A CLEVER DEFENCE.
"You say 'twas I! Indeed, sir, 'tis not so;
My hands are innocent of this man's blood.
Nay, never fear! I pardon what you say;
Your judgment is misled by false report.
Why! if you heed the idle tongues that wag,
There's not an honest man would 'scape the law;
For every act bears two interpretations--
One good, one bad--so that our enemies
Use that which fits in best with their desires,
As evil witness 'gainst our true intents."
There is no doubt that peril sharpens the wits of all, therefore Mrs.
Belswin, in her interview with the Italian, proved herself such an
able diplomatist, that after some difficulty she obtained what she
wanted. According, therefore, to the arrangement she made with
Ferrari, he was to tell Maxwell as much as possible of his doings at
Deswarth without mentioning the name of Mrs. Belswin.
On first hearing of Maxwell's accusation, Ferrari wanted to fly, as he
plainly said it would be difficult for him to defend himself against
such a charge, although he swore on the crucifix that he was perfectly
innocent. Mrs. Belswin dissuaded him from this course, as she pointed
out, that if he acknowledged the truth of the accusation by flight,
Maxwell would immediately inform the police, and he would be arrested
before he could leave England. On the contrary, however, if he faced
the charge boldly, and explained the presence of the diamond scarf-pin
on the terrace to the satisfaction of the young man, he would not only
by doing so clear his own character, but might possibly lead to the
capture of the true criminal.
Ferrari agreed, therefore, to grant the interview desired by Maxwell,
and tell the truth without betraying Mrs. Belswin's true position
towards the dead man in any way; but during this very curious
conversation, both the man and the woman asked each other the same
question, "Are you guilty?" Mrs. Belswin solemnly swore that she was
innocent, and told Ferrari the same story as she had told Dombrain
concerning her doings on that night. This explanation satisfied the
Italian, and then in response to Mrs. Belswin's question as to his
innocence, he gave an account of how he had passed the night.
"After you departed, carissima," he said, volubly, "I went to seek
you, but the time was darkness. Cospetto! how black. I knew not the
villaggio, so I returned to the osteria in one few minutes."
"Were you in the hotel before eleven?" demanded Mrs. Belswin,
artfully.
"Cara mia, you fled at ten hours. I went. I came back at ten and ten.
So I could not have killed Il Marito."
Mrs. Belswin believed this story, as had he been out longer the
landlord would certainly have talked about it, and Ferrari would have
been arrested at once on suspicion. As it was she felt quite satisfied
that he was innocent; and having thus come to a complete understanding
with him, she departed.
Mrs. Belswin, therefore, declared that she was innocent.
Ferrari also declared his innocence.
If this were the case who was guilty?
Ah! that was to be revealed the next day to Archie Maxwell.
True to his promise the young man called for Mrs. Belswin at eleven
o'clock the following morning; and after a short interview with
Kaituna, to whom he talked on the most indifferent subjects, he
departed with the companion. Mrs. Belswin was fearfully pale, as all
her future depended upon the caution observed by Ferrari; and she was
afraid lest, carried away by his impulsive southern nature, the
Italian should reveal more than was desirable to Maxwell. She was not
afraid of being accused of the crime, as Dombrain alone could give
evidence as to her being in the room after the murder; and she had a
perfect understanding with him; but she was terribly afraid of
Maxwell's finding out her true relationship to Kaituna, in which case
she would certainly lose the companionship of her child, to retain
which she had fought so hard.
Maxwell was also somewhat preoccupied, as in spite of his desire to
think the best of Mrs. Belswin, all her conduct, her hesitations, her
equivocations, appeared so mysterious that he was forced to believe
that she knew more than she chose to tell. Her conduct, however, in
conducting him to a personal interview with Ferrari, was one argument
in her favour, for it never for a moment struck this simple-minded
young man that she had in any way prepared the ground beforehand.
Perfectly honest and straightforward in himself, Maxwell foolishly
supposed all other human beings to possess the same desirable
qualities; and, in the hands of two practised diplomatists, like the
Italian and Mrs. Belswin, he could not possibly hold his own. His life
had always been a perfectly open one, and although he was not rich, he
had never been put to any shifts for money in any way, consequently
his wits had grown somewhat rusty from want of exercise. Mrs. Belswin
and her friend, however, had led a reckless Bohemian existence, which
called for craft, courage, coolness and dexterity, in a very high
degree; therefore they were thoroughly competent in dealing with a
delicate affair like the present, which required subtle management.
