But Ruth could not answer. She sat with the red pocket-book in her lap, gazing upon it as though it were a viper. Aunt Inez repeated her question impatiently then, surprised at her niece's silence, she crossed the garret. Her eyes fell at once on the red book, and for a few seconds no word was spoken. Then at last Ruth made a remark, and made it in a hushed voice, as though she feared it might be heard by others than the frozen woman before her. "It was not produced at the trial," was what she said, looking at her aunt. Mrs. Marshall might have been a granite image for all the movement she made. Her face was like snow, her eyes fixed as though she were in a cataleptic state. And so she was--for the moment. Only when Ruth, who was the first to recover herself, made a motion to rise did she shew any signs of life. She sighed deeply and removed her eyes from the book. "I will shew it to my father," said the girl; whereat her aunt changed suddenly into a creature of fire. She snatched at the pocket-book and had it in her grasp before Ruth could close her fingers upon it. "You will shew it to no one," she said, thrusting it into her pocket. "I forbid you to say a word." "Tell me how it came to be here, and I will consider if it is right for me to be silent." "I will explain nothing. Girl, what demon brought you here and shewed you that book? I came up here to look for it; I have been searching for over an hour. You came in and found it in a few minutes. It is fate--fate." "Aunt Inez," Ruth drew back until she was standing up against the wall, "you--oh, no!--you did not--did not--kill the man!" Mrs. Marshall shrugged her shoulders, her colour and her courage coming back to her almost as she spoke. "You are at liberty to think so if you like. I will not contradict you. No, indeed. I have other things to do." "Will you contradict my father?" "I forbid you to tell your father of this." "I must! I will know the truth of this matter. There is an innocent woman in gaol for----" "An innocent woman!" interrupted her aunt, with contempt. "Oh, yes, very innocent!" She paused and looked at Ruth. "Come downstairs," she said. "As you have found what I wanted, we need not remain here." "You knew that this book was hidden here?" "Yes; I have known it for years." "Why did you not produce it at the trial?" "That is my business." "How did it come into your possession?" "Ah! that I refuse to tell you. Think me guilty if you like. It is evident you want to smirch our family name. But I have had enough of this nonsense. You must hold your tongue." "To all persons save my father. I must tell him, and I will." "I forbid you." "It is no use your forbidding me. I tell my father. He has the honour of the family quite as at heart as you have; and he is the man to decide what should be done." "You will tell?" "Yes; I am going straight home to tell all."