the lamp that went out-第5部分

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again。〃

〃I　don't　think　she's　quite　right　in　the　head；〃　　he　volunteered。　　The
head　of　the　firm　told　him　to　bring　the　woman　into　the　inner　office。

〃Who　are　you；　my　good　woman？〃　　he　asked　kindly；　softened　by　the
evident　agitation　of　this　poorly　though　neatly　dressed　woman。

〃I　am　Mr。　Winkler's　landlady；〃　　she　answered。

〃Ah！　and　he　wants　you　to　tell　me　that　he's　sick？　　I'm　afraid　I　can't
believe　all　that　this　gentleman　says。　　I　hope　he's　not　asking　your
help　to　lie　to　me。　　Are　you　sure　that　his　illness　is　anything　else
but　a　case　of　being　up　late？〃

〃I　don't　think　that　he'll　ever　be　sick　again　…　I　didn't　come　with
any　message　from　him；　sir；　please　read　this；　sir。〃　　And　she　handed
him　the　newspaper；　showing　him　the　notice。　　While　the　gentleman　was
reading　she　added：　〃Mr。　Winkler　didn't　come　home　last　night　either。〃

Winkler's　employer　read　the　few　lines；　then　laid　the　paper　aside
with　a　very　serious　face。　　〃When　did　you　see　him　last？〃　　he　asked　of
the　woman。

〃Day　before　yesterday　in　the　morning。　　He　went　away　about　half…past
eight　as　he　usually　does；〃　she　replied。　　And　then　she　added　a
question　of　her　own：　〃Was　he　here　day　before　yesterday？〃

The　merchant　nodded　and　pressed　an　electric　bell。　　Then　he　rose　from
his　seat　and　pulled　up　a　chair　for　his　visitor。　　〃Sit　down　here。
This　thing　has　frightened　you　and　you　are　no　longer　young。〃　　When
the　servant　entered；　the　merchant　told　him　to　ask　the　head　bookkeeper
to　come　to　the　inner　office。

When　this　official　appeared；　his　employer　inquired：
〃When　did　Winkler　leave　here　day　before　yesterday？〃

〃At　six　o'clock；　sir；　as　usual。〃

〃He　was　here　all　day　without　interruption？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　with　the　exception　of　the　usual　luncheon　hour。〃

〃Did　he　have　the　handling　of　any　money　Monday？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Pokorny；〃　　said　the　merchant；　handing　his　employee
the　evening　paper　and　pointing　to　the　notice　which　had　so　interested
him。

Pokorny　read　it；　his　face；　like　his　employer's；　growing　more　serious。
〃It　looks　almost　as　if　it　must　be　Winkler；　sir；〃　　he　said；　in　a　few
moments。

〃We　will　soon　find　that　out。　　I　should　like　to　go　to　the　police
station　myself　with　this　woman；　she　is　Winkler's　landlady　…　but　I
think　it　will　be　better　for　you　to　accompany　her。　　They　will　ask
questions　about　the　man　which　you　will　be　better　able　to　answer
than　I。〃

Pokorny　bowed　and　left　the　room。　　Mrs。　Klingmayer　rose　and　was　about
to　follow；　when　the　merchant　asked　her　to　wait　a　moment　and　inquired
whether　Winkler　owed　her　anything。　　〃I　am　sorry　that　you　should　have
had　this　shock　and　the　annoyances　and　trouble　which　will　come　of　it；
but　I　don't　want　you　to　be　out　of　pocket　by　it。〃

〃No；　he　doesn't　owe　me　anything；〃　　replied　the　honest　old　woman；
shaking　her　head。　　A　few　big　tears　rolled　down　over　her　withered
cheeks；　possibly　the　only　tears　that　were　shed　for　the　dead　man
under　the　elder…tree。　　But　even　this　sympathetic　soul　could　find
nothing　to　say　in　his　praise。　　She　could　feel　pity　for　his　dreadful
death；　but　she　could　not　assert　that　the　world　had　lost　anything
by　his　going　out　of　it。　　As　if　saddened　by　the　impossibility　of
finding　a　single　good　word　to　say　about　the　dead　man；　she　left　the
office　with　drooping　head　and　lagging　step。

