Lady Wyke nodded. "Yes. I appeared and spoilt Hector's plan to marry you. He knew that he had made a will years ago leaving his property to me, and, as he hated me like poison he wished to make another will. He would have done so after marriage, had you become his wife, since he could not make it before the ceremony. But as I prevented the marriage, and Hector did not wish to see me benefit in any way, he proposed to make Edwin his heir on condition that he married you." "I take it, then, that the will was not made when Edwin came here." "No. What are you getting at? Do you mean to say that there is a will, and that I have destroyed it?" "Oh, no. But I merely point out that as no will was made Edwin had no reason to murder Sir Hector." "He murdered him because he did not wish Hector to marry you." "You forget," said Claudia, coolly. "Your reappearance prevented Sir Hector from making me his wife. Edwin had no reason to fear the prevention of his marriage with me from that quarter. And as Sir Hector wished to make a will in Edwin's favour, Edwin would scarcely have been such a fool as to murder the man and spoil the chance of his getting five thousand a year." "I think you should have been a lawyer, Miss Lemby; you argue so well." "Thank you. But I should like to know, what you think of the case as I have put it? You must see that Edwin had no reason to murder Sir Hector." "Oh, I see that!" sneered Lady Wyke, crossly. "The question is, would a jury see it?" "I think so. Absence of motive for the commission of a crime goes a long way towards proving the innocence or an accused person. And remember all the evidence is purely circumstantial." "Circumstantial or not, I have the whip hand, and I mean to use the whip." "And I mean to try and get my lover as you are trying to do." "As I have done," gasped Lady Wyke with fury. "He is mine! He is mine!" "Not yet! Oh, you thought I was in earnest when I surrendered him to you." Claudia laughed insultingly. "What a fool you are. I have been, bluffing you all along, you silly creature." This series of insults made Lady Wyke lose her temper altogether, and she became the fisherman's daughter straight away. She rushed across the room to throw herself on Claudia and scratch her eyes out; but Miss Lemby was prepared for the onset, and immediately grabbed her hands so that she could not use them. Being much the stronger of the two, she forced Lady Wyke over to the chair she had risen from and made her sit down. Claudia was silent herself, but Lady Wyke screamed so loudly that it was a wonder the servants did not come up to see what was the matter. Lady Wyke bit and twisted; and cried and writhed; but Claudia held her down firmly in the chair until she was exhausted. "I think you will be quiet now, said Claudia, suddenly, as Lady Wyke became weak, ceased to kick, and began to sob. "I'd like to kill you," wept the beaten woman, crying her heart out.