"How dreadful. But why should she be murdered, poor soul?" "So far as I can gather, on account of her glass eye, which is missing. I should like to hear what you have to say on that point, ma'am?" and Dredge fixed his stern eyes inquisitively on the little old lady. Miss Destiny sat down quietly, and appeared to make an effort to recover her composure, which had been sorely shaken, and very naturally, by the news of the strange murder. "All I can say is, that Anne had a glass eye to which she appeared to attach a ridiculous value"--at this point I became aware that she was repeating word for word her speech of the previous night, and certain of it, when she continued. "Anne often declared that she would not lose it for a fortune. Now it is lost, and she is dead. Dear me!" "It has been stolen, and she has been murdered," corrected the Inspector smartly. "I should like to know why Mrs. Caldershaw attached such value to the eye?" "I can't tell you that, Mr. Inspector, because I do not know. Anne was always very close and kept her business to herself." "Who is the woman?" asked Dredge impatiently. "Who _was_ the woman, you mean, sir," corrected Miss Destiny smartly in her turn. "I can tell you that. She was my brother's housekeeper at Burwain for many years. When he died five years ago, more or less," added Miss Destiny precisely, "she retired with her savings to this place, which was her native village, and here set up this shop." "Have you seen her since she came to live here?" "At intervals, sir. Anne was a valued old servant, whom I respected, and at times--say once a year, I came over to stay the night with her." "Had she any enemies?" "Not to my knowledge, sir." "Was she happy here?" "As happy as a grumbler like Anne could be. For there is no denying, poor soul, that she was a grumbler," ended the little old lady regretfully. "What was your brother's name, ma'am?" said Dredge, producing his note-book. "Gabriel Monk, sir. He was a bachelor, and lived at The Lodge, Burwain. I kept house for him with Anne as our servant until he died. Then Anne came here and I took a small cottage in the village, where I now am." "And The Lodge?" asked Dredge, somewhat irrelevantly I thought. "His brother, Walter Monk, inherited The Lodge and the money of his deceased relative. He lives there now with my niece." "Oh!" The inspector here saw a point which in my opinion he ought to have noticed before. "Then Gabriel Monk was not exactly your brother?" "I called him so, because I looked after his house for him, but he really was not, sir." "Your brother-in-law, then?"