“My recklessness!” I shouted, fairly hoarse with anger.  I paid no heed to Mr. Swain’s warning.  “You d—­d scoundrel!” I cried, “it was you killed him, and you know it.  When you had put me out of the way and he was in your power, you tortured him to death.  You forced him to die alone with your sneering face, while your shrew of a wife counted cards downstairs.  Grafton Carvel, God knows you better than I, who know you two well.  And He will punish you as sure as the crack of doom.”

He heard me through, giving back as I came forward, his face blanching only a little, and wearing all the time that yellow smile which so fitted it.

“You have finished?” says he.

“Ay, I have finished.  And now you may order me from this ground you have robbed me of.  But there are some things in that house you shall not steal, for they are mine despite you.”

“Name them, Richard,” he said, very sorrowful.

“The articles in my mother’s room, which were hers.”

“You shall have them this day,” he answered.

It was his way never to lose his temper, tho’ he were called by the vilest name in the language.  He must always assume this pious grief which made me long to throttle him.  He had the best of me, even now, as he took the great key from his pocket.

“Will you look at them before you go?” he asked.

At first I was for refusing.  Then I nodded.  He led the way silently around by the front; and after he had turned the lock he stepped aside with a bow to let me pass in ahead of him.  Once more I was in the familiar hall with the stairs dividing at the back.  It was cool after the heat, and musty, and a touch of death hung in the prisoned air.  We paused for a moment on the landing, beside the high, triple-arched window which the branches tapped on windy winter days, while Grafton took down the bunch of keys from beside the clock.  I thought of my dear grandfather winding it every Sunday, and his ruddy face and large figure as he stood glancing sidewise down at me.  Then the sound of Grafton’s feet upon the bare steps recalled the present.

We passed Mr. Carvel’s room and went down the little corridor over the ball-room, until we came to the full-storied wing.  My uncle flung open the window and shutters opposite and gave me the key.  A delicacy not foreign to him held him where he was.  Time had sealed the door, and when at last it gave before my strength, a shower of dust quivered in the ray of sunlight from the window.  I entered reverently.  I took only the silverbound prayer-book, cast a lingering look at the old familiar objects dimly defined, and came out and locked the door again.  I said very quietly that I would send for the things that afternoon, for my anger was hushed by what I had seen.

We halted together on the uncovered porch in front of the house, that had a seat set on each side of it.  Marlboro’ Street was still, the wide trees which flanked it spreading their shade over walk and roadway.  Not a soul was abroad in the midday heat, and the windows of the long house opposite were sightless.