I
look at each man I meet and say to myself, 'Now, can it be possible it
is you?--or you?--or you?'--and it does not seem possible; and yet--"
"And yet some one did it, Vicar," said the Doctor, brusquely, "and
that's just the trouble. Until we find out _who_ did it, any man may
have done it, and we all look at everybody else, just as you do, and say
to ourselves, 'Is it you?--or you?--or you?' Though I'm bound to say
I've not got the length yet of doubting either you or the Senechal, or
Gard, and I don't think it's myself. It might quite conceivably be any
one of us, however, prowling about in our sleep and utterly unconscious
afterwards of evil-doing."
"A most awful possibility," said the Vicar. "God grant it may turn out
differently from that."
"You never know what this inexplicable machine may do," said the Doctor,
tapping his head. "However, we'll hope for the best, and I think the
Senechal and I ought to be able to see Gard through without any very
disastrous results. If we succeed, he will deserve better of this Island
than any man I know--and a sight more than this Island deserves of him.
Pages:
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372