At the request of Miss Berengaria, Durham stopped to dinner; but not even the necessity of keeping Julius in a fool's paradise could make the old lady extend the invitation to him. Beryl did not mind. He knew well that he was no favorite with Miss Plantagenet, and often wondered why she was so polite to him. A scoundrel himself, Julius was always suspicious of others, and constantly strove to learn why Miss Berengaria, whose honest character he knew, displayed such courtesy towards him. Then he thought it was because Bernard being in her house she was afraid lest he should be arrested through the instrumentality of his cousin should not be shown. Julius departed quite satisfied in his own mind that he had solved the problem of Miss Plantagenet's behavior. Had he known the real reason he would not have gone away so .  
Before departing, Julius saw Jerry and told him—amongst other things—that he would have to leave Miss Plantagenet because of his having with matters which did not concern him. During the interview Miss Berengaria came along and the matter was explained to her. She refused to allow Beryl to .
 
"Mind your own precious business, young man," she said. "I am quite able to look after the boy myself."
 
"But he has behaved badly," urged Julius, .
 
"So he has, and I'd give him a good whipping. However, I am not going to dismiss him for this. Jerry, go to the kitchen and mind your P's and Q's, or I'll know the reason why. And now, Mr. Beryl"—the old lady dropped a grim curtsey—"good-bye."
 
Julius departed smiling and in no wise offended at the grimness of Miss Berengaria. "I'll soon be able to do without the lot of them," he thought, as he walked to the railway station, "once the estate is in my possession, and I'll keep away from this place. Lucy will have to turn out of the Hall, as I won't have her stopping, after the way in which she has treated me. I believe she is in love with that bounder of a Conniston. However," he added enigmatically, "I know my own knowing."
 
He did not know Durham's, however, and would have been had he learned what that gentleman said to the two ladies after his departure. Not only to them but to Lord Conniston himself. That young gentleman arrived with Lucy shortly before dinner. Lucy had come over to the meal, and Conniston, on his way back to Bernard at the castle, thought he would drop in. Of course, as the lover intended, he was asked to dinner.
 
The meal passed off excellently, as everyone was in good spirits. The lawyer had hinted that Bernard would soon be free, and promised to tell the company all that he had discovered after dinner. When the meal was ended they all went back to the drawing-room and sat round the , who commenced his . Prior to starting, Miss Berengaria went up to see Michael, and returned stating that he was much better. "I believe he will get well," she said.
 
"Of course," observed the lawyer, ironically, "the comedy is nearly at an end. The will has been signed. Now Michael will disappear to allow Beryl to get the estates."
 
"He will have to supply a then," said Conniston, coolly.
 
"Oh, I daresay he will," rejoined Durham, shrugging. "After the of Michael I know exactly what will happen. A body much will be found in the Thames, and will be recognized by Julius as that of Bernard's. Any corpse will do, so long as the face cannot be recognized."
 
"Drat the man!" said Miss Berengaria, emphatically. "You can't get a corpse without murdering someone, and I should think that Beryl creature has had enough of that sort of work."
 
"Oh, but Julius did not kill Sir Simon," said Lucy, with dismay. "He was at the theatre with me and Mrs. Webber."
 
"So I believe," said Durham, dryly; "but tell me, Miss Randolph, did he leave you at all during the play?"
 
"Not till the last act," said Lucy. "Then he went to get something to drink, and returned before the end of the play to take us away."
 
"How long was he absent?"
 
"Nearly half an hour. He said he had met a friend and had been talking to him."
 
"Ah! Very clever of him. Well," said Durham, looking round, "I have something to tell you all. We are friends of Bernard's, are we not?"
 
"Certainly," said Miss Berengaria, sharply, "and I know what you are going to tell us. This Beryl creature murdered Sir Simon when he was away from the theatre."
 
"Impossible!" said Lucy and Alice in one breath.
 
"He could scarcely have done it in half an hour," said Conniston.
 
"But he did for all that," said Durham. "Remember, the Curtain Theatre is only ten minutes' walk from Crimea Square. Beryl could easily slip round and strangle Sir Simon—as he did."
 
"I knew it," cried Miss Berengaria, . "Tell us all about it, Durham. Aha! we'll see that dancing on nothing."
 
"Oh, aunt!" said Alice, turning pale.
 
"Miss Plantagenet," Lucy, "don't speak like that. I do not like Julius, and broke my engagement. I think he is , and has no principles, but I don't think he would——"
 
"Yes, he would," contradicted the old lady, taking a pinch of snuff. "Bah! don't talk to me. and , murderer and thief are written all over him. My dear girls, the man is a danger to society. I want to see him hanged. He would have hanged Bernard."
 
"That's true enough," said Conniston; "but for the sake of the family, I don't want to see Julius hanged. So long as he tells the truth and lets Bernard take his place in society I don't care."
 
"He won't let Bernard take his place in society," insisted Miss Berengaria, quietly. "I daresay I am , but that young reptile—ugh!" She and took another pinch of snuff.
 
"Are you sure he is guilty?" asked Lucy, timidly.
 
"Quite sure," said Durham, gravely. "I have evidence," and he produced a handkerchief.
 
"Tell us all about it, Durham," said Miss Plantagenet, briskly. "The sooner we learn the truth the better. I am getting very tired of this connection with the Police Court. I have read detective novels," added the old lady, emphatically, "and I never liked them. To have one in real life and under my respectable roof is more than I can bear. Durham, you have an hour before you need catch your train. Tell us all. Then you can clear out, and you, Conniston, can go also. Lucy, I shall send Jerry back to the Hall with you."
 
"No, please not, Jerry," said Lucy.
 
