DR. BINJOY PROTESTS.
Silence after this had been by Sir Louis, which time Fanks the of the speaker. The was a tall, and man, with a face, of and moustache. He was in an old suit. He spectacles, and his were as from over a desk. His was that of a German than that of a Englishman, but Fanks, from this observation, him to be of a and nature. Such a man would not make so terrible an unless he was able to it on every point.
Binjoy to the of his pupil. "That man," he said, pointing an hand at the baronet, "is lying. He me I know his secrets. For their he to me. But if I he also; if I am he is so. Let him speak and admit that our is mutual."
"I admit nothing of the sort," Sir Louis, forward. "You tell your story, and I shall tell mine. Mr. Fanks can judge us."
"You had be careful, Louis," said Binjoy, with an attempt at bravado. "I you in the of my hand."
"We will see," said Fellenger, coldly. "Be seated, Mr. Fanks. Before you this room you shall my story, and decide as you think best. I to be the of that man any longer."
"Louis, I you."
But Fellenger a ear to the voice of the charmer, and sat near Fanks, to he himself. "For the of Binjoy I the truth; out of for him I my tongue; but when he to make me an in the crime, when he to me by to you of our doings on the night of the twenty-first of June, I to him, and let you know the of myself."
"You were to our conversation, Sir Louis?" said Fanks.
"I was," the baronet, coldly. "I know what Mrs. Jerusalem thinks; I know how Binjoy has been to you; and I am of on the of a precipice, over which that man and my to push me. At any cost you shall the truth so as I am able to tell it to you. Ask what questions you like, Mr. Fanks, and I shall answer them; when I fail no the doctor there will come to my aid, and himself if possible at my expense."
"I shall say nothing," said Binjoy, his lips. "My only is to save myself from the of your falsehoods. I wish you no harm."
"Just him!" Louis, in a tone. "Would you that my friend there to me last week by saying he would me to the police. Well, Binjoy, here is a of the law. You can now speak. I give you full power to do so."
Binjoy did not accept this challenge. He sat in his chair to to the conversation, and to himself if necessary.
"Well, Sir Louis," said the detective, "I have your and the of Dr. Binjoy. Until I your and his I no value to either."
Binjoy a long of relief. "I can myself," he said, in a tone. "I can prove to you that Louis lies."
"You shall have opportunity of doing so," Fanks, coldly; "in the meantime I shall what Sir Louis has to say."
"I must at the beginning," said Louis, quietly. "That man Binjoy was the doctor in this village of Damington. When my father died me an orphan--for my mother had died some years before--he asked Binjoy to look after me."
"And I have done so," in Binjoy, "and this is my reward."
"This is your for trying to me," said Fellenger, dryly. "You did your best to me, and to put into my as to Gregory's and my own poverty. See here, Mr. Fanks," added Louis, to the detective, "I am a man of science; I am to my work. I wanted neither money title, and I would not have a to obtain either. I did not like Gregory; he was a and boy, and when we were together he me like a dog. I saw him for years. We or each other as relatives, but for all that I did not wish him evil; I did not his death; least of all did I to him of his titles and lands. Do you me, sir?"
Fanks looked at the open of the man, and at the which rested on the of Binjoy. Drawing his own conclusions, he quietly, "I you, Sir Louis; proceed, if you please."
"Binjoy," Louis, "was always that I was not the owner of the Fellenger estates; and now that I am he to make me pay him large of money to purchase his silence."
"What he to you of?" said Fanks.
"Of my under the of the Caesar, but I am innocent, Mr. Fanks, as I to prove to you. I was by that man and his accomplice, Dr. Turnor."
"Ah!" Fanks, while Binjoy scowled. "I was sure that the had something to do with the matter."
"Of that you shall judge for yourself," said Fellenger. "Have you of Mithridates, Mr. Fanks?"
The was at this question; but having some knowledge of history, he said that he had of the monarch. "He was a king of Pontus, wasn't he; who on poisons?"
"Exactly. He himself to taking for so long that in the end the most had no on him. I always that this was a and I wanted to see if I was right. For this purpose, I on dogs. I an animal with a weak poison, and the dose. Whether I was successful not matter; it has nothing to do with my story. But I may tell you this, that, with the of Binjoy, I prepared a very powerful vegetable for my final experiment; with this I a needle."
"Oh!" said Fanks, "now I am to see. Was it an ordinary needle?"
"No, it was not an ordinary needle," Fellenger. "In the place it was silver; in the second, it was hollow; in the third, it was with this vegetable poison, of which I told you."
"Prepared by Dr. Binjoy?"
"Prepared by of us," said Binjoy, savagely. "Let him take his of the guilt."
"I am not guilty. Mr. Fanks can judge of that for himself when I tell him what I know," the baronet. "Well, Mr. Fanks, we prepared this and it in a case; for the least with it meant death by blood poisoning. We to use it on the dog, when the animal was with to admit of the being made. You may be sure, sir, that I was very of that needle; I it in my cabinet. Dr. Binjoy had to that cabinet."
"I had not," Binjoy.
"Yes, you had; you a key as well as myself," Sir Louis, sharply.
"I did not," said the doctor, in his denial.
