PREPARING THE MINE.
This time the coroner was summoned. He came, examined the body of
Gerald, heard Virdow's statement and concluded that he could not hold an
inquest without subjecting himself to unpleasant criticism and giving
candidates for his office something to take hold of.
The funeral was very quiet. Col. Montjoy, Mrs. Montjoy and Mary came in
the old family carriage and the general on horseback.
The little group stood around the open coffin and gazed for the last
time upon the pale, chaste face. The general could not endure more than
the one glance. As it lay exposed to him, it was the perfect image of a
face that had never dimmed in his memory. Mary's tears fell silently as
she laid her little cross of white autumn rosebuds upon the silent
breast and turned away. Edward was waiting for her; she took his arm and
went upon the portico.
"It is a sad blow to you, Mr. Morgan," she said.
"It removes the only claim upon me," was his answer. "When all is over
and this trial ended, I shall very likely return to Europe for good!"
They were silent for a while. "I came here full of hope," he continued;
"I have met distrust, accusation, assaults upon my character and life,
the loss of friends, disappointments and now am accused of murder and
must undergo a public trial. It is enough to satisfy most men with--the
south."
"And do you count your real friends as nothing?"
"My real friends are few, but they count for much," he said, earnestly;
"it will be hard to part with them--with you. But fate has laid an iron
hand upon me. I must go." He found her looking at him with something of
wonder upon her face.
"You know best," she said, quietly. There was something in her manner
that reminded him of the calm dignity of her father.
"You do not understand me," he said, earnestly, "and I cannot explain,
and yet I will go this far. My parents have left me a mystery to
unfathom; until I have solved it I shall not come back, I cannot come
back." He took her hand in both of his. "It is this that restrains me;
you have been a true friend; it grieves me that I cannot share my
troubles with you and ask your woman's judgment, but I cannot--I cannot!
I only ask that you keep me always in your memory, as you will always be
the brightest spot in mine." She was now pale and deeply affected by his
tone and manner.
"You cannot tell me, Mr. Morgan?"
"Not even you, the woman I love; the only woman I have ever loved. Ah,
what have I said?" She had withdrawn her hand and was looking away.
"Forgive me; I did not know what I was saying. I, a man under indictment
for murder, a possible felon, an unknown!"
The young girl looked at him fearlessly.
"You are right. You can rely upon friendship, but under the
circumstances nothing can justify you in speaking of love to a
woman--you do not trust."
"Do not trust! You cannot mean that!" She had turned away proudly and
would have left him.
"I have seen so little of women," he said. "Let that be my excuse. I
would trust you with my life, my honor, my happiness--but I shall not
burden you with my troubles. I have everything to offer you but a name.
I have feared to tell you; I have looked to see you turn away in
suspicion and distrust--in horror. I could not. But anything, even that,
is better than reproach and wrong judging.
"I tell you now that I love you as no woman was ever loved before; that
I have loved you since you first came into my life, and that though we
be parted by half a world of space, and through all eternity, I still
shall love you. But I shall never, so help me heaven, ask the woman I
love to share an unknown's lot! You have my reasons now; it is because I
do love you that I go away." He spoke the words passionately. And then
he found her standing close to his side.
"And I," she said, looking up into his face through tearful but smiling
eyes, "do not care anything for your name or your doubts, and I tell
you, Edward Morgan, that you shall not go away; you shall not leave me."
He caught his breath and stood looking into her brave face.
"But your family--it is proud----"
"It will suffer nothing in pride. We will work out this little mystery
together." She extended her hand and, taking it, he took her also. She
drew back, shaking her head reproachfully.
"I did not mean that."
He was about to reply, but at that moment a scene was presented that
filled them both with sudden shame. How true it is that in the midst of
life we are in death.
The hearse had passed the gate. Silently they entered the house.
He led her back to the side of the dead man.
"He loved you," he said slowly. "I shall speak the truth for him." Mary
bent above the white face and left a kiss upon the cold brow.
"He was your friend," she said, fearing to look into his eye.
He comprehended and was silent.
It was soon over. The ritual for the dead, the slow journey to the city
of silence, a few moments about the open grave, the sound of dirt
falling upon the coffin, a prayer--and Gerald, living and dead, was no
longer a part of their lives.
The Montjoys were to go home from the cemetery. Edward said farewell to
them separately and to Mary last. Strange paradox, this human life. He
came from that new-made grave almost happy.
The time for action was approaching rapidly. He went with Dabney and the
general to see Slippery Dick for the last time before the trial. There
was now but one serious doubt that suggested itself. They took the man
at night to the grave of Rita and made him go over every detail of his
experience there. Under the influence of the scene he began with the
incident of the voodoo's "conjure bag" and in reply to queries showed
where it had been inserted in the cedar. Edward took his knife and began
to work at the plug, but this action plunged Dick into such terror that
Dabney cautioned Edward in a low voice to desist.
"Dick," said the young man finally, with sudden decision, "if you fail
us in this matter not only shall I remove that plug but I shall put you
in jail and touch you with the bag." Dick was at once voluble with
promises. Edward, his memory stirred by the incident, was searching his
pockets. He had carried the little charm obtained for him by Mary
because of the tender memories of the night before their journey abroad.
He drew it out now and held it up. Dick had not forgotten it; he drew
back, begging piteously. Dabney was greatly interested.
"That little charm has proved to be your protector, Mr. Morgan," he said
aloud for the negro's benefit. "You have not been in any danger. Neither
Dick nor anyone else could have harmed you. You should have told me
before. See how it has worked. The woman who gave you the bag came to
you in the night out on the ocean and showed you the face of this man;
you knew him even in the night, although he had never before met you nor
you him."
A sound like the hiss of a snake came from the negro; he had never been
able to guess why this stranger had known him so quickly. He now gazed
upon his captor with mingled fear and awe.
"Befo' Gawd, boss," he said, "I ain't goin' back on you, boss!"
"Going back on him!" said Dabney, laughing. "I should think not. I did
not know that Mr. Morgan had you conjured. Let us return; Dick cannot
escape that woman in this world or the next. Give me the little bag, Mr.
Morgan--no, keep it yourself. As long as you have it you are safe."
Edward was a prisoner, but in name only. Barksdale had not come again,
for more reasons than one, the main reason being extra precaution on
account of the watchful and suspicious Royson. But he acted quietly upon
the public mind. The day following the interview he caused to be
inserted in the morning paper an announcement of Edward's return and
arrest, and the additional fact that although his business in Paris had
not been finished, he had left upon the first steamer sailing from
Havre. At the club, he was outspoken in his denunciation of the
newspaper attacks and his confidence in the innocence of the man. There
was no hint in any quarter that it had been suspected that Rita Morgan
was really not murdered. It was generally understood that the defense
would rely upon the State's inability to make out a case.
But Edward did not suffer greatly from loneliness. The day after the
funeral Mrs. Montjoy and Mary, together with the colonel, paid a formal
call and stayed for some hours; and the general came frequently with
Dabney and Eldridge, who had also been employed, and consulted over
their plans for the defense. Arrangements had been made with the
solicitor for a speedy trial and the momentous day dawned.