Clarice looked at him helplessly. It seemed impossible to do anything with this blind fool. However, she made an attempt to frighten him.
"I suppose you forget that you may be arrested if Osip speaks?"
"Oh, Clarry, you must stop that," said Ferdy, imploringly. "I know I'm not so good as I might be; but there are worse than I am--Jerce, for instance. Look what a bad----"
"Oh, be silent," said Clarice, in sheer despair, "and listen. You are in no danger of arrest. Do you know why I allowed Sir Daniel Jerce to leave yesterday after he had signed the confession?"
"No, but I'm glad you did, as if he had been arrested he might have turned nasty."
"Quite so. Well, then, I received a letter when I went to meet Mr. Clarke in the hall. It was from Osip. He said that because I had been so brave in trying to save you by meeting him at the Shah's Rooms, and because I had not told the police about him, that he would acknowledge that he was guilty of Uncle Henry's death."
"No," said Ferdy, delighted. "What a good chap. But why----"
"Ugh!" said his sister, her teeth on edge with Ferdy's joy. "Osip can easily take a fifth murder on his conscience, since he will certainly be hanged for the other four. You can make yourself easy, Ferdinand; Osip will plead guilty to Jerce's crime, and as the police and the public already believe in his guilt, no enquiries will be made. Sir Daniel Jerce's wickedness will never be discovered, nor--as I will not move in the matter--will the defalcations of Mr. Barras come to light. The world will say that two good men are gone, and Osip will be hanged, while poor Jane will be shot for having killed a villain who thoroughly deserved his doom."
So Clarice spoke, and after-events proved that she was a true prophetess. Jane was shot, Osip was hanged, keeping silence to the end, out of some odd admiration for her bravery in facing him, and the notices about Jerce and Barras were all that could be desired in the way of praising their good deeds and wonderful lives and amiable dispositions. There was something ironical about the whole business, and not the least ironical part was that Ferdy should be happy, when he deserved punishment.
There was only one danger, namely, that Zara Dumps, sooner than lose Ferdy, might reveal what she knew, and thus re-open the business. But when Anthony came an hour later to see Clarice, he found her alone, and was enabled to set her mind at rest on this point.