"No, they did not. Your brother was their dupe. Berry arranged that Starth should get Frank down to his place and drug him. Then when he was insensible a crime was to be committed and Frank was to bear the blame." "Horrible! Horrible!" said Mildred, hiding her face. "And to think Walter should behave so. But who was to be killed?" "Your brother," said Eustace. "Walter did not know who the victim was to be, and, after drugging Frank, waited for Berry. The rest of the scheme was to be carried on, as I believe, by Berry killing your brother, and then by Frank being accused. But Walter never thought that he would be the victim." "Walter really drugged Frank?" "Certainly. He put opium in his tea. When Frank was insensible he searched him for the letter asking him to call, as he wanted that evidence out of the way." "But for what reason?" "Why, to make it clear that Frank had called on him voluntarily. Had the letter been shown, it might have pointed to the trap. Well, in searching for the letter--which was thrown on the floor, and found by Tilly--Walter discovered Frank's revolver, which he placed on the table. It was the merest chance that Frank carried it, and, of course, it was a card quite in the hands of the plotters. Walter waited for Berry, but Berry was late. Now I will tell you of Darrel's confession." "Where was it found?" "In Berry's strong-box. The police took the key from his dead body, and searched his lodgings. They found the confession, which exonerated Frank entirely." "Tell me the exact words." "I can't give them very exact. But the meaning was something like this. Darrel loved you, and wanted to marry you. Walter at first approved of the match, but afterwards he intended to marry you to Natty, and so brought him down." "I should never have married him," said Mildred, in a low voice. "Walter, no doubt, thought he could force you. But Darrel got wind of this through Balkis, who was his cousin. He came to remonstrate with Walter. Darrel was half a savage also, with his African blood, and your brother and he came to high words. Then Darrel confessed that Walter insulted him so that he snatched up Frank's revolver from the table and shot Walter through the head. He says in his confession that he didn't intend to kill him." "Do you think that is true?" asked Mildred. "I can't say. Darrel was a most violent man, and his love for you amounted to a frenzy. However, he shot Walter, but before he could get out of the house Berry entered." "How could he enter if the door was closed?"