“Stand back, gentlemen! In two moments I can satisfy your curiosity as to who murdered this woman.”
The vicar only attempted to resist this command; but the doctor, with a skilful and most unceremonious thrust, forced him back into the rest of the group; and the next moment the reverend arms were pinioned by Ned Mitchell’s strong hands.
“Keep back, can’t you?” hissed Ned, roughly into his ear; “murder will out, you know! And people might say such ugly things if they thought you wanted to hide the truth.”
After this there was a sickening, death-like pause, while the doctor’s hands moved rapidly about the horrible heap of human bones and tattered finery. Then he sprang up, and made quickly for the light. The rest followed, huddled together, panting, bewildered, like a flock of frightened sheep. For the doctor’s face, old practitioner though he was, was livid and tremulous with a great horror. Standing in the open daylight they found him, looking at something he held half concealed in his hand. Mrs. Brander, Vernon, and Olivia Denison stood a little way off, watching him, but not daring to come near. He closed his hand as the men gathered round him.
“Gentlemen,” he began, gravely, in a very low voice, “there are circumstances in this case so revolting that I think that no good can come of making them public. But you shall judge. I have found, inside the remains of that poor girl, a ring which, there can be no doubt, was the property of the murderer. In spite of the decayed state of the body, I can undertake to say that this ring was swallowed by the girl just before her death. Here,” and he held up his closed hand, “is the ring. Shall I show it you?”
“No!” said the Vicar of Rishton, sharply. They all turned to look at him.
“Why not?” asked the doctor, quietly.
Meredith Brander had recovered the composure which, indeed, he could scarcely be said for a moment to have lost.
“What good would it do?” he asked, gazing blandly in the doctor’s face.
Doctor Harper returned his look with astonishment which became almost admiration.