"Yes, yes. Sit here!" Vivian hurriedly led her towards a garden seat near the battered sundial, and fixing his eyes on her tired face, waited impatiently for what she had to say. But Beatrice did not begin at once: she wanted to startle him into telling the truth. "Major Ruck and Waterloo both accuse you of killing Alpenny," she said bluntly, and looking straightly at him. Vivian jumped up with a suppressed oath. "What a lie!" "Tell me," she said quickly--"tell me exactly what you did on that night." "I have told you. I caught Waterloo and kicked him; then I looked for you, and not finding you, went home. Next morning I called to see how you were getting on, and gave the key of the smaller gate to Durban, who hung it up in the counting-house, as he told you." "You were not near this place on that night?" "No. I swear I was not." Beatrice saw from his earnest, puzzled look that he really spoke the truth. Without wasting further time in skirting round the subject, she related what had taken place at the Black Patch Gang's den in Stepney. Vivian listened with growing surprise, and jumping up, began to walk backwards and forwards, much agitated. When she had finished, he stopped before her with an angry air. "The whole story is a lie!" he declared decisively. "I certainly caught Waterloo, and kicked him: he certainly threatened me with a very ugly-looking knife; but he got away before I could take it off him. I wish I had found it before I tied his hands." "You tied his hands?" "Yes, with my handkerchief." Beatrice rose suddenly, and caught her lover's arm with so much force that he winced. "What is it?" he asked, puzzled by her look. "Did--did--Waterloo get away with the handkerchief?" "Yes. I knocked him down and tied his hands. I was going away, when he got rid of the handkerchief, and ran at me with a knife. I dodged him, and then tried to seize him again; but he showed no more fight, and ran away. He held the handkerchief in one hand and the knife in another." "Vivian," cried Beatrice, with a pale face, "Waterloo killed Mr. Alpenny!--yes, he killed him, I am certain." "What do you mean? How can you explain?" "Listen. I found your handkerchief soaking in the blood of Alpenny, and lying near the body in the counting-house yonder. I thought for the moment that you were guilty. I spoke to Durban, and he told me that you had given him the handkerchief--no, that wasn't it. He said that you had left the handkerchief behind when you quarrelled with Mr. Alpenny, when you last met him." "I never did. And----" "Wait, wait. Of course you didn't. To save my feelings Durban told a lie." "Why didn't you speak to me?"