A few other facts are made
known. First, a pen-knife is picked up from the grass plot in the
yard beneath, showing with what instrument the wound was inflicted,
whose drippings made those marks of blood alluded to. It was a
pearl-handled knife belonging to the writing desk found open on her
table, and its frail and dainty character proved indisputably, that it
was employed by the girl herself, and that against manifest enemies;
no man being likely to snatch up any such puny weapon for the purpose
either of offence or defence. That these enemies were two and were
both men, was insisted upon by Mrs. Daniels who overheard their
voices the night before.
"Mr. Blake, such facts as these arouse curiosity, especially when the
master of the house being introduced upon the scene, he fails to
manifest common human interest, while his housekeeper betrays in
every involuntary gesture and expression she makes use of, her horror
if not her fear of his presence, and her relief at his departure.
Yes," he exclaimed, unheeding the sudden look here cast him by Mr.
Blake, "and curiosity begets inquiry, and inquiry elucidated further
facts such as these, that the mysterious master of the house was in
his garden at the hour of the girl's departure, was even looking
through the bars of his gate when she, having evidently escaped from
her captors, came back with every apparent desire to reenter her
home, but seeing him, betrayed an unreasonable amount of fear and fled
back even into the very arms of the men she had endeavored to avoid.
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