The evidence of Theophilus Binjoy:--
"I am a medical man; and in my early manhood, I practised in the village of Damington. I was present at the birth of Edward Fielding, and of Gregory Fellenger. I know about the mark on the arm of the real heir. Madaline changed the two children, and I said nothing as she promised to marry me. I was madly in love with her. She left the village, and deceived me. Afterwards I held my tongue lest I should get into trouble; also I hoped when the false Sir Gregory grew up, to have a hold on him. I was prevented from doing this by Madaline (whom I had discovered in Tooley's Alley, under the name of Mrs. Boazoph). She threatened to reveal the name of the true heir if I meddled with her son. I therefore did nothing. I saw the poisoned needle which Louis had made ready for an experiment. It was in a cabinet in the laboratory. Young Vaud came to Taxton-on-Thames nearly crazed with the death of Emma Colmer, whom he had courted as Emma Calvert. She had been driven to her death by her husband, the false Sir Gregory, and had killed herself in Paris. Vaud asked me about poisons. He said nothing to me about killing Sir Gregory, or I should have dissuaded him from doing so wicked and rash an action.
"I swear I did not wish the death of the young man. What I said to him in the laboratory, was purely without ulterior motives.
"I admit I showed him the poisoned needle. I was interested in the experiment, and, being full of it, I spoke of our intention of trying the poison on the dog. When Vaud left the laboratory, I did not miss the needle; I did not miss it until Louis spoke to me about it. As Turnor had lately been in the laboratory, and we had been speaking about the experiment, I thought he had taken the needle. It never struck me that Vaud had benefited by my explanation, and had stolen the needle to kill Gregory. With Louis I went up to town on the twenty-first of June, to see Turnor, and ask him for the needle; I had no motive in taking Louis to Turnor's. If Turnor attempted to blackmail Louis, I knew nothing about it. I repel with scorn the insinuation that I purposely inveigled Louis to Great Auk Street to entangle him in the crime, and so blackmail him. I never heard of the murder until I went to the Red Star, according to my usual custom of an evening. Madaline asked me if I had seen Vaud, who was disguised as a negro. I said I had not.
"We went into the room; and found the body of Sir Gregory; he was disguised as a working-man; Vaud had disappeared. I ordered the body to be taken upstairs, and made an examination. I then saw that Gregory had been killed by being inoculated with the poison which Louis and I had discovered. I recognised the cross of St. Catherine, half tattooed on the arm; and I guessed from that how Vaud had induced Gregory to let himself be pricked with the poisoned needle. I showed the mark to Fanks when he came upstairs. But before doing so, I obliterated it with a cut of the knife. I did this because I thought I might be inculpated with the crime. I remember advising Hersham (who I did not know was the real heir) to disguise himself as a negro so as to gain realistic descriptions of street music. I did not do so with any wrongful intention of connecting him with the murder. Madaline had told me how Vaud was dressed as my negro servant; I saw that the death had been brought about by the poisoned needle stolen from our laboratory by Vaud; and with these two things in my head I recognised my danger at once. I gave my feigned name to Fanks; I suggested that the crime was the work of a secret society. Then I went back to Turnor, and I was aware that I was being watched and could not return to Taxton-on-Thames without being discovered.
"I consulted Turnor; he advised the voyage to Bombay, and said I ought to send Caesar in my place, in order to get rid of him, since the murderer of Gregory had been disguised in his livery; and also that Caesar could send letters (already written by me) from India, in order to keep up the deception, and baffle the police. I adopted the idea, and, assisted by Dr. Turnor, I carried it out with great success. I had an interview with Fanks in the character of Dr. Renshaw, and I told him that I was going to Bombay. I then took a passage to India in the P. and O. steamer 'Oceana'; and wired to Caesar to meet me at Plymouth.
"Thither I went and gave the letters (purporting to be written by myself from Bombay) to Caesar and sent him off in my place. Afterwards, I took off my disguise, and went back to Mere Hall. I had no idea that I had been followed by Mr. Fanks, and thinking that I had destroyed all links with the crime in Tooley's Alley, likely to endanger Louis and myself, I advised him to offer a reward so as to still further avert suspicion.
