"Pah, you little fool," sneered the Mexican woman with scorn, "you have been a catspaw to get the money. I told Bruce to make love to you, to lead you on, to twist you round his little finger, and all to get the money. Was I wrong, seeing how shamelessly you tried to steal my lover? No," she answered herself, "I was right. Bruce told Sir Simon that he would take you away. Sir Simon forbade you to think of Bruce. You persisted, and then he said he would cut you out of his will. He wrote a letter to Brace telling him that he had done so, and asked him to meet him at this inn, offering to bribe him to give you up. You," said Señora Guzman with an insulting laugh, "you, for whom Bruce cared nothing. Bruce said that he would take two thousand pounds more or less. He hinted as much to Sir Simon, and he came here with that amount of money. Then Sir Simon was murdered----" "By Captain Kyles," cried Maud. "It is a lie," said the woman striking the table again. "Had he killed him he would have had the money and have sailed away. But he did not kill him, and so lost the money." "But I saw Captain Kyles at this inn," said Maud. "He was here. I told you so, but how came you to see him?" "I was taking a walk before going to bed. Mrs. Armour was with me. I saw Captain Kyles under the window, where the red light shone." "The red light," said Herries involuntarily. "Yes I There was a red light in the front room. The window was open and Captain Kyles was looking up." "I understand," said Herries gravely. "Sir Simon hung a red handkerchief in front of a candle to serve as a signal. Well?" "Then I wanted to go up and see my father. Bruce had told me that papa wanted to bribe him to give me up, and that he was going to meet him at the inn. That was why I came. I came by a late train and went to Mrs. Armour, who is my old nurse. I implored her to help me, since she knew Mrs. Narby. I wanted to get into the house and throw myself at my father's feet and implore him not to send Bruce away. Mrs. Armour came, and when we saw Captain Kyles under the window, we stole round in the fog to the back door. Mrs. Armour knocked at Mrs. Narby's bedroom window at the back in a peculiar way, and Mrs. Narby came to the back door. She would not let me in at first, but I offered her twenty pounds, which I had brought with me. Then I went into the house, and up the stairs in the darkness. I saw a gleam of light under the door of the furthest room, and then I heard deep breathing. I grew afraid, and ran down the stairs again. I believe there was a man in the nearer room, which was in darkness." "That was Gowrie," said Herries, "he heard the swish of a woman's dress. So it was you. And you saw nothing?" "Nothing. I ran out and asked Mrs. Armour to take me back, and hold her tongue. I slept that night at her house, as her husband was away, and then went home by an early train. Mrs. Mountford let me into my home, and no one knew that I had been away."