"Of course, sir! And when she knowed as I knowed, she tole me to 'old my tongue, and paid me for doing it; but she didn't give much, lovey!" "Did Mr. Ferris know?" "Seeing as Mr. Dean's his own born father--which I knowed fro' listening to 'm talking--he did." "Did Dean kill Miss Gilmar?" Mrs. Grix did not reply to this question with her former glibness. "I don't rightly know of that," she said slowly. "If he did, it wasn't here, for Miss Ellen was in London this long time." "Was Dean ever in London while he stayed here under the name of Martin?" "Yes, he was. And just about the time of the murder. It was in July Miss Ellen died, wasn't it?" "It was," replied Gebb, eagerly, "on the twenty-fourth of July." "Ah, well, I shouldn't be surprised if Dean did kill her. He was always talking of punishing her," continued Mrs. Grix, with relish; "but I didn't think he'd go so far as murder." "What makes you think that he did?" asked Gebb. "Why," said Mrs. Grix, nodding, "he was up in London in July, and he stayed there all night." "On the twenty-fourth?" "I can't be sure, sir, but it was at the end of the month. And when he came back he was queerer than ever. Oh, I dessay he went up to kill Miss Ellen," said Mrs. Grix, with conviction. "I can't swear to it, but I'm sure he did; and serve her right, too." CHAPTER XXII A SECRET HOARD On concluding the examination of Mrs. Grix--which lasted some time, owing to the inherent objection of that lady to speak the truth--Gebb spent the afternoon in searching the house for Miss Gilmar's confession. By this time he had quite adopted the opinion of Mrs. Grix regarding the guilt of the former housekeeper, and, on the same authority, he was certain that she had written out and hidden away an account of her crime. The question was, where was it concealed? For the house was so large and rambling, and dusty and dusky, that Gebb almost despaired of finding the paper. At first he thought it might be hidden in the Yellow Room. In that fatal apartment the crime had been committed, and, to keep her perpetually in mind of Dean's threat against her life, the wretched woman had lived during her concealment in a precisely similar apartment, decorated and furnished in the same manner; so, seeing that she had attached such importance to it, the probability was that she had hidden the paper within its precincts. But a strict examination of floor, walls, carpet, hangings, and furniture proved that the confession was not there. Gebb was disgusted at this result and turned his attention to the rest of the house.