Still, a blundering blue-bottle often breaks the web spun by the
craftiest spider; so Mrs. Belswin feared lest the straightforward
honesty of the young man should rush through all her careful schemes,
and by sheer boldness arrive at the truth.
On their arrival at Ferrari's chambers he was already waiting for
them, and Mrs. Belswin having introduced him to Archie, the three sat
down to talk. It was a fencing match, and the third fencer was
Maxwell, who not only had two opponents against him, but those same
opponents were gifted with powers of attack and parry of which he was
completely ignorant.
"You speak English, I see," said Archie to Ferrari, after the first
greetings had passed.
"Certainly, signor," replied the Italian, showing his white teeth. "I
have been long from Italy? Oh, yes. The estates of America."
"Where I had the pleasure of meeting Signor Ferrari," observed Mrs.
Belswin, ceremoniously.
At this the signor bowed, but made no remark, so Maxwell, seeing that
he would not commit himself to speech unless questioned, began at once
on the main object of the interview.
"Mrs. Belswin, I presume, told you I wished to see you, Signor
Ferrari?"
The Italian bowed.
"About an article of jewellery belonging to you?"
Ferrari bowed again.
"Which was found on the terrace at Thornstream, the residence of the
late Sir Rupert Pethram?"
The signor bowed for the third time and Maxwell, hot-blooded in all
things, began to lose his temper at this persistent silence.
"Well, sir," he said, sharply, "perhaps you will be kind enough to
inform me how this scarf-pin came to be on the terrace in question."
"One moment," said Ferrari, politely lifting his hand. "Will you
kindly tell me who found what you have?"
Maxwell hesitated a moment, but seeing no reason why he should conceal
the part Mrs. Belk had taken in the affair, spoke out boldly.
"A woman you don't know--Mrs. Belk."
"Dio!"
"Great Heavens!"
These ejaculations proceeded, the first from Ferrari, the second from
Mrs. Belswin, and in hearing them Maxwell looked suspiciously from the
one to the other.
"You seem surprised."
"So will you be surprised," said Mrs. Belswin, gloomily, "when you
hear what the signor has to tell you."
"I am at Signor Ferrari's service."
"Per Bacco! it is most strange," cried Ferrari, throwing himself back
on his sky-blue sofa. "Alfieri himself could have thought nothing so
terrible."
"The story, sir, the story."
"Eh, signor, I excite your wonder," said the Italian, equably. "Is it
not so? Dio, I myself am lost in fear. Signor, I will tell all."
Maxwell bit his nether lip with impatience at the leisurely way in
which Ferrari was acting, as he saw from the agitation of Mrs. Belswin
that the name of the woman who had found the scarf-pin moved her
powerfully.
"Signor," said Ferrari, gracefully, "I departed with the signora here
to the villagio on the day you saw me. Myself I waited at the osteria
you know of, I doubt not. The signora departed to the casa of Il----"
"Of Sir Rupert," interrupted Mrs. Belswin, quickly.
"Grazia, signora. To the casa of Seer Ruperts. I am alone, and I weary
of being myself at the osteria. See, then, signor, I take a leetle
walk for amusement. I come to the ground of Seer Ruperts, and there I
meet a galantuomo, handsome as the Apollo."
"Samson Belk?"
"Yes, the signora tells me that is his name. Well, this large one
orders me away from the place. I say 'no,' and he would fight me--the
box, signor, you understand. I am not afraid, and I tell him I am not
afraid. Then he says, 'I will put you in prison because you are on the
estate of Seer Ruperts.' At this I fear. I know not the English laws,
so I say, 'Addio, I will go,' but he, signor, answers, 'Not so.' Then
what am I to do? I cannot fight that large man; I have not the box. I
do not know the English laws, and he may truly place me in prison for
being on the grounds of Seer Ruperts. Then, signor, I think, 'Aha, the
money!' but not he refuses the money. Again I say, 'Signor, I will
give you my pin of diamonds if you let me depart.' He says, 'Alright.'
I give him the pin of diamonds. I go away; and that, signor, is all I
am informed of."
"But, signor," cried Maxwell, jumping to his feet in a state of
uncontrollable agitation, "by this story the diamond pin was in the
possession of Belk."
