Tera drew a paper from her pocket and placed it in the farmer's hands.
"I am not mistaken, as that certificate will prove. Zara, as you know, changed clothes with me, and in her hurry, I suppose, forgot that her certificate of marriage was sewn in the skirt of her dress. I found it when I took off the clothes in London. I intended to restore it to her when I came to Grimleigh, but when I found that she had been murdered I said nothing about it. I thought it better to wait until I saw a fit opportunity. That came to-night, when Rachel told me Mr. Mayne had asked her to marry him. Then I told her of his wickedness, and proved it to her by that paper."
"Well, if he ain't a mean white!" said Finland, slowly; "I'd like to boot him round his own farm."
Farmer Carwell did not speak. With white face and angry eyes he was reading the certificate. It was dated a year or more back, and it set forth that Herbert Mayne, bachelor, and Zara Lovell, spinster, had been at Chesterhope Church made man and wife. Chesterhope was a village some twenty miles from Poldew. Mayne, no doubt in order that attention should not be attracted, had obtained a licence for marriage in that parish. With her tribe, Zara had camped in most of the neighbouring districts. She had no doubt been resident in the parish of Chesterhope for a time more than sufficient to comply with the regulations for a marriage licence. He had been a long while in coming to the point with Rachel--here, it appeared, was good cause for it. But now that Tera had returned--now that he knew that Zara and not she was the victim of the murder, he had lost no time in putting the crowning point to his duplicity.
"Curse him!" said Carwell, crushing up the paper in his hand. He was a good man, an elder of Bethgamul, and he rarely swore. But he knew well the misery Mayne's base conduct would cause his daughter, and now he did swear freely. Had Herbert been in the room that moment, assuredly the outraged farmer would have treated him to no half-measures.
"Great Cæsar!" said Jack, drawing a long breath, "what a knave! Shouldn't wonder if he killed the girl!"
"No, no," cried Tera, sharply. "He is bad enough without our making him out worse. He did not do that."
"I'm not so sure," said Carwell, slowly; he was recovering his presence of mind. "The girl told Bithiah that she had returned to meet her husband. Mayne was then courting Rachel, remember, and the sight of his wife would no doubt anger him. It is quite possible he may have made up his mind to put her out of his way."
"But Zara was strangled by a cord taken from Mr. Johnson's study," cried Tera. "How and when could he have come by that?"
"Oh! easy enough," said Finland. "Mayne was often in that study. It would not be any tough job for him to collar that curtain cord."