CHAPTER XXVI THE TRUTH

In the room where Mrs. Marsh had died, and in the same bed, lay the old Italian woman dying also. She was sitting up, with a red woollen shawl wrapped round her bony shoulders, and her lean hands told her rosary. Whatever views Sidney might have instilled into her regarding life beyond the grave, Petronella still remained within the fold of Peter. She was muttering prayer after prayer with feverish haste and the black beads slipped quickly from between her fingers.

The room was dusty, dark and untidy. Near the bed was a bottle of Chianti and some bread, but the flask was full and the loaf untouched. Petronella was past earthly food. Herrick saw the mark of death on her yellow face. She seemed pleased to see him and not at all afraid. Receiving him with a chuckle, she interpreted the look in his eyes.

"So he has told you, that young Signor," she said in her own tongue, "ah! I thought he would. It was time--but too late Signor Dottore--too late for the prison. I go into Purgatory. Ten pounds for masses Signor. You will see that they are said. Then I may get into Paradise to rest. I need rest. All my life I have worked hard. The Good God will not be hard on poor old Petronella."

Dr. Jim took a chair by the bedside, and felt her pulse. "You need nourishing food Petronella," he said soothingly, "a cup of soup now--"

"Eh! Eh Signor Dottore that 'will not help me. I am dying. You do not know. I have never told you. Cancer Signor--a bad cancer. I shall die."

"I may be able to--"

"No, I do not want that. They would put me in prison. Let me die. The young Signor said I would die. It is foolish to live. I will go to my Padrona and explain."

"Then you did shoot the Colonel, Petronella?"

"Si! Si!" the old woman coughed, "he was a devil-man. He was cruel to my padrona, to the young Signor. Also he had the evil eye. Hard to kill. Oh, yes," she chuckled, "but the silver bullet--ah yes the silver bullet." Dr. Jim looked at her in silence. He wondered that he had not suspected Petronella before. After Bess had told him about the bullet, he had been certain that the person who had fired the shot, was of a superstitious nature. Mrs. Marsh being Italian might have thought of the same thing. But she was educated, and above such folly. Petronella, a woman of the people with feudal instincts, had clung to that wild belief of the Middle Ages. She was the one person of Dr. Jim's acquaintances, who would have dreamed of such a thing, and her, he had not suspected.

"Why did you use a silver bullet Petronella?"

"Eh! the man was a diavolo--a witch creature--he had the evil eye. Did I not meet with an accident after he had over-looked me. It was better he should die, rather than live to ruin the Signora. A silver bullet. Only in that way Signor can those aided by the devil perish. I am not sorry. No. It was a good deed. The young Signor said so."

"All the same Petronella I must tell you that Frisco is accused of this murder. He is in prison. It is unfair that he should suffer for what you have done, so you must make confession."

"I have done so Signor Dottore. I wrote with my own hand in my own language, that I Petronella had slain this devil-man with a silver bullet."

"Even so," said Herrick, "but I want to write down your confession myself. You can sign it and the police officer can witness it. Thus, will the man who is in prison for your crime be saved."

"The police," echoed Petronella, "ah, I knew they would come. But they will not put me in prison Signor. I die. I die, and that soon. Eh! as you will. You have been good to me. I will do what you want. Yonder in the corner Signor--the padrona's ink and pen--also the paper. Write down what I say, and I will sign. What does it matter now I die."

Dr. Jim found the materials and placing them on the little round table looked at Petronella. She nodded and muttered a prayer, then began to speak in her usual rapid manner. She spoke in Italian, but Dr. Jim for the benefit of Bridge translated it into English. Luckily Herrick was an excellent linguist and found no difficulty in doing this.

"Signor," began Petronella, "it happened in this way. I was at the house of that devil-man with the Signora--oh a long time ago. The padrona went to ask him for money. He refused, the cursed robber,--and we were so poor--so poor. My signora the last of a great race, poor. Gran' Dio. It was evil that she should be poor. But the devil-man would give not one lira. Ah no! He kept all. I was angered, because of my padrona. I saw on the table a cup of silver, and that I took."

"You stole the cup?"

"Why not. My padrona was poor. That devil-man saw me, he struck me--yes, even me Petronella a free Italian. And he over-looked me with his evil eye. I shuddered. I knew that I would have an accident. And the next day I hurt myself. Ah the wicked wretch. I gave back the cup, as he made me. But when we went down the stairs I took another of silver. This time he saw me not, and I carried it here under my shawl."

"What did Mrs. Marsh say?"

"My padrona was angry. But I did not care. I did not sell the silver cup as she was angered, but I kept it, yes, for the silver bullet--"

Herrick looked up from his writing. "Had you made up your mind then to kill Colonel Carr?" he asked.

