“What is it, Mrs. Pelham? What can possibly agitate you to such a fearful extent?”
“It is something that Luke Tarbot has just told me. On hearing the news I came to town. Luke Tarbot has discovered that my child, my little Piers, came by his death by the administration of a most subtle poison. An awful stuff called hyocene was put into his medicine.”
“Impossible!” said Carroll. “Who has told you this?”
“Dr. Tarbot. For some reason he had his suspicions, and he analyzed the medicine.”
“But Tarbot was the doctor who attended the case. He ordered the medicine to be given himself. The man must be mad.”
“He says the hyocene must have been put into the medicine after it arrived from the chemist’s. But the terrible fact that I am coming to is this. Dr. Tarbot says that Dick did it.”
“Richard Pelham!” cried Carroll. “Richard Pelham try to murder Piers! Impossible, monstrous! My dear madam, you are the subject of a terrible hallucination.”
“I wish I were.” The poor woman clasped and unclasped her hands. Her face was full of terror and distress.
“It is true,” she repeated. “I could not believe it myself at first, but I do now. The circumstantial evidence is fearfully strong, and it is all against Dick. I must prosecute him. My child’s death must be avenged. I have come to town for the purpose.”
“Where is Tarbot? When did he bring you this cock-and-bull story?”