almost as soon as the italian went out, mrs. berch entered. since gerald had seen her last she had greatly aged, and looked more worn and thin than ever in her dark gown. glancing from the young man to her daughter, she went to the latter and took her hand.

"what is the matter, madge?" she asked, in her stern, cold voice, "why has signor venosta left, and why are you shivering? gerald," she turned to haskins, "what have you been saying to my daughter?"

"nothing," he answered calmly, "but signor venosta has been saying a great deal to both of us."

"it is about that coral hand, mother," cried mrs. crosbie feverishly, and clinging to mrs. berch. "signor venosta says that it is the symbol of a society which murders, and for that reason the moneylender was afraid. i wish i had refused venosta's assistance," she ended.

"why did you talk of these horrors?" asked mrs. berch reproachfully, "you know, gerald, that madge cannot bear such things."

"i am trying to learn who killed bellaria, mrs. berch, and it struck me--since she was afraid of the coral hand--that you told madge what i told you, and that this being repeated to venosta, he might have stabbed the woman by order of the tána society."

"i don't know anything about the tána society."

"neither do i; neither do i," muttered mrs. crosbie.

"and there is no reason why signor venosta, who is our friend, should kill major rebb's servant," went on mrs. berch steadily. "everyone knows that she was stabbed by that crazy girl."

"i don't agree with you," replied gerald coldly, and prepared to leave. "however, it is useless arguing, i can only apologize to mrs. crosbie for having brought up so disagreeable a subject. good-day."

"no," said the widow, rising and recovering her color and nerve, "don't go yet, gerald. i know that you did not mean any harm, and after all, as signor venosta has nothing to do with the death, it matters very little. had i known when i saw the moneylender what i know now i should never have taken that coral hand. but i have given it back to signor venosta, and he will not mention the subject again. sit down and have another cup of tea."

"do," urged mrs. berch, the light coming into her cold eyes. "i think you owe it to madge to remove the impression of this horror. the whole thing is too fantastical, with its symbols and secret societies and murders in lonely houses. we live in the twentieth century, and these things belong to fiction."

"the last does not," replied haskins dryly: "bellaria was certainly murdered at the pixy's house."

"and by that crazy girl," insisted mrs. berch. "i hope she will be caught and shut up in an asylum. it is not safe to let such a creature go at large."

haskins defended mavis no longer, as he was afraid that the two women, both keen-eyed and clever, might guess his secret knowledge of the girl's whereabouts. "let us change the subject," he said, taking a fresh cup of tea from mrs. crosbie's hand. "i hope you enjoyed yourselves at bognor?"

"oh, very much indeed," said the widow brightly, "and we were quite sorry to return to london. but we are going abroad soon, to switzerland."

gerald winced. switzerland was a wide place: yet if mrs. berch and her daughter went there, it was not impossible but what they might come across the honeymooning path of mr. and mrs. macandrew. in that event major rebb would certainly learn that charity was married, and therefore guess that mavis was with mrs. pelham odin. however, he showed no signs of his fears, but privately resolved to write to tod. "when are you going, mrs. crosbie?"

"i can't say exactly," she answered carelessly, "it all depends on major rebb. he is coming with mother and myself, but has some business to arrange before he can leave london. what have you been doing with yourself lately, gerald? we, as you know, have been at bognor."

"writing as usual." and haskins plunged into an account of his new book, for the sake of talking on a safe subject. yet even as he spoke, his brain was wondering why the widow lied about bognor. according to tod's clerk the two ladies had not been near that watering-place: but mrs. crosbie spoke as having just returned from that very town. probably, since both were hard up--mrs. crosbie in talking of the moneylender had confessed as much--they had been ruralizing in some quiet and cheap part of the country.

for the next twenty minutes the conversation was of a light and somewhat frivolous order, and in so congenial an atmosphere the widow expanded like a flower. even mrs. berch grew more human, and less like a stone image. it was quite like old days, when gerald's mother had sat knitting and listening with a smile on her well-remembered face. mrs. crosbie evidently recalled the past, for when gerald finally took his departure she accompanied him to the door.

"what a pleasant quarter of an hour we have had," she said, pressing his hand. "we always get on well together, gerald, and mother is so fond of you. i wish you had not quarreled with michael--with major rebb, that is--for when i am married i want you still to be my friend."

"i am only too willing to continue so: but rebb doesn't like me."

"how can you expect him to," said mrs. crosbie petulantly, "when you accuse him of shutting up that girl unjustly? i do hope you have got over your infatuation for her. it would never do for you to marry a madwoman."

