In his anxiety to prove his theory, Tod would then and there have taken his friend and Arnold over to the Pixy's House. But Gerald, more cool-headed than the impetuous Scotsman, out that he had not sufficient grounds upon which to accuse the widow.  
"If you ask her to explain her movements on that night she will only refuse to gratify your curiosity," said Haskins .
 
"The police could make her speak."
 
"The police could not arrest her without a warrant, and there is not, to my mind, sufficient evidence to obtain a warrant. And certainly the police cannot ask questions about anyone's private affairs until some reason can be given to show why such questions should be asked."
 
"Those ladies said that they were at Bognor, when they really intended to come to Devonshire," observed Arnold, who seemed to side with Macandrew.
 
"It is a woman's privilege to change her mind, Mr. Arnold. And I ask you, what possible could Mrs. Crosbie have had to journey all the way to Devonshire to commit an unnecessary murder."
 
"Unnecessary?" snorted Tod, . "Seeing that the murder is ascribed to Mavis, who may thus be shut up, to provide Rebb with an income, I cannot see that it is unnecessary."
 
"Ah, but Mrs. Crosbie did not know that the Major's income depended upon the of Mavis," said Haskins rapidly. "I did not tell her, as there was no reason why I should. And I am quite certain that Rebb himself would not explain. If Mrs. Crosbie had known that his income was so uncertain she would have refused to marry him."
 
"Perhaps she will do so now," said Arnold hopefully.
 
"No! She has come down to see about the repairs to the Pixy's House," answered Gerald, "and Rebb loves her too well to let her go. I believe, Tod, that Geary is the man who committed the murder."
 
"It sounds enough," Macandrew, "and a case could easily be built up against him. But the presence of Mrs. Crosbie on the spot has to be explained."
 
Gerald rose and walked up and down the room, thinking. "I tell you what, Tod," he said . "I am getting tired of about in the dark. I believe, as you do, and Arnold does, that Mavis is entirely innocent. Hitherto we have kept her in hiding, so as to prove her , since she may be arrested if she is discovered. Well then, I think it would be best to let her be arrested."
 
Both Arnold and Macandrew jumped up wrathfully! "What?" they exclaimed, and Tod continued: "What is the use of Charity's sacrifice if you intend to hand over Mavis to the law?"
 
"Tod," said Gerald seriously, "as things stand now, we are not able to force either Geary or Mrs. Crosbie or Rebb to speak. If Mavis is put on her trial they can be called as witnesses, and then the truth may come out. Also Mavis can be examined by two doctors--I shall insist upon that--when her will certainly he proved beyond all doubt. If she is proved to be , then Rebb will find himself in Queer Street and will be hard put to it to prove his innocence."
 
"We could have done all this in the first case," said Arnold .
 
"No," replied Haskins sharply, "for then we did not have the evidence to hand that we have now. Rebb, Geary, and Mrs. Crosbie are all , and we may also be able to place Venosta in the witness-box. But the proof that Mavis is responsible for her acts, and has been shut up in the Pixy's House, while Rebb enjoyed her income, will gain the sympathy of everyone, and will go far to show her innocence. I shall support her throughout the case."
 
"She is Rebb's , and is under twenty-one," said Tod crossly; "so the Major may not allow you to support her."
 
"I propose to take her out of the Major's keeping by making her my wife forthwith," said Gerald coolly.
 
"But if you do, sir," cried Arnold, much upset, "Mavis will be arrested. Indeed I doubt if you will find any clergyman who will marry her to you, seeing that she is said to be a lunatic."
 
"That's all right," rejoined Haskins easily. "I have arranged that in my own mind. There is an old college chum of my late father's who can see both sides of the question, and I can trust him . To-day I am going to London to repeat your experience and get a special , Toddy. Our marriages are expensive matters, old boy, aren't they?"
 
Tod , and kicked the carpet. "When you are married, what do you intend to do?"
 
