A LETTER FROM HERSHAM, SENIOR.
Upon this and of the baronet's story, Fanks his chair, until it directly that of Binjoy. At the he looked sternly, and an in his face.
"Now look you here, Dr. Binjoy, or Renshaw, or you choose to call yourself," he said, sternly. "I that Sir Louis has spoken the truth about this matter. I have not the least that you and your accomplice, Turnor, him into the Tooley Alley crime, with which, to my belief, he has nothing to do whatever. You a trap, and he into it--unluckily for him; but for his wise to his doings on that night to me, I have no that you would have him."
"I did not want to him," said Binjoy in a low voice. "I did not him into a trap. On the contrary, when I out that it was his who had been murdered, I did all I to save him--to on to myself. I the to Plymouth; I use of my false name; I sent off Caesar to Bombay; and I closed the mouth of Dr. Turnor. What more you me to do?"
"I that you did all these things; and for why? Because you to your more on your victim. When you that he was in of the property, you to money you wanted out of him in order to lead a life in town. Oh, yes, Doctor, I you your name and a while in London. You did not wish that the Renshaw of the Red Star should be with, the Dr. Binjoy, late of Taxton-on-Thames, and now of Mere Hall in Hampshire. I can that, and I can that you designed the so that Sir Louis of money which you to spend."
"I did not design the murder," said Binjoy, in a voice. "I I do not know who the crime. When I was called in by Mrs. Boazoph, I was as as anyone that Gregory Fellenger had been murdered. I only as I did I saw how it was that Louis should be suspected. He was in the neighbourhood--"
"Lured there by yourself?"
"No! No! I did not him there. That we should be at Turnor's house, so near to Tooley's at that time, was an accident."
"Was it an accident that Dr. Turnor came to Taxton-on-Thames, and to me," in Louis.
"I know nothing of what Turnor said or did. It was not you paid him money that he his tongue; but I told him to do so."
"You to me, also. That was why we quarrelled; that was why you were going away next week. And I swear, Binjoy," added Sir Louis, quietly, "that had you gone, you would have means to me to the police. That is why I have told Mr. Fanks everything. You cannot me now.
"Don't you be too sure of that," Binjoy; "you have got to clear of suspicion."
"Sir Louis has himself in my eyes," said Fanks. "But you have yet to what of the needle."
"I do not know; I missed it as did Sir Louis, but I do not know who took it. You can't prove that I the crime."
"I am not sure of that," said Fanks, coolly. "See here, Dr. Binjoy, you wanted Sir Louis to the Fellenger so that you the money. Sir Louis can prove that much. You had to this with which the was committed; you up to London on the of the twenty-first of June; you repaired to the Red Star about the time the was committed; you about your name; you took a voyage; you sent your to Bombay in order to the on him. Now you attempt to Sir Louis--you and Turnor--by to him of a of which he is guiltless. From my own I that he is the of conspiracy; I that you him up to Great Auk Street to him in the matter. And," added Fanks, rising, "I that you, in of a negro, killed Sir Gregory Fellenger with that needle."
"I did not. I I did not. It is all a mistake," the man. "Ask Turnor."
"The other blackguard, the other blackmailer? No, thank you. He would only to me as you are doing. You are guilty. Confess your in this crime. Confess the of the cross."
"The cross? What do you know about the cross?"
"More than you think," returned Fanks, significantly. "What about Madaline Garry and her revenge?"
Binjoy's to be starting out of his with terror and surprise. His was of a paleness, and great of rolled his cheeks. He to speak, but the in his throat, and with a the man, as he was, in the chair. He had been by his own terrors; by an knowledge of his danger.
"What do you to do, Mr. Fanks?" asked Louis, looking at the of Binjoy with distaste. "Arrest this man?"
"I do. I shall send a to London to a down. In the meantime--I shall here so as not to of him."
"You don't think that I would help him to escape?" said Louis, indignantly. "I am only too to see the captured. He has been the of my life since my father me in his care; he my nature, he me, but I it all until he to me. Then I against his tyranny. If you had not appeared here so I should have for you to come and my confession. I admit that I was to speak before, for these had their plans so that I was my would not be believed. But now the has been in his own trap, and I am of it."
"All the same, I am not sure that he killed your cousin."
"Why not? All the to point to his having done so."
"No doubt. But some time ago I I had the person who had the crime. From that opinion I am not to depart. Evidently, Binjoy all about the affair, and possibly he may be in as the the fact, but you can see for that the man is a rank coward. He has fainted. No man of his nature would be to so a crime, and then me an hour of such commission. No, Sir Louis, we have not yet the assassin."
"Then why Binjoy?"
"Because he who is guilty, and I wish to him into confession. Just send the with this telegram, will you, and tell him to ask if there are any for me at the Pretty Maid Inn?"
"What about Binjoy?"
"Leave him here with me for a time. Should I a I may ask you to take me over the house. Till then I shall watch my man."
"What is this you expect?" Louis, with curiosity.
"I'll tell you that when I have my telegram. Send a with it at once, please."
