The Mystery Of An Old Murder Read Online Free PDF Page A

spent a month at St. Mawan that summer. He was just fifteen, and your mother and I were twelve. After that he came every year, and stayed longer and longer each time, till at last he really lived at the Manor House and only visited his father. I think Mr. Carew was glad to have him away from home. As was found out afterwards, he was deeply in debt, and had all kinds of difficulties about money-matters, which Robert knew nothing of. He was passionately attached to his father, and though his grandfather would not allow his name to be mentioned in his presence, he constantly talked to us about him. We were together a great deal. A day rarely passed without our seeing each other. Your mother and I loved being on the water, and Robert often took us out in his boat. Your grandmother never troubled about us if Robert was with us. She knew how careful he was."
    Miss Lane stopped, looking dreamily into the fire, a faint, sad smile on her lips. Marjorie knew she was thinking of those happy days so long ago. She kept breathlessly still; not by a word or a look would she have disturbed her aunt's thoughts. But it was only for a moment Miss Lane paused. She went on in a steady voice:
    "When Robert was eighteen he went to Oxford, and was there three years. He spent nearly all his vacations with us; grandfather was failing in health, and always grew restless and ill if he stayed more than a day or two, in Plymouth. And his father was more anxious than ever to keep Robert away from him. His affairs were in a desperate state; he had begun to be shunned by men of good position, and his most intimate friend was now a man named Baroni, who had lately come to Plymouth, and of whom very little was known. Robert disliked this man intensely, and it troubled him that he should be on terms of intimacy with his father. But he was as yet wholly ignorant of his father's bankrupt condition. Mr. Carew always spoke cheerfully to him. I think he really loved his son, and wanted to keep his good opinion. If he had only confided in him!"
    Marjorie had moved from her chair and was kneeling by her aunt's side. She put her arm round her as she heard her voice tremble, and Miss Lane turned and looked down at her with sad, loving eyes.
    "Darling, it is a terrible story I have to tell you. I will try to be as short as I can. The first time Robert learnt that his father was in great need of money was the autumn after he left Oxford. Mr. Baroni came to St. Mawan to survey some land which a company he was interested in thought of leasing for mining purposes.
    "He stayed at the inn for a fortnight or more, and spent a good deal of time in exploring the coast. He joined us in some of our boating expeditions, and I have never disliked anyone so much. We were all very glad when he went away. Little things he had said to Robert had made him very anxious about his father, and the next market-day after he left, Robert went to Plymouth to see Mr. Carew.
    "There was no coach between Bodmin and Plymouth then, but Tregelles's van went from St. Mawan to Bodmin on market-days, as I dare say it does still. And Robert used to go as far as Bodmin in that, and then post on from there. That morning I walked along the cliffs with him for a mile or two, and then across the downs to meet the van at the top of Polruan Hill. It was a lovely, fresh, breezy morning; I can remember every step of that walk. As we passed Blackdown Point we saw a small schooner off the point, and Robert laughingly remarked that if he was a revenue officer he should keep a sharp watch on her. She was a stranger; we knew every vessel belonging to St. Mawan, and we had never seen this particular schooner before. But we forgot all about her as we turned inland. And I did not go back by the cliffs.
    "That afternoon, as we were sewing in the parlour, Mr. Bulteel came in to tell us that Robert's father had just arrived in the town, and, leaving his horse at the inn, had gone to the Manor House. It was startling news,