She put out her hands. "No. Say nothing now. Afterwards we will talk--we can--oh! believe me--I--I--shall keep my bargain." "Your bargain was not that I should save Frank, but discover the assassin of your brother," said Eustace, gloomily. "But to do the one I must do the other. Frank shall be saved, and the man who killed Walter shall be caught. And then"--he paused again with a shiver--"and then--we will talk, as you say." "But I want to say--" "Say nothing, Mildred. Child," he said, as she rose, "all I wish is to see you happy. I have made one mistake. Do not let me make another. No, don't speak. I'm only a man after all, and I am not equal to--to--" He passed his hand across his forehead, then started briskly. "But this is not business," he broke off, and held out his hand. "Give me the letter." Amazed by his sudden transition from sentiment to business, Mildred did not quite comprehend. "The letter?" she stammered. "Yes, the letter written by Miss Berry to you, saying that she loved your brother, and wished to marry him. Denham gave it to you." "Yes, yes. But how did you--" "I got her to write it," said Jarman, quickly. "She wanted me to deliver a message to Frank for her, and I agreed to do it on conditions. They were that she should write such a letter." "I wondered that she should," said Mildred, searching in the pocket of her dress. "I came to talk to you about it last night." "That was the question you wished to ask?" "Yes. But the arrival of Tamaroo put it out of my head. Did she love my brother?" "No. Nor did she intend to marry him." "Then why did she write a lie?" "Because she would write anything to secure her own ends," said Jarman, taking the letter. "This will not hurt her in any way, and as I asked her to write it she did. I am only beating her with her own weapons." "What do you intend to do with the letter?" asked the girl. Eustace put it away, and smiled faintly. "I am going to show it to a black lady called Balkis." "I heard something about her from Frank. But why--" "Don't ask me questions, my dear," said Eustace, impatiently, for he felt that he could not talk about the negress without exposing the opium smoking of the dead brother; "there is no time. I go to London in an hour. First I look in at that house in Sand Lane--" "Where Walter lived?" "Yes. Frank told me that when he called to see your brother on the day of the murder one of the windows was open. Tilly, the servant, in her evidence said that the windows were all bolted and barred. I am going to ask why she told the lie. I suspect that she knows that someone got into the house, else she would not have given false evidence. And that someone is the murderer." "Oh, I hope you will be successful!" cried Mildred, clasping her hands. "And afterwards?" "I go to the Docks to see Balkis. I'll tell you all about it when I return. Keep up your spirits, Mildred," said Jarman, holding out his hand. "I'll save Frank yet."