They all hurried out together. Brookes was evidently terribly perturbed
and went on talking half to himself without heeding their questions.
"I thought at first that his lordship must have fainted," he said. "I
heard a queer noise, and when I went in, he had fallen forward across
the table. Parkins has rung for Doctor Wilcox."
"What sort of a noise?" Nigel asked.
"It sounded like a shot," the man faltered.
They entered the library, Nigel leading the way. Lord Dorminster was
lying very much as Brookes had described him, but there was something
altogether unnatural in the collapse of his head and shoulders and his
motionless body. Nigel spoke to him, touched him gently, raised him at
last into a sitting position. Something on which his right hand seemed
to have been resting clattered on to the carpet. Nigel turned around and
waved Maggie back.
"Don't come," he begged.
"Is it a stroke?" she faltered.
"I am afraid that he is dead," Nigel answered simply.
They went out into the hall and waited there in shocked silence until
the doctor arrived. The latter's examination lasted only a few seconds.
Then he pointed to the telephone.
"This is very terrible," he said. "I am afraid you had better ring up
Scotland Yard, Mr. Kingley. Lord Dorminster appears either to have shot
himself, as seems most probable," he added, glancing at the revolver
upon the carpet, "or to have been murdered."
"It is incredible!" Nigel exclaimed.
Pages:
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30