major jen recoiled from the young girl in amazement.
"your mother," he muttered, hardly believing the evidence of his own senses. "your mother stole the devil-stick?"
"yes; but she did not know what she was doing!"
jen frowned.
"that is impossible!" he said, positively. "quite impossible!"
"no! no! wait! listen!" said isabella, much agitated. "i told you falsehoods before to shield my mother. now that i know that you have discovered so much, that you are bent on punishing dr. etwald, i must tell you the truth, so that she may not be dragged down to ruin. but not here--not here: my mother may see us--and dido," the girl shuddered. "dido, of whom i am afraid. come with me, major. quickly!"
without glancing toward the house isabella ran down a secluded path which led through a kind of shrubbery to the flower-garden, and then disappeared into a light cane summer-house, constructed in the chinese fashion, and which was overgrown with greenery. major jen followed her as rapidly as his more mature age would permit him; and as he hastened, he felt a wild thrill of delight that at last he was about to hear the truth. that it should be told to him by so unexpected a person as isabella dallas, was not the least strange part of this strange affair.
"major," she said, when somewhat out of breath he had taken his seat beside her in the summer-house, "although i relate what inculpates my mother, it is to save her that i do so. both she and i are in a net woven by dido."
"ah! poor maurice always mistrusted that negress!"
"he was right to do so. oh, you do not know what a terrible woman she is. for years both i and my mother have been under her influence; and have submitted to her will. now, i see her in her true colors, and i am determined to speak the truth. save myself and my mother, major; for we are innocent. dr. etwald and dido are the guilty persons."
"they killed maurice!"
"yes. i am sure of it."
"they stole the body?"
"i can swear they did," said isabella, with emotion.
"why did you not tell me of this before?" asked the major.
"i have only been certain of these things since our last interview. i lied to you then because dido said if i told the truth she would accuse my mother of the murder."
"i see," said jen, thoughtfully, "and i can understand their motives. dido wished you to marry etwald."
"yes; and it was to force my mother into compliance with that desire that the whole of these crimes were committed. dido--"
"one moment, miss dallas. what influence has etwald over the negress?"
isabella shuddered.
"he is the possessor of the voodoo stone," she said in a low voice.
"the voodoo stone," echoed jen, much puzzled. "and what may that be?"
"it is a small black pebble of a peculiar shape," explained the girl, "and it was brought from africa to barbadoes over a hundred years ago. the negroes believe that a spirit dwells in this stone, and that when it is worshiped the indwelling devil can work woe to those against whom the possessor of the stone bears malice. you can have no idea how this talisman is venerated by all the blacks; they will go miles to look on it, to adore it; they would burn down a city to possess it; to gain it they would murder a hundred human beings. well, dr. etwald was in barbadoes some years ago, and he gained possession of this voodoo stone. he has used it while here to intimidate dido. while he holds it she will not dare to disobey him, and all this plotting and assassination designed to bring about my marriage with dr. etwald, has been designed by him, and carried out by dido, solely on account of his ownership of the voodoo stone. you know that she calls him the 'great master!' well--now you can guess the reason for her service worship of this man."
"yes," assented jen, turning his sharp eyes on isabella, "and you--do you believe in this voodoo stone also?"
"no. when i was a child i did, and i fancy that my mother also had some belief in it. brought up among the negroes of barbadoes both she and i imbibed the superstitions of the black race; but now we have no faith in such follies. for my part," added the girl, anxiously, "i should be glad to get rid of dido, seeing that with dr. etwald and his malignant influence of the voodoo stone, she is dragging us toward disgrace; but my mother still clings to her as an old servant, and will not let her go."
"i see. and about the theft of this devil-stick?"
"oh, on the night it was stolen, i was seated on the veranda after dinner, and i saw my mother come out with dido. they did not know i was there, as i sat in the shade. i saw dido speak to my mother and point toward your house. then she waved her hands before my mother's face, whereupon my mother turned and walked swiftly past where i was seated. i saw her face; it was quite white, and her eyes were open and glassy. she--"
"in a word," interrupted jen, "this black witch had hypnotized mrs. dallas."
"yes; but i did not know that until later on. when my mother disappeared dido re-entered the house. at once--terrified by my mother's action--i ran down the little path which leads to the gate and followed her out onto the road. she went into your grounds by the postern in the wall. i saw her cross the lawn, and enter the smoking-room, wherein a lamp was burning. when she came out it was with the devil-stick in her hand. i recognized it by the golden handle. i reached home before she did, and again hid on the veranda. dido reappeared as my mother came up the walk, and took the devil-stick from her. then she led her indoors."
"and what did you do?" asked jen, much interested in this strange history.
"i went in later on, and found that my mother had gone to bed. i said nothing at the time as i was afraid of dido. afterward, when maurice was killed, and you said that the devil-stick had killed him, i went to dido and accused her of the crime.
"she was fearfully angry and warned me that if i said a word about the theft of the devil-stick i would be in danger of hanging my own mother."
"what!" cried jen, jumping up, "did dido accuse your mother of the crime?"
"to me, yes. to my mother, no. afraid lest such an accusation should kill my mother, who is not strong as you know, i said nothing to her, or indeed to anyone. i told a lie to you to save my mother; what else could i do? but now i tell you the truth, and i wish you to protect us both against the evil of dido and dr. etwald."
