What I most thought of was obtaining from him, now that he was dying,
the full truth as to the deaths of my father and mother.
Jackson remained so long in this state of stupor, I feared that he
would die before I could interrogate him; but this, as it proved, was
not to be the case. I waited another hour, very impatiently I must
acknowledge, and then I went to him and asked him how he felt. He
replied immediately, and without that difficulty which he appeared
before to have experienced.
"I am better now--the inward bleeding has stopped; but still I cannot
live--my side is broken in, I do not think there is a rib that is not
fractured into pieces, and my spine is injured, for I cannot move or
feel my legs; but I may live many hours yet, and I thank God for His
mercy in allowing me so much time--short indeed to make reparation for
so bad a life, but still nothing is impossible with God."
"Well, then," replied I, "if you can speak, I wish you would tell me
the truth relative to my father's death, and also about the death of
others; as for my father I know that you murdered him--for you said so
last night in your sleep."
After a pause, Jackson replied--"I am glad that I did, and that you
have told me so--I wished to make a full confession even to you, for
confession is a proof of repentance. I know that you must hate me, and
will hate my memory, and I cannot be surprised at it; but look at me
now, Frank, and ask your own heart whether I am not more an object of
pity than of hatred. 'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord!' and has not
His vengeance fallen upon me even in this world? Look at me; here I am,
separated from the world that I loved so much, with no chance of ever
joining it--possessed of wealth which would but a few months ago have
made me happy--now blind, crushed to pieces by an avenging God, in
whose presence I must shortly appear to answer for all my
wickedness--all my expectations overthrown, all my hopes destroyed, and
all my accumulated sins procuring me nothing, but, it may be, eternal
condemnation. I ask you again, am I not an object of pity and
commiseration?"
I could but assent to this, and he proceeded.
"I will now tell you the truth. I did tell the truth up to the time of
your father and mother's embarkation on board of the brig, up to when
the gale of wind came on which occasioned eventually the loss of the
ship. Now give me a little drink.
"The vessel was so tossed by the storm, and the waves broke over her so
continually, that the between-decks were full of water, and as the
hatches were kept down, the heat was most oppressive. When it was not
my watch I remained below, and looked out for another berth to sleep
in. Before the cabin bulkheads on the starboard side, the captain had
fitted up a sort of sail-room to contain the spare sails in case we
should require them. It was about eight feet square, and the sails were
piled up in it, so as to reach within two feet of the deck overhead;
though the lower ones were wetted with the water, above they were dry,
and I took this berth on the top of the sails as my sleeping place. Now
the state-room in which your father and mother slept was on the other
side of the cabin bulkhead, and the straining and rolling of the vessel
had opened the chinks between the planks, so that I could see a great
deal of what was done in the state-room, and could hear every word
almost that was spoken by them. I was not aware of this when I selected
this place as my berth, but I found it out on the first night, the
light of the candle shining through the chinks into the darkness by
which I was surrounded outside. Of course, it is when a man is alone
with his wife that he talks on confidential subjects; that I knew well,
and hoped by listening to be able to make some discovery;--what, I had
no idea of; but, with the bad feelings which stimulated me, I
determined not to lose an opportunity. It was not till about a week
after I had selected this berth, that I made any discovery. I had had
the watch from six to eight o'clock, and had gone to bed early. About
nine o'clock your father came into the state-room. Your mother was
already in bed. As your father undressed, your mother said, 'Does not
that belt worry you a great deal, my dear?'
"'No,' replied your father, 'I am used to it now; it did when I first
put it on, but now I have had it on four days, I do not feel it. I
shall keep it on as long as this weather lasts; there is no saying what
may happen, and it will not do to be looking for the belt at a moment's
warning.'
"'Do you think then that we are in danger?'
"'No, not particularly so, but the storm is very fierce, and the vessel
is old and weak. We may have fine weather in a day or two, or we may
not; at all events, when property of value is at stake, and that
property not my own, I should feel myself very culpable, if I did not
take every precaution.'
"'Well--I wish we were safe home again, my dear, and that my father had
his diamonds, but we are in the hands of God.'
"'Yes, I must trust to Him,' replied your father.
"This circumstance induced me to look through one of the chinks of the
bulkhead, so that I could see your father, and I perceived that he was
unbuckling a belt which was round his body, and which no doubt
contained the diamonds referred to. It was of soft leather, and about
eight inches wide, sewed lengthways and breadthways in small squares,
in which I presumed the diamonds were deposited. After a time your
mother spoke again.
"'I really think, Henniker, that I ought to wear the belt.'
"'Why so, my dear?'
"'Because it might be the means of my preservation in case of accident.
Suppose now, we were obliged to abandon the vessel and take to the
boats; a husband, in his hurry, might forget his wife, but he would not
forget his diamonds. If I wore the belt, you would be certain to put me
in the boat.'
"'That observation of yours would have force with some husbands, and
some wives,' retorted your father; 'but as I have a firm belief in the
Scriptures, it does not affect me. What do the Proverbs say? "The price
of a virtuous woman is far above rubies;" and a good ruby is worth even
more in the market than a diamond of the same size.'
"'Well, I must comfort myself with that idea,' replied your mother,
laughing.
"'Supposing we be thrown upon some out-of-the-way place,' said your
father, 'I shall then commit the belt to your charge. It might soon be
discovered on my person, whereas, on yours, it would stand every chance
of being long concealed. I say this because, even in a desert, it would
be dangerous to have it known by unscrupulous and unprincipled men that
anyone had so much wealth about him.'
"'Well,' replied your mother, 'that is also comfortable for me to hear,
for you will not leave me behind, because I shall be necessary to
conceal your treasure.'
"'Yes,' replied your father, laughing, 'there is another chance for
you, you see.'
