Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

Wliilc this wns going on in the sitting-room, Miss Lancr ami
room.
' Haiumh were with
1 Tin
surgeon did his work skilfully and kindly. He felt
at Miss Lance.
re whom you can send to my Louse
r's pulse, and gave n glance
u-aught, which our yonug friend will be all the Letter
or taking," lie said. "If you have no messenger I will come
M
i
back, or send some one m ;.
"I can go, sir," said Hamiah. "Miss Lance won't mind
being left ; and if anything unexpected occurs the other servant
can bo called up. You must wash your hands, sir. No,
not there, if you please. " And Hannah threw a towel over the
basin where the clasp-knife still lay in the stained water.
murder, don't tell him till I have seen him again."
" Murder, sir ?
" Yes. Have you not heard ?"
" Weheard of his death ; found by the stile, we heard."
mind, for he said.
" Peter Sands himself sent for Mr. Marston ; and if you
bed, carefully propped against a pile of pillows, with his
wrist and shoulder enveloped in many wrappings, and finally
in a blanket. H smiled as the superintendent came into the
but the smile wns n sad one.
room ;
"I am sorry not to htu >le to come to you," said
Peter; " but for thi [ am disabled,"
"You sent for me," said Mr. Marstou.
"
Yes. I want to tell you all I know."
Then the tears came into Peter's eyes, and bis voice was
fathc; .
a must forpivf mo,"
i Mr.
lie sniJ. "Ho was once like a
Marston."
He i poke in u firm sort of way, as if he wished to else
ness, but not at all as one who could not uui!
It was ihat the BI
ird JVt.T at c,
busi-
out of place. His
'(himself, and in a moment was nearly as calm an Mr.
"
"Into this room, sir.
So Mr. Carter followed Hannah, and made his hands clean
from the vinegar, and went down-stairs and out of the house
without knowing any of the "
Tell me just what you want to tell me; you sent for mo to
say so; You are to und.
facts that may guide us towards the discovery of the j
who caused the man's death. It was not an accident, you understand.
His death was caused by a blow. Now ever-
particular circumstances that had you say may
attended Peter's full.
When he was in the hall he said to Hannah,
"
Don't let Sands be excited by anything. He has had a
shock. If he has not heard of this poor James Gardener's
be used in evidence; so I caution you. I shall
not ask you a single question, but I shall take down what you
say, and use it if desirable."
" I wish to tell you everything. I wish to put you in possession
of all that has occurred to me."
Then Peter began with the clock striking a quarter to tine
on his leaving Dr. Beanclerk's, and Ms intending to com<
by the direct way through the streets, saying that he ch
his mind going to the ironmonger's to order a garden-tool; that
when there lie found a good many people in the shop, but was
nevertheless quickly served; that, us he was leaving, li:
was attracted by a quantity of knives on the counter,' lying on
an open sheet of coarse brown paper; that he bought one of
"
I am afraid that I have not used a wrong word," said Mr.
"
Carter. I wisli it may be found that I have. Good-night."
" I shall be after you in a minute, sir, for the medicine."
"
O, yes. I will go back and prepare it immediately."
Hannah stood still, considering many things then she
;
walked into the sitting-room to see Miss Jane, and there she
found Mr. Breward, who had returned, and a person whom
she knew well by sight the superintendent of police.
" We were waiting for Mr. Carter to leave the house,'' said
Mr. Breward.
" We can go iip-stairs now."
"He is not to be excited, sir. lam to follow Mr. Carter
"
for some medicine. He found him rather
Then Hannah felt that the superintendent's eye _was on her,
and she also felt that she had done wrong in admitting that
Peter's state was one of excitement and agitation.
these knives, and put
Perhaps Mr. Breward also had some such thought in his
it in his pocket, refusing to have it
wrapped up.
He told how, on leaving the shop, the thought cros.M
mind that he would get back by the meadows; and bo told the
way he took, and how he found the white mist curling up from
the river, and how he came on at a good pace till he reached
the stile.
Then he entered as minutely as possible into the circumstances
of the fall, and of his picking up the knife, thinking it
was his own. After this h:i spoke of his walk home, of his
coming into the light of Miss Lance's kitchen, of the mud and
stains being found upon him, of his getting up-stairs followed
by Hannah with the kettle, of his cautioning h-:r to take liis
knife out of his pocket two knives being found, and of the
soiled knife being then in the basin of water into which Hannah
are to fetch medicine you had better go at once."
Then he led the way up-stairs, and Mr. Marston followed
him.
It wns no more than just eleven o'clock. It will be remembered
that at a quarter before nine Peter had left Dr. Beauclerk's
house, and all that had been related had happened in
rather less than two hours. It must have been not more than
a quarter after nine when Peter fell at the stile in about ten
;
minutes after that Simon Lyster must have found James
Gardener's body and ; by half-past nine Peter might have got
to Miss Lance's house. It was a little after ten when the
voices were heard under the window, and now, as Mr. Marston
went up-stairs, the clock had j ust struck eleven.
The superintendent and the most sagacious of his staff had
been quietly making observations and collecting evidence
for about an hour and a half. It was wonderful how much they
had learnt in that time. However, it was not Mr. Marston's
part to gossip. He was ready to hear anything, but he had
next to nothing to had dropped it.
The superintendent walked to the basin.
He called Mr. Breward. They pointed out something to
each other.
" We must take possession of this," he said; and then returuing
say.
When he entered Peter's room he found him sitting up in
to Peter, he looked at him.
" That is the whole story," said Peter Sands.
"
There may
be mud on my boots
"
" Hannah lias cleaned them," said Mr. Breward.
"
I asked
her. She said your walking through the meadow, up the slope
to the gate, had thoroughly wetted them. They were wet with
the moisture on the grass; and having a moment's leisure, she
cleaned them."
"
Well, that is all, then," said Mr. Marston.
"
I hope your
wrist will be pretty well to-morrow."
" It is better already for Mr. Carter's treatment."
"
Good-night, then." And both Mr. Ai'arston and Mr. Breward
left the room.
Soon after Hannah and Miss Lance came in; the quieting
draught was administered, and took speedy c ffoct.
Peter San-is -u as asleep. Thclittl:- .id went to their
bedrooms. The sense of a present dangi ;. ;::i 1 a prophetic
fear of a coming t;ial, were upon them. But they could only
hope and pray.