19 - Red Thumb Mark by R. Austin Freeman

Dive into the mystery of missing diamonds, an untouched safe, two blood-streaked thumb prints, and the enigmatic Mr X. As these elements converge, the brilliant Dr. Thorndyke steps onto the scene. Will he crack the case? The Red Thumb Mark marks the thrilling debut of Freeman’s popular Thorndyke series. (Summary by Diana Majlinger)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter seventeen of The Red Thumb Mark. This is the
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Richard Kilmer. The Red Thumb Mark by R.

(00:21):
Austin Freeman, chapter seventeen. At last, we had better let
the people clear off, said Thorndyke, when the first greetings
were over and we stood around Reuben in the fast
emptying court. We don't want a demonstration as we go out.
No anything but that just now, replied Reuben. He still

(00:43):
held missus Hornby's hand, and one arm was passed through
that of his uncle, who wiped his eyes at intervals,
though his face glowed with delight. I should like you
to come and have a little quiet luncheon with me
at my chambers, all of us friends together, continued Thorndyke.
I should be delighted, said Reuben. If the program would

(01:03):
include a satisfactory wash, you will come. Anstay, asked Thorndyke.
What have you got for lunch? Demanded Annstay, who was
now disrobed, and in his right mind, that is to say,
in his usual whimsical, pseudo frivolous character. That question savors
have bluttony, answered Thorndyke. Come and see, I will come

(01:26):
and eat? Which is better? Answered Annstay, and I must
run off now, as I have to look in at
my chambers. How shall we go, asked Thorndyke, as his
colleague vanished through the doorway. Polton is gone for a
four wheeler. But it won't hold us all. It will
hold four of us, said Reuben. And doctor Jervis will
bring Juliet, won't you Jervis? The request rather took me aback,

(01:49):
considering the circumstances, but I was conscious, nevertheless of an
unreasonable thrill of pleasure, and answered with a clarity, if
miss Gibson will allow me, I shall be very delighted.
My delight was apparently not shared by Juliet, to judge
by the uncomfortable blush that spread over her face. She

(02:09):
made no objection, however, but merely replied, rather coldly, Well,
we can't sit on the roof of the cab. We'd
better go by ourselves. The crowd having by this time
presumably cleared off, we all took our way downstairs. The
cab was waiting at the curb, surrounded by a group
of spectators who cheered Reuben as he appeared at the doorway,

(02:33):
and we saw our friends enter and drive away. Then
we turned and walked quickly down the old bailey toward
Ludgate Hill. Shall we take a hansom? I asked, No,
let us walk, replied Juliet. Little fresh air will do
us good after that musty, horrible court. It all seems
like a dream. And yet what a relief, Oh, what

(02:55):
a relief it is. It's rather like awakening from a
nightmare to find them morning sunshining, I rejoined, Yes, that
is just what it's like. She agreed, But I still
feel dazed and shaken. We turned presently down Newbridge Street
towards the Embankment, walking side by side without speaking, and

(03:16):
I could not help comparing with some bitterness our present
stiff and distant relations with the intimacy and comradeship that
had existed before the miserable incident of our last meeting.
You don't look so jubilant over your success as I
should have expected, she said at length, with a critical
glance at me. But I expect you are really very

(03:36):
proud and delighted aren't you delighted? Yes, not proud. Why
should I be proud? I have only played jackal, and
even that I have done very badly. That is hardly
a fair statement of the facts. She rejoined with another quick,
inquisitive look at me. But you were in low spirits
to day, which is not at all like you, is

(03:59):
it not? So I'm afraid I'm a selfish, egotistical brute,
was my gloomy reply. I ought to be as gay
and joyful as every one else to day, whereas the
fact is that I am chafing over my own petty troubles.
You see, now that this case is finished, my engagement
with doctor Thorndyke terminates automatically, and I relapse into my

(04:22):
old life, a dreary repetition of journeying amongst strangers, and
the prospect is not in spiriting. This has been a
time of bitter trial to you, but to me it
has been a green oasis in the desert of a colorless,
monotonous life. I have enjoyed the companionship of a most
lovable man, whom I admire and respect above all other men,

(04:46):
and with him have moved in scenes full of color
and interest, and I have made one other friend whom
I am loath to see fate out of my life,
as she seems likely to do. If you mean me,
said Juliet, I may say that it will be your
own fault if I fade out of your life. I
can never forget all that you have done for us,

(05:06):
your loyalty to Reuben, your enthusiasm in his cause, to
say nothing of your many kindnesses to me. And as
to your having done your work badly, you wrong yourself grievously.
I recognized in the evidence by which Reuben was cleared
to day how much you had done in filling in
the details toward making that case complete and convincing. I

(05:29):
shall always feel that we owe you a debt of
the deepest gratitude, and so will Reuben, and so perhaps
more than either of us, will some one else. And
who is that? I asked, though with no great interest,
the gratitude of the family was a matter of little
consequence to me. Well, it's no secret, now, replied Juliet.

(05:51):
I mean the girl whom Reuben is going to marry.
What is the matter, doctor Jervis, she asked, in a
tone of surprise. We were passing through the gate that
leads from the embankment to Middle Temple Lane and I
had stopped dead under the archway, laying a detaining hand
upon her arm and gazing at her in utter amazement.

(06:12):
The girl that Reuben is going to marry I repeated. Why.
I had always taken it for granted that he was
going to marry you. But I told you most explicitly
that was not so, she exclaimed, with some impatience. I
know you did, I admit it ruefully, But I thought, well,
I imagine that things had perhaps not gone quite smoothly.