"This he did, and I thought all was well, till Madaline came from Mere Hall to warn me against Fanks, and to threaten to put the real Gregory in the place of Louis. I stopped her doing this, and defied Fanks. How he over-reached me; how I was betrayed by Louis, has been told by others. I can swear with a clear conscience that I acted throughout in the interests of Louis, who has treated me with the basest ingratitude. I have no more to say, save to express my pleasure that Mr. Hersham has recovered his real name in the world. I hope he will remember that it was indirectly through me that he was re-instated in his estates; by my confirming the statements of Madaline, and that of the late Sir Francis, his father. I think that he should reward me. In this hope I take my leave.
(Signed), Theophilus Binjoy."
The evidence of Anne Colmer--
"I am the daughter of Mrs. Colmer, of Taxton-on-Thames, the sister of Emma Colmer, who died in Paris under the name of Emma Calvert, and the niece of Madaline Garry, better known as Mrs. Boazoph. I saw the letter--or rather the envelope--which she directed for my mother, to get back the photograph of my sister from Sir Gregory. It was taken out of our house by Herbert Vaud, and I believe he sent it to Sir Gregory with the cardboard star, making the appointment in Tooley's Alley. I had no idea that Vaud contemplated revenging the death of my sister on Gregory. I knew that he hated him, and that he would do him harm if he could, but I did not know that he would go so far as murder.
"I wired to Ted Hersham on the twenty-first, as my mother told me that she suspected that Vaud had taken the envelope, and that he contemplated harm to Sir Gregory. I wanted Ted to get back the envelope. Afterwards, I thought that I would see my aunt in Tooley's Alley, as I knew she had great influence with Vaud. I sent the telegram, and immediately, without returning to the house, I went up to town. I was detained by the train breaking down, and I did not arrive in town till nearly seven o'clock. I went to the Red Star, where I saw Mr. Fanks; and then heard of the crime. I fancied that Vaud might have committed it, but I was not sure. I was afraid lest my mother should be implicated in it; as she informed me that she had told Vaud about the substitution of the false Sir Gregory, and about the tattooed cross. This story had been related to her by Mrs. Boazoph, when we learned that Sir Gregory had caused the death of his wife, my sister.
"I determined to recover the envelope, in case my aunt should get into trouble, and to obtain the photograph, lest the police should trace the connection of the so-called Emma Calvert with myself and my mother. I went up to the chambers in Half-Moon Street. There I saw Mr. Fanks, and I recognised him as a detective. I had seen him and heard his name when I had been at the Red Star, shortly after the committal of the crime. I was afraid we would all get into trouble, therefore, I took advantage of Robert's faint to leave the room. I got into a cab, and told the man that I was being followed by a gentleman. He assisted me to escape by dropping me in Piccadilly, and afterwards--as I learned--he misled Mr. Fanks, who followed me.
"I know nothing about the poisoned needle, or how the crime was accomplished. I heard afterwards about the tattooed cross from my mother. It was with no intention of getting Ted into trouble that I told him to assume the dress of Caesar. When the detective suspected it, I advised him to make a clean breast of it, which he afterwards did. I did not tell Mr. Fanks what I knew, as I was afraid of getting my mother and aunt into difficulties. All this is true, I swear, and I know no more about the matter.
(Signed), Anne Colmer."
The evidence of Mrs. Colmer:--
"I told Vaud about the substitution of Gregory for Edward Hersham. My sister, Mrs. Bryant, had confessed it to me. I was mad with rage and grief at the way in which my girl had been treated by Gregory, and I thought Vaud might see about getting him turned out of the place he wrongfully occupied, and so punish his wickedness. I had no idea that Vaud intended to kill Sir Gregory. Bad as he was, I did not wish to go that far. I only wanted him to be deprived of his estates and title, so that he should suffer. I gave the envelope, which had been written by my sister, Mrs. Bryant, with the address in Half-Moon Street, so that Vaud should call on Sir Gregory, and tell him the truth, and should get back the photograph of my poor girl.
"I knew nothing of the murder, which took place in a low hotel in Tooley's Alley, and which was kept by a notorious woman called Mrs. Boazoph. I also told Vaud that Ted Hersham was writing articles on street music, and that, to study the subject, he was going about London in the guise of a negro. I only told him this in the course of conversation, and without any motive. This is all I know about the affair.