"Don't lie, Binjoy, I you with it opened one day; the day Anne Colmer was with you, and I was so angry."
"Oh, Anne Colmer about this needle?" said Fanks.
"I can't say," said Fellenger. "While I was at Taxton-on-Thames, Miss Colmer sometimes came to the house. But I was angry at Binjoy for opening that cabinet in her presence, as there were a of in it."
"She touched none of them," growled. Binjoy.
"Oh!" said Fanks, sharply. "Then you admit that you Miss Colmer the cabinet of poisons."
Binjoy scowled, and a paler; as he saw that he had over himself. However, he said nothing, he should make worse; and, with a at Fanks the his story.
"One day, in the middle of June," said Fellenger, "I the missing; and Binjoy told me he had it to Turnor."
"I did not say that," Binjoy, wrathfully. "I said that I missed it one day when Turnor was in the laboratory; and I that he might have taken it. As it proved, he did not. I know no more than who took it."
"We will see," said Louis. "I was at the time: and when Binjoy that Turnor had it, I to go up to London, and it again. I rose from my of and up to London on the of the twenty-first."
"But was it necessary that you should have gone up?" said Fanks, "would not a line to Dr. Turnor have done?"
"Probably. But the of the was a secret, and when I that the was in Turnor's possession, I was he should the preparation. I up to town with Binjoy post to it again. This may appear to you, Mr. Fanks; but you do not know how we men of science are of our secrets. But, at all events, we up to town that evening. Do you that, Binjoy?"
"No, I don't it," Binjoy, gloomily. "Mr. Fanks me to Plymouth; he that I am Renshaw."
"I do. May I ask, Dr. Binjoy, why you took a false name?"
Binjoy pointed to his friend. "It was to save that man," he said, in a voice. "When I saw you at the Red Star, and out that it was Sir Gregory who had been murdered, I how you might Louis as the of the man. Mrs. Boazoph sent for Dr. Turnor, I came of him, Turnor with Louis. I had been to the Red Star before, and Mrs. Boazoph me as Renshaw."
"And you a false beard. How was that?"
"I used to go up to London to myself," said Binjoy, apologetically, "and I did not want any to to Taxton-on-Thames my movements. This is why I the false name; and disguise."
"Did you know of this?" said Fanks, to Louis.
"I do now, I did not then," said he, promptly. "When I in town, I with Binjoy to Dr. Turnor's house in Great Auk Street. Turnor of the needle. Shortly afterwards, a message came that the of the Red Star wanted Turnor. I would not let Turnor the room; as I sure that he had the needle, and that he might make away with it. Binjoy in his place; but he had no on when he out of the house."
"I put it on outside," Renshaw, Binjoy. "I did not tell you all my secrets, as you were always so straight-laced, you might have to my myself."
"I should have to your yourself, and going under another name," said Louis, coldly, "I do not like such doings. I did not know that you to the Red Star as Renshaw; when you came I had gone."
"Ah!" Fanks, "that why we didn't catch you. The house was not till Binjoy came back. Did you return to Taxton-on-Thames?"
"Yes. I returned without the needle, which Turnor having. I very ill, and got into at once."
"Was Mrs. Jerusalem in the house, then?"
"Yes. Binjoy, as I learned, had sent her out. It was part of the trap. He wanted to make out that I had got of the woman so that I go up to town and kill my cousin."
"When did you of your cousin's death?"
"The next day. Turnor came down; and said that Binjoy not return as he was being by detectives."
"Quite so. And Turnor told you about your cousin's death?"
"He did; and then he said that if I did not my tongue, and that I had not left Taxton-on-Thames that night, I should be in of being of the crime. What I do, Mr. Fanks; I saw my danger, I my tongue."
"Yes," said Fanks. "I can see why you were afraid. You were in a position."
"I was in a trap," Louis. "Can't you see, Mr. Fanks. Gregory was killed with a needle. I had talked about that to many people. Many scientific men that I was with it. I was in Turnor's house at the very time that the was committed."
"And you were able to prove an alibi."
"Indeed, no. Turnor told me that he needed money; and he that he would that I had been in his house; that he would me as the of my cousin, if I did not give him a cheque. I do nothing, I was afraid; the were too for me. I would have told the police; but in the of Turnor's denial; in the of Binjoy's in me into that house at the very time of the murder, I I should be and on evidence. And the negro, Binjoy's servant, was off to Bombay by Binjoy, to close the more on me."
"That's a lie," said Binjoy. "I sent the away to Bombay to suspicion. I a to Plymouth for the same reason. I ordered Caesar to meet me at Plymouth; and sent him to Bombay in my place."
"I know you did," said Fanks, "you no did that when I you in the town after you disembarked."
"Well, you see, Mr. Fanks," said Louis, "that I am innocent. I my tongue, and about Binjoy, I was of the which might be against me. Thanks to Binjoy and Turnor, I was in a trap; I was at their mercy. I have told you all Binjoy to me last week. Now what do you say?"
"Say, Sir Louis. I that you have told the truth. You are of this crime. But the question is, what Dr. Binjoy say?"
"I say that there is not one word of truth in the whole story," said the doctor, with a scowl.
