"I read the notice of it, Laura dear. I fancy I remember that in the second act there is a fancy dress ball. I suppose Mr. Calvert wears a fancy dress in that act." "He is dressed as a Venetian. Why do you ask that?" Mrs. Fane evaded the question. "My dear," she said gravely, "when I found Mr. Calvert with Walter, I came to read about the two rooms, at Hampstead and this house--being similar, you know. The paper said that the other house--in Coleridge Lane, I believe--was owned by a Mrs. Brand. Mr. Calvert admitted that he had a cousin called Flora Brand, and I have a suspicion--no facts though--that this Flora Brand is the woman who was murdered here." "You have no right to say that, Julia," said Laura quickly. "I have no ground to go on, certainly," admitted Mrs. Fane in a most provokingly calm manner, "but I am certain that the woman was murdered here, and that she is Flora Brand, Mr. Calvert's cousin." Laura, who was changing from red to white and from white to red, looked straightly at Julia. "What do you mean?" "Mr. Calvert," said Mrs. Fane, "is dressed as a Venetian in the second act of this play. Probably he would wear a dagger--as a Venetian he would certainly wear a dagger--a stage dagger." "He does. What of that?" "Merely this." Mrs. Fane produced the dagger from her pocket. "This is a stage weapon. The handle is tinsel and glass. It was found by Gander in the dust-hole." Laura took the weapon and examined it with a pale face. "Go on." "Really, my dear, there is no more to say. I leave you to draw your own inferences." "I understand," said Laura rapidly and in a low voice. "You think that Arnold killed the woman?" "She was his cousin--the dagger is a stage weapon--Mr. Calvert often came to this house. Put two and two together, my dear, and----" "Stop!" cried Laura furiously. "I don't believe it. Why should Arnold come here and kill his cousin--if she is his cousin?" "He admitted she was." "He admitted, according to your own showing, that Flora Brand was. We cannot yet be certain that the dead woman is Flora Brand." "Going by the similarity of the rooms----" "That may be a coincidence." "A very strange one, taken in conjunction with that dagger and the relationship, of which I am fully convinced. Did you give Mr. Calvert the latch-key?" asked Julia suddenly. "How dare you say that! Do you accuse me of aiding Arnold to kill the woman?" "Ah! you admit that he killed her then?" said Mrs. Fane quickly. "No! no! you confuse me. The idea is ridiculous. I am losing my head over your talk." Laura walked to and fro in an agitated manner. "He did not--he did not. What motive could he have for killing----" "Laura"--Mrs. Fane rose with a determined air--"you know something, I am sure. Walter noticed that you are not such good friends with this man as you used to be. What do you know?" "Nothing!" panted Laura, as Mrs. Fane seized both her elbows and looked into her eyes. "Let me go, Julia!" "Not until you tell me----"