Chapter 23

AN EXPLANATION

Maud uttered a squeak like that of a trapped rabbit, and clung to her cousin in a half-fainting condition. The startling accusation of the ex-policeman came upon Herries with the force of a bludgeon, and his flesh crept as he felt Maud's terrified grasp. What if she were guilty after all,--what if she had,--but the thought was too horrible. Bad as the girl was in many ways, vain, frivolous, cruel, selfish, she would never have killed the father who had loved her so greatly. As it was, she vehemently denied the accusation.

"It's a he,--a lie," she murmured, trying to keep from fainting, "oh, how dare you, how----" here nature would have her way, and Maud sank unconscious on the ground. Armour continued his vociferations, so Herries gave the insensible girl to Se�ora Guzman, who received her with reluctance, and caught Armour by the collar.

"Do you know what you are saying?" he demanded, shaking the man in a fierce way. "How dare you accuse this young lady of----"

"Well, if she didn't do it, who killed him?" asked the man in a sullen tone and beginning to see that he had gone too far. "It wasn't that Herries chap."

"I am Herries!"

"You." Armour shook off the grasp and recoiled against the wall.

"Yes! And you have no right to accuse my cousin. She came, as her companion, Mrs. Mountford, knew," this was a lie, but Herries wanted to save the miserable girl, "to see her old nurse."

"And went out late at night. My wife confessed it."

It was at this moment that Alice returned, followed by Mrs. Armour.

After her first cry for help the servant had thought it best to go for the wife. Fortunately there were few people about, and her feeble cry had gone unheeded. Also the tap-room was empty, a rare occurrence for the time being, so when Alice brought back Mrs. Armour, that woman ran into the room, with a white face, dreading lest her husband's tongue, loosened by liquor, should have wagged too freely.

"You drunken beast," she said, advancing with brandished arms, "how dare you insult my young lady?"

"She killed her father," grumbled Armour, but under his breath, as the stern looks of Herries and the presence of his wife cowed him not a little.

Mrs. Armour uttered an indignant exclamation and placing her hand on his coat-collar dragged him to the door.

"It is quite false, you fool."

"He says that you told him," said Herries to the wife.

Mrs. Armour pushed her husband outside and faced round.

"I told him nothing of the sort. He found out, I don't know how, that my young lady was at my house on the night of the murder, and taxed me with it. I confessed--like a fool,--that she had been there, and then he got it into his head that she set those sailors after him, to get him kidnapped. He thinks that he lost his position in the Force through her, which is quite wrong."

"Why didn't you come to the inquest and say that Miss Tedder was with you on the night?" asked Herries sternly.

"Because she asked me not to. I wouldn't have said a word even to Armour, but that he found out. Who are you, sir?"

"I am Miss Tedder's cousin----"

"Who was accused of the murder?" screeched Mrs. Armour in surprise.

"Yes, and if my cousin was here on that night,----"

"She is innocent,--innocent I swear," interrupted the woman, in great agitation, "she only came to the inn----"

"Oh. She _was_ here, was she? In the house?"

"No! Yes,--that is. I tell you, sir, she is innocent," cried Mrs. Armour at her wits' end. "She only came to see me. I'm her old nurse, sir. Don't you believe what Armour says. He's drunk; he doesn't know what mischief he is making."

"Miss Tedder was in this house on the night of the murder, about midnight."

"She wanted to see her father, and ask him not to take her lover from her," sobbed Mrs. Armour putting her apron to her eyes. "Indeed she's as innocent as the sun, sir. But I'm ready to confess----"

"Confess nothing," interrupted the young man, "if my cousin has been indiscreet--we'll put it that way,--I'll see that nothing comes of the matter. But I'll come round and see you later, to hear what you have to say. Meanwhile I'll question Miss Tedder."

"Where is she; my lamb?"

"In the parlour with a lady. She has fainted."

"Oh," Mrs. Armour was about to start towards the parlour, when Herries stopped her.

"No. Go back to your husband. Take him home, and get him sober. If he dares to say another word about Miss Tedder, I shall have him arrested."

