"I loved you as well as any other man," she said coolly, and shrugging her shoulders, "but I would have married anyone to escape from debt and duns and hideous poverty. As you are now poor, of course I cannot marry you. Come, mother. There is nothing more to be got here. Let us go back to our misery." Rebb said nothing, but turned very white. The woman for whom he had sold his soul was ready to cast him aside like an old glove. Mrs. Crosbie, with a vicious glance at Mavis, and a look of indifference at the man she had professed to love, took her mother's arm. Mrs. Berch was quite ready to go, and indeed seemed to be in a hurry to depart. But the path of the two was blocked by the tiny figure of Arnold, who had hitherto held his peace. "So you _did_ know that the Major's income depended upon Mavis being prevented, even by the murder of Bellaria, from marrying?" "What is that to you? Let me pass," cried Mrs. Crosbie haughtily. "We," Arnold waved his hand to include Gerald and Tod, "we thought that you were ignorant, and so could not guess what was your motive for murdering that unfortunate woman." "Murder!" Mrs. Crosbie went a dead-white, and became as rigid as a corpse. Rebb started and came forward. "You must be mistaken," he said, in shaking tones to Arnold. "He is a foul liar," said Mrs. Berch, grasping her daughter to keep her from falling. "Let us pass, sir." "No," said Arnold, still holding his ground, and speaking loudly, while the others kept silence. "When Inspector Morgan comes you shall be arrested. I shall give you in charge for this murder, of which Mrs. Haskins is wrongfully accused." Mrs. Crosbie shrieked, looking a pitiable spectacle of fear and shame, as she clung to her mother. But that stern lady, although white and also terrified, controlled her feelings with iron nerve. "On what grounds do you accuse my daughter?" she demanded. "I saw you and her in a motor car at Belldown--I saw you on the way here--you were at the gates of the Pixy's House shortly before twelve o'clock, waiting for Bellaria, whom you lured to the gate by means of a letter." "I was at Bognor--I was at Bognor," cried Mrs. Crosbie, shaking with fear. "No," interposed Tod. "My clerk went to watch you at Bognor. Neither you nor Mrs. Berch went there at all. You were down here. Come, Mrs. Crosbie, you may as well confess. We can prove all about the motor car, and your presence here." "Madge! Madge!" cried Rebb, who looked horrified, "is this true?" But Mrs. Crosbie only clung sobbing to her mother, being terrified almost to death. At the same moment that Rebb spoke Inspector Morgan, with a couple of policemen, entered the quadrangle, and advanced towards the group. "You wanted me here, Mr. Haskins?" he asked inquiringly. "I got your message, and here I am with my men. What is it?"