knew.'
'I see,' Mrs. Farnsworth said reflectively, 'that you have given this matter considerable thought. I wonder- while you were thinking, did you think perhaps of some… accommodation we might make?'
'Accommodation?'
Mrs. Farnsworth's smile did not touch her glacial eyes. 'My dear Miss Ardleigh, you may think me wicked, but I do not think you naive. You come alone to accuse me of-' She pulled her brows together slightly. 'You have come alone, have you not?'
Kate inclined her head.
Mrs. Farnsworth laughed. 'There, you see? You come alone to accuse me of murder, bringing your proof. What else am I to conclude but that your evidence-the photograph, the documents-is for sale?'
Kate thought quickly. This was perhaps the opening she needed. When she spoke, her voice held an admiring candor. 'You are indeed perceptive, Mrs. Farnsworth; you have found me out. In return, then, I will be frank with you.'
'Ah, yes,' Mrs. Farnsworth said with a dry irony. 'Let us both be frank.'
Kate allowed herself a small smile. ' 'I am not inclined to seek vengeance for my aunts' murders, for I too have profited. I am to inherit the Ardleigh estate. By the same token, I do not seek to sell the evidence of your guilt for money.' She paused. Mrs. Farnsworth was watching her observantly, still standing, her eyes intent, her hands in the pockets of her gown. 'What I do seek is participation in the Order. I find that I enjoy the association, and I wish to continue and expand it. I would like to hold the office my aunt held, that of Can-cellarius.' She raised her voice slightly. 'I am willing to give you the photograph and the documents, in return for that appointment and for your verbal confirmation to me that everything I have said here is true.'
Mrs. Farnsworth made a condescending gesture. 'Confirmation? That part, my dear Kathryn-it is Kathryn, is it not? — is easy. Of course you are quite right. I did darken my face with umber and disguise myself as a gypsy boy, after the manner of Rosalind. I did carry a basket of mushrooms, including two fatal ones, to Bishop's Keep. I knew, you see, that your Aunt Sabrina was exceedingly fond of mushrooms; she said as much the afternoon of the gathering. I did not know that your aunt had a sister, but I was prepared to silence you along with Sabrina, since I could not be sure that she had not spoken of the matter to you.'
'But she was your friend!' Kate burst out, half rising. 'How could you kill her?'
Mrs. Farnsworth's eyes glinted. ' 'Most friendship is feigning,' ' she said, ' 'most loving mere folly.' '
Kate sank back. 'I am sorry,' she said. 'Please go on.'
'My motive was as you have deduced. Your aunt was intent on telling the world that Dr. Westcott forged the cipher document and the letters that authorized him to establish the Order. Some might say he was foolish in doing so, although I say in his defense that he did not intend to deceive. He only meant to enjoy for a little-quite to himself, quite in private-the pleasure of creating a fictional world in which he was given the blessing of the most ancient authorities for his
magical work. He had no intention of sharing the letters with others.'
Thinking of Beryl Bardwell, Kate murmured, 'But the relationship between life and art is very complex. A fiction can become quite real.'
' 'And thereby hangs a tale.' ' A smile ghosted across Mrs. Farnsworth's mouth. 'You are quite perceptive, Miss Ardleigh. This transformation of art into life might not have happened, however, had it not been for MacGregor Mathers, to whom Dr. Westcott confided his innocent little diversion. It was Mathers who convinced him that the Order should be introduced to the public at large. It was Mathers who insisted on using the letters to lend authenticity to the effort.'
'And in time Dr. Westcott began to believe in the truth of his magical fiction.'
'Yes,' Mrs. Farnsworth said. Her voice was colored by a regretful contempt, as if she were deriding an actor who had been taken in by his part.
' 'And Mathers now intends to reveal the fraud in order to discredit the doctor?'
