"Well you see," went on Rupert, "we met on the beach after eleven, but it is just possible in spite of Forge's evidence, that Miss Wharf may have been killed before then." "And you believe that I killed her. Thank you Ainsleigh." "My good friend," rejoined the young man calmly, "Lo-Keong believes that Tung-yu broke his oath before the god, and strangled Miss Wharf. But I disagree with him, as Tung-yu could have procured the fan by milder means, the next day. Hwei could not have strangled the woman, as he was haunting the Abbey grounds to see if the packet was still safe. Forge, in a letter to my wife, insists that he never got the tie, and certainly did not kill Miss Wharf, so--" "So you have narrowed it down to me," cried Tidman in a burst of indignation, "it's too bad of you, Ainsleigh. I am not a thin skinned man by any means: but I do feel this very deeply. I swear," the Major flung up his hand dramatically, "I swear that I never possessed the tie, and I never killed Miss Wharf and I never took the fan and--" "That's all right," interrupted Rupert, "if you did not take the tie, you certainly could not have strangled the woman. After all, perhaps I have been too hard on you. Major." "Ah," said Tidman angrily, "you are prepared to take my word for it now, unsupported by other evidence. Your accusation can't be made seriously, Ainsleigh." "Well upon my soul," said Rupert passing his hand through his hair, "I really don't know what to think or say. This case seems to grow more mystical at every step. I admit that, as you deceived me at the time, we discussed the advertisement--" "You think I deceived you again. Well I did not. That was my one and only deception. I wanted the fan in order to procure money I admit: but the danger of being killed by Hwei instead of being rewarded by Tung-yu was too great. I dropped the matter." "Then who do you think is guilty?" "Clarence Burgh. Oh I am sure of it. He admits that Miss Pewsey told him the tie was in the overcoat pocket. No doubt he took it out and used it to incriminate you. Then again, Burgh learned from Tung-yu how the picture could be rendered visible--" "True enough," mused Rupert, "well he, might be guilty. And he certainly was in the cloisters one day--" "So as to examine the place," said the Major. "And afterwards, he came at night in the monk's disguise, knowing about the ghost and the legend. He was startled when he secured the packet and left the fan by accident on the black square." "Or by design," said Ainsleigh, "remembering the prophecy which says that 'gold will come from the holy ashes.' If I get this one hundred thousand pounds the prophecy will certainly be fulfilled, in a sort of way. It was indirectly owing to the fan that Lo-Keong told me of the money my father made in China, and through the fan, when the packet is restored, he intends to give the money to me."