"Of murdering the vicar. No, I am not mad; but you will be if you refuse me the money. Only for five thousand pounds will I hold my tongue." "You have nothing to hold it about," stormed Mallien, savagely. "Oh, yes, I have. Sit down and listen." "I won't." Mallien made for the door. "Very good. Then go, and to-morrow you will be arrested before noon. I shall go straight to Tarhaven in the morning to explain things to Inspector Lawson. For your own safety you had much better let me explain them to you." Mallien hesitated, then returned to his seat. "You are talking rubbish," he said, pulling his beard in an embarrassed manner. "I have nothing to do with the murder. I wouldn't have come here had I guessed you would talk to me in this way." Carrington, now master of the situation, laughed. "The way in which my letter was worded compelled you to come." "It's a lie." "Then why are you here? You who hate me--you who are a bully," taunted the barrister. "There is the door. Walk out of it, if you dare!" "Less talk!" cried Mallien, savagely. "Go on and explain on what grounds you dare to accuse me." "Oh, very good. Now you are talking sense;" and Carrington related the adventure which had to do with the discovery of the buried will by Mrs. Beatson and the subsequent passing of the document into Hendle's hands. "He has it at the present moment," continued the barrister, "and intends, as I said, to take it to the solicitors to-morrow. If the property is yours, as I think it is, you will be done full justice to, as Hendle is not the man to keep what does not belong to him." "Rupert's a fool, but honest enough," said Mallien shortly, and looking very much relieved. "Well, and what has all this to do with your infernal insolence in asking me for five thousand pounds? By your own showing there will be no trouble about my getting what is mine." "I have told you why I ask for the money," retorted Carrington, tartly. "Don't make me repeat again and again what you already know." "What is that?" demanded Mallien, willfully blind. "You murdered Leigh, if you will have it." "I did not murder Leigh. I had no reason to do so." "Oh, yes, you had. You wanted the will, and remember that Kensit declared----" "Oh, about the disordered papers," struck in Mallien, wiping his face. "What evidence is that, when everyone knows that Leigh kept his study like a pigsty. The papers were no more in disorder than usual." "Sufficiently upset for the policeman to think that a search had been made." "The Coroner and jury thought nothing of his evidence in that respect," said Mallien, with an uneasy sneer. "Because the existence of the will was not known," replied Carrington, meaningly. "Once it is known, a strong motive is supplied for the killing of Leigh." "Rupert had as much reason to murder Leigh as I had.".