Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 6,432 pages of information about Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works.

Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 6,432 pages of information about Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works.

Inspector.  Right, sir; I’ve brought a man with me.

     They go out.

Curtain.  And interval of a Minute.

SCENE II

     [The same set is used for this Scene, with the different arrangement
     of furniture, as specified.]

The bedroom of de Levis is the same in shape as Winsor’s dressing-room, except that there is only one door—­to the corridor.  The furniture, however, is differently arranged; a small four-poster bedstead stands against the wall, Right Back, jutting into the room.  A chair, on which de LEVIS’s clothes are thrown, stands at its foot.  There is a dressing-table against the wall to the left of the open windows, where the curtains are drawn back and a stone balcony is seen.  Against the wall to the right of the window is a chest of drawers, and a washstand is against the wall, Left.  On a small table to the right of the bed an electric reading lamp is turned up, and there is a light over the dressing-table.  The inspector is standing plumb centre looking at the bed, and de Levis by the back of the chair at the foot of the bed.  Winsor and Canynge are close to the door, Right Forward.

Inspector. [Finishing a note] Now, sir, if this is the room as you left it for your bath, just show us exactly what you did after takin’ the pocket-book from the suit case.  Where was that, by the way?

De Levis. [Pointing] Where it is now—­under the dressing-table.

He comes forward to the front of the chair, opens the pocket-book, goes through the pretence of counting his shaving papers, closes the pocket-book, takes it to the head of the bed and slips it under the pillow.  Makes the motion of taking up his pyjamas, crosses below the inspector to the washstand, takes up a bath sponge, crosses to the door, takes out the key, opens the door.

Inspector. [Writing].  We now have the room as it was when the theft was committed.  Reconstruct accordin’ to ‘uman nature, gentlemen—­assumin’ the thief to be in the room, what would he try first?—­the clothes, the dressin’-table, the suit case, the chest of drawers, and last the bed.

     He moves accordingly, examining the glass on the dressing-table, the
     surface of the suit cases, and the handles of the drawers, with a
     spy-glass, for finger-marks.

Canynge. [Sotto voce to Winsor] The order would have been just the other way.

     The inspector goes on hands and knees and examines the carpet
     between the window and the bed.

De Levis.  Can I come in again?

Inspector. [Standing up] Did you open the window, sir, or was it open when you first came in?

De Levis.  I opened it.

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Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.