The Wildfire Club - The Emma Hardinge Britten Archive

106 TUB JL\trKTJ:D GBANGE,
pUl'8Ued their inquiries with equal vigor and success. The
coach which had stopped at the hospitable doors of the
Green Dragon on the night oC the murder, and at the hour
described by the clairvoyant, 'Was ascertained to have come
from Portsmouth, and contained but one female ptu,enger.
Upon questioning the guard and coachman, they testified
to the fact of her carrying a bundle, having a large and
remarkable mole on her cheek, and presenting altogether
such an appearance as the seeress described. This was
enough. A woman, who had come there on a certain
night, attired herself in saUor's clothes, visited the Grange,
and afterwards sunk those clothes, stained with the evidences
of murder, in an adjoining pond - an array oC
e\idence which soon became amply substantiated. Then
commenced the search for the fugitive; and tracing the
stage-coach female passenger, as having come from Portsmouth,
the clew as to street and number wa,s followed up
as given by the clairvoyant, and found accurate in all respects
- too accurate, indeed, for though such a woman as
has been described had lodged there, had absented herself
for a day and night, and was actually traced from Portsmouth
to the village of Rookwood, in -exact accordance
with old Hallnah's story, it was found that she had indeed
left England (in verification of the prediction) for the West
Indies, and had sailed many hours before the arrival of the
officers. Once in the right track, the vigilance of justice
was enabled to trace the whole mysterious thread of the
mutder with accuracy.
'Villiam Rookwood had, it seemed, formed an intimacy
with a woman of some personal attraetionlil, but unparalleled
wickedness. Being insnared by her wiles and artifices,
he had foolishly intrusted her with the knowledge
that he possessed a large sum of money in foreign bank