Glaring at her with an expression of murderous hatred, he watched her every movement. `Will you hand me over the money?' he demanded, sternly. `No; you shall never have it. Leave this house; and if you remain in England another week I'll carry my threat into effect. If you fancy you can practise the confidence trick on me you are mistaken--so, go!' "`I shall not!' he replied, fiercely. `I will have that money,' and he bent down in the act of drawing the bag from beneath the sofa. `Touch it at your peril!' she cried, hoarsely. `I see you now in your true light; you would rob a woman of her means of existence. God knows you have brought me enough misery already!' Again he tried to obtain possession of the bag, but once more she frustrated his design. Then they struggled for the mastery. His face was ashen pale, and his fingers gripped her bare arms, leaving great red marks; but she was not to be easily vanquished, and fought like a tigress. `To-morrow,' she said, in a terrible half-whisper, `the world shall know who stole the Villeneuve diamonds, and I will rid myself of you forever. I will expose your accursed villainy!' He grasped her by the wrist and dragged her towards him. `You--you say this--to me,' he hissed, in a frenzy of passion. `You have spoken your last words--you--you shall die.' I saw a knife uplifted in his hand, and he plunged it in my mistress's breast with a dull, sickening sound. She sank upon the floor, uttering a shrill cry. For a few seconds he bent over her and seemed to be rearranging her dress, then he snatched up the bag, took the roll of notes from the mantelshelf, and thrusting them into his pocket, stole noiselessly out by the back-door. I stood for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. At last I summoned courage to approach my poor mistress, who lay motionless; but just as I was stepping from my hiding-place I heard some one descending the stairs. It was master! He rushed into the room, but stopped suddenly, in horror, as he caught sight of his wife. Bending over her, he was about to lift her, when his eyes caught sight of something, which I suppose was the seal afterwards found. With a loud cry of despair, and uttering words in a foreign language, he kissed her calm white face. `I must fly,' he said, aloud, `or I shall be suspected,' and without another word he also hurried out of the house. "When he had gone, I placed the money I had stolen in a small hand-bag, and crept out by the front door. A few days later my young man and myself sailed for Australia, and that is all I know of the murder." There was a long pause when the voluble witness had concluded her breathless recital. CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. BY WHOSE HAND? "This is a most remarkable statement," observed the judge, regarding the woman keenly. "You swear positively that the prisoner was not the murderer?" "Yes, my lord."