Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 6).djvu/102

 "Come into this room with me, Halifax," he said.

He pointed to a little conservatory which opened out of the dining-room. His manner had altered; it was now composed and quiet. I perceived that the shock he had received had the strange effect of absolutely steadying his nerves for the time.

"We found him," he began at once—"we found him several miles from home. The mare's footsteps were distinctly visible in the snow, and we had no difficulty in tracing them to the spot on the borders of a wood where the act was committed."

"He killed himself, then," I whispered.

"Yes, yes; my friend! my poor, poor friend! I found him myself, Halifax"

Dr. Roper took out a handkerchief and wiped the damp from his brow as he spoke.

"I found him quite stiff and cold. The bottle that had contained the poison which he had swallowed was tightly clutched in his right hand. Poor, poor Ogilvie—oh, my God, that I should live to see this day!"

"Can you account for it?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, Halifax—yes—I can account for it—yes—that accounts for it."

He took a letter out of his pocket and thrust it into my hand.

"Read it," he said. "It is right you should know the truth. I found it in his breast pocket—it was addressed to me."

Dr. Roper turned to leave the conservatory—I opened the letter.

The words it contained were concise and calm. No trace of emotion was allowed to appear.

"," began the unfortunate doctor, "When you receive this I shall have died by my own hand. Life has become intolerable to me—I will tell you why.

"Two days ago there were few happier men than I. I had all, and more than I ever dreamed I could possess of happiness and the good things of life. Above and over all else, I was the husband of the sweetest wife in the world. I don't believe any two people were more devoted to each other than Maggie and I. Two days ago the storm which wrecks us both broke. I often told you that I had spent the early years of my medical life in Australia. But I never mentioned either to you or to Maggie that I was married when there. I married a handsome girl who turned out to be a virago—one of the cruellest, the most heartless, the wickedest women who ever polluted God's earth.

"After two years of absolute misery, which no words of mine can possibly describe, my wretched wife died suddenly when I was engaged on business up the country. I was given the certificate of her death, and, relieved beyond measure, I returned to England, bought a practice here, and fell in love with my sweet Maggie and married her. We have been husband and wife for nearly six years; we have one beautiful child; no people could have been happier than we were.

"Two days ago a woman called to see me. To my horror I quickly recognised her as my first wife's mother. She told me at once that her daughter had never died. She gave reasons, which I need not enter into here, for the trick which had been played upon me. Since then tidings of my prosperity had reached the wretched pair, and they came to England determined to make me acknowledge my real wife and reinstate her in the place occupied by my beloved Maggie.

"Of course, I offered money, but all in vain—my real wife must have her rights or nothing. If I did not immediately reinstate her she would denounce me for bigamy. Finally, I asked for two days' grace to decide what steps to take. This was unwillingly conceded to. During twenty-four hours I thought the whole thing over. One does not take long to make up one's mind when one is in despair.

"I resolved not to bribe the women, not to argue with them, but by one fell stroke to cut the ground under their cruel feet. Roper, I resolved to kill both myself and Maggie. My Maggie, my darling, should never live to hear of the disgrace which would more than break her heart. Maggie should go first, by easy and painless steps, into the other world. There I would quickly meet her. I made my resolve, and this morning began to carry it into effect. I gave my dear and only true wife a portion of a certain drug which resembles morphia in its effects, but leaves no smell, and might easily make those not really acquainted with its peculiar power suppose the victim to be suffering from embolism. I heard of this drug in Australia, and had a small quantity with me. I do not know its name, but it is much used by the Australian aborigines. When taken in certain quantities it causes slow and painless death.

"I have watched Maggie during the whole of this awful day; there is now no chance of her recovering for a life of misery. I am going out on the mare; I shall ride a considerable distance, and then send the horse home. I have a large dose of the same poison in my pocket. It will kill me, Roper—I am a good riddance. Farewell."