Audrey, who still felt languid, willingly consented, and Madame went out quietly. She did not, however, through absence of mind, quite close the door, and Audrey was therefore wakened some time later by the sound of two voices conversing softly. At once she remembered that the still-room was opposite to the bedroom she occupied. Evidently its door was open, and, as her own door was not closed, she could hear very plainly. Half awake and half asleep she listened, not meaning to eavesdrop, but simply because she felt too tired to close the door or to give any evidence of her presence. The voices were those of a man and a woman, and Audrey recognised the latter one as that of Badoura. But who the man was she could not guess. "You are very cruel," said Badoura, addressing her companion softly. "You are tired of me, I am sure." "Well, you always worry me so," said the man's voice, gruffly. "I can't be always running after you." "You would not have said that once, Eddy," replied Badoura, and the name suddenly enlightened Audrey to the fact that the forewoman was conversing with Madame Coralie's scampish husband. Ashamed of listening, even half involuntarily, the girl would have risen to close the bedroom door, when the next sentence of Badoura made her change her mind. "If you are going to throw me over," cried Badoura, passionately, "I shall tell all I know." "What do you know?" demanded Eddy, with a sneer. "There's nothing much you can tell my wife, if that is what you mean. She thinks that I am all that is bad, my dear silly girl." "And so you are," snapped Badoura, sharply. "But does she know that you put back the clock in the still-room half an hour on the night Lady Branwin--" "It's a confounded lie!" gasped Eddy Vail, interrupting. "It's true, and you know it," said Badoura, triumphantly. "I was behind the curtain with Parizade working when you came in about five minutes to eight o'clock. Parizade is blind, and saw nothing, but I did. You put back the hand of the clock to 7.30." "What if I did?" stammered Eddy, evidently trying to bluff the girl. "What if you did?" cried Badoura, shrilly. "Why, it means that you were downstairs at the time Lady Branwin was murdered. You stayed until the clock hand was again nearly at eight, and then your wife came up, so that you were able to prove an alibi. I said nothing because I loved you, but since you are going to treat me like dirt I shall tell the police." "You dare, and I'll kill you!" said Vail between his teeth. "As you killed Lady Branwin," scoffed Badoura, who was in a towering rage. "I didn't kill her." "Yes you did, and you stole the diamonds, and--Hush! there's Madame." Then Audrey heard Badoura quickly leave the room, and the sound of Eddy throwing himself into a chair. She gasped with horror. Was he the criminal after all? The question was a terrible one, but the answer seemed certain. CHAPTER XVIII A LEGAL OPINION