At the appointed hour on the following morning Mrs. Everett was shown
into Dr. Rumsey's presence. She found him in his cosy breakfast-room, in
the act of helping himself to coffee.
"Ah!" he said, as he placed a chair for her, "what an excellent thing
this punctuality is in a woman. Sit down, pray. You shall have your full
ten minutes--the clock is only on the stroke of eight."
Mrs. Everett looked too disturbed and anxious even to smile. She untied
her bonnet-strings, threw back her mantle, and stared straight at Dr.
Rumsey.
"No coffee, thank you," she said. "I breakfasted long ago. Dr. Rumsey, I
am nearly wild with excitement and anxiety. I told you long ago, did I
not, that a day would come when I should get a clue which might lead to
establishing my boy's"--she wet her lips--"my only boy's innocence?
Nothing that can happen now will ever, of course, repair what he has
lost--his lost youth, his lost healthy outlook on life--but to set him
free, even now! To give him his liberty once again! To feel the clasp of
his hand on mine! Ah, I nearly go mad at times with longing, but thank
God, thank the Providence which is above us all, I do believe I have
found a clue at last."
"Tell me what it is," said the doctor, in a kind voice. "I know," he
added, "you will make your story as brief as possible."
"I will, my good friend," she replied. She stood up now, her somewhat
long arms hung at her sides, she turned her face in all its intense
purpose full upon the doctor.
"You know my restless nature," she continued. "I can seldom or never sit
still--even my sleep is broken by terrible dreams. All the energy which
I possess is fixed upon one thought, and one only--I want to find the
real murderer of Horace Frere."
"Yes," said Dr. Rumsey.
"A fortnight ago I made up my mind to do a queer thing. I determined to
visit Grandcourt--I mean the village of that name."
The doctor started.
"You are surprised?" said Mrs. Everett; "nevertheless I can account for
my longings."
"You need not explain. I quite understand."
"I believe you do. I felt drawn to the place--to the Inn where my son
stayed, to the neighborhood. I travelled down to Grandcourt without
announcing my intention to any one, and arrived at the Inn just as the
dusk was setting in. The landlord, Armitage by name, came out to
interview me. I told him who I was. He looked much disturbed, and by no
means pleased. I asked him if he would take me in. He went away to
consult his wife. She followed him after a moment into the porch with a
scared face.
"'I wonder, ma'am, that you like to come here,' she said.
"'I come for one purpose,' I replied. 'I want to see the spot where
Horace Frere met his death. I am drawn to this place by the greatest
agony which has ever torn a mother's heart. Will you take me in, and
will you give me the room in which my son slept?'
"The landlady looked at me in anything but a friendly manner. Her
husband whispered something to her--after a time her brow cleared--she
nodded to him, and the next moment I was given to understand that my
son's old room would be at my disposal. I took possession of it that
evening, and my meals were served to me in the little parlor where my
boy and the unfortunate Horace Frere had lived together.
"The next day I went out alone at an early hour to visit the Plain. I
had never ventured on Salisbury Plain before. The day was a gloomy and
stormy one. There were constant showers of rain, and I was almost wet
through by the time I reached my destination. I had just got upon the
borders of the Plain when I saw a young woman walking a little ahead of
me. There was something in the gait which I seemed to recognize,
although at first I had only a dim idea that I had ever seen her before.
Hurrying my footsteps I came up to her, passed her, and as I did so
looked her full in the face. I started then and stopped short. She was
the girl who had seen the murder committed, and who had given evidence
of the most damnatory kind against my son on the day of the trial. In
that one swift glance I saw that she was much altered. She had been a
remarkably pretty girl. She had now nearly lost all her comeliness of
appearance. Her face was thin, her dress negligent and untidy, on her
brow there was a sullen frown. When she saw me she also stood still, her
eyes dilated with a curious expression of fear.
"'Who are you?' she said, with a pant.
"'I am Mrs. Everett,' I replied, slowly. 'I am the mother of the man who
once lodged in your uncle's house, and who is now expiating the crime of
another at Portland prison.'
"She had turned red at first, now she became white.