Sir Louis and left the room, while Fanks to the Binjoy. He water on his face, his collar, but the doctor still insensible. Becoming alarmed, Fanks the bell, and sent for a medical man. The of the was that Binjoy was put to in high fever. The on him by the had his brain; and when Crate at Mere Hall there was no question of the man. Binjoy was ill, and from an attack of brain fever. What with the doctor in the country and Mrs. Boazoph in town, Fanks to uneasy. If all the of the case were of in this manner, he did not see how he was to arrive at any of the riddle. He was two days over the next move in the game. "Mrs. Boazoph something," said Fanks, to himself, "and Dr. Binjoy more; but if are and of confession, what am I to do?"
There was no answer to this question, but later on the detective's hands were full in the of the tattooing. He asked the if he anything about the Sir Francis had for on the arms of he loved.
"I of it," said Louis. "I did not know much about my uncle Francis, and still less about my cousin, his son Gregory. I am we are a family, Mr. Fanks, for we all to quarrel."
"Have you with Garth?"
"Not exactly. But we do not on well together. He used to come and see me at Taxton-on-Thames, but I am he me a scientific prig. Indeed, he so much."
Fanks laughed at this, how Garth had use of the to him by Sir Louis. However, he did not the of his laughter, but asked the about Madaline Garry. To this also he a denial. Sir Louis nothing about the lady or her with the late Sir Francis.
"All these were my time," he said, his head. "If you want to know about our family secrets, ask Mrs. Prisom, at the inn. I she is a perfect book of the Fellenger family."
"I have asked her," said Fanks, quietly. "She told me a great deal; but not all I wish to know. Is there anyone else?"
"Well, there was Mrs. Jerusalem," said Sir Louis. "But she has walked off. I to tell you, since you to her."
"Where has she gone?"
"I do not know. On that day you met her she off and came back. I can't say I am sorry, as I feel, from your description, she me ill-will. Perhaps on account of the way my father her; but you must ask Mrs. Prisom to tell you that story."
"I don't need to do that," Fanks. "I know that Mrs. Jerusalem you, and that is enough. She must have to the day I met her; but I she would have waited with the of you into trouble. I wish I where she had gone."
"Perhaps she will come back?"
"Let us so. Now that Binjoy is ill, and she him, I should like to know what she can say about him. By the way, there is a question I wish to ask you. Why was it, when you were of being in the crime, that you offered to supply the money for me to the criminal?"
"Well, that was Binjoy's idea. You see he that he had the likely to you across my track; so he said it would still if I offered that reward. I did so, but, to tell you the truth, if I had not to in you in order to stop the of Messrs. Binjoy and Turnor, I should not have doing so. By the way, are you going to that little scamp?"
"Not yet. Binjoy is ill, and cannot have him; Mrs. Boazoph is in the same plight; no, I will let him wait. He has no idea that he is in any danger. When the time comes, I will on him, if necessary; though I he will not take a fit also. I can nothing out of Binjoy or Mrs. Boazoph, while they are ill."
"You may not need to do so. You may out the truth when the comes from Hersham."
"I wish it would come," said Fanks. "I want to know why he has the same symbol on his arm as that on the arms of Mrs. Prisom and Madaline Garry."
"You speak as if Madaline Garry were still alive?"
"Mrs. Jerusalem says she is. That is why I want to Mrs. Jerusalem; she might help me to learn where I can Madaline Garry. The to the of the with her; or else," added Fanks, "it is in the of the late Sir Francis. You I told you his to Mrs. Prisom?"
Two days after this the long came from Hersham. And not only from him, but one from his father, was also. The Fanks surprise; and yet, he to read what he did. He was to the which Dr. Binjoy and Mrs. Boazoph with such fear. After all, he would be able to the truth without them; although their would be necessary to it.
"Dear Fanks" (wrote Hersham). "When you read the enclosed, you will be astonished, as I was. I have not yet from the of learning the truth; but, as you will see, the of the is a one than ever. I can give you no assistance--all is told in the letter, which I particularly asked to be for you. I cannot say if it will solve the Tooley Alley riddle, but it has my life with a which I shall not until I solve. I can no more, for my is in a whirl. Tell me what you think of enclosed. And me, yours, Ted Hersham (as I I may still myself)."
The was a from the Rev. George Hersham, to the that Ted was not his son; that he was no relation to him.
"I am a bachelor" (wrote Mr. Hersham). "I Ted from of pity, and a to my life. Nearly twenty-eight years age, a woman came to my door. She was starving, and an in her arms. I gave her succour, and her work. After a time, she restless, and to go away, but in that time I had of the child. In the end, I offered to it. To this she consented, to my surprise; though, indeed, she did not at any time very much to the babe. However, she gave me the child, and away with a little money I had her. I a from her in London, but she then stopped writing, and for years I have anything about her. The child--now my son, Ted--was marked with a on the left arm, when I him. The woman told me why he had been so tattooed. I nothing of the woman's history, save that her name was--Madaline Garry."
