The Master of the Ceremonies Part 111

"My dear old father," he said tenderly, "neither Claire nor I believe that you could commit this terrible crime. You must be cleared from all suspicion, and--come--come--let us be friends. You will forgive me, father--all the past?"

"Forgive you? No, I cannot. It is impossible. I have tried. Sitting here alone in this awful silence, with the shadow of the gallows falling across me, I have tried, but it is impossible. I will suffer for your crime. I have told you that I will, but upon one condition, that you never go near Claire again. She thinks me guilty, but she has fought hard and striven to forgive me. Do not pollute her with your presence, but go far away from here. Go at once, lest in the weakness of my nature I should be tempted to try and save myself from death by confessing all."

"Heaven help me!" said Fred again; "he is mad."

He had spoken aloud, shaping his thoughts unconsciously, and the old man took up his words.

"G.o.d help me! I wish I were," he said pitifully, "for the mad must be free from the agony which I have to bear."

Fred rose to his feet and looked at the old man aghast. Then, as if for the first time, he seemed to realise that his father was not wandering in his mind, and clasping the thin arms tightly, he pressed him back into a sitting position upon the bed, bending over him, and, in his great strength, holding him helplessly there, as he said quickly, and with a fierce ring in his voice:

"Why, father, do you know what you are saying? You do not think I killed Lady Teigne?"

"Hypocrite!" cried the old man fiercely.

"Speak out, man!" cried Fred, as fiercely now. "What do you mean? How dare you charge me with such a crime!"

"Hypocrite!" panted the old man again. "You cannot s.h.i.+eld yourself now.

It is a punishment for my weakness that day--that night. I would not have done it," he cried wildly, "but I was at my last gasp for money.

Everything was against me. I had not a s.h.i.+lling, and there all that day the devil was dancing the jewels of that miserable old woman before my eyes."

"Father!" cried Fred, "for G.o.d's sake, don't tell me you killed her--for G.o.d's sake don't. No, no; it is not true."

"Silence! hypocrite! murderer!" cried the old man. "Listen. I tell you that all that day the devil was dancing those diamonds before my eyes.

I saw them in the glittering waters of the sea. I turned to Claire, and her eyes shone like diamonds. The night came, and the sky was all studded with gems, and they were sparkling and reflected in the water.

Diamonds--always diamonds; and above stairs, in that room, a casket with necklet and bracelets, all diamonds, and the devil always whispering in my ear that I had but to get two or three taken out and replaced with paste, while I pledged the real stones for a few months, and redeemed them as soon as I could turn myself round. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you," said Fred, with a strange look of horror intensifying in his face.

"I fought against the temptation. I struggled with it, as I said that I had always been a weak, foolish fas.h.i.+on-seeker, but an honest gentleman.

I swore that I would not defile myself by such a crime; but there were my bills; there was the demand for money for a score of pressing necessities, and the fiend whispered to me that it would not be a crime, only taking them from that miserable old worldly creature as a loan."

"Go on," said Fred hoa.r.s.ely; "go on." And he stared with horror in the old man's upturned face.

"Then the night came, and my children went to their beds innocent of the agony I suffered, for there was the temptation stronger than before. I went to my room, and looked out. The sea and sky were all diamonds; and I tore back the blind, and I said that I must have two or three of the wretched stones--that I would have them--borrow them for a time, and be free."

"Oh, father, father!" groaned Fred; and Denville went on excitedly.

"I said I would have them, and I waited till it would be safe to go. I knew that the old woman would have taken her sleeping-draught, and that it would be easy enough to go in and get her keys--I knew where she kept them--take out the diamond cross, get the stones changed, and replace it before she would miss it the next afternoon."

Fred groaned, and the old man went on, clutching him now by the arm as he spoke, gazing fiercely in his eyes the while.

"I waited till all were sleeping, and the time seemed to have come, and then, like a thief, I stole out of my room and along the pa.s.sage, till I was outside the door where the old woman--poor old wreck of a woman-- lay. It was only to borrow those diamonds for a time, and I meant to replace them, though I knew that I was little better than a thief--a cold-blooded, treacherous thief--to deal thus with the woman who trusted to my honour for her safety. But I was so sorely pressed for money, I said to myself; and keeping my creditors quiet meant placing Morton and Claire both well in life, and then my troubles would cease. Do you hear me?"

