to piece together certainfacts which enable me to answer your question," replied the woman, whohad now perfectly recovered her composure.
"He was. I believe, an Irishman by birth, with no friends or relativesin the world. He had been mixed up with Stent and Bolinski for years,and he knew too much. They knew he was a dying man when they put himinto the cab. Their object was to get him off their hands, to let himdie elsewhere."
"But why did they dress him up in Mr Monkton's clothes," queriedWingate.
"I suppose, in order that the superficial likeness might enable him tobe earned into the house, where he was bound to collapse. He had beenan inmate of Bolinski's house for some time, and I expect for his ownreason Bolinski did not wish him to die there."
Wingate shuddered at a sudden idea that had occurred to him. "Do youthink they gave him anything, any drug to hasten his death?" he askedhesitatingly.
"Who ran tell? They had no scruples, though I cannot honestly say Iknow of any instance in which their callousness led them to take humanlife."
"Can you account for his repeating the word `Moly' before he died?"
Mrs Saxton shook her head. "Perhaps you did not catch the word aright.I know he had been privy to this scheme. Perhaps, in his wanderingstate, he was trying to pronounce the name Monkton, and you mistook thefirst syllable. I can offer no other explanation."
There was a brief pause before Wingate spoke again.
"You were on very early in the scene, were you not?"
Mrs Saxton bowed her head in assent. "To my shame I was. Stent madeout to me at first that they were getting Mr Monkton away for a briefspace to render him harmless. They were connected with some schemesabroad, so he said, which Mr Monkton was using his powerful influenceto thwart. I believed him, not knowing the real instigator. I calledon Miss Monkton, as you will remember, for the purpose of pumping her,of finding in what quarter suspicion was directed."
"Yes, we know that. And what part did your brother play in it all?"
A shade of embarrassment crept into her manner. She was willing tosacrifice Stent and Bolinski, but it was natural she should shield herbrother as far as she could.
"He believed the first story they told him, which at the beginningimposed upon me. He kept watch for them in a way, told them what hecould pick up of the various rumours flying about. He was in a state ofgreat alarm one night, when some Member of the House of Commons had toldhim that Mr Monkton was acquainted with a man of the name of Stent."
Reginald Monkton lifted his head. "It is true. I had known himslightly for some years, as a man connected with one or two companies,respectable ones, in which I had shares. I had no idea that he made thegreater part of his money by fraud."
"And what became of Mr Monkton that night?" asked Wingate, turning toMrs Saxton.
"They caught him unawares, as he was walking from the House, threw acloth, saturated with a stupefying drug, over his face, put him in acab, driven by a confederate, and took him to Bolinski's house. Theythen took off his outer clothes, put them on the person you call thedying man, who could only just walk, and rushed back to Westminster.There they got out, waited a few seconds, hailed a taxi, put him inside,and directed the driver to take him to Chesterfield Street. The rest ofthat episode you know."
"And when was it that you went to Forest View, and masqueraded in theguise of a parlourmaid?"
A burning colour crept into her face at the question. It was easy tosee that she was feeling her position acutely. It was some secondsbefore she could control herself sufficiently to order her speech.
"They had moved him very speedily from Bolinski's to the house of one oftheir confederates. Then they took him down to Horsham, where Stent hada house. He came to me one day and said the affairs in which they wereinterested were maturing slowly. He had hoped to release Mr Monktonvery quickly, but owing to the delay it was absolutely necessary theyshould keep him in custody until the _coup_ came off. They kept him ina secret room there--what is called the priest's room. A woman theytrusted had been obliged to go abroad. Would I take her place? He saidit would only be for a short time."
"And you went?" cried Sheila, with a withering glance.
The woman's voice was almost inaudible, as she answered with bowed head:"Yes, I went, but I swear that when I did so I did not know what wasreally meditated."
They looked at her in horror, and Wingate repeated the words, "what wasreally meditated."
"Yes," she said, almost in a whisper. "It was a refined cruelty, theinvention of a cunning and malignant mind. Their object was to breakdown his reason, to reduce him to a condition worse than that of deathitself, and then to restore him to his home and child, shattered inhealth, mind and reputation."
CHAPTER THIRTY.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
At those dreadful words, spoken in a low, vibrating voice, a shudder ranthrough the listeners. Sheila laid her head upon her father's shoulder,and sobbed unrestrainedly. Wingate uttered a cry of horror.
"And whose was the devilish mind that conceived this awful thing, andwhat was the motive?" he cried, when he had recovered from hisstupefaction.
"You will know directly, but it is best I should tell the story in myown way, and in proper sequence. Well, I went to Forest View, to lookafter Mr Monkton. I may say that Stent never went near him himself,for fear of recognition. I found that he was being treated with drugs,so as to keep him more or less in a state of torpor. When I saw whatwas being done, I was horrified, and remonstrated. But Stent was alwaysplausible, told me the effect was temporary, and that as soon as hecould fix the time for his release, he would give him antidotes thatwould speedily restore him to his normal state.
"I very shortly conceived the idea of liberating him, but the means werehard to discover. Stent distrusted everybody, and it was only byacceding to all his humours that I was able to worm anything out of him.Half-a-dozen times he permitted me to administer the drug during hisabsence. It was one of his own preparation--for he was among otherthings a most skilled chemist. On these occasions I gave your fatherbut a small portion of the dose intended for him. By these means Irevived his benumbed faculties, and was able to assure him that I washis friend, and was eagerly seeking the means of restoring him tofreedom.
"Then one day, when Stent was in an unusually good temper, he came tome, with that evil smile on his face which I had learned to know anddread. `A curious thing is going to happen to-morrow. A man is cominghere to stay for a little time. Can you guess what he is coming for?'Of course, I answered I could not.
"`He will stay here under an assumed name, but he is rather a greatpersonage in his own world. He will want, if I know him aright, to goto Monkton's room every day, and gloat over his handiwork.'
"It was imprudent of me, but I could not help blurting out, `Yours aswell as his.'
"His smile grew more evil as he said, `I am afraid you are a little tootender-hearted for this world, my dear. Anyway, I am paid a big pricefor the job, and you know I never refuse money.'
"I saw my mistake, and pretended to fall in with his mood, and succeededin winning him back to amiability. I expressed great curiosity to knowthe real name of the man who, to use his own expression, was coming down`to gloat over his handiwork.' To this day I shall never know whatcaused him to satisfy it. But at last he told me."
Sheila and her lover gazed at the pale-faced woman intently. In theireagerness they almost forgot their loathing.
"The instigator of his abduction, the man who hired this fiend to carryout his deadly, malignant revenge, is a man well-known, wealthy, a peerof the realm. I daresay you have heard of him. He is called LordWrenwyck."
Sheila gasped at this astounding revelation. "The husband of thepopular Lady Wrenwyck, who in her youth was a celebrated beauty?"
Then she turned to her father, whose pale, worn face cut her to theheart. "But, dearest, what was his motive for such a dastardly deed?"
Monkton spoke in a low voice, but he did not m
eet his daughter's eyes."A fancied wrong, my child. We crossed each other many years ago, andhe has brooded over it till he grew half insane, and thought of thisscheme of vengeance."
"But you will have him punished," cried his daughter loudly. "You must!You cannot mete out to him what he has done to you, but you will dealwith him as the law allows you."
Monkton turned uneasily in his chair. "It is the dearest wish of myheart to bring him low, but, in my position, one cannot afford scandal.In a few weeks I shall be restored to my old place, to my old strength.That there has been a mystery is only known to a few. To the public,Reginald Monkton has recovered from a brief illness induced byoverstrain and over-work. It is better so."
Sheila gazed at him almost wildly.