TRANSFORMATION.
My interview with Olivia passed off better than I had expected. If she
had ordered me out of the house, I would only have looked on it as the
just punishment for what must have appeared my impertinent
interference in what did not concern me. The very fact that she
listened so quietly proved that she suspected Felix was masquerading
as her lover. She could only be assured of this by overhearing his
interview with Rose Gernon, and therefore accepted my invitation to go
to the Jermyn Street rooms. If their tenant was Francis, he would
resent the intrusion of Rose, but if Felix, the two confederates would
doubtless talk of their guilty secret.
Thanks to a sovereign judiciously bestowed on the caretaker, I had
discovered that Rose Gernon intended to visit Felix at eight o'clock.
How the caretaker found out I do not know, but in some mysterious way
servants seem to gain all information concerning the doings of their
superiors. It sufficed for me that Rose would be in the rooms of Felix
on this evening, and that Olivia would catch them in a trap. I had no
pity for the guilty pair, but I was genuinely sorry for Olivia. She
little knew the torture she was about to undergo. I did, and almost
regretted that I had interfered in the matter. However, I consoled
myself with the reflection that it was better for her to suffer a few
hours' pain than lifelong misery.
That she agreed to go to Jermyn Street at that hour without a chaperon
proved how desirous she was of learning the truth. Delicately
nurtured, gently bred, she must have felt horrified at the risk she
was running of losing her good name, but, seeing that her life's
happiness depended upon knowing all, she flung etiquette to the winds
and came. When I found her at the foot of the stairs at eight o'clock,
I admired and respected her from the bottom of my heart.
"Am I late?" she asked, touching my hand with trembling fingers.
"Only five minutes," said I, looking at my watch. "I have been waiting
at the head of the stairs for that time. However, we can soon walk
round to Jermyn Street."
"Do you think anyone will know me, Mr. Denham?" said Olivia, taking my
arm. "See, I have on a plain dress, and this veil is a thick one."
"No one will recognize you," I answered soothingly; "nor do I think
you will meet any one of your acquaintances."
"I should have brought my mother, but that I wished her to know
nothing of this treachery. If I find I have been deceived, I shall
break off my engagement with Francis. But you will keep silent about
my visit, will you not, Mr. Denham?"
"No one shall hear a word from me," I answered earnestly. "But keep up
your spirits, Miss Bellin. Even if you find you have been deceived,
there will be some consolation in knowing that it is Felix, and not
Francis."
"You are wrong there," she replied positively; "it is Francis. I have
told you so all along."
I shrugged my shoulders without reply. Evidently nothing could shake
her faith in the man. All I could hope for was that the two
confederates would betray themselves.
"What are you going to do, Mr. Denham?" asked Olivia anxiously.
"We will go up to the rooms of Briarfield," I answered, "and there
overhear their conversation."
"Is that not dishonorable?" she said, shrinking back.
"In most cases it would be," I replied hastily, "but it does not do to
be too particular in this matter. If you break in on them, they may
deny everything. Thinking they are alone, you will hear the truth.
Remember, Miss Bellin, when one deals with a villain, one must beat
him with his own weapons. Depend upon it, it is most necessary that we
should learn all."
"They can speak of nothing that I do not know."
"Are you aware of the truth?" said I, somewhat startled by this
remark.
"I am aware of the truth," she repeated slowly, and before I could
question her she flitted up the stairs. There was no time for me to
ponder over her words, as it was now past eight o'clock, and Rose
Gernon might descend at any time. I therefore spoke a few hasty words
to the caretaker, telling him I wished to see Mr. Briarfield, and
followed her at once. In two minutes we were both standing before the
door of Briarfield's room.
"It is locked," said Olivia faintly.
"Never mind," answered I, producing my latchkey; "this key of mine
opens the door; I was, as you are aware, a great friend of Francis,
and learned some time ago that my key fitted the lock of his rooms. I
have not forgotten the circumstance, so it comes in useful now. See!"
I turned the key and the door opened noiselessly. Motioning to Miss
Bellin to precede me, I followed her quietly and closed the door
behind us. We heard the murmur of voices in the sitting room. She as
well as I knew its whereabouts thoroughly. The door was slightly ajar,
and in front of it stretched a tall screen with fretwork at the top.
Stepping through the open door in a gingerly manner, we placed
ourselves directly behind the screen so that we could both see and
hear without danger of being observed. Thus far our enterprise had
succeeded in the most fortunate manner, and nothing remained for us to
do but to listen to the important conversation now taking place.
Felix, standing with his back against the mantelpiece, looked anxious
and angry, while Rose Gernon, her hands on the table, faced him
fiercely. Evidently the conversation was not progressing in a
satisfactory manner to either.
"No!" she was saying rapidly. "I will accept no money for what I have
done. You know the only reward I claim--your love."
"I cannot give it to you," said Felix doggedly; "you know that as well
as I do."
"Do I?" she cried passionately. "Do you dare to say that to me after
all your vows and protestations? Why did you tell me you loved me if
it was but a lie?"
"I did not tell you so."
"Yes, you did, Felix--you did! I remember the hour, the day, when you
swore that you would make me your wife."
"Keep quiet," I muttered to Olivia, who made an involuntary movement.
"I tell you, Rose, there is some mistake," said Felix angrily.
"You mean-spirited hound!"
"I am a mean-spirited hound," he answered wearily; "no one knows that
better than I do."
"Some women," continued Rose, not heeding his interruption--"some
women would have you killed. I am not a woman of that kind. I'll stay
and marry you."
"Impossible! I am to marry Miss Bellin."
