"We must try and find out his motive," he said quietly. "Depend upon it, Claude, there is a good deal of underhand work in this of which we know nothing." "Do you think Mona committed the crime?" "No, I do not. In no way could she have gained possession of the dagger with which it was committed." "My mother says she had a dagger in the sitting room." "That is a mistake," said Captain Larcher, using as delicate a word as he could think of. "She threatened me with the sheath of the dagger, and no doubt, being agitated at the time, she thought it was the weapon itself. But I noticed when she entered the room that the sheath was empty. Her story to the police at the time of the trial is more likely. She lost it in the ballroom. The question is, who picked it up? Judging from the knowledge I now have of his character I believe it was Hilliston who did so." "Or Jeringham," said Tait suddenly. "Impossible! How could Jeringham have found it?" "He was with Mrs. Larcher all the evening, and may have seen the dagger fall. Or again, he may have taken it out of the sheath to examine it and have forgotten to return it. It is not improbable that in such a case he might have recollected it when he was in the garden, and offered it to Mona to return to her mistress." "Oh!" said Claude with contempt. "And on that slight ground you suppose that Mona killed him?" "It is not beyond the bounds of probability." "Nonsense!" said Captain Larcher angrily. "I don't believe it. Mona was a good girl, foully deceived by Jeringham. She fled from the house to hide her disgrace, thinking my wife would tell her brother. Hilliston afterward met her in London, where she died in giving birth to Jenny." "Then it was Hilliston who brought Jenny to you?" "Yes. Because her Uncle Denis was in my service. I adopted Jenny, but told her that she was the child of a Mr. Kennedy and Mona Bantry. She believed her father and mother were married, so do not disturb that view of the case." "Certainly not," said Tait emphatically. "It would be cruel to do so. But here we are at Victoria. After seeing Mrs. Bezel at Hampstead we can resume our conversation." "If we do it will be from a different standpoint, I fancy," said Larcher significantly, as the train stopped. Tait's brougham was waiting for them at the station, and in this they drove up to Hampstead. Leaving it in Fitzjohn's Avenue they walked down Hunt Lane to Clarence Cottage. Mrs. Bezel occupied her usual seat in the window, and caught sight of Claude as he preceded his father and Tait up the path. A terrified expression crossed her face, but she made no motion to forbid their entrance. Yet a sense of coming evil struck at her heart, and it needed all her self-control to prevent herself from fainting when they were shown into the room. "My dear mother," said Claude, kissing her, "you must be prepared for unexpected news. I beg of you to control yourself for----"