Lady Molly - The End"Do you know how we worked it? Sir Jeremiah would not disinherit his grandson--he steadily
refused to make a will in Philip Baddock's favor. But when he was practically dying we sent
for Alexander Steadman--a newcomer, who had never seen Sir Jeremiah before--and I
impersonated the old gentleman for the occasion. Yes, I!" he repeated with a coarse laugh, "I
was Sir Jeremiah for the space of half an hour, and I think that I played the part splendidly. I
dictated the terms of a new will. Young Steadman never suspected the fraud for a single
instant. We had darkened the room for the comedy, you see, and Mr. Steadman was
destined by Baddock and myself never to set eyes on the real Sir Jeremiah.
"After the interview Baddock sent for Captain de Mazareen; this was all part of his plan and
mine. We engineered it all, and we knew that Sir Jeremiah could only last a few hours. We
sent for Steadman again, and I myself scattered a few dozen sharp nails among the loose
stones in the road where the motor-car was intended to break down, thus forcing the solicitor
to walk through the woods. Captain de Mazareen's appearance on the scene at that
particular moment was an unrehearsed effect which nearly upset all our plans, for had Mr.
Steadman stuck to him that night, instead of turning back, he would probably be alive now,
and Baddock and I would be doing time somewhere for attempted fraud. We should have
been done, at any rate.
"Well, you know what happened. Mr. Steadman was killed. Baddock killed him, and then ran
straight back to the house, just in time to greet Captain de Mazareen, who evidently had
loitered on his way. But it was I who thought of the stick, as an additional precaution to avert
suspicion from ourselves. Captain de Mazareen was carrying one, and left it in the hall at the
Castle. I cut my own hand and stained the stick with it, then polished and cleaned it up, and
later, during the night, deposited it in the near neighborhood of the murdered body.
Ingenious, wasn't it? I am a clever beggar, you see. Because I was cleverer than Baddock
he could not do without me, and because he could not do without me I made him write and
sign a request to me to help him to manufacture a bogus will and then to murder the solicitor
who had drawn it up. And I have hidden that precious document in the wing of Appledore
Castle which I inhabit; the exact spot is known only to myself. Baddock has often tried to find
out, but all he knows is that these things are in that particular wing of the house. I have the
document, and the draft of the will taken out of Mr. Steadman's pocket, and the short
bludgeon with which he was killed--it is still stained with blood--and the rags with which I
cleaned the stick. I swear that I will never make use of these things against Philip Baddock
unless he drives me to it, and if you make use of what I have just told you I'll swear that I have
lied. No one can find the proofs which I hold. But on the day you marry Baddock I'll put them
in the hands of the police."
There was silence in the room. I could almost hear the beating of my own heart, so horrified,
so appalled was I at the horrible tale which the man had just told to my dear lady.
The villainy of the whole scheme was so terrible, and at the same time so cunning, that it
seemed inconceivable that human brain could have engendered it. Vaguely in my dull mind I