The Luminaries

what, exactly? Freedom to fraternise with those very men who once defiled and abused her? Freedom to smoke herself senseless in a Chinaman’s saloon?’
    Devlin could not resist countering this. ‘But
why
did you make your offer, Mrs. Wells?
Why
did you offer to repay Miss Wetherell’s debts?’
    ‘Out of concern for the girl, naturally.’
    ‘Moonshine,’ said Devlin.
    ‘Pardon me,’ said Lydia Wells. ‘I have ample concern for Anna’s welfare.’
    ‘Look at her! The poor girl’s half the size she was a month ago; you can’t deny
that
. She’s starving. You’re starving her.’
    ‘Anna,’ said Lydia Wells, spitting out the girl’s name. ‘Do I starve you?’
    ‘No,’ said Anna.
    ‘Are you, in your own opinion, starving?’
    ‘No,’ Anna said again.
    ‘You can spare me the pantomime,’ said Devlin, who wasbecoming angry. ‘You don’t care two straws for that girl. You’ve no more concern for her than you do for anyone—and from what I have heard about you, that’s a paltry kind of concern indeed.’
    ‘Another terrible accusation,’ said Lydia Wells. ‘And from the chaplain of a prison, no less! I suppose I ought to try to clear my name. Anna, tell the good Reverend what you did while you were in Dunedin.’
    There was a pause. Devlin glanced at Anna, his confidence faltering .
    ‘Tell him what you did,’ said Lydia Wells again.
    ‘I played the serpent in your household,’ said Anna.
    ‘Meaning what, precisely? Tell him
exactly
what it was you did.’
    ‘I lay down with your husband.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Lydia Wells. ‘You seduced my husband, Mr. Wells. Now tell the good Reverend this. What did
I
do, in retaliation?’
    ‘You sent me away,’ Anna said. ‘To Hokitika.’
    ‘In what condition?’
    ‘With child.’
    ‘With whose child, please?’
    ‘With your husband’s child,’ Anna whispered. ‘Crosbie’s child.’
    Devlin was astonished.
    ‘So I sent you away,’ the widow said, nodding. ‘Do I still maintain that my reaction was the right one?’
    ‘No,’ Anna said. ‘You have repented. You have begged for my forgiveness. More than once.’
    ‘Are you quite sure?’ said Mrs. Wells, feigning astonishment. ‘According to our good Reverend here, I have no concern at all for the welfare of others, and presumably still less for those who have played temptress beneath my roof! Are you quite sure that I am even capable of begging your forgiveness?’
    ‘Enough,’ said Devlin. He raised his hands. ‘Enough.’
    ‘It’s true,’ Anna said. ‘It’s true that she has asked for my forgiveness .’
    ‘
Enough
.’
    ‘Now that you have insulted my integrity in virtually every way imaginable,’ said the widow, picking up her teacup at last, ‘wouldyou mind telling me, without falsehood this time, what you are doing in my parlour?’
    ‘I was delivering a private message to Miss Wetherell,’ Devlin said.
    The widow turned to Anna. ‘What was it?’
    ‘You don’t have to tell her,’ Devlin said quickly. ‘Not if you don’t want to. You don’t have to say a single word to her.’
    ‘Anna,’ said Lydia Wells, dangerously. ‘What was the message?’
    ‘The Reverend showed me a document,’ Anna said, ‘by the authority of which, half of that fortune in Crosbie’s cottage belongs to me.’
    ‘Indeed,’ said Lydia Wells—and although she spoke coolly Devlin thought he saw a flash of panic in her eye. ‘To whom does the other half belong?’
    ‘Mr. Emery Staines,’ said Anna.
    ‘Where is this document?’
    ‘I hid it,’ said Anna.
    ‘Well, go and fetch it out,’ Lydia snapped.
    ‘Don’t,’ Devlin said quickly.
    ‘I won’t,’ said Anna. She made no move to touch her bodice.
    ‘You might at least do me the courtesy of telling me the whole truth,’ Lydia said. ‘Both of you.’
    ‘I’m afraid we can’t do that,’ Devlin said, speaking before Anna could have a chance. ‘This information, you see, pertains to a crime that has not yet been fully investigated. It concerns, among other things, the blackmail of a certain Mr. Alistair Lauderback.’
    ‘Pardon me?’ said Lydia Wells.
    ‘What?’ said Anna.
    ‘I’m afraid I can’t disclose anything further,’ Devlin said—observing, to his great satisfaction, that the widow had become very pale. ‘Anna, if you wish to go to the Courthouse directly, I will escort you there myself.’
    ‘You will?’ Anna said, peering at him.
    ‘Yes,’ Devlin said.
    ‘What on earth do you think