"'And your name,' I continued, 'is Hetty Armitage.'
"'Why do you say that your son is expatiating the crime of another?' she
asked.
"'Because I am his mother. I have looked into his heart, and there is no
murder there. But tell me, is not your name Hetty Armitage?'
"'It is not Armitage now,' she answered. 'I am married. I live about
three miles from Grandcourt, over in that direction. I am going home
now. My husband's name is Vincent. He is a farmer.'
"'You don't look too well off,' I said, for I noticed her shabby dress
and run-to-seed appearance.
"'These are hard times for farmers,' she answered.
"'Have you children?' I asked.
"'No,' she replied fiercely, 'I am glad to say I have not.'
"'Why are you glad?' I asked. 'Surely a child is the crown of a married
woman's bliss.'
"'It would not be to me,' she cried. 'My heart is full to the brim. I
have no room for a child in it.'
"'A full heart generally means happiness,' I said. 'Are you happy?'
"She gave me a queer glance.
"'No, ma'am,' she answered, 'my heart is full of bitterness, of sorrow.'
Her eyes looked quite wild. She pressed one of her hands to her
forehead,--then stepping out, she half turned round to me.
"'I wish you good-morning, Mrs. Everett,' she said. 'My way lies across
here.'
"'Stay a moment before you leave me,' I said. 'I am coming to this plain
on a mission which you perhaps can guess. If you are poor you will not
despise half a sovereign. I'll give you half a sovereign if you'll show
me the exact spot where the murder was committed.'
"She turned from white to red, and from red to white again.
"'I don't like that spot,' she said. 'That night was a terrible night to
me; my nerves ain't what they were--I sleep bad, and sometimes I dream.
Many and many a time I've seen that murder committed over again. I have
seen the look on the face of the murdered man, and the look on the face
of the man who did it--Oh, my God, I have seen----'
"She pressed her two hands hard against her eyes.
"I waited quietly until she had recovered her emotion; then I held out
the little gold coin.
"'You will take me to the spot?' I asked.
"She clutched the coin suddenly in her hand.
"'This will buy what I live for,' she cried, with passion. 'I can drown
thought with this. Come along, ma'am, we are not very far from the place
here. I'll take you, and then go on home.'
"She started off, walking in front of me, and keeping well ahead. She
went quickly, and yet with a sort of tremulous movement, as though she
were not quite certain of herself. We crossed the Plain not far from the
Court. I saw the house in the distance, and the curling smoke which rose
up out of the trees.
"'Don't walk so fast,' I said. 'I am an old woman, and you take my
breath away.' She slackened her steps, but very unwillingly.
"'The family are not often at the Court?' I queried.
"'No,' she answered with a start--'since the old Squire died the place
has been most shut up.'
"'I happen to know the present Squire and his wife,' I said.
"She flushed when I said this, gave me a furtive glance, and then
pressing one hand to her left side, said abruptly:
"'If you know you can tell me summ'at--he is well, is he?'
"'They are both well,' I answered, surprised at the tone of her voice.
'I should judge them to be a happy couple.'
"'I thank the good God that Mr. Robert is happy,' she said, in a hoarse
whisper.
"Once again she hurried her footsteps; at last she stood still on a
rising knoll of ground.
"'Do you see this clump of alders?' she said. 'It was here I stood, just
on this spot--I was sheltered by the alders, and even if the night had
not been so dark they would never have noticed me. Over there to your
right it was done. You don't want me to stay any longer now, ma'am, do
you?'
"'You can go when I have asked you one or two questions. You stood here,
you say--just here?'
"'Just here, ma'am,' she answered.
"'And the murder was committed there?'
"'Yes, where the grass seems to grow a bit greener--you notice it, don't
you, just there, to your right.'
"'I see,' I replied with a shudder, which I could not repress. 'Do you
mind telling me how it was that you happened to be out of your bed at
such a late hour at night?'
"She looked very sullen, and set her lips tightly. I gazed full at her,
waiting for her to speak.
"'The man whose blood was shed was my lover--we had just had a quarrel,'
she said, at last.
"'What about?'