"no," said gerald, shirking a useless argument, "it would never do. good-day, madge. i shall see you again soon." and he went down the stairs with backward glances to see mrs. crosbie shaking a playful finger at him for calling her as usual by her christian name.

when in the street gerald suddenly remembered that it would have been as well to get signor venosta's address from the widow, as he wanted to gain further information concerning the tána society. but on second thoughts he saw little use in again questioning venosta. the italian had plainly denied the murder, and would tell him nothing more about the society, which was a secret one. haskins quite believed what venosta said with regard to the crime. if bellaria, judged a traitress by the tána, had been deliberately stabbed, it was improbable that venosta--as the mouthpiece of the cut-throat organization--would deny that such justice had been executed. such societies were rather proud than otherwise of their vengeance, and did not mind the truth being known, since publicity on this score terrified other members who might wish to break their oaths. the tána society therefore was guiltless of bellaria's death, and the assassin would have to be sought for in another quarter. "but where can i look?" gerald asked himself, and it was not until he reached frederick street that he decided what to do. the decision he came to, was to journey at once to denleigh and interview the negro. probably geary knew the truth and might be bribed or terrified into telling what he knew. to depend upon this semi-civilized creature was grasping at a straw, but to whom else could he go for information? rebb, fighting with his back to the wall, would not tell, but geary, knowing his master's secrets, might be persuaded, or kicked, or bought over, into speech.

when gerald arrived in his rooms he was met with a surprise in the shape of tod macandrew, looking sunburnt, healthy, and marvelously happy. "good heavens, what are you doing here?" asked haskins, amazed.

"looking for you," retorted tod, and shook hands. "charity is so anxious to see mavis cleared, and you married to her, that she made me come back."

"and where is mrs. macandrew?"

"at amsterdam."

"what is she doing there?"

"waiting for me. she would not stop in switzerland, as it was too far away, so she came to amsterdam. i can run over and see her there whenever i like, until this infernal business of the murder is cleared up and i can bring her back to england."

"i am glad she is in holland," remarked gerald, and told tod how mrs. crosbie and her mother intended to go to switzerland, and of his dread lest they might meet charity.

tod nodded. "it is just as well," he answered. "however, charity is all right and snug, so i am at your disposal. mavis and mrs. pelham odin are at southend?"

"yes, where rebb is not likely to look for them. as for myself i am going to devonshire to-morrow to see geary and arnold."

"arnold? yes, i should like to interview him, and see if he has picked up any further information. as to geary?--do you suspect him?"

"yes and no. according to rebb, geary gave the knife to bellaria, and certainly i shot geary in the right arm, so on the night of the murder he was in no condition to kill the woman. geary, i believe, is guiltless; but he knows rebb's secrets, and i wish to force him into telling them."

"hum," said tod, nursing his chin. "do you believe that rebb----"

"i don't know what to believe of rebb," interrupted gerald quickly. "as i told you, mr. arnold thinks that rebb stabbed bellaria. he may have done so, or he may not: at all events i am going down to find out."

then haskins related what he had learned about the coral hand, and how venosta had disclaimed the murder. "which he would not have done, tod, had the society executed vengeance on bellaria."

"but by confessing he would run his neck into a noose."

"no. he would simply deny having told me, and his guilt would be difficult to prove, since both mrs. crosbie and mrs. berch say that they did not tell him about bellaria's terror of the amulet. moreover he would clear out of england back to his own country, and could laugh at the english law. no, tod; i feel certain that venosta and his accursed society are innocent."

"and you believe that geary is innocent also? you leave only rebb to be accused. however, i'll come down with you and scour the country after a conversation with this arnold. we can then learn what strangers were in the neighborhood of leegarth on the night of the murder."

"what then? no stranger had any reason to murder bellaria?"

"well, i don't know. the crime may be the work of a tramp. i daresay there were rumors of jewels and money and all the rest of it. a tramp might----"

"no," said gerald very decidedly. "mavis declares that bellaria received a letter which excited her. i should not be surprised to learn that the letter asked her to come to the gate at midnight, so that she might meet with her death."

"ah! then you think this letter was written by the assassin? if so, rebb is guiltless. he would not commit himself to making an appointment in writing, when he could have met bellaria easily without doing so. where is this letter?"

"i don't know. mavis says that bellaria had it on her person: but it could not have been found, else it would have been produced at the inquest. i know, from reading the papers, that it was not."

"hum," said tod again. "well, let us go down to devonshire and then we can look into things."

"it is very good of you to cut short your honeymoon to help me," said gerald, patting macandrew on the back.

"it is very good of me, indeed," assented tod readily, "and i wouldn't have done it for another living soul. come now take me out to dinner at the troc, and amuse me with the best play in london."

haskins laughed, and did all that was desired, as it was just as well to keep tod from fretting after the wife he had left at amsterdam. but macandrew did not do things by half: having come over to help his friend, he did not keep reminding him of the sacrifice he had made. tod ate an excellent dinner, and laughed at a musical comedy, and went to sleep in gerald's extra bedroom, after a smoke and a glass of whisky slightly diluted with water. macandrew, as became a native of scotland, liked his drink strong.

next morning the two friends went down to the west of england in very good spirits. at exeter tod alighted to see arnold--having obtained the monmouth hotel address from gerald--and the other amateur detective proceeded to silbury, where as usual he put up at the prince's head. mrs. jennings was pleased to see him, but could tell him very little about the murder likely to throw any light on its darkness. it seemed to gerald that she took very little interest in the matter.

