"I do. Would any man be such a fool as to act this way in his own house? Had he known this woman, had he desired to get rid of her, he would have taken her to the other end of London, as far away from our home as possible." "I can see that. And, madame, I ask your pardon for my unjust suspicions. You are innocent." And he bent to kiss her hand. Mrs. Fane snatched it away fiercely. "Innocent,--of course I am. I can prove that I was at the Liverpool Street Station all that evening. I was in the ladies' waiting-room. You can understand how the phonograph deceived the police. As to this woman, I never heard of her--I don't know her." "She is my cousin." "Then how did she come to enter my house?" "I thought that you secured the key and----" "And admitted Arnold. No, I didn't. My sister----" Mrs. Fane suddenly clutched her hair, moved out of her usual self. "Great heavens!" she muttered. "Can Laura have got an impression of the key and----" "No, no said Bocaros. I am sure Miss Mason has nothing to do with the matter. But Calvert----" "If he is guilty hang him." "But I thought----" "You thought wrongly. I detest the man. I do not want him to marry my sister. Professor, do what you like about the man. I will tell all to the police I have told you if----" "I do not wish to speak to the police," said Bocaros, shivering. "Then hold your tongue and leave the matter in my hands. I will avenge you. I will be able to deal with the matter. Leave it to me." Bocaros looked at her steadily. "Madame," he said, bowing, "I leave it to you. Calvert is in your hands." "He shall never marry my sister," said Mrs. Fane feverishly. "Never." CHAPTER XVIII A STORY OF THE PAST Fane and Derrick parted at the top of Achilles Avenue, the latter heartily thanking the former for the very handsome cheque. "And if that husband returns, sir," said Derrick, shaking hands, "you may be sure that I'll let you know straight off. By the way"--he drew near confidentially--"do you know that the motor-car in which the assassin is supposed to have escaped is in Madame Tussaud's?" "No"--Fane laughed--"what possible interest can it have?" "Well, sir, you see the mystery of the case makes it interesting. A lot of people will go there and look at it, and talk about the case." "I hope they may stumble upon some evidence likely to give a clue to the assassin." "Bless you, no one will do that, sir. The case has baffled me, so I do not think there's much chance of any one else getting at the truth. I think that American gentleman's a smart man of business, though. He sold the car to Tussaud's at a long price." "H'm!" said Fane, pondering, "do you think he had anything to do with the crime?" "No, sir. He missed his motor-car sure enough. Had he killed the woman, he would have escaped in it and proved an _alibi_." "I think it was better what he did do. He met Mulligan and you, and with you surveyed the corpse. That daring would avert any suspicion."