(Signed), Jane Colmer."
The evidence of Dr. Turnor:--
"I did not take the poisoned needle. I knew nothing of such an instrument. Louis and Binjoy came up to me on the twenty-first to ask me about it. I denied having it, but Louis did not believe me. When I was called in by Mrs. Boazoph he would not let me go out of the room. Binjoy went under the name of Renshaw. He used that name and a disguise in order to enjoy himself in London. After he left, Louis, finding, that I had not the needle, returned to Taxton-on-Thames. Binjoy came back; he told me that Gregory Fellenger was dead, and that he was being watched. I saw his danger, and advised him to keep up his fictitious character so as to deceive the police. I suggested the voyage to India; I helped to carry out the plan.
"He got away to Mere Hall safely, as we thought. When Fanks asked me questions, I did my best to baffle him for the sake of Binjoy. I had no other motive. I was ignorant of the tattooed cross, of the changing of the children. I saw Sir Louis when he succeeded to the estates by the death of his cousin. I did not blackmail him. The sum of money he gave me was a reward for my helping Binjoy to escape. I know nothing of the murder save what I read in the newspaper. I consider that I have been ungratefully treated by Mr. Louis Fellenger, and most insolently by the man who calls himself Fanks. I have nothing more to add.
(Signed), Walter Turnor."
The confession of Herbert Vaud:--
"I killed Gregory Fellenger. I am glad that I killed him. When I found out in Paris how he had deceived and slain the woman I loved, I determined to make him pay for his wickedness. 'An eye for an eye,' that is Scripture. I wished to kill Gregory without harm to myself; and an opportunity soon occurred. I was at Mrs. Colmer's, at Taxton-on-Thames, commiserating, with her on the death of her daughter and my affianced wife. I did not tell her I wished to kill the scoundrel; I told nobody. She related to me the history of the changing of the children, which had been told to her by her sister, Mrs. Bryant, whom I knew as Mrs. Boazoph. She wanted to avenge the death of her daughter on Gregory by depriving him of his title and estates. Also, she gave me the address of Gregory, written on an envelope by Mrs. Boazoph, and asked me to call upon him for the double purpose of telling him what he really was, and also, to get the photograph which had been seen and written upon by Mrs. Boazoph, in Gregory's chambers.
"I took the envelope, but at that time I did not design the murder. I wanted to kill Gregory, but I could not see how to do it with safety to myself. I afterwards went to Mrs. Boazoph, and learned from her that she had told her son about the tattooing, and the falseness of his position. She implored me not to see him about his relationship to her. I agreed; for I wished to kill him, and make him suffer. The taking away of his property was not good enough in my eyes to punish him for his wickedness.
"Afterwards I went to Taxton-on-Thames to see Binjoy. I knew that he was a chemist, and I desired to ask him about a poison to kill Gregory. He told me about the poisoned needle, and showed it to me. Whether he did so in order to put the idea into my head I do not know. I did not tell him that I intended to kill Gregory; so far he is guiltless; but he certainly showed me the way--innocently, perhaps--to kill Gregory. When I came back from Taxton-on-Thames I had the poisoned needle in my possession, and saw how to carry out my plan. I remembered the tattooed cross on the arm of the rightful heir, and I resolved to make use of that to induce Gregory to let me tattoo his arm with the poisoned needle.
"I placed the advertisement in a paper, which I knew he took in. I saw his answer, and I then sent him the cardboard star appointing the meeting-place in Tooley's Alley. I imitated the writing on the envelope when designing a star, so that, if necessary, the blame might rest on Mrs. Boazoph, his mother. For the same reason I chose the Red Star as the meeting-place. To make things doubly sure, I made use of Hersham's masquerade as a negro; and I adopted his disguise to implicate him. Moreover, I thought that, failing Hersham, I might be able to throw the blame on Binjoy and his negro servant. In every way I thought that I was safe.