(06:34):
And did you suppose that if I had cared for
a man and that man had been under a cloud,
I should have denied the relation or pretended that we
were merely friends, she demanded indignantly. I am sure you wouldn't,
I replied hastily. I was a fool, an idiot. By Jove,
what an idiot I've been. It was certainly very silly

(06:56):
of you, she admitted, But there was a gentleness in
her tone that took away all the bitterness from the reproach.
The reason of the secrecy was this, she continued. They
became engaged the very night before Reuben was arrested, and
when he heard of the charge against him, he insisted
that no one should be told unless and until he

(07:18):
was fully acquitted. I was the only person who was
in their confidence, and as I was sworn to secrecy,
of course I couldn't tell you, nor did I suppose
that the matter would interest you. Why should it imbecile
that I am, I murmured, if I had only known, well,
if you had known, she said, what difference could it

(07:40):
have made to you? This question, she asked, without looking
at me. But I noted that her cheek had grown
a shade paler. Only this, I answered, that I should
have been spared many a day and night of needless
self reproach and misery. But why, she asked, still keeping
her face averted, what had you to reach proach yourself

(08:00):
with a great deal? I answered, If you consider my
supposed position, If you think of me as the trust
an agent of a man helpless and deeply wronged, a
man whose undeserved misfortunes made every demand upon chivalry and generosity,
If you think of me as being called upon to
protect and carry comfort to the woman whom I regard

(08:22):
it as virtually that man's betrothed wife. And if you
think of me as proceeding straightway before I had known
her twenty four hours to fall hopelessly in love with
her myself, you will admit that I had something to
reproach myself with. She was still silent, rather pale, and
very thoughtful, and she seemed to breathe more quickly than usual.

(08:45):
Of course, I continued. You may say that it was
my own look out, that I had only to keep
my own counsel, and no one would be any the worse.
But there's the mischief of it. How can a man
who is thinking of a woman mourning new and night,
whose heart leaps at the sound of her coming, whose
existence is a blank when she is away from him,

(09:07):
a blank which he tries to fill by recalling again
and again all that she has said, and the tones
of her voice, and the look that was in her
eyes when she spoke. How can he help letting her
see sooner or later that he cares for her. And
if he does, when he has no right to, there
is an end of duty and chivalry and even common honesty. Yes,

(09:31):
I understand now, said Juliet softly. Is this the way
she tripped up the steps leading to the fountain court,
and I followed cheerfully. Of course, it was not the way,
and we both knew it, but the place was silent
and peaceful, and the plane trees cast a pleasant shade
on the graveled court. I glanced at her as we
walked slowly toward the fountain. The roses were mantling in

(09:54):
her cheeks now, and her eyes were cast down. But
when she lifted them to me for an I saw
that they were shining and moist. Did you never guess,
I asked, yes, she replied in a low voice. I guessed.
But but then she added, shyly, I thought I had
guessed wrong. We walked on for some little time without

(10:17):
speaking again, until we came to the further side of
the fountain, where we stood listening to the quiet trickle
of the water and watching the sparrows as they took
their bath on the rim of the basin. A little
way off, another group of sparrows had gathered with greedy
joy around some fragments of bread that had been scattered
abroad by the benevolent templars and hard by a more

(10:40):
sentimentally minded pigeon, unmindful of the crumbs and the marauding
sparrows puffed out his breast and struted and curtseyed before
his mate with endearing gurgles. Julie had rested her hand
on one of the little posts that supported the chain
by which the fountain is enclosed, and I laid my
hand on hers. Presently she turned her hand over so

(11:02):
that mine lay in its palm, and so we were
standing hand in hand when an elderly gentleman of dry
and legal aspect came up the steps and passed by
the fountain. He looked at the pigeons, and then he
looked at us, and went on his way, smiling and
shaking his head. Juliet, I said, She looked up quickly,

(11:24):
with sparkling eyes and a frank smile that was yet
a little shy too. Yes, why did he smile, that
old gentleman when he looked at us, I can't imagine,
she replied, mendaciously. It was an approving smile, I said,
I think he was remembering his own springtime and giving
us his blessing. Perhaps he was, She agreed, he looked

(11:48):
a nice old thing. She gazed fondly at the retreating figure,
and then turned again to me. Her cheeks had grown
pink enough by now, and in one of them a
dimple display itself to great advantage in its rosy setting.
Can you forgive me, dear, from my unutterable folly, I
asked presently, as she glanced up at me again. I'm

(12:09):
not sure, she answered. It was dreadfully silly of you.
But remember, Juliet, that I loved you with my whole heart,
as I love you now and shall love you always.
I can forgive you anything when you say that, she
answered softly. Here the voice of the distant temple clock
was heard uttering a polite protest with infinite reluctance. We

(12:33):
turned away from the fountain, which sprinkled us with a
parting benediction, and slowly retraced our steps to Middle Temple
Lane and thence into Pump Court. You haven't said it, Juliet,
I whispered, as we came through the archway into the silent,
deserted court, haven't I dear? She answered? But you know it,

(12:53):
don't you? You know? I do? Yes, I know, I said,
and that knowledge is all my heart's desire. She laid
her hand in mine for a moment with a gentle pressure,
and then drew it away, and so we passed through
into the cloisters. End of Chapter seventeen recording by Richard Kilmer, Real, Medina, Texas.

(13:17):
End of the Red Thumb mark by R. Austin Freeman