"'That's my secret,' she replied.
"'How is it you did not mention the fact of the quarrel at the trial?' I
asked.
"She looked full up at me.
"'I was not asked,' she answered; 'that's my secret, and I don't tell it
to anybody. It was here I stood, just where your feet are planted, and I
saw it done--the moon came out for a minute, and I saw everything--even
to the look on the dead man's face and the look on the face of the man
who took his life. I saw it all. I ain't been the same woman since.'
"'I am not surprised,' I replied. 'You may leave me when I have said one
thing.'
"'What is that, ma'am?'
"She raised her dark eyes. I saw fear in their depths.
"'You saw two men that night, Hetty Vincent,' I said--'one, the man who
was murdered, was Horace Frere, but the other man, as there is a God
above, was not Frank Everett. I am speaking the truth--you can go now.'
"My words seemed forced from me, Dr. Rumsey, but the effect was
terrifying. The wretched creature fell on her knees--she clung to my
dress, covering her face with a portion of the mantle which I was
wearing.
"'Good God, why do you say that?' she gasped. 'How do you know? Who has
told you? Why do you say awful words of that sort?'
"Her excitement made me calm. I stood perfectly silent, but with my
heart beating with the queerest sense of exultation and victory.
"'Get up,' I said. She rose trembling to her feet. I laid my hand on her
shoulder.
"'You have something to confess,' I said.
"She looked at me again and burst out laughing.
"'What a fool I made of myself just now!' she said. 'I have nothing to
confess; what could I have? You spoke so solemn and the place is
queer--it always upsets me. I'll go now.' She backed a few steps away.
"'I saw two men on the Plain,' she said then, raising her voice, 'one
was Horace Frere--the other was your son, Frank Everett.' Before I could
add another word she took to her heels and was quickly out of sight.
"I returned to the Inn and questioned Armitage and his wife. I did not
dare to tell them what Hetty had said in her excitement, but I asked for
her address and drove out early the following morning to Vincent's farm
to visit her. I was told on my arrival that she had left home that
morning; that she often did so to visit a relation at a distance. I
asked for the address, which was given me somewhat unwillingly. That
night I went there, but Hetty had not arrived and nothing was known
about her. Since then I have tried in vain to get any clue to her
present whereabouts. That is my story, Dr. Rumsey. What do you think of
it? Are the wild stories of an excited and over-wrought woman worthy of
careful consideration? Is her sudden flight suspicious, or the reverse?
I anxiously await your verdict."
Dr. Rumsey remained silent for a moment.
"I am inclined to believe," he said, then very slowly, "that the words
uttered by this young woman were merely the result of overstrung nerves;
remember, she was in all probability in love with the man who met his
death in so tragic a manner. From the remarkable change which you speak
of in her appearance, I should say that her nerves had been considerably
shattered by the sight she witnessed, and also by the prominent place
she was obliged to take in the trial. She has probably dreamt of this
thing, and dwelt upon it year in and year out, since it happened. Then,
remember, you spoke in a very startling manner and practically accused
her of having committed perjury at the time of the trial. Under such
circumstances and in the surroundings she was in at the time, she would
be very likely to lose her head. As to her sudden disappearance, I
confess I cannot quite understand it, unless her nervous system is even
more shattered than you incline me to believe; but, stay,--from words
she inadvertently let drop, she has evidently become addicted to drink,
to opium eating, or some such form of self-indulgence. If that is the
case she would be scarcely responsible for her actions. I do not think,
Mrs. Everett, unless you can obtain further evidence, that there is
anything to go upon in this."
"That is your carefully considered opinion?"
"It is--I am sorry if it disappoints you."
"It does not do that, for I cannot agree with you." Mrs. Everett rose as
she spoke, fastened her cloak, and tied her bonnet-strings.
"Your opinion is the cool one of an acute reasoner, but also of a person
who is outside the circumstances," she continued.
Rumsey smiled.
"Surely in such a case mine ought to be the one to be relied upon?" he
queried.
"No, for there is such a thing as mother's instinct. I will not detain
you longer, Dr. Rumsey. You have said what I expected you would say."