"I heard someone coming and went into a lower room. I thought it might be Petronella coming back. I saw it was Frisco and saw him come down again. Then I came and said to him 'He is quite dead,' and went out. After that I went on the moor. Then some time afterwards I heard three more shots. I saw Bess and her lantern and went home." "Why did you say nothing of all this before?" asked Herrick. "There was no reason. If Frisco had been caught before, I should have told you. But he had got away, and I did not think it was right to tell about Petronella. Colonel Carr was a wicked man, and he deserved to be killed. He did a lot of harm," said Sidney, with a shudder. "How comes it you tell me now, Sidney?" "Because Bess told me Frisco had been arrested. He is wicked too, but I did not want him to be hanged for shooting Carr, as I knew that he was innocent. I came over to see Petronella, for I had a feeling that she would die, and I wanted to know from herself before she died if she was guilty. She denied it at first, but I said I would not go away until she told me all. That was why I stayed all night. She tried to run away. I said I would tell the police." "That was unlike you Sidney." "No, it wasn't," replied the boy positively, "I knew that Petronella was the one who shot Carr. If she did not confess, Frisco would be hanged--" "You never thought you might be accused?" "No. I did not do it," replied Sidney calmly, "why should I be accused?" Herrick sighed impatiently. The boy could not, or would not, understand, "I suppose then Petronella confessed in the end." "Yes. I made her write it down that she killed Carr. It is in Italian but I do not know the language. You must see that it is all right Dr. Jim. I did that because I thought she might die before you arrived. But now that you are here, come up and see her. I will go for Inspector Bridge." Dr. Jim was aghast. Here was Sidney in a new character. "Why for Bridge?" "He must hear her confession," said Sidney putting on his hat. "Perhaps she has written down something different in the Italian. I will give you the paper when I come back. But I must go for Bridge," and Sidney, before Herrick could say a word, was out of the room. Dr. Jim heard the front door close behind the boy. "There is not much insanity about this act," muttered Herrick to himself, I shall see Petronella at once, he smiled grimly, "I wonder who she will accuse," he said. CHAPTER XXVI THE TRUTH In the room where Mrs. Marsh had died, and in the same bed, lay the old Italian woman dying also. She was sitting up, with a red woollen shawl wrapped round her bony shoulders, and her lean hands told her rosary. Whatever views Sidney might have instilled into her regarding life beyond the grave, Petronella still remained within the fold of Peter. She was muttering prayer after prayer with feverish haste and the black beads slipped quickly from between her fingers.