"I see. And no one's been to the place at all, you say? Beyond the immediate family, and this Miss--Miss Dowd and your brother's fiancee? They returned with him, I suppose, after having persuaded him not to take such a foolhardy view of the case which I heard this morning? Well, I'm glad he came back, if only--for this. Poor chap! it will ease his conscience, at any rate. And those are the only people who have entered this place to-night, Miss Duggan? You are positive of that?" She lifted wide eyes to his face. There was conviction in every line of her own. "Absolutely positive, Mr. Deland." "Well, that's all right, then." Cleek nodded slowly at her but his lips were grim. Either _she_ or Macdonald had lied. For he had heard him say, in that broken, staccato voice of his, "I've just--come from there, you see, and was on my way home again." And a dollar to a ducat that _she_ was not at fault. Well, the man Macdonald would want watching. And if he _had_ "done a bunk," as the boys say, he would know his man instantly and scout all Britain over for him--though at present his motive for connection with the crime was certainly unknown. He sent his keen eyes over her wan face, and came to his own conclusions. Here was no liar, if he knew the signs. Then he leaned toward her. "Now," said he, "just tell me--what happened. All about it. Don't leave anything out--not the veriest little thing. How did you all happen to be in the library in the first place?" "As I told you, Father had summoned us all there for the purpose of disinheriting Ross by crossing his name from his will, and in the presence of witnesses substituting another instead." "And whose name, may I ask?" She bent her head suddenly, and put one hand against her cheek. "Mine, Mr. Deland." "_Yours?_... Oho! And not young Cyril's, then?" "No. Upon that Father was adamant. He said justice must be done to the elder family--that is Ross and me, as you know--and he would see justice done. If Ross could not have the rightful inheritance because of his unfitness (poor Ross!) then it was to come to me, unless I saw fit to marry Captain Macdonald. In that event it all went to charity. Naturally, I protested with him." "Why?" "Because, don't you see? I hoped he would perhaps relent and leave Ross's name where it was. The ignominy to the poor boy would have been so terrible--if he had struck his name out. Ross would never have got over it--never! He is so proud of his house, so wrapped up in it in every way." "And did your father manage to destroy the will then before it--happened?" "No. He had it in his hands. I was wrestling with him, trying to get it away, and Paula had caught me by the shoulders and was endeavouring to get me away, too, when the lights suddenly went out, and--and came up again. And there he was in his chair--_dead_!" "And you say that you heard the sound of the spinning wheel 'humming' in the darkness? You really did hear that, Miss Duggan?"