No Murder by Bailey H. C

Author:Bailey, H. C. [Bailey, H. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
Published: 1942-02-25T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXII

MISS CORVE IS SURPRISED

IT WAS MISS CORVE’S rule to pace the Ladycroft Walk before dinner, a rule obeyed for two reasons. Her father always marched up and down there at that hour. Dr. Caplar had advised her that she should rest then.

The walk lay in shadow, the steep wood above it dark, for the sun was low in the west behind the summit of the hill, but the meadows and the river shone in mellow light.

Where the path came out upon the edge of the cliff above the river and gave a wide prospect she stopped: that was part of the rule, to survey the Ladycroft land and its richness.

Something struck her frail shoulders, she reeled and fell from the cliff down into the swirling water and was swept away.

“Well, to be sure,” said Miss Smith. She sat where Bony and Molly left her, knitting a jumper, but with such easy command of the art that her eyes had been free to watch Miss Corve come along the walk and stop and fall, followed by a leafless branch.

Miss Smith put her knitting in her rucksack and strode to the river. The skirt of Miss Corve spread slowly, rotating, upon the stream, nothing else of her was visible. Miss Smith splashed through shallows, went into a pool that rose to her waist and grasped a thin leg. It resisted her first pull. She saw the woman’s body held by rocks under water, she moved upstream and hauled again and towed it to the bank and laid it on the grass face downwards.

With two fingers in her big mouth she gave a whistle so piercing that it echoed from the cliff across the valley and then, making a trumpet of her hands, roared: “Help! Help!”

Miss Corve rolled over, raised herself by one hand and fell back with a groan. “That’s good,” said Miss Smith. “But you lie on your stomach. You haven’t half got the water out of you yet.” Gently but firmly she turned Miss Corve face to the ground again and again whistled and roared.

“Don’t,” Miss Corve gasped, squirming away, “Don’t make such a noise.”

“Now then! You be reasonable, my dear. I’m doing what’s best for you. Just you lie still like I told you till I get people to carry you home.” Once more the valley resounded her calls for help. She took off her coat and laid it over Miss Corve’s thin shoulders. They flinched. “There, I won’t hurt you.” Her powerful hands moved lightly. “You have been knocked about. How ever did it happen, my dear?”

“My shoulder is painful,” Miss Corve whispered. “Something hit me.”

“Really? And you up there on your private walk! Was anybody near?”

“Of course not. Don’t be a fool,” said Miss Corve.

“What was it hit you then?”

“How should I know?”

Miss Smith emitted another roar and waved her hand as two of the gardeners of Ladycroft came into sight. She marched to meet them and gave them terse instructions that their mistress had fallen

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