All at once I realised that this play was the origin of certain of Franklin’s morbid imaginings, which happened at a time when he was already very unhappy for reasons of which you are already aware. It was only after he saw the play that Franklin began to imagine he saw ghosts everywhere, especially the spirit of his father which he claimed actually addressed him and said he had been killed. I am sure that the origin of the messages came from my poor child’s own fears and general upset, and now that he knows the messages were not true, I believe he is coming to understand this.
When I mentioned this to Mr Merridew, he at once appreciated my difficulty, and he was very sympathetic about it and apologised so very profusely that I was obliged to protest that I attached no blame to him as he was only engaged in his profession. He then kindly offered to conduct my boys and myself on a tour of the theatre to see what happened behind the scenery as it were. We went on the visit yesterday and it was quite remarkable. We met a number of the actors and the men who build and paint everything, and they were all so very friendly.
Matthew became extremely excited and alarmed me very much by picking up a sword and waving it about, and I had to beg him to put it down, but then I found out that it was only painted wood and was much relieved. He was also interested in all the machinery of the stage and was especially fascinated by the trapdoor which worked by some curious mechanical device that enabled the actor who was playing the ghost to appear and disappear as if by magic. Really if I had not brought him home, he would be riding up and down on it still.
Franklin is normally such a quiet reserved boy, but he was very taken by the costumes. It was quite wonderful to see him looking at the painted material of the ghost’s draperies and seeing for himself that it was all make-believe. What a strange profession the stage is! Franklin also gained great amusement from the court costumes, the gold trimmings and brocades and velvets, with their paste jewels. I think it was the bright colours that attracted him, and he spent more than an hour trying them on and walking about in them and putting paint on his face. Mr Merridew was patience personified.
The result has been that ever since we came home Franklin has been talking about the visit without stopping. He has started lurking in the shadows draped in a bedsheet or jumping out suddenly with flour on his face, and trying to frighten the servants, but I hope he will grow out of it. He is not yet entirely cured of his late disturbance and still has the occasional nightmare, but I do feel that he is making good progress. His sleeping is easier, and Jane has kindly begun to tutor him in reading and arithmetic with a little history and geography, so he will not fall behind in his studies, and I am hopeful that he will soon be recovered enough to return to school.
Little Maggie is coming along very well. In fact, despite her youth, she is the only maid who has not been startled by Franklin’s impersonation of a ghost as she says very robustly that there are no such things.
I know now that Emily Wandle called on you before she confessed all she knew to me, and I thank you for your guidance on that occasion which gave her the courage to enlighten me. I was of course dreadfully upset at what she had to say, and at first, I could hardly bear to speak to her, and had determined never to meet with her again. Since then I have given the matter considerable thought, and I think I can understand her reasons for the dissimulation. At least she did what she did for good reasons and not, as in the example of the reprehensible Mrs Barnham, for the love of lucre. I have therefore decided to forgive her, and we have met again with the intention of mending our friendship. It appears that Emily was convinced that I knew all along what Jasper’s plans were, and when she told me that he had left a message for me, I was quite mystified as I had seen no such message. I mentioned this to Gordon and he confessed to me that on going through Jasper’s papers, something I felt quite unable to do at first, he had seen a note that Jasper had left for me, but he judged from the wording that my poor husband was declaring his intention to make away with himself. He therefore destroyed it, as any suggestion of suicide would have invalidated the insurance, not to mention the distress it would have caused us all.
Gordon thought he could recall the words of the message which were ‘I am going to where the world ends. We will meet again.’ When Jasper and I were courting we liked to go on short trips along the coast in fine weather and look at the beaches and the little boats and quaint cottages. There was one place in Shoreham where we stopped and looked out across the sea, which seems to go on forever. I remember we said to each other that it was the place where the world came to an end. But what we meant was, it was the old world coming to an end, and we were looking at the future when we would be united, and it would be a new and better world. It was a private time between us, and I suppose I had not thought of it for a while. Poor Jasper, he was not talking of any heavenly region, but of course Gordon was not to know that.
Trusting that I find you in good health,
I am most gratefully yours,
Charlotte Holt
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
When Mr William Sutherland was in better health, he consented to tell his story to selected witnesses, one of whom was Dr Hamid, who apprised Mina of the details as accurately as he was able to.
I, William Sutherland, being in possession of my senses, and fully aware that I am the William Sutherland who was formerly a partner in Sutherland and Fenwick, stockbrokers of London, have been recently apprised of the fact that Mr Jasper Holt of Brighton, who was thought to have died on 18 July 1864, in fact survived his fall into the sea and did not pass away until 25 January 1872.
I now wish to make a full and truthful statement of the events that took place during the last occasion on which I sailed my yacht Ocean Breeze.
Prior to the voyage I had only a slight acquaintance with Mr Holt through the purchase of wines and spirits from his shop on St James’s Street, Brighton. On learning that I was a member of the Brighton Yacht Club and was in possession of a yacht he became very interested and asked if he could join me on a voyage. I agreed and told him that in view of my forthcoming marriage to Miss Ann Chantry I was considering selling the yacht. Mr Holt then said that he might be interested in purchasing it. He also said he had been advised by his doctor that sea voyaging was good for the health, and he had two sons who might enjoy sailing.
It was on that agreement that Mr Holt joined me on the yacht on 18 July 1864. I had no notion then of his true intentions and if I had I would have refused to sail with him.
Shortly after we left Brighton, Mr Holt asked to be taken to Shoreham. I thought at first that he just wished to make a short visit, but he then said that he wished to be put ashore there and told me that I must to return to Brighton without him. Not only that but he asked me not to reveal where he was. I thought this an extremely strange request and said I could not do this without being told of his reasons.
After a lot of hesitation Mr Holt confessed that if I did not help him then he would be a ruined man as his business was, through no fault of his own, failing, and he was deeply in debt. The shame of bankruptcy would be intolerable, and his family would be thrown out of their home and reliant on the charity of relatives.
I remonstrated with him. I said that running away would not cure the situation. He replied that it would if he was dead. I was appalled as I thought he intended to make away with himself, but he reassured me that that was not his intention as his insurance company would not pay out if he took his own life. I demanded to know what he meant to do, and he eventually revealed to me the planned fraud. He had recently taken out a substantial policy of insurance on his life on which he had paid the first instalment. His intention was to disappear without trace in circumstances where he would be assumed to have died. He expected me not only to assist him in this, but to tell people on my return to Brighton that he had perished in an accident. It was essential for his purpose that I should state, under oath if necessary, that I had seen him fall over the side with my own eyes, and sink below the waves, as that would be proof that he was deceased.