“I sha’n’t tell you; there is no need to tell you, Mr. Fuller. It is enough for you to know that I had the power to stop the prosecution and did so. I had just started this boarding-house, and I brought Baldwin here. But what with his drink and his smoking opium, he behaved so badly that, dearly as I loved him, I had to find another home for him, or be ruined. I got him a home with a doctor, who looked after him, but Baldwin ran away and went to Rotherhithe, for there he was near the opium dens. I begged and implored him to lead a better life. He always promised, and he always failed to keep his promise. All I could do was to allow him so much a week, which I did, as I stated in my evidence at the inquest. He lived a degraded life at Mother Slaig’s house, which is down a slum, and there he met with his death at the hands of——” She stopped short. “At the hands of the man whom you suspect,” finished Alan bluntly. “I never said it was a man,” retorted Miss Grison abruptly. “It couldn’t possibly be a woman.” “I never said that either.” “Then what do you say?” “Nothing, because I am certain of nothing. You have heard the story you wish to hear, so make what use you can of it.” “I shall do so if you will answer one other question?” “What is it?” She screened her face. “Did your brother steal the peacock of jewels from The Monastery?” The screen dropped. “Marie has been telling you about that.” “She told me the legend of the jewels and the cryptogram. But of course as she was a child when the peacock was stolen, she could say nothing about the theft. But as Inspector Moon learned from Jotty, your brother had the peacock in his possession. “That is true.” “And he was murdered on account of the peacock?” “I believe so.” She clasped and unclasped her hands feverishly, not giving him time to ask another question. “Do you know who stole it from Belstone?” “Your brother, since he had it at Mother Slaig’s.” “No. He stole it from me and I stole it from Mr. Sorley.” “You stole it!” Fuller started up in amazement. “Why did you?” “Oh, I had good reason to, I assure you. I am not ashamed of my theft. That peacock ruined Baldwin, and that peacock shall ruin——” “Mr. Sorley,” broke in Fuller, keeping his eyes on her face. “No! no.” She flung up her hands. “It will ruin me! me! me!” CHAPTER VII YULETIDE Alan could make nothing of Miss Grison’s final remark, for after stating—and in a somewhat hysterical fashion—that the peacock would ruin her, she asked him to leave. In vain he asked for a more detailed explanation. Recovering her usual wooden manner, she declined to speak further, and Fuller returned to the rooms at Barkers Inn to report the result of his visit to Dick. It was unsatisfactory, and Alan said as much.