The Lone Inn

J fin COPrR.QMf '.O 1694 By TMC AUTHOR CHAPTER IV. There was no doubt that Felix intended to continue passing himself off as Francis. For how long I was uncertain; perhaps for the rest of kis natural life or until he made Olivia his wife. In this latter event he could reveal the fraud with impunity and revert to his own identity. I could uot help thinking that he had been inforraed beforehand of the death of his brother, else he would not have dared to keep up his imposture with a possible revelation so near at hand. Even assumiug such ignorance, I had now told him of the death myself and so strengthened his positiou. 1 regretted that I had not been more cautious. I was curious to see whom he would bring forward as a wituess to bis identity. Scarcely Olivia, as if she once had suspicion of the truth she would never rest until all was clearedupto hersarisfaction. I hardly thought Felix would run such risk, the more so as his story of losing the pearl ring could not stand against my assertion that it was on the finger of the dead man. Il' he still persisted in declaring himself to be Francis, I determined that he should ride with me to the Fen inn and there see the corpse of the man whose name he had so shamelessly assumed. That would surely settle the matter. Felix was bolder than I gave him credit for, as his witness proved to be none other than Olivia Bellin. "She entered the room with assumed lightness, but her face was anxious, and she glanced every uow and then at Felix as though to st -v his aidand countenance. He, as was natural, wore a haggard expression. His nerves were tensioned up to the highest pitch, a matter of small wonderment, seeing that his life's happiness depended upon this interview. ' ' What is this strange story yon bring, Mr. Denham?" asked Olivia, greeting me coldly. In our best days we were never overfriendly. "Has not Mr. Briarfield told you?" "I have not had the time," interposed Felix quickly. "Beyond a few hints of the truth she knows iiothing. " "Not even that you are Felix Briarfield?" "Felix?" repeated Miss Bellin in surprise. "But you are making a mistake, Mr. Denham. This is Francis. " "So he says. " "You see, Olivia," said Briarfield, addressing Miss Bellin, "Denham insists upou taking me for my brother Felix. " "How absurd! I assure you, Mr. Denham, that Felix is in Paris. I received a letter from him only this morning. " "Impossible, " said I, taken aback by the authority of her tone. "It is quite true, " she continued hurriedly. "Excuse me for a moment, and I shall fetch the letter. You must believe the evidence of your own eyes. " When she left the room, Felix turned toward me with a gleam of triumph in his eyes. "Are you convinced?" he asked ïnockingly "No. 1 ar puzzled. " "In whiit way?" "To think how you managed to gei that letter sent on from Paris without being there your.-ielf. " "Against stupidity the gods them selves fight in vain, " quoth Felix, shrug ging his shoulrlera. "I assure you thal my broriier Felix is in Paris. Miss Bel lin is about to produce a letter receiveo from him only this morning, and yel you insist that I arn not myself and that he whom I pretend to be is dead. Yoi. are mad. " "Here is the letter," said Miss Bellin, entering at this moment. "You see, i it bears the date of yesterday. He is al i present staying at the Hotel des Etran gers, Rue de St. Honore, but talks oi going to Italy. " I examined the letter closely. It was genuine enough. Of that there was nc doubt, as it bore the French and English postinarks. I quite believed that it was written by Felix, but also that it had been forwarded from Paris by au emissary of the young man in order te keep up the needful deception. Certainly Felix had a marked taient for intrigue. "If Felix Briarfield is in Paris, " said j I, handing back the letter to Olivia, j "who was it I met at the Feu inn last night?" "The Fen inn?" replied Olivia, with a puzzled look. " Why, no one lives there uow, Mr. Denham. It is in ruins and has been empty for over two years. " "Nevertheless it was tenanted last night, and I slept there; also I met Francis Briarfield at the same place. " "Francis was not out of the house last night," declared Olivia decisively. "Quite true, " he replied. "I went to bed early with a bad headache. ' ' "It was not you I met at the inn last night, but your brother Francia. " "How can you persist in so fooliah a story?" said Olivia angrily. "This is Francis, and Felix ia in Paris. Yon could not have met either of them at the Fen inn last night, and indeed I can 't believe that you slepc there at alL ' ' "I did, Miss Bellin, and there I met Franois. ' ' "If you did, where is he now? Why not clear up the mystery by bringing him here with you?" "Because he is dead. " "Dead!" she echoed, catching tha arm of Francis. "Dead! Who ia dead?" "Francis Briarfield." "He is mad, " she said to Felix in a low tone, her face white with fear. "Upon my word, Í ani beginning to think so myself, " I said, losing my temper, "but I declare on my oath tïiat I speak the truth. There is only one way of solving the riddle. Come out with me to the Fen inn and look on the faca of the dead man I say is Fraucis Briarfield. A single glance will give the lie to the asscrtion of this man who pretends to be your lover!" Felix looked at Olivia, she at him. It seemed to me that they grew a shado paler. I wondered whether any guilty bond existed between them, as certainly they seemed to nnderstand one another very well. Olivia appeared anxions to protect Fpüx from harm. EIther she really believed him to be Francis or had taken her heart from one brother and given it to the other. It was she who spoke first, and throughout the interview the woman played a more