In all his experience as a detective, it is doubtful if Edmond
Stolliker was ever so surprised as at the tableau that faced him as he
entered Leith Pierrepont's room.
He stood there dumb, stunned, too bewildered to speak, and it was Leith
himself who came to his assistance.
He put Carlita aside, gently placing her in a chair, where she
sat rigidly upright, her eyes fixed upon the two men helplessly,
hopelessly, in spite of her belief now in Leith's innocence, her hands
clasped tightly, then he stepped forward.
"Gentlemen," he exclaimed, proudly, though as nonchalantly as he had
ever spoken in his life, his handsome head flung up, not defiantly, but
inviting examination, "I know why you have come here; have just heard
it from the lips of this young lady--my affianced wife, and I am ready
to go with you. It would be useless for me to assert my innocence of
this infamous charge to you, as I know you are compelled to do that
which your commanding officers have instructed you to do, but I hope
there will be no scene about the arrest whatever. I will accompany you
quietly wherever you desire, only stipulating that I be granted a few
minutes' conversation with Miss de Barryos, in your presence if needs
be, though I confess I should prefer not."
It gave Stolliker time, and he managed to catch his breath.
"It is not at all necessary, sir," he said, recovering from his
half-dazed stupidity. "The fact is, that Carpano has just received a
telegram from his chief which makes it unnecessary for you to return
with us to Mexico at all."
"What!"
Carlita had sprung to her feet, a tide of crimson color surging through
her cheeks, brow and throat, a wild light had sprung to her eyes, and
the exclamation was little more than a hoarse cry of gladness wrung
through her white, tortured lips.
Leith stepped quickly forward and placed his arm about her for much
required support. Stolliker smiled.
"The fact is, sir," he continued, "the telegram announced that a
search of the Donato Mine revealed a scrap of paper which Mr. Winthrop
had torn from a note-book before the gases of the mine overcame him,
upon which he had written something to the effect that he had fallen
there purely by accident, and that no one was responsible but his own
carelessness. But it seems from the meager details we have been able
to gain so far, that when the contents of the scrap of paper became
known, Senorita Meriaz fell into violent hysteria, claiming that he
had written it to screen her, for she had pushed him there to his
death, intending to kill him. She testified to the statement, before
witnesses, and then--it may be that her heart broke, poor girl, for the
telegram contains the further information that she died less than an
hour afterward."
For all the fact that Carlita's arms were about his neck, in spite
of the presence of those two supposedly unsympathetic men, and that
Carlita's tears were flowing freely in wildest happiness, a shadow of
regret lay in Leith's grave eyes.
"It is the happiest fate that could have overtaken her," he said,
gently. "Heaven knows I am sorry for her, and would have shielded her
had the power been left me, but her own misery was too great to be
borne. And now may I ask how it happened that you came to tell me this?"
"It seems rather a peculiar story to me, sir," Stolliker answered,
"understanding as little of it as I do, but you or Miss de Barryos may
be able to supply all that I can not tell. When I went this morning
to call upon Miss de Barryos, the manner of my reception and the fact
that I was denied admission into her presence until I had declined to
take a report at all, aroused my suspicions. Then when I was conducted
to her apartment, Miss Chalmers remained there refusing to allow me a
moment alone with my patroness. I was forced to tell the details of the
situation to her, she apparently being as familiar with the history
of the case as I was, perhaps more so. I observed that while Miss de
Barryos was evidently listening intently to all that I was saying,
she was suppressing all evidence of it, therefore betraying to me the
fact that she did not wish Miss Chalmers to share her feeling upon
the subject, and further, that she was evidently striving to appear
more ill than she really was, though Heaven knows it was bad enough. I
concluded, therefore, that her quiet was the result of acting in the
presence of Miss Chalmers."
"Which it was!" cried Carlita, earnestly, turning toward him again.
"I therefore concluded that, as I had been denied admission and then
permitted to see her under Miss Chalmers' espionage, that Miss de
Barryos was kept a prisoner."
"A prisoner!" cried Leith, a flash in his gray eyes that was dangerous.
"It is quite true!" exclaimed Carlita, excitedly.
