The Leavenworth Case

“What was my astonishment to come upon Miss Eleanore Leavenworth standing at the side of her uncle’s bed, with his pistol in her hand” 48

“Pausing only long enough on the threshold to compose myself for the interview, I lifted my hand to knock” 50

“Her whole appearance was so startling, so extraordinary, that I held my breath in surprise” 52

“She . . . was fumbling with the waist of her dress in a way to convince me she had something concealed there which she was anxious to dispose of” 88

“He pushed me upwards. ‘Go back!’ he whispered, . . . ‘Go back!’” 164

“I could not prevent a feeling of sickly apprehension from seizing me as I turned towards the silent figure stretched so near” 276

“I crawled up on to the ledge of the slanting roof last night . . . and . . . saw her moving round the room” 280

“At the sight of his face, the man in our arms quivered, shrieked, and gave one bound that would have overturned Mr. Clavering, . . . had not Mr. Gryce interposed” 374

BOOK I. THE PROBLEM

I. “A GREAT CASE”

“A deed of dreadful note.”

Macbeth.

I had been a junior partner in the firm of Veeley, Carr & Raymond, attorneys and counsellors at law, for about a year, when one morning, in the temporary absence of both Mr. Veeley and Mr. Carr, there came into our office a young man whose whole appearance was so indicative of haste and agitation that I involuntarily rose at his approach and impetuously inquired:

“What is the matter? You have no bad news to tell, I hope.”

“I have come to see Mr. Veeley; is he in?”

“No,” I replied; “he was unexpectedly called away this morning to Washington; cannot be home before to-morrow; but if you will make your business known to me----”

“To you, sir?” he repeated, turning a very cold but steady eye on mine; then, seeming to be satisfied with his scrutiny, continued, “There is no reason why I shouldn’t; my business is no secret. I came to inform him that Mr. Leavenworth is dead.”

“Mr. Leavenworth!” I exclaimed, falling back a step. Mr. Leavenworth was an old client of our firm, to say nothing of his being the particular friend of Mr. Veeley.

“Yes, murdered; shot through the head by some unknown person while sitting at his library table.”

“Shot! murdered!” I could scarcely believe my ears.

“How? when?” I gasped.

“Last night. At least, so we suppose. He was not found till this morning. I am Mr. Leavenworth’s private secretary,” he explained, “and live in the family. It was a dreadful shock,” he went on, “especially to the ladies.”

“Dreadful!” I repeated. “Mr. Veeley will be overwhelmed by it.”

“They are all alone,” he continued in a low business-like way I afterwards found to be inseparable from the man; “the Misses Leavenworth, I mean--Mr. Leavenworth’s nieces; and as an inquest is to be held there to-day it is deemed proper for them to have some one present capable of advising them. As Mr. Veeley was their uncle’s best friend, they naturally sent me for him; but he being absent I am at a loss what to do or where to go.”

“I am a stranger to the ladies,” was my hesitating reply, “but if I can be of any assistance to them, my respect for their uncle is such----”

The expression of the secretary’s eye stopped me. Without seeming to wander from my face, its pupil had suddenly dilated till it appeared to embrace my whole person with its scope.