CHAPTER XXIX
"AS A TALE THAT WAS TOLD"
"My God!" It was Ross Duggan who spoke. "Just to think of it! Just tothink! That _my_ father----"
"Don't forget he's dead, Ross, and beyond all chance of yourremonstrating with him, and that the dead cannot speak up forthemselves!" cried Maud Duggan, in a wrung voice. "Don't say anythingyou will be sorry for, I beg of you! Mr. Cleek, this has come assomething in the nature of a shock to my brother and me, and--and it'sgoing to take some time to let this part of your story sink in. It seemsdreadful that one's own father...."
"And yet there are many who have done worse--far worse," threw in Cleek,with uplifted hand, as she paused and looked at him out of anguishedeyes. "Youth must learn to forgive, Miss Duggan. That is a lesson whichboth you and your brother have got to learn, and don't forget, will you,in the learning, that this thing took place more than seventeen yearsago--before your father was married to his present wife. Raking up deadashes is a poor sort of game, and an unprofitable one. I would neverhave spoken only that therein lay the motive of James Tavish's crime,and for seventeen long years he has worked for it. The unutterablepatience of the man! the appalling sense of revenge! For at the end ofthat time his bitterness to the man who had wronged his sister was evengreater than when the thing itself took place. How long has he been inyour father's employ?"
"Twelve years."
"And I take it he was well known locally before that?"
"The family was certainly an old local one, Mr. Cleek, and, in fact, Ihave heard the story go that they were descendants of the originalPeasant Girl on her mother's side."
"Oho! Well, that may or may not be. Vendettas are not only carried outin southern climes, Miss Duggan. I've learned that lesson to my costmany times since I took up this profession. And the Scotch temperamentis a dour one, and not forgiving. A grudge is a grudge, even if it laststhrough several centuries--and who knows but that this belief lentcolour to his hatred of your father? At any rate, whether it is true ornot, James Tavish killed Sir Andrew because he was the betrayer of hissister--and took seventeen years to bring his vengeance to fullmaturity. Gad! what a character to bear! It makes one's blood runcold!... Constables, I think you may remove your prisoner now to thenearest lock-up. We've done with him for the present, thanks."
So saying, he waved his hand toward the door, opened it, and waiteduntil the little cavalcade had taken its dismissal; meanwhile thosewithin the room of that house of discord sat silent as dead people,thinking back over the doings of seventeen years ago, and of a dead manwho had betrayed an innocent woman. It was an unpleasant thought atbest. They were glad when Cleek came back into the room, closed thedoor, and took his seat among them again. His pleasant voice dispelledthe repellent weavings of their own brains.
"And now," said he, "to continue with our story. It is nearly done,but there are points which I know each one of you would like to havecleared up before I take my leave. What's that, Lady Paula? How did Icome to suspect your brother in the first place? Ah, that involves along story with which I will not bore you, for you have had enoughalready of this distressing affair, I'm sure. Only this: That I happenedto go up into your boudoir yesterday, when you were making your way upthe Great Free Road"--he paused a moment as she coloured, and gave asignificant smile. "You see, I know more than I tell, eh? Well, Idiscovered a note screwed up on the floor, and signed 'A. M.' AntoniMatei, we now know it was. Once I suspected Captain Macdonald--simplybecause the footprints outside of the window of the library were madeby his hunting-boots--discovered afterward by my man, mud-caked andhidden in some shrubs near Tavish's cottage. Which leads me, MissDuggan, to that very particular point of the size of the gentleman'sboots. You remember? I won't call that incident to your mind further.Only--you were a little mistaken, that's all. But let that pass. Everywoman acts upon the dictates of her own heart, and if those dictates area trifle mistaken--yes, that was how I found out, Lady Paula. Afterseeing Captain Macdonald's handwriting I knew that he had _not_ writtenthat note. A further investigation upon the part of my lad Dollops andmyself last night led to the elucidation of who it was who _had_ writtenit. Your brother himself disclosed his relation to you last night, afterwe had our talk in the village lock-up. After that, the thing was aseasy as A B C.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Duggan? And where exactly did Captain Macdonaldcome in! Why, when one meets a man running agitatedly away from theparticular part of the Castle where the crime had taken place--and just_after_ it--one is inclined to be a little suspicious of that man. It isonly natural. Though, thank Heaven, my suspicions were soon quieted,after I discovered that your gallant Captain had really come into thegrounds--with your having left the gate ajar for him so that Rhea'sbell would not sound--to meet _you_ clandestinely, as he had beenforbidden the house. Love will always find a way, you know. Only, it wasunfortunate at the time that he should have chosen that night of allothers to have come to meet you. You knew of the crime, then, Captain?Or what was it that sent you pelting away so hard from the house thatheld your affianced bride?"
