"I see dis woman in dat engine," he meant the motor car, "on de hill when I leave Bellaria dead. I run out to see where anyone was, dat kill Bellaria, and I see dat woman wid dis odder in dat engine." "But you came running from the house," cried Rebb; "you could not----" "Let be," said Mrs. Berch, evidently recognizing that denial was useless: "no doubt he did see me. But I am guilty and Mrs. Crosbie is perfectly innocent." "Then you killed the woman?" cried Gerald, appalled. "Yes. But not intentionally. Listen. From you we learned something about this girl, and then my daughter and I were here on one occasion and knew something beforehand about the matter. We forced Major Rebb to explain, as the girl was supposed to be pretty," she cast a disdainful glance at Mavis, "and my daughter was a trifle jealous. When you, Gerald, came asking Madge to take charge of this girl I took alarm, as I thought that something serious was the matter." "You did," said Rebb bitterly, "and you forced me to tell you the truth of how my income depended upon Mavis never getting married. But I did not expect you to kill Bellaria so as to save the income." "I did not do so for that purpose," said Mrs. Berch steadily. "Madge and I were in despair, as only her marriage with you could save us from terrible trouble. When Gerald explained about Bellaria's fear of the coral hand I learned its purport from Signor Venosta. Then I thought that I could use it to bend Bellaria to my will." "What was your will?" asked Tod, who looked awestruck. "To insist that Bellaria should take Mavis to Italy and keep her there, so as to prevent her marrying. Then I knew that Major Rebb's income would be safe, and that Madge could marry and take us both out of the horrible misery we endured trying to keep up appearances on nothing." "On nothing?" cried Haskins suddenly. "Beyond a hundred a year, Madge and I were penniless," said Mrs. Berch coolly. "But you lived in style," said Rebb, who seemed to be thunderstruck by these sordid revelations. "Oh, we are only a couple of adventuresses," said Mrs. Berch ironically, "we deceived everyone, even Gerald's mother, who was as kind and good a woman as ever breathed." "Don't," muttered the young man softly. "I am only praising the dead," said Mrs. Berch stolidly. "I say no evil of her. Well then, we were in desperate straits, else I never would have hit on the desperate scheme of getting Bellaria to kidnap Mavis, which was what it amounted to. I told Madge nothing, save, that I wanted to see Major Rebb. We informed Gerald that we were going to Bognor, and we really were going. But, by my plan, we came to Devonshire, and Madge got one of her friends to lend her a motor. She drives excellently, and as we were at Belldown before, she knows the country. I pretended that Major Rebb was at the Pixy's House and had arranged to see me at midnight. This I told my daughter."