"Why, Beryl contrived it. He wanted the money."
"Was he in the house at the time?"
"No. He didn"t commit the crime himself, if that is what you mean. He with Miss Randolph was at the Curtain Theatre, which is near Crimea Square. He drove up in his friend"s Mrs. Webber"s carriage just when the row was on."
"Yes." Bernard pa.s.sed his hand across his forehead. "I should have remembered that. I was in the hall at the time with the hand of the policeman on my shoulder. But I have grown so confused, d.i.c.k, that it"s all like a dream."
"A nightmare rather. But why do you think Mrs. Gilroy is----"
"Is in the plot. Because, before she accused me, she said to herself, but loud enough for me to hear, "It"s the only way!""
"Ha, ho!" said Conniston, excited, "you can swear to that."
"Of course I can. But I can"t swear in the dock, and that is the only place I"m likely to occupy should I be caught."
"Is Mrs. Gilroy a friend of Beryl"s?"
"I can"t say that she was ever anyone"s friend. She even seemed to hate my grandfather, although he was so good to her. She and Lucy were always quarrelling, and though she behaved civilly to me, I was--as I said before--never sure of her."
"You can certainly be sure of her now. But I can"t help thinking Beryl had something to do with this plot. He had a lot at stake. I have heard tales about his gambling that would open your eyes. Durham made it his business to find out when he heard that Sir Simon intended to disinherit you in favor of Beryl."
"Durham has always been my friend," said Bernard, wearily. "But as Beryl was out of the house he can"t have anything to do with the crime."
"I"m not so certain of that. He might have set things in train, and then have arranged the theatre business so as to provide himself with an _alibi_."
"You think he hired someone to represent me?"
"I do, though, as I say, it would be hard for anyone to disguise himself like you. You haven"t a double, have you?"
"Not that I ever heard of," said Gore, unable to restrain a smile; "but they say everyone has a double."
"Well, we must hunt out yours. If we find the soldier who resembled you, and who called himself by your name, we will be able to prove that he committed the crime."
"But how can you go to work?"
"I hardly know, Bernard. I must ask Durham. Meantime you can stay here.
And there"s Judas. I"ll make it my business to hunt him out. I daresay he was employed by Beryl also."
"How you harp on Beryl."
"Because I am sure he has everything to do with the matter. It was a carefully-arranged trap, and you have fallen into it. What Mrs. Gilroy expects to gain I can"t think. However, Beryl has found himself mistaken over the money. The new will--so Durham told me to tell you--was burnt by the old man, and so the old one, giving you all, stands. Both Mrs.
Gilroy and Mr. Beryl are left out in the cold. And that is all the better for your safety."
"Why?" asked Bernard, looking puzzled.
"Because the person they hired to do the business--your double--will expect to be paid a large sum. If not, he will round on them."
"You forget. If he confesses he puts a rope round his own throat according to your theory."
"True enough. But there"s Judas. He"ll have his pound of flesh, or make an unholy row."
"d.i.c.k," said Bernard, seriously, "it"s impossible that a lad of thirteen can be such a villain as you make him out to be."
"I tell you that lad is a born criminal, and if he goes on as he is doing he"ll come to the gallows, where, according to his grandmother, his forefathers suffered before him. Judas is as cunning as a fox, and very strong as to his will. Also, he is greedy of money----"
"You describe a man of experience."
"I don"t know where Judas got his experience," said Conniston, coolly, "but as Mrs. Gamp said of Bailly, junior, "All the wickedness of the world is print to him.""
"I can"t believe it of such a lad."
"You"ll have an opportunity of testing it some day," retorted the young lord. "I only hope Victoria doesn"t correspond with Judas. If she does, she"ll tell him about a stranger at Cove Castle, and Judas, having seen you with me in the Park, will be quite sharp enough to put two and two together. Then there will be trouble."
"But why should he connect me with the crime unless----"
"Unless he knows all. He does. You are a marked man, Bernard. However, it"s getting late. We"ll talk of this to-morrow. I must go and see Durham, and bring him down ostensibly for shooting."
