Fergus Hume

“ Do you come to take me to gaol? Do so, do so; I fear no punishment of man, for God has laid the burden of Cain upon me."
"I have not come to arrest you, Mr. Herne," said Drek, pitying the nervous agitation of the man. "I believe you to be innocent."
"Then you believe wrongly," retorted Herne, recovering himself a trifle. "I came down on that night from London in disguise to kill Lovel and Milly--to punish the first and save the second. I took Chaskin's pistol with me--he will tell you so--and I shot my poor darling." ”

“ There was no one at whom to gaze as a genuine criminal; no one to shoot, or to throw stones at; and when the earth was heaped over the coffin of Milly Lester, the throng melted away with the conviction that it had been swindled out of a sensation. The burial had proved less interesting than they expected.
Chaskin was overcome with emotion several times as he read the service, and Paul wondered if what Miss Clyde had asserted was true, and if the vicar had also been conquered by, the triumphant beauty of Milly. It seemed likely, but Paul had heard no rumour in confirmation of the report. ”

“ Money! Well, he has money, but it will be spent in charity--not in pandering to your vanity. Society! Oh, yes! the society of the halt, the lame, the blind, and the religious! That's the set you'll move in. I tell you, Milly," cried Lovel vehemently, "that Herne does not love you; he loves no one and nothing but his mission, as he calls it. He marries you simply to experiment on you--to lead you into the narrow path, no doubt."
"I know all you tell me," rejoined Milly, coolly, "but I'll alter Darcy's conduct when I am Mrs. Herne!" ”

“ The friend of her youth seemed noble in comparison to Herne, and Iris reproached herself for having overlooked for so long his many good qualities. In fact, she thought of Paul as much as he dreamt of her, and when she saw him at the front door of Poverty Villa she went out to meet him with a becoming blush. Paul, on his part, blushed also; and they met like lovers after a long separation. Thus out of evil had come good; and a happy marriage between two young people eminently suited to one another was likely to be the outcome of poor Milly Lester's untimely decease. ”

“ If you choose you can tell Darcy."
"You know I shan't do that," replied Iris quietly, "and that you are safe in giving me the permission. But I'll tell your father."
"Pooh! What does that matter? He won't speak to Darcy: he's too anxious for me to marry the man; I told you that this afternoon."
"He will be very angry," cried Iris in despair.
"Let him be angry!" returned the dutiful daughter; "he can't kill me!"
"O Milly! Milly! Why can't you behave in a more honourable manner? If you love Mr. Lovel, break off the match with Mr. Herne." ”

“ My name is Catinka Poluski, and I was born at Warsaw some twenty-five years ago. I am of a noble family, and my parents were much hated by the Russians for their patriotic desire to see a free Poland. They conspired against the tyrant Czar when I was but a child, and being discovered they were arrested and sent to Siberia--sent there without a trial, to their doom! Ah! God! why dost Thou permit such evils to befall noble hearts."
"Are your parents still alive?" asked Paul when she ceased for a moment, to conquer her emotion. ”

“ It's not improbable," said Mexton, pulling his moustache. "I am more inclined to believe in the guilt of Lovel than in that of Miss Clyde. But I'll see her to-morrow and ask her for an explanation."
"She won't give it."
"In that case I'll tell Drek, and he'll force her to speak."
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!" sighed Mrs. Mexton. "It is truly terrible to think of the way in which we have been brought into contact with crime! And poor Dr. Lester in gaol!"
"He won't be in goal long," said Paul, with a satisfied nod.
"You are going to prove his innocence?" cried Iris, anxiously. ”

“ Lovel."
"Oh," said that young man, ironically, "and how do you intend to prove my guilt?"
"I am not presuming your guilt," said the inspector. "I merely intend to state the evidence against you."
"I am all attention," said Lovel.
"Well, sir, to put it briefly, you love this girl; you are with her at the hour of the murder; you set up a false alibi; you do everything to bring suspicion of guilt on yourself." ”

