t you have
suffered, and in that suffering lies the punishment you fully deserve
for not having taken the straight course, for not having taxed me there
and then with the thing that you suspected."

"The gentleman is about to lecture me upon morals, Sylvia." But Tremayne
let pass the interruption.

"It is quite true that I was in Una's room while you were killing
Samoval. But I was not alone with her, as you have so rashly assumed.
Her brother Richard was there, and it was on his behalf that I was
present. She had been hiding him for a fortnight. She begged me, as
Dick's friend and her own, to save him; and I undertook to do so. I
climbed to her room to assist him to descend by the rope ladder you saw,
because he was wounded and could not climb without assistance. At the
gates I had the curricle waiting in which I had driven up. In this I
was to have taken him on board a ship that was leaving that night for
England, having made arrangements with her captain. You should have
seen, had you reflected, that--as I told the court--had I been coming
to a clandestine meeting, I should hardly have driven up in so open a
fashion, and left the curricle to wait for me at the gates.

"The death of Samoval and my own arrest thwarted our plans and prevented
Dick's escape. That is the truth. Now that you have it I hope you like
it, and I hope that you thoroughly relish your own behaviour in the
matter."

There was a fluttering sigh of relief from Miss Armytage. Then silence
followed, in which O'Moy stared at Tremayne, emotion after emotion
sweeping across his mobile face.

"Dick Butler?" he said at last, and cried out: "I don't believe a word
of it! Ye're lying, Tremayne."

"You have cause enough to hope so."

The captain was faintly scornful.

"If it were true, Una would not have kept it from me. It was to me she
would have come."

"The trouble with you, O'Moy, is that jealousy seems to have robbed you
of the power of coherent thought, or else you would remember that you
were the last man to whom Una could confide Dick's presence here. I
warned her against doing so. I told her of the promise you had been
compelled to give the secretary, Forjas, and I was even at pains to
justify you to her when she was indignant with you for that. It would
perhaps be better," he concluded, "if you were to send for Una."

"It's what I intend," said Sir Terence in a voice that made a threat
of the statement. He strode stiffly across the roo