"You are a good man, Hendle; but if you knew----" He stopped abruptly and drew away his hand which the Squire had taken. "But that I can speak of another time. Meanwhile we must finish dealing with this gentleman." "Do you mean me?" asked Mallien, who felt uneasy because he had an idea that the resuscitated man had, as the saying goes, something up his sleeve. "I don't mean you at present," replied the vicar, eyeing him with an expression of intense dislike. "I shall attend to your matter later." "What matter?" "That," said Leigh slowly, "I shall tell you in my own good time." "You are very mysterious." "Oh, I think all mysteries are at an end now," interposed Rupert hastily, for Mallien showed a tendency to make himself disagreeable in spite of the vicar's weak state of health. "We now know that Carrington did come to Barship and did strike down Mr. Leigh." "Who cares if you do know?" retorted Carrington insolently. "Not me. I have played a bold game and have lost, thanks to your confounded honesty. If you had been wise, you would have destroyed that will and would have kept your money to yourself." "At the cost of losing my honor," said Rupert flushing. "Pouf! Who cares for honor in these days?" "Apparently you don't, you beast," cried Mallien, who was desperately angry at the way in which Carrington had proposed to cheat him. "How dare you speak in this way! I'll have you charged with fraud." "Fraud!" Carrington laughed aloud and snapped his fingers. "And how do you intend to do that, my good man?" "Don't call me your good man, confound you!" "Well, I won't," sneered the barrister; "it is rather a mistake to credit you with any goodness, I admit. You're no more a saint than I am, and would have played the same game had you got the chance. My only regret is that I have not rooked you to the tune of five thousand pounds. And but for the vicar's unexpected appearance I should have done so." "Not you." "Oh, yes. You were at the Vicarage on the night of the presumed murder, and I had your opal, which I dropped near the sundial. If I had held my tongue, as I would have done, you would have been hard put to explain your presence there, seeing what John Hendle's will meant to you." "And you--and you!" shouted Mallien furiously, "how would you have escaped suspicion seeing you came down on that night?" "Very easily," retorted the barrister in a light and airy tone. "I would have declared that I came down in Hendle's interest to get the will, and arrived at the Vicarage to find you leaving the house after murdering the man." "Oh!" Mallien rushed forward. "Let me get at him, Rupert. Dog that he is. I want to strangle him." "And be hanged for the murder of a worthless creature," said Rupert, holding Mallien tightly to prevent his executing his intention. "Leave him to Mr. Leigh. I rather think he knows how to deal with him."