MRS. BOAZOPH TELLS THE TRUTH.
Immediately after this great discovery, Fanks received a letter from
Garth informing him that Mrs. Jerusalem was in London, located at the
Red Star. "Mrs. Boazoph," said the writer, "is much better, and is now
permitted to leave her bed; rather I fancy to the disappointment of
Turnor. Should you want to get any information out of Mrs. Boazoph now
is the time to do so." The result of this communication was that Fanks
resolved to go at once to town and interview the landlady.
"You see that I want to get something out of Mrs. Boazoph," he said to
Louis. "I want her to tell me who killed Sir Gregory."
"Do you think she knows that?"
"I think she has known it all along," retorted Fanks. "You can take it
from me, Fellenger, she recognised the negro when he entered the hotel
on that night. For some reason, which I mean to discover, she has held
her tongue. I intend to force her to reveal the name by threatening to
arrest Hersham, in the event of her refusing to speak."
"Will she tell in order to save Hersham?"
"I think so; and for more reasons than one. You see she fainted when I
told her that I could prove the crime against that young man. It may
be that she knows how hardly he has been dealt with by Madeline Garry,
and therefore she may be anxious to save him further trouble."
"But how could she learn the story of Madeline Garry and the changing
of the children," objected Fellenger.
"From Anne Colmer, who must have learned it from Dr. Binjoy. I believe
he is at the bottom of the whole affair. I do not say that he killed
Gregory; but he can tell us who did."
"How can you prove that?"
"Well, the person who killed Gregory must have known that story of the
changing of the children, so as to induce him to let the cross be
tattooed on his arm. Dr. Binjoy must have told that person; Dr. Binjoy
must have supplied that needle; Dr. Binjoy, my friend, is at the
bottom of the whole devilish affair."
"You forget Madeline Garry; she might have told the murderer about the
changing of the children."
"I don't think so. Madeline would not have been likely to reveal
anything detrimental to her son; and on the face of it she could not
have obtained access to the poisoned needle. No, I suspect Binjoy as
an accessory before the fact. I shall see Mrs. Jerusalem, and force
her to tell me where to find Madeline Garry; though to be sure I have
a pretty good notion of where to find her as it is."
"What! Do you know who Madeline Garry is?"
"I think so. A speech of Mrs. Prisom's put me on her track; but I may
be wrong so I shall say nothing as yet."
"You are clever in guessing things, Mr. Fanks. Perhaps you can tell me
who killed Gregory?"
"Well," said Fanks, looking straight at his questioner, "I might even
go as far as that. I do not know for certain who is the assassin; but
I have a shrewd notion. I shall have my doubts set at rest on that
point when I see these women in town. I shall interview Mrs. Boazoph,
take down her confession, and make her sign it. I shall act in the
same way with Binjoy, with Anne Colmer, with Robert, the valet of the
dead man, and with Turnor, the accomplice of your medical friend."
"Do you think they are all in it?"
"I am more than certain they are," said Fanks in a confident tone.
"Well, Mr. Fellenger, will you come up with me and see the last act of
the comedy?"
"No, I shall stay here with Mr. Crate; and keep an eye on Dr. Binjoy,
But you must write me all that befalls you at the Red Star. Do you
really think that you will find the truth in that house?"
"I am certain of it. Believe me the tragedy will end as it began--in
the Red Star in Tooley's Alley. I hope all will go as I wish," added
Fanks with a gloomy air. "I have had no end of trouble with this case.
And although I think I see daylight at last, I must not be too
confident. The whole proving of my theory lies with Mrs. Boazoph."
Having thus settled his plans, Fanks left Crate at Mere Hall to look
after Dr. Binjoy, and repaired to town. Immediately on his arrival,
which took place about noon, he sent for Garth, and questioned him
concerning Mrs. Jerusalem. Having received satisfactory replies, he
entrusted a special commission to the lawyer, and, with a detective,
he went himself to the Red Star. That short conversation with Fanks so
astonished Garth, that he went on his errand--which had to do with
such conversation--in a state of great surprise and no little
nervousness.