"No, not then. I should have liked to: because he cast on me the evil eye. Ah Dio mio I made horns, but it was no use. I had an accident. No Signor Dottore I did not wish to kill him then--very much. Later on when the will--the will--"

"Did you know about the will?"

"Si! Si! It was that Frisco told me. I was in the market. He also, and he had the wine in him. He talked foolishly, and said that his Signor would make another will leaving all the money to him. I saw that my poor padrona and the young Signor Stefano would be ruined. I came back and told the Signora. She was angered. Then she said she would go to see this devil-man. Signor," here Petronella clutched Herrick by the wrist, "I knew that my padrona had a temper. She could rage. I feared what she might do. I watched---eh! yes, I watched. She was to dine with the padre at Saxham, and then see the wicked Signor."

"Did you not know she would see him in the afternoon?"

"No! She said she would go about nine and see him. That after his dinner he would be in a good temper and might not do this wrong. Signor, I saw that she took with her a pistol."

"The revolver of Mr. Marsh?"

"Si! Si! She took it from the case in the room of the young Signor Stefano. I saw her. I knew that if the devil-man laughed at her she would kill him. Yes. She would."

"No, Petronella," said Dr. Jim soothingly, "she only meant to frighten him. So she said in the letter you gave me."

"No Signor," replied the old woman indignantly, "the daughter of the Micholotti would not be so weak. She would have killed him."

"Upon my soul," muttered Herrick, "I believe she would."

"I was in great alarm Signor," went on Petronella. "I thought if she did so, that she would be put in prison. It was terrible to think so. I was angered against the devil-man. He had struck me; he had looked upon me with the evil eye. Now he would tempt my Signora to kill him and so be put in prison. I saw that all would be lost. Then I said to myself, to me Petronella, that I would kill him alone."

The old woman drew herself up in bed, and looked majestic as she spoke. Herrick was profoundly sorry for her. She had carried her feudal instinct to excess, and so had jeopardised her life for the sake of her mistress. He understood well how she had been urged to this. The blow, the evil eye, the possibility of her young master being ruined by another will, and above all, the chance that her Signora might kill the man herself--a fiery faithful creature like Petronella could not let such things be. As she said, she made up her mind to kill Carr, before Mrs. Marsh could see him. Where she made the mistake was, that she thought her mistress would see the man at night. As a matter of fact she did, but already had seen him in the day. Perhaps Mrs. Marsh guessed what Petronella might do, and she had told a falsehood about the time of calling at "The Pines."

"When the Signora departed," said Petronella, rocking to and fro, for she was in pain, "I got my pistol. Si, Signor, it was the pistol of my husband. He fought for the King when we freed Italy. I too, was in the war. I shot many--oh many. He showed me; I was not afraid to shoot."

"This piece of information showed Herrick how it was Carr had been shot through the heart. Petronella, having been in the Italian war of liberation, knew how to handle firearms. Probably she was an excellent markswoman. The shooting of Carr proved her to be so.

"I had bullets," said Petronella, "but they were of lead. I knew that the devil man protected by the Wicked One, could not be slain by only a leaden bullet. I wanted a silver one. Ah Gran' Dio! there was no silver in this house. Then I thought of the cup I had taken. I got it and melted it down over a big fire. I made three bullets in the mould of my husband. I took his powder flask, but it was empty. The young Signor Stefano had powder in his room--I stole it. Then I loaded the pistol and set it aside till the night."

"Where was Mr. Marsh all this time?" asked Herrick.

"He was in the house in the afternoon, and went to eat with a friend of his, Signor Barker--"

"The newspaper editor," said Dr. Jim. He remembered that this was the man who looked after the Beorminster Chronicle and took an interest in Stephen's poetry, "he dined with him?"

"Si Signor, and said he would not be back till late. He was to bring home the Signora from Saxham. I was all alone and I saw what I could do."

"And what did you do Petronella?"

"I hid the pistol in my shawl and walked to Saxham. I got there before eight. I went to the big house, I found it empty. I climbed the stair where I knew the devil man would be in the tower. He was standing by his bed dressed to eat. He took up a pistol but let it down when he saw it was only old Petronella."

"You mean he still held the pistol?"

"Yes. I waited for a moment as he stared at me, and then shot him. I aimed for the heart," said Petronella hugging her knees. "The silver bullet went through the heart. Oh, my husband showed me how to shoot Signor."

"What did you do then?"

"I made sure the devil-man was dead. He fell on his face. Then I went down the stairs. I saw someone, I did not know who it was. But the young Signor told me he was there. I ran through the pine wood, and he followed, I hid behind a tree, and then after a time I got home. No one knew that I had been out, and when the Signora and the young Signor Stefano came back I said nothing. The Signora looked white. She said nothing to me but I knew that she had seen the devil-man. What did I care. She could not kill him again. That is all Signor."

