“It must have been on all night. Agnes said that was the first thing she noticed when she got to the door here; that the light was still going. Then she saw the body——” he halted again and added in studied ingenuousness: “I might have observed it when I came home last night, I suppose, but it is scarcely perceptible from the front hall, and finding it all dark there except for the lamp on the newel post which Leila always leaves lighted for me, I went straight upstairs. It never occurred to me that she would be waiting up for me, and in here, although she has done so occasionally. I was pretty tired. My God, Doctor, if I had seen the light and come in here, I might have been able to save her! There might have been something I could do—!”
“No, Storm, no one could have done anything for her. Death was instantaneous. You heard nothing after you went upstairs? No sound of a fall, or disturbance of any kind?”
“Nothing.” Storm started from his chair. “It couldn’t have happened after I retired! Surely, if Leila had been alive when I entered the house she would have heard me! The servants sleep like logs, but I waken at the slightest sound. I would have known——!”
“That’s so. Of course, you would, old man.” Dr. Carr’s tone was soothingly compassionate. “You’d better go upstairs now and put on some clothes; you haven’t even slippers on your feet. I’ll have a word with the servants while you’re gone——”
“But Leila!” Storm forced his shrinking eyes to turn yearningly toward the still form. “I can’t bear to leave her lying like that! Ellen wanted to lift her to the couch, but I thought we’d better wait until you came——”
“Why?” The doctor shot the question at him, and Storm, realizing his slip, swiftly countered:
“I didn’t know what to think! I tell you, Doctor, when I first came in and saw her it looked almost like murder! My brain isn’t clear yet from the shock of it, although when I saw the blood on the fender, of course, I knew she must have fallen, and then I remembered her condition—those fainting spells, and all that. There isn’t a soul in the world who would harm a hair of Leila’s head!” He threw up his hands with an impotent gesture. “I felt dazed, helpless! I had to depend on you, and I wanted you to see everything just as it was.”
“You can rely on me, old man!” The doctor patted his arm and led him to the door. “We must not move her yet, however. Under the circumstances we’ll have to notify the authorities, merely as a matter of form, and they may want to investigate for themselves. I’ll call them up and then come and give you something to steady your nerves. You’re bearing up splendidly, but we can’t have you going to pieces until the formalities have been concluded. Is there anyone you would like me to send for; any member of the family, or friend?”
“Yes!” Storm exclaimed in a sudden flash of inspiration. “Get old George for me, will you, Doctor? George Holworthy, you know; 0328 Stuyvesant. Tell him to come out here on the first train, that I need him. Don’t—don’t go into details, but make him understand that it’s serious, desperate! I’m not a weakling, I won’t break down, but I’d feel stronger if George were here. We’ve been friends for years.”
“I know; I’ll get him.” Dr. Carr drew out his handkerchief and mopped his forehead. “Get into some clothes now. I’ll be right with you.”