dariug game than did the man. Her attitude puzzled me, and for the moment I was quite in the dark as to what were her real thoughts regarding my story and that of the pseudo Francis. "We cannot go tonight, " she said, with some hesitation, "but tomorrow morning, if you like, we will ride out to the inn. " I glanced at my watch. "It is now 5 o'clock, " said I, "and will be light up to 9 or thereáfbout. There is plenty of time for us to ride to the Fen inn, and I thiuk it advisable to do so at once. " "Why not tomorrow morning?" objected Felix. "Great heavens, Briarfield, have you no natural affection? Dou't I teil you that your brother is lying dead there? Can't you understand the necessity of attending to so serious a matter without delay? If you have uo affection, you mighfc at least have decency. " "I decline to believe that my brother is dead," said Briarfield coolly. "That letter shown to you by Olivia provea that he was in Paris yesterday. He could not have come over - so quickly, and besides would have no reason to go to the Fen inn. " "Of course if you insist upon assuming your brother's name I can say nothing, but I know the truth and had it from the lips of Francis. ' ' "What do you mean?" asked Olivia. "1 mean that Francis returned from Chile a few days ago and went to the Fen inn by appointment in order to hear the explanation of Felix. " "What explanation?" "The reason of Felix passing himself off as Francis. " "You are ntterly mistaken, Mr. Denham. I swear that this is Francis, the man to whom I am engaged. " "Can you wish for stronger proof ?" asked Felix, with the marked intention of insulting me. I paid no attention to his sneer, but turned round to Miss Bel Hu and asked a pertinent question. "Where is the pearl ring you gave Francis, Miss Bellin?" "The pearl ring?" she said, nmch agitated. "Yes, I did give Francis a pearl ring, but he lost it. Did yóu not lose it, Francis?" she added, turning toward her lover. "Two months ago. " "Well, Miss Bellin," said I deliberately, "if yon come out with me to the Fen inn, I will show you the pearl ring on the finger of the dead man. " "It canuot be - it is impossible, " she murmured, clasping her huuds together in great distress. "I am uttorly bewildered by your talk. Franois retnrned from Chile three mouths agó, and my rnother conseuted to our engagement." "It was not Francis who ryturued, " 1 asserted doggecüy, "but Felix - Felix, who pretenda to be iu Paris. " "But this letter?" "Bah! That was written hereby Bri arfield and forwarded to a friend il Paris, to be posted back to you. ' ' "Liar!" ci'iöd Felix, dashing forwarc with ciinched fists. "If you don't re tract that statement, I'll" "For pity'ssake, bequiet, " entreateá Olivia, throwing herself between us. "Do not bring my mother here. Fran cis, you do not knr-v the harm you art doing. Mr. Denhal .■., " she added, turning to me as he sudnenly stepped back, "do you say this gentleman is Felix?" "I do most decidedly. " "I teil you, sir, it is not so. This is my afflanced lover, Francis. Great heavens, could woman make a mistake in so serious a matter?" "I believe the resemblance betweeD the bróthers woald deceive any one. ' ' "Let us settle the question by going to the Fen inn," said Felix aharply. "I'll wager that thero we find neithei landlord nor any one. " "You don't believe me?" said I quickly. "I do not, sir. I believe yon hava dreamed all thisrubbish. I am here - I, Francis Briarfield. Felix, my brother, is in Paris, and as to your cock and buil story of a murder at the Fen inn I don't believe a word of it. " "Very well, Briarfield," I said, pieking up my hat. "You have chosen your course. I wil! uow choose mine. Hith:rto I have kept the affair quiet for your sake and for that of Miss Bellin. Now I will place the matter in the hands of the authorities and wash my hands of the whole afïair. ' ' "Do what you think fit," retorted Briarfield fiercely and turned his back ou me. Stung by his contemptuous manuer, I wálked smartly toward the door, but was stopped on the threshold by Miss Bellin. "It is no use, your going to see tho pólice, Mr. Deuham, " she said anxiously. "I assure it will only get you into trouble. Your story is too wild to beliave. They will say you are mad. " "I'U take the risk of that. I am uot yet so mad as uot to believe the evidence of my owu eyes. Let me pass, Miss Bellin. " "Stay!" she said in a peremptory tone. "Let rne speak a moment with Francis. " I bowed my head in token of acquiescence, and she glided back to where Felix was looking out of the window. For a few minutes they spoke together in low, hurried voices. She seemed to be entreating and he refusing. At length he evidently yielded to her prayers, for he sank into a chair with a gestare of despair, and she returned to ruy side. "I don't wish you to getinto trouble, Mr. Deuham, " she said coldly, "nor do I wish you to use my name, as you assuredly will do in ruaking your report to the pólice. I believe this story of yours to be a hallucination, and in order to convince you of it am willing to ride out to the Fen inn tomorrow with you and Francis. When we rrive there, I assure you we shall see nothing. ' ' "I am oertain you'll see more than you bargain for," said I dryly. "I would rather you went there tonight. " "I cannot. My mother would not allow me to go. Be a little considérate, Mr. Denham." I saw the justice of this reasoning and forbore to press the point. Aiter all, so long as they went the time did not much matter. "Then let it be tomorrow morning, " I said coldly, "at 10 o'clock. I will be at your park gates. If you and Briarfleld are not there, I go at once to the pólice office and give information concerning the murder of Francis. " (Tobe cr ntiEued.)