"You lost the pistol?"

"I lost my husband's pistol," said Petronella precisely, "it dropped from my pocket when I ran, I did not care. No one would know that it belonged to me. Then I heard Frisco had gone. I was glad. They would not think I had killed the devil man."

"Didn't Mrs. Marsh suspect?"

"My signora? No. She said nothing. I was certain she had fired the other three shots for I know my signora. Also I looked at the revolver in the case when she put it back."

"If Frisco had been arrested at once would you have spoken out?"

"No. Frisco was a bad man too. I would be glad if they put him in prison."

"Why do you tell now then?"

"The young Signor made me tell. Ah! he is a terrible young Signor. He makes me afraid. He said I would die, and that I must tell at once or he would speak to the police. Well I have told and I die. Have you all down Signor. I will sign. Ah! Dio mio!" she started up in bed, "the police."

It was indeed Bridge who entered with a red face and astonished eyes. He was followed by Sidney looking calm, just as though the Inspector had not been scolding him all the way because he had not told about Petronella before. But it took someone stronger than Inspector Bridge to frighten Sidney. For a moment the Inspector stared at the bed, and at his prisoner as he regarded the old woman. Then he spoke to Dr. Jim.

"This is an extraordinary thing sir," he said slowly.

"Very," assented Herrick, "I only knew of it myself an hour ago."

"I thought this young gentleman was telling me a lie."

"It is the truth," said Petronella pointing to Herrick, "the Signor has written all down. Here, see me sign my name, and you can say I signed it."

Inspector Bridge wanted to talk, but Dr. Jim made him a sign to be silent. The old woman was sinking fast and there was no time to be lost. With great difficulty she signed her name. Herrick and Bridge appended their signatures, and all was over.

"This will set Frisco free," said Bridge, "and now I must see about getting a warrant out for this woman."

"It is too late," said Dr. Jim, "she is dying."

"She won't die," said Bridge with a disdainful smile, "all this is done to cheat the law. I have a policeman downstairs. He shall come up and watch her, while I go for a warrant of arrest."

"She will die before sunset," said Sidney calmly, and went to the old women. He took her hand. "Good bye Petronella. You will be happy soon. You know what is to be done."

"Si Si. I know. I am happy. I will go to my husband," said Petronella. Then she looked at Dr. Jim with a worn smile. "I did it for my signora," she said, "you can go. You can do me no good now."

Herrick saw that well enough. However he went to see if he could get a nurse to heat some soup, and revive the woman. To be sure it was little use bringing her back to health and strength just to hang her. But Dr. Jim acted for the best. He went out with Sidney and the Inspector, leaving two policemen in charge. Bridge had the confession in his pocket, and intended to go up to town to deliver it into the hands of the proper authorities. Frisco had to be released seeing that he was innocent. "And I always thought he was," said Bridge lying in the most shameless manner.

Sidney looked after the man with a queer smile when he went away. "He is only wasting time," said the boy.

"We may keep the old woman alive till to-morrow," said Herrick.

Sidney shook his head. "She will die before sunset," he said.

Out of sheer perversity Dr. Jim wanted to thwart this prophecy. He saw that bad as Petronella was, she could be kept alive by stimulants, and this he intended to do, if only to baffle this extraordinary boy. For once in a way, he wished to prove Sidney in the wrong. The boy perhaps guessed his intentions, for he smiled again, and then said abruptly, that he was going back to Saxham.

"Will you tell them what has happened?" asked Herrick.

"No," replied Sidney, after a pause, "I am not fond of talking. You can tell them if you like."

"Very good," said Dr. Jim coolly, "then you ask Ida, Frank, and Bess to be at 'The Pines' about five o'clock. I shall return by that time and then everything can be explained. Thank heaven we know the truth at last. It is about time the matter came to an end. Will you be at 'The Pines' also?"

"I am going to have a long sleep," said Sidney. "I feel very tired."

He turned away with a nod, and Herrick stared after him. Jim was a doctor of the most advanced school, he had studied much, he was quick in seeing things, and on the whole prided himself on his knowledge. But he could make nothing of Sidney. The boy and his ways were beyond him altogether. Sidney would have baffled a committee of Doctors.

Herrick searched for a nurse and found one speedily, for he knew where to go. He brought her back to the house, and set her to heat some soup. Then he gave various directions, sent out for certain medicine, and did what he could to revive the strength of the old woman. Bridge allowed Petronella to have the bedroom to herself, but he kept the two policemen in the house and got out his warrant. Nothing was known in the town about the matter, as Bridge wished to wait until all was in order before telling the public. He foresaw that glory would accrue to him by the story he intended to tell. He had resolved to give Sidney and Herrick no more credit than he could help. Dr. Jim guessed as much when he heard Bridge talking. But he was rather pleased than otherwise. He did not want this latest freak of the uncanny changeling to be talked about. Besides, Bridge amused him. He was so very human in his love of praise.