"Yes, yes, I'll go,--I'll stop him speaking. But oh, sir," Mrs. Armour wheeled at the door with clasped hands, "believe me, my young lady is innocent."

"Yes, I believe that, but I must hear what she has to say, before exonerating her. Now go."

Mrs. Armour fled like a hare, and clutching her husband dragged him home, scolding him all the way in a low vehement tone.

"You fool, you fool," she muttered, "you'll ruin me, you'll ruin yourself."

"I didn't mean," mumbled Armour, now growing sober and terrified, for he really had scanty reason to say what he had said.

"You didn't mean,--you born fool. If this ends in a police court it will be the worse for us both. My young lady is innocent, but you have placed her in a most dangerous position. You beast, you ass, you wretch, but I'll trounce you. I'll take it out of you," and half-dragged, half-driven, Armour was brought back to his home.

In the meanwhile Herries gave Alice a shilling to hold her tongue, promising her more if she did not speak. "And especially, not to Mrs. Narby," said Herries, impressively.

"I'm fly," said the small servant, biting the shilling to see that it was a good one. "I don't tell her anything, if I can help. She hammers me too hard, sir."

"You poor little devil," said Herries pityingly, "when these things are settled we must see if we can get you a good home," and so saying he patted the miserable Alice on her head of tangled hair and walked into the parlour.

Maud had revived, as Se�ora Guzman had dashed water on her face with no gentle hand, and was now standing at the end of the room, looking at her with extreme aversion. Maud herself, with all the spirit knocked out of her, was seated at the table with her face hidden in her hands, weeping silently. Badly as the girl had behaved, her cousin could not help feeling sorry for her, especially, when she raised her small, pathetic, childish face. He closed the door, and came forward gravely.

"Well, Maud, and what have you to say to this accusation?"

"Nothing,--I'm sure I was very fond of poor pa," she sobbed, looking a woeful spectacle with her damp dress and tearful face. "No one was more sorry than I was when he was killed."

"You were not sorry for me," Herries could not help remarking.

"I thought you had killed pa."

"What? When you accused Se�ora Guzman of the crime, to my wife."

The Mexican lady started, and her fine eyes flashed. "You accused me," she said, drawing herself up.

"Yes! and I believe you did it," said Maud, raising her head and darting a malignant look at her rival.

For the moment it looked as though Donna Maria would fling herself on her enemy, but controlling her temper with a violent effort, she laughed coldly.

"Of course such an accusation does not deserve any defence."

"You were in the neighbourhood, you set those men on Armour," cried Maud viciously, and rearranging her disordered dress.

"Oh, I don't mind acknowledging that," retorted Se�ora Guzman with a curling lip, "I have nothing to conceal. I accompanied Captain Kyles from Pierside in the launch, and remained on board, while he went up to see Sir Simon at this inn. Captain Kyles told me that he suspected some emissary from the Republic would spy on his movements, and as he did not come back I sent up the sailors, and told them to carry away anyone who happened to be lurking about the inn at so late an hour. They saw Armour the policeman sitting under the window of Sir Simon's room, and thinking that he was waiting for Captain Kyles to descend in order to kill him,--for they took the policeman for an Indiana spy,--they muffled his head in my shawl, and carried him away, to leave him in a ditch. Then they returned to the launch which was on the river on the other side of the railway line."

Herries nodded. This was exactly the explanation which he had given Elspeth, and he was delighted to see how accurate his forecast had been. But there was another point which he wished to be cleared up.

"At what time did Captain Kyles return to the launch?"

She shrugged her fine shoulders.

"I must leave Captain Kyles to tell you his own story, Mr. Herries. All I wish to do at present, is to show Miss Tedder that I am not afraid to confess my movements on that night. It is lucky for her if she can do the same."

"I was with Mrs. Armour," said Maud quickly, yet with a passing gleam of terror.

"You were in this very house," said Herries sternly, "Mrs. Armour told me so."

"Then she was with me. She would not allow me to go alone."

