"I never saw your mother, my dear. Mr. Alpenny married a few weeks after the murder, and took Mrs. Hedge, as I understand she was called, to The Camp. She never came out, and no one ever saw her. When she was buried, everyone was quite amazed to hear that Mr. Alpenny had a wife--though, of course, it was hinted that he had married. He was deeply in love with Mrs. Hall, you know." "Lady Watson says he was deeply in love with her." "I don't believe the man was deeply in love with any one save himself," declared Mrs. Lilly sharply. "I detested him, and say so, even though he is dead and your father." "My stepfather," corrected Miss Hedge. "I did not like him myself, Mrs. Lilly. He was a cruel man." "He was, and had far too much influence with the old master. It was then that he got the mortgage on the Grange, which is such a trouble to Master Vivian. But perhaps Lady Watson will not be so hard to satisfy as Mr. Alpenny, and Master Vivian may be able to arrange, as he has inherited this little sum of money from his aunt. I wish he was clear of all these difficulties," ended Mrs. Lilly, with a sigh. "Go on. You have not said a thing about the murder." "I wonder Durban did not tell you about the matter. He was Colonel Hall's servant, you know." Beatrice started to her feet, quite amazed by this intelligence. "Do you mean to say that Durban was Colonel Hall's servant?" she asked. "Didn't you hear me say so?" said Mrs. Lilly tartly. "Yes; but he never explained that to me." "There was no need to. Besides, Durban doesn't like to speak of the murder of his master. He was the Colonel's servant, and came with him from the West Indies. Any one can see that Durban has black blood in him." "It is all very strange," murmured the girl, sitting down again. "Well, I thought so myself, as Durban never liked Mr. Alpenny. However, when the Colonel was buried, and Mrs. Hall went back to the West Indies with the baby, Durban stopped on, and when Mr. Alpenny married Mrs. Hedge, went to serve at The Camp." "He has been a good friend to me," said Beatrice ponderingly. "I wonder why?" "He was a good friend to your mother also, I heard. I asked Durban about your mother's marriage, and about your real father, Mr. Hedge, but he never would tell me anything." "It is strange,--strange," mused Beatrice, quite perplexed over this tangled story. "And the murder?"