His philanthropic work being ended, Herrick walked back to Saxham. He reached 'The Pines' some time after five, and already found the assembled party impatiently expecting his arrival. Sidney, it appeared, had just said sufficient to pique the curiosity of his family. He hinted that some untoward event had occurred with which Herrick was connected, but refused to say what it was. Then he had retired to bed in full daylight, and announced that he was going to sleep for twenty-four hours. What was to be done with such a boy.

"He grows more eccentric every day," sighed Ida.

Stephen laughed, "Oh! his eccentricities are harmless enough. That is if---" here he caught Herrick's eye and hesitated. He did not know but what Sidney might have confessed the crime of which Frisco accused him.

"Oh! that's all right," said Jim cheerily.

"What is?" asked Bess, wondering at the sudden relief expressed on Stephen's face. "Jim, you have something to tell us."

"Yes. Something very important--about the murder."

"The murder of Carr," cried Frank astonished. "Oh! I thought that was done with long ago."

"On the contrary," said Dr. Jim, "I have been working at it all these months trying to learn the truth. Stephen and Bess have been helping me."

"Well," said Ida, looking from her lover to the doctor, "I do call it mean. I should have been told."

"It would only have worried you, dear," said the Squire.

"But what is the difficulty?" cried Frank puzzled. "Frisco killed the Colonel. There was no secret about that."

"Frisco did not kill Carr," said Herrick, "the jury were wrong, so were we all. It was Petronella who shot the man."

Stephen jumped up, as Bess uttered a cry of amazement. "Petronella," he stammered. "Thank God! Sidney did not do it.

"Sidney!" cried Bess and Ida in a breath.

Herrick hurriedly explained. "Frisco accused Sidney because he was in the house at the time of the murder. That was when you were looking for him, Bess. Do you remember?"

"I should think so," she cried. "No wonder I could not find him. But Petronella. Was the pistol hers and the silver bullet?"

"What are you talking about, Bess dear?"

"Let me explain," said Dr. Jim, before Bess could answer Ida, "it is a long story and I think you will find it interesting." And then Herrick told the whole complicated case from the time he and Joyce found the dead body of Colonel Carr in the Tower which now no longer existed. He was frequently interrupted with exclamations of horror from Ida, and of rage from Frank. When he ended, the latter jumped up. "If I meet that little wretch, Joyce, again," said Frank, "I'll break every bone in his body. The idea of trying to mix up Bess in the matter."

"He has received a worse punishment than a thrashing," said Stephen, "I think you can leave him to the punishment of destiny, Frank."

A babel of voices ensued. Everyone was talking at once, and for fully an hour they discussed the case in all its bearings.

"I suppose Frisco will be released now," said Bess triumphantly. "I knew that he was innocent. I said so all along."

"All the same he is a bad lot," remarked Herrick, "the less we have to do with him the better."

"I don't think he'll come down here again in a hurry," said Marsh-Carr thankfully, "and Santiago has sailed for Mexico. Thus we are rid of the whole gang. Hullo! What's that?" It was a violent ringing at the door, and Herrick started to his feet, looking perturbed. "I hope nothing is wrong now," he said. "I am getting so nervous with all this, that I am always expecting the worst of tidings."

As he spoke, the footman ushered in Inspector Bridge, in a state of excitement. The man could hardly speak, and was scarlet in the face with suppressed rage and alarm. "I beg your pardon," he said to the company; "but this woman--Petronella----"

"What is the matter?" asked Dr. Jim.

"She is dead."

All looked at one another.

"And before sunset," remarked Herrick, thinking of Sidney. "How did it happen, Bridge?"

"She had a bottle of chloral under her pillow, and while the nurse's back was turned, she drank it. I was called, too late. She is as dead as a door-nail, and has spoilt a most beautiful case."

Leaving the others to discuss the matter with Bridge, Herrick hastily excused himself. He ran across to Biffstead, and up into Sidney's bedroom. The boy was sleeping quietly, but Dr. Jim woke him promptly.

"I say," he cried, shaking the boy's shoulder, "she is dead."

"Petronella," said Sidney drowsily, "I know she is. I said she would die before sunset."

"You told her to take that chloral."

"No," said Sidney in a sleepy manner, "she wanted to take it before she confessed, but I stopped her. But she was bound to die; I said she might get out of the world more easily if she took it. I daresay she died quietly--in a sleep."

"You have behaved shamefully," cried Herrick wrathfully.

"No. She was bound to die in any case. Why should she not die as she pleased? Go away, Dr. Jim, I want to sleep," and Sidney closed his eyes.

Herrick, in the face of this calmness, was helpless, so he departed. The boy had baffled him to the very end.