"I'll ask her about that, myself," said Herries sitting down, "in the meanwhile you must confess everything you did on that night."

"I shan't," said Maud, setting her baby face in an obstinate frown.

"Then I shall tell the police."

She quivered at this and choked.

"You would tell on me, a woman, your own cousin?"

"You never hesitated to tell about me," said Herries, grimly.

"That's different--you are a man--you can defend yourself, not like poor little me. I have enemies," and she scowled at the Mexican lady in a most venomous manner.

"I am not afraid," said Se�ora Guzman sitting down near the door. "You would like to kill me with a look, and marry Bruce, but you will not. Oh no, he will be my husband."

"He'll be hanged."

"Aha. You will accuse him, Miss Tedder. I make you my compliments on your delicate way of making love."

"He loves me, he doesn't love you."

"Oh, but he does, Mademoiselle; you mistake. Bruce is not fond of English babies," this with a disdainful look at Maud's childish face, twisted with rage and grief.

"Ah, you cat. Wait till I see him face to face. He can't resist me. He never loved you--never, never, never."

Se�ora Guzman laughed again in the most irritating manner.

"You will never see him face to face. We go away, he and I, from this land of yours to South America. There we shall be happy."

Maud started to her feet.

"He shan't go, he won't go. I'll tell the police. I'll have him hanged. I'll--oh--oh--oh," she appeared to be on the verge of a fit of hysterics, when Herries, thinking this scene between the two women had gone far enough, caught her by the arms, and hurt her a trifle. The pain made her cry out, but it strung her up to overcoming the hysteria.

"You brute," said Maud, with a sob, "to strike a woman."

"I did not strike you," said Herries very patiently, "and if I have hurt you I beg your pardon. But you had better sit down quietly and tell me all you know."

"I shan't."

"Then I can't protect you from the police."

"You will tell?"

"No. On second thoughts I shall not tell, but Armour will. And if he does, what is to become of you, Maud?"

She saw her danger and made for the door as though to fly. But Herries brought her back.

"Sit down, sit down," he said soothingly. "Believe me, Maud, that badly as you have treated me, I am still your friend--your only friend."

"And you need a friend," observed Se�ora Guzman, surveying the girl with coldly critical eyes.

"You cat," cried Maud turning on her viciously, then dropped into a chair with a sob. "Oh, Heavens, was there ever so unfortunate a creature as I am? I've lost my money and my father, and----"

"And your lover."

"Pray be silent, Se�ora," said Herries, rather disgusted.

"I will not," she retorted fiercely, "why should I be silent, when she tried to take my lover from me? She knew that he was engaged to me, she knew----!"

"I didn't," sobbed Maud, interrupting swiftly.

"You did. Sir Simon asked me to his house when we came to see him on business--we--Bruce and myself. I told you that I was engaged to be married. And you,--you tried to get him away."

"And I succeeded," said Maud with dismal triumph, "he made love to me, he kissed me."

"I know that. He told me everything."

"What! He--told--you."

"Yes," snapped the Se�ora, "we wanted money,--heaps of money. Sir Simon knew that we didn't want war-ships, but only money for this treasure expedition. At first he would lend, then he would not. Then since you were so shameless----"

"Se�ora, Se�ora," pleaded Herries, quite helpless between these two fierce creatures quarrelling over a man.

"I must speak," she cried loudly, and striking the table with her gloved hand. "She must be told the truth, for once in her silly, vapid life. She dares to pit herself against me,--the daughter of a house which has been famous for centuries. She dares to compare her feeble, washed-out beauty with mine--with mine. Ah," she raised her arms with a proud gesture, "look at me, look at you. I tell you, Bruce would lay down his life for me."

"He shall, on the gallows," panted Maud viciously.

