First Published: 1864
RATING: GOOD
SPOILERS!!!
The narrator and main character in the story never tells us her name, but I know from other stories written by the author that she is called Miss Gladden or G, who is a femlae detective.
G tells us about a case that takes place in the country. Squire Pertleigh, Lord of the Manor and and Member of the Parliament is a man who is known for his selfishness and stinginess. What he was fond of is buy expensive silverware and plates. Pertleigh married his wife, expecting to receive a fortune from the cotton industry, but her father had lost his money. They had a child, Graham, and Mrs Pertleigh died when the boy was twelve. One of the fixtures in the household was Mrs Quinion, who was the housekeeper and rumours said that she was actually Mrs Pertleigh's natural sister.
After his wife's death, Squire Pertleigh didn't pay much attention to his son, who first went to a local grammar school, and then he was left to his own devices. His father gave him no money, and the young man started going off the rails, and one of his activities was poaching.
What G starts investigating is a death. Young Graham Pertleigh was found dead in the threshold of the manor when his father was away. He had been stabbed by some strange iron barb, and the only objects that were found on him was a black mask and a key of the house. The gardener found him and raised the alarm. The only other servants in the house were Mrs Quinion, and a young servant, Dinah.
During the inquest his father, the doctor, the constable, Mrs Quinion and the maid were questioned, and the verdict that came back was of wilful murder. One testimony that G found interesting was that of the maid, Dinah, who kept suffering fits, but she mentioned hearing a noise that came from a box in the hall. G goes to the village and starts investigating. What she discovers is that two men brought the box to the hall the day before Graham was found dead, and according to Dinah, the box has been removed because that was what Mrs Quinion told her. G knows that the box didn't leave the house because no one saw any cart taking it away.
When she visits the pub that Graham frequented, the publican's wife tells her that Graham used to sit there, reading a book that she shows her, and there was a story of his that was his favourite. G reads the story which is about some thieves that hide in a box with the intention of robbing a house, but someone sees the lid moving and they shoot, killing the thieves. G thinks that this must be what happened. Graham, with no money, thought that he could steal the silverware that his father had, and maybe Mrs Quinion noticed something and used something to introduce in the box and killed him.
As G has another colleague posing as a maid, she asks her (Martha) to look for the box, but she is not lucky. Then she writes an advertisement in the newspaper in which Mrs Quinion is asked to come to the office of a lawyer to talk about an alleged inheritance. Mrs Quinion asks G to stay in the manor to supervise as she knows her new maid. Both G and Martha try to find the box, and they find it in Mrs Quinion's room, and they also find the unknown weapon. It is a lance, which is typically used in Spain for bullfighting. Now they have everything, and then they realise that the house is burning and they are locked in. G imagines that Mrs Quinion has realised what is going on. Thankfully, the two women manage to escape from the house. Mrs Quinion is never found, and G doesn't have any evidence to go after the woman.
This was a great story, combining action and even humour. I love the rural characters that give the story a very genuine air.
No comments:
Post a Comment