"Cospetto! I believe so!"
"And Belk must have lost it on the terrace."
"Doubtless, signor."
"Great heavens!" said Archie, violently, "his own mother found it. If
he committed the crime he is betrayed to the law by his own mother."
"Through ignorance," interposed Mrs. Belswin, quickly.
"Nevertheless it hands her son over to justice. Oh, it's horrible!
it's horrible!" and the young man covered his face with his hands.
"I regret this sorrow, signor," said Ferrari, composedly. "Dio, it is
a tragedy like Lucrezia Borgia. But I have told you the truth."
"Yes, yes!" muttered Maxwell, resuming his seat; "you could not make
up such a horrible thing."
"As to myself, signor," resumed Ferrari, quietly, "if you think a
doubt of me, the man of the osteria will tell you I was in the casa on
that night."
"You can prove an alibi?"
"But I do not understand, signor," said the Italian, in a perplexed
tone, looking inquiringly at Mrs. Belswin.
"Oh yes, he can prove an alibi," said that lady, quickly. "The
landlord of The Chequers can give evidence as to his being in the
house all night."
"I did take a leetle walk."
"A walk!" ejaculated Maxwell, lifting his head.
"But I returned at ten hours," finished Ferrari, triumphantly. "No,
signor, I have nothing to do with this death. I can swear it to your
police. The man I spoke to had my diamond. It is found on the terrace.
Ebbene! He alone can have lost it there."
"What motive could Belk have for killing Sir Rupert?" muttered Maxwell
to himself.
"Eh, who knows?"
Mrs. Belswin said nothing. Her eyes were cast down, and she was
tapping the ground nervously with her foot. The fact is she was in a
state of considerable trepidation, as she fancied she knew the motive
Belk had in killing Sir Rupert--a motive of which all but herself were
ignorant. Belk loved her. He was in intelligence little raised above
the brute of the fields; so if he had overheard the interview between
herself and Sir Rupert, and seen how ignominiously she was treated, he
might have--but no, it was too horrible; and with a cry she covered
her face with her hands.
"What is the matter, Mrs. Belswin?" asked Maxwell, looking at her
quickly.
Mrs. Belswin at once told a lie.
"It's so horrible to think of a mother being the means of her son's
death."
"We don't know if he is guilty yet."
"Then how can he explain his presence on the terrace on that night?"
"His presence there does not mean that he committed the crime. He may
be able to explain as well as Signor Ferrari."
"You doubt me, signor," cried Ferrari, wrathfully, starting to his
feet.
"I have not said so."
"But you think. Dio, I am not blind. Well, if you doubt, bring me to
this man, signor. I will make him tell all to you before me."
"Will you, then, come down to Deswarth with me on Sunday?"
"That is to-morrow! eh! yes, signor, I will come."
"And I too, Mr. Maxwell."
"You, Mrs. Belswin?"
"Yes; I cannot believe this horrible thing of that poor young man,"
said Mrs. Belswin, hurriedly. "I will also come. Do you intend to have
Belk arrested on Sunday?"
"No!" cried Maxwell, vehemently. "I want to hear what he has to say
first."
"I'm afraid your nature is too soft for a detective, Mr. Maxwell,"
said Mrs. Belswin cruelly.
"Do you think so," he answered angrily. "No! But look, Mrs. Belswin,
at the horrible position of the case. A mother betrays unconsciously
to death the son whom she adores. Oh! it's terrible."
"He may be innocent."
"Per Bacco, I hope so," cried Ferrari, anxiously. "I myself think it
is too much a tragedy."
"I will not speak to the police," said Maxwell, taking up his hat. "We
three will go to Deswarth together and confront this man. If he is
innocent so much the better. If he is guilty----"
"Well?" asked Mrs. Belswin, seeing him pause.
"I will do nothing!"
"Nothing?"
"No. If I took advantage of what Mrs. Belk told me to hang her son, I
should never have a moment's peace for the rest of my life!"
"But Kaituna?"
"She will think the same as I do," said Maxwell, quickly. "And you,
Mrs. Belswin--surely you would not counsel otherwise?"
Mrs. Belswin looked heavenward with a look of almost sublime pity on
her strongly marked face.
"No; I am a mother, and I know how a mother feels for her only child."