"Simply because I had heard a woman's scream, had seen the lights allover the Castle switch up, and did not want my meeting with Maud to bediscovered--lest a more certain means should be taken to keep us apartever afterward," returned the Captain, a trifle heatedly. "And I mustconfess that I was a bit nonplussed and--and angered when you mistook_me_ for a murderer and held me under suspicion."
"For which you might readily give your apology, as a better mannered manhas already done," apostrophized Cleek inwardly. "Still, we can't help aman's nature, and he seems a likely enough chap, as men go. _And_ sheloves him. And it's no affair of mine as to how he behaves himself--solong as he was not the guilty party." Then, aloud, "I see. Well, MissDuggan will explain to you how your hunting-boots came to be here, andto lead to your being suspected along with the other. Just ask herafterward--eh, Miss Duggan? And love her still more for her womanlysentiment, if I may be permitted to tender any advice.
"I think that is really all. Only, I should like just a word with SirRoss and Cyril alone, if I may be granted the favour? And then I must begoing. Mr. Narkom and I have other affairs to attend to in thisneighbourhood which are very pressing and will want a lot of carefulhandling to bring home to their proper destination.... Thanks verymuch."
He got to his feet instantly as the women arose, followed by CaptainMacdonald, and quietly left the room. Only Sir Ross, Cyril, and Mr.Narkom remained. As the door closed behind them, Ross Duggan spoke up.
"What is it that you wish to say, Mr. Cleek?" he said quietly. "I'll beglad if you will go easy with Cyril. He's not a bad boy, you know. Onlya trifle misguided, and I shall make it my duty in future to keep asharper eye upon him. The boy has had no other companions but his booksof adventure and his own imagination."
"And a very unfortunate mess those two things have made of him,"returned Cleek quietly, crossing over and laying a hand along Cyril'sshoulder. "School, and boarding-school, is the best place for _him_, myfriend, and good healthy companionship with others of his own age. It'sjust the devil of that reading which made him act as he did. I found himout, late last night in company with his uncle, doing some verynefarious work on the hillside below here."
"_What?_"
"Gently, gently, my friend. Don't forget, will you, that Cyril has notbeen given the same chances as other boys. And his is an active brain.The work in question was illicit whisky-stills--in fact, the very thingfor which I originally came down here, Mr. Narkom. James Tavish andAntoni Matei and Cyril have all had a hand in it. And the still itself,you will find, if you go down to your own dungeon, Sir Ross, to wherethe Peasant Girl is supposed to have her haunts o' nights."
"Cinnamon! Cleek!"
"Yes--and, by James! Mr. Narkom. And that's the actual truth, too. Idiscovered it first of all. A little looking on the part of Dollops andme brought the thing to light, through a susceptible maid-servant atpresent in your employ, Sir Ross. She fell for my Cockney lad's 'ginger'air
.' And he made use of his opportunity. And it was then--even as lateas last night--that my suspicions were finally pinned upon James Tavishas the murderer of your father. For I saw him, in company with the Dago,wearing your tweed coat, which I noted hanging on a hook in the passageearlier in the day, and had even seen you wearing during the morning,before you changed into that dark suit yesterday afternoon--and if ithadn't been for _me_ that same tweed coat might have led you into somerather unfortunate feminine revelations from one of the ladies who areat present in your house. But let that pass.... Mr. Narkom, we must go.There's a gang to be rounded up, and unfortunately, through a foolishwoman, some inkling of our presence here has become known, and it willtake us all our time to trace the rest of the participants in thispleasant affair before they have had time to show nothing more than avery clean pair of heels for our benefit. We must be making tracks. SirRoss, take an older fellow's advice and fight for that boy's rights togo to a decent English school. I've no doubt that the house will bedivided now, since these revelations have been made. One could hardly goon living with a woman for a stepmother who--who had even contemplatedsuch things, although she did it for the benefit of her own boy.But--fight for him. And get him away from--unfortunate influence if youcan. Or you'll be losing for the Empire an otherwise good littlecitizen. There's no doubt about the presence of the uncle now--with thatwhisky-still business on hand, and that's what brought the two mentogether, no doubt. But get this boy clear of it all. Try a publicschool where his _moral_ outlook will be as well cared for as hisphysical, and--get him there _quick_.
"Good-bye, Cyril--shake hands, won't you? And you might write a line tome now and then, to let me know how you're getting on. I'd have had aboy of your age myself, no doubt, if--if I hadn't made a fool of myselfearlier in life, and I've got to make up for it now. But it makes merather soft for youngsters. Good-bye, Sir Ross, and good luck. Clear outof this ill-fated inheritance for a time, until things blow over. You'llfind there'll be a different aspect of affairs when you come back withyour vision cleared. Mr. Narkom, come along. At least we've beaten theCoroner at his own business, and that's always a feather in apoliceman's cap, eh, old friend?"
And, so speaking, he passed out of that house of discord, which,however, he was to visit later, many times, as friend and confidant ofthe new owner of it, out into the clear sunshine of an early noon, andthe paths that lay ahead.
THE END
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