I suppose I succeeded in confusing him.
“Wait, miss, till I finish my story. I was standing in the shadow, staring with all my eyes at that dark window waiting for the party I had seen to come out—when I just knew that someone was near me. I didn’t hear a footstep nor a breath but all at once somebody was just there. And I was holding my breath to listen when there was a sort of a scramble at the window and I sneaked up closer to the wall. I stumbled over a coat or something right at the window and just as I caught myself I heard a crash from inside Room 18. That scared me, Miss Keate.” The man paused again to scrutinize the dripping, green curtains about us, and I caught my breath.
“That scared me, so I stayed right there where I was, listening. I heard a kind of a scraping sound, then it was all quiet for a minute or two, and I thought I’d better get out of the way. I sneaked over to the corner and stood just around it. It was so black that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, but I’ve got good hearing, ma’am, and I heard only one party slip out that window and close the screen and go away, walking light like a cat through the orchard. And it was just then the wind came up with a bang and things began to whiz around and I thought I’d better get back to my room. I knowed there was some skulduggery going on, ma’am, and I didn’t want to be in on it.” He blew his nose vigorously. I realized that my mouth was hanging open and closed it with a snap.
“Who was about, Higgins? Tell me at once.” I spoke very sternly, trying at the same time to keep my teeth from chattering. The recital had recalled all too forcibly to me the events of that black night.
“Well, there was Dr. Letheny—of course. Then there was that Gainsay fellow, the one that is staying up there at Letheny’s. Then there was Corole Letheny and there was Dr. Hajek——”
“Did you recognize all these people, Higgins?” I cried incredulously.
He regarded me with scorn.
“Say, didn’t I tell you I got good ears?”
“But you could hardly recognize Mr. Gainsay, for instance, with your ears.”
“I didn’t,” said Higgins. “I saw his face in the light of a match.”