Perhaps she wanted the five thousand to spend herself, knowing that the Professor’s plunder would be wasted on his confounded expedition.
At any rate she gave herself away by the blackmail, and I expect she grew frightened.
If the house had been searched—and it might have been searched by the police, had I arrested her for blackmail the emerald would have been found and she would have been incriminated.
She therefore got rid of it cleverly, by passing it along to me as a wedding gift.
Then she again grew afraid and wrote out this confession to exonerate herself.”
“But it doesn’t,” insisted Hope. “She makes herself out plainly as an accessory after the fact.”
“A woman doesn’t understand these legal niceties.
She wrote that out to clear herself in case she was arrested for the blackmail, and perhaps in case Braddock refused to help her—as he certainly did, if you remember.”
“He was hard on her,” confessed Archie slowly.
“Being such a villain himself,” said Random grimly. “However, Cockatoo arrived unluckily on the scene, and when he found she had parted with the emerald, and had written out the truth, he stabbed her.
If we hadn’t come just in the nick of time, he would have annexed that confession, and the truth would never have become known. No one,” ended Random, rising and stretching himself, “would connect Braddock or Cockatoo with the death of Mrs. Jasher.”
“Or with the death of Sidney Bolton either,” said Hope, also rising and putting on his cap.
“What an actor the man is!”
“Where are you going?” demanded Sir Frank, yawning.
“To the Pyramids.
I want to see how Lucy is.”
“Will you tell her about that confession?”
“Not until later.
I shall give this to Inspector Date when he arrives.
The Professor has made his bed, so he must lie on it.
When I marry Lucy, I’ll take her away from this damned place.”
“Marry her at once, then,” advised Random, “while the Professor is doing time, and while Cockatoo is being hanged.
Meanwhile, I think you had better put on your overcoat, unless you want to walk through the village in crumpled evening dress, like a dissipated undergraduate.”
Archie laughed in spite of his weariness, and assumed his greatcoat at the same moment as Random slipped into his.
The two young men walked out into the village and up to the Pyramids, for Random wished to see Braddock before returning to the Fort.
They found the door of the great house open and the servants in the hall.
“What is all this?” demanded Hope, entering. “Why are you here, and not at work?
Where is your master?”
“He’s run away,” said the cook in a shrill voice. “Lord knows why, sir.”
“Archie!
Archie!”
Lucy came running out of the museum, pale-faced and white, “my father has gone away with Cockatoo and the green mummy. What does it mean?
And just when poor Mrs. Jasher is murdered too.”
“Hush, darling!
Come in, and I’ll explain,” said Hope gently.
CHAPTER XXVI. THE APPOINTMENT
Poor Lucy Kendal was terribly grieved and shocked when the full account of her step-father’s iniquity was revealed to her. Archie tried to break the news as delicately as possible, but no words could soften the sordid story.
Lucy, at first, could not believe it possible that a man, whom she had known for so long, and to whom she was related, would behave in such a base way.
To convince her Hope was forced to let her read the account in Mrs. Jasher’s handwriting.
When acquainted with the contents, the poor girl’s first desire was to have the matter hushed up, and she implored her lover with tears to suppress the damning document.
“That is impossible,” said Hope firmly; “and if you think again, my dear, you will not repeat such a request.
It is absolutely necessary that this should be placed in the hands of the police, and that the truth should become as widely known as possible.
Unless the matter is settled once and for all, someone else may be accused of this murder.”
“But the disgrace,” wept Lucy, hiding her face on her lover’s shoulder.
He slipped his arm round her waist.
“My darling, the disgrace exists whether it be public or private.
After all, the Professor is no relation.”
“No. But everyone knows that I am his step-daughter.”
“Everyone,” echoed Archie, with an assumed lightness. “My dear, everyone in this instance only means the handful of people who live in this out-of-the-way village.
Your name will not appear in the papers.