The Lone Inn: A Mystery

by Fergus Hume

CHAPTER XI.

[TRANSFORMATION.]

My interview with Olivia passed off better than I had expected. If she had ordered me out of the house, I would only have looked on it as the just punishment for what must have appeared my impertinent interference in what did not concern me. The very fact that she listened so quietly proved that she suspected Felix was masquerading as her lover. She could only be assured of this by overhearing his interview with Rose Gernon, and therefore accepted my invitation to go to the Jermyn Street rooms. If their tenant was Francis, he would resent the intrusion of Rose, but if Felix, the two confederates would doubtless talk of their guilty secret.

Thanks to a sovereign judiciously bestowed on the caretaker, I had discovered that Rose Gernon intended to visit Felix at eight o'clock. How the caretaker found out I do not know, but in some mysterious way servants seem to gain all information concerning the doings of their superiors. It sufficed for me that Rose would be in the rooms of Felix on this evening, and that Olivia would catch them in a trap. I had no pity for the guilty pair, but I was genuinely sorry for Olivia. She little knew the torture she was about to undergo. I did, and almost regretted that I had interfered in the matter. However, I consoled myself with the reflection that it was better for her to suffer a few hours' pain than lifelong misery.

That she agreed to go to Jermyn Street at that hour without a chaperon proved how desirous she was of learning the truth. Delicately nurtured, gently bred, she must have felt horrified at the risk she was running of losing her good name, but, seeing that her life's happiness depended upon knowing all, she flung etiquette to the winds and came. When I found her at the foot of the stairs at eight o'clock, I admired and respected her from the bottom of my heart.

"Am I late?" she asked, touching my hand with trembling fingers.

"Only five minutes," said I, looking at my watch. "I have been waiting at the head of the stairs for that time. However, we can soon walk round to Jermyn Street."

"Do you think anyone will know me, Mr. Denham?" said Olivia, taking my arm. "See, I have on a plain dress, and this veil is a thick one."

"No one will recognize you," I answered soothingly; "nor do I think you will meet any one of your acquaintances."

"I should have brought my mother, but that I wished her to know nothing of this treachery. If I find I have been deceived, I shall break off my engagement with Francis. But you will keep silent about my visit, will you not, Mr. Denham?"

"No one shall hear a word from me," I answered earnestly. "But keep up your spirits, Miss Bellin. Even if you find you have been deceived, there will be some consolation in knowing that it is Felix, and not Francis."

"You are wrong there," she replied positively; "it is Francis. I have told you so all along."

I shrugged my shoulders without reply. Evidently nothing could shake her faith in the man. All I could hope for was that the two confederates would betray themselves.

"What are you going to do, Mr. Denham?" asked Olivia anxiously.

"We will go up to the rooms of Briarfield," I answered, "and there overhear their conversation."

"Is that not dishonorable?" she said, shrinking back.

"In most cases it would be," I replied hastily, "but it does not do to be too particular in this matter. If you break in on them, they may deny everything. Thinking they are alone, you will hear the truth. Remember, Miss Bellin, when one deals with a villain, one must beat him with his own weapons. Depend upon it, it is most necessary that we should learn all."

"They can speak of nothing that I do not know."

"Are you aware of the truth?" said I, somewhat startled by this remark.

"I am aware of the truth," she repeated slowly, and before I could question her she flitted up the stairs. There was no time for me to ponder over her words, as it was now past eight o'clock, and Rose Gernon might descend at any time. I therefore spoke a few hasty words to the caretaker, telling him I wished to see Mr. Briarfield, and followed her at once. In two minutes we were both standing before the door of Briarfield's room.

"It is locked," said Olivia faintly.

"Never mind," answered I, producing my latchkey; "this key of mine opens the door; I was, as you are aware, a great friend of Francis, and learned some time ago that my key fitted the lock of his rooms. I have not forgotten the circumstance, so it comes in useful now. See!"

I turned the key and the door opened noiselessly. Motioning to Miss Bellin to precede me, I followed her quietly and closed the door behind us. We heard the murmur of voices in the sitting room. She as well as I knew its whereabouts thoroughly. The door was slightly ajar, and in front of it stretched a tall screen with fretwork at the top. Stepping through the open door in a gingerly manner, we placed ourselves directly behind the screen so that we could both see and hear without danger of being observed. Thus far our enterprise had succeeded in the most fortunate manner, and nothing remained for us to do but to listen to the important conversation now taking place.

Felix, standing with his back against the mantelpiece, looked anxious and angry, while Rose Gernon, her hands on the table, faced him fiercely. Evidently the conversation was not progressing in a satisfactory manner to either.

"No!" she was saying rapidly. "I will accept no money for what I have done. You know the only reward I claim--your love."

"I cannot give it to you," said Felix doggedly; "you know that as well as I do."

"Do I?" she cried passionately. "Do you dare to say that to me after all your vows and protestations? Why did you tell me you loved me if it was but a lie?"

"I did not tell you so."

"Yes, you did, Felix--you did! I remember the hour, the day, when you swore that you would make me your wife."

"Keep quiet," I muttered to Olivia, who made an involuntary movement.

"I tell you, Rose, there is some mistake," said Felix angrily.

"You mean-spirited hound!"

"I am a mean-spirited hound," he answered wearily; "no one knows that better than I do."

"Some women," continued Rose, not heeding his interruption--"some women would have you killed. I am not a woman of that kind. I'll stay and marry you."