"I went to the Red Star on the twenty-first; I met Mrs. Boazoph, and made an excuse to her for my disguise (which she penetrated) that I was about to play a trick on Binjoy. She thought that I was mad, and I let her remain in that delusion. But I here state that I am quite sane; that I killed Gregory with the greatest deliberation, and that I do not regret what I have done. I went into the room; I met Gregory. He took me for the negro of Dr. Binjoy, whom he had never seen. The lights were low, and I said little; also I disguised my voice. Gregory was a remarkably stupid creature, else I should never have succeeded in my plan; also he was rather drunk. I counted on his density in coming into his presence. At all events he did not know me; and when I told him that the rightful heir must have the cross pricked on his arm--a fact which I said I had heard from Binjoy--he let me tattoo it in his arm. I did so with the poisoned needle, and in a short space of time he became insensible; afterwards he died. Then I pulled down his sleeve and left the hotel. The gunpowder scattered on the table was used by me as a device to make Gregory think that I was really tattooing him.
"Afterwards I left a parcel containing the poisoned needle at his chambers, to rid myself of all evidence of the crime. Well, I killed him and went away. No one else is guilty of the crime but me. I conceived it without assistance. I alone committed the crime in Tooley's Alley and killed Gregory Fellenger, or, rather, Edward Fielding, the son of Madaline Garry and Sir Francis. I am not sorry. I glory in having punished a villain. I am sorry that I was found out, but I was not surprised when Mrs. Boazoph betrayed me. I wondered that she did not do so long ago. When this is read I shall be dead.
(Signed), Herbert Vaud."
A few months after the confession of Vaud and the end of the Tooley Alley case, Fanks was seated with Louis Fellenger in the house of the latter at Taxton-on-Thames. Louis had surrendered the estates to Hersham, who was now known by his rightful title of Sir Gregory Fellenger. Mrs. Boazoph was dead; Anne Colmer contemplated marriage with the new Sir Gregory; and Mr. Fanks was having a chat with Fellenger about the extraordinary matters in which they both had been concerned.
"When did you get back to town, Fanks?" asked Louis, when they were comfortably seated.
"Last week, old fellow. I have been enjoying myself in Italy, and I assure you that I needed it after the wear and tear of the Tooley Alley affair. I came down to have a chat with you about it."
"I am glad you have. There are one or two points about those confessions which I do not understand. That case was a hard nut to crack, Fanks."
Fanks looked up from the pipe he was filling. "Hard?" he echoed; "you may well say that, Fellenger. I have had many hard cases in my time, but the Tooley Alley mystery was the hardest of them all. The affair of Monsieur Judas was difficult; so was the Chinese Jar Puzzle. The Carbuncle Clue gave me some trouble; but all these were child's play compared to the mystery of your cousin's death. I thought I should never get a hold of the rope with which I designed to hang Vaud."
"You didn't hang him, however."
"No; he managed to hang himself before his trial. I was not sorry, poor devil."
"Nor was I," said Louis; "and I think that Vaud was mad when he killed Gregory, mad with despair and grief at the end of Emma Calvert. The old man has gone abroad, I hear."
"Yes; I met him in Italy. He is quite broken down, as he was very proud of his son Herbert. But he told me that he always thought Herbert would do something rash, although he never suspected that he killed Gregory. How could he when the young man conducted himself so circumspectly? I don't think Herbert was insane," said Fanks, decisively; "he acted too cleverly and cunningly for that. He killed Gregory in cold blood with the greatest determination. Besides, look at the measures he took to secure his safety. No, no, my friend; Vaud was not mad."
"Crate told me that you suspected him for some time before you found out the truth."
"Yes, I did. I suspected him without any evidence to go on. But he protested so much, and behaved so queerly, that I thought he was the man I wanted. All the same, as I had no evidence to go on, I held my tongue until I was certain. When I left Binjoy ill at Mere Hall I could think of no one so likely to have committed the crime as Vaud; so, on the chance that Mrs. Boazoph would tell the truth, I sent Garth for him. When he came into the room at the Red Star Mrs. Boazoph spotted him at once. I knew that the woman was aware of the real murderer. I saw that on the night the crime was committed. Her action with the gunpowder gave me that tip."
"And Mrs. Boazoph, alias Mrs. Bryant, alias Mrs. Fielding, alias Madaline Garry, is dead also. I was sorry for that woman, Fanks."
