King of the Castle Part 103

He unlocked and threw open the library door, and drew back for the others to go past.

"John Trevithick, quick! there is something wrong," cried Mary, as she ran in--to shriek wildly and loudly, "Help! he has murdered her!"

"You villain!" roared Trevithick, seizing Glyddyr, but he wrested himself free.

"Bah! great idiot!" he cried. "There, look, she is only fainting--with joy, can't you see?" he continued, as Claude uttered a sigh, and moved one hand. "Now then, witnesses," he cried, with a savage laugh, "I have been out; I have just returned. This is my dear wife, who wishes for a divorce; and this," he almost yelled, as he threw open the great book-covered door of the safe, "is our dear friend Mr--"

He ceased speaking, with the malignant grin frozen upon his face, as the quick, stern-looking man staggered panting, half-suffocated from the safe, stared wildly for a few moments, and then, before Glyddyr could realise his position, recovered himself sufficiently to clap his hand upon the scoundrel's shoulder.

"Mr Parry Glyddyr," he cried, "you are my prisoner. I arrest you for murder!"

Volume Three, Chapter XIX.

TWO WIVES.

Chris Lisle caught Trevithick, too, by the shoulder as he was leaving Danmouth that day, and, half wild with excitement, implored him to say whether the rumour was true.

"True enough, Mr Lisle. Mr Glyddyr is arrested, and his friend, who is believed to be an accomplice, was taken yesterday in London."

Chris fell back, staring like one who has received some mental shock, and then walked slowly along the main street of the place to get to the bridge and go up the glen, so as to try and think quietly of all that it might mean to him.

As he went along he became dimly conscious of the fact that first one and then another touched his cap, or gave him a friendly nod; but he was too much dazed to pay any heed, and he could only come to one conclusion: that there must be as great a mistake here as there was over the rumour about himself.

"It is too horrible to be true," he said, with a shudder.

At the Fort, Claude lay prostrate, unable to realise the truth of what had taken place, and shuddering from time to time as the terrible scene kept coming back.

"I would have spared her if I could," Trevithick had whispered to Mary before leaving; "but it was better that she should suffer sharply for a time than all her life."

Mary could not speak--she dared not trust herself for fear of saying words of which she would afterwards repent, for there was a great joy in her heart now that she knew the reason for Trevithick's silence, and she could not even go to Sarah Woodham's side, lest she should open her heart there.

Then came days of wild excitement in the place, with event after event occurring to keep the gossip at white heat. There were the examinations of Glyddyr, at which he preserved a stubborn silence. And a fresh excitement in the presence, at the second examination, of a handsome, sharp-looking woman fas.h.i.+onably dressed, who took up her abode after the examination at the hotel.

She had seated herself in the court by the help of a friendly--made friendly--policeman, where she could face Glyddyr; and when, at last, their eyes met, he started and changed colour, but composed himself directly, for another trouble was but a trifle compared to that overhanging his life.

It was no friendly look that he had encountered, neither was the keen glance directed at Gellow, who, upon the second morning, was placed beside Glyddyr in the dock. For Denise showed her teeth slightly in the malicious smile, watching and listening intently to the end.

"I did not know that I should find him through the newspapers," she said to herself. "I was fooled by that man into believing that he was gone abroad, when I might have come down and seen this madam whom he has married. But it is well."

Then came fresh fuel to keep the excitement at white heat. A gentleman was down from London, and it was known that orders had been given from high quarters that Gartram's remains were to be taken from the vault.

That there was to be a _post mortem_ examination, and a great chemist in London was to a.s.sist in bringing the crime home to the prisoner under remand.

This was true enough, and Doctor Asher and his colleague were called upon to a.s.sist. Two other doctors were also going to be present, on behalf of the prisoner and the Government.

When Asher received his instructions he shuddered, and the paper dropped from his hand.

"It is too horrible!" he muttered. "I will not be dragged into it again." But he had hardly uttered the words when his colleague arrived to talk the matter over with him.

"It is as horrible as it is absurd," Asher said.

"Yes, but we have received our instructions, and cannot refuse."

"But we performed our examination for the inquest," protested Asher.

"It is so unnecessary. The man is innocent. We know well enough the cause of death."

The other shrugged his shoulders, and finally went away; while the next night it was being whispered, with bated breath, that the examination had been made, and there was talk of sealed bottles and the a.n.a.lytical chemist in London.

A week later, while the prisoners were lying under remand at the county gaol, Mrs Sarson tapped softly at Chris Lisle's door, and entered.

He did not move, for he was thinking deeply of how he would give the world if he dared go to the Fort as a friend and say a few words to Claude.

"And I can make no sign; I dare make no sign," he was muttering, as his landlady's hand was laid upon his arm.

"I thought you'd like to hear the news, sir," she said respectfully.

"Yes. What news?"

"I have just heard, sir, that Mrs Glyddyr is going over to Toxeter this morning to see Mr Glyddyr. Mr Trevithick has come to fetch her."

A spasm ran through Chris, and he turned away his head.

"Yes," he said; "suppose it is her duty."

"And Doctor Asher is very bad indeed, sir, this morning, and two other doctors are there. He is worse than when I spoke to you last night."

"Did you speak to me about him last night?"

"Why, surely, sir, you don't forget? But I have heard this morning what is the matter."

"Yes?" said Chris vacantly.

"It is very horrible, sir; but the new doctor told one of his patients that Doctor Asher's knife slipped during the terrible examination of Mr Gartram the other day, and the cut has gone bad with some name he called it."

"Blood poisoning!" exclaimed Chris, startled by the news; "how shocking."

"Shocking indeed, sir. I didn't think poor little Danmouth could have had such trouble as all this; but the Lord be thanked that the whole truth has come out at last, and you can hold up your head once more.

Poor fellow!" she muttered softly, "he don't seem to hear a word I said."

But Chris had heard; and, as soon as he was alone, he slipped a small gla.s.s in his pocket, and tramped out to the back of the place, and up the highest piece of cliff, where he could lie upon his breast and watch the Fort.

He did not wait long, for the carriage soon drew up to the front entrance, and directly after Trevithick appeared, leading out Claude, in deep mourning and thickly veiled. Then Mary came out, to step into the carriage; and it was driven away, while Sarah Woodham, thin and sallow-looking, stood on the steps watching till it had disappeared, and at last Chris saw her as she turned, holding her hands to her temples, as if they throbbed.

"Will she come back to-night?" said Chris to himself. "I'll wait and see."

A couple of hours later, Trevithick led Claude slowly up towards the prison gates, for his companion had to cling to his arm for support, and he could feel the struggle that was going on as she strove to perform this duty to her husband.

They were within about fifty yards of the place, when Claude reeled and would have fallen but for the lawyer's strong arm.

"Take my advice," he whispered gently. "You can do no good, and you are not strong enough to go through such an interview as this."