At the Red Star Fanks inquired for Mrs. Jerusalem, and was confronted
by Dr. Turnor. The ferret looked rather disconcerted as the detective
appeared; and tried to dissuade him from seeing Mrs. Boazoph as he
wished to do. "She is yet weak," he urged, "and I do not think it will
be wise of you to talk with her as yet."
"I don't care how weak she is," said Fanks, grimly. "I intend to talk
to her, and to you too."
"What can you have to say to me?" demanded Turnor, with an attempt at
bravado.
"I'll tell you that after I have seen Mrs. Boazoph and Mrs.
Jerusalem," was the reply. "I know all your doings on the night of the
twenty-first, Dr. Turnor; and I am aware of your attempt to blackmail
Sir Louis Fellenger."
After which speech Fanks went upstairs to the room occupied by Mrs.
Boazoph. At the door he met with Mrs. Jerusalem. She looked at him in
an expressionless way, and spoke in her usual cold and unemotional
manner. Her first question was of Fanks' visit to Mere Hall.
"Did you find out the truth, sir?" she asked.
"I found out the truth; but not the particular truth you wished for,"
replied Fanks, who disliked this woman immensely. "Your master is not
guilty."
"Then who is guilty if he is not?"
"I'll reveal that in a few moments, Mrs. Jerusalem. I may tell you
that I know all about Madaline Garry and the tattooed cross, also
about Mr. Louis Fellenger."
The woman drew back, and for the first time since Fanks had known her,
an expression of surprise flitted across her face. "He said Mr.
Louis," she said to herself. "How much does he know?"
"He knows most of the circumstances which led to the murder in this
house," retorted Fanks, moving towards the door, "and now with your
assistance he is about to learn the rest."
"At all events the truth will be bad for Louis Fellenger," muttered
Mrs. Jerusalem. "If it was to benefit him I would not move a step. As
it is," she added, throwing open the door, "come in, Mr. Fanks, and
ask Mrs. Boazoph to tell you the story she related to me this
morning."
Fanks nodded, and without saying a word entered the apartment. In
spite of the warm weather there was a fire burning in the grate, and
beside it crouched Mrs. Boazoph. She was seated on the carpet warming
her thin hands at the blaze; and she turned her face as the detective
entered. He was astonished at the change wrought in her by illness.
Her face was lined and drawn with pain; her hair was falling about her
ears in rough masses; and the looseness of her dress showed how
emaciated she had become. The poor creature was but a shadow of the
notorious woman who had defied the police for so long; and at the
first glance Fanks saw that death was written on her haggard face. If
there was anything to be learned from this wreck there was no time to
be lost in hearing it. Nemesis had claimed at least one victim for the
death of Sir Gregory Fellenger;--or rather Edward Fielding.
"Have you come here to see me die, Mr. Fanks?" asked Mrs. Boazoph,
with a faint smile.
"I hope it is not so bad as that," replied Fanks gently, for he pitied
the exhaustion of the poor creature. "You may get better."
Mrs. Boazoph shook her head. "I think not," she said quietly. "The end
is coming fast. I do not care; my life has been none so happy that I
should wish to live. I am anxious to die."
"Are you anxious to make reparation for your crimes?"
With a start Mrs. Boazoph looked at the other woman, who still stood
at the door. "What have you told him?" she asked in a hoarse voice.
"I have told him nothing," replied Mrs. Jerusalem, coldly, "but he
knows all."
"That is impossible," muttered Mrs. Boazoph, with a shiver. "He cannot
know all. Who is there to tell him?"
"I was told by the dead."
"The dead? What dead?"
"By your dead lover, on whose son you avenged your betrayal, Mrs.
Bryant."
She shivered, and looked up angrily. "Not that name, I am not Mrs.
Bryant."
"I can give you another name if you like," said Fanks, pointedly.
"Shall I say Mrs. Fielding or--Madaline Garry?"
The woman rose to her knees with an effort; and parting the tangled
mass of her grey hair she looked at Fanks in a terrified manner.
