CHAPTER XL.
FACE TO FACE.
THE conversation between Tait and Captain Larcher was not finished thatevening, as the old gentleman, worn out by the excitement of the day,early retired to bed. However, he declared that he would be shortlyready to journey to London; and Claude left the Cottage with Tait on theunderstanding that his father was to be called for next day. Before theyparted for the night Claude made a remark about Hilliston.
"I hope he won't get wind of this," he said dubiously; "or he may getMrs. Bezel--I can't call her mother--out of the way."
"Have no fear," replied Tait calmly. "Hilliston's hands are too full atpresent."
"What do you mean?"
"Why," said Tait, lighting his candle; "your father showed me a letterfrom Hilliston, apologizing for not coming over, as his wife was lyingdangerously ill at the Connaught Hotel, at Eastbourne."
"He said something of that in his note to me. What is the matter withMrs. Hilliston?"
"She has the smallpox."
"The smallpox!" echoed Claude, in a tone of horror. "Poor creature, sheis a dead woman!"
"I don't know so much about that. She may recover."
"She may recover from the disease," said the young man gloomily; "butnot from the blow to her vanity. Many a time has she told me that if shelost her looks she would kill herself. You mark my words, Tait, withinthe week we will hear of her death."
And with these prophetic words Claude retired to his room.
Tait had no time to think of this conversation, being occupied withanticipation regarding the meeting of Captain Larcher and his wife; butit so happened that Claude's prognostications occurred to him when thetruth of the Horriston tragedy was discovered, and that was not longafterward. Perhaps, like the young men, Fate herself grew weary of anaffair which had dragged on for twenty-five years. At all events shebrought matters to a conclusion with almost inconceivable rapidity.
The first step toward the end was the meeting of husband and wife, whichtook place at Clarence Cottage, Hampstead, during the afternoon of thenext day. In company with his son and Tait, the old gentleman drove tothe railway station, some three miles distant, and took the up express.When established comfortably in a first-class smoking carriage--forCaptain Larcher was fond of a pipe--he resumed the conversation withTait which had been broken off on the previous night. This time thesubject was Hilliston and his doings.
"I have been thinking over your suspicions regarding Hilliston," hesaid, addressing himself more directly to Tait, "and I confess that itis difficult to reconcile some of his actions with your view that he isguilty. Claude, as you know, was ignorant of the Horriston tragedy untilenlightened by Hilliston."
"I know that, my dear sir," said Tait quietly, "Hilliston certainlyplaced the papers containing the account of the matter in Claude'shands, but he was forced to do so by the action of Mrs. Bezel--I begpardon, Mrs. Larcher."
"Continue to call her Mrs. Bezel, if you please. I prefer it so. How didshe force Hilliston to confide in Claude."
"Because she read the book 'A Whim of Fate,' and seeing the tragedytherein described, she wrote asking Claude to see her with the intentionof telling him all. As you may guess, her story differs materially fromthat of Hilliston's, so of two evils, choosing the least, he determinedto forestall her and inform Claude of the matter."
"And he did so by means of the press," said Claude eagerly. "In place oftelling me the story himself he allowed me to gather what information Icould from the scanty report of the _Canterbury Observer_. My dearfather, the Genesis of the whole matter springs from the finding ofthose papers by Jenny. Had she not read them and told Linton the storyhe would not have written the book; had he not done so Mrs. Bezel wouldnot have determined to tell me her version; and but for her threat to doso Hilliston would not have produced the papers."
"Humph! The action was compulsory on the part of Hilliston?"
"I think so, sir," said Tait complacently; "therefore it is quite inkeeping with his usual character. The rat did not fight till it wasdriven into a corner."
"It is not in the corner," remarked Captain Larcher significantly, "butwe'll drive it there and see if it will face our accusation. But whatabout Hilliston's introduction of Claude to me? Would it not have beento his interest to keep us apart?"
"Oh!" said Tait, with some contempt for Hilliston's diplomacy, "that wasanother case of necessity. He knew that Claude and I were bent ondiscovering the truth, so, fearing that we should do so by furtherinvestigation, he thought to stop the whole matter by bringing you faceto face with your son."
"I don't see how that would accomplish his aim."