"He is a scamp," replied Miss Berengaria, after a pause. "Well—well, we shall see. Meantime, freeze our blood, Durham."
 
This the lawyer proceeded to amidst a dead silence. No one interrupted him until his recital was ended. To make things clear, he his discoveries from the very beginning, and recounted his interview with Mrs. Gilroy, with Tolomeo and with Beryl. At the end of his story everyone looked at one another. Lucy shuddered and hid her face, overwhelmed by the discovery of the wickedness of the man she had been engaged to. Alice was quite pale, thinking of the nets in which Bernard had been caught, and which were now on the eve of being broken, that he might escape. Conniston said a word under his breath not exactly fitted for the drawing-room, but which was overheard by Miss Berengaria and approved by that lady.
 
"Thank you, Conniston," she said, taking a pinch of snuff with . "Never tell me that I am not a judge of character. I knew that scamp was the murderer ages ago. I said so. Now"—she addressed Durham [pg 264]with a suddenness which made him jump—"what's to be done?"
 
"I intend to have Beryl arrested."
 
"And then?"
 
"I shall make Bernard give himself up. The whole case must be tried in court. Also I shall have Michael arrested."
 
"But why, if he is innocent?"
 
"My dear Miss Plantagenet," said the lawyer, slowly, "Mrs. Gilroy is an important witness in this case. She is hiding. As soon as she sees that her son is arrested, and in danger of being as an accessory before the fact, she will come out and give evidence to show that he acted merely as the tool of Beryl. In a word, she will save him."
 
"Which is four or five words. Well, Durham, I don't say but what you are right, and if—Good gracious, what's that?"
 
This was the sudden entrance of Maria, looking pale. She hurried up to her mistress and caught her arm. "Oh, ma'am, come to see that poor gentleman," she said. "He is very ill—I don't know what's the matter."
 
Neither Miss Berengaria nor the others were startled; it was to be expected that Michael would have frequent in his illness.
 
The old lady rose at once to the occasion. "Send Jerry at once for Dr. Payne," she said sharply.
 
"Please, ma'am, Jerry has left the house."
 
"Left the house! What do you mean?"
 
Maria explained. "I haven't seen Jerry since six o'clock," she declared; "he brought me up the cup of tea you ordered for the poor sick gentleman."
 
"I ordered no tea," said Miss Berengaria, with uneasiness.
 
"Jerry said you did, ma'am," persisted the maid; "he brought it to me, and said you wished the gentleman to drink it at once. He waited while the gentleman did so, and then said he would tell you. I forgot to mention it, ma'am, when you came up after dinner."
 
Durham nodded significantly and rose. "I will go for Dr. Payne," he said, walking to the door. "Is the gentleman ill?"
 
"Very, sir. He says he has a burning pain in his stomach."
 
Durham nodded again and glanced at the old lady. "You were right," he said gravely, "there is something wrong," and he disappeared to fetch the doctor.
 
"Where is Jerry gone?" asked Miss Berengaria.
 
"I don't know, ma'am. James said he went out at half-past six with his bag, complaining you had sent him away."
 
"James should have stopped him, or have told me."
 
"So he says, ma'am, now."
 
"When it is too late," said the angry Miss Berengaria. "Alice, come with me. Conniston, you can wait here with Miss Randolph," and before the couple could say a word, the old lady hurried out of the room, followed by Alice. Both were oppressed by a sense of anxiety.
 
Michael was very ill and in great pain. Sitting up in bed, he was pressing both hands to his stomach and moaning. "Oh, give me water—water," he , when the women appeared. "I am dying of thirst."
 
While Miss Berengaria gave him drink, Alice looked into the tea-cup, which still stood on the table beside the bed. At the bottom there was a white . "Something has been given to you in your tea," she said, turning pale.
 
"It was some time after drinking the tea that I felt ill," moaned Michael, rocking to and fro. "Oh, how I suffer."
 
"Jerry brought the tea," began Miss Plantagenet, when Michael interrupted her with a scream.
 
"Jerry! Jerry! It's Beryl's work. Jerry did anything he told him. I believe he has poisoned me. Call him up—call him up."
 
"Jerry has gone away," said Miss Berengaria, very pale.
 
"Lost! Lost!" moaned Michael. "Ah, this was why he made me sign the will—this was why—oh, heavens! how I suffer—suffer—the pain—the pain. Help me—help me! I am poisoned!"
 
Both the terrified women looked at one another, for even Miss Berengaria, strong-minded as she was, felt her nerve give way under this unexpected . Then Alice advanced to the bedside, and from sheer force of habit addressed Michael by the false name he had assumed. "Bernard——"
 
"I am not Bernard," he screamed, rocking and rocking. "I will confess all. I am a dead man. Beryl won't give me the money now. He wants it all to himself. He has made Jerry poison me. I am to die as Sir Simon died. I am lost—lost—lost. Oh, what a wicked man I have been."
 
"Make atonement while you can," said Miss Berengaria, taking swift advantage of the opportunity. "Listen. We have known for some time that you are not Bernard , and——"
 
Michael paid no attention, but kept on rocking in an agony of pain. "Help me—save me!" he moaned. "Oh, great heavens!"
 
"Payne will be here directly," said the old lady. "Maria"—the maid was in the room by this time—"go down and bring up some boiling water. We will apply hot to his stomach."
 
"Meanwhile," said Alice, when the maid ran out, "tell us about yourself, Michael."
 
"Michael—Michael," he muttered, with the beading his brow. "You know my name. I thought you took me for Gore."
 
"Never. Bernard Gore is alive. We pretended to believe you, so that in the end you might be induced to confess."
 
"And now you have poisoned me."
 
"Certainly not," cried Miss Plantag............