"Madaline Garry is dead," she said, in a low voice. "She died when she
married Luke Fielding. Neglect and dishonour killed her."
"Madaline Garry did not die then," said Fanks, determinedly. "She
lived to avenge herself on her lover by exchanging his child for that
of her own."
"They were both his children," cried Mrs. Boazoph, with sudden fury,
"I see you know all; so I can speak as I choose. I loved Francis
Fellenger, and he betrayed me. I should have been his wife, but, like
the coward he was, he married another woman. I became the wife of Luke
Fielding, of the man I hated, in order to conceal the truth from my
father. The child I bore was not his. It should have borne the title
of the Fellengers."
"And it did bear the title of the Fellengers," said Fanks, in an
impressive voice. "It took the place of the real heir, thanks to your
schemes. And you, Madaline Garry, deserted the infant of your rival,
after you had robbed him of his birthright. Wretched woman; make
reparation while you can; give back his name to Edward Hersham, before
it is too late, or" added Fanks, drawing nearer, "keep silence to the
end; and let him suffer on the gallows for the murder of your son."
"No! No!" shrieked Mrs. Boazoph, clutching at her chair to raise
herself, "not that, anything but that. He is innocent. I tell you that
he is innocent!"
"If he is innocent, who then is guilty?" asked Fanks.
Mrs. Boazoph reeled, and would have fallen but for the arm of Mrs.
Jerusalem, who sprang forward to catch her. A draught of brandy
brought back her strength, and she sat in the chair by the fire,
rocking herself to and fro, with heart-rending sobs. Fanks approached
to speak to her, but she waved him off.
"Do not touch her yet," said Mrs. Jerusalem, in a low tone, "she will
recover soon."
Quiet as was the whisper, Mrs. Boazoph heard it, and moaned. "Never,
never on this side of the grave," he wept. "My race is run; and weary
have been my days. I never had a chance like other women. Once I was
Madaline Garry, the darling of her father, the prettiest girl in
Damington. But Francis Fellenger made me what I am. I curse him,
living or dead, I curse him." She broke into hysterical laughter. "I
revenged myself well. I put my child and his in the place of the heir.
It was my son who reigned at Mere Hall; it was my son who spent the
moneys of that evil family, and bore their title. I am glad of it; I
am glad of it. The real heir--her child--had to work for his bread;
but mine reigned in his place; he took the seat of his father. Of what
use was it that Francis marked his son as he marked me? See," she
cried, pulling up the sleeve of her dress. "Do you see this cross on
my skin, you bloodhound of the law? Francis Fellenger marked me like
that to show that I was his wife; yet he married another. Francis
marked his legitimate son like that, yet the son ate the bread of
strangers, and another sat in his seat. I have done my work, I have
had my revenge, I am willing to die."
"Are you willing that the son whom you disinherited should die at the
hands of justice?"
Mrs. Boazoph moaned, and hid her face in her hands. "Ah, no!" she
said, in a plaintive voice. "He has suffered enough. My son is dead,
so let the other take back his name and estates. My son is dead; he
perished in the house of his mother; the mother who was too cowardly
to avenge him, who was afraid to reveal the name of the assassin. My
son is dead, but not by the hand of his half-brother did he meet with
his death."
"Then who killed him. Tell me," cried Fanks, eagerly. "You have
sinned. Make what reparation you can for your sins while there is yet
time. Look up, Madaline Garry, and tell me if that man slew your son?"
While Fanks had been speaking, the door had opened softly, and Garth
in the company of another man appeared on the threshold. The two stood
spell-bound when they heard this speech of the detective; and Mrs.
Boazoph turned her face slowly towards them. Suddenly she crushed down
her weakness, and arose to her feet with miraculous strength.
Stretching out her hand at the man who stood terror-stricken awaiting
her words, she cried out in a shrill and triumphant voice:
"Yonder is the man who killed my son; yonder is the man who must
suffer in the place of Edward Hersham. You wish to know who came here
as a negro and killed my son? There he stands--Herbert Vaud!"
"I thought so," murmured Fanks, and the next instant he had the
handcuffs on Vaud's wrists.