"Hilliston hoped it would do so in two ways," explained Tait glibly."First, he hoped that you would give your consent to Claude marryingJenny, and so lead his mind away from the case, and second, he trustedthat when Claude found you alive he would no longer desire to pursue theinvestigation."
"He was right so far," said Claude seriously.
"If that was Hilliston's calculation, he made one great mistake," saidCaptain Larcher scornfully. "He did not think that I should wish to seemy wife."
"He must have been satisfied that Claude would tell you she was alive."
"That, of course. But he thought I would stay at Thorston as FerdinandPaynton, and be afraid to admit my identity even to my wife. I mighthave done so but for Claude. But I owe it to him to clear myself, andthis meeting with my wife will be the first step toward doing so.Between us we must solve the mystery."
"It is none, so far as I am concerned," said Tait grimly. "I am sure asI am sitting here that Hilliston murdered Jeringham. The gardener wasjust too late to see him do the deed."
"But his motive?" asked Claude curiously.
His father and Tait stole a glance at one another. They neither of themwished to make any remarks about Mrs. Larcher and Hilliston's passion,preferring that Claude should be ignorant of that episode. Still when heasked so direct a question it was difficult to avoid a direct answer,but Larcher gave him one which was sufficiently evasive to stop furtherinquiries.
"We must try and find out his motive," he said quietly. "Depend upon it,Claude, there is a good deal of underhand work in this of which we knownothing."
"Do you think Mona committed the crime?"
"No, I do not. In no way could she have gained possession of the daggerwith which it was committed."
"My mother says she had a dagger in the sitting room."
"That is a mistake," said Captain Larcher, using as delicate a word ashe could think of. "She threatened me with the sheath of the dagger, andno doubt, being agitated at the time, she thought it was the weaponitself. But I noticed when she entered the room that the sheath wasempty. Her story to the police at the time of the trial is more likely.She lost it in the ballroom. The question is, who picked it up? Judgingfrom the knowledge I now have of his character I believe it wasHilliston who did so."
"Or Jeringham," said Tait suddenly.
"Impossible! How could Jeringham have found it?"
"He was with Mrs. Larcher all the evening, and may have seen the daggerfall. Or again, he may have taken it out of the sheath to examine it andhave forgotten to return it. It is not improbable that in such a case hemight have recollected it when he was in the garden, and offered it toMona to return to her mistress."
"Oh!" said Claude with contempt. "And on that slight ground you supposethat Mona killed him?"
"It is not beyond the bounds of probability."
"Nonsense!" said Captain Larcher angrily. "I don't believe it. Mona wasa good girl, foully deceived by Jeringham. She fled from the house tohide her disgrace, thinking my wife would tell her brother. Hillistonafterward met her in London, where she died in giving birth to Jenny."
"Then it was Hilliston who brought Jenny to you?"
"Yes. Because her Uncle Denis was in my service. I adopted Jenny, buttold her that she was the child of a Mr. Kennedy and Mona Bantry.
Shebelieved her father and mother were married, so do not disturb that viewof the case."
"Certainly not," said Tait emphatically. "It would be cruel to do so.But here we are at Victoria. After seeing Mrs. Bezel at Hampstead we canresume our conversation."
"If we do it will be from a different standpoint, I fancy," said Larchersignificantly, as the train stopped.
Tait's brougham was waiting for them at the station, and in this theydrove up to Hampstead. Leaving it in Fitzjohn's Avenue they walked downHunt Lane to Clarence Cottage. Mrs. Bezel occupied her usual seat in thewindow, and caught sight of Claude as he preceded his father and Tait upthe path. A terrified expression crossed her face, but she made nomotion to forbid their entrance. Yet a sense of coming evil struck ather heart, and it needed all her self-control to prevent herself fromfainting when they were shown into the room.
"My dear mother," said Claude, kissing her, "you must be prepared forunexpected news. I beg of you to control yourself for----"
He stopped short in astonishment. Mrs. Bezel was looking at CaptainLarcher with a bewildered air, and he gazed at her face with anexpression of amazement. She shrank back as he crossed the room withrapidity, and bent over her.
"Mona Bantry!" he cried, "is it possible that you still live?"