One important thing Gerald had learned from Rebb, and that was the truth of his regarding Charity. She was--as he had always supposed--the twin sister of Mavis, and Haskins congratulated himself on guessing this before Rebb had spoken out. Still, it was just as well that rage had made the Major thus , and the matter was put beyond all doubt. Haskins was pleased also by the discovery, as, guided by him, Mavis would be quite willing to divide the income, and then Lady Euphemia would not be angry at Tod's marriage. So far everything was right.
But the mystery of the crime had still to be solved. Until it was, Mavis must continue, not only to be an outcast and a from justice, but must remain unable to claim her rights as Julian Durham's heiress. Geary and Rebb and Signor Venosta, as an emissary of the Tána Society, were all innocent. If so, who was the guilty person? Gerald wondered, if the letter to which Mavis had referred could be found, as he firmly believed that it would afford a clue to the identity of the criminal. In his own mind he constructed the manner in which the crime had been committed. Bellaria had received this mysterious letter, which for some reason overcame her fears to make her venture out at night. To meet the writer of the letter she had opened the gates, and then had been stabbed by her own knife--Geary's weapon--which had been from her in a hand-to-hand struggle. The wonder was that the struggle had not attracted attention. As it was, Rebb swore that he had heard only one scream, and that might have been uttered by Mavis when she found the dead body of the nurse. Bellaria therefore was in all probability unawares.
However, it was useless to build up theories, which were all moonshine, so Gerald resolved to wait until Tod and Arnold arrived. According to Macandrew's letter, they would come to Silbury early the next day, so Gerald had a good many hours to himself. He had half a mind to see Morgan, and learn all details concerning the inquest, as some possible evidence might have been obtained, likely to throw light on the darkness. But Haskins refrained from doing so, as he did not wish to arouse Morgan's suspicions and reopen the case. For Mavis' sake the quieter he moved in the matter the better it would be. Gerald wondered, after hearing Rebb's acknowledgment of Charity's birth, if he had any idea of the scheme by which the girls had been made to change places. But, after reflection, he that it was impossible, as Mrs. Pelham Odin had managed very cleverly. Also Rebb was that the twin he had got rid of was now Mrs. Macandrew, and, since that young lady was at Amsterdam, there would be no chance of her being met by Mrs. Berch and her daughter, when in Switzerland.
Bearing in mind what Mrs. Crosbie had told him of her projected tour abroad, Gerald was greatly surprised when he met the widow and her mother driving up the Silbury High Street from the railway station.
She saw him at once, as he stood thunderstruck on the pavement, and for him to come to the side of the landau.
"You are surprised to see us here," she said, with a gay smile. "This is not Switzerland, is it?"
"You said nothing about coming down here yesterday," he answered.
"No, because neither I nor my mother had any intention of coming. It was this way, Gerald. Michael--Major Rebb, you know--came in almost as soon as you had left, and we told him all that had taken place."
"Why did you do that?" asked Haskins .
"Don't , Gerald," said Mrs. Crosbie . "I told Michael because I have no secrets from Michael, and he was very angry that you should have spoken to me as you did."
"I was polite, permit me to remind you, Madge."
"Don't call me by my name," she said as usual, "well then, Michael went away to have an explanation with you, and later telegraphed to me that you had gone to Devonshire and that he intended to follow at once. He also asked us to come down that we might see the Pixy's House, as we intend to repair it when we marry."
"Do you indeed?" muttered Haskins ironically.
"Of course," said Mrs. Crosbie, with an airy flutter of her laces, "and I may tell you, Gerald, that I came down the more willingly, since I do not want you and Michael to quarrel. That is why we are here."
"To see the house, and to prevent a quarrel," said Gerald coolly. "I am greatly obliged to you for the trouble you have taken, Mrs. Crosbie, but I have already seen the Major."
Mrs. Berch, who had hitherto kept silence, looked up sharply. "Have you had a quarrel?" she demanded eagerly.
"Yes and no. Rebb was slightly difficult to deal with, but we now understand one another."
Mrs. Crosbie asked: "What about?"
"About various things," answered Haskins carelessly. He was determined not to answer her questions, as he had a vague idea that she was not so honestly his friend as she pretended to be.
"And you parted , I hope?" said Mrs. Berch.
Haskins laughed as he remembered the parting, and how he had locked Rebb in the room. "I think that the Major would gladly see me tarred and feathered," he said lightly.
"There!" cried Mrs. Crosbie, with a childish . "I knew you had quarreled, and I did so wish you to be friends. I want you to come to the Pixy's House when I marry Michael and see the improvements. I have already arranged what to do."
"Have you been down here before then?" asked Gerald, astonished.
"Yes--over two years ago. Michael asked me down when we were first engaged. I saw that poor Bellaria, but not Mavis."
"Why did you not see Mavis?"
"Because Michael said her mental state was so sad, that she might be dangerous. She was shut up on the day I went over the house, and, as I was only there for an hour, she knew nothing of my visit. I and mother were stopping in the neighborhood--it was when I was learning to drive a motor, Gerald. I would have taken that poor girl out for drives, as I got to know the country so , but it was too dangerous."
"Where did you stop?" asked Gerald, still lingering, although Mrs. Berch seemed inclined to cut short her daughter's .
"At a village miles away, called Belldown. Why do you start?"
"A mosquito stung me," answered Haskins readily: but his real reason for starting was that Belldown happened to be the place where Mr. Arnold and Tod were now stationed. "There are heaps of mosquitoes here, Mrs. Crosbie. You will be stung."
"Ah, well, we are only here for a couple of days--at the Pixy's House, that is. I merely want to look round, and now that the poor mad girl has gone I can explore at my leisure. Good-day. I wish I could ask you to come over, but Michael might object. So stupid of you to quarrel with my future husband, when we are such friends."
She gave the signal to the driver of the landau to move on, and both she and her mother friendly smiles on the young man, as he took off his hat. Gerald watched the carriage climb up the long street and vanish over the of the hill. Then he walked back again to the hotel, wondering why Mrs. Crosbie was so anxious to retain his friendship when she became Mrs. Rebb. He knew that Madge was a flighty woman, although much cleverer than she pretended to be, and was sure that she had some reason for all this and chatter.
However, he had more important things to think about than Mrs. Crosbie's airs and graces, and spent a wakeful night building up theories and knocking them down again. By dawn he had arrived at the conclusion that Geary was the criminal. "I expect," thought Haskins, while taking his bath, "that Geary found his hold over Rebb was getting lax, so he killed Bellaria, knowing that the Major had gone to the Pixy's House, in the hope of getting by threatening to throw the blame of the murder on his master. And by the murder he secured to Rebb an income out of which large sums could be paid. Yes. I really believe that Geary will prove to be the guilty person. But how am I to fix the crime on him?"
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CHAPTER XXII. A CONFESSION.
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CHAPTER XXIV. THE SECOND MARRIAGE.
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