"I shall bring my wife down here within three days, and we shall all go over to the Pixy's House. Mrs. Crosbie will not have left by that time, as, from the quantity of luggage she brought, I fancy she intends to remain for a week or so. Then we can confront her and Rebb, and, if possible, Tod, I wish you to bring Geary on the scene. Thus all the actors in this tragedy of real life--as Mrs. Pelham Odin would call it--will be together, and we can bring about the fall of the curtain."
 
"With Mrs. Gerald Haskins in gaol," said Arnold gloomily. "Mavis will be arrested on Rebb's information, at once."
 
"That is highly probable. But whether Mavis appears early or late she will have to stand her trial, seeing that she is accused. Also she will have to be examined as to her sanity. But in both these , I intend to be beside her as her husband." There was a pause. "Well?"
 
"It's a forlorn hope," said Macandrew, hesitating, "and . Still----" He looked questioningly at Arnold.
 
The little man nodded sadly. "Things are so bad that they can scarcely be worse," he remarked, "and certainly, as Mr. Haskins thinks, a public trial would force the witnesses we want into court. Once in the box, and closely examined, the truth might come to light. I think Mr. Haskins should do as he says, but--it is a risk."
 
"Life is all risks," said Gerald cheerfully. "Well, I am going to pack up and clear off to London. And you, Toddy?"
 
"I shall keep my eye on Geary, and, if possible, I shall see Mrs. Crosbie, or her mother."
 
Gerald nodded, and, matters thus being arranged, he went up to London that same afternoon, en route for Southend, there to make Mavis his wife. Tod and Arnold, left behind, remained at the Prince's Hotel, and wandered about the country, even as far as Leegarth. They heard that the London ladies were still with the Major, but did not catch a glimpse of them. And even Tod, audacious as he was, shrank from going to the Pixy's House and openly accusing the lively widow.
 
Tod took occasion to pay a special visit to the Devon Maid, and found the hotel in charge of a rough man and his slatternly wife. It appeared that since Mrs. Geary's her husband had taken heavily to drink, and refused to attend to his business. His uncivilized instincts had got the better of him, and he was running wild in the neighborhood. Mrs. Geary, now with her mother in Barnstaple, refused to return to him, or to surrender her children, and Adonis talked loudly of forcing her stubborn will by law. But, as yet, he had not done anything, perhaps because he was in danger of the law himself. Tod learned as much from Morgan, whom he met in the Silbury High Street on the third day after Gerald's departure in search of a wife.
 
In the course of an idle conversation about this, that, and the other thing--for Macandrew, during his holiday at the Devon Maid, had learned to know Morgan intimately--the name of the negro was mentioned, and the inspector uttered a .
 
"He's a black scoundrel, that," he remarked.
 
"Why?" asked Tod, up his ears. "I always understood that Geary was a inhabitant of Denleigh. He certainly conducted the Devon Maid well, as I stopped there myself. You know that?"
 
Morgan nodded. "Things have changed since you and Mr. Haskins were there, sir," he said slowly. "It was Mrs. Geary who kept the inn respectable, and a life she had with that sooty blackguard. But she got fed up with his , and went back to her mother in Barnstaple. Since then the inn has gone from bad to worse, and Geary is drinking."
 
"I heard something of this," observed Tod. "Why don't you pull him up?"
 
"I am going to," said Morgan grimly. "I have my eye on him. He is nearly always drunk, and frightens children and insults women and threatens men. Sooner or later he will be locked up. And the strength the man has! Why, do you know, Mr. Macandrew, that he knocked down the river wall of the Pixy's House--that portion overhanging the pool. I wanted to run him in for that, but Major Rebb will not , for some reason."
 
"He has a regard for his old servant, I suppose," said Tod, smiling. "But this wall, Morgan? How the dickens could one man knock it down?"
 
"Oh, the wall has been in a shaky condition for years and years," said the inspector. "It was only held together by the ivy--the bricks and were rotten."
 
"But even then----"
 
"A good strong push would have sent it over, and Geary gave it that push. He was climbing over, I believe, as he wanted, mad with drink, to get into the Pixy............