“ Red for the war we must wage to free our land; blue is a sign of the peace which will follow the war; green, the colour of hope which we need to inspire us; and yellow for the wealth we require to further our plans."
"I see," said Paul, coolly; "yellow stands for Darcy Herne, whose wealth you need."
"Precisely," replied Catinka calmly. "You are very clever, my dear Mr. Mexton, to guess so well as that. Do you think I am in love with Mr. Herne?--by no means, sir! It is his money-bags I want. I have but one heart and that is for no man ”

“ Lovel's false alibi at the inquest I truly believed that he had killed Milly."
"But, Iris," expostulated Paul, "the handkerchief is spotted with blood!"
"I know. Perhaps Mr. Herne let it fall when he found the body."
"If so, and he found the body, why did he not call in the police? Why did he sneak away to London in disguise, and let Mr. Chaskin bring home the corpse? No, Iris; I believe that Herne killed Milly. Only one man can tell us the truth, and the truth he must tell to save his own neck. I shall see Lovel." ”

“ So strange and unexpected are the decrees of Fate.
"I am glad to see you again, Iris," said Paul, taking her hand and looking into her eyes. "How is your step-father?"
"Very well; he is cheerful and hopeful," replied Iris. "Miss Clyde has told her story to everyone, and now all Barnstead knows that he is innocent. There is quite a revulsion in his favour; and all yesterday he was being congratulated. I should not be surprised if this false accusation brought him more patients."
"Out of evil comes good," quoth Mexton, following her into the house. "Where is Dr. Lester now?" ”

“ If Herne had shot Milly Lester he had done the deed with the pitiless zeal of a fanatic.
"I only wonder that he did not proclaim his doings to all Barnstead," mused Paul. "If he fancied in his fanaticism that he was justified in killing the girl he would certainly not hesitate to acknowledge his guilt; he would not let an innocent man suffer for his crime--though, to be sure, if he killed Milly, he did not regard the deed as a crime. ”

“ There was no need for him to conjecture the name of the assassin. He knew that Dr. Lester had committed the crime, and that before twelve hours elapsed he would be arraigned on circumstantial evidence; perhaps, if his conscience proved trustworthy, on his own confession. Great as had been the horror inspired by the murder, the arrest of the wretched father of the victim would enhance that horror four-fold. Mexton knew this, but out of sheer humanity for the miserable criminal he held his peace. ”

“ Drek? I have heard of many men giving themselves up for crimes of which they were guiltless."
"Uneducated men."
"Yes, and men of education also. I tell you, Mr. Drek, that my friend did not fire that shot."
"Then who did? Yourself?"
"No; I am innocent, as I can say now freely. I refused to speak because I thought that my speaking might get Herne into trouble. Now that he has made a public statement--not a confession, mind you--accusing himself of a crime which he did not commit, I think it my duty to tell you what I know. Sit down, please, Mr. Drek, and listen to what I have to say." ”

“ It is not an ignoble profession," said Catinka, "and I do not think the dead Poluski race need be ashamed of their descendant."
"I should think not, indeed, mademoiselle?" cried Paul. "You have overcome your difficulties in a noble manner. But this," he added, "does not touch on your society."
"I am coming to that," said Catinka, with a nod; "but, as I told you, it was necessary for your understanding that I should begin from the beginning. Well, Mr. Mexton, when I found myself at ease in London, I determined to do what I could to aid my unhappy country to be free. ”

“ Paul looked at the masculine strength of the woman's face, into her shrewd eyes, and at the firm set of her mouth. "It is queer," he admitted; "you do not look the sort of a woman to be attracted by a wastrel like Lovel."
"Nevertheless I am; by the law of contraries no doubt. Well, I admit that I was jealous of his preference for Milly Lester. Her beauty and fascinations of manner excited my envy; and as she had the whole neighbourhood at her feet, I grudged that she should take my ewe-lamb."
"The whole neighbourhood!" echoed Paul.
"Well, Mr. Herne, Mr. Lovel, and Mr. Chaskin. ”

