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Updated: June 7, 2025
"Not a bit of it; I worked it out here after Brake was dead," said Harker. "I went to Barthorpe on quite different business Brake's business." "Ah!" said Bryce. He looked the old detective quietly in the eyes. "You'd better tell me all about it," he added. "If we're both going to tell each other all about it," stipulated Harker. "That's settled," assented Bryce.
"A pretty coil!" he said with a sneer. "Here! You talked about my price. I'm quite content to hold my tongue if you'd tell me something about what happened seventeen years ago." "What?" asked Folliot. "You knew Brake, you must have known his family affairs," said Bryce. "What became of Brake's wife and children when he went to prison?"
"She is a young woman of twenty, and she has a brother, Richard, who is between seventeen and eighteen." "Without a doubt those are Brake's children!" exclaimed the old man. "The infant I spoke of was a boy. Bless me! how extraordinary. How long have they been at Wrychester?" "Ransford has been in practice there some years a few years," replied Bryce.
Now that you know about her father's past for I am sure she must be John Brake's child you won't allow that to eh?" "Not for a moment!" answered Bryce, with a fair show of magnanimity. "I am not a man of that complexion, sir. No! I only wished to clear up certain things, you understand." "And since she is apparently from what you say in ignorance of her real father's past what then?" asked Mr.
Glassdale did come to the town that morning and as soon as he got here, heard of Brake's strange death. That upset him and he went away only to come back today, go to Saxonsteade, and tell everything to the Duke with the result we've told you of." "Which result," remarked Ransford, steadily regarding Mitchington, "has apparently altered all your ideas about me!"
We know beyond doubt that Brake had been tricked and deceived, in some money matter, by some man some mysterious man whom he referred to as having been his closest friend. We know, too, that there was extraordinary mystery in the disappearance of his wife and children. Now, from all that has been found out, who was Brake's closest friend? Ransford! And of Ransford, at that time, there's no trace.
"The boy and girl who live with Ransford they're Brake's son and daughter." "Did Brake know that when he came here?" continued Bryce. "No, he didn't he hadn't the least idea of it," responded Harker. "Had you then?" asked Bryce. "No not until later a little later," replied Harker. "You found it out at Barthorpe?" suggested Bryce.
"I see him drop a man in his tracks oncet, an' cry like a noo-born babby 'cos ther' wa'n't a chu'ch book in Lone Brake Settlement, an' he'd forgot his prayers, an' had ter let the feller lie around fer the coyotes, instead o' buryin' him decent. That's a whiles ago. Guess Lone Brake's changed some. They do say ther's a Bible ther' now.
"That Brake was a very clever rogue who had got the money safely planted somewhere abroad, and that his wife had gone off somewhere Australia, or Canada, or some other far-off region to await his release. Of course, I didn't believe one word of all that. But there was the fact she had vanished! And eventually, I thought of Ransford, as having been Brake's great friend, so I tried to find him.
The man turned the expressionless countenance of a well-trained servant upon me; and repeated: "Mr. Brake is not at home. I know nothing further about Mr. Brake's movements." This reply settled the matter in my own mind, and I made my way to Stock Street as fast as I might. I could not make it seem unnecessary to see Brake.
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