Miser Farebrother: A Novel (vol. 3 of 3)Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
General
Miser Farebrother: A Novel (vol. 3 of 3)
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
Fiction
"Adjoining the room they eat and drink in," said Kiss, "is a little
box-room, too small to let to any lodger, but large enough for lumber,
and that's the use it's put to by the landlady. Formerly it was part of
the room the two fiends have taken, but some time ago it was partitioned
off for boxes and that kind of thing. Consequently the wall that
separates it from the larger room is made of wood instead of brick. It
is a cupboard, nothing more, and anybody concealed there can hear what
is going on in the adjoining apartment. Sir, Mrs. Linton, provided with
sandwiches and cold tea, has been concealed in that cupboard nearly the
whole of the day unknown to the Pamfletts. The woman who stole the
diamond bracelet has been with them, and she heard all that passed. That
strange paragraph which is in all the evening papers about the bracelet
that was stolen being the genuine one, is true. Mrs. Linton heard the
woman swear to it. She wanted to know whether Jeremiah Pamflett had
possession of the bracelet. At first he denied that he had, but the
woman said he was telling a lie, and she did not intend to be done. They
almost got to high words, but the Pamfletts spoke in a low voice and
calmed the woman down; and upon her swearing that if they did not tell
her the truth she would go straight to the police-station and confess
the robbery and have them arrested, they confessed that they _had_ got
the bracelet, but had deposited it elsewhere for safety. 'That being
so,' said the woman, 'you must have stolen it from Miser Farebrother,
and the girl who has been found guilty of his murder is innocent. It was
_you_ who murdered him! You are in my power now, and if you don't pay me
well to hold my tongue I'll have the pair of you hanged!' For a little
while after that Mrs. Linton heard nothing more--only a murmur of
voices; but before she went away she heard the woman say, 'To-morrow
night, then, at ten o'clock; and mind you come with the bracelet and the
money ready. If you don't, your life is not worth an hour's purchase.'
That was all; when the woman was gone, Mrs. Pamflett and her son talked
in whispers, and not a word could Mrs. Linton catch. But I think she
heard enough."
"Quite enough," said Garden, "and you have rendered us an inestimable
service. What you have told us would almost justify our taking immediate
action against the monsters; but there is something else of great
importance to do within the next few hours. We will take them red-handed
to-morrow night, the two murderers and the thief who in the first
instance stole the bracelet. Then the case will be complete, and there
will be no escape for them. Now go back and keep watch upon their
movements. They must not be allowed to go anywhere without being
followed. If you have the slightest reason to fear that they will give
you the slip, lay hands upon them, collect a crowd, and give them in
charge."
"Upon what charge?" asked Kiss.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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