"It does not take a detective long to jump at a conclusion under those
circumstances," said Stolliker, with a smile. "I then questioned my
niece, Ahbel, who is Miss de Barryos' maid, and had my suspicions
confirmed. I instructed her that she was to closely watch Miss
Chalmers, and report to me, through a medium which I named to her, any
movement made by Miss Chalmers. Before that, however, Miss Chalmers
insisted upon knowing what time the train from Albany would arrive, and
what time the arrest would be made. As I did not trust her, naturally
I did not tell the exact truth. At ten minutes before eight I was
notified that Miss Chalmers had left the house. At eight, I knew that
she had entered this one."
"This one!" gasped Carlita. "Jessica has been here?"
"Yes," answered Leith. "I will tell you everything in a moment. Go on,
Mr. Stolliker. Your story interests me."
"I had instructed my niece, Ahbel, that she was to induce the nurse
to leave Miss de Barryos alone with her for a moment, using any means
that lay in her power, and this injunction also she carried out. She
had Miss Chalmers' own maid summon her, then when Miss de Barryos was
alone, Ahbel went into the room. Miss de Barryos knows the rest. She
told her maid that it was a matter of life and death that she should
leave the house at once, and instructed by me, that Miss de Barryos
was to carry out any wish she might express, Ahbel quickly threw a
dress over her negligee, and--Perhaps you can tell the sequel of the
story better than I can, Mr. Pierrepont," exclaimed the detective,
with a merry twinkle in his penetrating eye. "At all events, when this
telegram was received, I knew where to find her, though I confess I
thought she had come for the purpose of thwarting some scheme of Miss
Chalmers', and I wanted no harm to befall her."
Leith extended his hand, and with cordial warmth the detective took it.
"I thank you!" he exclaimed in the old way that charmed men and women
alike. "You might have worked great harm to me, but you did it in her
interest. You have been her friend, and I can harbor nothing against
you after that, even if I would. She has had few enough of them, poor
child."
"I am glad to have served her, and still more glad that I have been
saved the unhappiness which this cruel mistake would have given me if
it had gone further. If I may be permitted to congratulate you both,
sir, I will retire. May I have a few minutes' conversation with you in
the morning? There is the treachery of Meriaz to be considered. Perjury
is no light offense in this country, particularly when a foreigner
plots against the life of a United States citizen."
"Very well. In the morning at ten. It will give us both time to think
the matter over. If you will have the kindness to send Miss de Barryos'
maid here with a satchel containing the requisites of a lady's toilet
you will add to the favor you have already done."
"It will give me pleasure," returned Stolliker, shaking the hand
Carlita extended.
Then he and the Mexican officer, who had been a silent and
non-comprehensive witness of the scene, left the room together.
Leith opened his arms and Carlita flew into them.
"My darling," he whispered, "the clouds lasted but a few moments with
me, and yet I seem to have suffered for years. What must not all this
cruel time have cost you? Sweet one, believing me a murderer, how is it
possible that you could have loved me?"
"Don't ask me!" she cried, shivering in his embrace. "Don't ask me.
How is it possible that you could love me after all my treachery? I
accepted you, held you near me, allowed you even to kiss my lips, in
order that I might betray you to the gallows. Was it not the kiss of
Judas?"
"The kiss that weakened through love," he answered, drawing her even
closer. "Ah, darling, in spite of all, even the treachery you aver,
you could have offered me no greater proof of your love than you have
done tonight. Do you think that I can ever forget that you would have
sacrificed all the years of your life in order to bring forgetfulness
to a murderer? Do you think I can forget that you would have shared
my exile, with the promise that no word of unfaith should ever escape
you? The Good Book says: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that he
give his life for his friend.' But that was more than life, Carlita. It
was hope and honor and life as well. What suffering would I not have
endured to know you love me like this?"
She allowed him to soothe her and kiss her trembling lips to quiet,
murmuring as he did so:
"Thank God you did not die the night you saved the child from drowning
before I had obtained your forgiveness. I should have gone mad through
grief and remorse if I had heard this story too late."
"Then you really offered that five thousand for my life in order that
you might have me punished, as you thought I deserved?"
"No! Upon my soul, no! I was not so bad as that. It was the first time
I had fully realized the strength and breadth of my love for you.
It was the first time I knew that all my whole being was infolded in
yours, and it was for my own life I offered the reward, as well as
yours. It was not of vengeance that I thought then, but only love--only
love!"
"My darling!" he murmured, tenderly. "Then it was not all truth she
told."
"She? Who?"
"Jessica."
"She is here?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
With his arm about her, he crossed the room, turned the key in the
lock, and threw open the door, behind which Jessica stood.