"No," said the young man generously, "there must be some mistake. I cannot believe that Mrs. Berch would be so wicked. Her known character contradicts this man's accusation. I believed that Geary murdered Bellaria himself, at Major Rebb's instigation."
"That's a lie," said Rebb, in an agitated voice.
"Dat one big lie," repeated Geary in his own vernacular, and fumbled in his breast pocket, "see, massa," he went towards Morgan, "dis de letter dat I find in Bellaria's dress, and----"
Mrs. Crosbie made a bound and a grab; but Morgan whisked the letter out of Geary's hand and held it above her head. One of the policemen caught the widow to hold her back, and she burst into tears. "Is this your writing, madam?" Morgan asked Mrs. Berch, holding the letter before her.
"No," said Mrs. Berch, in an unshaken voice. "Mr. Haskins knows my writing well. Gerald, look at the letter."
The young man took the epistle. It was evidently disguised handwriting, clumsy and illiterate. He could not reasonably say that Mrs. Berch had penned the few lines which asked Bellaria to come to the gates of the Pixy's House at midnight on a certain date to meet a well-wisher--so the letter was signed--who could save her from the Tána Society. The script was quite unlike Mrs. Berch's sloping Italian hand, which was that of the mid-Victorian epoch. "No," he said, and very gladly, "I don't think that Mrs. Berch wrote this letter."
"Ah," the woman drew a long breath, but displayed no triumph. "Of course, Mr. Inspector, the charge is absolutely absurd. This mad girl whom Mr. Haskins has married murdered the miserable creature."
"Ah," said Gerald, slipping his arm round Mavis, who shivered, and hid her face, "you return evil for good, Mrs. Berch."
Morgan took the letter and placed it in his pocket. "I don't know what to think," he muttered. "You may be innocent and Geary----" He glanced at the savage face of the negro, who shouted wrathfully.
"I no kill dat woman," he cried, stamping like a wild bull in a rage, "she write de letter, I come to dis house to find de Major, and I find Bellaria dead--she just dying."