Dora looked at him silently. His eyes were filled with tears, and, ashamed of betraying his emotion, he turned away to busy himself with dusting a book. In the few words which he had let slip Dora saw that he had possessed some power over the dead man which had won him house and home. That power she believed was connected with the lifelong misery of Edermont, and with the fact of his murder. The idea made her take an unexpected step. Seizing the astonished Joad by the arm, she whirled him round, so as to look straight into his eyes. "Did you kill Mr. Edermont?" she asked abruptly. Joad looked at her in amazement, and sneered in her face. "O Lord! Have you got that idea into your head?" said he contemptuously. "No, Miss Carew, I did not kill Mr. Edermont. One does not readily kill the goose with the golden eggs. By Julian's death I have lost a protector--almost a home. Do you take me for a fool?" "I take you for a man who knows more than he says," said Dora tartly. "Then I am wise. I keep my own counsel until the time comes for me to speak." "I do not understand you." "You will some day," retorted Joad with a leer, "and that sooner than you expect. I wonder at your accusing me of this crime," he continued in an injured tone. "By your own evidence the murder took place at one o'clock, and at that time I was talking to Mr. Pride in my cottage. I wonder at your talking like this, Miss Carew." "I beg your pardon, Mr. Joad," said Dora ceremoniously. "I know that you proved an alibi. There is one thing about you that I admire," she added, after a pause. Joad's eyes glittered like stars as he turned an admiring glance in the direction of the young girl, and bent forward eagerly. "What is that?" he demanded. "You do not care for money." "No," said Joad, after a pause; "I do not care particularly for money. As long as I have a roof, a crust, and my books, I am satisfied. My wants are simple. But why," he continued, looking at her in a puzzled way, "why do you make such a remark?" "Because you refuse to pocket fifty thousand pounds." "You allude to the reward. My dear lady, I cannot gain that." "I am not so sure of your inability to do so," said Dora coolly. "With your knowledge of Mr. Edermont's past life, you must know who it was he feared. If you know the name of that person, you know who killed him. With that knowledge, why not apply for the fifty thousand pounds?" "I am not so omniscient as you think, Miss Carew. But we will suppose, for the sake of argument, that I have such knowledge: what would it benefit me to gain this fortune?" "You could do good with it." "Could I gain your love?" Dora turned away with a flushed face, feeling the delicacy of the position. "You must not talk to me like that, Mr. Joad," she said with great dignity. "Why not? I love you." "Then you ought to be ashamed to say so. I am the affianced wife of another man." "Allen Scott?" "Yes," said Dora with emphasis, "Dr. Allen Scott.