"Bah! bah! bah! Go away, you pig of an Englishman!" and Paul felt that there was nothing for him but to accept this advice. Without further words he walked out of the room, pursued by the scornful laughter of Catinka. Whatever love he might have felt for her beauty was killed by her confession and cruel mirth. When Mexton left Bloomsbury Square he was quite cured of his passion. On his way back to Marborough Paul had a carriage all to himself, and he had both time and solitude to consider what use he should make of Catinka's statement. It would seem from what she had told him that Herne was implicated in the murder--perhaps had committed the deed himself. Paul was well aware of Herne's temperament; it was that of a fanatic who regarded bodies less than souls; who would slay the one to save the other, He was of the same nature as Torquemada of Spain. If Herne fancied that Milly was likely to go astray with the too fascinating Lovel, the journalist was quite sure that he would have had no hesitation in killing the girl and would glorify himself for the deed. Catinka had said that the anonymous letters had made Herne jealous; but with this view Paul did not agree. If Herne had shot Milly Lester he had done the deed with the pitiless zeal of a fanatic. "I only wonder that he did not proclaim his doings to all Barnstead," mused Paul. "If he fancied in his fanaticism that he was justified in killing the girl he would certainly not hesitate to acknowledge his guilt; he would not let an innocent man suffer for his crime--though, to be sure, if he killed Milly, he did not regard the deed as a crime. His silence is the sole argument in favour of his innocence." And, indeed, if Herne were not guilty how could he explain his stealthy visit to Barnstead, his going thither in disguise, and his silence regarding his presence in the village on the night of the murder? No doubt he had come by stealth, lest Milly, hearing that he was back, should have refused to meet Lovel, and so have hidden her flirtation from the eyes of her future husband. There was no doubt, again, that Herne had been in the village on the night of the murder, since after receipt of the anonymous letters, he would hardly have remained ignorant at Marborough; but, on the other hand, there was no proof that he had been in the Winding Lane. Brent had seen Miss Clyde, but not Herne. Iris, on going to the spot after the crime, had beheld Lovel, but not Herne; and in no way had the fact of Herne's presence at Barnstead come out in the evidence collected by Drek. But for the evidence of Catinka--which seemed genuine enough--it would be impossible in any way to implicate Darcy Herne in the crime.