"She obeyed me. The rendezvous with Grent was at midnight in Mortality-lane, so I arranged to meet her at Cleopatra's Needle at one o'clock on Sunday morning." "Why not at your own lodgings?" "Because it is not wise to leave a trail to one's own door," retorted Vass, with a cunning look. "Well, Julia went to the rendezvous disguised as Miss Hargone, in a fawn-coloured mantle which Grent knew well. She got the money." "How? By murdering Grent?" "No; he gave it to her thinking she was Miss Hargone. Then----" "Well, well; then----" "I don't know what happened," said Vass helplessly. "Julia had not time to tell me all, when she was murdered." "By whom?" cried Torry eagerly. "By a man I don't know. It was this way. I was at the Needle at one o'clock, but she did not come. I waited for half an hour and then she came running to me." "From which direction?" "Northumberland-avenue." "H'm; that agrees with the cabman's story," muttered Torry. "Go on." "She came up to me at once," continued Vass rapidly, "and thrust the notes into my hands. I put them into my pocket, and she began to talk about Grent being dead. I had no time to ask her what she meant, for a man in a long coat came running along from Northumberland-avenue direction, and threw himself on her with an open knife. I saw it flash in the faint starlight. Julia turned to face him with a cry, and the knife went right into her heart. I was so terrified and amazed that, as she fell, I took to my heels and ran along in the direction of the Strand." "Did the man follow you?" "Not immediately. From a backward glance I saw that he was bending over Julia's body, looking for the notes, I suppose. I ran on as hard as ever I could, but when I was racing up into the Strand I fancied my haste would look suspicious, so I walked as quickly as I could. In the Strand I picked up a cab and drove to Hyde Park corner, then I walked to Victoria Station and took a cab home to my lodgings in Westminster. I was too terrified to do anything but fly." "You are sure you were not followed?" "I fancied I heard the man running after me on the Embankment, but I am not sure. All I wished to do, since Julia was dead, was to save myself." "What was the man like?" "He had a long coat, a soft hat, and a black beard; but the whole thing passed so suddenly that I had no time to notice anything." "Soft hat, long coat, black beard," said Torry; "exactly what Main described. There is no doubt that the man who killed Grent killed Julia. Well," he added, turning to Vass, with a grim look, "is that all you have to say?" "Yes, all; except that I returned the money to Captain Manuel at his hotel." "Oh," cried Darrel, "so you were the red-haired man." "Yes. I was afraid to go without a disguise lest I should meet Manuel and be questioned by him." "Why did you return the money?" asked Torry sharply.