FACE TO FACE.
THE conversation between Tait and Captain Larcher was not finished that
evening, as the old gentleman, worn out by the excitement of the day,
early retired to bed. However, he declared that he would be shortly
ready to journey to London; and Claude left the Cottage with Tait on the
understanding that his father was to be called for next day. Before they
parted for the night Claude made a remark about Hilliston.
"I hope he won't get wind of this," he said dubiously; "or he may get
Mrs. Bezel--I can't call her mother--out of the way."
"Have no fear," replied Tait calmly. "Hilliston's hands are too full at
present."
"What do you mean?"
"Why," said Tait, lighting his candle; "your father showed me a letter
from Hilliston, apologizing for not coming over, as his wife was lying
dangerously ill at the Connaught Hotel, at Eastbourne."
"He said something of that in his note to me. What is the matter with
Mrs. Hilliston?"
"She has the smallpox."
"The smallpox!" echoed Claude, in a tone of horror. "Poor creature, she
is 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; "but
not from the blow to her vanity. Many a time has she told me that if she
lost her looks she would kill herself. You mark my words, Tait, within
the 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 with
anticipation regarding the meeting of Captain Larcher and his wife; but
it so happened that Claude's prognostications occurred to him when the
truth of the Horriston tragedy was discovered, and that was not long
afterward. Perhaps, like the young men, Fate herself grew weary of an
affair which had dragged on for twenty-five years. At all events she
brought matters to a conclusion with almost inconceivable rapidity.
The first step toward the end was the meeting of husband and wife, which
took place at Clarence Cottage, Hampstead, during the afternoon of the
next day. In company with his son and Tait, the old gentleman drove to
the railway station, some three miles distant, and took the up express.
When established comfortably in a first-class smoking carriage--for
Captain Larcher was fond of a pipe--he resumed the conversation with
Tait which had been broken off on the previous night. This time the
subject was Hilliston and his doings.
"I have been thinking over your suspicions regarding Hilliston," he
said, addressing himself more directly to Tait, "and I confess that it
is difficult to reconcile some of his actions with your view that he is
guilty. Claude, as you know, was ignorant of the Horriston tragedy until
enlightened by Hilliston."
"I know that, my dear sir," said Tait quietly, "Hilliston certainly
placed the papers containing the account of the matter in Claude's
hands, but he was forced to do so by the action of Mrs. Bezel--I beg
pardon, Mrs. Larcher."
"Continue to call her Mrs. Bezel, if you please. I prefer it so. How did
she force Hilliston to confide in Claude."
"Because she read the book 'A Whim of Fate,' and seeing the tragedy
therein described, she wrote asking Claude to see her with the intention
of telling him all. As you may guess, her story differs materially from
that of Hilliston's, so of two evils, choosing the least, he determined
to forestall her and inform Claude of the matter."
"And he did so by means of the press," said Claude eagerly. "In place of
telling me the story himself he allowed me to gather what information I
could from the scanty report of the _Canterbury Observer_. My dear
father, the Genesis of the whole matter springs from the finding of
those papers by Jenny. Had she not read them and told Linton the story
he would not have written the book; had he not done so Mrs. Bezel would
not have determined to tell me her version; and but for her threat to do
so 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 in
keeping with his usual character. The rat did not fight till it was
driven into a corner."
"It is not in the corner," remarked Captain Larcher significantly, "but
we'll drive it there and see if it will face our accusation. But what
about Hilliston's introduction of Claude to me? Would it not have been
to his interest to keep us apart?"
"Oh!" said Tait, with some contempt for Hilliston's diplomacy, "that was
another case of necessity. He knew that Claude and I were bent on
discovering the truth, so, fearing that we should do so by further
investigation, he thought to stop the whole matter by bringing you face
to 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 marrying
Jenny, and so lead his mind away from the case, and second, he trusted
that when Claude found you alive he would no longer desire to pursue the
investigation."
"He was right so far," said Claude seriously.
"If that was Hilliston's calculation, he made one great mistake," said
Captain Larcher scornfully. "He did not think that I should wish to see
my 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 Ferdinand
Paynton, and be afraid to admit my identity even to my wife. I might
have done so but for Claude. But I owe it to him to clear myself, and
this 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 as
I am sitting here that Hilliston murdered Jeringham. The gardener was
just 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 them
wished to make any remarks about Mrs. Larcher and Hilliston's passion,
preferring that Claude should be ignorant of that episode. Still when he
asked so direct a question it was difficult to avoid a direct answer,
but Larcher gave him one which was sufficiently evasive to stop further
inquiries.
"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 know
nothing."
"Do you think Mona committed the crime?"
"No, I do not. In no way could she have gained possession of the dagger
with 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 as
he could think of. "She threatened me with the sheath of the dagger, and
no doubt, being agitated at the time, she thought it was the weapon
itself. But I noticed when she entered the room that the sheath was
empty. 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? Judging
from the knowledge I now have of his character I believe it was
Hilliston 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 dagger
fall. Or again, he may have taken it out of the sheath to examine it and
have forgotten to return it. It is not improbable that in such a case he
might have recollected it when he was in the garden, and offered it to
Mona to return to her mistress."
"Oh!" said Claude with contempt. "And on that slight ground you suppose
that Mona killed him?"
"It is not beyond the bounds of probability."
"Nonsense!" said Captain Larcher angrily. "I don't believe it. Mona was
a good girl, foully deceived by Jeringham. She fled from the house to
hide her disgrace, thinking my wife would tell her brother. Hilliston
afterward 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, but
told her that she was the child of a Mr. Kennedy and Mona Bantry. She
believed her father and mother were married, so do not disturb that view
of 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 can
resume our conversation."
"If we do it will be from a different standpoint, I fancy," said Larcher
significantly, as the train stopped.
Tait's brougham was waiting for them at the station, and in this they
drove up to Hampstead. Leaving it in Fitzjohn's Avenue they walked down
Hunt Lane to Clarence Cottage. Mrs. Bezel occupied her usual seat in the
window, and caught sight of Claude as he preceded his father and Tait up
the path. A terrified expression crossed her face, but she made no
motion to forbid their entrance. Yet a sense of coming evil struck at
her heart, and it needed all her self-control to prevent herself from
fainting when they were shown into the room.
"My dear mother," said Claude, kissing her, "you must be prepared for
unexpected news. I beg of you to control yourself for----"
He stopped short in astonishment. Mrs. Bezel was looking at Captain
Larcher with a bewildered air, and he gazed at her face with an
expression of amazement. She shrank back as he crossed the room with
rapidity, and bent over her.
"Mona Bantry!" he cried, "is it possible that you still live?"