"It beats me," I confessed. "It's enough to make one dotty." "I dare say that is what Aunt Alice Crew thought of me in her heart of hearts," laughed Betty, "although she was too polite to say so. And, really, it was getting on my nerves. I couldn't eat, and a _nuit blanche_ was no uncommon thing with me. I couldn't get it out of my head, you understand, that the solving of the problem must be of immense importance. There _was_ a mystery at the 'Hundred,' and so long as it remained a mystery there could be no enduring peace or happiness for us. If you had been willing to sell the 'Hundred' there might have been some chance of escaping the curse; hadn't poor Eunice said as much in that weird statement which she left behind her. But you would not consider the suggestion even." "I suppose I was pig-headed and altogether in the wrong," I admitted humbly. "But it all seemed so fantastic and incredible--here in the twentieth century." "Granting that the mystery had continued unsolved," said Betty, looking me straight in the eye. "What then?" "But you have given me to understand----" I began. "Never mind that," interrupted my wife. "Even now you don't know the secret, and I might find it inadvisable to tell you. Admitting the possibility that the ghost has not been truly laid, would you still insist upon remaining master of 'Hildebrand Hundred'?" A vision of those strong, cruel hands, with their black-tufted knuckles, rose before me, and I shuddered. "Or would you be willing that Little Hugh should enter upon his inheritance with this cloud hanging over it?" "No, I wouldn't," I said soberly. "To be honest, I hadn't thought of it in that light." "You see a woman has to consider all these things," rejoined Betty. "But you have been very patient, Hugh, and the winding up of my yarn won't take long. The crisis begins with Chalmers' coming to Stockbridge." "For me, that was the denouement, the end of all things," I said shamefacedly, and Warriner roared. "You see, I never suspected even that I was cast for the role of breaker up of homes," he remarked meditatively. "Betty and I were good friends, of course, but once you appeared on the sky line I was reduced to playing gooseberry. Besides, there never had been anyone else than Hilda for me." "I'm only trying to explain my conduct," I retorted. "I'm well aware that nothing can excuse it. Shoot, Betty." "Of course, Chalmers was coming to Stockbridge," went on Betty, "for the simple reason that Hilda was visiting me. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to his arrival, because he had promised to dig up certain data for me. "You remember the list of Hildebrand tragedies as given by Eunice; how Yardley Hildebrand had succeeded his father, Oliver, in 1860, and had died the following year; then how his younger brother, Randall, had become master of the 'Hundred,' and had only lived a twelvemonth; and so on.