Shadow in the North

Chapter Twenty-Four - Alibis and Agonies

He had always listened to her disparage how he sought to run his business, with a patient calmness, because he thought her merely ignorant. He had even been inclined to inform her; to help her understand, but she had wanted none of it; happy to take guidance from the likes of Higgins - the union man - but not he. Mr Thornton - whilst displeased by her bias - had forgiven it, for he could see - even though it irked him - that her siding with the hands, and disdaining him as he felt she had - was a symptom only of her Christian sensibilities; the great philanthropist which sought to help those at the bottom of society; and looked upon him - as one at the top of Milton's social sphere - as a necessary evil; the oppressor of the poor. It was unjust of her, but he understood her intentions.

Now, he called into question everything he had ever thought her to be. Not only had she been out after dark with a man - in a secluded place - whilst her mother lay cold upon her bed! - but she had lied about it. He was half-minded to leave her to her fate, but he knew that he could not, for had he not just sat with his friend - Miss Hale's father - for over an hour, looking into his grieving eyes; his expression bereft? Had he not felt, in Mr Hale's every look and word, how broken down the poor man was? And now to learn that his daughter was a liar? That she had been seen - after dark - with a man? He felt sure Mr Hale could know nothing of it, and why should he! The sighting had been such a great shock to Mr Thornton that he had scarcely believed what he had seen, and he was no great admirer of the woman. To Mr hale - who loved his daughter deeply - it would surely be a crushing blow.

He considered that the drunkard, Leonards, had a long-standing internal complaint, which the surgeon had informed him the previous evening, would have killed the man, anyway. The fall, it seemed, merely hastened Leonards' fate. And the evidence; as it was the word of a witness (and it seemed the witness was reluctant) against the word of a lady, it would be difficult to prove. He frowned over his desk. He knew he could intervene; stop the inquest with a word, but he was a man of honour. He cared not for compromising his own position as a magistrate; he cared only for his compromising justice.

His great duty as a magistrate, and his duty as a man waged war with themselves, and his mind raced tumultuously until he felt a sickness in his stomach. And yet, for all he thought the matter over, he felt sure that his Isabel would have stood boldly before him and asserted - with clear reasoning - that a drunkard with an illness sure to kill him - who had promoted the blow which felled him, by being impertinent towards a lady - was due no more regard or loyalty, than the lady who had been his victim. Yes; she had lied, but surely she did so to protect her father from the shameful gossip of her having been from home at such an hour - and not alone! Oh, he knew what he must do, and he would do it, but he was loath to.

He stood from his desk and slipped on his frock coat, so that he might go out to meet with Inspector Watson - for four o'clock was fast approaching - when there was a rapping on his door. Upon bidding the person to enter, he saw before him a flushed Inspector Watson, who appeared as though he had quite run to keep to his appointment.

'Mr Thornton, sir -' panted the inspector, before steadying himself and drawing in a deep breath for composure. 'I have just come from the station where I have spoken with a Miss Darrow - who resides with the Hales in Crampton - and she has provided for Miss Hale, an alibi; they were looking through some of the late Mrs Hale's belongings on the evening of the twenty-sixth. I ran this back to my witness - the grocer's assistant - and once he learnt that Miss Hale had an alibi, he quite strenuously retracted his statement. He said he had thought it was she - he was certain of it. Then, when the lady in question had denied it, he had been less certain, but still trusted in his own judgement, but now that another young lady had spoken up for her, he said he could not - in all conscience - withhold doubt, and that he was therefore unable to speak against her in a court of law.