Mrs. Farnsworth's mouth hardened. 'Mathers is a man full of his own glory, greedy for power. From the beginning, he aimed to destroy Dr. Westcott and substitute his own project. I could not permit such a thing to happen. Quite apart from my… friendly feelings for the doctor, I have my own interests to protect. As you have quite rightly guessed, the Order is a substantial part of my livelihood and will remain so, even when I have successfully returned to the stage. At the present time, I am quite vulnerable. I do not intend to let Mathers destroy me.'
'But to keep that from happening,' Kate said thoughtfully, 'you will have to destroy Mathers, in the same way you destroyed my aunt.'
Mrs. Farnsworth raised both brows. 'I commend your insight, Miss Ardleigh. I am glad to say that little business is well under way. A poison has already been sent in a certain candy in which Mr. Mathers is known to indulge immoderately: Fairley's chocolates.'
Kate almost gave way to an hysterical giggle. It was a small
and ironically fateful world indeed. But Mrs. Farnsworth would not be telling her these things unless she were meant to be the next victim. She tried to think ahead to what the woman's next move might be.
Mrs. Farnsworth's eyes were frankly defiant. 'There, my dear, you have it. I stand guilty of everything of which you have accused me. 'But call me not a fool, for heaven hath sent me fortune.' And with respect to your wish to hold the office your aunt has so recently vacated…' She pulled down her mouth with a somber look. ' The position must be earned through a long study of the magical arts. Regrettably, you will not have sufficient time to prepare yourself.'
She pulled her hand out of her pocket. Fitted neatly into the palm was a small nickel-plated derringer.
Kate raised her eyes to Mrs. Farnsworth's face. Her brown eyes were intent, her mouth determined, her chin firm. A remarkable woman, with the will to use whatever weapon best ensured the success of her scheme. A person whom Beryl Bardwell could not help but admire. But admiration was quickly chilled by the reality of the situation. This was no time to be doing research!
Mrs. Farnsworth gestured with the gun toward the door. 'Come now,' she said. 'We will go down to the cellar. Our business will be much more conveniently concluded there.'
Kate glanced at the door, feeling apprehensive. This interview had not gone exactly as she had anticipated. What would happen when they went into the hall? Would it be best to' That is quite a small gun,' Kate said conversationally, but loudly. 'Is it real?'
Mrs. Farnsworth's voice was grim. 'It may look like a stage property, but I assure you that it is quite powerful for its size. It does, however, make rather a lot of noise, which is one of the reasons for our trip to the cellar. Since you seem to be an imaginative person, I leave you to imagine the others.' She stepped behind Kate and planted the gun in the small of her back. 'Shall we, Miss Ardleigh? Out the door and to your right.'
Kate bit her lip. Her hands were clammy. Having no choice, she walked ahead of Mrs. Farnsworth. When they
reached the hallway door, she stopped once more, her hand on the knob.
'Can we not discuss this?' she asked urgently. 'Perhaps we could accommodate…'
'No,' Mrs. Farnsworth said again. Her voice was thin and flat, with a brittle edge. 'No more discussion. Open the door.'
Kate opened the door and stepped into the hallway. What happened next occurred with such a rapidity that afterward she was not sure she could reconstruct the sequence accurately. There was a sudden scuffle behind her, a strangled cry, and the gun discharged, the bullet shattering a mirror on the opposite wall. As Kate turned, she saw that Mrs. Farnsworth, helpless, was gripped in the powerful embrace of a resolute Mudd.
Before Kate could speak, an impatient banging sounded at the entrance door. 'What's that shooting?' demanded a loud voice. 'In the name of the Crown, open this door!'
Kate stepped to the door and opened it. On the stoop, hand raised, mouth open to shout once more, stood a uniformed policeman. Behind him stood yet another policeman. And behind him stood Sir Charles Sheridan. When he saw her, Sir Charles's mouth dropped open. Kate bowed her head slightly.
'Gentlemen,' she said, stepping aside so that they could enter. 'How good of you to arrive so speedily.'