"you believe that dr. etwald killed maurice?"
"i am sure of it. when i became ill through the terror of the secret which i possessed. dido prepared that poison under the pretense of curing me, but i now know that she did so to refill the devil-stick. she then sent it to etwald, and he killed maurice. also he stole the body with the assistance of dido."
"why should this pair of wretches steal the body?"
"i know no more than you do," said isabella, with great despondency. "but now. major jen, you can understand my not speaking the truth at our last interview."
"yes, and i honor you for it," said jen, kissing her hand. "but tell me one thing. why did you make that midnight visit?"
"well, i was not quite myself, major, in the first place; and in the second i missed dido!"
"on that night?" asked jen, eagerly.
"yes. i was ill, as i have said, and my mother was watching by my bedside. usually it is dido who does so. i asked my mother about dido, and she said that dido had asked permission to go out for the evening."
"to see dr. etwald, i suppose?"
"no. i thought so at first, but one of the servants who brought me a cup of tea late at night told me that dido had gone to your house to offer her services in laying out the body of my dear maurice."
"oh!" said the major, suddenly recollecting what had taken place. "i remember her visit; but she gave as her excuse that you wanted to see me."
"one of her lies," said isabella, vehemently. "i did not know she had gone to your house until the servant told me. then when i remembered how the devil-stick had been stolen i was afraid lest dido should be contriving further mischief. although it was late i could not rest in my bed. i tossed and turned with my brain burning with the fever. i felt that i must learn what was taking place at your house. my mother left me about two o'clock in the morning quite worn out with her watching. then i rose, put on a dressing-gown, and escaped by the window. i reached your library at three o'clock. you know the rest."
"yes," assented the major, with a nod, "and i know that, as you imagined. dido was up to some mischief. she stole the body with etwald; but why? why?" muttered jen, in perplexed tones.
"i cannot guess," said isabella, for the second time. "but now that i have told you all, major, what do you intend to do?"
"return to my house and see etwald!"
"is he there?"
"i expect him at noon along with inspector arkel. then i may force the truth out of him. certainly i shall have him arrested on suspicion of murder."
"and dido!"
"i shall take no steps concerning her at present," said jen, glancing at his watch, "especially as there is no fear of her leaving the neighborhood."
"no!" replied isabella, interpreting the major's thought. "while the voodoo stone is with dr. etwald she will not leave the place where he is staying."
"in that case, she will have to live in deanminster jail; for there---as sure as i am a living man--etwald shall find himself before another twelve hours are over his head. and now, my dear young lady," added jen, rising, "i must leave you, to keep my appointment with the scoundrel. do not speak of our conversation to anyone!"
"you can depend upon my silence," said isabella, who held out her hand.
major jen shook it in his usual kindly manner, and moved a step toward the door of the summer-house. all at once he paused and looked back.
"one moment, miss dallas!" he said, quickly. "does david know about the theft of the devil-stick? that is," he added more precisely, "does he know that your mother stole it?"
isabella considered.
"i cannot be quite certain if he does!" she said, after a pause, "but i fancy he has some idea of it. when he has seen me of late he has always been so nervous and silent. at our last meeting, also, he told me that we were to fear nothing."
"h'm!" said jen, reflectively. "undoubtedly you are right. miss dallas. david must have learned the truth in some way; but i cannot imagine how. well, good-by, good-by. i shall see you later on when we have this scoundrel under lock and key."
the major hurried off, leaving isabella alone in the summer-house. he walked on slowly, notwithstanding that it was past the hour he had appointed to meet arkel and etwald. his thoughts were busy with what isabella had said concerning david's knowledge of the trick.
"undoubtedly he believes that mrs. dallas killed maurice," thought jen, "and that is why he refuses to confess to me. he said that i would be the first to blame him for telling all he knew, and as he is under the delusion that mrs. dallas is guilty, i understand now the reason of his silence. also he said that he would never marry isabella; which shows that he is afraid of becoming the husband of a woman whose mother has committed a crime. poor boy, how he must suffer; and after all i must say that i approve of his honorable silence. but!" added the major to himself, "when he knows that mrs. dallas is innocent and that etwald is guilty, he will then be able to marry isabella!"
on consideration jen thought it would be best to say nothing definite to david about his discovery. if the young man, from a feeling of honor toward an unhappy woman, kept silent, the major was the last person in the world to tempt him to break it. jen decided to merely hint to david that he knew the truth, and let the arrest of etwald tell its own tale, and unseal the lad's lips, by showing that mrs. dallas was innocent. as jen came to this conclusion, he entered his own gates, and rather to his surprise, he saw david, considerably agitated, advancing to meet him.
"inspector arkel and dr. etwald are waiting for you in the library," said sarby, rapidly.
"i know it. i sent for them."
"you sent for them?"
"well, why not? i wish the first to arrest the second."
"arrest dr. etwald! on what grounds?"
"on the grounds of having murdered maurice," said jen, coldly. "yes, you may look astonished, david, but it is the truth. without your assistance i have discovered that etwald is guilty. also," added the major, in a kindly tone, "i know the reason of your silence."
"of ray silence?" echoed david. "you know the reason?"
"yes, and i honor you for it."
"who--who--told you?" stammered the young man, as pale as death.
"miss dallas."
"isabella! my god!" david looked terrified.
