Clarice rose unsteadily. Was the man mad to admit what he had seen? She could not make any remark, but stared at him, tongue-tied. The vicar still continued dreamy and absent-minded. "And then I owed poor Horran one thousand pounds with interest," he went on, slowly; "some people might have said that I had murdered him." "Then you--you--you are--innocent," gasped Miss Baird. Clarke looked up sharply, struck by the speech and the significance of her tones. "Innocent," he said, in a clear and vigorous voice, "I am innocent, of course. You never thought that I was guilty?" "Well, the person who saw you----" "Who was it?" asked Clarke, quickly. "I decline to mention names." "No matter! no matter! But I am surprised that you should believe me guilty of a wicked deed, Clarice. You have known me for years, yet it now seems that you do not know me at all." "If you will explain----" "Yes. I'll explain at once. I should have explained before--and to the police. But Frank's wickedness--Frank's death--oh!" he clasped his hands together in an agony of sorrow; "was ever a man tried so hardly as I have been? Hush! Say nothing. Sit down. Let me collect my thoughts, and I'll tell you everything--that is, about my visit to poor Horran on that night. Nothing else need be talked about; my own affairs are--my own affairs." Unable to remain seated, he rose, and walked up and down the room trying to compose himself. Clarice, wondering what he was about to say, resumed her seat and watched him in silence. After a time, Mr. Clarke recovered his self-control, and, still walking, he told her all that she wanted to know. "I saw Horran one afternoon," he explained. "You remember what I said at the inquest. I noticed that the bedroom window was open, so I slipped in, anxious to gain time from Horran to pay the interest. I did not wish to be sold up, you know, so I told him everything, and he was very angry." "With you?" questioned Clarice. "Not with me; certainly not with me. Barras was in fault. He had told Barras to lend me the thousand pounds for as long as I required them. There was no question of interest, and when I mentioned the ten per cent., Horran declared that he knew nothing about that, and should have been told before, that such an interest had been charged. He had never intended that I should be hampered in that way. The loan was to be from a friend to a friend. It is strange," mused Clarke, "that in three years and more, Barras should never have mentioned to Horran that he had charged interest." "He evidently charged the interest secretly," said Clarice, after a thoughtful pause, "and, naturally, would say nothing about it. And then you saw Uncle Henry frequently during those three years. Why did you not mention it yourself?"