Pokorny　helped　her　into　the　cab　that　was　already　waiting　before　the
door。　　The　office　force　had　got　wind　of　the　fact　that　something
unusual　had　occurred　and　were　all　at　the　windows　to　see　them　drive
off。　　The　three　clerks　who　worked　in　the　department　to　which　Winkler
belonged　gathered　together　to　talk　the　matter　over。　　They　were　none
of　them　particularly　hit　by　it；　but　naturally　they　were　interested
in　the　discovery　in　Hietzing；　and　equally　naturally；　they　tried　to
find　a　few　good　words　to　say　about　the　man　whose　life　had　ended　so
suddenly。

The　youngest　of　them；　Fritz　Bormann；　said　some　kind　words　and　was
about　to　wax　more　enthusiastic；　when　Degenhart；　the　eldest　clerk；
cut　in　with　the　words：　〃Oh；　don't　trouble　yourself。　　Nobody　ever
liked　Winkler　here。　　'He　was　not　a　good　man　…　he　was　not　even　a
good　worker。　　This　is　the　first　time　that　he　has　a　reasonable　excuse
for　neglecting　his　duties。〃

〃Oh；　come；　see　here！　　how　can　you　talk　about　the　poor　man　that　way
when　he's　scarcely　cold　in　death　yet；〃　　said　Fritz　indignantly。

Degenhart　laughed　harshly。

〃Did　I　ever　say　anything　else　about　him　while　he　was　warm　and　alive？
Death　is　no　reason　for　changing　one's　opinion　about　a　man　who　was
good…for…nothing　in　life。　　And　his　death　was　a　stroke　of　good　luck
that　he　scarcely　deserved。　　He　died　without　a　moment's　pain；　with　a
merry　thought　in　his　head；　perhaps；　while　many　another　better　man
has　to　linger　in　torture　for　weeks。　　No；　Bormann；　the　best　I　can
say　about　Winkler　is　that　his　death　makes　one　nonentity　the　less　on
earth。〃

The　older　man　turned　to　his　desk　again　and　the　two　younger　clerks
continued　the　conversation：　〃Degenhart　appears　to　be　a　hard　man；〃
said　Fritz；　〃but　he's　the　best　and　kindest　person　I　know；　and　he's
dead　right　in　what　he　says。　　It　was　simply　a　case　of　conventional
superstition。　　I　never　did　like　that　Winkler。〃

〃No；　you're　right；〃　　said　the　other。　　Neither　did　I　and　I　don't
know　why；　for　the　matter　of　that。　　He　seemed　just　like　a　thousand
others。　　I　never　heard　of　anything　particularly　wrong　that　he　did。〃

〃No；　no　more　did　I；〃　　continued　Bormann；　〃but　I　never　heard　of
anything　good　about　him　either。　　And　don't　you　think　that　it's　worse
for　a　man　to　seem　to　repel　people　by　his　very　personality；　rather
than　by　any　particular　bad　thing　that　he　does？〃

〃Yes。　　I　don't　know　how　to　explain　it；　but　that's　just　how　I　feel
about　it。　　I　had　an　instinctive　feeling　that　there　was　something
wrong　about　Winkler；　the　sort　of　a　creepy；　crawly　feeling　that　a
snake　gives　you。〃




CHAPTER　IV

SPEAK　WELL　OF　THE　DEAD


Meanwhile　Pokomy　and　Mrs。　Klingmayer　had　reached　the　police　station
and　were　going　upstairs　to　the　rooms　of　the　commissioner　on　service
for　the　day。　　Like　all　people　of　her　class；　Mrs。　Klingmayer　stood
in　great　awe　and　terror　of　anything　connected　with　the　police　or
the　law　generally。　　She　crept　slowly　and　tremblingly　up　the　stairs
behind　the　head　bookkeeper　and　was　very　glad　when　she　was　left　alone
for　a　few　minutes　while　Pokorny　went　in　to　see　the　commissioner。
But　as　soon　as　his　errand　was　known；　both　the　bookkeeper　and　his
companion　were　led　into　the　office　of　Head　Commissioner　Dr。　von
Riedau；　who　had　charge　of　the　Hietzing　murder　case。

When　Dr。　von　Riedau　heard　the　reason　of　their　coming；　his　interest
was　immediately　aroused；　and　he　pulled　a　chair　to　his　side　for　the
little　thin　man　with　whom　he　had　been　talking　when　the　two　strangers
were　ushered　in。