“ A crowd of people, more or less excited, filled the tap-room of the inn, and the space before it. Many were drinking ale at the bar, others idled outside in the street, and all were vigorously discussing the tragedy and surmising as to who was the criminal. Some hinted at Lovel, a known admirer of the dead girl; others boldly accused a nameless tramp of the crime, and declared that robbery was the motive for its committal; but no one had the courage or the fancy to hint at the possible guilt of the drunken father. ”

“ If Herne were a religious fanatic, Catinka was frenzied on the point of patriotism; and for her mission she was willing to sacrifice all who stood in the way of its fulfilment. Paul quite believed that she had not killed Milly; but, short of murder, he fancied that she was capable of all other crimes in order to accomplish her dreams of a free Poland.
"How could I have loved such a woman?" groaned Paul. "But then it was an ideal I loved, not the kind of viperish clay Catinka has proved herself to be. I dreamt of a goddess, and find a hard woman of the world. ”

“ For my sake she told a lie at the inquest, so that I should not be suspected of a crime which I did not commit."
"She must have strong reason for this guardianship," said Mexton, surprised.
"A strong one," assented Lovel, nodding. "The reason of kinship, Mr. Mexton." He paused to give effect to his words. "That old gipsy is my grandmother."
"Your grandmother!" echoed Paul, curiously. "Are you, then, a gipsy?"
"On my father's side I am--half a Romany, half a Gorgio; but my looks are of the gipsy race. Can you not see for yourself?" he said, turning his face to the light. ”

“ Lovel!" cried Iris, indignantly. "Not I! I despise him too much! A man who would act as he has done with Milly, knowing that she was engaged to Herne, is not worthy of a woman's love! No; I do not love, or even respect, Mr. Lovel." ”

“ I am not sure of that; but because Lovel is a half-gipsy. But in spite of the alibi I believe he is guilty. I'll prove his guilt and hang him!"
"Why do you hate him so, Herne?"
"Because he led that poor girl to her death. I wished to save the soul of Milly; but it is lost, and Lovel is the cause. Besides, I believe it is my duty to succor the afflicted, and of the afflicted Dr. Lester is one. An innocent man shall not die on the scaffold if I can help it. God forbid! I'll save Lester, and hang Lovel. The end of this tragedy has not yet come, Mexton." ”

“ So far as you knew, no one else was in the lane, and you awoke from your senseless state to see Milly's dead body. On these grounds you can suspect me only."
"You state a very good case against yourself," sneered Herne. "Evidently you wish to be hanged!"
"No, but I wish to hang the villain who killed Milly. I can defend myself if needful. But can you defend Chaskin?"
"I would do so with my life! He is innocent."
"I'll have to hear that from his own lips," replied Lovel. "Myself and Mexton are on our way to see him. Will you come also?"
"No; Chaskin can defend himself. ”

“ God knows I have now!" added the young man, bitterly.
"H'm!" said Paul, thoughtfully. "Do you believe in palmistry, Lovel?"
"No," said the other, promptly; "in spite of my gipsy blood, I am no believer in the influence of star, or cards, or lines on the palm. Yet, in Milly's case, it is very strange that Gran Jimboy's prognostication of evil should come to pass."
"Bah! In my opinion she contributed to the fulfillment of her own prophecy."
"Mexton! surely you don't believe that a feeble old woman like gran killed Milly?" ”

“ Time and opportunity will be needed to prove which of us is in the right," said Paul; after which the conversation concluded, and each of the young men went his different way. With their opinions so diametrically opposed to one another, they felt that continued companionship might result in a quarrel; and at the present stage of their acquaintance, and seeing that they were mutually interested in bringing to justice the assassin of Milly Lester, they were unwilling that a rupture should take place. ”