THE TRUTH.
HILLISTON came and went in the space of a few minutes. None of those
present made any attempt to stay his exit, but as the door closed after
him they looked at one another in silence. Thinking of Hilliston's last
speech, Denis was the first to speak.
"What does that mean, sir?" he asked his master, with an air of helpless
bewilderment.
"I think it can only mean one thing, Denis," replied Larcher, rousing
himself. "Mr. Hilliston has at length awakened to the fact of his
dastardly treatment of your sister, and is about to make reparation for
the past. He intends to marry her."
"But his wife only died a few days ago, master."
"I know that. But Mrs. Bezel will also die shortly, and if Hilliston
desires to atone for the past he has no time to lose. He can marry her
at once, but he will again be a widower within the month."
Denis lifted a pair of shaking hands, and slowly left the room, followed
by the sympathetic looks of the others. He did not even pause to learn
the contents of the sealed envelope left by Mr. Hilliston. Great as was
his curiosity to learn all that had taken place on that fatal night, his
love and grief for his sister were greater still. Bowed and gray and
older-looking than ever, he departed; but in his heart there was one
comfortable thought--Mona would die an honest woman, if Mr. Hilliston
was to be believed.
When the three found themselves alone, Captain Larcher picked up the
sealed letter with some reluctance.
"Strange," he said, balancing it in his hand. "For years I have been
eager to know the truth. Now that I have only to open this envelope to
learn it, I feel half afraid."
"Nevertheless, it will be as well to lose no time in making ourselves
acquainted with the contents," said Tait eagerly, for he was in a fever
of impatience to know all. "It may be a confession by Hilliston."
"I think not. It is directed to me in the handwriting of Mrs.
Hilliston."
"To Ferdinand Paynton?"
"No. To Captain Larcher."
"H'm!" said Tait, with a start. "How did Mrs. Hilliston know you were
Captain Larcher? Did she see you at Thorston?"
"No. But her husband doubtless informed her of my real name. However, we
will learn all from this," said Larcher, breaking the seal. "I believe
this is a confession by Mrs. Hilliston."
"But what can she have to confess?" cried Claude, as his father smoothed
out a closely written letter. "She can know nothing of the tragedy."
"You forget," said Tait, with a sudden recollection, "Louisa Sinclair;
she was at Horriston, and, according to Mona Bantry, was in the garden
of The Laurels on that night. I would not be surprised if she saw the
committal of the crime."
"What! Do you think she is about to betray her husband?"
"Oh," said Tait significantly, "we are by no means sure of Hilliston's
guilt!"
Larcher found that the writing was too small for him to read
comfortably, so handed the letter to Claude, with a request that he
should read it out aloud. Excusing himself on the plea of the
illegibility of the writing, Claude passed it to Tait, who accepted the
office with avidity. The letter was without date or direction, and began
in an abrupt manner, highly suggestive of the agitation under which it
had been written. Tait mentally noted these points, and began.
* * * * *
"This confession is to be read after my death by Captain George Larcher,
and, if he sees fit, he has my free permission to make it public. Still
I trust out of regret for the memory of an unhappy woman that he will
not do so save in the arising of two contingencies. First, should he be
still alive, and accused of murdering Mr. Jeringham. Second, should my
dear husband be accused of the crime. In the event of the occurrence of
either of these contingencies, I authorize him to make these pages
public.
"To explain myself I must go back twenty-six years, when I was residing
at Horriston. You, Captain Larcher, will remember me well as Louisa
Sinclair, for at that time I saw a great deal of yourself and your wife.
I saw too much of her, for my eyes were sharp, and, but for a natural
reluctance to disturb your domestic peace, I could have enlightened you
as to her conduct. She was never worthy of a good man like you. She was
as bad as I afterward became, and that is saying a great deal, as you
will see by reading on.
"I loved Francis Hilliston, your intimate friend. Belinda Pike loved him
also, but there was no need for either of us to be jealous of the other,
for Mr. Hilliston loved a third person; none other than your wife. No
doubt you will be angry when you read this, but your anger cannot alter
facts. Yes, your dearest friend loved your wife. Let him deny that if he
can."
At this point there was a marginal note by Hilliston: "I do deny it, and
but that I am not in a position to do so I would not let George
Larcher's eyes rest on this confession. My poor wife was insanely
jealous of Mrs. Larcher, but I swear that she had no grounds to be so. I
admired Mrs. Larcher as a friend, nothing more, and I loved Mona Bantry.
She is the only woman who has ever attracted me, and, notwithstanding my
marriage, now dissolved by death, she attracts me still."
This note was hastily scribbled in pencil, and after Tait had read it,
without interruption from Captain Larcher, he continued the confession:
"I admit that I was jealous of his attentions to your wife," continued
Mrs. Hilliston, "for though I did all in my power I could not win him to
my side. Regarding the efforts of Belinda Pike, I say nothing. She tried
to gain his love, and she failed. I was more successful in the end, but
not till the lapse of many years. Here I may say that I have gypsy blood
in my veins, which at times renders me insanely jealous, and in such a
state I am capable of all things. A recollection of this may enlighten
you as to my acting as I did in the garden of The Laurels.