"Yes--I hear," groaned Fred.

"I stood there on the mat outside her door thinking that, and that it would be for Claire's sake; and as I thought that, I saw her sweet, pure face before me, as it were, her eyes looking into mine; and I said: 'How can I ever look into those eyes openly again?' I felt that I was still a gentleman, but that in a few minutes I should be a despicable thief.

Then I raised my hand to open the door, always unfastened so that Claire might go in and out, but it dropped to my side, and I sank upon my knees and prayed for strength to resist temptation, and the strength I asked was given."

The old man paused, for there was a step outside in the stone pa.s.sage, and it seemed that the gaoler was coming there; but he pa.s.sed on, and Denville gripped his son's arm more tightly.

"I don't know how long I knelt there, but I was rising with the temptation crushed, and as I rose I was going back to my room."

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Fred excitedly, and he breathed more freely.

"Back to my room, boy, when I seemed to be roused from the stupor brought on by my agony of mind, for there was a sound in the countess's chamber. I listened, and there it was again. It was a confused sound, as if she were moving in her bed, and I thought she must be ill, and want Claire. I was about to go and rouse her, when there were other sounds; there was a loud crash, and I stood as if turned to ice."

"You heard sounds!" gasped Fred; and he looked horror-stricken and shrinking as his father seemed to grow in strength.

"Yes," whispered the old man fiercely, as he seemed to fix Fred Denville with his eye; "I heard sounds that froze me with horror, as I felt that my temptation had been in the shape of a warning of evil, and that another was at work in the poor old woman's room. For a few minutes I could not stir. Then, mastering my horror and fear, and calling myself coward, I hurried into the room, to find myself face to face with him who had entered before. I saw all at a glance, as a hoa.r.s.e groan came from the bed--the curtain torn aside, and the murderer by the dressing-table, with the jewel-casket in his hand."

"You saw all this?" cried Fred, white as ashes now. "Father, you saw this?"

"Everything, as I dashed--old weak man as I was--at the wretch who had done this thing. It was only a momentary struggle, and I was thrown down, and saw him dart to the folding-doors and pa.s.s through. I staggered after him in time to hear him overturn a pot or two in the verandah, as he swung himself over and slid down the pillar. Then I was alone panting there in that chamber of death; for as I took the candle from the little stand, and drew aside the curtain, it was to gaze down upon the starting eyes of the strangled woman--dead in my house, under the protection of my roof; and, with the horrible thought upon me that only a brief while back I was nearly entering that chamber to play the part of thief, I gave no alarm, but shrank towards the door, and stole out trembling, bathed with sweat, to get back to my room, and try to think out what I should do."

Fred Denville groaned, and the old man's breath went and came with the sound of one who has been hunted till he stands at bay.

"I had not been there a minute before I heard steps; a light shone beneath my door, and I sat trembling, utterly prostrated, for I knew that it was Claire who had been alarmed. I wanted to go out and stop her, to set her on her guard; but I sat there as if suffering from nightmare, unable to move, even when she came at last and summoned me; and, like one in a dream, I listened to what she had to say, and followed her to the murdered woman's room. I could not stay her; I could do nothing. I dared not give the alarm; I dared not speak, but went with her, and saw all again in a dazed, confused way, till I noticed something on the floor, which I s.n.a.t.c.hed up and hid from Claire; and then the confusion was gone--driven away by the agony I felt. My G.o.d, what agony, as I read in Claire's eyes that she believed I had done that deed!"

"She believed this of you?"

"Yes; and believes it still," groaned the prisoner.

"But--but," cried Fred excitedly, "what was it you s.n.a.t.c.hed from the floor?"

"A knife; a knife I knew. One that I had seen before."

"But the murderer--you saw him?"

"Plainly as I see you."

"But you did not summon help."

"I could not."

"I knew you were innocent," cried Fred excitedly. "I swore you were."

"I am," said the old man coldly.

"Should you know the wretch again?" panted Fred.

"Yes; too well."

"But you did not say this at the inquest."

"My lips were closed."

"But, father, you do not--"