the letter; 〃now tell me if you
  recognise that signature。〃  M。 Godin looked sharply at the letter;
  holding it open between the thumb and forefinger of each hand; and
  read the signature; 〃'Carl Cazenove。' I should say that was M。
  Latour's hand。〃
  〃Good again;〃 replied Maitland; reaching for the paper and appearing
  somewhat disconcerted as he glanced at it。  〃You have smutched the
  signature; … however; it doesn't matter;〃 and he exhibited the paper
  to the Judge and Jury。  〃The negative must have been oily … yes;
  that's where it came from;〃 and he quietly examined it with a
  magnifying glass; to the wonderment of us all。  〃That is all; M。
  Godin; thank you。〃
  As the celebrated detective left the stand we were all doing our best
  to fathom what possible bearing all this could have upon Latour's
  confession。  M。 Godin for once seemed equally at a loss to comprehend
  the trend of affairs; if I may judge by the deep furrows which
  gathered between his eyes。
  Maitland then proceeded to address the Court and to sum up his case;
  the gist of which I shall give you as nearly as possible in his own
  words; omitting only such portions as were purely formal;
  uninteresting; or unnecessarily verbose。
  〃Your Honour and Gentlemen of the Jury: John Darrow was murdered and
  the prisoner; M。 Gustave Latour; has confessed that he did the deed。
  When a man denies the commission of a crime we do not feel bound to
  consider his testimony of any particular value; but when; on the
  other hand; a prisoner accused of so heinous a crime as murder
  responds to the indictment; 'I am guilty;' we instinctively feel
  impelled to believe his testimony。  Why is this?  Why do we doubt
  his word when he asserts his innocence and accept it when he
  acknowledges his guilt?  I will tell you。  It is all a question of
  motive。  Could we see as cogent a motive for asseverating his guilt
  as we find for his insisting upon his innocence; we should lend as
  much credence to the one as to the other。  I propose to show that M。
  Latour has what seems to him the strongest of motives for confessing
  to the murder of John Darrow。  If I am able to do this to your
  satisfaction; I shall practically have thrown M。 Latour's entire
  testimony out of court; and nothing of importance will then remain
  but