"Yes; and it appears that in her rage against Ellen Gilmar for presuming to love Dean, she threatened her upstairs with the knife, while Kirkstone and Dean were quarrelling in the smoking-room. Ellen wrenched the knife away, and said she would take it at once to Dean in the Yellow Room. She went down with it, and found that having quarrelled, Dean and Kirkstone had parted, the former having gone up to bed Ellen entered with the knife in her hand, and laid it on the table. Then Kirkstone, who was in a bad temper, began to insult her. She retorted, and in a short space of time they were at it hard. Then when Miss Gilmar said something unusually cutting to Kirkstone, he rushed at her to strike her. She snatched up the knife to defend herself, and held it point out. In his blind rage he dashed against it, and the point pierced his heart. He fell dead on the spot." "Oh," said Parge, reflectively, "then it was really an accident!" "Yes; but Miss Gilmar was so terrified that she hardly knew what to do. Then, remembering that the knife belonged to Dean, and that he had been fighting with Kirkstone, also that he despised her love, she determined to inculpate him, so as to avenge herself and save her own life. She ran upstairs and told him that Kirkstone wished to see him again in the Yellow Room. Dean fell into the snare, and came down only to find Kirkstone dead with the knife in his heart Then he was seized with a panic, and fled back to his room, whence he was dragged when that wicked old woman accused him of the murder!" "Didn't Dean suspect her?" "No; he fancied that Laura, to whom he had lent his knife, had struck the blow; but afterwards, when reviewing the circumstances in prison, it occurred to him that Miss Gilmar might be guilty." "But how did Miss Gilmar quieten Laura?" "Easily enough! She told her that Dean had taken the knife and had killed Kirkstone. But it seems to me," said Gebb, meditatively, "that if Laura had only given her evidence clearly, the truth about the knife would have been found out." "I dare say!" rejoined Parge, tartly. "But if you had been in charge of the case, as I was, you would have found out when too late that Laura, being weak-witted and under the thumb of Ellen Gilmar, was afraid to tell the absolute truth." "Nevertheless, the case was muddled," insisted Gebb. "Absalom!" cried Parge, fiercely. "You can take the best part of the reward if you choose, but you shan't throw discredit on my past work. I conducted the Kirkstone murder case to the best of my ability." "And punished the wrong man." "That was the force of circumstances." "It was the want of getting the necessary evidence," retorted Gebb, with some heat. "However, we have improved since then in detective matters, as in others." "Oh, have you?" growled Parge. "Then why did you arrest the wrong man in the person of Ferris?" "You have me there, Simon, you have me there," laughed Gebb; which admission put Parge into great good-humour.