“You used a threat. You told Lady Sarah that you would tell Sir Robert something about me unless she gave up her intention of coming outside the gate to speak to me.” Rhoda was silent. She was frightened by Jack Rotherfield’s manner, and would have avoided this interview had she been able to do so. But as he insisted, she thought she had better hear all that he had to say, once for all. Perhaps, also, she might be able to say something to him which would induce him to fall in with Sir Robert’s wishes. “Well,” he said. “What was it you had to tell Sir Robert?” She hesitated only a moment longer, and then replied boldly: “You know what it was.” “I swear I haven’t the least idea.” She turned quickly as if to make her escape. But he stopped her, laying his hand lightly on her arm. “Don’t go yet, please. I must know what it is you intend to tell Sir Robert about me.” She hesitated. Then, perhaps, in the hope that he might, after all, be able to clear himself of the worst part of the guilt which she believed to weigh upon him, she said: “I know that it was you who killed the butler, Langton.” He stood firm and did not flinch. “Indeed! And how do you know it?” “I saw you come out of the drawing-room and go upstairs.” “Where were you?” “In the hall, in the corner by the tall clock.” For a moment he was silent. She stole a glance at him, and was chilled by the look upon his face. If she had until that moment believed him incapable of murder, she would have altered her opinion after seeing that look. “And you are kind enough to take it for granted, because you imagine you saw me go upstairs, that it was I who killed the man?” “Well, it is for others to say that. All I should say is what I saw and what I know.” “And that is next to nothing. If you had seen me strike the man you might have had something to tell. As it is----” “As it is, I know that you were in the drawing-room with him; I heard you; and I know you went upstairs afterwards, because I saw you. If nothing happened while you were in the drawing-room, why have you never confessed that you were there?” He hesitated and then spoke quickly: “I’ll tell you all about it, and you shall judge whether I could speak. I was in love with Lady Sarah, as you know, of course. I was rash enough, foolish enough, to leave the Mill-house, where I was staying with Sir Robert, who was then my guardian, and to go to the Priory, late at night, to see her for a few minutes, she inside and I outside the library window. Langton, the butler, knew of this; he had caught me at it before. He lay in wait for me, and when I let myself in by the drawing-room window, which I had left unfastened, I found him inside. He insulted me; I was hot-tempered then, and I knocked him down. I didn’t mean to hurt him seriously, of course. That’s the truth.” “It’s not all the truth,” said Rhoda. “His hand was cut--and so was yours. You must have used a knife.”