"Oh, bother," Aurora ran to the other room, snatched up the shawl and saw Miss Stably sitting down to knit, while she led Hay back into the drawing-room. He looked round when he entered. "Where are they?" he asked, sitting down. "Gone; but it's all right. I've made them promise not to say--" Grexon Hay didn't let her finish. He fell on his knees and kissed her hand. His face was perfectly white, but his eyes were full of gratitude as he babbled his thanks. No one could have accused him of being cold then. But Miss Qian did not approve of this emotion, natural though it was. "Here, get up," she said, snatching her hand away. "I've got to speak straight to you. I've done a heap for you, now you've got to do a heap for me." "Anything--anything," said Hay, whose face was recovering its normal color. "You have saved me--you have." "And much of a thing you are to save. You'll be cheating again in a week or so." "No," cried Hay, emphatically, "I swear I'll not touch a card again. I'll marry Maud and turn respectable. Oh, what a lesson I've had! You are sure those fellows won't speak?" "No. That's all right. You can go on swindling as before, only," Miss Qian raised a finger, "you'll have to pay Sandal back some cash." "I'll do that. Maud will lend me the money. Does he want all?" "Oh, a couple of thousand will shut his mouth. I'll not see you left. It's all right, so sit up and don't shake there like a jelly." "You're very kind to me," said Hay, faintly. "Don't you make any mistake. So far as I am concerned you might stick in the mud forever. I helped you, because I want you to help me. I'm in want of money--" "I'll give you some." "Picked from that girl's pockets," said Aurora, dryly, "no, thank you. It might dirty my fingers. Listen--there's a reward offered for the discovery of the murderer of Aaron Norman. I want to get that thousand pounds, and you can help me to." Hay started to his feet with amazement. Of all the requests she was likely to make he never thought it would be such a one. "Aaron Norman's murder," he said, "what do you know of that?" "Very little, but you know a lot." "I don't, I swear I don't." "Pish," said Miss Qian, imperiously, "remember I've got the whip-hand, my boy. Just you tell me how Mrs. Krill came to strangle the--" "Mrs. Krill?" Hay turned white again, and his eye-glass fell. "She had nothing to do with the matter. I swear--" "Strikes me you swear too much, Mr. Hay. What about that opal brooch you stole from Beecot when he had the smash?" "I didn't steal it. I never saw it at the time of the accident." "Then you got that boy Tray to steal it." "I knew nothing about the boy. Besides, why should I steal that opal serpent brooch?" "You wanted to buy it from Beecot, anyhow?" Hay looked puzzled. "Yes, for a lady." "Mrs. Krill?" "I admit that Mrs. Krill wanted it. She had associations connected with that brooch."