"Perhaps," put in Hendle quietly, "and we wait for you to talk sense." "I shall say nothing," said the woman, obstinately. "In that case I shall send for Kensit and give you in charge." "You would not do that, Mr. Hendle." "Indeed, I shall do it within ten minutes if you do not speak out." "I can--I can--exonerate--exonerate myself," stuttered Mrs. Beatson, her dry lips scarcely able to form the words. "You had better do so to us," advised Carrington agreeably. "And if I don't?" she snarled, turning on him. "Then Inspector Lawson shall examine you." "What do I care when I know that I am innocent?" "Well,"--Carrington shrugged his shoulders--"it's your own affair. Ring the bell, Hendle, and send one of the servants down for Kensit." "No, don't!" cried Mrs. Beatson, when she saw her master walk toward the fireplace to touch the ivory button. "I can explain." Hendle nodded and returned to his seat, while Carrington replaced the will in his pocket and waited for the confession. Mrs. Beatson wiped her face and glared at the two like a tigress at bay. Only the knowledge that she was driven into a corner made her speak out. "I overheard your conversation with Mr. Leigh, sir," she said to her master and ignoring Carrington. "Oh, I didn't mean to, you know. I only listened as I thought you intended to discharge me when you married Miss Mallien, and fancied you might explain yourself on that point to the vicar." "I understand. But why did you report the conversation to my cousin?" Mrs. Beatson looked down sullenly. "You don't know what it is to be poor," she muttered irrelevantly. "I am born a lady, and through the fault of a spendthrift husband I am reduced to act as your housekeeper. It is only natural that I should try and improve my position, so when I learned about a will which would give your property to Mr. Mallien, I thought it wise to make money by speaking about it to him." "Why not to me in the first instance?" "Because you are too honest," burst out the woman, raising her pale eyes. "If you got the will you would have made its contents public, even though, as Mr. Leigh stated, you would lose all. For that reason I had no hold on you and would never have got money from you. By telling Mr. Mallien I managed to extract a promise from him that when he came into the property he would give me an annuity." "Of two hundred a year?" inquired Carrington. "We did not mention any sum," retorted Mrs. Beatson, "but that was the amount I intended to ask." "And the amount which you told your son a mythical aunt was leaving you." "I had to give my son some reason for being possessed of the annuity." "Hum!" said Carrington with a shrug. "You haven't got the annuity yet, and now you never will have." "I am not so sure of that. After all, if I hadn't told, Mr. Carrington, the cousin of my master would never have known of his good fortune." "Then the will really does leave the property to Eunice Filbert?" questioned Rupert nervously.