"So was I," said the detective, promptly. "She had a hard time of it. I don't think that she was naturally bad, and in happier circumstances she might have been a decent member of society. But look at the training and misfortunes she had. Sir Francis, a fool of a first husband, a brute of a second, and all the temptations at Tooley's Alley to contend against. I wonder she was as decent as she was. I am a deal sorrier for her than for your friend Binjoy, who got off scot-free."
"Don't call him my friend," said Louis, with a shudder. "I hate the very name of the man. It was only out of respect for my father that I bore with him for so long. I was glad when he went away. Did you ever see so insolent a confession as he made?"
"Oh, I was prepared for anything from a scoundrel like Binjoy. He gave me a rub for myself; and so did his friend, Turnor. 'Arcades Ambo.' Blackguards both," quoted Fanks, smiling. "But Hersham did not remember him as he expected him to."
"No, the present Sir Gregory, whom you will call Hersham, sent Binjoy away pretty sharply, I can tell you. Binjoy and Turnor actually had the cheek to call on him at Mere Hall, and ask him for money in order to leave England; on the plea that their substantiation of Mrs. Boazoph's evidence had gained him the estate."
"I think it was your decency in letting Hersham have the estates without going into Court that made things so smooth, Fellenger. Do you regret the loss?"
"No, I assure you I do not. I was satisfied that Hersham was truly the heir; the evidence of that paper we found, and of Mrs. Boazoph, was quite enough. I was glad to come back here, and go on with my experiments in peace. I accepted a thousand a year from Hersham, which he insisted on giving me; so you see I am fairly well off."
"And you are good friends with Hersham--I beg his pardon--Sir Gregory Fellenger, of Mere Hall, in the county of Hants?"
"I am excellent friends with him and with his future wife, Anne Colmer. You know, of course, that they are going to be married in a month or so, that is, if Mrs. Colmer does not die in the meantime?"
"From what I hear from Garth, it is likely that she will die," said Fanks. "I expect the poor woman will be glad to go now that she sees her daughter will make a good marriage."
"Garth came to see me the other day," said Louis, "and he told me that at one time he thought I had committed the crime."
"I thought so, too," said Fanks, quietly. "Mrs. Jerusalem did her best to make me suspect you."
"I am glad you found that I was guiltless. By the way, where is Mrs. Jerusalem?"
"She is keeping house for Garth. I hear that Hersham gave Garth some money, knowing how hard-up he was, so he has set up a house on the strength of it. I don't envy Garth his housekeeper."
"Oh, she loves him in her own savage way," said Louis, coolly. "I daresay when he marries he will give her the go-by. I am sure she deserves it for the double way in which she treated me. Then she will go to the Union, or become an emigrant to America, like Messrs. Binjoy and Turnor."
"Why America?"
"She has a sister there. I wonder what those two scoundrelly doctors are doing in the States?"
"Evil, you may be sure of that," replied Fanks. "Let us hope that they will be lynched some day. I am sure that they deserve it."
"They do," assented Fellenger. "I am sorry they did not get into trouble."
Fanks laughed. "That was certainly your own fault, my dear fellow," he said.
"Well, I was unwilling to prosecute for that blackmailing, because I did not want the public to know more of our family scandal than was necessary. I was sorry to let the blackguards go, but, after all, it is best so. Don't you think so yourself?"
"No, I don't," said Fanks. "You are too full of the milk of human kindness, my dear Fellenger. I should have punished the rascals."
"I am sure you would not if your family had been involved in such a business. I am glad you kept so much from the public ear; there are quite enough scandals as it is. Well, we have discussed the case a good time, so suppose you come inside and have some luncheon."
"I'm agreeable," was Fanks' reply, and he got up to follow his friend. "By the way, can I take any message from you to Hersham and Miss Colmer? I am going down to Mere Hall next week."
"Tell them I hope they will ask me to dance at the wedding."
"Of course they will. I shall dance also," added Fanks, with a smile. "I deserve to, for I danced enough after the evidence of this Tooley Alley case. May I never have such another; it was more like a detective novel than a story in real life. But it is over now, thank Heaven. We have acted our several parts; the bad have been punished and the good rewarded, so we can drop the curtain on the Tragedy of Tooley's Alley."