Free Death at the President's Lodging by Michael Innes Page B

Appleby had the feeling of a sudden horrid sense of understanding, a catastrophic dark enlightenment, running round the table. But Haveland had suddenly got to his feet. He looked directly across at Appleby, and seemed now to address him rather than the room.
    “And there you have material for two theories. Titlow said something about ‘incriminating’: you can reflect on that. And Pownall said something about ‘simpler and odder’: you can reflect on that too. Good night.”
    And Haveland swung out of the room. For a moment the company sat staring rather blankly at an empty chair. But Deighton-Clerk had whispered to Titlow and Titlow had pressed a bell. Some soothing fragment of ritual was again being resorted to.
    The door of the inner common-room was thrown open and the unemotional tones of a servant announced: “Coffee is served!”

III
    The Dean motioned to Appleby and the two of them, together with Titlow, Barocho, and a silent person who had proved to be Dr Gott, passed into the next room – Deighton-Clerk because he was Dean, Appleby because he was the Dean’s guest, Titlow because he was Senior Fellow, Gott because he was at present a proctor and Barocho probably because he had simply forgotten to remain behind. Appleby was helped to coffee by the Dean, and the others helped themselves. Deighton-Clerk made no secret of his distress to Appleby.
    “Mr Appleby, it is a horrible business. Pray heaven you clear it up quickly! I am coming to feel some wretched tone or atmosphere spreading itself around us.”
    Little more than an hour before Deighton-Clerk had been elaborately impressing upon Appleby, in direct contradiction to the strongest physical appearances, that Umpleby’s death was the deed of some Unknown who had no part or lot in the life of St Anthony’s. Plainly, he was not a little shaken from that confidence – if genuine confidence it had been – now. He had drawn Appleby into a corner and was continuing with increased distress.
    “It was a most improper observation of Pownall’s. Even if Haveland was inviting accusation, it ought not to have been put to him by way of insinuation like that. We were all exceedingly shocked.”
    Appleby was in the dark as to the significance of this speech, but in a moment the Dean enlightened him. “I am afraid it is my duty to explain to you, Mr Appleby, though it has much upset me. I had quite forgotten… Did I remark earlier this evening when we were speaking of the bones that they were mad whereas we in this college were all demonstrably sane ? At any rate, I think I implied it. And of course I had forgotten – though I was dimly aware of some sinister thing. I had forgotten the trouble poor Haveland had had. Some years ago, Mr Appleby, he had…a severe nervous breakdown, and behaved for a time very oddly. Actually, he was found behaving very oddly among the sarcophagi in the Museum… Where will this lead us?”
    It might lead, Appleby thought, in more directions than one – but it did not look, at present, as if it would lead straight out of St Anthony’s.
    “There was never any relapse,” the Dean was continuing. “The whole thing has been long ago overlaid and forgotten – until Haveland and Pownall so deliberately dragged it up. You will realize that it has been so when I tell you that Haveland has been regarded as a not unlikely successor to Umpleby – despite the fact that he is, as you know, uncompromising in certain social matters. Haveland’s attack was regarded at the time as the aftermath of war-time strain, and he is a thoroughly equable person.”
    There came back to Appleby upon this his first impression of Haveland, shortly before. Was it exactly of an equable person? He was even , yes. But was he even as a result of some constant control? Somewhere in the man there was high pressure – and where there is such pressure there may, conceivably, be chronic latent instability.
    A few minutes only had passed since the break-up in the