"You must tell the truth now," said Bella, "for the police will arrest you." Mrs. Vand could not grow paler, for she was already whiter than any corpse, but a terrified look came into her eyes. "You'll be glad of that, Bella?" "No," said the girl earnestly; "I am not glad to see you suffer. You have been cruel to me, and I thought that I should like to see you punished; but now that you have lost your husband and are so miserable, I am very sorry, and both Cyril and I will do our best to help you. Tell all you know, Aunt Rosamund, and perhaps you will not be arrested." "If I tell all I know I am sure to be arrested," said Mrs. Vand sullenly. "But surely you did not murder your own brother?" "No, I didn't. Badly as Jabez treated me I did not kill him, although I don't deny that I wished for his death. Well, he is dead and I got his money, and now--" she buried her shameful face in her hands wailingly--"oh! my poor dear Henry, I have lost him and lost all. As to you"--she suddenly lifted up her head to glare furiously at Cyril, who was leaning against the door-post a few yards from the watching policeman--"you have been the evil genius of us all. Where are my jewels?" "They are in this bag," said Lister, holding it up, "and they belong to Bella." "Jabez left everything to me," began Mrs. Vand, when Cyril interrupted. "These jewels were not his to leave. They were the property of Maxwell Faith, who was a trader and----" "I know all about that," said Mrs. Vand, cutting him short, "and Bella is his daughter, you were going to say." "Yes; therefore the jewels are her property. Who told you of----" "Luke Tunks told me." "That's a lie!" snarled Granny from her stool near the fire. "It's the truth," gasped Mrs. Vand, taking another sip of the brandy which Bella held to her lips. "Luke was dodging round the house on the night of the murder and peeped in at the study window. He overheard the interview between Jabez and Edwin Lister." "What!" Cyril took a step forward in sheer surprise. "You know my father's name also?" "I know much, but not all," said Mrs. Vand in a stronger voice, for the spirit was taking effect. "For instance, I don't know what became of Edwin Lister, but Luke does." "Then Luke shall be arrested and questioned." "He shan't!" muttered Granny venomously. "Luke's escaped--a clever boy." Bella put her arm round Mrs. Vand to render her more comfortable. "How much did Luke tell you?" she asked softly. "Only so much as cheated us--Henry and I--into paying him money." "Oh," said Cyril quietly, "so that is why Luke got so drunk." "He spent his money in drink," said Mrs. Vand indifferently. "We paid him a good deal. He never would have left us, and intended to go to America with us to-night, as he knew too much for our safety." "How did you intend to escape?" asked Cyril sharply.