"I beg your pardon," said Paul, feeling ashamed of his rude speech; "I should not have spoken as I did. Pray continue."
"When gran had related my family history," resumed Lovel, quietly, "she told me that she had come to Barnstead specially5 to watch over me. She knew that I was not rich, and having discovered--how, I know not--that Miss Clyde was in love with me, she implored6 me to marry that lady. I refused."
"Because of Milly?"
"Yes," assented7 Lovel, "because of Milly; and I told gran the cause of my refusal in plain words. She was angry with what she termed my folly8, and said that if I met Milly again the consequences might be fatal."
"Oh! she said that, did she?"
"Yes; but only to insist upon her foolish prophecy earlier in the day. As I told you, she declared that Milly would meet with a violent death, and she urged that such death might take place at our next meeting, so as to induce me not to see the girl again. In a word, Mexton, the artful old woman was trying to frighten me with false fire; and I replied to her warning by telling her that I was to meet Milly the next evening in the Winding9 Lane. Mother Jimboy warned me once more that evil might come of it----"
"Might come, or would come?" questioned Paul.
"Might come," replied Lovel. "I don't think she anticipated any evil, but simply tried to put me off the meeting with words of warning. Well, Mexton, of course I did not believe in the nonsense she talked, and laughed at her; whereat she left me in anger, and swore that I should have reason to remember her prophecy. God knows I have now!" added the young man, bitterly.
"H'm!" said Paul, thoughtfully. "Do you believe in palmistry, Lovel?"
"No," said the other, promptly10; "in spite of my gipsy blood, I am no believer in the influence of star, or cards, or lines on the palm. Yet, in Milly's case, it is very strange that Gran Jimboy's prognostication of evil should come to pass."
"Bah! In my opinion she contributed to the fulfillment of her own prophecy."
"Mexton! surely you don't believe that a feeble old woman like gran killed Milly?"
"No, I do not," replied Paul, decisively; "but I believe that she brought about the death by her arts. Tell me when it was you saw her?"
"About three o'clock in the afternoon."
"Very good; then you told her of your intended meeting with Milly? No one else knew of that."
"No," said Lovel, thoughtfully. "I told only Gran Jimboy; but Milly might have informed her sister."
"That is improbable," said Paul, drily. "Milly knew well enough that her sister Iris11 did not approve of her flirtation12 with you, and assuredly would have stopped the meeting had she known of it. Or would have formed an inconvenient13 third at such a meeting," concluded Paul.
"Well, well," cried Lovel, impatiently, "assuming that my grandmother was the only person who knew that I was to meet Milly on that Sunday night--what then?"
"Simply this: that I firmly believe Gran Jimboy wrote the letter which brought Herne down to witness your meeting."
Lovel started from his seat in surprise. "How do you know Herne was there? I did not tell you that."
"No; but I know. You are aware that he saw your meeting."
"Yes; I saw him."
"You--saw--him!" repeated Paul, slowly.
"You confuse me!" said Lovel, impatiently, striding up and down the room. "I'll tell you how and where I saw Herne later. Just now inform me why you think Gran Jimboy wrote those letters?"
"Because I learnt from Catinka----"
"You have seen Catinka?" interrupted Lovel, stopping.
"Yes, yes! Allow me to proceed. She told me that the letters were written on dirty scraps14 of paper, by an uneducated person."
"But my grandmother would do nothing to harm me.
"My dear Lovel," said Paul, coolly, "no doubt by informing Herne of your meetings she thought that she was acting15 in your interests. Remember, she wanted you to marry Miss Clyde; well, if she could have got Herne to stop your meetings with Milly, she no doubt fancied you would cease loving the poor girl, and consent to make Miss Clyde your wife."
"Admitting that, what about the prophecy?"
"Oh, knowing that Milly was deceiving Herne, the old gipsy fancied she might take the law into her own hands, and kill her; hence the prophecy about a violent death."
"My dear Mexton, all this is pure theory."
"True. I am waiting to hear you state the facts of the case."
"You shall," said Lovel, resuming his seat. "And, pray, attention, please! You may be able to make more out of the matter than I. On that night I met Milly in the Winding Lane about a quarter past eight. We walked up to the stile at the end where the lane goes out into the common. While walking I saw Brent, and bribed16 him to say nothing."
"You paid him well," interjected Paul--"five pounds."
"I did not pay him at all on that night," replied Lovel, gloomily, "but next day, after the murder. I told him that I was innocent, but in peril17, and gave him five pounds, with the promise of more when he wanted it."
"You bribed him lest he should inculpate18 you in the murder?"
"That's about it," confessed Lovel. "But if Brent hadn't thought me innocent he would not have taken the money. I'll do him that justice."
"I think you do him too much justice," said Paul, coolly. "Brent is a scamp, and would accept your money even though it were blood-stained. Go on, please, Mr. Lovel."
"I was talking to Milly, standing19 by the stile," continued the young man, "and there I was telling her about Herne's flirtation with Catinka. Of course, I knew that there was no flirtation, but I wanted to make Milly jealous, so that she should break off the match with Herne and marry me. Well, while we were talking the clock in St. Dunstan's Church began to strike nine, and Milly, saying she must go home, stepped away a short distance. At that moment a shot was fired, and with a cry the poor girl fell. If you only knew what I felt when I saw her fall!" cried Lovel, clasping his hands. "I did not see from what direction the shot came, but
Join or Log In!
You need to log in to continue reading