"that crazy girl can't be found," she told her guest, "so i expect, poor soul, she has been drowned--that is the general opinion, sir. as that is the case, and miss bellaria is buried in leegarth graveyard, there is no more to be said."

"what of the pixy's house?"

"major rebb has shut it up--in a way, that is. for that mad girl's rooms were beautifully furnished. i saw them myself," added mrs. jennings breathlessly, "when i went over after the inquest, to leegarth. but major rebb has been living in those rooms, with his man----"

"geary?"

"no, sir. geary is still the landlord of the devon maid. he was fiddling with a pistol and hurt himself: but he is all right now. major rebb brought his own man from town, who cooks and looks after the place. i expect the major likes better to live in the pixy's house than in the hotel at denleigh. i would not live in that wicked house myself," ended mrs. jennings, with a shudder. "i should be afraid of miss bellaria's ghost."

"is major rebb there now?" asked gerald quickly.

"he comes again to-morrow or the next day, i believe," answered the landlady, who knew all the gossip of the neighborhood, "and they say that he intends to repair the house against his marriage with a london lady."

haskins nodded, and took his way over the hills to denleigh. it was apparent that rebb really believed mavis to be drowned, according to common report, and, since no one was likely to question his right to the income or the house, he intended to reap as a married man the fruit of his villainy. it seemed strange to gerald that mavis should not have any relative who would dispute the will, but he knew how often old families dwindle down to a single person. in this case, he believed that there were two twigs still sprouting from the durham family tree, in the persons of the twin girls.

on crossing the bridge, in denleigh valley, haskins saw geary lounging at his door, looking big and black and sullen and dangerous. however, a white man was not to be intimidated by a barbarous animal like this, so gerald walked up to him coolly, and wished him good-day. geary grew green under his black skin, and glared like a wild beast, his hands working convulsively. at his back, in the passage, could be seen the scared face of mrs. geary. she evidently dreaded what haskins' errand might be, since she must have known of her husband's footpad attack.

"what might you be doing here, sah?" asked geary, rolling his eyes.

"taking a stroll, geary--simply taking a stroll. how is your arm?"

the negro glared and took a step forward, his hand slipping round to the back. haskins moved aside and gripped the revolver which he had taken the precaution to bring with him. mr. geary's knife was too dangerous a weapon to be met with mere fists. "i am quite ready," said the white man coolly: "you bring out that knife and i shoot."

"dat would be murder, sah," whimpered geary, reading danger in haskins' steady eye: but he withdrew his hand from his back all the same. "you nearly murdered me afore, sah."

"i winged you as a murderous dog," said gerald sharply, "and you quite deserve to be shot. are you not afraid lest i should bring you into court for attacking me? you would get a long term of imprisonment, adonis. we don't allow these sort of things in england."

"you do what you like, sah. major rebb, him look after me."

"i don't think major rebb will interfere," said gerald carelessly.

geary showed his white teeth significantly. "dat massa ob mine will see dat all is safe wid me, sah, until he die."

"ah, that means you can force him to protect you."

"i say noting, sah."

"strange--for you were always garrulous. where is your amiable smile, mr. geary, and your polite manners? i always knew you to be a murderous hound. but you might have spared poor bellaria."

geary flung up his hands, and looked greener than ever. "i did not hab noting to do wid dat woman, sah."

"oh, i think so--stand where you are and keep your hands in front of you," cried haskins sharply, "or i'll send a bullet through you."

the negro's eyes rolled, and he looked round for assistance. but the population of denleigh were indoors partaking of the evening meal, and beyond a few children playing far down the stream no one was in sight. "i no kill dat bellaria," he repeated doggedly, but did not venture to grip his knife. he had experienced the shooting of his opponent before.

"you liar! you came back here, and, after having had your arm bound up, you went to the pixy's house."

this chance shot of haskins' hit the mark. "no, sah; no sah," gasped the big man, but his knees knocked together.

"you did," cried haskins, following up his advantage, "and major rebb went also."

"it's one big lie, sah. no! no, doan' shoot, sah," and with a scream he backed into the house to shut the door, but could not because mrs. geary, large and massive, blocked the way.

"see here, geary," said haskins, lowering the pistol he had raised. "i intend to have you arrested for that assault unless you tell me the truth about this crime. you are guilty."

"no, sah; no, sah," moaned the man again.

"mr. haskins," said the woman, brushing aside her husband and coming out, "my husband has been a bad one to me: but he is innocent. major rebb went to the pixy's house on----"

"hole dat tongue, you beast," yelled geary furiously.