the gun at your brother, she really had
no intention of killing him. She had no intention of pulling the
trigger. Your brother knew this. He lashed out and slapped the side of
her head. She dropped the pistol and fell, sobbing, to the floor. He
took her roughly by the arm and 'escorted' her down the stairway. He
threw her out.

"Lady Duncan, hysterical, ran to her husband.

"And then, when he had succeeded in calming her down a bit, she
realized the position she was in. She knew that Laird Duncan was a
violent, a warped man--very similar to Edouard, Count D'Evreux. She
dared not tell him the truth, but she had to tell him something. So
she lied.

"She told him that Edouard had asked her up in order to tell her
something of importance; that that 'something of importance' concerned
Laird Duncan's safety; that the Count told her that he knew of Laird
Duncan's dabbling in black magic; that he threatened to inform Church
authorities on Laird Duncan unless she submitted to his desires; that
she had struggled with him and ran away."

Lord Darcy spread his hands. "This was, of course, a tissue of lies.
But Laird Duncan believed everything. So great was his ego that he
could not believe in her infidelity, although he has been paralyzed
for five years."

"How can you be certain that Lady Duncan told the truth?" Father
Bright asked warily.

"Aside from the matter of the gown--which Count D'Evreux kept only for
women of the common class, _not_ the aristocracy--we have the
testimony of the actions of Laird Duncan himself. We come then to--

"_Secondus_: Laird Duncan could not have committed the murder
physically. _How could a man who was confined to a wheelchair go up
that flight of stairs?_ I submit to you that it would have been
physically impossible.

"The possibility that he has been pretending all these years, and that
he is actually capable of walking, was disproved three hours ago,
when he actually injured himself by trying to throttle me. His legs
are incapable of carrying him even one step--much less carrying him to
the top of that stairway."

Lord Darcy folded his hands complacently.

"There remains," said Father Bright, "the possibility that Laird
Duncan killed Count D'Evreux by psychical, by magical means."

Lord Darcy nodded. "That is indeed possible, Reverend Sir, as we both
know. But not in this instance. Master Sean assures me, and I am
certain that you will concur, that a man killed by sorcery, by bl