"You promised to give up Miss Bellin if I helped you to see your
brother at the Fen Inn."
"My God!" muttered Olivia, trembling violently.
"Hush!" I whispered; "now we shall hear the truth."
"I have changed my mind," retorted Felix, in answer to the last remark
of Rose.
"That may be, but I have not, Mr. Felix Briarfield. I fulfilled my
promise and went down with Strent to that lonely inn. Your brother
came, and you know that he never left it again. I have fulfilled my
promise. I now require you to fulfill yours and make me your wife."
"I cannot! I cannot!" he said in a faint voice, wiping his brow. "For
Heaven's sake take this money I offer you and leave me."
"I have mixed myself up with crime for your sake, and you offer to put
me off with money. It is useless! Your promise I have, and that
promise I require you to keep, or else----"
"Or else----"
"I'll tell the truth to the police."
"And thus involve yourself in ruin with me."
"I don't care," she said sullenly; "anything would be better than the
torture I am enduring at your hands."
"And what will you tell the police?" asked Felix in an unnatural
voice.
"You know well enough! I shall tell them how you killed your brother."
"It is false!" he said passionately. "I neither saw nor laid a finger
on my brother."
"Indeed! Then if you are innocent who is guilty?"
"I don't know!"
"Did you not come to the Fen Inn on that fatal night when Francis
came?"
"Yes, but I never saw him."
"You saw him, and killed him."
"It is a lie!"
It was neither Felix nor Rose who spoke, but Olivia, who, in spite of
all I could do, broke in on the astonished pair. The man advanced
toward her, but she waved him back.
"I defend you, sir," she said proudly, "because I know that this woman
speaks falsely, but I have also to demand an explanation from you."
Felix paid no attention to the remark, but simply stared at her in a
stupefied manner.
"Olivia!" he said in a low voice, "how did you come here?"
"I brought her, Mr. Felix Briarfield," said I, stepping forward.
"You, Denham! And for what reason?"
I pointed to Rose Gernon, who stood quietly by with a malignant smile
on her face.
"There is the reason," I retorted meaningly, "and Miss Bellin----"
"Miss Bellin will speak for herself," said Olivia in a peremptory
tone.
"Miss Bellin speaks of what she does not understand," interposed Rose
vehemently.
"Because I deny that Francis killed Felix?" questioned Olivia.
"No, because you deny Felix killed Francis."
"What do you mean, Miss Gernon?" I asked rapidly.
"I mean that this man whom Miss Bellin thinks is her lover Francis is
Felix Briarfield, and Felix Briarfield," she continued, "is my lover."
"No!" said Felix hurriedly, "it is not true."
I expected to see Olivia grow angry, but in place of this a bright
smile irradiated her face as she looked at Felix. I could not
conjecture the meaning of her action, and began to grow uneasy. Rose
also looked anything but comfortable; evidently she had met with her
match in Olivia.
"I overheard part of your conversation," said Olivia, addressing her
pointedly.
"Very honorable, I am sure," retorted Rose, with a sneer.
"Honor is thrown away on women like you," answered Olivia scornfully.
"I am glad I listened, for it enables me to protect the man I love
against your arts."
"That is not the man you love," said Rose spitefully; "he lies in the
marshes surrounding the Fen Inn, slain by the hand of his brother."
"That is not true! I swear it is not true!" cried Felix, approaching
nearer to Olivia.
"Be quiet, Francis," she said quickly; "let us hear what she has to
say."
"I have to say that Felix Briarfield loved me," cried Rose angrily;
"he loved me long before he ever saw you, but when you crossed his
path, he wanted to leave me. He impersonated his brother Francis, who
was at that time in America, and you, poor fool, did not discover the
deception."
"You are quite right, I did not," replied Olivia calmly; "go on."
"When his brother Francis came back this month, he thought all would
be discovered, and implored me to save him. He told me of a plan
whereby he intended to decoy his brother to the Fen Inn, on pretext of
explanation. There he intended to kill him."
Olivia made no remark, but placed her hand within that of Felix. I
wondered she could do so, seeing that he was accused by his accomplice
of a hideous crime, and made no denial.
"I went down to the Fen Inn with a man called Strent----"
"That was not his real name," I interrupted.
"How do you know that?" she said sharply.
"Never mind; I know that it is so."
"I decline to tell his real name," said Rose, darting a furious look
at me. "I call him Strent, and by that name you knew him, and knew me
at the Fen Inn."
"I certainly did not expect Rose Strent, waiting maid, to change to
Rose Gernon, actress."
"You are too meddlesome, Mr. Denham," she said coolly, "and would do
better to mind your own business."
"Scarcely, when I have discovered so vile a crime."
"It was he who committed it," said Rose malignantly, pointing to
Felix; "he came to the inn and killed his brother."
"It is a lie!" cried Felix, in despair. "I laid no hand on my brother.
I did not even see him."
"Wait one moment, Miss Gernon, before you make this accusation," said
Olivia. "You say that Felix is your lover?"
"I do."
"And you promised to assist him in removing Francis if he married
you?"
"I did."
"For what reason, when the removal of Francis would enable Felix to
marry me under his false name?"
"He promised not to do so, and I thought if I helped him to kill
Francis I could force him to marry me."
"You love him greatly?"
"I love him better than anyone else in the world."
"I am sorry for that," said Olivia, with a touch of pity, "because
Felix is dead."
"Felix dead!" said Rose incredulously. "Then who is this man?"
"This man is my lover, Francis Briarfield, who returned from Chili on
the 6th of June."