"I wish you would bring Alice over," said Bernard. "My heart aches for a sight of her sweet face."
"And dearly her face has cost you," said Conniston. "However, I"ll ask my dear aunt to come over, and bring Alice. As Miss Berengaria is a relative, it will be thought nothing out of the way. We"ll save you yet, Bernard; only I wish we had that one piece of evidence--the handkerchief you lost. When that is found we shall know who is guilty."
CHAPTER XI
MRS. GILROY"S PAST
After making Lucy the mistress of the Hall until the return of its legal master, Mark Durham returned to town. Having regard to the fact that Beryl had taken up his quarters at the Conniston Arms--for what purpose the lawyer could not determine--he thought it wiser not to arouse the crafty young man"s suspicions by a visit to Cove Castle. Certainly this was a somewhat over-strained sense of caution, since, being Conniston"s lawyer, he could easily have gone there without it being thought odd.
But Durham knew that Julius, driven to desperation by the loss of the fortune, would stop at nothing to accomplish his wish to obtain it. Did he learn that Bernard was still alive he would undoubtedly blackmail him. And in the present position of the case, when the truth could not be arrived at, Bernard, for his own safety, would be obliged to make terms. And such terms as Beryl would demand could not be granted.
Durham therefore returned to his business, and at once set to work. So far he had done all that he could to settle the government of the property during Gore"s absence, and it now remained to take such steps as would unravel the intricacy of what appeared to be a plot to oust him from his rights. That Julius was at the bottom of the whole affair Durham was certain, and that Julius had his eye on him he conjectured.
Therefore it behooved him to move cautiously lest Beryl should counterplot him. And as in this game, which dealt with the issues of life and death, Durham"s cards were all on the table and Beryl"s were concealed, the chances of victory lay with the latter. And if Julius won, he would certainly have no mercy. Conniston had written a letter directed to the London office stating in full the conversation which had taken place between him and Sir Bernard. Durham was therefore in full possession of all facts not known to Julius, and after turning over these in his mind he concluded that it would be best to start with an examination of Jane Riordan, the delinquent housemaid. She could not possibly be in the plot, as he had seen how simple a woman she was when at the inquest. Therefore she certainly, for some strange reason, believed Bernard to be the young soldier who had courted her. She had sworn to his photograph, and had addressed him in the hall of the Crimea Square house by his name. Apparently--here Durham thought with Conniston--some person had been impersonating Bernard, so the lawyer sent a message to Miss Riordan asking her to call. Then he intended to question her as to the personality and speech of the double.
The housemaid arrived dressed in her best and looking rather downcast.
She was evidently nervous, and could not think what the lawyer wanted with her. Like all her cla.s.s she had a wholesome horror of legal procedure, and always kept out of the clutches of the law. But it appeared that for her share in receiving a follower she had been dismissed by her master, Mr. Jefferies. Being without a situation she grasped at the chance afforded of seeing Durham, and hoped by working on his sympathies to secure a new one. But for this want she would probably have refused the invitation. As it was she duly appeared, and was accommodated with a seat beside Durham"s desk. He then proceeded to question her, thinking a plain, straightforward examination would best get at the truth.
"Now then," said Durham, wheeling round his chair so that he could look her in the face. "You know I am the solicitor of Sir Bernard Gore, who is accused of the murder of his grandfather. In spite of the evidence given, I do not believe he is guilty."
"I don"t think so either, sir," sobbed Jane, who had got out her handkerchief at the mention of the name.
"You never knew him."
"Yes, I did. He courted me for nearly a month. And a sweet young man he was, the very best I ever walked out with."
Durham eyed her keenly. Apparently she was speaking as she believed, and he considered that the double must resemble Bernard in a marvellous degree to make the housemaid thus sure of his ident.i.ty with the accused young baronet. "You misunderstand me," he said mildly. "However, I"ll come to the point presently. You must answer me as though you were in a witness-box."