〃Then　you　believe　you　could　identify　the　murdered　man？〃　　asked　the
commissioner。

〃From　the　general　description　and　the　initials　on　his　linen；　I
believe　it　must　be　Leopold　Winkler；〃　　answered　Pokorny。　　〃Mrs。
Klingmayer　has　not　seen　him　since　Monday　morning；　nor　has　she　had
any　message　from　him。　　He　left　the　office　Monday　afternoon　at　6
o'clock　and　that　was　the　last　time　that　we　saw　him。　　The　only　thing
that　makes　me　doubt　his　identity　is　that　the　paper　reports　that
three　hundred　gulden　were　found　in　his　pocket。　　Winkler　never　seemed
to　have　money；　and　I　do　not　understand　how　he　should　have　been　in
possession　of　such　a　sum。〃

〃The　money　was　found　in　the　dead　man's　pockets；〃　　said　the
commissioner。　　〃And　yet　it　may　be　Winkler；　the　man　you　know。
Muller；　will　you　order　a　cab；　please？〃

I　have　a　cab　waiting　for　me。　　But　it　only　holds　two；〃　　volunteered
Pokorny。

〃That　doesn't　matter；　I'll　sit　on　the　box；〃　　answered　the　man
addressed　as　Muller。

〃You　are　going　with　us？〃　　asked　Pokorny。

〃Yes；　he　will　accompany　you；〃　　replied　the　commissioner。　　〃This　is
detective　Muller；　sir。　　By　a　mere　chance；　he　happened　to　be　on　hand
to　take　charge　of　this　case　and　he　will　remain　in　charge；　although
it　may　be　wasting　his　talents　which　we　need　for　more　difficult
problems。　　If　you　or　any　one　else　have　anything　to　tell　us；　it　must
be　told　only　to　me　or　to　Muller。　　And　before　you　leave　to　look　at
the　body；　I　would　like　to　know　whether　the　dead　man　owned　a　watch；
or　rather　whether　he　had　it　with　him　on　the　day　of　the　murder。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　he　did　have　a　watch；　a　gold　watch；〃　answered　Mrs。
Klingmayer。

Riedau　looked　at　the　bookkeeper；　who　nodded　and　said：　〃Yes；　sir；
Winkler　had　a　watch；　a　gold　watch　with　a　double　case。　　It　was　a
large　watch；　very　thick。　　I　happen　to　have　noticed　it　by　chance
and　also　I　happen　to　know　that　he　had　not　had　the　watch　for　very
long。〃

〃Can　you　tell　us　anything　more　about　the　watch？〃　asked　the
commissioner　of　the　landlady。

〃Yes；　sir；　there　was　engraving　on　the　outside　cover；　initials；　and
a　crown　on　the　other　side。〃

〃What　were　the　initials？〃

〃I　don't　know　that；　sir；　at　least　I'm　not　sure　about　it。　　There
were　so　many　twists　and　curves　to　them　that　I　couldn't　make　them
out。　　I　think　one　of　them　was　a　W　though；　sir。〃

〃The　other　was　probably　an　L　then。〃

〃That　might　be；　sir。〃

〃The　younger　clerks　in　the　office　may　be　able　to　tell　something　more
about　the　watch；〃　　said　Pokorny；　〃for　they　were　quite　interested　in
it　for　a　while。　　It　was　a　handsome　watch　and　they　were　envious　of
Winkler's　possession　of　it。　　But　he　was　so　tactless　in　his　boasting
about　it　that　they　paid　no　further　attention　to　him　after　the　first
excitement。〃

〃You　say　he　didn't　have　the　watch　long？〃

〃Since　spring　I　think；　sir。〃

〃He　brought　it　home　on　the　19th　of　March；〃　　interrupted　Mrs。
Klingmayer。　　〃I　remember　the　day　because　it　was　my　birthday。　　I
pretended　that　he　had　brought　it　home　to　me　for　a　present。〃

〃Was　he　in　the　habit　of　making　you　presents？〃

〃Oh；　no；　sir；　he　was　very　close　with　his　money；　sir。

〃Well；　perhaps　he　didn't　have　much　money　to　be　generous　with。　　Now
tell　me　about　his　watch　chain。　　I　suppose　he　had　a　watch　chain？〃

Both　the　bookkeeper　and　the　landlady　nodded　and　the　latter　exclaimed：
〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　I　could　recognise　it　in　a　minute。〃

〃How？〃

〃It　was　broken　once　and　Mr。　Winkler　mended　it　himself。　　I　lent　him
my　pliers　and　he　bent　the　two　links　together　with　them。　　It　didn't
look　very　nice　after　that；