"Your father then extinguished the light, and the conversation was not
renewed; but I had heard enough. Your father carried a great treasure
about his person--wealth, I took it for granted, that if I once could
obtain, and return to England, would save me from my present position.
My avarice was hereby excited, and thus another passion equally
powerful, and equally inciting to evil deeds, was added to the hate
which I already had imbibed for your father. But I must leave off now."
Jackson drank a little more, and then remained quiet, and as I had had
no food that day, I took the opportunity of returning to the cabin,
with the promise that I would be back very soon. In half an hour I
returned, bringing with me the Bible and Prayer-book, as I thought that
he would ask me to read to him after he had made his confession. I
found him breathing heavily, and apparently asleep, so I did not wake
him. As I looked at him, and recalled to mind his words, "Am not I an
object of pity?" I confessed that he was, and then I asked myself the
question, Can you forgive him who was the murderer of your father?
After some reflection, I thought that I could. Was he not already
punished? Had not the murder been already avenged? It was not possible
to retain animosity against one so stricken, so broken to pieces, and
my heart smote me when I looked at his disabled hand, and felt that I,
boy as I was, had had a share in his marring. At last he spoke.
"Are you there, Frank?"
"Yes," replied I.
"I have had a little sleep," said he.
"Do you feel easier?" inquired I kindly.
"Yes, I feel my side more numbed, and so it will remain till
mortification takes place. But let me finish my confession; I wish to
relieve my mind, not that I shall die to-night, or perhaps to-morrow,
but still I wish it over. Come nearer to me, that I may speak in a
lower voice, and then I shall be able to speak longer."
I did so, and he proceeded.
"You know how we were cast upon this island, and how I behaved at
first. When I afterwards took my place with the others, my evil
thoughts gradually quitted me, and I gave up all idea of any injury to
your father. But this did not last long. The deaths of so many, and at
last the captain your father and your mother being the only ones left
on the island besides myself, once more excited my cupidity. I thought
again of the belt of diamonds, and by what means I should gain
possession of it; and the devil suggested to me the murders of the
captain and of your father. I had ascertained that your father no
longer carried the belt on his person when we all used to bathe at the
bathing-pool; it was, therefore, as your father had proposed, in your
mother's keeping. Having once made up my mind, I watched every
opportunity to put my intentions into execution. It was the custom for
one of us to fish every morning, as your mother would not eat the dried
birds, if fish could be procured, and I considered that the only chance
I had of executing my horrible wish was when your father went to fish
off the rocks. We usually did so off the ledge of rocks which divide
the bathing-pool from the sea, but I found out another place, where
more fish, and of a better quality, were to be taken, which is off the
high wall of rocks just below. You know where I mean, I have often sent
you to fish there, but I never could go myself since your father's
death. Your father took his lines there, and was hauling in a large
fish, when I, who had concealed myself close to where he stood, watched
the opportunity as he looked over the rock to see if the fish was clear
of the water, to come behind him and throw him off into the sea. He
could not swim, I knew, and after waiting a minute or two, I looked
over and saw his body, just as it sank, after his last struggles. I
then hastened away, and my guilty conscience induced me to ascend the
ravine, and collect a faggot of firewood to bring home, that no
suspicions might be entertained; but my so doing was the very cause of
suspicion, as you will afterwards perceive. I returned with the wood,
and the captain observed, when I came up to the cabin:
"'Why, it's something new for you to collect wood out of your turn,
Jackson. Wonders will never cease.'
"'The fact is, that I am becoming very amiable,' replied I, hardly
knowing what to say, and afraid to look either of them in the face, for
your mother, with you on her lap, was standing close by.
"'Has my husband caught any fish, do you know, Jackson?' said your
mother, 'for it is high time that he came home.'
"'How can I tell?' replied I. 'I have been up the ravine for wood.'
"'But you were down on the rock two hours ago,' replied your mother,
'for Captain James saw you coming away.'
"'That I certainly did,' replied the captain. 'Had he caught any fish
when you were with him?'
"They must have perceived my confusion when I said, 'Yes, I was on the
rocks, but I never went near Henniker, that I'll swear.'
"'You must have been near him, even when I saw you,' replied the
captain.
"'I never looked at him, if I was,' replied I.
"'Well, then, one of us had better go down and see what he is about,'
said the captain. 'Shall I leave Jackson with you?'
"'Yes, yes,' replied your mother, much agitated, 'for I have my
forebodings; better leave him here.'
"The captain hastened down to the rocks, and in a quarter of an hour
returned very much heated, saying, 'He is not there!'
"'Not there?' replied I, getting up, for I had seated myself in silence
on the rock during the captain's absence: 'that's very odd.'
"'It is,' replied the captain. 'Jackson, go and try if you see anything
of him, while I attend to Mrs Henniker.'
"Your mother, on the captain's return, had bowed her head down to her
knees, and covered her face with her hands. I was glad of an excuse to
be away, for my heart smote me as I witnessed her condition.
"I remained away half-an-hour, and then returned, saying that I could
see nothing of your father.
"Your mother was in the cabin, and the captain went in to her, while I
remained outside with all the feelings of Cain upon my brow.
"That was a dreadful day for all parties--no food was taken. Your
mother and the captain remained in the cabin, and I dared not, as
usual, go in to my own bed-place. I lay all night upon the rocks--sleep
I could not; every moment I saw your father's body sinking, as I had
seen it in the morning. The next morning the captain came out to me. He
was very grave and stern, but he could not accuse me, whatever his
suspicions might have been. It was a week before I saw your mother
again, for I dared not intrude into her presence; but, finding there
was no accusation against me, I recovered my spirits, and returned to
the cabin, and things went on as before."