"Yes, it is; yes, it is," said Mrs. Crosbie, utterly reckless, and defying the efforts of her mother to keep her silent. "If you knew the miserable years of poverty I have had you would not wonder at my wishing for the money. My marriage with Michael will save me from shame and misery and--and----" She choked with mingled terror and rage, and Mrs. Berch pulled her back roughly. "Are you a fool to talk like this?" she muttered. "Hold your tongue, you silly child." She shook her angrily. "Wait until Michael settles this affair. Major Rebb?" she turned inquiringly to her proposed son-in-law. "I shall settle this affair very speedily," said Rebb, walking across the lawn towards the archway, "my man shall go for the police. Or, better still, that coachman who drove you from Silbury, Mavis, shall go back to bring Inspector Morgan. I am very sorry that you have thrust yourself into danger. But I should not be doing my duty by society if I did not have you imprisoned." "As a lunatic?" asked Mavis scornfully. She had quite lost her old dread of the Major by this time. "As a murderess," he retorted. "Prove that," said Haskins, stepping in Rebb's path. "Out of my way," growled Rebb, looking dangerous. "You have brought a serious accusation against my wife," persisted the young man, "and I intend to make you prove it. On what grounds do you say that my wife is crazy?" "She has been all her life," said the Major, forced to answer, for he saw very plainly that Haskins would knock him down if he attempted to pass the archway. Not that the Major feared a fight, but his situation was so desperate that he wished to adjust things as quietly as possible. His threat to call the police was bluff, as Gerald knew, and because Gerald _did_ know Rebb was furious. "Prove that she has been mad all her life," said Haskins coolly. "Mavis has been with Mrs. Pelham Odin since she left here, and that very clever old woman cannot see that my wife is mad: nor can Macandrew, nor Arnold, nor anyone else." "I can, I can!" cried Mrs. Crosbie, with a bright red spot burning on either cheek, and looked very angry. "Ah! you are a prejudiced witness, seeing that you wish to marry Major Rebb, for the income he is now losing." "That he has lost," interposed Tod, in a dry legal tone: "the conditions of Julian Durham's will have been fulfilled, and Mrs. Haskins now takes possession of her property." "How can you prove that my wife is mad?" asked Gerald again, and taking no notice of the interruption, "have you had her examined by two doctors, according to law?" "No," replied Rebb grudgingly. "Then how dare you shut her up in this house? I shall bring an action against you, on behalf of my wife, for false imprisonment." "You had better think twice before you do that," said the Major, in icy tones, "for I shall retort with an accusation of murder." "You say that my wife murdered Bellaria?" "I do," said Rebb doggedly. "I swear to it."