“He received five from me for bringing down the newspaper,” said Sorley in a hasty tone, “he sold me to you, and later he sold you to me. You expected to have me arrested, but the boy’s warning enabled me to escape. It is all a question of money. Jotty, as I knew and Grison knew, would sell his soul for gold.” “Where is the boy now?” asked Dick suddenly, and watching Sorley through half-closed eyes. “I don’t know. He got his price and left The Monastery, shortly before I went away on my motor bicycle. He may have gone back to Miss Grison for all I know.” “I don’t think that is likely,” said Alan dryly, “since she hates you, and will not be pleased if she finds out—as she must have done by this time—that Jotty has thwarted her revenge.” “There you are, there you are,” cried Sorley, greatly excited and gesticulating vehemently, “that beastly woman hates me. It is she who has got me into this trouble. What did I tell you, Alan, what did I tell you? That she had some reason for bringing back the peacock and leaving it in its old place. Now you see the reason; she wished to implicate me in the death of her infernal brother.” “Did she really bring back the peacock?” was Dick’s question. “Yes, she did; I swear that she must have brought it back on the day she came unexpectedly to The Monastery and walked—as I learned later—all over the house. It’s a trap—a trap I tell you. I am innocent; oh yes, I am innocent as a child unborn, but she is doing her best to put a rope round my neck. What are her words in the interview. ‘Find the peacock and you find the assassin of my brother!’ Those are her words, because she knew that I had the bird, and that the mere possession could hang me. Oh, the devil, the cruel vampire that she is!” and he trembled with rage and terror. “But there is not only the peacock to be considered, Mr. Sorley,” put in Latimer, struck by the vehemence of this defence, and wondering if the man was really innocent after all. “The letter——” “I wrote the letter,” admitted Sorley swiftly, “and—but one moment Mr. Latimer, you had better present me with a full statement of the evidence upon which you and the police base your charges against me. Then I shall be able to defend myself.” “I hope so, sincerely,” murmured Alan, who sat back in his chair with folded arms, and allowed Dick to conduct the conversation. The journalist wasted no time in preliminary explanations, but bluntly set forth the whole story from the time he had entered that very room in November to report the murder, down to the moment when Marie departed from the Victoria station for Belstone _via_ Lewes. Sorley still crouching and still haggard in looks, though stronger in voice, listened intently, but did not interrupt. Alan noticed, however, that at certain portions of the recital he trembled, probably from overstrained nerves. When Dick ended, and relighted his pipe, the old man nodded gravely.