"Pah, you little fool," sneered the Mexican woman with scorn, "you have been a catspaw to get the money. I told Bruce to make love to you, to lead you on, to twist you round his little finger, and all to get the money. Was I wrong, seeing how shamelessly you tried to steal my lover? No," she answered herself, "I was right. Bruce told Sir Simon that he would take you away. Sir Simon forbade you to think of Bruce. You persisted, and then he said he would cut you out of his will. He wrote a letter to Brace telling him that he had done so, and asked him to meet him at this inn, offering to bribe him to give you up. You," said Se�ora Guzman with an insulting laugh, "you, for whom Bruce cared nothing. Bruce said that he would take two thousand pounds more or less. He hinted as much to Sir Simon, and he came here with that amount of money. Then Sir Simon was murdered----"

"By Captain Kyles," cried Maud.

"It is a lie," said the woman striking the table again. "Had he killed him he would have had the money and have sailed away. But he did not kill him, and so lost the money."

"But I saw Captain Kyles at this inn," said Maud.

"He was here. I told you so, but how came you to see him?"

"I was taking a walk before going to bed. Mrs. Armour was with me. I saw Captain Kyles under the window, where the red light shone."

"The red light," said Herries involuntarily.

"Yes I There was a red light in the front room. The window was open and Captain Kyles was looking up."

"I understand," said Herries gravely. "Sir Simon hung a red handkerchief in front of a candle to serve as a signal. Well?"

"Then I wanted to go up and see my father. Bruce had told me that papa wanted to bribe him to give me up, and that he was going to meet him at the inn. That was why I came. I came by a late train and went to Mrs. Armour, who is my old nurse. I implored her to help me, since she knew Mrs. Narby. I wanted to get into the house and throw myself at my father's feet and implore him not to send Bruce away. Mrs. Armour came, and when we saw Captain Kyles under the window, we stole round in the fog to the back door. Mrs. Armour knocked at Mrs. Narby's bedroom window at the back in a peculiar way, and Mrs. Narby came to the back door. She would not let me in at first, but I offered her twenty pounds, which I had brought with me. Then I went into the house, and up the stairs in the darkness. I saw a gleam of light under the door of the furthest room, and then I heard deep breathing. I grew afraid, and ran down the stairs again. I believe there was a man in the nearer room, which was in darkness."

"That was Gowrie," said Herries, "he heard the swish of a woman's dress. So it was you. And you saw nothing?"

"Nothing. I ran out and asked Mrs. Armour to take me back, and hold her tongue. I slept that night at her house, as her husband was away, and then went home by an early train. Mrs. Mountford let me into my home, and no one knew that I had been away."

"And when you heard that your father had been murdered?"

"I thought Captain Kyles had lost his temper and had killed him."

"Oh. Then you did not believe that it was me, after all."

"No. I never knew that you were in the house. But when I heard that you had been arrested, I thought, in any case, that you would be hanged, and so joined in the cry against you. I wanted to save Bruce," wailed Maud.

"I see," said Herries, horrified at this callous girl, "so you were willing to hang an innocent man, and marry one whom you thought had murdered your father."

"Bruce did _not_ murder Sir Simon," put in Se�ora Guzman vehemently, "it is not true. I came here, Mr. Herries, to explain all I could, and to ask you to come on board the yacht which is at Tarhaven."

"Will I see Captain Kyles?"

"Yes. He wishes to see you about the money."

"Why should I pay the money?"

"You said you would," said Se�ora Guzman vehemently, "and you will have to do so if you wish to get the fortune."

An evil light suddenly shone in Maud's eyes, as though the devil had whispered some delicious thought.

"Let me come also," she said eagerly to Se�ora Guzman.

"No. We do not want you."

"Then I shall go straight back to Tarhaven and tell the police all about myself, and Captain Kyles."

"You are afraid."

"I am not, but," Maud looked cunning and snarled, "I am desperate."

"You shan't come----"

"She shall," said Herries in a peremptory manner. "I want everyone to be present at the clearing up of this affair. Not a word, Se�ora, Miss Tedder comes with me, or I don't set foot on the yacht."

Se�ora Guzman shrugged her shoulders.

"Very good," she said insolently, "Bring her if you like. But I have said all, so I will go."

"When shall I come to the yacht?"

"Captain Kyles will let you know," and she vanished.