"She was beside herself with terror; and, thinking he would come down here to murder her, she determined to leave the Hall. She made all arrangements as regards money with her solicitor, and asked me to take charge of this place. I agreed, and she went away over three years ago. I have never," said Miss Wedderburn, with emphasis, "set eyes on her since." "Did you know the course of her wanderings?" "Sometimes, when she wrote to inquire if Dean had made his appearance at the Hall, but as a rule I heard nothing, and knew not where she was. The last time she wrote was about six months ago, but she did not say then where her next resting-place would be, and as she was not inclined to be confidential I did not ask questions." "Did you know that she carried about a duplicate of this room?" "No, not until you told me. I never see the newspapers down here." "Can you tell me why she did so?" "It is hard to explain," said Edith, with a puzzled look. "When Ellen was here she sat constantly in this room, and seemed greatly attached to it. I do not know why, seeing that it had been the scene of her cousin's murder. But I suppose she wanted to keep the threats of Dean to kill her constantly in mind, and so framed a duplicate of this room, that she might not forget her danger and run the risk of being lulled into a state of dangerous security." "That would hardly account for her strange fancy for the room," said Gebb, shaking his head. "I can supply no other reason," answered Edith, reflectively. "Ellen was very eccentric, and one could not always account for her whims." "She was superstitious?" "Very! Believed in omens and fortune-tellers and all kinds of rubbish. Yet I fancy she had not always been so weak-minded. It was the dread of a violent death that made her consult these people." "Did she ever drop any hint about the murder?" "She dropped no hint, as you call it," said Edith, stiffly, "but told me the whole story very plainly. She quite believed that Dean was guilty." "Yet she might have killed Kirkstone herself," said Gebb, after a pause. "That is impossible. She had no reason to do so; and moreover if she had been guilty, she would certainly have betrayed herself to me. It is no use speaking ill of the dead, Mr. Gebb." "Yet you cannot say that your cousin was a good woman." "Perhaps not," retorted Miss Wedderburn. "On the other hand, I cannot say that she was a murderess. Well, sir, I have told you all I know, and you see I cannot help you in any way." "I am not so sure of that," replied Gebb, coolly. "I have not yet closed my examination." Edith flushed and looked uneasy. "I don't like that word," she said in irritable tones; "it sounds as though I were a criminal in the dock." "That is a strong way of putting it, Miss Wedderburn. Why not compare yourself to a witness in the witness-box?"