"Impossible! I am to marry Miss Bellin."

"You promised to give up Miss Bellin if I helped you to see your brother at the Fen Inn."

"My God!" muttered Olivia, trembling violently.

"Hush!" I whispered; "now we shall hear the truth."

"I have changed my mind," retorted Felix, in answer to the last remark of Rose.

"That may be, but I have not, Mr. Felix Briarfield. I fulfilled my promise and went down with Strent to that lonely inn. Your brother came, and you know that he never left it again. I have fulfilled my promise. I now require you to fulfill yours and make me your wife."

"I cannot! I cannot!" he said in a faint voice, wiping his brow. "For Heaven's sake take this money I offer you and leave me."

"I have mixed myself up with crime for your sake, and you offer to put me off with money. It is useless! Your promise I have, and that promise I require you to keep, or else----"

"Or else----"

"I'll tell the truth to the police."

"And thus involve yourself in ruin with me."

"I don't care," she said sullenly; "anything would be better than the torture I am enduring at your hands."

"And what will you tell the police?" asked Felix in an unnatural voice.

"You know well enough! I shall tell them how you killed your brother."

"It is false!" he said passionately. "I neither saw nor laid a finger on my brother."

"Indeed! Then if you are innocent who is guilty?"

"I don't know!"

"Did you not come to the Fen Inn on that fatal night when Francis came?"

"Yes, but I never saw him."

"You saw him, and killed him."

"It is a lie!"

It was neither Felix nor Rose who spoke, but Olivia, who, in spite of all I could do, broke in on the astonished pair. The man advanced toward her, but she waved him back.

"I defend you, sir," she said proudly, "because I know that this woman speaks falsely, but I have also to demand an explanation from you."

Felix paid no attention to the remark, but simply stared at her in a stupefied manner.

"Olivia!" he said in a low voice, "how did you come here?"

"I brought her, Mr. Felix Briarfield," said I, stepping forward.

"You, Denham! And for what reason?"

I pointed to Rose Gernon, who stood quietly by with a malignant smile on her face.

"There is the reason," I retorted meaningly, "and Miss Bellin----"

"Miss Bellin will speak for herself," said Olivia in a peremptory tone.

"Miss Bellin speaks of what she does not understand," interposed Rose vehemently.

"Because I deny that Francis killed Felix?" questioned Olivia.

"No, because you deny Felix killed Francis."

"What do you mean, Miss Gernon?" I asked rapidly.

"I mean that this man whom Miss Bellin thinks is her lover Francis is Felix Briarfield, and Felix Briarfield," she continued, "is my lover."

"No!" said Felix hurriedly, "it is not true."

I expected to see Olivia grow angry, but in place of this a bright smile irradiated her face as she looked at Felix. I could not conjecture the meaning of her action, and began to grow uneasy. Rose also looked anything but comfortable; evidently she had met with her match in Olivia.

"I overheard part of your conversation," said Olivia, addressing her pointedly.

"Very honorable, I am sure," retorted Rose, with a sneer.

"Honor is thrown away on women like you," answered Olivia scornfully. "I am glad I listened, for it enables me to protect the man I love against your arts."

"That is not the man you love," said Rose spitefully; "he lies in the marshes surrounding the Fen Inn, slain by the hand of his brother."

"That is not true! I swear it is not true!" cried Felix, approaching nearer to Olivia.

"Be quiet, Francis," she said quickly; "let us hear what she has to say."

"I have to say that Felix Briarfield loved me," cried Rose angrily; "he loved me long before he ever saw you, but when you crossed his path, he wanted to leave me. He impersonated his brother Francis, who was at that time in America, and you, poor fool, did not discover the deception."

"You are quite right, I did not," replied Olivia calmly; "go on."

"When his brother Francis came back this month, he thought all would be discovered, and implored me to save him. He told me of a plan whereby he intended to decoy his brother to the Fen Inn, on pretext of explanation. There he intended to kill him."

Olivia made no remark, but placed her hand within that of Felix. I wondered she could do so, seeing that he was accused by his accomplice of a hideous crime, and made no denial.

"I went down to the Fen Inn with a man called Strent----"

"That was not his real name," I interrupted.

"How do you know that?" she said sharply.

"Never mind; I know that it is so."

"I decline to tell his real name," said Rose, darting a furious look at me. "I call him Strent, and by that name you knew him, and knew me at the Fen Inn."

"I certainly did not expect Rose Strent, waiting maid, to change to Rose Gernon, actress."

"You are too meddlesome, Mr. Denham," she said coolly, "and would do better to mind your own business."

"Scarcely, when I have discovered so vile a crime."

"It was he who committed it," said Rose malignantly, pointing to Felix; "he came to the inn and killed his brother."

"It is a lie!" cried Felix, in despair. "I laid no hand on my brother. I did not even see him."

"Wait one moment, Miss Gernon, before you make this accusation," said Olivia. "You say that Felix is your lover?"

"I do."

"And you promised to assist him in removing Francis if he married you?"

"I did."

"For what reason, when the removal of Francis would enable Felix to marry me under his false name?"

"He promised not to do so, and I thought if I helped him to kill Francis I could force him to marry me."

"You love him greatly?"

"I love him better than anyone else in the world."

"I am sorry for that," said Olivia, with a touch of pity, "because Felix is dead."

"Felix dead!" said Rose incredulously. "Then who is this man?"

"This man is my lover, Francis Briarfield, who returned from Chili on the 6th of June."