Brendon asked himself if he had suffered a hallucination, but he
knew that his rational mind was not constituted to create ghosts
from within. Imagination he had, but therein was a source of
strength, not weakness, and no grain of superstition weakened his
mental endowment. He knew also that no one had been farther from his
thoughts than Robert Redmayne at the moment of his sudden
appearance. No, he had seen a living man and one who certainly would
not willingly have revealed himself.
He had not the least intention of ignoring his discovery and was
quite prepared to arrest Robert Redmayne, even under his brother's
roof if necessary; but he desired first to hear Jenny Pendean upon
the subject before seeking the assistance of the Dartmouth police.
He felt that she would not deceive him, or answer a direct appeal
with a lie. And then there flashed upon him the painful conviction
that she must already have lied to him; for if Redmayne were living
concealed at "Crow's Nest," all the household, including Doria and
the solitary woman servant, would assuredly be in the secret.
Supposing Jenny begged him to hold his hand and spare Robert
Redmayne, would he then be justified in keeping his discovery to
himself? Some men might have built up a personal hope upon this
possibility and seen themselves winning to the summit of their
ambition by bending to the widow's will; but Mark did not confound
the thoughts of duty and love nor did he even dream that success in
one might depend upon neglect of the other. He had only to raise the
question to answer it, and he swiftly determined that not Jenny, or
her Uncle Bendigo, or anybody on earth should prevent him from
securing Robert Redmayne on the following day if it came within his
power to do so. Indeed he felt little doubt that this would happen.
For that night there was no hurry. He slept well after an unusual
amount of exercise and emotion; and he rose late. He was dressing at
half past eight when there came a chambermaid to the door.
"There's a gentleman must see you this instant moment, please, sir,"
she said. "He's by the name of Mr. Doria and he comes from Captain
Redmayne out over at 'Crow's Nest.'"
Not sorry that his day's work might now be simplified, Mark bade the
girl summon his visitor, and in two minutes Giuseppe Doria appeared.
"I was clever to find you," he said, "for we only knew that you were
stopping in Dartmouth to-night, but we did not know where. Yet I
guessed you would choose the best hotel and I guessed rightly. I
will eat my breakfast with you, if you please, and tell you why I am
here. The thing was to catch you if we could before you went away. I
am glad that I was in time."
"So Robert Redmayne, the murderer of Michael Pendean, has turned
up?" asked Brendon, finishing his shaving; and Doria showed
astonishment.
"Corpo di Bacco! How did you know that?" he asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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