Q. When did he visit Mr. Wrent last?
A. On Christmas Eve. He came with the lady.
Q. Did he stay to supper also?
A. No. He went away at half-past seven. Mr. Wrent let him out, as usual.
Q. Did he go away altogether?
A. I--I--I am not sure! (here the witness hesitated).
Q. Why did Mr. Wrent give you the cloak?
A. To make me hold my tongue about the dark man.
Q. Why?
A. Because I saw him in the back yard.
Q. On what night?
A. On the night of Christmas Eve, about half-past eight.
CHAPTER XVI
MRS. VRAIN AT BAY
"You saw the dark man in the back yard on Christmas Eve?" repeated Lucian, much surprised by this discovery.
"Yes, I did," replied Rhoda decisively, "at half-past eight o"clock. I went out into the yard to put some empty bottles into the shed, and I saw the man standing near the fence, looking at the back of No. 13. When he heard me coming out he rushed past me and out by the side pa.s.sage.
The moon was shining, and I saw him as plain as plain."
"Did he seem afraid?"
"Yes, he did; and didn"t want to be seen, neither. I told Mr. Wrent, and he promised me a cloak if I held my tongue. He said the dark man was waiting in the yard until the lady had gone, when he was coming in again."
"But the lady, you say, went at eight, and you saw the man half an hour later?"
"That"s it, sir. He told me a lie, for he never came in again to see Mr.
Wrent."
"But already the dark man had seen the lady?"
"Yes. He came in with her at seven, and went away at half-past."
Lucian mechanically stooped down and picked up the fur cloak. He was puzzled by the information given by Rhoda, and did not exactly see what use to make of it. Going by the complexion of the man who had lurked in the back yard, it would appear that he was Count Ferruci; while the small stature of the woman, and the fact that she wore a velvet-spotted veil, indicated that she was Lydia Vrain; also the pair had been in the vicinity of the haunted house on the night of the murder; and, although it was true both were out of the place by half-past eight, yet they might not have gone far, but had probably returned later--when Rhoda and Mrs. Bensusan were asleep--to murder Vrain, between the hours of eleven and twelve on the same night.
This was all plain enough, but Lucian was puzzled by the account of Mr.
Wrent. Who, he asked himself repeatedly, who was this grey-haired, white-bearded man who had so often received Lydia, who had on Christmas Eve silenced Rhoda regarding Ferruci"s presence in the yard, by means of the cloak, and who--it would seem--possessed the key to the whole mystery?
Rhoda could tell no more but that he had stayed six months with Mrs.
Bensusan, and had departed two days after the murder; whereby it would seem that his task having been completed, he had no reason to remain longer in so dangerous a neighbourhood. Yet four months had elapsed since his departure, and Denzil, after some reflection, asked Mrs.
Bensusan a question or two regarding this interval.
"Has Mr. Wrent returned here since his departure?" he demanded.
"Lawks! no, sir!" wheezed Mrs. Bensusan, shaking her head. "I"ve never set eyes on him since he went. "Ave you, Rhoda?" Whereat the girl shook her head also, and watched Lucian with an intensity of gaze which somewhat discomposed him.
"Did he owe you any money when he went, Mrs. Bensusan?"
"No, sir. He paid up like a gentleman. I always thought well of Mr.
Wrent."
"Rhoda doesn"t seem to share your sentiments," said Denzil drily.
"No, I don"t!" cried the servant, frowning. "I hated Mr. Wrent!"
"Why did you hate him?"
"Never you mind, sir," retorted Rhoda grimly. "I hated him."
"Yet he bought you this cloak."
"No, he didn"t!" contradicted the girl. "He got it from the lady!"
"What!" cried Lucian sharply. "Are you sure of that?"
"I can"t exactly swear to it," replied Rhoda, hesitating, "but it was this way: The lady wore a cloak like that, and I admired it awful. She had it on when she came, Christmas Eve, and she didn"t wear it when I let her out, and the next day Mr. Wrent gave it to me. So I suppose it is the same cloak."
"And did the lady go out into the cold winter weather without the cloak?"
"Yes; but she had a long cloth jacket on, sir, so I don"t s"pose she missed it."
"Was the lady agitated when she went out?"
"I don"t know. She held her tongue and kept her veil down."
"Can you tell me anything more?" asked Lucian, anxious to make the examination as exhaustive as possible.
"No, Mr. Denzil," answered Rhoda, after some thought, "I can"t, except that Mr. Wrent, long before Christmas, promised me a present, and gave me the cloak then."
"Will you let me take this cloak away with me?"
"If you like," replied Rhoda carelessly. "I don"t want it."