"I knew that your wife loved Jeringham, and could have told you of it. I
am sorry I did not now, as she would have been disgraced, and then
Francis might have turned to me for consolation. But I held my peace,
and paid the cost of doing so. I am doing so now; you also; for if you
had been forewarned you would never have had to conceal yourself under a
feigned name on account of Jeringham's death.
"At the fancy dress ball held at the Town Hall, matters came to a
climax. My gypsy blood made me mad on that night, owing to the way in
which I was neglected by Francis Hilliston. With some difficulty I
learned that your wife was to be dressed as Mary, Queen of Scots, and,
with a view to making myself attractive in Hilliston's eyes, I chose the
same dress. With the assistance of the dressmaker who worked for us
both, I obtained a dress similar in all respects to that of Mrs.
Larcher, hoping that by doing so he would speak to me under the
impression that I was your wife. My stratagem was successful. I was
masked and dressed as she was; he spoke to me, thinking I was she, and I
learned then how he loved her. At that moment I could have killed her. I
could have killed him."
Here there was another note in Hilliston's handwriting: "Again I say
that the poor creature was mistaken. I did speak to her under the
impression that she was Mrs. Larcher, but I said nothing that she could
construe into a declaration of love. Her jealousy rendered her mad, and
she distorted the idle words I spoke. She took them up in the wrong
sense."
"My suspicions were confirmed later on," continued the confession, "for
I overheard them talking together; yes, Francis Hilliston and your wife
were in a corner together, talking of love. I listened. It was mean to
do so; but then, I was in love and would have stooped to any degradation
to have rescued him from her clutches. They talked about a dagger which
he had given her to complete her dress. Aha! he did not think to
complete my costume with such a gift. Mrs. Larcher took the dagger out
of its sheath and together they examined it. She blamed him for putting
an inscription on it, saying it would make her husband jealous. Francis
laughed, and said that you would never suspect him. Then Mrs. Larcher
slipped the dagger back in the sheath, as she thought; but in reality it
slipped down among the folds of her dress, and when she arose to go it
fell on the ground. They departed, and I picked up the dagger.
"At once I looked at the inscription, and there it was on the gold
handle--'To J. L., from F. H.' I was so enraged that I could have broken
the dagger. I tried to, but it was too strong for me. Therefore I thrust
it into my waistband and went in search of Hilliston to return it to
him, and reproach him for giving it to Mrs. Larcher. I saw him, wrapped
in his cloak, go out with Mrs. Larcher. He was seeing her home, and in a
frenzy of jealous rage I resolved to follow."
Margin note by Hilliston: "It was not I who went home with Mrs. Larcher,
but Jeringham. I was dressed that evening as a Venetian senator, and
wore a long black cloak. This Jeringham borrowed from me to conceal his
fancy dress when he left the Town Hall. My wife thought it was me, but
she was mistaken. I went home with George Larcher, as he knows."
The confession continues: "They left in Mrs. Larcher's carriage, and I,
hastily wrapping a cloak round me, followed in a fly. When I got to The
Laurels they were talking together at the door, and the carriage had
driven round to the stables. I sat back in my fly, for the driver did
not know who I was, and watched. I saw Mrs. Larcher kiss Hilliston and
run inside. Then I went out of my mind--I was possessed by a devil. He
came down the path and turned midway to look back at the house. I had my
hand on the dagger--it tempted me, and I sprang out on him. He turned
sharply round, and had I not been blinded with rage I would have then
recognized him. But I hardly knew what I was doing, and, before he could
utter a word, I buried the dagger in his heart, when he fell with a
choking cry. I knelt down beside him, and withdrew the dagger. Then I
heard a sound, dropped the weapon, and fled.
"Some little distance off I ran into the arms of Francis Hilliston. I
shrieked as though I had seen a ghost, and told him I had killed a
man--that I had intended to kill him. He explained the mistake of the
cloak, and said I must have murdered Jeringham. Then he saved my life.
No one had seen me come to The Laurels, no one had seen me in the
garden; so Francis took me back to Horriston, and I returned to the ball
without anyone having suspected my absence.
"The next day the news of the disappearance of Jeringham was all over
the town; afterward the body was discovered down the river, and mistaken
for that of Mr. Larcher. Francis advised me for my own sake to hold my
tongue. I did so, and shortly afterward I went on a visit to a sister of
mine in America. Francis refused to marry me on account of my crime. In
America I married Derrick, the millionaire; he died, and I returned to
London. I found Francis greatly in want of money, and as I still loved
him, I married him. No one but us two knew who really killed Jeringham,
but for your sake, Captain Larcher, I acknowledge my guilt lest you
should be found out and accused of the crime. I could say much more, but
this is enough. When you read this I will be dead, and my last words I
swear are true. I and none other killed Mark Jeringham in mistake for
Francis Hilliston."
Note by Hilliston: "It will be seen that my wife was actuated all
through by jealousy, but I swear she had no reason. I loved Mona, not
Mrs. Larcher, nor her. I saved her life because she committed the crime
for my sake; I married her because I was on the verge of pecuniary ruin.
I have nothing more to add. You can blame me if you like, but I consider
I have acted all through as I was forced by circumstances."