FANNY'S STORY BEING CONCLUDED, I PAY A VISIT TO MR. LEMON, AND RESOLVE
TO INTERVIEW DEVLIN THE BARBER.
This was the story which Fanny related to me, and to which I listened
in wonder and amazement. As she related it I wondered at times whether
it was possible that what she said could be true, but I saw no reason
to question her veracity; and there certainly could be no doubt of her
sincerity. I had to some extent conquered the fascination which
Lemon's portrait on the wall, the stuffed bird in its glass case, and
the evil-looking monster on the mantelshelf had exercised over me, but
even now I could scarcely gaze upon them without a shudder. Fanny did
not relate her story straight off, without a break, and I need hardly
say that it was much longer than is here transcribed. But I have
omitted no important point; everything pertinent to the tragedy of the
murder of Mr. Melladew's daughter is faithfully set down. When she
finished it was quite dark; at my request she had not lighted lamp or
candle.
There were breaks, as I have said. Twice she left off, and went
up-stairs to see Lemon, and give him something to eat and drink.
"He knows you're here, sir," she said, when she returned on the first
occasion.
"Is he impatient to see me?" I asked.
"No, sir," she replied. "All he seems to want is to be left alone."
"But he will see me?"
"O, yes, sir! He'll keep his promise."
Once there was an interval of more than half-an-hour, during which I
ate some cold meat and bread she brought me, and drank a pint bottle
of stout.
There was another occasion when she suddenly paused, with her finger
at her lips.
"What are you stopping for, Fanny?" I asked.
"Speak low, sir," she said. "Devlin!"
"Where?" I said, much startled.
"He has just opened the street-door, sir."
"I heard nothing, Fanny."
"No, sir, you wouldn't. You don't know his ways as I do. Don't speak
for a minute or two, sir."
I waited, and strained my ears, but no footfall reached my ears.
Presently Fanny said:
"He's gone up to his room. He waited outside Lemon's door, and tried
it, I think. Have you any notion what you are going to do about him,
sir?"
"My ideas are not yet formed, but I intend to see and speak with him."
"You do, sir?"
"I do, Fanny, A special providence has directed my steps here to-day.
I knew the poor girl who has been murdered."
"Sir!"
"Her family and mine have been friends for years. The interest I take
in the discovery of the murderer is no common interest, and I intend
to bring him to justice."
"How, sir?" exclaimed Fanny, greatly excited.
"Through Mr. Devlin. The way will suggest itself. You have not heard
him leave the house since he entered a little while since?"
"No, sir. He is in his room now."
"If," I said, "when I am with your husband--and I intend to remain
with him but a short time--Devlin comes down-stairs, let me know
immediately. Keep watch for him."
"I will, sir. O, how thankful I am that you're here--how thankful, how
thankful!"
"I hope we shall all have reason to be thankful. And now, Fanny, I
will go up to your husband."
"I'll go in first, and prepare him, sir."
"Let us have lights in the house. Don't leave Mr. Lemon in the dark.
Put a candle in the passage also."
She followed my instructions, and then we went to her husband's
bedroom. I waited outside while she "prepared" him. It did not take
long to do so, and she came to the door and beckoned to me. I entered
the room, and desired her to leave us alone.
"But don't lock us in," I added.
"No, sir," she said. "Lemon's safe now you're with him."
With that she retired, first smoothing the bedclothes and the pillow
with a kind of pitying, soothing motion as though Lemon was about to
undergo an operation.
I moved the candle so that its light fell upon Lemon's face. A scared,
frightened face it was that turned towards me, the face of a man who
had received a deadly shock.
It is unnecessary to say more than a few words about what passed
between Mr. Lemon and myself. My purpose was to obtain from him
confirmation of the strange mysterious story which Fanny had related.
In this purpose I succeeded; it was correct in every particular. What
I elicited from Lemon was elicited in the form of questions which I
put to him and which he answered, sometimes readily, sometimes
reluctantly. Had time not been so precious, my curiosity would have
impelled me to go into matters respecting Devlin other than the murder
of Lizzie Melladew, but I felt there was not a minute to waste; and at
the termination of my interview with Lemon I went into the passage,
where I found Fanny waiting for me. Whispering to her not to remain
there, in order that Devlin might not be too strongly prejudiced
against me--supposing him to be on the watch as well as ourselves--and
receiving from her instructions as to the position of his room, I
mounted the stairs with a firm, loud tread, and stood in the dark at
the door which was to conduct me to the presence of the mysterious
being.