The Green Mummy - Page 153/191

"But why take all this trouble?" argued the baronet. "I can buy the

mummy from Braddock."

"No," said Don Pedro. "I have a right to my own property."

Random lingered until late in the afternoon and until darkness fell,

as he was anxious to see Donna Inez. But she did not appear until late.

Meanwhile Archie Hope put in an appearance, having come to see Don Pedro

with an account of his interview with Widow Anne. Before coming to the

inn he had called on Professor Braddock, and from him had heard all

about the wickedness of Mrs. Jasher. His surprise was very great.

"I should not have believed it," he declared. "Poor woman!"

"Ah," said Random, rather pleased, "you are more merciful than the

Professor, Hope. He calls her a bad woman."

"Humph! I don't think that Braddock is so good that he can afford to

throw a stone," said Archie rather sourly. "Mrs. Jasher has not behaved

well, but I should like to hear her complete story before judging. There

must be a lot of good in her, or Lucy, who has been with her a great

deal, would have found her out long ago. I go by a woman's judgment of a

woman. But Mrs. Jasher must have been anxious to marry."

"She was; as Professor Braddock knows," said Random quickly.

"I am not thinking of that so much as of what Widow Anne told me."

"Oh," said Don Pedro, looking up from where he was seated, "so you have

seen that old woman? What does she say about the clothes?"

"She sticks to her story. Sidney, she declares, borrowed the clothes to

give to me for a model. Now, I never asked Bolton to do this, so I fancy

the disguise must have been intended for himself, or for Mrs. Jasher."

"But what had Mrs. Jasher to do with him?" demanded Random sharply.

"Well, it's odd," replied Hope slowly, "but Mrs. Bolton declares that

her son was in love with Mrs. Jasher, and when he returned from Malta

intended to marry her."

"Impossible!" cried Sir Frank. "She engaged herself to Braddock."

"But only after Bolton's death, remember."

Don Pedro nodded.

"That is true. But what you say, Mr. Hope, proves the truth of Hervey's

theory."

"In what way?"

"Mrs. Jasher, as we know from what Random told us, wanted money. She

would not marry a man who was poor. Bolton was poor, but of course the

emeralds would make him wealthy, as they are of immense value. Probably

he intended to steal them in order to marry this woman. This implicates

Mrs. Jasher in the crime."

"Yes," assented Sir Frank, nodding. "But as Bolton did not know that the

emeralds existed before he bought the mummy in Malta, I do not see why

he should borrow a disguise beforehand for Mrs. Jasher to meet him at

the Sailor's Rest."